Opinion What unpopular AFL opinions do you have? - Part 2

[fpm84]

My issue is crying homesickness when you're in your 20s. They need to grow up and cut the cord. Go home if you want to, but don't act like you need sympathy for being "homesick"

'Homesick' doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does. I'm in my mid 30s and I get homesick for Melbourne whenever I'm away for even a few weeks. This city is home to family, friends, routines, history and memories to me. I'd never want to move away from Melbourne for a number of reasons, even if I had better employment prospects elsewhere. In the AFL landscape 'homesickness' is often equated to 'grown man can't live without parents' but there's so much more to it than that.

 

[Richo83]

'Homesick' doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does. I'm in my mid 30s and I get homesick for Melbourne whenever I'm away for even a few weeks. This city is home to family, friends, routines, history and memories to me. I'd never want to move away from Melbourne for a number of reasons, even if I had better employment prospects elsewhere. In the AFL landscape 'homesickness' is often equated to 'grown man can't live without parents' but there's so much more to it than that.

This. I'd rather work in Melbourne than Sydney. Sydney is a nice place but everyone I know lives in Victoria. If I can, as a worker work my way towards where I want to live, I will. It's just like how the clubs use every capacity to improve their performance.

 

[Franc de Borges]

"Name the years they got it wrong" kind of misses the point. You could do a poll on here with a rule that you can't vote for a player from your own team and "pretty much end up with the correct player of the year".

The hugely lopsided margins just imply that the players are pretty much aware of how everyone's voting and they just follow each other. The way our game is played means that there's never a player who is that far ahead of everyone else. And since it's been 16 years since a non-midfielder has won, I wonder how often over that period it's just been the favourite for the Brownlow at the time that's won the MVP.

If the answer is correct though, who cares how we arrive there?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

If the answer is correct though, who cares how we arrive there?

It's a fair point. But you're rarely going to get much backlash by going with a flavour of the month... it's seldom going to be unpopular. So you could just as easily call it the Sportsbet MVP and give it to the Brownlow favourite every year and no-one could say you got it wrong. The Rising Star voting usually gets it right too: that doesn't stop it being a shitty, lazy, flavour of the month system.

I just think the AFLPA MVP gets a higher rung on the pecking order than, say, the media awards. It's probably given level pegging with the coaches award. But I'd put it below all of them, because really, I don't think the players really care about their votes and probably don't give it much thought whatsoever. Do we think they're watching every game and poring over the stats week after week like us losers? They probably read a few stories about someone being the outright favourite for the Brownlow, check in with their mates back at the footy club about who they're voting for and that's how we regularly get a winner who polls three times as many votes as the runner up.

This is no reflection on the winner this year by the way... I just don't think the players' association MVP should hold much currency in the grand scheme of things, considering how little thought probably goes into it.

 

[Scotland]

This. I'd rather work in Melbourne than Sydney. Sydney is a nice place but everyone I know lives in Victoria. If I can, as a worker work my way towards where I want to live, I will. It's just like how the clubs use every capacity to improve their performance.

And I'd rather live in Perth, and do. But I haven't nominated for the national draft. If I was 15 years younger and any good I would recognise that I have a 1 in 9 chance of staying here if a team picked me to be one of only 7-800 people out of 25 million who make a living playing footy. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I know people that went to WAAPA and work in film and TV. None of them still live here because there's so few opportunities. If you want to be a Hollywood star you can't do it from your living room in Perth.

American kids go off to college at 17/18 in different cities and then those that are drafted to the professional sports leagues are traded from city to city without any say in it. Lionel Messi moved to the other side of the world at 13 to be part of Barcelona's academy. Meanwhile AFL players sign big money extensions then get homesick living in Sydney and playing every other week in Melbourne.

 

[Franc de Borges]

Not an unpopular opinion but a question.

Watching some highlights of the 2005 Prelim (WCE Vs Adel) on You Tube. Adelaide received a free inside 50 before the siren had gone or the ball had been bounced. I’m sure we’ve all seen something similar before.

So, what’s the earliest a free kick can be paid? The players didn’t all seem to be in their positions yet. Just wondering if it’s to do with one of the pre-game sirens or purely at the umpire’s discretion. I’m sure you can’t pick out a free in the warm up, so when can you?

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

So, what’s the earliest a free kick can be paid? The players didn’t all seem to be in their positions yet. Just wondering if it’s to do with one of the pre-game sirens or purely at the umpires discretion. I’m sure you can’t pick out a free in the warm up, so when can you?

Nick Riewoldt got one pre first bounce vs Port in either 2011 or 2012, not sure if the first few sirens went though

 

[DemonDays]

Melbourne only lost the 1988 Grand Final due to the umpires looking after Hawthorn.

 

[t_94]

That the AFL is totally corrupt and doesn’t really care about its fans or players, just as long as the media rights, advertising and sponsorship revenue comes in the door to swell the overpaid executives, they are happy.

More of a common sense opinion than an unpopular one.

 

[Slysh]

My issue is crying homesickness when you're in your 20s. They need to grow up and cut the cord. Go home if you want to, but don't act like you need sympathy for being "homesick"

I feel like you have created a narrative here though, I have never seen them ask for sympathy. They wanna go home they are more then welcome to, as long as if the club says no they stick it out, which they normally do.

 

[GroggSquad]

Specialist wing players should not be gifted AA spots.

Jackson Macrae would play the wing role better than Hugh McCluggage if instructed to. He is a better player right now.

It would just be stupid if Hugh was a 2 x AA player right now and Macrae had none just because he lined up on the side of the square less.

They should continue to give the best players within the entire midfield group the AA wing spots.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Best and Fairest in a premiership side is a meme award that club supporters and members of the media use to blow smoke up the arse of certain players

 

[Sentinel]

Not an unpopular opinion but a question.

Watching some highlights of the 2005 Prelim (WCE Vs Adel) on You Tube. Adelaide received a free inside 50 before the siren had gone or the ball had been bounced. I’m sure we’ve all seen something similar before.

So, what’s the earliest a free kick can be paid? The players didn’t all seem to be in their positions yet. Just wondering if it’s to do with one of the pre-game sirens or purely at the umpire’s discretion. I’m sure you can’t pick out a free in the warm up, so when can you?

After the coin toss perhaps?

 

[theyellowsash]

Not an unpopular opinion but a question.

Watching some highlights of the 2005 Prelim (WCE Vs Adel) on You Tube. Adelaide received a free inside 50 before the siren had gone or the ball had been bounced. I’m sure we’ve all seen something similar before.

So, what’s the earliest a free kick can be paid? The players didn’t all seem to be in their positions yet. Just wondering if it’s to do with one of the pre-game sirens or purely at the umpire’s discretion. I’m sure you can’t pick out a free in the warm up, so when can you?

id presume its once the players officially enter the playing field before the bounce. tbh i dont mind the idea that if a player does something on field deserving of a free kick before or after sirens, that the free kick can be paid. its not likely to ever happen but if say a full forward gets decked by a haymaker just after the final siren, why not?

 

[CarnTheScray]

Melbourne only lost the 1988 Grand Final due to the umpires looking after Hawthorn.

For second I thought this wasn't a joke and had to recheck that games scores haha

 

[Richo83]

And I'd rather live in Perth, and do. But I haven't nominated for the national draft. If I was 15 years younger and any good I would recognise that I have a 1 in 9 chance of staying here if a team picked me to be one of only 7-800 people out of 25 million who make a living playing footy. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I know people that went to WAAPA and work in film and TV. None of them still live here because there's so few opportunities. If you want to be a Hollywood star you can't do it from your living room in Perth.

American kids go off to college at 17/18 in different cities and then those that are drafted to the professional sports leagues are traded from city to city without any say in it. Lionel Messi moved to the other side of the world at 13 to be part of Barcelona's academy. Meanwhile AFL players sign big money extensions then get homesick living in Sydney and playing every other week in Melbourne.

I'm aware that you can't be a world famous movie star living in Broken Hill. Thing is though, most players who play in the AFL come from a capital or major city which has team(s) in the AFL. The urge to do the same job just closer to home is understandable.

You bring up Hollywood. In the mid 20th century, stars were signed onto contracts and basically told which movies they were signed on, instead of agreeing to do movies themselves. The practice suited the studios but the actors hated it as they had no creative control over which movies they would be in. The same desire for actors to pick which movies they star in is the same desire for athletes to play wherever they live in. It's all about having a say as an employee over some aspects of your employment.

I get that free agency has perhaps tilted the power too much in favour of players but if teams can trade players to places they had no intention of playing in, surely players can have some power over where they, especially as clubs generally get compensation through trades and/or cap space.

 

[Scotland]

I'm aware that you can't be a world famous movie star living in Broken Hill. Thing is though, most players who play in the AFL come from a capital or major city which has team(s) in the AFL. The urge to do the same job just closer to home is understandable.

You bring up Hollywood. In the mid 20th century, stars were signed onto contracts and basically told which movies they were signed on, instead of agreeing to do movies themselves. The practice suited the studios but the actors hated it as they had no creative control over which movies they would be in. The same desire for actors to pick which movies they star in is the same desire for athletes to play wherever they live in. It's all about having a say as an employee over some aspects of your employment.

I get that free agency has perhaps tilted the power too much in favour of players but if teams can trade players to places they had no intention of playing in, surely players can have some power over where they, especially as clubs generally get compensation through trades and/or cap space.

Clubs in the AFL haven't been able to trade players against their will for a long time. Jon Patton moved clubs because he wanted to and the price was cheap because GWS wanted his contract gone. In the NBA he would've been traded mid season for a couple of average players whose salaries add up to as much as his but expire at the end of that year.

There are lot players in the AFL who aren't from the cap cities. There were 7 players in the U/18 AA side from Vic Country alone last year. Deven Robertson was drafted from WAFL Colts and boarded in Perth but is from Northam. Zac Williams (from Narrandera originally) supposedly wants to be closer to his sister in Albury.

 

[Breretonisahood]

The AFL needs to work towards becoming a proper competition again rather than an entertainment package deliberately compromised to keep the comp even and, allegedly, better entertainment. The farcical rule/interpretation changes, back room deals to ensure certain players go to certain clubs (eg Plugger to Sydney etc), propping up expansion clubs with no sunset in sight, priority picks as a reward for being consistently shite, compromised fixture etc do not allow for a real competition. I would propose a 2 div system with promotion and relegation with clubs left much more to their own devices. Div 1 would have 12 teams playing 22 h/a matches. Div 2 would have the current AFL teams not good enough for Div 1 (yes, that would currently include Hawthorn!) and maybe a few new expansion clubs like Tassie and maybe even extra state league teams from Vic, SA, WA if they were interested. Div 1 would be the premier comp in the country and concentrate the best players in an elite, uncompromised comp. If AFL assistance is gradually squared up so that no clubs receive more assistance than others, this may result in some existing clubs falling away. However, they would not be merged, moved or disbanded but drop to Div 2 where they get a chance to rebuild and make it back to Div 1. I’d also seriously consider ditching the new reserves comp as part of this. To me, this is preferable to the inevitable elimination of some of the less viable Vic clubs.

 

[Richo83]

Clubs in the AFL haven't been able to trade players against their will for a long time. Jon Patton moved clubs because he wanted to and the price was cheap because GWS wanted his contract gone. In the NBA he would've been traded mid season for a couple of average players whose salaries add up to as much as his but expire at the end of that year.

Brett Deledio was pushed as much as he jumped. Saw the writing on the wall and started to canvas other options. Thing about modern footy is that it's rare for teams to purely trade a player cold without telling them, they usually let them know through the year that they're surplus to requirements and will be traded. But Deledio wanted to stay and made peace with the fact that he was going to be traded because he had to. He scrambled to find a team he liked and the trade was done. I feel sorry for him especially given he missed out on flags but footy is a business.

There are lot players in the AFL who aren't from the cap cities. There were 7 players in the U/18 AA side from Vic Country alone last year. Deven Robertson was drafted from WAFL Colts and boarded in Perth but is from Northam. Zac Williams (from Narrandera originally) supposedly wants to be closer to his sister in Albury.

Sure, but many WA boys still want to play for Perth sides so they don't have to travel across the country to see their family and friends. And for the many who do live near a city with footy sides, they generally want to play close to home. There's a reason why Geelong often draft people from regional towns or from around Geelong, because they know they'll handle it fine and that many of the Melbourne juniors will get sick of living in Geelong.

I also think that this attitude is more common than we think. Many people will move to be closer to their family, many people will move away for money. Players are also human and are subject to the same desires that any other employee feels. They don't deserve sympathy, but it's a common thing and given the AFL is a business containing employers and employees, it's not that surprising.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

We shouldn't have a draft.

Salary cap should be a fair mechanism for equalisation.

If North with about half the salary cap left in cap room next year want to pay 5 of the best 18 year olds in the country half a million each on five year deals, all power to them.

 

[Scotland]

Brett Deledio was pushed as much as he jumped. Saw the writing on the wall and started to canvas other options. Thing about modern footy is that it's rare for teams to purely trade a player cold without telling them, they usually let them know through the year that they're surplus to requirements and will be traded. But Deledio wanted to stay and made peace with the fact that he was going to be traded because he had to. He scrambled to find a team he liked and the trade was done. I feel sorry for him especially given he missed out on flags but footy is a business.

Would happen often. But players have to agree to it. Jared Polec has two years of $700k left at North or something like that. If they had their way they'd offload him to the first bidder.

Sure, but many WA boys still want to play for Perth sides so they don't have to travel across the country to see their family and friends. And for the many who do live near a city with footy sides, they generally want to play close to home. There's a reason why Geelong often draft people from regional towns or from around Geelong, because they know they'll handle it fine and that many of the Melbourne juniors will get sick of living in Geelong.

I don't know if anyone has ever run stats on it but I *think* fewer country players request trades due to homesickness. That could be complete bullshit, mind.

I also think homesickness is a bit of a get out of jail free card, like mental health. Wasn't that long ago every man and his dog wanted out of Brisbane which coincided with them being a bit dysfunctional off field and ordinary on it. Now they are settled off field and making the finals they've attracted Ah Chee, Birchall, Ellis-Yolmen, Lyons, Neale, Adams etc. who aren't even from Qld in the first place. Clark claimed homesickness then chased cash at Melbourne. Polec went back to Adelaide and joined Port then 5 years later moved states for more money. Redden (from SA) joined us at the end of 2015 because there was an opportunity for a fresh start and a decent trade for them to help the rebuild so win win. Etc.

If you just say 'I want to play for a team that's not s**t, I want more money, the coach is a flog' then you get no sympathy in the court of public opinion. But if you claim homesickness or mental health then the club gets painted as the bad guy if you don't get your wish.

 

[edgie]

'Homesick' doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does. I'm in my mid 30s and I get homesick for Melbourne whenever I'm away for even a few weeks. This city is home to family, friends, routines, history and memories to me. I'd never want to move away from Melbourne for a number of reasons, even if I had better employment prospects elsewhere. In the AFL landscape 'homesickness' is often equated to 'grown man can't live without parents' but there's so much more to it than that.

I also suffer from pretty crushing homesickness at times, so when I see these dudes backpacking around the world for weeks on end in the off season, I get skeptical. I can't even pop down to the city for a concert without feeling like dark clouds are following.

 

[edgie]

I'm aware that you can't be a world famous movie star living in Broken Hill.

EXCUSE ME!

Way to let me down gently, bro

 

[ApplecrossWC]

I don't know if it's an unpopular AFL opinion but it seems to be an unpopular BF opinion. I think Dwayne Russell is the best in the business and is so influential he has created great terms (eg. chaos ball) that have now entered footy lexicon.

 

[edgie]

Nick Riewoldt got one pre first bounce vs Port in either 2011 or 2012, not sure if the first few sirens went though

Didn't he get two?