Where's the Countdown Clock?

[millsy29gopies]

Yep, no way should the countdown clock be put in stadiums. I mean I was slightly disappointed when the 5 minute warning went... It adds fanyastic drama and emotion. Terrible suggestion.

 

[Sarang]

If we had always had the countdown clock displayed at the stadium, and then suggested we should take it away and not let the players know how much time is left we would all think it would be the most ridiculous idea ever.

In saying that though I think it's fine the way it is. It was an unfortunate situation for Essendon but I think not knowing how long is one of the features that make our game exciting and unique.

The only problem is that I always have trouble explaining the clock to my foreign friends who I take to the game.

 

[LightTower4]

Countdown clock not needed.
OP is on his own

 

[MadBomberman]

No way. I hated the fact that I could tell Dempsey not to kick it. What made ANZAC 2009 great was the fact that I didn't know how long was left. When the siren sounded, it was awesome.

 

[BFVirgin]

So you're happy to see judgmental errors from players for the sake of entertainment?

Some weird comments here.
The game would have been ruined if there were a basketball clock.
Also that it altered the out come. It was unlikely to have altered the outcome, from where he was to kick from.

Had the time ran out when the Bombers were in Swans forward 50, this thread would not exist; it was just unfortunate for Dempsey. But fortunate for the better team overall.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

Knee-jerk reaction??? This isn't the first time the countdown clock has been brought up. It doesn't matter if it's tradition, Dempsey would have taken a shot if he knew there wasn't any time left, but because he didn't know, it altered the result.

and you're kidding yourself if you don't think games will still be loaded with suspense with a countdown clock.

Dempsey would have taken a shot from 55- 60 meters out, coming off a knee reco, not gonna happen, that is why he was looking to play on, to either get extra distance on the kick or to kick to the top of the square

 

[Wallaby]

It takes one quick glance. There are plenty of other sports that have a countdown clock, it doesn't hamper the game.

Yeah, like the NFL where both benches walk onto the field while the game is technically still going on because the countdown clock says you don't have enough time left to force another play - all the team leading has to do is have possession with less than 40 secs left and the game is over. And they play for that last 40 seconds, rather than the end of the game.

Or the NBA where teams deliberately foul - they even foul players nowhere near the play just to stop the clock. They have set plays for '20 seconds left', '10 seconds left' etc, right down to '0.4 (or maybe even a bit less) seconds' left. They look great when they come off (and make the TV highlights), but usually they are just a messy failure. It really doesn't add much to the game at all.

Or the NRL where players just sit on the ball and waste as much time as possible ('Oooh, I'm hurt!') in the last minute or so.

Sorry - I'm with the majority here - the 'unknown' time remaining creates great drama - and the AFL do it far better than soccer which tells the ref to keep time, as well as umpiring the game.

 

[bombers_4_ever]

No thanks. If you had a countdown clock you would see teams start playing their chip chip game.

What's the number 1 saying when a player kicks out? Man up, If players knew how long was left they would do just that.

 

[BFVirgin]

Probably at Molly Meldrum's house.

 

[giantroo]

What's the number 1 saying when a player kicks out? Man up, If players knew how long was left they would do just that.

How often does it happen though? Regardless how good you man up, there is always someone who is off who isn't manning their man. If this is brought in, i think the kicking backwards rule (D50/Centre square) is play on rule needs to brought in to counter it.

 

[hawkman]

Sorry - I'm with the majority here - the 'unknown' time remaining creates great drama - and the AFL do it far better than soccer which tells the ref to keep time, as well as umpiring the game.

The one thing i love about the soccer at games here in London (not sure if it is everywhere else) is that the stadium clock stops at 45 minutes, the amount of injury time goes up and then unless you are looking at your watch you have no idea how long has gone. Adds even more tension to a close game

 

[blue harvest]

So you're happy to have games like this decided on luck? I know if the Bulldogs lost in this fashion, I'd be going absolutely berserk.

wtf?
Kicking 2.15 to 3/4 time has nothing to do with luck.

 

[hawkman]

We should bring in an round ball too. You can't have a game decided by a lucky bounce either

 

[stugots]

Also, Essendon fans seem to be really upset about this timer issue, but when the siren blew they had a lower score than Sydney, so that means they lose. Sorry.

your talking out your ass, havent heard from 1 supporter that was 'really upset about this timer issue' - there was no issue you clown, siren went, game finished, duh.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

I don't blame the lack of a countdown clock, I blame the precision of Myers' kick. Dempsey needed to lose his feet to grab it, and we would have most certainly won without shadow of a doubt and I challenge anyone to prove otherwise with quantifiable evidence.

Massively irresponsible by young David.

 

[Heisenberg_]

They should probably bring it in. "But the tension!!!" isn't much of a reason against it.

Why should they bring it in, we have played for 100+ years without it so why change for the sake of change

 

[OldStyle2007]

Isn't it completely ridiculous that home viewers know the clock, but the people who are playing the game do not?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

What's the number 1 saying when a player kicks out? Man up, If players knew how long was left they would do just that.

Teams usually don't man up when a player kicks out; they defend a specific area, rather than a player. And if you know there's exactly ten seconds left and you have the ball and the lead, you are going to play it completely differently to if you only know approximately how much time there is left.

 

[Footy_Tiger]

Count down clock for the players? If I were a coach and spotted 18 players looking up to see the countdown clock while the ball passed them by, they would all go back to the VFL for at least 2 weeks.
If you think that a player has time to look up at a clock make a decision as to how long they have, and then do the right thing you're absolutely crazy.
Richo was a classic to watch for a similar thing. He would look up at the big screen as to were his opponent was and would often miss a chance to go out on the lead, as the ball had gone the opposite way simply because he wasn't watching.

Get rid of the damn thing on TV as well, it pi$#es me off. If you watch the coaches box, they look up at the TV to see how much time they have left and send a message out to the players, they then have some idea how long is left already.

Going back about 8 or so years, Essendon were the first to start time wasting at the end of quarters especially the last. I remember one game where the bombers were chipping around for about 2 minutes, they won the game. I was so angry that they didn't just play footy.

Courtenay Dempsey did the right by playing on, smart footballers know how much time is left anyway. It was an ending to the game you don't see to often and what a great finish for those like me that wanted Essendon to lose.
So for all the times Essendon wasted time in the dying seconds, just desserts for them.

The answer is surely to be GET RID OF THE BLOODY COUNT DOWN CLOCK it ruins the greatest game in the world.

 

[Footy_Tiger]

I forgot to mention that I was at a game a few years ago and there was kick in it, the Tigers were in front by less than a kick, the ball was in the centre all tied up. 29 minutes had passed it was so intense and SO EXCITING. Until some clown who had a bloody radio listening to the game shouted out, there's only 24 seconds left. Well I tell ya, although Richmond won, which in itself was fantastic, I felt as though all the intense excitement was torn away from me, and yes I was damn angry about it too.
Unfortunately I don't remember the win as much as I remember hearing that idiot call out the time that was left.
So get rid of the countdown clock, just have the time past clock which has always been there.

 

[Oneiros]

Ruined the game - what on earth? I could not have scripted that any better.

 

[wattsclarkjurrah]

why the hell do people continually want to 'Americanise' our great game?


Leave it alone you morons

 

[The Swert]

Two of the most exciting, highest suspense matches ever had no countdown clock on TV.


2005 Grand Final


2005 Semi Final

 

[romeoh]

Isn't it completely ridiculous that home viewers know the clock, but the people who are playing the game do not?[/quote

I would be happy to see clock removed from TV screens also. There is nothing in sport that compares to a close AFL game in last couple of mins when we don't know how long there is-it is magic.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

We should bring in an round ball too. You can't have a game decided by a lucky bounce either

We can go further than that. Eliminate playing the game entirely and just work out what the result would be from the players beep tests and draft camp scores.