If you’re anything like me, I am sure you see things during the regular week of footy that stick in your mind. You may wish to question something, have a go at something, or even agree strongly with.
And you know what – more power to ya if you take the time and make the effort to do any of those things.
Me… I just kind of think about things for a little while, and more often than not, they fall off the radar.
Unless I write them down. And that’s what I did this week.
So, with that in mind, here are some of the things that have taken up space in my head this week.
THE AGENDA SETTERS IS THE MOST ARROGANT NAME FOR A FOOTY SHOW I HAVE EVER HEARD
They could have called themselves ‘The Cool Kids’ or ‘The Hot Ones’ and this would still be right up there with the worst.
Whose idea was this? Who approved it? And who, in their right minds, sat back as part of the show and thought this was a good idea?
The Agenda Setters?
Like you’re the be-all and end-all of the footy world?
Give me a spell. You know who the real agenda setters are? The players that trot out onto the field, throw themselves into battle, and the coaches that lead them. Four people sitting around a desk, caked with (badly needed) makeup, and talking about players and club administration… that’s not setting an agenda. It’s just perpetuating what footy media has become – a place where those in it believe they are as important as those they’re reporting on.
PERHAPS SWANNY IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE GAME’S ILLS
Can you remember the knowing smiles and the reassurances when Greg Swann was appointed as Laura Kane’s babysitter? It was going to make everything okay with the game again. That’s what we were told.
After all, Swanny is a footy bloke. He’d been around clubland, and he understood issues like his predecessor simply could not. He was not going to make decisions on a whim and then be forced to make further decisions to counter those errors, was he?
Oh yes, he was.
I am starting to think that either this competition is extremely difficult to run, or the people in charge are making too many changes at once to keep a hold on them.
Just this week, we saw a game played under the roof at Marvel Stadium… after the bloody roof had been left open all day to let the rain in. What’s the point of having a roof if you’re not going to use to produce the best possible product you can? Didn’t the league just dig their heels in on the Tassie Stadium having a roof for the purpose of ensuring games there would be played in excellent conditions?
We’ve had more video reviews of boundary throw ins/last touch decisions than anyone ever imagined. We’ve got ruckmen attempting to trick each other at centre ball-ups by faking each other out and causing their opponent to jump over the line. We’ve got umpires involved in betting agencies, former players stepping down from AFL roles due to sports betting affiliations, a frigging wildcard round appearing out of nowhere with very little in the way of public discussion, and to top it all off, we have Swanny telling us that he believes the umpiring is as good as it has ever been.
After this season concludes, I reckon the league needs a few months of cooling its jets, consolidating the rules it has in place, and getting them right before they start exploring any new tweaks and any new initiatives. It’s fatiguing for those who just want to see good, hard footy played.
YOU CANNOT BE A LITTLE BIT PREGNANT
Speaking of score reviews, the league made a right royal cock up of them on Friday night, as the Cats’ Ollie Dempsey appeared to have “shinned” the ball through for a goal in a mad scramble.
Beloved goal umpire, David Rodan, confidently signalled a behind and the Blues played on after the kick in.
No review. No call back and the goal awarded. Just… nothing.
TV reviews demonstrated that it was a clear goal, and in a result that was determined by less than a kick, suddenly, the league and its ARC system was under the pump. Remember, this is a system that was initial brought in to adjudicate goal line decision – the very thing it missed in the big Friday night clash.
I don’t know what is going on with the AFL and their review system at the moment, but all signs point to something being very wrong. It is as though one week, they want the goal umpires, and/or boundary umpires to back their judgment, only to undermine them with video reviews, and the next, they completely neglect to use the technology for the exact purpose it was introduced.
Either use it, or don’t use it. Don’t do things by half, as when you do that, you create the one thing that every single AFL fan despises – inconsistency.
Oh, and while I am at it, what is the point of admitting fault the next day? Other than to make yourself look silly, what good does it do to have the AFL come out and say “yeah, we made an error on that one”?
It’s like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. The damage is done in the moment. Apologies are words. Nothing more.
And also, had it been any umpire other than David Rodan, I reckon the uproar would have been greater. He has a lot of credits with AFL supporters in general because, well… we all love the bloke.
IF THE PIES DROP THE KINGS BIRTHDAY CLASH, THEN THE PENDLES RECORD-BREAKING GAME WAS THEIR GRAND FINAL
No wonder they were so hell-bent on celebrating it so hard, huh?
The Dees have been brought undone twice this season by teams that have put their mids under pressure with the footy, and that has resulted in a heap of poorly targeted forward 50 entries. When your talent level is around the average mark for an AFL list, which I believe the Dees to be, game plan means everything, and this club took many by surprise this season.
But game plans can be worked out, and we’re at the stage where the Dees need to find a Plan B pretty quickly, as despite their current win/loss record, the Pies have one of the best tactical coaches in the game.
Fly McRae has the ability to play to his strengths and capitalise on the weaknesses of his opponents, and you can bet he has kept an eye on the way the Giants, and earlier in the season, the Bombers, have forced the Dees into playing a way they didn’t really want to.
Melbourne do not have the forward talent to get away with long bombs inside fifty, and that’s about all they offered against the Giants. Don’t believe me? Go back and have a gander – they were putrid with their ball use inside 50, rarely giving their forwards an opportunity to engage one-on-one, and even when they did, they were forced to deal with a long, high footy, being pushed around by the breeze.
Execute poorly against the Pies, and they’ll be setup to make you pay.
For God’s sake, Kysaiah Pickett, Harvey Langford, and Caleb Windsor… lower your eyes or Collingwood may just find a way back into the finals mix, possibly at your expense!
NO WAY THE NT GETS AN AFL TEAM… EVER
I hear this brought up often – the Territory deserves an AFL team to make the competition truly national.
Putting it out there right now – no way that’s gonna happen. I reckon the people saying it should be the case have never been there, for starters. Traeger Park is a lovely ground, aesthetically. The game gets great grassroots support, but I’ll ask you this; if you were a top twenty player in the league, how much more do you think you’d need to pack your bags and head to Darwin or Alice Springs to play?
I’m thinking double the amount you’d get to play in one of the other states, and that, in itself is problematic, as it becomes a completely transactional relationship. You’re doing your time there to get paid, and you’re out. Much like many who head up there for work.
This may not be popular, but players with young families will not want to play there. Players looking for additional opportunities outside of football will not want to go there, and unless you’re born and bred there, the chances of it being on your list of places to play is pretty remote.
I understand the romance of it. I understand the “national competition” argument, as well. But I also understand how people work, and if I were drafted there, I would be doing the two years and immediately looking to head elsewhere.
The population of the Northern Territory is approximately 265K.
Darwin has 140K. Alice Springs has under 30K.
For reference, the population of greater Geelong is 295K. That’s what you’re dealing with.
If a team is established there, it’ll be a footy wasteland. Romance aside, it is a terrible idea.
POWER RANKINGS ARE GARBAGE
I don’t know when these things made their move from US Sports to our game, but far out they are a piece of steaming dogshit.
The way to assess teams challenging, or on a streak is by looking at the ladder, and records of the last five games. It’s pretty simple. “Power Rankings” are a way of some bloke deciding that his opinion needs a title to draw attention and listing teams underneath it.
It is one of the most overused and thoughtless measures in footy, and I wish whoever insists on having it pop up on my social feeds would piss off.
That was cathartic – I think that every week when I see a version of it.
Now… here’s my Power Rankings of Dogs.
1 – German Shepherd
2 – Labradoodle
3 – Border Collie
4 – Dalmatian
5 – Blue Heeler
See, just an opinion? Or Dog Power Rankings? Complete ass.
HIRD IS THE WORD
We ran a poll on Facebook just last week, and the result was a little undexpected.
I asked whether the Bombers should be exploring James Hird as the bext coach of the club. At a rate of about four to one, footy lovers believed that Hird was the man for the job.
Given the noise around it, and the way the club has flatered, it seems like they are looking for a saviour at Tullamarine, and if it comes int eh form of the Golden-Haired Boy, then so be it. The Bombers need a talisman to rally around, and the club needs to heal. Maybe that means things come full circle, and the man that left amid controversy takes the reins again?
I am a footy romantic, and whilst there are many who blame Hird for the downfall of the club, I am not one of them. I want to see Hird back in charge, and more than that, I want to see him succeed!
A strong Essendon is good for footy, and we haven’t seem them strong in far too long.
Time to come home, James. And time for the club to welcome him with open arms. The footy world is ready, and so are Bomber fans.
YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE GOOD…
AFL media commentators putting their hand up and admitting they were dead wrong when they make a big statement on a team or player and they get it horribly askew.
Over the weekend, footage of Kane Cornes (not picking on him, it is just who I saw to remind me of this) was yapping about Patrick Cripps being a spent force. Over the last four weeks, Cripps is at 30+ disposals and 8+ clearances per game. So really, Kaneo was wrong, and I hope he owns that.
Each week, many experts adjust their predictions and assessments based on the last game they watched, in a “what have you done for me lately?” type of mindset. However, they rarely, if ever, address previous statements they’ve made about the same issue.
Unless they’re right, of course, then it gets the replay.
As I profess to be a little different, here is one I got really, really wrong awhile ago.
In 2012, I distinctly remember having a conversation about Dustin Martin, where I was less than complimentary about his ability to run out games. I questioned his tank and wondered out loud whether he would make it as a full time midfielder.
Oops. Now I didn’t even write that in any space, but I am a big believer in putting your hand up when you get it wrong, and that was a howler from me.
On that, here are a few more that I am happy to stand by and I am happy for you to come back at me on down the track.
St Kilda will be a top eight team in 2027. They’re a very good list that needs to target one big-bodied defender to take the heat off Wilkie/Silvagni back there. Dougal Howard should be that guy, but his body is untrustworthy. Plug that list hole and the Sants will be just fine.
Poor list management by the Dogs will be their undoing. I was hoping that the defence would become one of those “no name” groups this season, but the more I watch them, the more I can see some big forwards having massive days out against them. They’re chasing Zak Butters, but they should really be chasing a good key defender.
Richmond will be just fine. Forget the beltings here and there – this is all part of a rebuild… but after such great success in the last decade, I get why supporters are a little impatient.
And finally, Sam Collins might be the most underrated big defender in the game right now. Maybe I should make a Power Rankings about it…
Got anything on your mind? You know where to get me – comments below, or good discussion on our socials is always welcome.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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