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Which game would have the biggest impact or butterfly effect on AFL history if the result was changed?

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The ball moves more.

The team with the ball, has more control.

Watching games now prior to the rule change, it just looks idiotic how the Man on the Mark could delay play intentionally.

It added literally zero to the game.

How many people watched footy and think 'Oh wow, that guy did a great job of stopping that guy moving the ball forward quickly. I'd pay good money to watch that!'?

None.
exactly! You nailed the intention of STAND

'the team with the ball has control'

control = beauty? = the way the game should be played? = or just the C.Scott / S.Hocking / Whateley's preference?

why would anyone want to watch Geelong take 150-odd uncontested marks in a game as they did a couple of weeks ago against the Dees?

I don't think chip-mark-chip-mark-chip-mark possession is a higher form of the game.

It's anodyne.

A footy lobotomy.
 
Tigerball 2017-20 was unwatchable shit. Rolling mauls as the ball was hacked forward without skill for another set of congestion and stoppages. Auskick for adults footy.

Thank god we've moved on from that crap
 
Excellent thread.

To the list I’ll add Sydney v St Kilda Round 7, 1994. For what began as a low interest match Tony Lockett’s memorable elbow and final minutes had a significant butterfly effect as the Saints came storming home to get up by a point.

At the Swans board meeting in the following days the collective was fuming until they learnt Lockett would soon be out of contract. The AFL ensured the struggling Swans would be looked after with an assortment of priority picks meaning they could make a serious play for Lockett over the 1994/95 summer. The alternative suitor was Richmond. Lockett joining the Tigers for their impressive 1995 season may have helped them secure a grand final berth.

In the event Lockett became a Tiger the resultant Swans recruitment drive might not have been so successful. While Paul Roos was sadly leaving Fitzroy regardless at the end of 1994, a Lockettless Swans might have influenced Roos to instead head further north to Brisbane, with their own priority picks. Already at the Bears were his first coach Robert Walls and former Vice Captain Alistair Lynch (Ross Lyon would himself go there that same summer). Roos playing in Brisbane would have ramifications including the acceptance of Brisbane absorbing Fitzroy in 1996.

There would have been coaching ramifications as well. With greater success in 1995 both Walls and Northey might have continued their respective roles at Brisbane and Richmond. Of more significance though with no linkage to Sydney Roos would eventually look elsewhere to take his coaching style prowess.

Finally, who would have Sydney targeted for recruitment in the absence of Lockett and Roos? It’s purely speculation. One name might have been Sav Rocca who would take on the full forward position and join brother Anthony.
 

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This season has seen so many close ones that have shaped top 4 and top 8. Collingwood have played in many games decided by under a goal. Two games decided by under a goal ensured they would make top 4, lose one or both they're 5th and playing an EF against the Hawks and probably losing. Gold Coast should have lost to Adelaide but Mac Andrews also deserved a free kick against Port. In the end it evens out.
 
Excellent thread.

To the list I’ll add Sydney v St Kilda Round 7, 1994. For what began as a low interest match Tony Lockett’s memorable elbow and final minutes had a significant butterfly effect as the Saints came storming home to get up by a point.

At the Swans board meeting in the following days the collective was fuming until they learnt Lockett would soon be out of contract. The AFL ensured the struggling Swans would be looked after with an assortment of priority picks meaning they could make a serious play for Lockett over the 1994/95 summer. The alternative suitor was Richmond. Lockett joining the Tigers for their impressive 1995 season may have helped them secure a grand final berth.

In the event Lockett became a Tiger the resultant Swans recruitment drive might not have been so successful. While Paul Roos was sadly leaving Fitzroy regardless at the end of 1994, a Lockettless Swans might have influenced Roos to instead head further north to Brisbane, with their own priority picks. Already at the Bears were his first coach Robert Walls and former Vice Captain Alistair Lynch (Ross Lyon would himself go there that same summer). Roos playing in Brisbane would have ramifications including the acceptance of Brisbane absorbing Fitzroy in 1996.

There would have been coaching ramifications as well. With greater success in 1995 both Walls and Northey might have continued their respective roles at Brisbane and Richmond. Of more significance though with no linkage to Sydney Roos would eventually look elsewhere to take his coaching style prowess.

Finally, who would have Sydney targeted for recruitment in the absence of Lockett and Roos? It’s purely speculation. One name might have been Sav Rocca who would take on the full forward position and join brother Anthony.
Northey confirmed during interviews that Lockett and Richmond had agreed to terms and he was going to join until the AFL boss Ian Collins stepped in and made sure that Lockett would go to Sydney to keep the northern market going. Absolute corruption at its finest. There's another bigfooty thread on this for those interested too.
 
Round 4 1999. Carlton vs Fremantle. A pretty good Carlton team gets run reasonably close by a terrible Freo team.

Stephen O'Relly kicks 2 goals 2 and plays one of the better games of his Freo career. When he requests a trade home end of that year, Carlton bite.

That move sees them breach the salary cap. O'Reilly plays just 12 games for Carlton, and more importantly he blows the whistle on being paid outside the cap!

Carlton lose out on Brendan Goddard, Daniel Wells, picks 17 and 33, AND pick 1 in the PSD, AND their 1st and 2nd round picks in the 2004 draft. AND a $1m fine!

From that time forward, Carlton is worse than the last years of Fitzroy:
Carlton (2002 – 2019): 128 wins, 259 losses, 32% winning percentage, 5 wooden spoons
Fitzroy (1979 - 1996): 156 wins, 236 losses, 39% winning percentage, 3 wooden spoons

Took Carlton a decade to win a final again, and they still havent been past a prelim since. Other than Gold Coast, they are the only team to not make a grand final this century.

Plus there is zero light at the end of the tunnel. Their best payer under the age of 25 next year is either Jesse Motlop or Jagga Smith, who hasn't run out on an AFL field and is coming off a knee reco.


If Carlton win that game by a bigger margin, a larger % means they end the year 5th, not 6th. Carlton draw the Dogs in week 1 of the finals, instead of receiving a 10 goal belting from Brisbane. That finals draw means we cannot have a North vs Carlton GF, and without that PF upset loss, Essendon probably go back to back in 99 -00.

And in a bigger loss O'Reilly gets less opportunity up forward. His poor game means Cerlton recruiters dont see him, and he lands somewhere else in trade week. Carlton then go on to resemble a competent AFL team for the last quarter of a century.
 
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Round 15, 1964
Melbourne def St Kilda at the MCG in lousy weather. As winning coach, Norm Smith is interviewed on 3AW. He vents frustration at Umpire Blew (great name). Over coming months, Blew demands an apology which Smith refuses to give.

Blew sues 3AW and Smith, who asks for the financial support of the Melbourne board. The Board refuses but demand Smith publicly support the Board. Tensions between Smith and the Board are at boiling point. Ron Barassi, Smith's protege and "virtual foster son" leaves the club amid rumours it is with Smith's urging and support. Barassi goes on to transform Carlton.

Given Smith's refusal to withdraw from the lawsuit and the Board's refusal to fund it, the Board sacks Norm Smith in 1965. Melbourne, the reigning premier and a finalist since 1953, free-falls out of the top 4 and does not qualify for finals until 1987.

If St Kilda win that game, Smith is not interviewed on 3AW.
 
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Probably Western Australia State teams win in the 1986 Australian football championships. They won so convincingly that almost immediately the then VFL, WAFL and SANFL started planning for state teams to enter the VFL and both entered very shortly after.

Had WA not dominated those championships it likely would have taken far longer for those states to mount a case to enter the VFL/AFL.
 
Talking about non-afl/vfl games like the state of origin.

1985 and/or 1986 SANFL Grand Finals.

North Adelaide win 1 of these, Mick Nunan would've likely been the inaugural coach for Adelaide. Both of these? Almost certainly.

You tell me how that would've changed things.

Darren Jarman signs with the Crows instead of going to Hawthorn.

How the rest of the team looks, who knows. We may not have gotten back McGuiness as he was a Glenelg boy.

But those 2 GF results (heck, even 1 changing) could have changed the 90s substantially. Hawthorn fail in 1991? Adelaide succeed in 1993? All because of a SANFL game in the 80s.
 
Northey confirmed during interviews that Lockett and Richmond had agreed to terms and he was going to join until the AFL boss Ian Collins stepped in and made sure that Lockett would go to Sydney to keep the northern market going. Absolute corruption at its finest. There's another bigfooty thread on this for those interested too.
The AFL successfully got Lynch to Brisbane the summer before so they had form with such manipulation.
 
Talking about non-afl/vfl games like the state of origin.

1985 and/or 1986 SANFL Grand Finals.

North Adelaide win 1 of these, Mick Nunan would've likely been the inaugural coach for Adelaide. Both of these? Almost certainly.

You tell me how that would've changed things.

Darren Jarman signs with the Crows instead of going to Hawthorn.

How the rest of the team looks, who knows. We may not have gotten back McGuiness as he was a Glenelg boy.

But those 2 GF results (heck, even 1 changing) could have changed the 90s substantially. Hawthorn fail in 1991? Adelaide succeed in 1993? All because of a SANFL game in the 80s.
The inaugural Crows team did have a very Glenelg vibe.
 
Hmmm

Pies vs Giants Semi 2018. Genuinely close.

I'm convinced Tigers would have beat GWS then WCE in the GF.

Probably not had the fire in the belly to go again in 2019 after back to back.

2019 GWS wins the flag.

2020 Cats win the flag, stand rule is never introduced. Game in general is a lot more tolerable etc.
 

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Which game would have the biggest impact or butterfly effect on AFL history if the result was changed?

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