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.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
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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