AFL Game Day Round 4, 2019

[Eastdog]

Round 4, 2019

Thu, Apr 11 Sydney Swans vs Melbourne SCG Seven & Fox 7:20pm

Fri, Apr 12 Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs MCG Seven & Fox 7:50pm

Sat, Apr 13 Geelong Cats vs GWS Giants GMHBA Fox 1:45pm
Sat, Apr 13 Essendon vs Brisbane Lions MCG Fox 2:10pm
Sat, Apr 13 Port Adelaide vs Richmond Adelaide Oval Fox 4:35pm
Sat, Apr 13 North Melbourne vs Adelaide Crows Marvel Stadium Seven & Fox 7:25pm
Sat, Apr 13 West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Optus Stadium Fox 8:10pm

Sun, Apr 14 Gold Coast Suns vs Carlton Metricon Stadium Fox 2:40pm
Sun, Apr 14 St Kilda vs Hawthorn Marvel Stadium Seven & Fox 3:20pm

[Eastdog]

Bump

[westdog54]

Honestly don't know what to make of Sydney. They look a mile off the pace at the moment.

[Twodogs]

Honestly don't know what to make of Sydney. They look a mile off the pace at the moment.

Hard to work out where Melbourne are at too. Personally I think they are crap but I also thought that last year and they were only a game away from the Grand Final.

I thought that Sydney looked OK for the first quarter and a half but failed to take their chances. They missed al lot of easy goals.

[Bulldog4life]

I was just beginning to enjoy Melbourne's losing sweep too.

[EasternWest]

Brisbane, pls.

[bornadog]

Good to see Geelong lose at home, even though it was GWS. Looks like Ward has done his knee

[hujsh]

Any chance we can further differentiate between the AFL round thread and the Bulldogs game of the round thread? The titles didn't used to be this similar.

[comrade]

No club is pulling away from the pack so far. Flag is anyone’s.

[Rocket Science]

Is it just me or is Tom Lynch suddenly a lot more punchable in his new colours?

[Rocco Jones]

Biggest current winning streak in the AFL is 2 games. Says it all.

[Rocket Science]

Everyone complaining that last night's first half was an awful viewing spectacle.

North vs Crows *HOLD MY BEER*

[Happy Days]

For whatever reason, North/Crows and Saints/Swans are and always have been the worst games to watch as a neutral.

[Rocket Science]

I wish the umpires had decided LAST NIGHT that getting ragdolled in the ruck meant earning a free.

The decision Brown just milked is everything that's wrong with footy.

Edit: then again, anything that makes Don Pyke spew is good for footy so now I'm confused.

[Remi Moses]

Watched the Western Derby Darby
Freo butchered it , but west coast were there for the taking .
Start cost the Dockers, they just let west coast play that mark and kick game .

[westdog54]

It is wide open.

There's no clear standout and no consistency in form whatsoever.

[Flamethrower]

Can't believe how poor the standard of football is this year. Good games stand out so much, like the Geelong v GWS game yesterday - both of those teams look top 4 material - maybe the Eagles too. Can't say the same for anyone else.

[bornadog]

Wingard 3 touches with 10 minutes to go in 2nd quarter

[ledge]

Wingard 3 touches with 10 minutes to go in 2nd quarter

He is good when the team is going well.
Opportunist up front.

[DOG GOD]

Go blues..if they win, give me more hope next week haha

[jeemak]

Why McGovern thought it was a good idea to get sucked up towards the contest...………...I'll never know. He should have been standing six metres out, not 13.

I just can't see Carlton not reverting to type and getting rid of Bolton. It's just a matter of time, and perhaps he's actually no good.

[bornadog]

Wow what a way to lose for Carton. I love watching them lose. 87% of the game time they were in front and 10 seconds to go and an amazing snap by the Suns.

[DOG GOD]

Too many bad decisions by Carlton in the last 3 mins. Stupidity by McGovern, but shocking play by Gow ? Going back into the middle and turning it over in the last minute.

[kruder]

What are peoples thoughts on the low scores? The old Malthouse go long, wide and slow seems to have crept back in.

[DOG GOD]

What are peoples thoughts on the low scores? The old Malthouse go long, wide and slow seems to have crept back in.

Not many shootout games. GC have have won 3 games scoring less than 80 pts. The games seem dour, and in all honesty, the skill level seems below standard in most games.

[jeemak]

Teams are just too good at defending, and the game has become one where teams look to score from defence mainly from turnovers. It's actually a testament to the skill of the modern player that hand and foot disposal doesn't result in more turnovers and more goals.

I keep hearing about how skilful the game was in the 90's, but there was just so much more space to use it within and tackling, blocking of space and other types of defencive pressure were practically non-existent by today's standards. Get yourself to a forward pocket/flank area seat and at ground level see how hard it is to find an option through the grid these days. The closing speed from the players is just amazing, and this coupled with their ability to get back and cover defencively means dour games will be the flavour.

What's the solution? Incentivise coaches, who are inherently defencive first and offencive second, to score. Until additional points are put on the table for high scores they won't have an incentive to get it moving forward as a priority.

I'd also suggest allowing runners back onto the ground more frequently to message players to change gears, but I don't have actual evidence that this is a problem but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't helping (remembering the chance of the AFL introducing a rule to make the game better is a really solid chance of buggering it up).

[Sedat]

Haven't all those deadshits from the Competition Committee done a wonderful job?

Steve Hocking is paid $1 million a year to run the comp and he can't even be bothered to do that. Instead he hires a bunch of external consultants to do his job for him, which they can't even do.

[Sedat]

What's the solution? Incentivise coaches, who are inherently defencive first and offencive second, to score.
It's actually really easy. Prior opportunity is the absolute scourge of the modern game and has caused so many of the congestion and scoring problems - get rid of it. Players are so adept at hatching the ball in the tackle and creating a secondary stoppage, and under no fear whatsoever of conceding a free against.

Prior opportunity also had the unintended consequence of umpires being forced to give players an extra 5 seconds to dispose of the ball, which only creates more bodies around the ball and more congestion. Then they piss-fart around for a few seconds telling players not to stand behind them while they prepare to throw it up and also getting then to nominate a ruckman, causing even more congestion.

[jeemak]

It's actually really easy. Prior opportunity is the absolute scourge of the modern game and has caused so many of the congestion and scoring problems - get rid of it. Players are so adept at hatching the ball in the tackle and creating a secondary stoppage, and under no fear whatsoever of conceding a free against.

Prior opportunity also had the unintended consequence of umpires being forced to give players an extra 5 seconds to dispose of the ball, which only creates more bodies around the ball and more congestion. Then they piss-fart around for a few seconds telling players not to stand behind them while they prepare to throw it up and also getting then to nominate a ruckman, causing even more congestion.

Hahaha, I think we've been through this already Sedat! If I recall we argued like the fox and the chicken hawk from the old Kentucky Fried Chicken ads (those ads were savage in their messaging)!

I understand where you're coming from, I just think with modern tackling techniques removing prior opportunity puts too much benefit into the hands of the player getting to the ball second. Whilst players are good at creating a second stoppage by shielding the ball and inviting contact, they're equally as good at doing the same thing when second to the footy and tackling.

It would be an interesting experiment for the preseason or next level down though.

[Sedat]

Hahaha, I think we've been through this already Sedat! If I recall we argued like the fox and the chicken hawk from the old Kentucky Fried Chicken ads (those ads were savage in their messaging)!

I understand where you're coming from, I just think with modern tackling techniques removing prior opportunity puts too much benefit into the hands of the player getting to the ball second. Whilst players are good at creating a second stoppage by shielding the ball and inviting contact, they're equally as good at doing the same thing when second to the footy and tackling.

It would be an interesting experiment for the preseason or next level down though.
Its a good discussion well worth having. For mine, I really like the idea of players being forced to use their initiative - either take possession and back themselves in to correctly dispose of the ball under pressure, or tap the ball on and don't take possession, whereby the onus is on the tackler to not infringe.

The best way to kill off congestion is to ensure the ball is in continuous movement. Teams will then naturally structure up with 6-6-6 most of the time because the space will be there for the forwards to exploit.

[Twodogs]

What about limiting the amount of coaches (and therefore coaching) clubs can have? Maybe that will mean players play on instinct and not instructions. After all we draft juniors because they are good at playing the game but then the first thing we do is coach them in structures because all the coaches need to justify their jobs. Let players play on instinct and maybe we will have a better game?

Just a thought.

[Bulldog4life]

Let's have the 6-6-6 all game. Only joshing :)

[jeemak]

Its a good discussion well worth having. For mine, I really like the idea of players being forced to use their initiative - either take possession and back themselves in to correctly dispose of the ball under pressure, or tap the ball on and don't take possession, whereby the onus is on the tackler to not infringe.

The best way to kill off congestion is to ensure the ball is in continuous movement. Teams will then naturally structure up with 6-6-6 most of the time because the space will be there for the forwards to exploit.

Again, I'd be happy to see it trialled but this would need to see a wind back of too high being ignored for the carrier raising arms and or lowering their body height. If you're going to tackle it's your responsibility to ensure the tackle doesn't slip over the shoulders or below the knees, or make initial contact in the same areas.

The level of stupidity from head office in introducing that rule in response to some influential coaches and media personnel pissing and moaning was breathtaking. If the ball carrier doesn't initiate the contact with his head then it is entirely the onus of the tackler to make sure the tackle starts and finishes legally. Funnily, the interpretation as it currently stands actually results in second and third tackles and more congestion.

If players were forced to tackle at waist level arms would more likely free up and the ball would more likely be cleared. It's so bloody simple.

[jeemak]

I actually wonder how much they pay Steve Hocking...…...

[hujsh]

I actually wonder how much they pay Steve Hocking...…...

Well you need to pay good money if you want the best...great...good...competent...mediocre? Nevermind.

[jeemak]

Well you need to pay good money if you want the best...great...good...competent...mediocre? Nevermind.

It's amazing what can't be achieved when an administration has no natural competition to worry about...……..The AFL is a sitting duck if soccer gets it shit together.