I can still picture myself in a bay of Swans fans all standing and screaming with our arms in the air in a collective "WTF" display at that one.Originally Posted by dejavoodoo44
I can still picture myself in a bay of Swans fans all standing and screaming with our arms in the air in a collective "WTF" display at that one.
We can agree to disagree. Talia chose to go to ground and, in doing so, risked injury to the Webb's legs. Maybe I'm over sensitive having witnessed Rohan's injury but I've also seen Hannebery badly injure his PCL and Papley possibly lucky not to injure his after opponents chose to go to ground.
The AFL DVD makes it quite clear that it wants players to remain on their feet wherever possible, and that by choosing to go to ground, they risk giving away a free.
The only ones I think are silly is where both players are close to stationary such that the contact to the standing player's legs is minimal. In these cases the standing player is often the one who moves towards the contest. But the Talia one is, IMO (and the AFL agrees) a classic example of what players aren't allowed to do. I don't see the AFL giving it a tick of approval as setting a "mindless precedent for the future". Rather it is them confirming that an umpire correctly adjudicated the rule in this instance.
He had to, to get to the ball first.....stay on his feet and Webb kicks the ball at least into the goal square or at best, through for a goal.
Hanners and Paps were hit front on, where I agree the rule is correct (even though Hanners didn't receive the free.....but that's another story!).
Also, players don't always 'choose to go to ground', sometimes they have to.
The AFL DVD is just the AFL promoting what is wrong.
As for agreeing to disagree, I think we actually agree that this rule is often misinterpreted and wrongly adjudicated......which, I think, makes it a bad rule. It's almost up there with the lunacy of the 'protected zone'.
One of those games, when watching at home, the neighbours probably thought that I was having a strange domestic with myself.
One story that I thought was interesting, was an analysis of the tracking data, in regards to the running of the players for the season so far. For us, the guy who averages the most distance per game, is Nick Smith, with 14.2km. He's followed by Mills with 14.1km and Heeney at 14.0km per game. And in regards to the fastest pace recorded, Rohan tops the charts with a speed of 35.3km/h. He's followed by Rampe and Franklin, with respective speeds of 34.9 and 34.6km/h. While I would have had Rohan and Franklin up there, I was a little surprised that Rampe is so quick.
Rohan had the second fastest recorded speed of the comp. The fastest surprised me. I thought that it may have been someone like Jetta, Saad or Hunt, but it was actually Majak Daw, with a top speed of 35.6km/h.
I must admit that I turned the TV off in frustration at that point, despite it being a GF. I turned it back on about 5 minutes later after trying to compose myself (I bet the neighbours were wondering where the yelling was coming from).
Which shows you can have blinding speed , size and athletic ability and still not be that good . Footy smarts are very difficult to teach.
I'll never forget that day. I was surrounded by heaps of Melbournians who were barracking for the "brave dogs".
I've been disappointed with losses before, including grand finals. This match, however, was an entirely different scenario. The continuous ignoring of "handball" throws, the allowing of flicking the ball between the legs, the dangerous diving on the ball decisions (only against us) and the kicking in danger decisions (only against us) were indisputable and supported by the free kick ratio.
In my 52 years of supporting the Swans, I've never seen a match umpired worse than this. The fact that it was a grand final, makes it even worse.
Surely, surely Bulldogs fans must know they were gifted that flag. It's not just the Grand Final where they were blessed with umpiring favours. They won the free kick count in every final they played and the further they progressed in the finals series, the greater the free kick differential in their favour was. I desperately want history to show that the 2016 Premiership was a fluke. The fact that the Bulldogs missed the finals last year is a massive pointer to how lucky they were in 2016. If they miss finals again this year, that would surely confirm it! So, I'm doing the unthinkable and barracking for the Pies to win tomorrow night!
P.S. Watch out for North Melbourne becoming the 2018 version of the 2016 Bulldogs! Have received 40 more frees than opponents so far this year - second only to Collingwood who have a positive differential of 45 - and full forward Ben Brown has received 25 free kicks, given away 5! Would love Buddy to have figures like that!!
Privileged to have watched my beloved Swans play in 6 GF's when I thought I'd never to see them play even in one, let alone win 2 (so far!), but that 2016 GF was the pitts, more so than the 2006 & 2014 GFs combined! My nuetral friends also agreed the Bulldogs had a dream run in the 2016 finals & didn't buy into their fairytale hogwash!
Melbourne is also the next potential fairytale candidate, being now the Vic team with longest premiership drought (1964).
Agree umps got caught up in Bulldogs fairytale, helped by game on their hometown despite us ranked higher. Any team that wins like this eg demons this year should have an asterisk beside it denoting absurd and unfair advantage. Makes the comp a laughing stock.
Buddy, besides playing for the Swans, doesn't play 'clumsy'.......
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