so after the whole haze of the ben cousins docu had settled, we see troubled hawthorn player travis tuck get done for drugs. it was his third strike under the drugs policy enforced by the afl. the statement came out and said that tuck had been battling personal issues for a year and used the drugs as a form of therapy. thats understandable.
but what isnt fair was the way the afl went about resolving the issue at hand and making an impact on drugs in our sport. benny boy never failed an afl drugs test (he escaped them more like it) but got suspended for a year. yet tuck has failed a drugs test 3 times but only gets suspended for 12 games. after 8 games though he can resume playing with the vfl team. also during his suspension he can train with the seniors side at any time. it is a punishment of sorts but there's no malice in the verdict. tuck will only miss half a season. basically the message being sent out is that, if we catch ya using drugs 3 times, you only have to miss half a season and still stay in the same environment that you're accustomed with. psssssht.
my anger isnt directed at tuck. just a young player caught up in the fantasy world of drugs. the afl is bringin its own game into disrepute with its two faced attitude. after the whole benny situation, they've been gifted, harsh to say i know, an opportunity via tuck to set the standard and take a VERY hard stance on drugs in the game. yet they've wimped out and let tuck continue to train with the hawks from tomoro onwards, if he wants, and come back to the vfl within 8 games and afl in 12. and he's allowed to play nab games next year. great image for the game and the younger generation. the afl needs to be more open on the whole situation instead of hiding previous strikes. here's a hypothetical; lets say tuck didnt OD. then the hawks delist him. new club drafts him and then one week into 2011, tuck picks up his 3rd strike and suspended. the new club would be pretty pissed off.
the afl is fucked and anderson just simply enjoys having his fist up demitriou's ass.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
missing person unit.
so i havent been blogging in quite some time. the reason?? the death of all young adults, university, consumed me. but im back. my last multi came through (when i say last i mean the multi posted on this blog. ive made shitloads since haha) so this puts me in the positive by $66.30. we'll leave it at that for now.
here's an interestiing episode that happened yesterday and concluded today.
i made a multi just for friday matches. could have had a massive pay day. i wrote down on a piece of paper that i was going to make a multi with st kilda to win between 1-39 points, raiders to win between 1-12 points and titans to win between 1-12 points. this was paying a handsome $37.38. would have put $3 on it and as the games unfolded last night, i could have had a massive winner and an extra $100 in my back pocket. but when i was at the tab, i left the piece of paper at home and decided to make one up on the spot. so i went with raiders for the win, titans for the win and the margin in the geelong-st kila game to be under 15.5 points. this paid $7.20 so put the $3 on this. now that multi came through so i won a whopping $21.60 (cue sarcasm.) BUT last night, i thought i made the big $37.38 multi and was real pumped about the good win. i check my ticket this morning and the payout column said $21.60. i was like wtf?? then i realised, i didnt put my original paper bet down. fml.
here's an interestiing episode that happened yesterday and concluded today.
i made a multi just for friday matches. could have had a massive pay day. i wrote down on a piece of paper that i was going to make a multi with st kilda to win between 1-39 points, raiders to win between 1-12 points and titans to win between 1-12 points. this was paying a handsome $37.38. would have put $3 on it and as the games unfolded last night, i could have had a massive winner and an extra $100 in my back pocket. but when i was at the tab, i left the piece of paper at home and decided to make one up on the spot. so i went with raiders for the win, titans for the win and the margin in the geelong-st kila game to be under 15.5 points. this paid $7.20 so put the $3 on this. now that multi came through so i won a whopping $21.60 (cue sarcasm.) BUT last night, i thought i made the big $37.38 multi and was real pumped about the good win. i check my ticket this morning and the payout column said $21.60. i was like wtf?? then i realised, i didnt put my original paper bet down. fml.
Friday, August 20, 2010
just call me fevola.
after an outlay of $70 last week, my safety bet came through. it paid $100 so im gunna use the profit of the $30 from last week to make one solitary bet for the week.
geelong, hawthorn, st kilda, collingwood, storm, chelsea.
this gives $2.21. put $30 on this.
winner winner chicken dinner. one can hope anyway!!
geelong, hawthorn, st kilda, collingwood, storm, chelsea.
this gives $2.21. put $30 on this.
winner winner chicken dinner. one can hope anyway!!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffft.
HEY ESSENDON BOMBERS FOOTBALL CLUB.
ONE HELLUVA BIG FUCK YOU.
AN ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING PERFORMANCE.
LEARN TO FUCKING HANDBALL.
LEARN TO EVADE A TACKLE.
JUST LEARN HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL AGAIN FOR FUCKS SAKE.
SHOW SOME HEART AND PASSION.
IF US SUPPORTERS ARE STICKING THROUGH IT, THEN REPAY US BY AT LEAST TURNING UP TO PLAY.
this wanker performance was against the magpies round 20, 2010.
got smashed by 98 points.
over and out.
ONE HELLUVA BIG FUCK YOU.
AN ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING PERFORMANCE.
LEARN TO FUCKING HANDBALL.
LEARN TO EVADE A TACKLE.
JUST LEARN HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL AGAIN FOR FUCKS SAKE.
SHOW SOME HEART AND PASSION.
IF US SUPPORTERS ARE STICKING THROUGH IT, THEN REPAY US BY AT LEAST TURNING UP TO PLAY.
this wanker performance was against the magpies round 20, 2010.
got smashed by 98 points.
over and out.
Friday, August 13, 2010
betting.
AFL ROUND 20.
collingwood, carlton, geelong, port adelaide, st kilda.
this gives $4.04. put $25 on this.
fremantle, brisbane, hawthorn.
this gives $4.68. put $5 on this.
collingwood >39.5, freo <39.5, st kilda <39.5.
this gives $9.36. put $5 on this.
ben howlett most disposals grp b.
(dempsey, melksham, zaharakis, obrien, johnson, shaw, thomas)
this gives $9. put $5 on this.
dane swan most disposals grp a.
(reimers, stanton, watson, hocking, beams, didak, pendlebury)
this gives $2.25. put $10 on this.
EPL.
aston villa, wigan, chelsea, man united.
this gives $4.36. put $5 on this.
over 2.5 goals scored in the match.
(tot vs manc, blkbrn vs ever, chel vs wbrom, liv vs ars, manu vs new)
this gives $18.36. put $5 on this.
chelsea, man united, sydney fc, melb victory.
this gives $4.56. put $5 on this.
NRL ROUND 23.
roosters, titans, warriors, storm, dragons.
this gives $4.80. put $5 on this.
outlay of $70. lets hope for some positive results =)
collingwood, carlton, geelong, port adelaide, st kilda.
this gives $4.04. put $25 on this.
fremantle, brisbane, hawthorn.
this gives $4.68. put $5 on this.
collingwood >39.5, freo <39.5, st kilda <39.5.
this gives $9.36. put $5 on this.
ben howlett most disposals grp b.
(dempsey, melksham, zaharakis, obrien, johnson, shaw, thomas)
this gives $9. put $5 on this.
dane swan most disposals grp a.
(reimers, stanton, watson, hocking, beams, didak, pendlebury)
this gives $2.25. put $10 on this.
EPL.
aston villa, wigan, chelsea, man united.
this gives $4.36. put $5 on this.
over 2.5 goals scored in the match.
(tot vs manc, blkbrn vs ever, chel vs wbrom, liv vs ars, manu vs new)
this gives $18.36. put $5 on this.
chelsea, man united, sydney fc, melb victory.
this gives $4.56. put $5 on this.
NRL ROUND 23.
roosters, titans, warriors, storm, dragons.
this gives $4.80. put $5 on this.
outlay of $70. lets hope for some positive results =)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
change of rules?? leave it the flip alone.
so a few seasons ago we saw the afl buckle under pressure and introduce new rules to the game to try and speed up the gameplay. now there are chorus of concerns that the game is too fast. so the afl is going to react again and introduce new rules primarily affecting the interchange bench. they've come out and said that it's for the players' safety, which to some extent is partly true. however these are soldiers of the game that are conditioned and catered to go into battle week in week out for their club. surely they have the skill and awareness to weather a bone crunching tackle or bump.
over the past two seasons, the use of the interchange bench has dramatically increased. there used to be about 60-80 interchanges a match but that figure has significantly doubled, especially this year. some are saying that 150-170 changes a match is getting out of hand. it's fair to say that it is definitely a high figure but well done to mick malthouse for revolutionising the impact of the bench. his star player, dane swan, has been the most benched player this season and its an indicator as to why he's favourite for the brownlow medal. the reason being that he goes off regularly to recharge his batteries and comes out onto the field and goes hard at EVERY contest for about 4-5 mins before coming back off for a breather. he then does this again and again and it is no wonder he collects high amounts of possessions. imagine if he was restricted to go off only once or twice a quarter. the endurance factor will kick in but this is a sport for entertainment so let the players have some breathing space and provide us with high quality football instead of sloppy and tired passages of play.
allowing the players to come off at their own free will is good for the game. if we were to limit the use of the bench then the coaches will have to take more than match ups and game plans onto their plate. i think coaches already haven enough on their plate. in bomber thompson's case he also fills his plate up with the odd sandwich or lollies (yes, you can laugh.) limiting the usage of the bench to only 80 times a match means the forwards and defenders will not get a break off the ground as often as their midfield team mates. some ague that when the ball is at the other end of the ground then the defenders and forwards get their break there. but i disagree. the players in these departments will have to be mentally switched on when the ball isnt in play. this constant thinking contributes to fatigue. that is why coming off the ground as regular as possible keeps them fresh as they can clear the mind and restart themselves while on the bench.
im clearly not a fan of the interchange cap. let the game go and play its own natural course. coaches are being restricted in their ability to design new tactics and game plans with the new rule changes each year. players coming through the system are more reliant on their running and tackling skills these days. with this they'll need breathers more often. i believe that if they want to cap the interchange bench, then the figure should be at 120 and not 80. this way there's more freedom for the players to come off and we will still get the fast gameplay that has enhanced the game's credibility.
over the past two seasons, the use of the interchange bench has dramatically increased. there used to be about 60-80 interchanges a match but that figure has significantly doubled, especially this year. some are saying that 150-170 changes a match is getting out of hand. it's fair to say that it is definitely a high figure but well done to mick malthouse for revolutionising the impact of the bench. his star player, dane swan, has been the most benched player this season and its an indicator as to why he's favourite for the brownlow medal. the reason being that he goes off regularly to recharge his batteries and comes out onto the field and goes hard at EVERY contest for about 4-5 mins before coming back off for a breather. he then does this again and again and it is no wonder he collects high amounts of possessions. imagine if he was restricted to go off only once or twice a quarter. the endurance factor will kick in but this is a sport for entertainment so let the players have some breathing space and provide us with high quality football instead of sloppy and tired passages of play.
allowing the players to come off at their own free will is good for the game. if we were to limit the use of the bench then the coaches will have to take more than match ups and game plans onto their plate. i think coaches already haven enough on their plate. in bomber thompson's case he also fills his plate up with the odd sandwich or lollies (yes, you can laugh.) limiting the usage of the bench to only 80 times a match means the forwards and defenders will not get a break off the ground as often as their midfield team mates. some ague that when the ball is at the other end of the ground then the defenders and forwards get their break there. but i disagree. the players in these departments will have to be mentally switched on when the ball isnt in play. this constant thinking contributes to fatigue. that is why coming off the ground as regular as possible keeps them fresh as they can clear the mind and restart themselves while on the bench.
im clearly not a fan of the interchange cap. let the game go and play its own natural course. coaches are being restricted in their ability to design new tactics and game plans with the new rule changes each year. players coming through the system are more reliant on their running and tackling skills these days. with this they'll need breathers more often. i believe that if they want to cap the interchange bench, then the figure should be at 120 and not 80. this way there's more freedom for the players to come off and we will still get the fast gameplay that has enhanced the game's credibility.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
punt loss. giddy up??
after my horrendous punting efforts in my virgin blog post about punting, ive decided to do a super sunday market of bets and at least break even or gain some profit. or as so is often the case with chasing the money back, i reckon ill just lose even more this weekend. for those that care about my financial situation, i didnt outlay a cent on the bets i proposed earlier but i still take a paper bet loss to heart and because the earlier bets didnt come through, i still feel like a loser.
anyways enough with the rambling on, here's my comeback tips. a comeback just as good as the cats in the second quarter last night when they were 28 points down to take the lead at halftime.
st kilda, demons, western bulldogs.
this gives $2.33. put $25.
shane smeltz to score for gold coast fc, nrl roosters, nrl bulldogs.
this gives $9. put $5.
top goal scorer: nick riewoldt, brad green, barry hall.
this gives $35.43. put $5.
most disposals group a: leigh montagna, shane tuck, mathew boyd.
this gives $27.42. put $5.
saints >15.5 points, demons >15.5 points, bulldogs >15.5 points.
this gives $4.35. put $5.
saints <39.5 points and richmond <39.5 points.
this gives $7.31. put $5.
P.S: its my birthday today. but i dont give a fuck. i hate bdays. and wankers that still expect presents outside their 18th and 21st just have low self esteem.
anyways enough with the rambling on, here's my comeback tips. a comeback just as good as the cats in the second quarter last night when they were 28 points down to take the lead at halftime.
st kilda, demons, western bulldogs.
this gives $2.33. put $25.
shane smeltz to score for gold coast fc, nrl roosters, nrl bulldogs.
this gives $9. put $5.
top goal scorer: nick riewoldt, brad green, barry hall.
this gives $35.43. put $5.
most disposals group a: leigh montagna, shane tuck, mathew boyd.
this gives $27.42. put $5.
saints >15.5 points, demons >15.5 points, bulldogs >15.5 points.
this gives $4.35. put $5.
saints <39.5 points and richmond <39.5 points.
this gives $7.31. put $5.
P.S: its my birthday today. but i dont give a fuck. i hate bdays. and wankers that still expect presents outside their 18th and 21st just have low self esteem.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
you know what this rant will be about.
i am not even going to begin to defend my deplorable bombers last night. disgusting. everytime i want to love the bombers even more, they give me a reason to shake my head and shake my fists at them. to allow 10 goals in the last was an absolute joke. as far as im concerned, our 6 game winning streak against carlton doesnt count for shit after last nights thumping. and for crying out loud, 4.9 to half time just isnt acceptable. yes players like howlett and hardingham are raw but when you're gifted a goal in front of ya, then just take it and nail the leather through the big sticks. its our inconsistencies like inaccurate goal kicking, tackling pressure, defensive structures that let us lose the games we should be picking up wins in. the season is now officially over so show some grit and show the bombers' fan base if we have somethin to look forward to for 2011. pleeeeeeeeeease!!
Friday, August 6, 2010
being an avid punter, thought id put some hot multi's together. for further details on odds and groups go to tab.com.au
this is my source of info and from where ive created these bets from.
AFL.
first up ill have a stab at picking 8 out of 8 in the afl.
bombers, roos, hawks, geelong, eagles, saints, demons and bulldogs.
this gives $43.05. put $5.
margin bets.
bombers 1-39, hawks 1-39, cats 1-39, demons 1-39.
this gives $31.61. put $3.
ess/carl margin under 15.5, gee/coll margin under 15.5, bulldogs margin over 15.5. this gives $15.87. put $3.
the next multi's are my fav types of multi's called exotic bets.
top goal scorer in their match: buddy, stevie j, lecras.
this gives $30.93. put $3.
most disposals group a: jobe watson, brent harvey, dane swan.
this gives $58.50. put $3
most disposals group b: brent prismall, stephen hill, xavier ellis, james kelly. this gives $1225.12. put $3.
RUGBY LEAGUE.
tips for the week are very tough. but ill have a crack at it.
eels, broncos, storm, warriors, wests, buldogs, roosters. this gives $64.48. put $5.
storm 1-12, dragons 1-12. this gives $12.18 . put $5
SOCCER
perth glory, gold coast united, middlesborough, reading. this gives $8.13. put $5
HAPPY PUNTING PEEPZ!!
this is my source of info and from where ive created these bets from.
AFL.
first up ill have a stab at picking 8 out of 8 in the afl.
bombers, roos, hawks, geelong, eagles, saints, demons and bulldogs.
this gives $43.05. put $5.
margin bets.
bombers 1-39, hawks 1-39, cats 1-39, demons 1-39.
this gives $31.61. put $3.
ess/carl margin under 15.5, gee/coll margin under 15.5, bulldogs margin over 15.5. this gives $15.87. put $3.
the next multi's are my fav types of multi's called exotic bets.
top goal scorer in their match: buddy, stevie j, lecras.
this gives $30.93. put $3.
most disposals group a: jobe watson, brent harvey, dane swan.
this gives $58.50. put $3
most disposals group b: brent prismall, stephen hill, xavier ellis, james kelly. this gives $1225.12. put $3.
RUGBY LEAGUE.
tips for the week are very tough. but ill have a crack at it.
eels, broncos, storm, warriors, wests, buldogs, roosters. this gives $64.48. put $5.
storm 1-12, dragons 1-12. this gives $12.18 . put $5
SOCCER
perth glory, gold coast united, middlesborough, reading. this gives $8.13. put $5
HAPPY PUNTING PEEPZ!!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
ballers life.
the upcoming nba season is sure to be one monstrous season. the beasts from the east will look to dethrone the best from the west. the off season has been one of the busiest recorded in the history of the nba. with 25 free agents headlined by lebron james, there was always a chance of a franchise creating some sort of super powerful team. and boy did we get that. when lebron james uttered the famous words "im taking my talents to South Beach" on his special espn doco, the nba world knew there were special times ahead for the Miami Heat. 2 other free agents, dwayne wade and chris bosh had already committed themselves to Miami and with lebron joining them, they have created the new big 3.
we saw 3 years ago over at Boston a big 3 form and we were in awe as they went on to win the championship that season. but i feel kevin garnett, paul pierce and ray allen arent quite in the same echelon as the new big 3 of james, wade and bosh. we wont have to wait long to see the two big 3's take on each other. the league has given us the mouth watering clash on opening night with boston hosting miami. there is also talks that tracy mcgrady could join the heat team too. if he does put pen to a deal, you can almost GUARANTEE that the heat will take out this year's title. how can kobe halt the free scoring nature of 4 star players. add beasley to the line up and thats 5 very dangerous shooters who are all accountable in defence.
It seems as though the East, when compared to the West, won the battle in the free agency debacle, which means finally, the Eastern Conference may be able to compete in the nba Finals and be a legit contender against the Los Angeles Lakers.
and just a small note about the cleveland cavaliers who have been ripped to shreds over the off season perioid. their fans have seemed to have lost all faith and the playing roster has fallen apart. the team was solely built with bits and pieces players to compliment a superstar. now that the King has vacated his throne, these peasants will simply not be able to handle the rigours of the nba. a city that hasnt had glory for 60 years will also have long term agony from this season onwards. if lebron couldnt win a ring there, what other superstar would go there to try and win one?? Last year, Cleveland had the legendary shaquille o’neal signing to win championships, this year you have iglauskas leaving to win a championship.
we saw 3 years ago over at Boston a big 3 form and we were in awe as they went on to win the championship that season. but i feel kevin garnett, paul pierce and ray allen arent quite in the same echelon as the new big 3 of james, wade and bosh. we wont have to wait long to see the two big 3's take on each other. the league has given us the mouth watering clash on opening night with boston hosting miami. there is also talks that tracy mcgrady could join the heat team too. if he does put pen to a deal, you can almost GUARANTEE that the heat will take out this year's title. how can kobe halt the free scoring nature of 4 star players. add beasley to the line up and thats 5 very dangerous shooters who are all accountable in defence.
It seems as though the East, when compared to the West, won the battle in the free agency debacle, which means finally, the Eastern Conference may be able to compete in the nba Finals and be a legit contender against the Los Angeles Lakers.
and just a small note about the cleveland cavaliers who have been ripped to shreds over the off season perioid. their fans have seemed to have lost all faith and the playing roster has fallen apart. the team was solely built with bits and pieces players to compliment a superstar. now that the King has vacated his throne, these peasants will simply not be able to handle the rigours of the nba. a city that hasnt had glory for 60 years will also have long term agony from this season onwards. if lebron couldnt win a ring there, what other superstar would go there to try and win one?? Last year, Cleveland had the legendary shaquille o’neal signing to win championships, this year you have iglauskas leaving to win a championship.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
the big game.
it is without a doubt, the game of the season. a potential preview of the grand final. it is 1 vs 2. their current playing lists have battled some tough games since 2007 including two prelim finals. one team has the wood over the other but some sense that the run is about to end. some believe the trend will continue. and the rest will be treated to a swashbuckling affair. the game i speak highly of is the match between geelong and collingwood which takes place on saturday night on the hallowed turf of the mcg in round 19. sure both coaches will come out and say its only a game and the real stuff doesnt count till finals but the winner on saturday is entitled to bragging rights and that slight psychological advantage. either way, im pumped to be going and hopefully we witness a game of many goals, crunching tackles and ferocious pressure. but as is the trend in many big games we'll probs only get a low scoring affair with plenty of turnovers and umpires trying to impart their influence on the game. lets hope for the former vision just for the sake of football.
see the bombers fly up, UP!!
its good to see my beloved bombers finally show the heart and passion that had deserted them in that horrid run of 6 losses on the trot. it was basically their stubborn-ness to stick to the gameplan when the going got tough that led to their demise. they tried to play outside of the box when all that was required was for them to play out of their skin.
they've shown in patches this year that they have the tenacity and willingness to take the game on and step up to the challenges laid in front of them. the 4 wins this year against top 8 teams this year has shown the proof of this.
it was no doubt the heroic efforts of our skipper, jobe watson, rising to the occasion and leading from the front enabled us to get the 2 most important wins of the season. the see-sawing affair against the roos showed the footy world that when the game was on the line, the bombers were able to be competitive and keep in touch to eventually run out winners. however, the thumping win, and i emphasise the word thumping as we led by 58 at one stage, against the saints was totally unexpected. the first quarter was some of the best footy played all season. the sheer willingness to put the body on the line and win the hard fought contested ball paid dividends. the hefty 7 goal lead was always going to be hard to overcome for the saints. but when they challenged the bombers, we stuck to our guns and continued to attack through the corridor. at times late in the quarter, the bombers tried to slow up the play by playing for the siren. not a bad move if we knew how to play to this style. and to do so against a team thats the best in the league when they DONT have the ball was always a huge risk. at times we looked shaky but we pulled it off.
big credit to nab rising star nomination, michael hurley, for being the general in defence and orchastrating the waves of attack out of defence. his ability to read the ball, fill the hole and zone off the frustratingly lazy kosi reaped the rewards.
things are looking good for the future and another stern test will be against arch rivals, calrton. they are looking to stay in the 8 and are looking to arrest a poor 7 weeks of football where they have only won once. i hope the bombers dont shy away from the challenge and show some level of consistency to repay the faith shown by its fans.
go bombers!!
they've shown in patches this year that they have the tenacity and willingness to take the game on and step up to the challenges laid in front of them. the 4 wins this year against top 8 teams this year has shown the proof of this.
it was no doubt the heroic efforts of our skipper, jobe watson, rising to the occasion and leading from the front enabled us to get the 2 most important wins of the season. the see-sawing affair against the roos showed the footy world that when the game was on the line, the bombers were able to be competitive and keep in touch to eventually run out winners. however, the thumping win, and i emphasise the word thumping as we led by 58 at one stage, against the saints was totally unexpected. the first quarter was some of the best footy played all season. the sheer willingness to put the body on the line and win the hard fought contested ball paid dividends. the hefty 7 goal lead was always going to be hard to overcome for the saints. but when they challenged the bombers, we stuck to our guns and continued to attack through the corridor. at times late in the quarter, the bombers tried to slow up the play by playing for the siren. not a bad move if we knew how to play to this style. and to do so against a team thats the best in the league when they DONT have the ball was always a huge risk. at times we looked shaky but we pulled it off.
big credit to nab rising star nomination, michael hurley, for being the general in defence and orchastrating the waves of attack out of defence. his ability to read the ball, fill the hole and zone off the frustratingly lazy kosi reaped the rewards.
things are looking good for the future and another stern test will be against arch rivals, calrton. they are looking to stay in the 8 and are looking to arrest a poor 7 weeks of football where they have only won once. i hope the bombers dont shy away from the challenge and show some level of consistency to repay the faith shown by its fans.
go bombers!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
the inconsistent MRP.
The 4 points awarded to the Saints for the win against Geelong in round 13 has almost become unimportant after the findings of the tussle between Steve Johnson of Geelong and Steve Baker of St Kilda. The majority of the football world saw the tactics displayed by Steve Baker as within the rules and part of his style of play. Some expected Steve Baker to come under scrutiny for his gentle jumper punches and slaps but no one expected the verdict of the match review panel. They charged Baker with 4 different misconducts all totaling up to a 12 match suspension which can be reduced to be 9 with an early guilty plea.
The greater football community have their arms up in the air at the verdict. While the majority are sympathetic towards Baker, due to his horrendous black eye, the minority are virtually spot on when it comes to agreeing with the match review panel’s verdict. Any time a player strikes another player with enough force to cause shock and pain must be deemed reportable. Whether it be low grade, to the body or to the head, a strike is a strike. We do not want to see this game evolve into any such thuggery, which seems to be the norm in rugby league these days.
But the question now looms as to why make Baker the victim? Last week we saw Chris Judd become frustrated by Adam Mcphee’s tag and in the 3rd quarter let a loose fist fly and connect with Mcphee’s forearm. Now this is basically what Baker done to Johnson and he has copped a 3 week suspension for that individual offence. Another incident was last month between the Bombers and Tigers where Tayte Pears was coming back from a broken forearm injury and was matched up with Jack Riewoldt. Before the bounce had even occurred, Rielwodt walks next to pears and takes repeated punches at Pears’ previously injured arm. Tayte had a protective cast but still, Riewoldt has gone out of his way and landed punches on another player. Why didn’t the match review panel pull him up on this? Here lies the inconsistency of the match review panel.
Whether the offence be bumping, contact with an umpire or tripping, the MRP don’t seem to have any set guidelines. They merely tally up the points based on each case alone and hand out a suspension based on that merit. Steven Baker has been the made the victim here and it is unfortunate that we will be missing one of the competitions’ premier taggers until the finals series gets underway.
The greater football community have their arms up in the air at the verdict. While the majority are sympathetic towards Baker, due to his horrendous black eye, the minority are virtually spot on when it comes to agreeing with the match review panel’s verdict. Any time a player strikes another player with enough force to cause shock and pain must be deemed reportable. Whether it be low grade, to the body or to the head, a strike is a strike. We do not want to see this game evolve into any such thuggery, which seems to be the norm in rugby league these days.
But the question now looms as to why make Baker the victim? Last week we saw Chris Judd become frustrated by Adam Mcphee’s tag and in the 3rd quarter let a loose fist fly and connect with Mcphee’s forearm. Now this is basically what Baker done to Johnson and he has copped a 3 week suspension for that individual offence. Another incident was last month between the Bombers and Tigers where Tayte Pears was coming back from a broken forearm injury and was matched up with Jack Riewoldt. Before the bounce had even occurred, Rielwodt walks next to pears and takes repeated punches at Pears’ previously injured arm. Tayte had a protective cast but still, Riewoldt has gone out of his way and landed punches on another player. Why didn’t the match review panel pull him up on this? Here lies the inconsistency of the match review panel.
Whether the offence be bumping, contact with an umpire or tripping, the MRP don’t seem to have any set guidelines. They merely tally up the points based on each case alone and hand out a suspension based on that merit. Steven Baker has been the made the victim here and it is unfortunate that we will be missing one of the competitions’ premier taggers until the finals series gets underway.
cyclone aker.
I am very excited at the prospect of ex Western Bulldogs player Jason Akermanis having free reins to use that motor mouth of his and truly voice his own opinions in the media world. No longer tied to any contract or club obligations, he will give the afl public a non watered down outlook of the afl world.
I truly believe the Western Bulldogs, as a club, has left him out to dry. Big deal if he was releasing a book at the end of the year. The main issue that caused the Bulldogs to terminate his contract was the fact that there were RUMOURS circulating that aker dished out some dirt on 3 of his ex bulldogs team mates in ONE of the chapters. Now how many chapters are in a book?? Most often in excess of 10. So it seems that a minor non-confirmed piece of writing has brought an end to an illustrious career of a top football player. Disgraceful. And the instigator of the termination of the walking headline act was none other than Bulldogs captain, brad Johnson. He heard about what aker was up to and instead of doing the logical task of sitting down and chatting to aker about it, johnno went straight to the top dogs at the club and ranted to them about the situation. Surely if johnno asked aker first what was going on with the whole situation in spilling the beans about his team mates, aker would have given the reasoning behind it and maybe omit the incriminating evidence. But johnno decided enough was enough on his own accord and decided to get aker terminated.
Aker is a player that will be sorely missed by the Bulldogs come finals time. Especially when they make the top 4, which I expect them to considering Freo’s recent worrying non-purple patch of form (notice the pun. yeah im hilarious.) A player that oozes wealthy amounts of finals experience is surely an asset coming into the month of September. Or maybe the western bulldogs want to give their supporters another year of heartbreak because 40 years just isn’t enough. Fair enough that he hasn’t been in amazing form but a player of this calibre shouldn’t get dropped because they know how to step up when the game is on the line.
I truly believe the Western Bulldogs, as a club, has left him out to dry. Big deal if he was releasing a book at the end of the year. The main issue that caused the Bulldogs to terminate his contract was the fact that there were RUMOURS circulating that aker dished out some dirt on 3 of his ex bulldogs team mates in ONE of the chapters. Now how many chapters are in a book?? Most often in excess of 10. So it seems that a minor non-confirmed piece of writing has brought an end to an illustrious career of a top football player. Disgraceful. And the instigator of the termination of the walking headline act was none other than Bulldogs captain, brad Johnson. He heard about what aker was up to and instead of doing the logical task of sitting down and chatting to aker about it, johnno went straight to the top dogs at the club and ranted to them about the situation. Surely if johnno asked aker first what was going on with the whole situation in spilling the beans about his team mates, aker would have given the reasoning behind it and maybe omit the incriminating evidence. But johnno decided enough was enough on his own accord and decided to get aker terminated.
Aker is a player that will be sorely missed by the Bulldogs come finals time. Especially when they make the top 4, which I expect them to considering Freo’s recent worrying non-purple patch of form (notice the pun. yeah im hilarious.) A player that oozes wealthy amounts of finals experience is surely an asset coming into the month of September. Or maybe the western bulldogs want to give their supporters another year of heartbreak because 40 years just isn’t enough. Fair enough that he hasn’t been in amazing form but a player of this calibre shouldn’t get dropped because they know how to step up when the game is on the line.
gasnier and game 3.
so this was written a while back. gasnier just announced he was returning to league and state of origin game 3 was upon us. my thoughts on the two topics.
THE RETURN OF GASNIER.
The return of Mark Gasnier to rugby league has been welcomed with open arms. A superstar at the St George Illawarra Dragons, he decided to turn his back on them and the code some 3 years ago and take up a lucrative offer playing rugby union in France. It’s fair enough that he was seeking a healthy pay packet but turning your back on a team that had every opportunity to win the competition surely didn’t sit well with the Australian public. He has now returned for the sole reason of winning a premiership. And he has gone straight to his club that he defected from, the Dragons. It was no surprise that the Dragons were happy to bulk up their player list with a player of this calibre. Sitting atop the ladder displays the consistent season that the Dragons have achieved so far. Adding a virtual superstar to that line-up would only strengthen their claims for a premiership. Gasnier may not adapt to the game straightaway but give it a few games and he will be playing the game as good as a duck is to water.
STATE OF ORIGIN GAME 3.
State of origin game 3 is upon us and as has been the case in the past 4 years, it has been totally dominated by the Queensland Maroons. The series has already been decided with the Maroons holding an unassailable 2 nil lead with the final game coming up on Wednesday 7th July in Sydney. The key to the maroons’ dominance is that hey have kept the nucleus of their team intact with fringe players replaced with adequate and performable players. On the other side, the NSW Blues can not even get a team to gel and play togther on the park. Their coach, Craig Bellamy, is making too many changes per game in an attempt to find immediate success. Penetrating the fortress that is the Maroons is no easy task and Bellamy should have installed a grind and win nature into his players some years ago. Sticking to one game plan would definitely be a beneficiary, however the pressure for immediate success has seen many game plans tossed out the window. The final game of the series gives the Blues a chance to redeem themselves from an embarrassing series whitewash. Origin games are based around the attacking nature of the two line-ups. Both possess a strong defensive unit and it is the creative nous from the centers, hookers and wingers that win these games. Lining up for QLD in these position are some of the more damaging players in the game today, Inglis, Folau, Slater and Thurstons. No disrespect to NSW but their respective players are Cooper, Monaghan, Hayne and Pearce. Very tough for them to step up ten fold to merely match the talents of the daunting figures over at the Maroons. It is for this reason that I believe that the Blues should take advantage of their kicking game. They should try and exploit the Maroons with high kicks and kicks over their heads forcing the Maroons to double back and second guess themselves. The key factor for the Blues is the freakishly talented and reigning Dally M medallist, Jarred Hayne. He has yet to fire in this series, let alone for his club, Parramatta Eels this season. If he can produce those scintillating line breaks and give his team good field position early in their tackle count, there is no reason as to why the Blues wont be able to apply scoreboard pressure. By applying scoreboard pressure and with a boisterous home crowd supporting them, you can only hope the Blues come out with the win after a gruelling 80 minutes. Otherwise the Maroons will get their thumping series victory for the 5th straight year and continue this total dominance.
THE RETURN OF GASNIER.
The return of Mark Gasnier to rugby league has been welcomed with open arms. A superstar at the St George Illawarra Dragons, he decided to turn his back on them and the code some 3 years ago and take up a lucrative offer playing rugby union in France. It’s fair enough that he was seeking a healthy pay packet but turning your back on a team that had every opportunity to win the competition surely didn’t sit well with the Australian public. He has now returned for the sole reason of winning a premiership. And he has gone straight to his club that he defected from, the Dragons. It was no surprise that the Dragons were happy to bulk up their player list with a player of this calibre. Sitting atop the ladder displays the consistent season that the Dragons have achieved so far. Adding a virtual superstar to that line-up would only strengthen their claims for a premiership. Gasnier may not adapt to the game straightaway but give it a few games and he will be playing the game as good as a duck is to water.
STATE OF ORIGIN GAME 3.
State of origin game 3 is upon us and as has been the case in the past 4 years, it has been totally dominated by the Queensland Maroons. The series has already been decided with the Maroons holding an unassailable 2 nil lead with the final game coming up on Wednesday 7th July in Sydney. The key to the maroons’ dominance is that hey have kept the nucleus of their team intact with fringe players replaced with adequate and performable players. On the other side, the NSW Blues can not even get a team to gel and play togther on the park. Their coach, Craig Bellamy, is making too many changes per game in an attempt to find immediate success. Penetrating the fortress that is the Maroons is no easy task and Bellamy should have installed a grind and win nature into his players some years ago. Sticking to one game plan would definitely be a beneficiary, however the pressure for immediate success has seen many game plans tossed out the window. The final game of the series gives the Blues a chance to redeem themselves from an embarrassing series whitewash. Origin games are based around the attacking nature of the two line-ups. Both possess a strong defensive unit and it is the creative nous from the centers, hookers and wingers that win these games. Lining up for QLD in these position are some of the more damaging players in the game today, Inglis, Folau, Slater and Thurstons. No disrespect to NSW but their respective players are Cooper, Monaghan, Hayne and Pearce. Very tough for them to step up ten fold to merely match the talents of the daunting figures over at the Maroons. It is for this reason that I believe that the Blues should take advantage of their kicking game. They should try and exploit the Maroons with high kicks and kicks over their heads forcing the Maroons to double back and second guess themselves. The key factor for the Blues is the freakishly talented and reigning Dally M medallist, Jarred Hayne. He has yet to fire in this series, let alone for his club, Parramatta Eels this season. If he can produce those scintillating line breaks and give his team good field position early in their tackle count, there is no reason as to why the Blues wont be able to apply scoreboard pressure. By applying scoreboard pressure and with a boisterous home crowd supporting them, you can only hope the Blues come out with the win after a gruelling 80 minutes. Otherwise the Maroons will get their thumping series victory for the 5th straight year and continue this total dominance.
dummy guide to the afl.
wrote this article awhile back targeting an audience that knew very little of our sport. dont feel insulted if ya know it all already. but hopefully ya learn a thing or two or ten.
To some it’s a religion, to some its an interest and to others it’s merely a disdain acknowledgement of the sport. The sport has been around for over a century with a formidable liaison amongst the males however females have begun to assert their authority within the game. It is the unique sport that is the pride of this country which is the Australian Football League (AFL). It features predominantly during the winter months with the season lasting 26 weeks beginning in the middle of March and it ceases on the last Saturday of September. The final day, which is known as the Grand Final, is the biggest event on Australia’s sporting calendar.
The AFL began in 1897 with 8 Victorian teams. Back then it was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) as the competition was made up entirely of teams in Victoria alone. These teams were Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne, and St Kilda. Richmond and University entered in 1908, but University folded in 1915. In 1925, Footscray (later known as the Western Bulldogs), Hawthorn and North Melbourne entered the competition. It remained in this 12 team single-state format until 1982 when South Melbourne relocated to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans. In 1987, the national expansion continued with the introduction of the West Coast Eagles from Western Australia and the Brisbane Bears in Queensland. In 1990, the league name changed to the Australian Football League to signify the incorporation of the interstate teams. In 1991, the introduction of the first team based out of South Australia, the Adelaide Crows, took place. The Fremantle Football Club became the second team representing WA in 1995. 1996 was a monumental year for the AFL as two teams, Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions, merged to form the Brisbane Lions. What made this year even more significant for the AFL was the introduction of the second team based in South Australia, Port Adelaide Power. Since 1996, the AFL has been a 16 team competition but that is set to change with the introduction of two more interstate teams over the next two years. The Gold Coast consortium will compete from next year onwards while Greater Western Sydney will have a team represented from 2012 onwards.
The scoring system is based by the amount of goals and behinds kicked by each team. A goal is worth 6 points whereas a behind registers as 1 point. These can be achieved by kicking the ball through 4 sticks located at either end of the ground. A goal is achieved by kicking the ball through the two taller sticks. A behind is kicked when the ball misses the two taller sticks but stays within two smaller sticks located on either side of the taller sticks.
Each team in the AFL is made up of 40 players and up to 10 rookies or veterans. Of these 50 players, 22 represent a team in each match week in week out. In order to seek fairness amongst teams, there is a salary cap in place in which all players bar the veterans must be paid within. In 2010, each club has a salary cap of $7.95 million. The average wage of an AFL footballer is $200,000 with rookies on a base contract of $42,000 and players in the top echelon on a wage of $750,000+. Of the 22 players that take the field each week, there are certain types of players that make up the team. 6 defenders, 6 midfielders and 6 forwards make up the team. Then there is what’s known as the bench which constitutes of 4 players which can interchange with one of the 18 players on the field at any given time.
The AFL premiership season, consisting of all 16 teams as of current, is played over 22 weeks. The ladder is then shaped by the teams with the most wins followed by greatest winning points percentage. After the 22 matches, the top 8 teams on the ladder then begin a 4 week finals series to determine the winner of the league for that season. The Grand Final is played between the 2 teams left standing after their individual matches in the finals series. This match traditionally takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Crowds in excess of 85,000 flock to this game and tickets to this solitary game are always in high demand. Prices are normally between $150-$400 for a seat at this game however ticket scalpers often price tickets at $1000 which people are happy to pay if it means they can get a prime position watching the game of the season.
The AFL has been around for some time and it has no plans on folding. Financially, it is nearing its peak. This is evident through the 2 expansion teams with thoughts of another license being created to support a team in Tasmania. The AFL hasn’t had any competitiors to dismantle it from the position as the number 1 sport in Australia. However, with the socceroos enjoying plenty of winning ways over the last 10 years and the prospect of hosting the world cup in 2022, it might be able to topple the AFL. The AFL is a passionate game followed by legions of fans so jump aboard and support a club and be apart of its rich history and tradition.
To some it’s a religion, to some its an interest and to others it’s merely a disdain acknowledgement of the sport. The sport has been around for over a century with a formidable liaison amongst the males however females have begun to assert their authority within the game. It is the unique sport that is the pride of this country which is the Australian Football League (AFL). It features predominantly during the winter months with the season lasting 26 weeks beginning in the middle of March and it ceases on the last Saturday of September. The final day, which is known as the Grand Final, is the biggest event on Australia’s sporting calendar.
The AFL began in 1897 with 8 Victorian teams. Back then it was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) as the competition was made up entirely of teams in Victoria alone. These teams were Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, South Melbourne, and St Kilda. Richmond and University entered in 1908, but University folded in 1915. In 1925, Footscray (later known as the Western Bulldogs), Hawthorn and North Melbourne entered the competition. It remained in this 12 team single-state format until 1982 when South Melbourne relocated to Sydney to become the Sydney Swans. In 1987, the national expansion continued with the introduction of the West Coast Eagles from Western Australia and the Brisbane Bears in Queensland. In 1990, the league name changed to the Australian Football League to signify the incorporation of the interstate teams. In 1991, the introduction of the first team based out of South Australia, the Adelaide Crows, took place. The Fremantle Football Club became the second team representing WA in 1995. 1996 was a monumental year for the AFL as two teams, Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions, merged to form the Brisbane Lions. What made this year even more significant for the AFL was the introduction of the second team based in South Australia, Port Adelaide Power. Since 1996, the AFL has been a 16 team competition but that is set to change with the introduction of two more interstate teams over the next two years. The Gold Coast consortium will compete from next year onwards while Greater Western Sydney will have a team represented from 2012 onwards.
The scoring system is based by the amount of goals and behinds kicked by each team. A goal is worth 6 points whereas a behind registers as 1 point. These can be achieved by kicking the ball through 4 sticks located at either end of the ground. A goal is achieved by kicking the ball through the two taller sticks. A behind is kicked when the ball misses the two taller sticks but stays within two smaller sticks located on either side of the taller sticks.
Each team in the AFL is made up of 40 players and up to 10 rookies or veterans. Of these 50 players, 22 represent a team in each match week in week out. In order to seek fairness amongst teams, there is a salary cap in place in which all players bar the veterans must be paid within. In 2010, each club has a salary cap of $7.95 million. The average wage of an AFL footballer is $200,000 with rookies on a base contract of $42,000 and players in the top echelon on a wage of $750,000+. Of the 22 players that take the field each week, there are certain types of players that make up the team. 6 defenders, 6 midfielders and 6 forwards make up the team. Then there is what’s known as the bench which constitutes of 4 players which can interchange with one of the 18 players on the field at any given time.
The AFL premiership season, consisting of all 16 teams as of current, is played over 22 weeks. The ladder is then shaped by the teams with the most wins followed by greatest winning points percentage. After the 22 matches, the top 8 teams on the ladder then begin a 4 week finals series to determine the winner of the league for that season. The Grand Final is played between the 2 teams left standing after their individual matches in the finals series. This match traditionally takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Crowds in excess of 85,000 flock to this game and tickets to this solitary game are always in high demand. Prices are normally between $150-$400 for a seat at this game however ticket scalpers often price tickets at $1000 which people are happy to pay if it means they can get a prime position watching the game of the season.
The AFL has been around for some time and it has no plans on folding. Financially, it is nearing its peak. This is evident through the 2 expansion teams with thoughts of another license being created to support a team in Tasmania. The AFL hasn’t had any competitiors to dismantle it from the position as the number 1 sport in Australia. However, with the socceroos enjoying plenty of winning ways over the last 10 years and the prospect of hosting the world cup in 2022, it might be able to topple the AFL. The AFL is a passionate game followed by legions of fans so jump aboard and support a club and be apart of its rich history and tradition.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
previous sports worthy notes.
ive written up a few pieces over a month ago for a web based newspaper but that project has stalled so instead of leaving them to rot on my hard drive, i decided to put em on here. its nothin massive but like ive said, i dig sport so this shit comes naturally to me haha wont put em all up in one gung-ho motion but like a good wine over time, ull be able to read some quality stuff. i hope =)
aus cricket fail.
what is up with the australian cricketers in their struggle street affair against them pakis?? lets point the finger at punter for wanting to bat in brilliant swinging conditions. now the bowlers are performing disgustingly under the pressure of having to defend the paltry 88. i kinda like this score coz 8 is my lucky number but this is pakistan. a team with a rookie captain after the original walked out because he couldnt control his temperament. a team with 2 players playing their second test for the country. and also banking on a young tearaway pace swing bowler and a drug cheat to dominate the wickets column. shame shame shame australia. the ashes are around the corner and we put up this insipid performance. lose the cocky attitude and turn up to play for every match. batters need to value their wicket and bowlers need to stick to line and lenghth. simple. now fucking win this match or stay over in england and sign up with county teams.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The calamity that is Essendon FC.
The appointment of Mathew Knights to the coaching role at Essendon FC for 2008 raised a few doubters but was also welcomed amongst the Bombers faithful. Many didn’t expect success to occur right away yet we were treated to some thrilling risk taking football under Knights’ game plan in his first year. However, the high octane game plan wasn’t able to be sustained for the full four quarters required to win a game of AFL. In Knights’ first year, we were given glimpses into the future for Essendon and it looked very promising. The plan sanctioned for Mathew Knights was to lay the groundwork in 2008. Make the top 8 in 2009. And then push for top 4 in 2010. 2011 and 2012 were ear marked as the years that the Bombers would stake their claim for premiership glory. Last year, we witnessed the Bombers make the finals for the first time in quite awhile. It was also the first time in AFL/VFL history that a side had made the finals with more losses than wins. What eventuated in the away elimination final against Adelaide was an absolute mauling. The tactic of taking in no recognized ruckman severely backfired and the question marks about Knights were slowly being raised.
This year, the so called year where we would shake up the top 4, has gone horribly wrong and the Bombers fanatics have had enough and the patience is quickly running out. The outside world has quickly laid the blame on the coach, Mathew Knights. They have good reason too but they are quick to forget that he is only just over halfway into his 5 year succession plan. Okay so yes this year didn’t quite plan out the way it did but the jaw dropping wins against top 4 bound teams St Kilda and Western Bulldogs is surely something to cheer about. Add to that the wins against top 8 teams, Hawks and Blues plus the resurgent Tigers and suddenly it brings a smile to your face. But it seems as though the losses to Port Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and most recently the embarrassing thrashing by a LeCras inspired bottom-placed Eagles unit has flipped the pandemonium switch in the Bombers fans’ heads. The Eagles game was as shocking as a team could perform. Continuous turnovers in the corridor and the Bombers’ ill discipline to hit a target hurt them severely on the scoreboard. The first 11 weeks, the Bombers were number 1 for tackles laid. The last 6 losses on the trot has seen them come in last place for this vital statistic for winning a game of modern day football. Several times the Bombers went for a bump instead of a crunching tackle. And when they went for the tackle there was no ferocity behind it but merely a limp one handed effort to stop the opposition players momentum. That clearly failed. It begs the question as to whether the players have the burning desire to either play for their coach and more importantly represent the highly prestigious red and black sash jumper.
The playing list looks very solid on paper but the selection policies of the coach is one that is very hard to fathom. We’ll start at the beginning of the year. The Bombers put in a gallant effort against the defending premiers Geelong in round 1. Leading by 4 goals in the 3rd quarter, the Bombers penetrated into their forward 50 where Jay Neagle took a strong mark. For some unknown reason he decided to take on the more quicker Harry Taylor. He dismally failed and from the following turnover, Geelong scored and then went onto nail 8 more goals without reply. If only Neagle had gone back and perhaps given the Bombers an unassailable 5 goal lead, we’d maybe see the Bombers avoiding all this scrutiny having gained confidence from the potential round 1 win. Jay Neagle was dropped for the next game and for the following 10 weeks, he plied his trade in the VFL mixed with injuries. This was the guy ear marked as the future replacement to Mathew Lloyd. So why did Knights leave him to rot in the VFL?? Surely if he wants to make a better player out of Neagle it would be playing in AFL games. We know there are some serious fitness concerns with Neagle. And what better way to enhance the fitness issue than by playing in more AFL matches where the intensity can not be simulated anywhere. He has a very strong mark but can be slow on the lead and lacks awareness late in the game. Here is my proposition for hopefully a successful transition for a fit Neagle as a full forward. We know our other hopeful Scott Gumbleton can take a good mark and is starting to trust his body and look like a forward target in his first full year of AFL. So put him down at full forward to rake in the marks and have shots on goals. Put Neagle at half forward and ask him to just run and present at the footy. He might be buggered by half time in his first game but over the next month he will be able to run out games by acquiring this match fitness. Give him a couple games at full forward and ask him to do the same but this time just run continuously within the fifty metre arc ala Nick Riewoldt. We will not only see him leading up strongly but hopefully apply enough defensive pressure to keep the ball in our forward half and give us more shots on goals. Jay Neagle is our most effective player for the future to score goals and it is paramount that Knights utilises him and continues to show faith with him. It wont be long until he finally comes of age and delivers the bags of goals week in week out that we desperately require. We nearly saw Jack Watts get his Demons over the line against the Dockers. Watts is due for a big game and Neagle just needs one of these to announce himself to the footy world that he is here for good.
The other quandary that is backfiring against Knights is the use of his players that are playing consistently well in the VFL. Such players are Bachar Houli, Michael Quinn and Brent Prismall. The main victim has been Houli. Over the past month, he has been in the top 2 performed players for the Bendigo Bombers, Essendon’s feeder team. Yet consistently finds himself being named as an emergency for the senior side. There is nothing more he can do and surely a player with his talent will be getting frustrated at biding his time away from the Bombers. With the new team, Gold Coast, looking to poach players, surely Houli will consider an offer put forward from them which is sure to be financially tempting. Michael Quinn, is an international rookie hailing from Ireland. The week before the round 14 Adelaide game, Quinn was named best on ground for Bendigo. So Knights rewarded this performance and selected Quinn to play for the Bombers’ senior side. However, the Bombers were horrendously thrashed by the improving Crows and Quinn looked out of sorts. Surely the young kid would have been given more than one game to make a mark at AFL level. Wrong! Knights dropped him back to the reserves side. This was severely disappointing as it shows the coach showed no faith in Quinn to perform again. It is selection policies like this that have the wider sporting community puzzled. Give the talented kid a month to prove his worth. If after a month there are no results then an omission from the senior side is warranted. The last piece of the selection headaches is the non usage of Brent Prismall. The Bombers’ pursuit of Luke Ball, at the end of last season, indicated that they sought an in and under type midfielder to support Jobe Watson. Prismall can fit this role perfectly as his disposal manner is quite impressive and isn’t afraid to win the contested footy. The Bombers were hoping that Brent Stanton would be the support to their captain. However, lets be honest, Stanton hasn’t got the body suited to get under packs and cop the bumps. I see Stanton more suited to a Leigh Montagna style role from St Kilda. Just continuously roam the wings and set up attacks while lending a hand in the defensive 50. Prismall showed promise at Geelong at being an elite midfielder but the Cats didn’t show the perseverance with him once he endured an knee reconstruction. The Bombers took him on and he looked proppy and lacked the confidence in his first handful of games. However he had a standout game against the Hawks in the round 6 win where he racked up plenty of possessions (28) and kicked a goal. Since then he has spent time, like Houli, playing in the reserves even though he was worthy of a seniors call up. Even in the games he played for the Bombers, there wasn’t much game time and wasn’t running on the ball.
Knights has 6 weeks, if he is given the opportunity, to sort out the under-performing playing list belonging to Essendon. He needs to give game time to the blokes that are on the cusp of a seniors call up and play players in positions that allow them to enhance the winning prospects for the team. He needs to experiment with an alternate game plan or modify his current one so that goals aren’t leaked in large amounts on a consistent basis. His stubbornness to only play through the corridor is slowly leading to his demise. Its well and truly amazing taking the game on and taking the shortest route to goal through the middle of the ground but when superior teams block this passage, the Bombers are lost when having to play wide. Therefore it is wise to use the hard running players on the outside so that when it does eventually come back into the middle, we have the skilled kicking cattle to deliver into the forward line if not kick truly from 40-50m out.
The Essendon Bombers can go places in the near future. We shouldn’t have to wait 40 or 50 years like the Saints and Bulldogs to taste premiership glory. We have a man leading us in the right direction but just needs to open his eyes and realise that his game plan just needs some fine-tuning and to play the appropriate players built for his style of game. There is no need for a clean out of players or staff. If anything, the recruitment of another highly rated player/staff member to take the load of Jobe or Knights is what may be required. A player of this calibre could be perhaps Max Rooke, Travis Boak or David Armitage. In the staffing department, the ex Port Adelaide coach, Mark Williams or outgoing Swans coach, Paul Roos could provide assistance to Knights with match day commitments or training methods. The Essendon Football Club has a very proud heritage and it is in this following 6 week period where they should stand together and unite and support the coach. Play with passion and play to win. That is all we can ask of a team that have no chance of finals aspirations.
GO THE BOMBERS!!
This year, the so called year where we would shake up the top 4, has gone horribly wrong and the Bombers fanatics have had enough and the patience is quickly running out. The outside world has quickly laid the blame on the coach, Mathew Knights. They have good reason too but they are quick to forget that he is only just over halfway into his 5 year succession plan. Okay so yes this year didn’t quite plan out the way it did but the jaw dropping wins against top 4 bound teams St Kilda and Western Bulldogs is surely something to cheer about. Add to that the wins against top 8 teams, Hawks and Blues plus the resurgent Tigers and suddenly it brings a smile to your face. But it seems as though the losses to Port Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and most recently the embarrassing thrashing by a LeCras inspired bottom-placed Eagles unit has flipped the pandemonium switch in the Bombers fans’ heads. The Eagles game was as shocking as a team could perform. Continuous turnovers in the corridor and the Bombers’ ill discipline to hit a target hurt them severely on the scoreboard. The first 11 weeks, the Bombers were number 1 for tackles laid. The last 6 losses on the trot has seen them come in last place for this vital statistic for winning a game of modern day football. Several times the Bombers went for a bump instead of a crunching tackle. And when they went for the tackle there was no ferocity behind it but merely a limp one handed effort to stop the opposition players momentum. That clearly failed. It begs the question as to whether the players have the burning desire to either play for their coach and more importantly represent the highly prestigious red and black sash jumper.
The playing list looks very solid on paper but the selection policies of the coach is one that is very hard to fathom. We’ll start at the beginning of the year. The Bombers put in a gallant effort against the defending premiers Geelong in round 1. Leading by 4 goals in the 3rd quarter, the Bombers penetrated into their forward 50 where Jay Neagle took a strong mark. For some unknown reason he decided to take on the more quicker Harry Taylor. He dismally failed and from the following turnover, Geelong scored and then went onto nail 8 more goals without reply. If only Neagle had gone back and perhaps given the Bombers an unassailable 5 goal lead, we’d maybe see the Bombers avoiding all this scrutiny having gained confidence from the potential round 1 win. Jay Neagle was dropped for the next game and for the following 10 weeks, he plied his trade in the VFL mixed with injuries. This was the guy ear marked as the future replacement to Mathew Lloyd. So why did Knights leave him to rot in the VFL?? Surely if he wants to make a better player out of Neagle it would be playing in AFL games. We know there are some serious fitness concerns with Neagle. And what better way to enhance the fitness issue than by playing in more AFL matches where the intensity can not be simulated anywhere. He has a very strong mark but can be slow on the lead and lacks awareness late in the game. Here is my proposition for hopefully a successful transition for a fit Neagle as a full forward. We know our other hopeful Scott Gumbleton can take a good mark and is starting to trust his body and look like a forward target in his first full year of AFL. So put him down at full forward to rake in the marks and have shots on goals. Put Neagle at half forward and ask him to just run and present at the footy. He might be buggered by half time in his first game but over the next month he will be able to run out games by acquiring this match fitness. Give him a couple games at full forward and ask him to do the same but this time just run continuously within the fifty metre arc ala Nick Riewoldt. We will not only see him leading up strongly but hopefully apply enough defensive pressure to keep the ball in our forward half and give us more shots on goals. Jay Neagle is our most effective player for the future to score goals and it is paramount that Knights utilises him and continues to show faith with him. It wont be long until he finally comes of age and delivers the bags of goals week in week out that we desperately require. We nearly saw Jack Watts get his Demons over the line against the Dockers. Watts is due for a big game and Neagle just needs one of these to announce himself to the footy world that he is here for good.
The other quandary that is backfiring against Knights is the use of his players that are playing consistently well in the VFL. Such players are Bachar Houli, Michael Quinn and Brent Prismall. The main victim has been Houli. Over the past month, he has been in the top 2 performed players for the Bendigo Bombers, Essendon’s feeder team. Yet consistently finds himself being named as an emergency for the senior side. There is nothing more he can do and surely a player with his talent will be getting frustrated at biding his time away from the Bombers. With the new team, Gold Coast, looking to poach players, surely Houli will consider an offer put forward from them which is sure to be financially tempting. Michael Quinn, is an international rookie hailing from Ireland. The week before the round 14 Adelaide game, Quinn was named best on ground for Bendigo. So Knights rewarded this performance and selected Quinn to play for the Bombers’ senior side. However, the Bombers were horrendously thrashed by the improving Crows and Quinn looked out of sorts. Surely the young kid would have been given more than one game to make a mark at AFL level. Wrong! Knights dropped him back to the reserves side. This was severely disappointing as it shows the coach showed no faith in Quinn to perform again. It is selection policies like this that have the wider sporting community puzzled. Give the talented kid a month to prove his worth. If after a month there are no results then an omission from the senior side is warranted. The last piece of the selection headaches is the non usage of Brent Prismall. The Bombers’ pursuit of Luke Ball, at the end of last season, indicated that they sought an in and under type midfielder to support Jobe Watson. Prismall can fit this role perfectly as his disposal manner is quite impressive and isn’t afraid to win the contested footy. The Bombers were hoping that Brent Stanton would be the support to their captain. However, lets be honest, Stanton hasn’t got the body suited to get under packs and cop the bumps. I see Stanton more suited to a Leigh Montagna style role from St Kilda. Just continuously roam the wings and set up attacks while lending a hand in the defensive 50. Prismall showed promise at Geelong at being an elite midfielder but the Cats didn’t show the perseverance with him once he endured an knee reconstruction. The Bombers took him on and he looked proppy and lacked the confidence in his first handful of games. However he had a standout game against the Hawks in the round 6 win where he racked up plenty of possessions (28) and kicked a goal. Since then he has spent time, like Houli, playing in the reserves even though he was worthy of a seniors call up. Even in the games he played for the Bombers, there wasn’t much game time and wasn’t running on the ball.
Knights has 6 weeks, if he is given the opportunity, to sort out the under-performing playing list belonging to Essendon. He needs to give game time to the blokes that are on the cusp of a seniors call up and play players in positions that allow them to enhance the winning prospects for the team. He needs to experiment with an alternate game plan or modify his current one so that goals aren’t leaked in large amounts on a consistent basis. His stubbornness to only play through the corridor is slowly leading to his demise. Its well and truly amazing taking the game on and taking the shortest route to goal through the middle of the ground but when superior teams block this passage, the Bombers are lost when having to play wide. Therefore it is wise to use the hard running players on the outside so that when it does eventually come back into the middle, we have the skilled kicking cattle to deliver into the forward line if not kick truly from 40-50m out.
The Essendon Bombers can go places in the near future. We shouldn’t have to wait 40 or 50 years like the Saints and Bulldogs to taste premiership glory. We have a man leading us in the right direction but just needs to open his eyes and realise that his game plan just needs some fine-tuning and to play the appropriate players built for his style of game. There is no need for a clean out of players or staff. If anything, the recruitment of another highly rated player/staff member to take the load of Jobe or Knights is what may be required. A player of this calibre could be perhaps Max Rooke, Travis Boak or David Armitage. In the staffing department, the ex Port Adelaide coach, Mark Williams or outgoing Swans coach, Paul Roos could provide assistance to Knights with match day commitments or training methods. The Essendon Football Club has a very proud heritage and it is in this following 6 week period where they should stand together and unite and support the coach. Play with passion and play to win. That is all we can ask of a team that have no chance of finals aspirations.
GO THE BOMBERS!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
welcome
my name's jay. im an an avid sports and have a keen interest in all sports around the globe. just figured that since i think and watch and read alot about sport, i might aswell put it into some sort of perspective via a blog. enjoy the readings i post at any given time.
my most passionate sports and who i support.
afl-essendon bombers
cricket-australia, vic bushrangers and moorabbin cc (who i play for haha)
rugby league-melbourne storm and jarryd hayne
soccer-manchester united and melbourne victory and viva espana
basketball-dallas mavericks
tennis-the fed express and andy murray
f1-mark webber and lewis hamilton
i also take an interest in ufc, boxing, horse racing, netball and golf.
hope ya have a blast following my blog.
my most passionate sports and who i support.
afl-essendon bombers
cricket-australia, vic bushrangers and moorabbin cc (who i play for haha)
rugby league-melbourne storm and jarryd hayne
soccer-manchester united and melbourne victory and viva espana
basketball-dallas mavericks
tennis-the fed express and andy murray
f1-mark webber and lewis hamilton
i also take an interest in ufc, boxing, horse racing, netball and golf.
hope ya have a blast following my blog.
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