I think we peaked in 2014. At the start of 2016 I thought we’d be doing well to scrape into the bottom of the eight, given the number of young players we had in our best 22. That we made a GF speaks for how weak the competition was that year ( and for how good our top half dozen players were that year. And for how few injuries of importance we suffered until about a week out from the start of the finals).
I look back upon the trade ban n realised it was the beginning of the end of my love for AFL. The competition reeks of a sports entertainment business to make money for the Melbourne boys club.
I absolutely enjoy following my local Australian rules side now & still have a soft spot for the swans but I have no interest in following a competition that has its main goal is to make money ahead of a fair competition. I still watch Sydney but only occasionally now if it’s on tv and I’ve got nothing on.
Sadly I am starting to see this in other people a lot more. So there’s no surprise the games tv ratings were down last year.
The game desperately needs a separation of powers that the AFL have over the game. Like the ANFC.
Australian National Football Council - Wikipedia
And lastly I have no idea why anyone thinks the media would ask any questions in regards to the trade ban. They have AFL accreditation to hold onto, they lose this and they are basically ostracised from gaining access to the games players, coaches and administrators. Basically your reporting of the game ends.
It’s not a sporting competition, it’s a business to make as much money as possible for the admistraters.
Spot on boddo. Many in sydney feel the same way.
No byline on the article, which leads me to ask "Who wrote this Twaddle?"
The trade ban hurt the Swans far less that the recruitment of Dirty Kurt and the glamorous Buddy. We know this because the ban ended years ago and we're still waiting/dreading (depends on your perspective) for the Swans to land the next high profile recruit.
And as for COLA, I believe that in the long term the academies should be of much more utility to the Swans (and ALF in Sydney more generally) than COLA ever could be.
The competition has been on that trajectory ever since the richest 7 VFA clubs (plus 1 designated loser) ditched the rest of the competition for financial reasons.Originally Posted by Boddo
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
Great comments on the media catch 22. Sticks in my throat. AFL does what it likes with no fear of proper media scrutiny. Token criticism and then zilch.
Ben Horne wrote the article. Picked up by the Herald Sun toilet paper.
In regards to list management It is not years ago.
AFL cost-of-living allowance will be abolished in 2017 | Sport | The Guardian
Why would you call Tippet Dirty. Makes no sense. Unless your a supporter of a Melbourne club or Adelaide. Or a troll.
COLA is required and still is basically there for the average wage or below. It’s not gone. It’s just dressed up in a different name.
But your upper mid tier players miss out which effects their wage as they could potentially earn more in Victoria via third party deals. Johnathon Brown said as much 2 years ago OTC but was shut down very quickly by the Melbourne shills in Dunstall & King.
Sydney were punished for being ahead of the curve. Top heavy list management that was a number of years ahead of everyone else. Replicated by Geelong & Richmond recently. When it was Sydney getting Franklin it’s rorting the system, when it’s Richmond being able to resign Martin and obtain Lynch its good list management. Hypocrites.
For over a hundred years it was and always had been a sporting competition, just like the other 3 top tier competitions. It’s no coincidence that since AFL administrators bonuses are linked to crowds, ratings, merchandise etc that massively more energy is put into the bottom line. And not the integrity of the competition. It’s why they tried to sweep the drug saga under the carpet. It must be tradition like the “traditional” opening game of Richmond v Carlton lol
If the AFL is run as a business it should pay tax just like every other business in Australia. If it wants tax exemption then be open and transparent.
I agree with most of your comments, but not the one in bold. Keeping tabs on the AFL management, same as for any other entity, is an archetypal responsibility of the media. The AFL, when push comes to shove, cannot prevent the fair expression of opinion.
I wish we could see more of it, not just the puff pieces on notable players (although I like reading them as well).
Last edited by dimelb; 8th April 2019 at 02:55 PM.
He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)
Melbourne media will criticise the AFL to a certain degree but the League has enormous clout so, through fear, they will only go so far. McGuire, for some strange reason, has similar influence.
That’s the point. We don’t see more of it in MSM due to how much control they have. And the perfect example is the trade ban. No1 in the media pointed out how unjust it was and what was being said was an out n out lie. I wish 100% of your view was correct but i don’t believe it is when it comes to the northern clubs.
Now Jacko is a bit of a nut but some of what he said in OM was so true. Toilet trained mouth pieces for the AFL. And he was spot on.
Like I said I wish you were correct but I don’t agree. 👍
He's a South Australian.
Came over many years ago and has graduated from restricted to full membership of the Melbourne Boys Club.
Yep so true.
Gillon McLachlan - Wikipedia
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