The Age - losing credibility?

[SirRooke]

I can't help but thinking this when I saw the votes from yesterday's game.

5 Bartel
4 Scarlett
3 Wirrabloodypunda
2 Judd wtf?
1 can't remember who from the cats, was so shocked by the eagles selections

I'm sorry but I must have been at the wrong game, or maybe The Age writer didn't actually go to the game and just looked at the stats sheet. Or like a number of journalists and umpires can see no wrong in Judd. Judd might have high 20s possessions but apart from a short period of time in the last quarter had no influence on the outcome at all!

Bartel was clearing the best, but surely Enright, Ablett Jnr, Egan (who played a pearler in the 1st 1/2) and Blake were ahead of them. Not to mention Mooney, Ling, Corey, NAblett, Ottens...

To be honest, the scoreline flattered the Eagles. Geelong wasted some opportunities in the first half to truly bury the Weagles.

 

[CF]

I can't help but thinking this when I saw the votes from yesterday's game.

5 Bartel
4 Scarlett
3 Wirrabloodypunda
2 Judd wtf?
1 can't remember who from the cats, was so shocked by the eagles selections

I'm sorry but I must have been at the wrong game, or maybe The Age writer didn't actually go to the game and just looked at the stats sheet. Or like a number of journalists and umpires can see no wrong in Judd. Judd might have high 20s possessions but apart from a short period of time in the last quarter had no influence on the outcome at all!

Bartel was clearing the best, but surely Enright, Ablett Jnr, Egan (who played a pearler in the 1st 1/2) and Blake were ahead of them. Not to mention Mooney, Ling, Corey, NAblett, Ottens...

To be honest, the scoreline flattered the Eagles. Geelong wasted some opportunities in the first half to truly bury the Weagles.

Had to agree those votes were a disgrace. Judd getting votes was so bad it made me laugh. But funny thing was he did do well in the Champion data/supercoach despite a pretty average game.

 

[Brasil2007]

Mate, dead on the money, I thought the same thing. Wirra had about 30 touches, but turned the ball over a couple of times. He also was playing loose in defence for those so it wasn't like he worked to hard to get them. If I had to name a WC player who might have had an influence it was Hunter. But I don't think you'd have to look hard for a bunch of Cats players who played better - basically every player won their position over the day.

 

[Xcat]

Watching the game I felt that Enright and Milburn had a massive influence and for the eagles Hansen and Rosa probably were their best.
Judd tried very hard as well. Wirrpanda racked up Joel Bowden short switching stats while Geelong worked players back up field. Probably helped us win to a large extent so to get votes is a joke.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

Probably the same visually impaired guys who tell the umpires every week to protect Judd tell the Age to give him votes??? Or maybe his girl has been on the phone.........I would listen to HER suggestions every day of the week........

 

[bulletproof]

I thought this thread would be about the Bob Murphy column or the Martin Flanagan column or the John Harms column.

The stuff they print in the Age these days is appalling.

Whoaa lets try and find the heart of the game, what a load of rubbish. I just shake my head.

Jake Niall is a good writer the rest really are pathetic.

 

[patdman]

Ling for SURE. Kerr to 0 touches after half time and 10 for the match, he was 1/4 the reason why Bartel and co could do as they pleased. To get 20 himself and keep Kerr to 10 is like getting 40 touches as he took 20 quality ones off WC. If he doesnt get at least a vote something is dead wrong.

Personally I would have him top 3 EASILY.

 

[gregWAllan]

The Age is no longer the quality journal of record it once was. Personally I stopped reading it altogether about five years ago after being a lifelong reader. Their over the top political correctness and misandry just became too much to bear.

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

Had to agree those votes were a disgrace. Judd getting votes was so bad it made me laugh. But funny thing was he did do well in the Champion data/supercoach despite a pretty average game.

The Eagles play a possession intensive game so a lot of our players rack up touches even though they're not that effective. I think that as a team the Eagles get about 400 possessions a week which is a hell of a lot when you think about it, as it means the average possessions per player is 18.

Basically, even when an Eagles gets a billion touches, it doesn't automatically mean he's had a good game. The Age probably just felt like they had to give Judd votes because he's Judd.

 

[PoidaCat]

Yeah I dont read the age anyway.

Leftist P.O.S.

 

[CF]

Interestingly on the Footy Classified Coaches Vote both Bomber and Worfold gave Judd votes for the game

 

[thejester]

Yeah, I didn't really see a problem with Judd getting 2.

As for The Age, much as I love them - and they do bring a lot to the table, IMO - I'm increasingly disillusioned with their footy coverage. It's not the columns or the writers (who I generally like) but their abysmal match day coverage. Anyone noticed how their reports on the actual game just, well, end? There's no conclusion or anything, they just stop - which frustrates the hell out of me. On top of that, I wonder why they can't do analysis pieces on actual trends within the game, rather than just how clubs spend their dough (which I find interesting, but still).

 

[SirRooke]

I am disappointed that whilst Geelong played a direct attacking style of football through the middle of the ground, West Coast played a sideways crap style of football that has most fans really annoyed.

Instead of looking at the stats (going back and forth sideways racks up lts of stats) they should have looked at the influence on the game and the style of game that the matches' best players were playing. In one sense the pathetic journos criticism of the growing style of football as being uncontested sideways crap, but hypocritically, inconsistently reward that style of play by giving the players who played that way votes. Maybe they should watch the games that they report on and instead of using cheap, easy analysis with vagaries and crap and looking at raw stats for judging who is the best.

I agree with the poor commentary on what actually happens on the ground.

Wirrasidewayspunda racked up many of useless possessions doing nothing other than passing back and forth across half-back. He did little of value. Judd was the same though was certainly good for 10-15mins in the last quarter. (but that was it)

 

[re cat]

I could not believe my ears when Sky channel did their wrap of the game. They showed footage of the game and then Brad Seymour told the other reporter beside him that you wouldn't expect the weagles to win when it was cold, wet & windy.

 

[re cat]

If you want to read the age do it on the net then you don"t have to pay for it.

 

[cat in sydney]

If you want to read the age do it on the net then you don"t have to pay for it.

Exactly right. Why anyone would pay for a newspaper nowdays is confusing.
I keep getting calls from SMH etc asking if I want to pay $100 or something for a years subscription, as it's a mammoth 50% off! As soon as I tell them I read it on the internet, they give up straight away. No contest.

The Age, Hun, etc have all you need on the websites. And it's free.

 

[Stripey PJs]

The Age is no longer the quality journal of record it once was. Personally I stopped reading it altogether about five years ago after being a lifelong reader. Their over the top political correctness and misandry just became too much to bear.

Misandry?? Oh, c'mon. Sure they're supportive of women's issues, but how does that equate to being anti-men? Are you referring to their sympathetic coverage of the Family Court a few years back?
(Disclosure of bias: I love women.)

I agree with your PC comment; you wouldn't read the Age in isolation if you were looking for a range of views. Having a leftist perspective myself, it's pretty unstimulating reading what you already believe.

Back to the votes, I don't mind Juddy named in the best five, but loose men in defence should never receive three, especially when they've been beaten by 40 points and worthier candidates abound. Has the Age lost credibility? Probably. It's not the first time I've been annoyed by Stephen Reilly's votes, but better journos in their stable make up for him.

What irritates me more is the listing of missed shots. Why would you waste a statistical column on an event that happens a couple of times a game, and is often mentioned in the accompanying articles? Time on ground is of greater relevance to the game's story. But kudos for crediting defence by showing spoils.

 

[thejester]

With Wirra: he basically sat on the fullback line for most of the 2nd half, but earlier he was around the ground and was creating a lot of damage off half-back; I was getting a bit pissy with Stokesy for not manning up. Whether or not it deserves 3 votes is another matter, however...

 

[Claude Balls]

I thought this thread would be about the Bob Murphy column or the Martin Flanagan column or the John Harms column.

The stuff they print in the Age these days is appalling.

Whoaa lets try and find the heart of the game, what a load of rubbish. I just shake my head.

Jake Niall is a good writer the rest really are pathetic.

Lighten up Buddy...

Have you never read one of Flanagan's articles about the game in South Africa, or his work with Aboriginal communities? He writes some very endearing articles about more than just the literal arena of the AFL... Perhaps you only want to hear about things you understand, like rule interpretations or the demise of coaches etc...

And what's wrong with Harmes' articles, or Bob Murphy's for that matter? They provide a different and quirky perspective. You must be a very serious person to get so uptight about them.