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

May 5, 2006
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Comparisons to overseas stadiums and attendances are meaningless.

Bournemouth have a 12k seat stadium because they have spent the majority of their history in the 3rd tier of English football. Southampton is 30 miles away and their stadium holds 32k. London is 100 miles away and full of larger capacity grounds. Means nothing. All Bournemouth home games are at their home games, whether it's a Cup tie vs some non-league side or an EPL game vs Manchester United. Every team also plays every other team home and away. The EPL don't schedule two Manchester derbies, two Merseyside derbies, two North London derbies etc. at the expense of less glamorous fixtures.

Teams do share venues around the world but ownership models vary. The LA Clippers are playing right now at the Staples Center in LA. They share that with the Lakers and other non basketball teams, but their private owner is building his own stadium for the team to play in. No AFL team is going to build a a Perth Stadium or renovate an Adelaide Oval because there just isn't that sort of money in footy clubs.
 

jc12

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 9, 2014
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My very popular opinion - Richmond fans are ******* crybabies
My very factual opinion Richmond are way more successful than North Melbourne along with being the best team in the comp atm and this makes other fans like you salty thus resorting to the stupid comments like that 😂
 

north_lad

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Oct 26, 2003
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My very factual opinion Richmond are way more successful than North Melbourne along with being the best team in the comp atm and this makes other fans like you salty thus resorting to the stupid comments like that 😂

I didn't just write a paragraph about how sad I get that nobody likes Jack Ziebell but righto champ
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
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My unpopular opinion , and it may be bias , but you losers who hate Trent Cotchin are weirdos who probably have no lives. This guy is legit the most clean skined player you'll ever get in footy. Yet you hate him because he went for a ball and accidentally hurt someone like 1000s did before him. Or you hate him because he got tagged out in a game one time like 1000s did before him. You lot are stupid
Does anyone actually hate Trent Cotchin, though?

Great footballer, but just so vanilla that he doesn't give us a reason to hate him.
 
I didn't just write a paragraph about how sad I get that nobody likes Jack Ziebell but righto champ

People need to care about someone to dislike them.

Average quality, low profile players don't get hated.
 

BigBreakfast

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Sep 19, 2019
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The MCG should be no ones home ground.

The AFL should upgrade another Melbourne stadium and move the MCG occupants there.
The MCG is then used for 2 games a week, setup so every team plays 2 games a year there, 1 home, 1 away.

Then we remove the ridiculous bias of teams getting to play all finals at the ground they played at 15 times during the season and get to train at!!

You could still schedule the blockbuster games there during the season, eg, Essendon's 2 MCG games are dreamtime (home) and Anzac Day (away), while Collingwood plays Anzac Day (home) and Queen's Birthday (away).

I understand that would leave teams like Freo and GWS that have smaller vic supporters to play MCG games that may draw smaller crowds, but that draws to my second opinion......give the financially struggling teams Friday night games at the MCG to increase their young supporter base.

In their 1st 6 rounds this year, North only get 1 night game and that is in Freo and is on at the same time as Melbourne V Richmond, so it won't be on FTA in Melbourne.
Get rid of the Carlton V Richmond season opener (they both get plenty of big time games) and make it North V WB at the G!!!
Don’t mind most of this. Princes Park could accomodate AFL games with a little more work.
 

BigBreakfast

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Watching hours of FoxFooty over their summer of re-runs confirms to me that any dynasty team of the past would most likely get trounced by the subsequent dynasty team. As much as I was in awe of the Lions of 2001-04 and completely admired their devastating offensive weaponry and skills - Voss, Aker, Black, Leppa etc were scintillating to watch - they'd be totally blanketed by the sustained pressure and turnover scoring of 2020 top level footy. In fact I've got no doubt that the Cats of 07-11 would've beaten that incredible Lions machine, and then the Hawks of 12-15 stepped it up another notch from there. Similarly the next batch of innovations, preparation and strategies will undoubtedly supercede what has become the dominant extreme high/extreme low-structured playing style of the Tigers thoughout 2017-20.
But those dynasty teams played to the conditions of the time. You can’t compare eras, contexts are completely different. That doesn’t mean the current Tigers are better than the Lions because of the way they play. There is another thread for this argument.
 

BigBreakfast

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1. The AFL is over coached and soft cap spends should be categorised to support player health, education and well being. Less coaches and more physical, mental and emotional development.

2. There are too many teams in Melbourne to denote a true national competition.

3. The first 20 picks in the ND should be attributed to the non finals teams in a reversing order: 18th gets 1 and 20, 17th gets 2 and 19 etc.
 
May 5, 2006
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The 2020s team would beat 2010s team would beat 2000s team thing has some merit, but ultimately if 2017-2020 Richmond would flog 2001-2004 then a bunch of current teams would also. Richmond finished 3rd last year and lost their QF by 15 and PF by 6. If they are comfortably better than say the Lions 3-peat side then so are Port, Brisbane, Geelong etc. It's not a sexy opinion but ordinary current teams would probably also flog great teams of past eras.
 

jc12

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 9, 2014
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I didn't just write a paragraph about how sad I get that nobody likes Jack Ziebell but righto champ
Lol look at the thread title mate. It's what this thread is for .... Unpopular opinions... Jack ziebell is one of those players noone really has an opinion about because he is that mediocre and finished . Whilst Trent Cotchin has achieved far greater things is a good bloke get gets a lot of hate. Hence using that as an unpopular opinion. Finally registering yet ? Or is your salt and hate for Richmond that high that you cant even think properly anymore 😂😂
 

jc12

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 9, 2014
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Does anyone actually hate Trent Cotchin, though?

Great footballer, but just so vanilla that he doesn't give us a reason to hate him.
Look at fb posts and posts on here haha , that incident from 2017 still gets brought up. It's obvious he brings alot of Strong feelings from oppo fans for some odd reason and you'd be naive not to see it.

The guy receives alot of hate and scorn when as you said he is a normal vanilla type of guy that shouldn't draw any.

Smells of jealousy
 

north_lad

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Oct 26, 2003
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Lol look at the thread title mate. It's what this thread is for .... Unpopular opinions... Jack ziebell is one of those players noone really has an opinion about because he is that mediocre and finished . Whilst Trent Cotchin has achieved far greater things is a good bloke get gets a lot of hate. Hence using that as an unpopular opinion. Finally registering yet ? Or is your salt and hate for Richmond that high that you cant even think properly anymore 😂😂

Wouldn't be having cracks at my cognition when you can barely string a sentence together, chief.
 

big_e

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Look at fb posts and posts on here haha , that incident from 2017 still gets brought up. It's obvious he brings alot of Strong feelings from oppo fans for some odd reason and you'd be naive not to see it.

The guy receives alot of hate and scorn when as you said he is a normal vanilla type of guy that shouldn't draw any.

Smells of jealousy
Jealous of a three time premiership captain and Brownlow medallist? Fair call, tbh.

Still vanilla.

To the extent I can't even recall this incident from 2017 that you refer to.
 
Jan 14, 2002
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But those dynasty teams played to the conditions of the time. You can’t compare eras, contexts are completely different. That doesn’t mean the current Tigers are better than the Lions because of the way they play. There is another thread for this argument.
As I'm sure many of Alexander the Great's best soldiers would out-soldier the US Marines of today if provided the same training and weaponry. But that's not the point. As an army, the Macedonians - the most potent force of their day by quite a stretch - wouldn't even get out of their huts before they were obliterated by any 21st century military. Any existing force, whether it be military or sport in nature, could only be truly competitive against it's contemporaries. Against the more advanced force, it's a no-contest win to the latter. Richmond 2020 would smash Brisbane 2003, as would Geelong 2011 and Hawthorn 2014. As would Carlton 2020.

The 2020s team would beat 2010s team would beat 2000s team thing has some merit, but ultimately if 2017-2020 Richmond would flog 2001-2004 then a bunch of current teams would also. Richmond finished 3rd last year and lost their QF by 15 and PF by 6. If they are comfortably better than say the Lions 3-peat side then so are Port, Brisbane, Geelong etc. It's not a sexy opinion but ordinary current teams would probably also flog great teams of past eras.
My point exactly.
 
May 5, 2006
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My point exactly.

In a hypothetical match I wonder how much time has to pass before one era crushes another. I don't believe that Richmond 2017-2020 would crush Hawthorn 2013-2015 in a best of 3 series, not enough time has passed. Different tactics sure, but there are different tactics between Richmond and the last time to win a flag (us in 2018). Professionalism and fitness from 2013-2020 is not much different.

If you go along with the premise that the 2020 Tigers would destroy the 2001 Lions, how far down the 2020 ladder do you need to go for that to stop being the case? Really not that much between the top 8 sides last year. Any competitive team that has an experienced 22 should really be crushing teams from 20-30+ years ago. Different if you are a bottom 4 team full of kids.
 

btdg

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In a hypothetical match I wonder how much time has to pass before one era crushes another. I don't believe that Richmond 2017-2020 would crush Hawthorn 2013-2015 in a best of 3 series, not enough time has passed. Different tactics sure, but there are different tactics between Richmond and the last time to win a flag (us in 2018). Professionalism and fitness from 2013-2020 is not much different.

If you go along with the premise that the 2020 Tigers would destroy the 2001 Lions, how far down the 2020 ladder do you need to go for that to stop being the case? Really not that much between the top 8 sides last year. Any competitive team that has an experienced 22 should really be crushing teams from 20-30+ years ago. Different if you are a bottom 4 team full of kids.

I reckon you can split into eras with some pretty defining tactical innovations imo. This is a bit of an over-simplification but something like:

2017-present: focus on forward half turnovers to generate score, extra numbers at contests (Richmond)

2010-2016: heavy midfield rotations, forward press/zones; (Collingwood, Hawthorn)

2001-2009: Extra numbers behind ball to shut down forwards (Sydney) / some zoning, dominant midfield combinations who can break lines (Brisbane, West Coast, Geelong)

1991-2000: professional era, improved fitness and athleticism, dominant key forwards (Pagan’s paddock) and running wings/half backs (West Coast, Essendon 2000, North)

1983-1989: precise disposal by hand and foot, zone recruiting and interstate poaching, highly aggressive/physical (Hawthorn/Carlton/Essendon)

1970-1982: increased run and handball to set up attacking play

I reckon premiership and top 4 teams within eras could play pretty much straight up and it would be a fair fight.

Take any team into a preceding era and they just dominate.

So Hawthorn 2014 would probably have a good matchup with say, Collingwood 2011. But they would beat their own 2008 team comfortably, simply on tactical nous.
 

Klem

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Dec 4, 2003
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Can hardly watch a game it’s so boring. Am cancelling fox sports and my mate and I are cancelling our shared Kayo pack.
and all this new age woke crap is making it so much easier.
used to be a member of a great club, went every week, and till a few years or so ago watched every footy show.
even channel 2.
camping and motorbike riding for me now.
 

Luv_our_club

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Feb 14, 2017
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AFL Women's footy proves that the AFL is the most watchable game in the world and the most admirable.

60% of an AFWL game is amazing and 40% of the time it is lagging/crappy. But the athleticism, endurance, courage displayed by the women is something I have never seen before from women's sport. I am constantly surprised and laughing at their courage and fight.

Women's footy rocks.
 

Virgin Dog

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Oct 29, 2017
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Can hardly watch a game it’s so boring. Am cancelling fox sports and my mate and I are cancelling our shared Kayo pack.
and all this new age woke crap is making it so much easier.
used to be a member of a great club, went every week, and till a few years or so ago watched every footy show.
even channel 2.
camping and motorbike riding for me now.
Translated for the rest of us:
"I embody the Hawthorn bandwaggoner stereotype, and now my team is s**t and the AFL is standing up to bigotry, I am throwing a tantrum"
 

AnEmptyChair

Premiership Player
Nov 12, 2020
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AFL Women's footy proves that the AFL is the most watchable game in the world and the most admirable.

60% of an AFWL game is amazing and 40% of the time it is lagging/crappy. But the athleticism, endurance, courage displayed by the women is something I have never seen before from women's sport. I am constantly surprised and laughing at their courage and fight.

Women's footy rocks.
Kind of on this, and I'm not sure if it's unpopular, but AFL players are genuinely some of the very best all-round athletes in the world and I don't think enough gets made of this fact and it's underappreciated. Most sports require athletic specialisation in a single area -- there's not a single other team sport in the world that requires the mix of athletic qualities that Australian football does and we should celebrate that and acknowledge it more imo.
 

Luv_our_club

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2017
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Kind of on this, and I'm not sure if it's unpopular, but AFL players are genuinely some of the very best all-round athletes in the world and I don't think enough gets made of this fact and it's underappreciated. Most sports require athletic specialisation in a single area -- there's not a single other team sport in the world that requires the mix of athletic qualities that Australian football does and we should celebrate that and acknowledge it more imo.

I agree.

But when we do acknowledge it ourselves or seek it be acknowledged by others it can often feel like cultural cringe - the aussies wanting to be told by the big countries or big sports that we are doing something okay.
 
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