Massive losses in AFL

[Ghost Dog]

Some massive losses / wins in the past few weeks
Port were killed tonight

Can't be good for the game

[Remi Moses]

These results look like WRFL games of recent times.The Gap is widening,but no doubt Angry Anderson and Demetriou will put some B/S spin on it!
The most interesting thing today is the twitter war with G.Thomas v T. Wallace.
Interesting stat todayGeelong players have had 72 Brownlow votes in a row at Kardinia Park!:eek:

[westdog54]

These results look like WRFL games of recent times.The Gap is widening,but no doubt Angry Anderson and Demetriou will put some B/S spin on it!
The most interesting thing today is the twitter war with G.Thomas v T. Wallace.
Interesting stat todayGeelong players have had 72 Brownlow votes in a row at Kardinia Park!:eek:

That's just plain scary.


Some massive losses / wins in the past few weeks
Port were killed tonight

Can't be good for the game

Was thinking the same thing last night. I can't remember the last time so many clubs were so uncompetitive at the same time.

Gold Coast have an excuse, inexperienced team full of light bodies. What excuses do Melbourne and Port have?

[G-Mo77]

Get used to it. The distance between the rich and the poor will get greater over time. This is a sign of things to come.

[ledge]

I enjoy the way the AFLs pet team {port}of recent years has capitulated and are going further down the gurgler, and they are in a football state, how long will GWS last ?
Didnt the AFL fly over recently and give them 8 milllion?

[the banker]

Are these blow outs anything to do with the sub rule?

[Hotdog60]

Here's Miick's spin on it.

Stop the rot

http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/AFL%20K-O/Mick316rr.jpg

COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse says people will turn off football if games continue to be one-sided.

Facing the media after the Magpies obliterated Port Adelaide by 138 points at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night, Malthouse said the gulf separating clubs at opposing ends of the ladder was too wide.

"As a purist, you like to see games of football that are relatively even," Malthouse said.

"I just think the score lines at the moment in AFL football have to be a worrying trend to the AFL."

The average winning margin of three games played on Saturday (Geelong defeated Gold Coast by 150 points, Carlton defeated Melbourne by 76 points, and Collingwood won by 138 points) was 121.3 points.

"I suppose, if you are going on the trend of the year, we should have won the game. And we did," he said.

"But we are seeing far too much of this. I just think we might murder our game in its present state.

"This is not going to bring people to the football. Most people would've turned that off."

Collingwood dominated the Power from the outset, booting the first 12 goals of the game before Port finally found the big sticks in the dying seconds of the second term.

By then the reigning premier was in cruise control, with eleven players gathering 18 disposals or more and six Magpies finishing with multiple goals. Collingwood had 44 scoring shots to Port's six, further illustrating the visitors' dominance.

The records also tumbled at AAMI Stadium, as the Magpies held the Power to their lowest total in AFL history and handed Port their heaviest defeat since entering the competition.

The 138-point margin was also Collingwood's third-highest winning margin, ousting the Pies' 128-point thrashing of St Kilda in round 17 of the 1901 season.
MORE (https://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/120381/default.aspx)

[Topdog]

The most interesting thing today is the twitter war with G.Thomas v T. Wallace.


What was this?

[LostDoggy]

Re "Mick's spin"
Just saw his press conference on the sports news. I think it is funny that a Collingwood official (Mick) is worried about a lop sided competition when their club doesn't loose players to expansion teams or lack any favours from the AFL or its structure.

[LostDoggy]

GWS come in next year.

You would think they will be less competitive than GC and their average losing margin next year will exceed Gold Coast's (currently 70) throw in Port Adelaide who you cannot see being competitive anytime soon, one sided games aren't going anywhere over the next few years.

[Go_Dogs]

Re "Mick's spin"
Just saw his press conference on the sports news. I think it is funny that a Collingwood official (Mick) is worried about a lop sided competition when their club doesn't loose players to expansion teams or lack any favours from the AFL or its structure.

Perhaps he's advocating gifting every club a Collingwood player of their choice and Bucks can sort out what's left? ;)

[Mantis]

The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... My only interest is to see how my SC players are going.

[Ghost Dog]

The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... My only interest is to see how my SC players are going.

That's a major worry, when fans start saying that.
People are going to be really unhappy with the expansion of the AFL if 'core' clubs go to the wall for a long period

[Go_Dogs]

The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... My only interest is to see how my SC players are going.

The Bombers v Swans game last night was alright. But I agree with you, increasingly often neutral games are one-sided and boring.

Certainly makes it worse when your team isn't doing well, makes it much easier to just want to switch off from footy.

[Desipura]

The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... My only interest is to see how my SC players are going.

Agree, I have seen about 2 other AFL games
not involving the bulldogs this season.
Previos years I would make an effort to watch Friday or Saturday night games.
It's almost like baseball in that there are too many games and a large proportion of them are boring

[G-Mo77]

The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... My only interest is to see how my SC players are going.

I'm pretty much the same although I do enjoy watching the VFL Saturday afternoons.

My SC team is going poorly this week as well. :(

[soupman]

GWS come in next year.

You would think they will be less competitive than GC and their average losing margin next year will exceed Gold Coast's (currently 70) throw in Port Adelaide who you cannot see being competitive anytime soon, one sided games aren't going anywhere over the next few years.

This is a very good point.

Does anybody else think that GWS recruiting strategy appears to be poor based on the players they are rumored to be chasing?

At footy yesterday there were a few teammates saying that GC stuffed up by taking too many older blokes who won't be at their prime when the young guys are good enough to win that premiership. They reckon just load up on kids and that way they all peak together.

Not sure that that will work though. The best "case study" of this thus far is Melbourne, with their team of draft picks lacking senior players, especially of real quality. This year they seem to have almost gone backwards, their list hasn't improved much with the exception of Tapscott and Watts, and there are massive questions marks of their culture and hardness. Could this be GWS future?

It's all well and good to poach very talented 20 year olds in Scully, Davis, Ward etc. On top of a large group of talented 18 year olds, the potential for a great side will clearly be there. However, are they going to be able to develop these guys to the point where enough of them reach their potential to be a premiership threat?

[ledge]

Also with these big contracts if the player is a dud or stuffs up or wants to get out no club will take them because no club will be able to take on the rest of the contract as its too much off the salary cap.

[BulldogBelle]

This is a very good point.

Does anybody else think that GWS recruiting strategy appears to be poor based on the players they are rumored to be chasing?

At footy yesterday there were a few teammates saying that GC stuffed up by taking too many older blokes who won't be at their prime when the young guys are good enough to win that premiership. They reckon just load up on kids and that way they all peak together.
Not sure that that will work though. The best "case study" of this thus far is Melbourne, with their team of draft picks lacking senior players, especially of real quality. This year they seem to have almost gone backwards, their list hasn't improved much with the exception of Tapscott and Watts, and there are massive questions marks of their culture and hardness. Could this be GWS future?

It's all well and good to poach very talented 20 year olds in Scully, Davis, Ward etc. On top of a large group of talented 18 year olds, the potential for a great side will clearly be there. However, are they going to be able to develop these guys to the point where enough of them reach their potential to be a premiership threat?



Disagree. A team needs a balance, particularly to help develop the younger players - and I thought it was pretty wise that the GC acquired some more experienced defenders like Harbrow, Bock and Krakour so that they didnt get scored on heavily.

Josh Fraser and Campbell Brown were a waste though...

[Mantis]

Disagree. A team needs a balance, particularly to help develop the younger players - and I thought it was pretty wise that the GC acquired some more experienced defenders like Harbrow, Bock and Krakour so that they didnt get scored on heavily.

Josh Fraser and Campbell Brown were a waste though...

Krakouer has proved to be a bigger waste than Brown.

Harbrow was only 21 when recruited and isn't a defensive defender anyway.

Bock has been good.

[Ozza]

I must say, I was watching Collingwood/Port on Saturday night thinking 'When did the game become so uneven'. Even doing footy tipping - there is only 1 or 2 games each weekend you even have to think about - as there is 5 or 6 basically one-sided games every weekend.

Geez it would be a disgraceful effort if we finished lower than Melbourne this year. And with their easy run home - its quite probable.

[LostDoggy]

Also with these big contracts if the player is a dud or stuffs up or wants to get out no club will take them because no club will be able to take on the rest of the contract as its too much off the salary cap.

That's a very good point that I hadn't actually given much thought to. If a player goes, it's almost certainly a one-way street. Even if they complete their contract and want to come home, they'll be copping a hefty drop in pay as their contract was inflated anyway.


I must say, I was watching Collingwood/Port on Saturday night thinking 'When did the game become so uneven'. Even doing footy tipping - there is only 1 or 2 games each weekend you even have to think about - as there is 5 or 6 basically one-sided games every weekend.

Geez it would be a disgraceful effort if we finished lower than Melbourne this year. And with their easy run home - its quite probable.

Could be worse… We could be Port…

On the topic of thrashings, I agree it's terrible for the game and makes you want to switch off, but it's a temporary thing. There is enough talent NOT playing AFL (proven by the success of some of the rookies of late) that having the extra teams, once they've had the time to settle, can only mean more players and more identified talent. Add to that the potential for growth in grassroots footy in traditionally non-AFL regions and I think over time the quality of football will either return to what it was or even increase.

We just have to ride it out.

[Ghost Dog]

Disagree. A team needs a balance, particularly to help develop the younger players - and I thought it was pretty wise that the GC acquired some more experienced defenders like Harbrow, Bock and Krakour so that they didnt get scored on heavily.

Josh Fraser and Campbell Brown were a waste though...

Campbell Brown...well, don't have to worry about his cheap shots until next season..

[Mantis]

Guy McKenna spoke a bit about this when he was OTC on Monday night.

He said that it was like watching an U/9 team play an U/12 team when GC played Geelong.

He said they have gone down a path of getting young players with an eye to the future and would just have to wait til the likes of Trent McKenzie & Zac Smith were 21 or so and had been in the system for 3 or 4 years such that there bodies had matured and are then able to compete with the bigger & stronger teams.... BTW 'Bluey' Zac is already 21.

[Topdog]

Oops looks like everyone in here is wrong. Mr D has spoken

[LostDoggy]

Oops looks like everyone in here is wrong. Mr D has spoken

Don't worry, the proof is in the pudding -- another three years of this crap and the attendance and TV figures will speak for themselves.

[bornadog]

Don't worry, the proof is in the pudding -- another three years of this crap and the attendance and TV figures will speak for themselves.

It will be interesting combined with every game live to air.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Oops looks like everyone in here is wrong. Mr D has spoken

Is that Kim Jong Demetriou? or Chemical 'comical' Demetriou?

[Topdog]

Pretty sure it is this guy

http://www.marz-kreations.com/Humor/We_Love_the_Iraqi_Information_Minister_files/07-minister.jpg

[BulldogBelle]

[QUOTE=Mantis;231863]The game is cooked.

If the Bulldogs aren't playing I don't bother watching anymore... QUOTE]

Tend to agree with you, at the AFL level. I still love watching country footy however. Im starting to find myself watching more NRL for some god-unknown reason, and actually getting something out of it.

Biased draws, ignorant administrators, expansion clubs, my teams crappy performance, the ever-present threat of players leaving, free-agency looming like a storm on the horizon, media over-exposure of the game, all seem to whittle away at the passion I once felt.

[westdog54]

Pretty sure it is this guy

http://www.marz-kreations.com/Humor/We_Love_the_Iraqi_Information_Minister_files/07-minister.jpg

Wow, that guy will never be out of popular culture will he?

[Sedat]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=858187&showcomments=true

Grant Thomas is almost the lone voice in the media that takes the AFL to task on their questionable decision-making. He has totally nailed the problems currently festering in our game in this article.

[Mantis]

^^^

GT is on the money.

It begs the question how the hell do we and the other battlers compete with the power clubs??

We are struggling to get 30,000 members a year when the likes of Collingwood, Essendon & Hawthorn have over 50,000. Add in off field turnover and it seems at some point it is going to all get just a little too hard... As Port are finding out.

[The Underdog]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=858187&showcomments=true

Grant Thomas is almost the lone voice in the media that takes the AFL to task on their questionable decision-making. He has totally nailed the problems currently festering in our game in this article.

Christ that's the 2nd time in two weeks I've agreed with Grant Thomas, I'm going out and I may be quite some time.

[Desipura]

^^^

GT is on the money.

It begs the question how the hell do we and the other battlers compete with the power clubs??

We are struggling to get 30,000 members a year when the likes of Collingwood, Essendon & Hawthorn have over 50,000. Add in off field turnover and it seems at some point it is going to all get just a little too hard... As Port are finding out.

I think the supporters are thinking the same hence why they don't sign up

[Ghost Dog]

I think the supporters are thinking the same hence why they don't sign up


I think the club needs to look into that. Why did we suddenly loose so many members at the start of the season, or get off to such a slow start?
Has a kind of dysthemia set in at Port? maybe so and us too.

I have noticed it being very quiet at our games at Etihad. Others at the game have commented too. It seems to take the supporters a while to rev up. Has anyone else noticed this?

[LostDoggy]

... Biased draws, ignorant administrators, expansion clubs, my teams crappy performance, the ever-present threat of players leaving, free-agency looming like a storm on the horizon, media over-exposure of the game, all seem to whittle away at the passion I once felt.

Sums it up for me. I have fallen out of love with the game this year. Still a FFC member and will remain so, but am really dissatisfied with how the whole landscape is changing. I have my regular seats waiting for me at docklands tonight, but can't seem to generate much (any) enthusiasm to go. Sigh.

[AndrewP6]

Sums it up for me. I have fallen out of love with the game this year. Still a FFC member and will remain so, but am really dissatisfied with how the whole landscape is changing. I have my regular seats waiting for me at docklands tonight, but can't seem to generate much (any) enthusiasm to go. Sigh.

Could that be due to the fact our season has not gone to plan, and is basically shot?

[LostDoggy]

Could that be due to the fact our season has not gone to plan, and is basically shot?

Nope. Have always enjoyed going to the footy no matter how our season has been on field, including watching neutral games. Footy has also been a helpful distraction from life's curve balls. This year I've become disenchanted. Started with the obligatory annual rule change and the introduction of another interstate team and has gone down hill from there.

[AndrewP6]

Nope. Have always enjoyed going to the footy no matter how our season has been on field, including watching neutral games. Footy has also been a helpful distraction from life's curve balls. This year I've become disenchanted. Started with the obligatory annual rule change and the introduction of another interstate team and has gone down hill from there.

Fair enough. Unless the Dogs are playing, I don't go, and won't often watch.

[Desipura]

Sums it up for me. I have fallen out of love with the game this year. Still a FFC member and will remain so, but am really dissatisfied with how the whole landscape is changing. I have my regular seats waiting for me at docklands tonight, but can't seem to generate much (any) enthusiasm to go. Sigh.

I'm the same, I had very little interest last night, the 3 rd quarter thanks to Dahlhaus sparks some interest back in me.
I'm sure he does that to his teammates.
I hope one or two players show something over the next 3 weeks and hope if we lose Ward we address our midfield pace issue and foot skills by trading those picks away in a weak draft.
That said, I am not confident we have an immediate replacement for Hall

[BulldogBelle]

^^^

GT is on the money.

It begs the question how the hell do we and the other battlers compete with the power clubs??

We are struggling to get 30,000 members a year when the likes of Collingwood, Essendon & Hawthorn have over 50,000. Add in off field turnover and it seems at some point it is going to all get just a little too hard... As Port are finding out.


Simple - we beg, borrow and steal - actually mainly beg the AFL for further subsidies.

Unless we are given handouts by the AFL to increase our spending in our football department we arent going to compete with the power clubs - we arent going to be playing finals with this list in 2012, and 2013 looks doubtful also - hence increased revenue from sponsorships and memberships will be difficult to grow from our 2011 results...

If you have the best facilities, best resources, best people, best coaches, best sports science, best preparation, best planning, best games, best crowds, best balance sheet and best prospects the decision is made for players.

[LostDoggy]

What bothers me most about the power clubs is not so much that they have more financial resources than us — they made better business decisions decades ago and good on 'em — but their general attitude towards the poorer clubs. The likes of Kennett, Eddie, etc. (and their supporters with them) cry to anybody who'll listen about how the AFL has to keep propping up the poor teams and how it's not sustainable, etc.

Let's divert into an alternative universe for a moment. We folded along with Fitzroy, the Brisbane Bears and Sydney in 1996. Port didn't last long, came and went, the two new franchises in GWS and GC didn't happen because there is no AFL at all in those states, Melbourne and North went belly up and the competition now consists of 10 or 11 teams and is still primarily the VFL. That's 5 games on TV instead of 9. That billion dollar TV deal is now closer to $300-400 million. Match day takings, merchandise, etc. are halved. The league is in dire straits.

Back to this reality. The fact is that the power clubs need us in the competition. It is just as important to the survival of Collingwood as the Bulldogs or North. All the muppet supporters from the big clubs need a bloody good lesson in basic economics before they mouth off at us to “go rattle our tins”. (I even heard this crap from North supporters some weeks back. Replied to them to shut up, I had more money in the bank last October than their whole club, but was still shocked by it).

Somebody at the AFL needs to pull their head out of the sand and do something, and quickly, before half the competition see their supporters get bored and walk away, taking bread from the table of every club.

[immortalmike]

I'm the same, I had very little interest last night, the 3 rd quarter thanks to Dahlhaus sparks some interest back in me.
I'm sure he does that to his teammates.
I hope one or two players show something over the next 3 weeks and hope if we lose Ward we address our midfield pace issue and foot skills by trading those picks away in a weak draft.
That said, I am not confident we have an immediate replacement for Hall

Why would we do that rather than holding on to them and drafting better kids in an uncompromised draft?

[Go_Dogs]

Can we pencil in another big one for Port this week? :D Please!!