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

Aug 2, 2012
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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.
Barassi has been saying this - or, rather, simply pointing it out - for 50 years or more.
 
Dec 7, 2007
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AFL players are fantastic all round athletes, but is the game better full of guys that are 6'4''/90kg that can run 15 in the beep test compared to previous eras?
Bring back the Fat Full Forward - Tony Lockett, Sarah Perkins et al.
 
Racism within the AFL & clubs is an overly promoted propaganda spectacle. Painted as a big problem.

When in reality for the most part.....doesn't exist.

It now can be harnessed as a mythical weapon used by elitist virtue signalling types against caucasian people.
 

big_e

Existential crisis management consultant
Apr 28, 2008
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Racism within the AFL & clubs is an overly promoted propaganda spectacle. Painted as a big problem.

When in reality for the most part.....doesn't exist.

It now can be harnessed as a mythical weapon used by elitist virtue signalling types against caucasian people.
The use of the phrase "virtue signalling" is, in itself, virtue signalling.
 
Anyway, unpopular opinion - I think for the most part the umpires do a good job in trying circumstances. We get the benefit of endless slow motion replays and zoomed in shots on our HD widescreen TVs, umpires don't and have to deal with crowd noise, being in the wrong spot on the field, and the myriad of rule changes that keep getting forced upon them seemingly multiple times a year. It also is not a full time job for them but are expected to umpire like a mistake would cost them their living.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
The problem with umpiring in the AFL is that there is a cast of thousands doing it, a lot of the rules aren't black and white and not only the rules committee make changes every year they do it mid year or mid round if they feel like it.

People think rugby is complicated but it's really not after you learn the rules, and it's stop start with one referee in and around the play when it's congested. Same as cricket. The umpire adjudicating LBW has to judge the pitch of the ball, the impact of the ball, whether the batsman played a shot and whether in the umpire's opinion the ball would've gone on to hit the stumps. A lot to process in a split second, but if it was footy you'd have the umpire judging LBWs on the basis of what he thought the bowler was doing.
 
Oh well.... shame you can't play internet policeman anymore.

For you, the day Forward Press infracted you on the main board was the most important day of your life. For me, it was Tuesday.
 

jatz14

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 13, 2011
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This and what I'm posting about are opposite ends of the spectrum.
Virtue signalling, wokeness etc are the definitive calling cards of the right wing virtue signaller.

And yes, virtue signalling is a thing and the term is deserved about 5% of the time it's used.



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jatz14

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 13, 2011
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The problem with umpiring in the AFL is that there is a cast of thousands doing it, a lot of the rules aren't black and white and not only the rules committee make changes every year they do it mid year or mid round if they feel like it.

People think rugby is complicated but it's really not after you learn the rules, and it's stop start with one referee in and around the play when it's congested. Same as cricket. The umpire adjudicating LBW has to judge the pitch of the ball, the impact of the ball, whether the batsman played a shot and whether in the umpire's opinion the ball would've gone on to hit the stumps. A lot to process in a split second, but if it was footy you'd have the umpire judging LBWs on the basis of what he thought the bowler was doing.
Even in cricket, the ball IS going on to hit the stumps or it isn't. Not always easy for the ump to tell, but there is a 'right' answer.

Lots of rules in AFL have areas of grey. You can push someone in the side in a marking contest, but not the back. But where does the back finish, and the side start?

The ump basically has to make it up on the spot. So it's easy to disagree, as 2 people looking at the same incident can disagree, and there isn't anything in the rule to say who is right.

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AnEmptyChair

Premiership Player
Nov 12, 2020
4,133
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I think stating that you believe racism within the AFL and clubs is overblown is valid for an unpopular AFL opinion.

The rest of that particular post is boring rhetoric.
Nah, it's nonsense and unknowable unless you're within footy clubs themselves. It's not an opinion that can be backed up with any sort of proof or authority unless you're involved in clubs.
 
For you, the day Forward Press infracted you on the main board was the most important day of your life. For me, it was Tuesday.
Self absorbed w***ery mentioning yourself in the 3rd person. I’d bet my house our Tuesday’s are vastly different from one another.
 
Nov 10, 2013
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Hell no
Even in cricket, the ball IS going on to hit the stumps or it isn't. Not always easy for the ump to tell, but there is a 'right' answer.

Lots of rules in AFL have areas of grey. You can push someone in the side in a marking contest, but not the back. But where does the back finish, and the side start?

The ump basically has to make it up on the spot. So it's easy to disagree, as 2 people looking at the same incident can disagree, and there isn't anything in the rule to say who is right.

On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app
AFL games need four field umpires but they need to be in pairs, one inside and one outside of the play to get both angles.
One pair of umpires do one side of the ground and the other pair does the other side.
they swap sides (and rotate amongst themselves) after each goal.
 

The wily weagle

Premiership Player
Oct 16, 2014
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One thing I definitely don't like is that in every clubs best 22, there is nearly always one person in the side that is selected not for their ability to play, not for their skills, but for their capacity to run.

For us, it was Chris Masten

Billy Hurtung was another guy who instantly sprang to mind

Masten for us was selected as a "defensive winger" who's job was to mark space......only he didn't tackle or really do anything defensive.

But..........he was great at time trials, which was apparently very important

I am not saying that the capacity to run, and a high level of fitness isn't important, because clearly it is. But, that shouldn't be the primary basis of selection

There are other factors at play and at the end of the day, its football, and not track and field

Have a look at your clubs list and I would wager there is at least 1 guy that falls into this category
 
May 1, 2016
28,402
55,359
AFL Club
Carlton
One thing I definitely don't like is that in every clubs best 22, there is nearly always one person in the side that is selected not for their ability to play, not for their skills, but for their capacity to run.

For us, it was Chris Masten

Billy Hurtung was another guy who instantly sprang to mind

Masten for us was selected as a "defensive winger" who's job was to mark space......only he didn't tackle or really do anything defensive.

But..........he was great at time trials, which was apparently very important

I am not saying that the capacity to run, and a high level of fitness isn't important, because clearly it is. But, that shouldn't be the primary basis of selection

There are other factors at play and at the end of the day, its football, and not track and field

Have a look at your clubs list and I would wager there is at least 1 guy that falls into this category
Think you're being a little rough. Can't speak for Masten, but Hartung kicked 20 in a game of footy as a junior. The kid could football, he wasn't just an athlete.

You don't really get to AFL level without being able at least a little to football.
 

The wily weagle

Premiership Player
Oct 16, 2014
3,288
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Think you're being a little rough. Can't speak for Masten, but Hartung kicked 20 in a game of footy as a junior. The kid could football, he wasn't just an athlete.

You don't really get to AFL level without being able at least a little to football.

Actually, Hartung was actually an elite athlete, his capacity to run was first rate and he held the beep test record at the combine for a while.

It was his skills that let him down.

But, he could run.........
 
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