What's the worst part about our game, on field?

[RICE80SF]

The off field disasters have taken centre stage this year, but I was wondering what your thoughts were on the worst onfield aspects of our game are?

For the record I think (1)Grey areas in the rules and (2)Non standard ground sizes are the two that irritate me at the moment.

(1) Rules like holding the ball, kicking in danger (some weeks it exists and some it doesn't), deliberate out of bounce, 50 metres, all have grey areas and thats just a few. The fact that the umpires can be hot on something one week and not the next is a disgrace.

(2) Some teams having such an advantage purely because of their ground size is bad for the game. You could just about say the Crows had a win on Sat. going down by 24 points at Optus, the way the Blues play that Ground. How much will they slaughter the Pies by in a few rounds, the mind boggles. Look at all the Swans v Essendon games at the SCG and MCG for the last 10 yrs - damn close or one sided depending on where they play.

What are your thought?

 

[sandie]

The stupid melee rule.

Everyone loved a good all in brawl. I remember the 1985 GF brawl it happened right in front of me, I think the only player that didn't get involved was Fish, too scared his hair might have got ruffled.

------------------
Mantis

 

[James2]

Just a few of mine...

1)Throwing- This has proliferated in recent years and all teams are "guilty" of it. If the umpires aren't going to enforce the rule, why not scrape it.Deliberate out-of-bounds and kicking in danger, ditto.

2)Teams flooding their defence- I agree with Malcolm Blight on this one; has the potential to ruin a game as it did in the Ess/WCE game on Saturday.

3) My pet hate!!! Defenders using any which way except a method within the laws, to spoil fowards; very ugly!!! Second only to this, is the umpires refusal to penalise them (defenders for it). I thought the third umpire was supposed to get rid of this scragging??? Fowards play in front and ought to receive protection for doing so, instead, defenders are allowed to cannon into their backs, grab them by the jumper and scrag them any which-way, with impunity. An absolute blight on our game!!!

J2!!!

 

[Drakey]

Definately inconsistency in the interpretation of the rules.

It's not bad enough that interpretations change from week to week. They vary during the same game depending on the umpire.

I like the fact that the ground sizes vary. It is another thing that is unique to our game.

 

[sainter]

Agree on both points Drakey.

 

[Calamity]

How about when the umpires bounce the ball in the centre and it goes about 2 metres high and 12 metres away from one or both ruckmen, straight into the hands of some midfielder who would have been completely out of position at a 'normal' bounce....An umpires job is to KNOW HOW to bounce that odd-shaped ball properly...

 

[servo]

Agree with James2.

The continual scragging by all players has reduced the spectacle a great deal. Almost everyone would agree that the most attractive feature of our game is the overhead marking. All efforts must be made to promote this feature. Scragging must be policed vigilantly.

 

[James2]

Agree with you servo.

A few weeks of games ruined by a littany of free kicks or won because a free kick was awarded for scragging when it otherwise would not have been, would change it you would think. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the umpires would ever follow through with such a policy as they wouldn't have the nerve to follow through with it in the face of attacks from the press etc.And of course there is always the dreaded inconsistancies...

J2!!!

 

[Eagle_Fan]

I don't like the way defenders are rushing behinds from so far out. It used to be an artform to rebound from so deep, but now they just soccer or handpass it through from up to 10/15 metres out. All teams seem to do it.
I guess it's good defence.

And I hate how teams (Kangas seem to do it the most) waste the last of minutes, and teams (us incl.) who go straight to the boundary.

 

[jod23]

Time wasting shits me theres nothing worse than when your team is down by a point and the other team takes thirty years to kick the damn ball. All teams do it and it should be stopped.

2000 the year of the eagle

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Stupid, daft rules that are calculated to make umpiring far more crucial to an outcome than it needs to be.

My pet hates are :

1) Three umpires = three different interpretations of the same rule.

2) Deliberate out of bounds on the full - surely the most stupid rule ever introduced

3) Carrying the ball too far (memo umpires : its 15 metres, not 30)

4) In the back / holding the ball - every interpretation is different

5) Throwing - no, throwing the ball away and following its trajectory with your other hand in a clinched fist is NOT a hand-pass

6)Getting penalised for diving over the ball - a complete anathema to everything the game stands for.

7)Scragging - wouldn't care much about this except that the rule is never enforced with any kind of consistency.

Just a few examples but I could go on and on about this kind of stuff.

Good umpiring is when you never even see the umpire during a game but all too often the outcome of any single match seems to be as influenced by the umpires as it is by the players or the coaching ... and I think that is a total disgrace.

 

[Barney]

Has to be Dan24, when that therapist looking after Hansie Cronje has finished maybe he could have a go at Dan24..could be life long job....

 

[Drakey]

Good point Eagle_Fan

Rushed behinds have become a blight on our game.

 

[Gonzo]

The worst blight is the way taggers are allowed to hassle and scrag their opponnents off the ball.

Holding the jumper, holding the arm, illegal shepherds - they would all be free kicks if the ball was in the vicinity!!!

 

[Grendel]

THROWING THROWING THROWING.

Fair call, does ANYONE in the league no how to really HANDBALL anymore.

Ever since the Jarman brothers invented the 'Crow throw' it has just spiralled out of control.

Much as I loathed Williams, his ability to hit a target with a bullet like low trajetory speeding bullet of a true handpass was a marvel to watch, and with both hands.

There isnt one bloke in the league (maybe Fletcher) now that could do that. Instead all you get is these little soft 1 and 2 metere 'soft chucks' to a bloke running by. It makes me ill.

The other little pet hates are the centere bounces which go any which way they like. To often gives an unfair advantage out the middle, and the over the shoulder rule.
If a bloke tackles at the point of the shoulder its okay, yet by placing a hand 90deg around and putting that same hand on the top of the shoulder its a high tackle.
Just stop that and call for anything neck high and above should be a free kick.