So what was that about the game being in trouble...

[Upgrayedd]

"Footy is just chip chip keepaway i preferred it hard and contested"

*Port V Geelong*

Gee these teams are poorly skilled!

 

[HG Pennypacker]

What?

I think he has a point. There probably isn’t a great side at the minute. But it’s cyclical.

I’d like to see st Kilda win it. They have been the only side all year I have consistently found enjoyable to watch.

 

[domus]

I think he has a point. There probably isn’t a great side at the minute. But it’s cyclical.

I’d like to see st Kilda win it. They have been the only side all year I have consistently found enjoyable to watch.

People always look to the past as somehow better whether it be sport, art, music entertainment or education. I happen think the quality of talent is higher now and more evenly spread. I hear so much about Brisbane under Matthews but I saw an undermanned Collingwood lacking real stars almost beat them in 2002 but for one decision and one non decision. They were not a super side. They were every good. Perhaps those eras of one team dominating (Hawthorn and Essendon in the 80s) was indicative of how poor the rest of the competition was for so long, rather like the EPL where the same five teams dominate every year.

Game style has nothing to do with the ability or quality of a team. Teams use different tactics in different eras.

Geelong is rated as a super team when they dominated yet they got badly beaten on grand final day by a young up and coming Hawthorn and a fat bloke called Dew. Just enjoy the game for what it is. The standard of footy i the finals so far this year has been outstanding. The Pies/Eagles clash had everything you could want in a game of Aussie Rules. That was a game between two sides considered rank outsiders for the flag.

I watched the 1989 grannie last week. Despite all the hype around that game I found the ease with which both sides scored very off putting. That Hawthorn team is another rated as one of the best of all time. Break it down-Morrissey, Greg Dear their number one ruckman, McGuiness, Curran, Chris Wittman, Dean Anderson, Madigan, Condon, Andy Collins were all just good solid footballers. I'd back the current Collingwood team to be very competitive against that lot even with Dermie, Dunstall and Ayres and all of their other big names.

 

[domus]

I thought the Thursday clash was one of the worst games I've seen tbh. It had nothing, no real highlights, no free flow. The other matches were pretty good.

It was an arm wrestle, but the stakes were high and the physical pressure and commitment on display was sensational. I hate bruise free goal fests. The 2018 grand final was the perfect mix, as was the Pies win last night.

 

[market]

People always look to the past as somehow better whether it be sport, art, music entertainment or education. I happen think the quality of talent is higher now and more evenly spread. I hear so much about Brisbane under Matthews but I saw an undermanned Collingwood lacking real stars almost beat them in 2002 but for one decision and one non decision. They were not a super side. They were every good. Perhaps those eras of one team dominating (Hawthorn and Essendon in the 80s) was indicative of how poor the rest of the competition was for so long, rather like the EPL where the same five teams dominate every year.

Game style has nothing to do with the ability or quality of a team. Teams use different tactics in different eras.

Geelong is rated as a super team when they dominated yet they got badly beaten on grand final day by a young up and coming Hawthorn and a fat bloke called Dew. Just enjoy the game for what it is. The standard of footy i the finals so far this year has been outstanding. The Pies/Eagles clash had everything you could want in a game of Aussie Rules. That was a game between two sides considered rank outsiders for the flag.

I watched the 1989 grannie last week. Despite all the hype around that game I found the ease with which both sides scored very off putting. That Hawthorn team is another rated as one of the best of all time. Break it down-Morrissey, Greg Dear their number one ruckman, McGuiness, Curran, Chris Wittman, Dean Anderson, Madigan, Condon, Andy Collins were all just good solid footballers. I'd back the current Collingwood team to be very competitive against that lot even with Dermie, Dunstall and Ayres and all of their other big names.

The current Collingwood team would win in a landslide - absolute destroyation as Rex likes to say.

 

[Breretonisahood]

The current Collingwood team would win in a landslide - absolute destroyation as Rex likes to say.

But that’s not the point. If it was, we’d only count the last 10-20 premierships on the basis that modern era teams would wipe the floor with great teams from the 80s and 90s and those older premierships were won by crap teams (by today’s standards). It doesn’t matter that 2020 Collingwood would destroy 1989 Hawthorn, it was still a great GF and a great team in its day.

 

[sprockets]

It was an arm wrestle, but the stakes were high and the physical pressure and commitment on display was sensational. I hate bruise free goal fests. The 2018 grand final was the perfect mix, as was the Pies win last night.

I get what you mean, I like pressure games as well but I like it when a team or teams excel under that pressure. Neither team did.

 

[PCORF]

and this finals series being the worst ever spectacle to watch because of the shortened games, being played in qld (with no crowds if you listen to wa fans), and the general poor state of the game?

I didn't watch today but it seems there have been 3 absolute quality games so far with the best games still to come (week 1 usually being the week 8th spot gets reamed). Perhaps we need to stop listening to gerard healy and his doomsaying. if he has any consistency whatsoever he should still be saying that the game and finals series is in trouble this week, but you know he wont because he will look like a fool

if this is the spectacle we get when the best teams play each other (rather than when top plays bottom and complaining it was a bad game) then bring it on.

8th spot has knocked out 5th ten times since the current finals format was introduced. (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020) But only one of the 8th placed teams North in 2015 made the preliminary final.

 

[sprockets]

But that’s not the point. If it was, we’d only count the last 10-20 premierships on the basis that modern era teams would wipe the floor with great teams from the 80s and 90s and those older premierships were won by crap teams (by today’s standards). It doesn’t matter that 2020 Collingwood would destroy 1989 Hawthorn, it was still a great GF and a great team in its day.

But what if those 80's teams were coached like today's teams?

 

[market]

But that’s not the point. If it was, we’d only count the last 10-20 premierships on the basis that modern era teams would wipe the floor with great teams from the 80s and 90s and those older premierships were won by crap teams (by today’s standards). It doesn’t matter that 2020 Collingwood would destroy 1989 Hawthorn, it was still a great GF and a great team in its day.

It was an epic grand final and yes they were an awesome team then. No arguing on that point from the view here.
Modern era teams will "wipe the floor" of teams from 30 years past every time, so following on from that, teams from 2050 will be way superior to the teams running around today
Maybe the attitude that the 89 GF from some (today) wasn't that good will be mirrored for the 2018 GF in 30 yrs time.

 

[mr bagcroft]

The finals are better quality as they always are. There are still long stretches of awful to watch play in those games. It's just better than what we have been watching for months.

This. I always lol at people when we get a few good games, even finals,. and they loudly pontificate that see the game is great and there is nothing wrong with it. lol.

 

[Milanista28]

The ‘poor state of the game’ threads are just fodder for the sooks and the whiners, people who live to whinge. It’s been the best opening week of finals I can remember.

Yeah I can't think of a better week of finals for years, all 4 would be in the top 5 games of season 2020 IMO.

 

[smasha]

The game is only in trouble when Richmond win.

If we beat St. Kilda,game will be in trouble again lol.

 

[GoGeta]

You're all F wits. Paying money via memberships or indirectly by watching ads ect for LESS CONTENT than you use to get....

ROFL, O how the business community must sit around mocking the moronic new generations with no sense of value. Just go with the flow they say

''Oi Stan. Yeah Bob? Do you think people will mind if we slash the length of games, offer the players and ourselves more money every few years, up the amount of ads, while we slowly sell off all the content to Murdoch so he can bend footy fans over a barrel? Huh! Good one Bob, those monkeys will lap up whatever we give them. My thoughts exactly Stan".

 

[Pessimistic]

People always look to the past as somehow better whether it be sport, art, music entertainment or education. I happen think the quality of talent is higher now and more evenly spread. I hear so much about Brisbane under Matthews but I saw an undermanned Collingwood lacking real stars almost beat them in 2002 but for one decision and one non decision. They were not a super side. They were every good. Perhaps those eras of one team dominating (Hawthorn and Essendon in the 80s) was indicative of how poor the rest of the competition was for so long, rather like the EPL where the same five teams dominate every year.

Game style has nothing to do with the ability or quality of a team. Teams use different tactics in different eras.

Geelong is rated as a super team when they dominated yet they got badly beaten on grand final day by a young up and coming Hawthorn and a fat bloke called Dew. Just enjoy the game for what it is. The standard of footy i the finals so far this year has been outstanding. The Pies/Eagles clash had everything you could want in a game of Aussie Rules. That was a game between two sides considered rank outsiders for the flag.

I watched the 1989 grannie last week. Despite all the hype around that game I found the ease with which both sides scored very off putting. That Hawthorn team is another rated as one of the best of all time. Break it down-Morrissey, Greg Dear their number one ruckman, McGuiness, Curran, Chris Wittman, Dean Anderson, Madigan, Condon, Andy Collins were all just good solid footballers. I'd back the current Collingwood team to be very competitive against that lot even with Dermie, Dunstall and Ayres and all of their other big names.

Can only imagine todays social media if the 1989 GF carnage happened. It was literally insane. And 1971: There was actually a cash bounty on Hudsons head.

When games of the past are replayed, its the best ones. 1987 prelim gets a run though because of the Stynes 15m penalty (even though Ironically you never see him do it, amateurish TV coverage.
What also stands out is the terrible skills from two teams who were out on their feet
Matthews Brisbane team also somehow managed to win a wooden spoon

 

[JackFlash]

Of course it's in trouble. They were playing finals and for a brief weekend we had 3 good games! Overall AFL has more trouble as a game than ever before!

 

[Aramis]

rather like the EPL where the same five teams dominate every year.

Aged quickly and well.

Liverpool just got done 7-2 and Man U got done 6-1 at home.

 

[t_94]

Aged quickly and well.

Liverpool just got done 7-2 and Man U got done 6-1 at home.

Over the course of a season you know the teams that will be fighting it out for the league.

It’s a silly competition that’s actually about which oil baron can spend the most money.

 

[domus]

Aged quickly and well.

Liverpool just got done 7-2 and Man U got done 6-1 at home.

Oh wow! My whole premise that the EPL is dominated by the same few powerhouse teams has been shattered! By the way, I never named any of the powerhouse teams so clearly you believe that Liverpool and Manchester United are two of those powerhouse teams who have dominated, otherwise why mention them? You knew exactly who I was referring to. Point proven.

 

[domus]

Of course it's in trouble. They were playing finals and for a brief weekend we had 3 good games! Overall AFL has more trouble as a game than ever before!

Yet the game has never been bigger, more supported or financially secure in its entire history. Go figure!

 

[Pessimistic]

Pendles reckoned a large vocal crowd definitely energised the players more - and that was the away team captain speaking.

 

[Macpotata]

The game is in trouble. 4 games doesn't make up for the last 3 or so seasons. That being said holy * that was a brilliant first week of finals. One of the best we've had.

 

[Freomaniac]

Yep Geelong play an ugly brand of footy, other games were very good though.

Describe this ugly brand of footy the cats play LoL

 

[hawkman]

Let's be smart about it. In playing in Qld instead of Melbourne, the dogs saints game probably only lost 30,000 spectators who couldn't attend. If all those people watch on TV instead, it's probably a 2% increase, so a 4% increase is still more people. Besides there was also a 23% increase for Thursday compared to last year, and overall audience is up 15% in Melbourne alone.

St Kilda's first final in 9 years, would have brought 70k+ to the MCG

 

[mr bagcroft]

St Kilda's first final in 9 years, would have brought 70k+ to the MCG

With Richmonds support base, and the saints up and about (though they will get absolutely smashed, make no mistake). Id say your unders there. Easy 85K in Melbourne, perhaps 90K if good weather,