What unpopular AFL opinions do you have? (Part 1 - cont in Part 2)

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Matthew Suckling would be a better player if he couldn't kick 65.

Far too often tries to do some kind of miraculous 'look at me I can snap kick 60 across my body' kick instead of hitting up the best option.

When you're the only player in the team that can kick, though, it's understandable that you would try the miraculous more often.

 

[The Daicos]

It would probably take me less time to list my popular opinions.

 

[schmuttt]

Cyril is much better but you're probably right. He is the cream not the cake

Garlett is a better goalkicker, Cyril better player overall.

 

[kreglze]

Suns won't finish bottom 4 this year.

 

[Scotland]

Yeah but the SCG doesn't have a roof, if they did people would say they should close it.

It's an outdoor winter sport. The roof is a luxury to protect against rain/hail/snow, it shouldn't be there to prevent shadows.

Has anyone looked at the Autumn/Winter/Spring patterns of the sun in Melbourne? The AFL insist on scheduling matches at 1.20, 1.40, 2.10, 2.40, 3.20, 4.00 and 4.40 at the venue from March through to August.

 

[Scotland]

Next year the AFL should schedule Hawthorn vs Geelong on Good Friday, conclude the round on the Sunday then open the following round with Geelong vs Hawthorn on Easter Monday...

 

[Luv_our_club]

Next year the AFL should schedule Hawthorn vs Geelong on Good Friday, conclude the round on the Sunday then open the following round with Geelong vs Hawthorn on Easter Monday...

Are you reading my diary?

 

[Scotland]

Are you reading my diary?

Yes.

It's OK. Most people get hair down there at that age. I'm sure Billy loves you too.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I hate the toxic nature of the Hawthorn and Geelong fans rivalry. The club rivalry is amazing, but the rivalry between the fans, and particularly on here, is too much.

The coaches are apparently decent mates, the players seems to get along with each other, it's just the fans that take it to the next level and it can become too toxic.

 

[SuperSteele22]

Can’t recall if I’ve already posted this in this thread but here goes - Ray Chamberlain is one of the better umpires in the game.

Troy Pannell on the other hand, a guy who seems to escape a lot of criticism when discussing poor umpiring, is a borderline cheat.

 

[Swooping Crow]

Bucks needs another 5 years to right the wrongs.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Umpiring is never the reason a team loses. Umpires are humans and make mistakes just like everyone else they get carried away by the occasion. Players make more mistakes than the umpires the win or lose u the game

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Umpiring is never the reason a team loses. Umpires are humans and make mistakes just like everyone else they get carried away by the occasion. Players make more mistakes than the umpires the win or lose u the game

I go a step further and say people that blame umpires are sooks and generally don't understand the game as well as others or are just too one eyed to view a game impartially, rendering their opinion meaningless.

 

[TheFourPillars]

I go a step further and say people that blame umpires are sooks and generally don't understand the game as well as others or are just too one eyed to view a game impartially, rendering their opinion meaningless.

Naah i wouldnt say that because like i said umpires make mistakes but its not the reason for winning and losing.

 

[Bleeeeeeeeep]

Putting away the whistle is not in the spirit of the game.

 

[schmuttt]

Can’t recall if I’ve already posted this in this thread but here goes - Ray Chamberlain is one of the better umpires in the game.

Troy Pannell on the other hand, a guy who seems to escape a lot of criticism when discussing poor umpiring, is a borderline cheat.

Agree 100%. Pannell (And Nicholls) are bloody terrible.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Umpiring is never the reason a team loses. Umpires are humans and make mistakes just like everyone else they get carried away by the occasion. Players make more mistakes than the umpires the win or lose u the game

I go a step further and say people that blame umpires are sooks and generally don't understand the game as well as others or are just too one eyed to view a game impartially, rendering their opinion meaningless.

As an example:
What about the Port-WCE final where the AFL review has stated (from memory) that the high contact free for Shuey was incorrect?
The umpires don't make that mistake and Port clearly wins.
---

Every game is made up of hundreds of small moments that can go for or against your team. Lets split them into the intentional vs random outcomes. For the most part, umpiring impacts the intentional, but there are times when it becomes a random factor (particularly for 50/50 calls that are called inconsistently, or those that are clear mistakes). Now in the vast majority of games, all that unintentional stuff balances out and the better team wins.
But that randomness will sometimes over the course of a game, quarter or just a few key moments, favour one team over the other - and umpiring is part of that.

At the end of the game you could look back at all those little moments and how they added up to a loss.
OR you could look at it as nil-all going into the last minute of the game and look at one decision that impacted the outcome.
Both are correct.
---

And thats not to say umpires are a major contributer. Clearly the players on the park are the main factor in the outcome - but even if its only 1 or 2% that is effected by umpiring - sometimes that one call can make that difference in the end.
---

Also- I'm not suggesting umpires would favour one team over another intentionally (though given past umpiring/betting/crime scandals in other sports i wouldnt 100% rule it out).
I do think that some players/teams do get judged differently based on reputation - both for good and bad. "Classy" mids are always given more leeway on HTB decisions becuase the umpires, unconsciously, judge their intentions with the ball (and Pendles is/was in this group) whilst the "pests" will get pinged for any indescretion at the drop of a hat. (Lindsay Thomas could be decapitated and he still wouldnt get a high contact free anymore)

 

[Scotland]

As an example:
What about the Port-WCE final where the AFL review has stated (from memory) that the high contact free for Shuey was incorrect?
The umpires don't make that mistake and Port clearly wins.

Don't pay the ridiculous Gaff deliberate and it probably doesn't get to extra time. Etc. As you said, series of moments. That Shuey free kick happens 5 minutes into the second quarter and it's long forgotten. The real reason we won is that Port didn't capitalise on their chances. It was 12.6 to 10.16 and they smashed the inside 50s. Dixon was in beast mode but kicked 3.6. Meanwhile we went from 7.6 half way through the 3rd quarter to 12.6 after extra time. Priddis, Petrie, Kennedy x 2, Shuey. 5 from 5. Port kicked 2.6 in the same time.

The impact of umpiring is magnified depending on the closeness and importance of the game. I thought we got stooged last week but I reckon had we managed to get in front Sydney would've lifted and run over the top of us anyway. Our first half was abysmal and the game should've been over by then. But it's a Rd 1 H&A game we ended up losing by 4 or 5 goals. Had Franklin got away with a clear throw leading to a goal to put them in front with 10 seconds to go in a final the media reaction would be a lot different.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Michael Hurley was an excellent forward. Averaged nearly two goals game playing a hybrid CHF role, was judged extremely harshly even though he was performing very well for a key forward at 20-22.

 

[Scotland]

Good lead in...

'Hybrid CHF role' is not a thing. You are either playing FF/CHF or you aren't. Jack Darling isn't a 'hybrid' anything, he's just a forward that is good but not great. If he was a bit better he'd be a 50-60 goal a year forward, not a 40 goal one.

People say this sort of nonsense about Franklin all the time. 'He's not a FF, he's really a tall HFF. A hybrid role...'. Nah, he's just a good footballer who has athletic attributes of endurance and speed. If he played on the flank and Sydney kicked the ball to Sam Reid 20 times a game instead then I'd accept he was a HFF, but he's the #1 target just as he was most of his career with the Hawks. The only reason he wasn't the #1 target there the whole time is they had Roughead who is another bloody good key forward.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

That Shuey free kick happens 5 minutes into the second quarter and it's long forgotten.

Sorry i didnt realise there was a 2nd quarter free? I was talking about the dying seconds of Extra Time with the kick after the siren. I apologise if that was not the one the AFL reviewed, but it was still clearly controversial IMO.

But that is exactly my point.
Yes Port shouldve wrapped the game up well before then. Yes there was plenty of other moments that impacted the outcome.
But at that stage, it was effectively 2-0 Port with only a few seconds left.
Do you praise Shuey for getting himself the free? (Then for kicking the goal?)
Do you blame the Port player for giving it away?
Or do you say that ultimitely it was an umpiring decision that changed the result.

Whether right or wrong - you cant take out the impact an umpire will have on a result.
And although that call was likely right - not all players would get it, and not all umpires would give it.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Good lead in...

'Hybrid CHF role' is not a thing. You are either playing FF/CHF or you aren't. Jack Darling isn't a 'hybrid' anything, he's just a forward that is good but not great. If he was a bit better he'd be a 50-60 goal a year forward, not a 40 goal one.

People say this sort of nonsense about Franklin all the time. 'He's not a FF, he's really a tall HFF. A hybrid role...'. Nah, he's just a good footballer who has athletic attributes of endurance and speed. If he played on the flank and Sydney kicked the ball to Sam Reid 20 times a game instead then I'd accept he was a HFF, but he's the #1 target just as he was most of his career with the Hawks. The only reason he wasn't the #1 target there the whole time is they had Roughead who is another bloody good key forward.

What if you rotate between both... half the time you play up the ground then drop deep. Almost like a hybrid of two positions...

 

[Scotland]

What if you rotate between both... half the time you play up the ground then drop deep. Almost like a hybrid of two positions...

Every position is a 'hybrid' position in modern footy.

 

[Scotland]

Sorry i didnt realise there was a 2nd quarter free? I was talking about the dying seconds of Extra Time with the kick after the siren. I apologise if that was not the one the AFL reviewed, but it was still clearly controversial IMO.

Huh? I'm saying that if that free kick was 5 min into the second quarter it wouldn't have been a big deal. It's only because it was the last 10 seconds of extra time with a 2 point margin that it was such a big thing.

The AFL review all games. They probably watched the tape of WC vs Sydney last week and determined Franklin should've been penalised for a throw. But it was in the 3rd quarter of a Rd 1 game so who cares?

 

[00Stinger]

Michael Hurley was an excellent forward. Averaged nearly two goals game playing a hybrid CHF role, was judged extremely harshly even though he was performing very well for a key forward at 20-22.

That is strange considering he has never kicked more than 27 goals in a season