Roar Rookie
Joined January 2023
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Order is returned to the world every March.
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Innuendo aside, there is a very corporeal component to a football match, but physical strength alone will only deliver some of the time.
A new season means a fresh crop of young AFL recruits to scrutinise. Will they or won’t they debut in early rounds? Will they…
As the subject of when is the right time for AFL players to retire rages on, it is worth taking a look at some…
What qualities do we admire or expect in an AFL captain? Is there an ideal position to captain a team from? Why were forwards…
The impact of ‘umpire dissent’ rules on game results is a hot topic. And rightly so. But the real question should be about the…
Some AFL coaches hone their survival instincts, while others battle to overcome imposter syndrome. The most successful ones lean into the uncertainty, focusing on…
In what is shaping up to be a tough season to predict, with upwards of a dozen teams already claiming to have what it…
It’s a long season and you can expect the more tantric teams to do better near the pointy end. Thinking Geelong and Brisbane (judging by its gear down against Richmond last week). Diehards hate ‘tempo’ football but to me it makes sense. Protect your assets, rest your stars if need be, test your new prized guns, take some losses in the process… and be ready when it counts. On that account, St Kilda will likely tire out. Expect a friendly peck on the cheek this year too.
AFL Power Rankings: Is the Saints' stunning start actually a mirage?
Tim, surprised you didn’t talk about the Dees quality issues. They really miss linchpin players like Neal-Bullen. His ability to link and tidy up the sometimes more random on-baller contributions of Viney, Oliver and now sadly add Petracca to that group was even weakened by the loss of Brayshaw the year before. Obs. I see a post-injury Dusty in Petracca. He was never quite the same. Internal injuries seem to have a lasting shadow effect on footballers – more than limbs/bones etc.
Footy Fix: A rabble defensively, bullied in midfield and impotent in attack - the Demons are officially broken
On Balta. Shitty vision, yes. Misread threat to his family, yes. Four weeks club ban, still about right. AFL respecting a club’s own quite heavy punishment, shows respect for club disciplinary procedures – the subsidiarity principle. Tim, you’re falling into the trap here… don’t ask an overlord to be an overlord. They’ll have to deny you.
Six Points: AFL must ban Balta, Mansell sanction the right one at the wrong time, and are Gold Coast... good?
My old man made the same call 20 years ago because of too much handball, he said, and backwards play… then a new trend. Now, it’s nanny football threatening the free movement. Players don’t know which end is up, and bloody goal umps have become redundant if they’re gonna send everything for review. Gutless.
Tigers to challenge forward's ban for act that 'has to be outlawed' as Riewoldt slammed for 'rose-coloured glasses'
If stimulating discussion is not good media practice, then you got to wonder what’s the whole point of sports commentary. Riewoldt’s remarks weren’t unreasonable given circumstances, and his insider knowledge is exactly why half the pundits on TV are hired. It’s not like King doesn’t draw from his experiences at North, and is often called to do so by others on panels. David Schwarz is barking from the back tray.
Tigers to challenge forward's ban for act that 'has to be outlawed' as Riewoldt slammed for 'rose-coloured glasses'
It’s remarkable how they handle the pressure. I’d be packing myself… even with a few more decades (let’s say) of road testing. Kudos to the kids.
Footy's fearless young guns have never been better prepared for AFL life, on and off the field
UH clearly needs to grow up. When you enter the working world – and that is where he is even if it’s playing footy – you should not expect to love every aspect of the job or to be loved by your colleagues (and that’s exactly how he should see the players, coaches… all of ’em at WB… as colleagues, not friends, not family). You’re being paid way too much for a no-show. Youngsters have to earn their keep like everyone else. If that means attending a milestone match or a presser or just giving it your all at training… then do it! No one likes a spoilt sook at home, at work, anywhere. You’d think people around UH would be counseling him better about what it means to be a young adult and respectful human being… the rest of the noise will subside if he starts to get that right because, let’s face, the whole AFL world would love to see him play and succeed at his chosen career. Sorry, long comment – I got carried away. It just frustrates me seeing a spiral like this. It can so easily be fixed. I hope he can see there’s a window here and that it’s worth mending.
AFL News: Goodwin's cryptic Gawn defence raises eyebrows, great slams 'unacceptable' Ugle-Hagan act
You can see in one angle Lobb had his head slight tilted in the direction of the ball. Did look like he had eyes on it. Fact that he missed it by a decent margin is hard to explain… or not. Depends on what you think of Cox, I guess. I blame crooked-elbow syndrome. Never heard of it? Now you have. (-:
Lobb learns fate for Cox 'punch' as footy world reacts to 'terrible' pro-Pies umpiring
Totally agree with the return to Footscray. I never really stopped calling them that, not as some kind of activism, more that Western Bulldogs never took territory in my head. And, yes, Zak Jones was every bit the player we remember from Sydney. Saints coaches stuck with him and he repaid them in spades on the weekend.
Six Points: Friday night's umpiring wasn't THAT bad, and why 22 out of 23 Bombers should be embarrassed
Dog act or not… the worst thing for Tigers fans is that this was about the only thing in their day out that made it onto the AFL.com highlights reel – apart from two goals by the same kid! Could be another dire year.
'Has to be looked at': Matthew Lloyd joins fan anger after No.1 Draft pick is set to be sidelined with nasty injury after 'dog act'
I was about to write something similar after reading Ideas22. It comes down to how you read/understand pressure, and for mine there’s a major emotional association. Some never feel it. Others crumble. It’s hard to judge on public personas whether, say, Balta feels more about his current predicament than Lynch does about two effective years of non-playing contributions. And there’s always a bit of cognitive bias; when you decide one player should be on the list it’s easy enough to find stats or some sort of evidence to back up that choice. It’s journalism’s adjustable wrench!
Richmond pressure gauge 2025: The premiership star who owes the Tigers big time
Oliver, I think they’ve danced themselves out of the top 8 this year with no return on the current line-up and a blinkered approach. Keeping players who want out is a recipe for a continued culture collapse. Poor management can strangle talent. It’s been shown over and over. Then suddenly it turns round with a new coach or a few players/influencers who are loving what they do … a la Hawthorne/Collingwood. As a Tiger’s fan I’d never begrudge Melbourne a few good wins, but it would surprise me if they reach any great heights 2025. Sorry to say.
Demons' last dance - could changes be afoot if Melbourne don't improve in 2025?
Dusty/Danger is right about keeping expectations low this year, despite the haul of young draft talent. A couple could lift early but the big concern for me is more mental than physical strength. Top teams need a solid handful of seasoned footy brains (and not necessarily senior players); some young players show it early. With so many youngsters onboard it is hard to tell if Richmond has the required quota this year. Even crazy talents like Balta (who Richmond doubled down on and now seems to be in a bit of strife) will struggle to deliver what’s needed in any position on the ground because of his decision-making. I’m also not sure whether Yze can engender that same gritty love combo that Hardwick achieved with huge success. Uncharismatic leadership leads to uninspired footy and won’t get the chocolates, but yeah, there is enough talent in the changerooms to get back to winning some matches in 2025 … I’d like to think. BTW, Broad is much underrated in the 70s!!
AFL top 100: How quickly can Yze rebuild despite mass exodus of elite Tigers?
Am with Luke and Priddis on that. Can easily picture the 100m queue to the portables… Heavy handed policing. Unnecessary. Non-news.
Young Eagle faces court on public urination charge after music festival incident
Not surprised at the comments below about BT. Pity he wasn’t shunted completely. Would love never to hear his affected pronunciation of players’ names (you’ve all heard it!). Bloody annoying. Look forward to Whately and co. at Fox getting a run at commentary. Seven needed a shake-up.
Brian Taylor shunted from Friday night commentary as Seven shake-up continues
Hard to gripe about any of the speculated departures. They’ll all tout family reasons or the like because it sounds better than being branded disloyal or fence-jumping. But in the end, players have a short window to make hay and win some silver ware so you can’t begrudge them. On the ‘3 Bs’, would be nice to keep Baker, Balta does get a bit lost out there sometimes but he’s a bloody joy to watch when he gets it right (and the big boy starts to wind up those power tools for legs), and as for Bolton… not sure what to think. Generational talent but his heart didn’t seem to be in it this year, so probably better off back in the West. Bit more than 20 cents’ worth.
AFL News: Swans may rest players in final round, Petracca clears the air with Dees teammates, Tigers deny Bolton trade request
So right. And such an irony of attention for someone who hates it. Seems to be the way the media cycle runs. I’d have mentioned Brown too as more than up-and-coming. What a clear-headed footy player for someone so young.
'No player is bigger than the club': The irony in media's Dustin Martin witch-hunt
Nonsense. Even if you mean to be funny, it’s a dodgy and dumb line. Loads of AFL players have parents born in other countries. Doesn’t make them any less Australian or great on- or off-field. Check yourself.
Stuff the 'professional liars' - humble, loyal, team-first Dusty was always retiring a one-club champion
Yeah, his questionable defensive running efforts (unless you count the signature double-back that opposition cottoned onto after a while) didn’t go unnoticed. But it was rare to hear anyone complain, when you’re performing with such majesty at the other end or across the middle. It did become a bit more evident in 2024, it should be said. Still, you gotta love the ‘Dusty’ signature moves and modesty. Missed but never forgotten.
Stuff the 'professional liars' - humble, loyal, team-first Dusty was always retiring a one-club champion
I’m with naughty and rowdy on Parker. I’ve seen more gentle ice hockey checks (where at least the player wears protection). The ball is 4m out in front of Smith who is way behind the chasing group. A deliberate act from the point at which Parker ignores the ball, passes to the right of the umpire, and starts to line up the hit. His excuse, thinking the fella would naturally brace is ludicrous. Smith wasn’t ready because like everyone who has seen the clip, he knew he was no threat to the active play. Yes, Parker is a hard footballer and respected for that throughout his career, but sorry to say in this case it is not a hard footy act … nothing close to it.
AFL News: Parker cops mega ban from VFL Tribunal for high bump, Thomas charged for alleged 'harassing phone calls'
Can’t find a thing to disagree with. I was surprised they were getting a pass from the media, Fox at least, despite some appalling performances, and not clearly all down to injuries and harsh umpiring. Reminds me of the injury afflicted Eagles seasons. Can’t all be bad luck. And your analysis and insights on the Hardwick and Berge factor are telling. I wondered how Berge’s departure would affect things, and there you have it. Also, a coach still patting his players on the back for effort when there was clearly a lack of it, or indeed misplaced effort due to sheer ‘loser panic’ decision-making, should definitely be questioned regardless of what stage he’s at in his tenure. Disappointing Tige’s Season will be on the 2024 epitaph. A win or two here and there will deliver some respite but no redemption!
From injuries to coaching decisions and even umpiring calls, it's all going wrong at Richmond in 2024
Yeah, good comparison. Or even a Sicily who also started as a forward ruck-rove type, if I recall. We’ll see how it plays out. After the weekend, Cotchin proved he’s still got it on-ball. Might be a tough decision coming up.
Can Richmond thread the needle of not bottoming out?
Agree with some of this but the chip-kick thing is a matter of style in my view. The way he kicks always looks like a chip to the green, even at long distance. And he’s not usually the longest of kicks. I think he does break open games. Putting him back in the middle is what broke open the match early against Freo last week. He’s also been criticised for being dirty in some circles, but I just see him as a master at hustling round the packs, keeps lower than anyone, goes in super hard (especially now given his age and injury risk) with max. impact after a step or two, and gets boot to ball under pressure better than anyone in the game. I see a lot of younger players that look like they modelled themselves on his ability to release the ball to boot regardless of the situation. It ain’t always pretty but that should be a fair counter to the ‘easy kick’ critics.
The Roar's AFL expert tips and predictions Round 14: Get set for another terrible tipping round!
Oh Tim… be even braver. North looks like your only proper long odds punt, and maybe a sulk-pick at that. Add Cats, Giants and Tiges to your tips and you’ll double last week’s effort!
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The Roar's AFL expert tips and predictions Round 14: Get set for another terrible tipping round!
Daicos is smart enough to stay out of the so-called ‘tough’ stuff that gets you rubbed for matches. No doubt he could handle himself in the real world. His old man could, and that stuff doesn’t dilute so much in one generation. BT-Rex can’t help himself! (-:
Walsh should hang his head in shame - targeting Nick Daicos is the kind of pseudo-toughness AFL could do without