Chas

It was a new experience being able to watch the Brownlow Medal live on television. Usually all I get is the result in the paper the next morning as there’s no way I would stay up late to watch a delayed broadcast.

A lot more is made of the fashions by the ladies of course. Ultimately who cares? It is a night to celebrate seasons of our star players.

Dane Swan of Collingwood was the favourite. He was possibly disadvantaged by the equally impressive season of teammate, Scott Pendlebury. It was not to be for Swan as Carlton’s Chris Judd scored best on ground votes in more games to take out the medal.

Good on Andrew Demetriou for firstly getting on with business and reading votes out quickly so that the night didn’t become and epic. But secondly he had a sense of occasion when reading out the votes from matches that had a bearing on the result with a pregnant pause hear and there. Well done.

The Blockbuster That Wasn’t

Collingwood
7.2 13.7 16.11 18.12 (120)

defeated

Geelong
1.1 3.5 6.10 11.13 (79)

@ MCG
Attendance: 95,241

It was an auspicious beginning with Collingwood first two goals coming from incidents where Geelong should have received free kicks. One might wonder whether it would have made a difference. Then it becomes acutely obvious that even that small loss of momentum would have been a slight speed bump to their onslaught.

Collingwood romped in 7 goals to 1 in the first quarter, and then backed it up with 6 goals to 2 in the second quarter. Game over virtually, but with still half a game to play.

Ablett was Geelong’s only shining light in a very lacklustre performance. Geelong had too many stars go missing. Steve Johnson, Brad Ottens and Tom Hawkins are a few of those whom had no influence. Cameron Ling on multiple occasions looked slow and I’m not sure he can last very long. Maybe his leadership is enough to keep him on board, a lot like how Brett Kirk became a mainstay at Sydney.

The pressure was intense and Geelong wilted. They couldn’t get any flow, Collingwood didn’t allow it. Collingwood were skilful and ruthless. Even the ball was continually bouncing in their favour. As evidenced by a wicked off break of a long bomb by Leigh Brown in the first quarter.

The spectacle of the occasion was lost, but what an opportunity to witness a full house at the MCG. I would recommend it to anybody

The Rulemakers

The AFL likes changing rules or the interpretation of rules quite frequently. this naturally results in a change to how the game is played as coaches try to get the most for their team within the rules.

Over the last decade the game has sped up immensely due in part to rule changes.

Players and coaches have responded by manufacturing midfield rotations. A large part of this is for player management, to give them a rest and to prevent injury.

Now the AFL is considering a cap on interchanges. They are forgetting that they caused this, for better or worse. I am curious what they hope to achieve with a cap.

One very probably result will be an increase in injured players. The game doesn't want that. It doesn't need that. The AFL should wisen up and leave the idea of a cap alone.

Soccer – Not For Me

I have apologised to soccer fans four years ago for not being able to get into their sport. I have explained some of my beefs with the sport. I have commented on my struggles to watch games from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This year was going to be different. I attempted to watch zero games and got 100% fulfilment in doing so.



I accept that there are beefs people have with my game, and that’s ok. It is also ok to refute my claims about Soccer (it’s not football to me).



As stated by David Letterman on his show, “it’s so dull you need to bring something to entertain yourself” referring to the ad nauseum blowing of the vuvuzela. As if 90 minutes for a nil all draw isn’t painstaking enough. The game consists of maybe 2 minutes of excitement. No wonder soccer fans in some countries are so angry after a loss, they haven’t had an outlet for their pent up rage from the working week.



How about these players? They are overpaid pansies. The diving we see in soccer is ridiculous. Some get taken off on a stretcher after a dive only to get up unaided and walk to the bench.



The card system seems inconsistent. Maybe I just don’t know the rules well enough. Some soft ones are given straight red when others just get yellow. It confuses us novices. Then again, the umpires in my game have strange inconsistencies.



In saying all that, I acknowledge the skill involved in playing soccer. Perhaps before you take a shot a my sport think about this, I have played soccer, would you give mine a go??

The Defection

A couple of weeks ago it was hard to avoid the news about Israel Folau’s signing with new AFL franchise, known as Team GWS.

I was actually hoping that the rumours would not come to fruition and he would continue to play rugby league. But he will be an Aussie Rules player as of 2011 and I hope he realises the enormity of the task.

There will be a pressure on him to perform from day 1. He is on pay similar to the biggest stars in our game, yet he is foreign to most of the core skills and will have to severely get out of his rugby league tactical frame of mind. Karmichael Hunt will prove just how hard it will be to adjust.

The high marks he takes out on the wing from a cross field kick are celebrated in rugby league. In Aussie Rules they are nothing special. Anyone can leap over a stationary defender to mark the ball, it’s regulation stuff. Although of all the league players he does get the most height.

Time will tell whether the money was worth it. I can see him going back to rugby league in four years time, and he will be welcomed back with open arms despite what some commenter’s will tell you should happen. They have done as much for many rugby union returners.

I wish him well, the success of the team is riding on him.

The Opposition Factor

Respected AFL journalist, Mike Sheehan, recently interviewed Sydney Swans coach, Paul Roos, for his show on Fox Sports called ‘Open Mike’.

They covered many topics from his career as a player with Fitzroy to his decision to retire as head coach and hand over the reigns to assistant coach, John Longmire. One topic in particular caught my attention, it was the perception that the Swans have a negative and ‘ugly’ game plan.

I have some good friends that get carried away with this notion and even go as far as to say that they “hate” the Swans due to their style of play. I take offense to this allegation as it is baseless.

The Swans were a very successful team during the Paul Roos era of 2003 -2007. As a successful team there is always an opposition wanting to beat you week after week. Teams now are well prepared in working out how to negate the game plan of the opposition.

Roos points out that “people fail to see that there’s an opposition”. Watch them at training, “If it’s 18 on zero we’ll bring it down the corridor every time”. They don’t practice ‘ugly’ football. Of course they have played some shocking games of football, Mike Sheehan used an example against St Kilda. But it is no different to any other team. They have all used negative tactics and have produced ‘ugly’ football.

So why are the Swans singled out? Who knows? Who cares? People who bag my team should instead look at their own team and pump them up instead of hating the Swans.

Conflicted

It was put to me recently that there was no way I could call myself a Sydney Swans fan, as I have done for 17 years, while giving any form of support to the new GWS franchise preparing to join the AFL in 2011.

I have proclaimed that I am a Swans fan for life after a childhood of changing teams on a whim as a rugby league fan.

With GWS one has to look at the bigger picture and put parochialism to one side. Ask what is best for the game. If GWS doesn’t get enough members it will be embarrassing for all fans in this region, and I don’t want the doomsayers to be right. So I will be buying a membership and attending a few games. I might stop short of buying merchandise even though I love ‘the merch’.

I will be doing all this because I enjoy Australian Rules football first and foremost. My support of the Swans comes after this. I have played, coached, umpired since I was 10. It’s officially my sport, there is no other for me.

I understand there would be some conflicts in the hearts of fellow Swans supporters, especially in this region. I believe it is more important for the game to put aside parochialism for a little while and buy a membership of GWS when they come up for sale. In the meantime ‘Sign up for Sheedy’.

Lucky To Even Get Close

St Kilda 15.6 (96) def

Sydney 13.10 (88)

This was the first game of the season. Therefore it had all the necessary excitement of a brand new season with fresh hope and new players. I was in attendance happy that the footy was back and to be seated with a good friend at the best stadium in Sydney.

We arrived a tad late to discover Sydney had scored the first two goals. Then through some skill errors and poor checking gifted St Kilda the next five. Some blatant umpiring inconsistencies didn’t assist matter.

That turned out to be the constant theme of the game – close margin, not quite good enough, our own worst enemy with skill errors at crucial moments, not forgetting the umpiring inconsistencies.

Could be typical of our season. One where we find that we tend to lose those close games such as this one against St Kilda.

That being said, this season definitely does have an air of 2003 about it. If you don’t know the significance then check out what happened in 2005.

Membership Drive

I wonder why it has taken rugby league so long to focus on building membership. Before now they relied heavily on poker machines and strong leagues clubs. Now leagues clubs are blaming pokie taxes from the state govt on their ability to hold up the ailing clubs. Meanwhile at the other end of the Hume Highway some AFL clubs are boasting memberships topping 50,000. Granted Melbourne people are more sports crazy but i feel like that is no excuse. Too many people love a sport here in Sydney yet are unwilling to part with some cash in support of their chosen club. Personally I have bought social memberships to both the Sydney Swans and Parramatta Eels, and when the new GWS team comes into the AFL I will part with some cash there too because it's important to show support by buying a membership.

Although I have my favourite football code and nothing would please me more than everyone jumping on board with an AFL club, what is more important is that people show true support for their team and buy a membership.

Footy Evangelism

Aussie Rules Football is my game (in case you haven’t noticed).

Getting people interested in AFL in western Sydney has to be the biggest challenge since the move of South Melbourne to Sydney way back in 1981. Hopefully learning from those mistakes will create a greater resolve to do things right to make sure the new team (without an official name at the moment) launches as well as possible.

Everyone seems to label this area rugby league heartland. I think league supporters are relying on this adage to maintain their stronghold. However the AFL is cashed up and proactive, spending money on grounds both for professional teams and local teams. Meanwhile the rugby league has been largely inactive and is disorganised with its leadership. Phil Gould has been most critical.

Rugby league is a very different sport and its supporters seem unable (or unwilling) to understand a different sport. They seem to be very rigid to their rules and can’t handle the multi directional nature of Aussie rules.

This is only one aspect of the recruitment of supporters because largely rugby league supporters will stay loyal to league, or at best be a part time supporter of Aussie rules.

There is a large migrant population that are new to Australia and in an effort to assimilate to their new home they send their kids to play the real footy. With long running controversy about the size disparity of junior league players the Auskick program offers a safe and fun alternative for parents to send their children as the physical aspect is introduced gradually.

It is hard to create a passionate supporter out of nowhere. Team GWS has to start from the ground up. Hence their strong efforts to entrench community links. A citizenship ceremony at half time of the Sydney Vs Carlton pre season match at Blacktown I thought was very clever. Those people will remember that game forever and have a positive emotional attachment to the game.

Attaining Kevin Sheedy as coach for the next three years was a massive coup. His marketing ability is priceless. He recently became a league supporter to win (save) the league supporters, heard that method before anyone? He stated that he would buy a membership to the four western Sydney rugby league clubs, if they would let him. Rugby league officials reaction to this only assists in giving greater publicity.

Above all there is a need to stay positive and think about the game before any team support.

Ron Barassi – The Coach

“The Coach” by John Powers

This is the story of the 1977 season of North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League. John Powers had an all access pass and did nothing else except observe all facets of the footballs club from pre season to finals, to premiership glory.

The focus of story is on the coach, Ron Barassi. He commands a lot of attention when instructing his players. He is a hard taskmaster, knowing what he wants and how to get it. He wants to win but win fairly by having the toughest and most skillful team in the competition. His record stands tall with multiple premierships both as a player and a coach.

North Melbourne was a club languishing near the bottom of the ladder before Barassi too over and made them a powerhouse club. One that played in four consecutive grand finals, winning two.

It’s a marvellous read for those interested in the game. Especially if you are a fan of North Melbourne Football Club or Ron Barassi, or both.