Today's article in THE AGE by Peter Hanlon focuses on cyberspace ie Big Footy and other internet forums such as ours and summarises supporters opinions on players that take the most blame. Two players of each club were named: -

ADELAIDE: Richard Douglas, Brad Symes

BRISBANE: Travis Johnstone, Jared Brennan -

CARLTON: Jordan Russel, Andrew Carrazzo

COLLINGWOOD: Alan Toovey, Leigh Brown

ESSENDON: Adam McPhee, Brent Stanton

FREMANTLE: David Mundy, Ryan Murphy

GEELONG: Kane Tennace, Tom Lonergan

HAWTHORN: Tom Murphy, Simon Taylor

MELBOURNE: Brad Miller, Michael Newton

NTH MELBOURNE: Sam Power, David Hale

PORT ADELAIDE: Danyle Pearce, Justin Westoff

RICHMOND: Jared Oakley-Nicholls, Jordan McMahon

ST KILDA: Raphael Clarke, Jason Blake

SYDNEY: Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Ed Barlow

WEST COAST: Chad Fletcher, Ashley Hansen

WESTERN BULLDOGS: Will Minson, Tom Williams

Maybe those spruiking David Hale as a possible Trade for Jared Rivers should think again?

Edited August 14, 200916 yr by High Tower

Toovey from Collingwood is true, a mate i watch games with ALWAYS bags him.

Today's article in THE AGE by Peter Hanlon focuses on cyberspace ie Big Footy and other internet forums such as ours and summarises supporters opinions on players that take the most blame. Two players of each club were named: -

ADELAIDE: Richard Douglas, Brad Symes

BRISBANE: Travis Johnstone, Jared Brennan -

CARLTON: Jordan Russel, Andrew Carrazzo

COLLINGWOOD: Alan Toovey, Leigh Brown

ESSENDON: Adam McPhee, Brent Stanton

FREMANTLE: David Mundy, Ryan Murphy

GEELONG: Kane Tennace, Tom Lonergan

HAWTHORN: Tom Murphy, Simon Taylor

MELBOURNE: Brad Miller, Michael Newton

NTH MELBOURNE: Sam Power, David Hale

PORT ADELAIDE: Danyle Pearce, Justin Westoff

RICHMOND: Jared Oakley-Nicholls, Jordan McMahon

ST KILDA: Raphael Clarke, Jason Blake

SYDNEY: Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Ed Barlow

WEST COAST: Chad Fletcher, Ashley Hansen

WESTERN BULLDOGS: Will Minson, Tom Williams

Maybe those spruiking David Hale as a possible Trade for Jared Rivers should think again?

I can't believe Ryan Houlihan, Lovett-Murray, Paul Johnson, McGuane and Thurstans weren't named.

Bruce/Sylvia would probably be equal to, if not moreso, than Miller/Newton.

Especially considering the first two are better players than the other two, but cop more.

Bruce/Sylvia would probably be equal to, if not moreso, than Miller/Newton.

Especially considering the first two are better players than the other two, but cop more.

Sylvia would have got it last year. Bruce cops it mainly from one person i'm not sure if he cops from as many supporters as Miller and especially Newton.

Sylvia would have got it last year. Bruce cops it mainly from one person i'm not sure if he cops from as many supporters as Miller and especially Newton.

I would tend to agree with this. Sylvia has virtually been ignored since his good form. Although if a bit of research was done back in the pre-season, he would have been "No.1 blame."

Agree with Bruce too.

Newton has definitely copped it all year on this site; bit surprised with Miller, although from what I've read prior to registering on this site, Miller was big on "Blame". Maybe others who have been here longer can elaborate a bit more on Miller.

Edited August 14, 200916 yr by High Tower

Bruce/Sylvia would probably be equal to, if not moreso, than Miller/Newton.

Especially considering the first two are better players than the other two, but cop more.

I dont' know who you're handing out with... but from my personal experience Sylvia and Bruce and not maligned by supporters at all.

Sylvia this season has been talked up as having his break out year by demons supporters and other supporters as well.

Bruce is regarded by the huge majority of demons supporters (including myself) as being in our top10 players at the club. and from non demon supporters is generally regarded as our best player. Just bc one [censored] on this forum doesn't rate him doesn't mean he's our scapegoat

If we're getting that far into it, I don't think Newton qualifies. 21 games in 3 years

Maybe others who have been here longer can elaborate a bit more on Miller.

Search the words "Miller" and "Freak"

If Newton played more, he could be considered a scapegoat. Since he barely plays, he doesn't count. The guy putting the list together obviously skipped on the research and simply picked his information from the top posts on each forum.

Yze was a big scapegoat in the years leading up to his retirement, as were the likes of Ward, Godfrey and Nicho.

These days PJ and to a lesser degree Miller stand out, but only until Sylvia royally screws up again

It is actually becoming harder to find scapegoats in the team given how young our list is. Very difficult to pick on a kid who has played less than a handful of games... not that some haven't tried <_<

Search the words "Miller" and "Freak"

Ok....as long as "192cm players" don't come up on the search, I'll be happy.

I find this article interesting and think that most of these players are scape-goats because they are over-rated.

Players from the list that spring to mind for me are:

COLLINGWOOD: Alan Toovey, Leigh Brown

GEELONG: Kane Tennace, Tom Lonergan

PORT ADELAIDE: Justin Westoff

RICHMOND: Jordan McMahon

Expectations are set too high from supporters after some better than average games, and when they don't continually live up to it, they get lambasted.

We blame Newton because he's been bad. Luckily, Melbourne have also been bad during this time, but if he was a bad player in a successful team, he wouldn't even be around.

Expectations are set too high from supporters after some better than average games, and when they don't continually live up to it, they get lambasted.

The use of the word "scapegoat" is interesting here.....

I mean these guys are generally not the reason, or at least not the only or entire reason we or any other team lose on any given day, and yet we as vocal (and often player biased and vitriolic) supporters continually berate, abuse and blame them for our worlds coming to a premature end, when it is not even near the complete truth, and we know it, or at least we should.

What is forgotten in the (often violently crude) criticism as it is hurled around about these poor suckers is that it is a team sport, they all try, and while one guy can and often is disappointing on any given day, he really is nothing more than a whipping boy for our frustrations. It will always confound me how absolutely bloody awful and malignant we can get about one of out own.

Some of the personal attacks on players (and the posters who defended those players) in here over the years has been appalling :angry: .

The use of the word "scapegoat" is interesting here.....

I mean these guys are generally not the reason, or at least not the only or entire reason we or any other team lose on any given day, and yet we as vocal (and often player biased and vitriolic) supporters continually berate, abuse and blame them for our worlds coming to a premature end, when it is not even near the complete truth, and we know it, or at least we should.

What is forgotten in the (often violently crude) criticism as it is hurled around about these poor suckers is that it is a team sport, they all try, and while one guy can and often is disappointing on any given day, he really is nothing more than a whipping boy for our frustrations. It will always confound me how absolutely bloody awful and malignant we can get about one of out own.

Some of the personal attacks on players (and the posters who defended those players) in here over the years has been appalling :angry: .

The scapegoats tend to be the players we expect more from, sylvia is the classic example. Its shameful the abuse that is directed towards players on this site. For example robertson has been an absolute club champion, he has brought more joy to me than any other player in the last 8 years. And then you get people slinging abuse at a player that is coming to the end. Bloody disgraceful. Hannibel spoke of the geelong game when robbo took charge. Classic memories. Bloody champion

Bruce/Sylvia would probably be equal to, if not moreso, than Miller/Newton.

Especially considering the first two are better players than the other two, but cop more.

Bruce only really cops it from one so called fan... Sylvia, if he uses up the brownie points he scored lately, will be our #1. But at the moment, it's Miller and Newton for sure.

At various other times it's been PJ, Bell, Dunn, Garland, Frawley, Green, Jamar, Meesen, Warnock... and even Jones and McLean have been unpopular for a month or two here and there.

Just goes to show, these players are fodder for the negative nancies here who have no-one in their lives who will listen to them whinge. Funny how many of the above named are now good players... one even rates highly enough to be our best. I have no doubt that a few of the current unpopular will do the same.

Not that anyone will admit fault, of course.

Edited August 14, 200916 yr by Dappa Dan

The scapegoats tend to be the players we expect more from, sylvia is the classic example.

Not completely sure about that [censored] (although Col has copped a bagging for underperformance, but not necessarily the abuse I was talking about).......

Sometimes I think it becomes a gang mentality. Criticism of poor play is fine, cathartic even, but some people can't or won't let go of certain players and will berate them until the end of time.

And it then ramps up across the entire board against said individual (Miller is the most common victim of the tirades, but Sylvia and Newton are among others that we don't seem to have any tolerance for). One of the worst points is that it doesn't seem to matter what that player does from that point on, as they will never be congratulated for doing the right thing, only condemned for doing the wrong thing.

Not completely sure about that [censored] (although Col has copped a bagging for underperformance, but not necessarily the abuse I was talking about).......

Sometimes I think it becomes a gang mentality. Criticism of poor play is fine, cathartic even, but some people can't or won't let go of certain players and will berate them until the end of time.

And it then ramps up across the entire board against said individual (Miller is the most common victim of the tirades, but Sylvia and Newton are among others that we don't seem to have any tolerance for). One of the worst points is that it doesn't seem to matter what that player does from that point on, as they will never be congratulated for doing the right thing, only condemned for doing the wrong thing.

completly agree but the better players are put under more pressure. There expected to perform and when they don't, it's game on. I see what your saying though. When you look at newton he is actully quite tallented and that is maybe were the frustration begins

McLean has copped it this year.

isaac weetra anyone?

It is actually becoming harder to find scapegoats in the team given how young our list is. Very difficult to pick on a kid who has played less than a handful of games... not that some haven't tried <_<

I think that's why people are struggling so much with the draft thread, too. So many kids who just can't be judged yet.

Not completely sure about that [censored] (although Col has copped a bagging for underperformance, but not necessarily the abuse I was talking about).......

Sometimes I think it becomes a gang mentality. Criticism of poor play is fine, cathartic even, but some people can't or won't let go of certain players and will berate them until the end of time.

And it then ramps up across the entire board against said individual (Miller is the most common victim of the tirades, but Sylvia and Newton are among others that we don't seem to have any tolerance for). One of the worst points is that it doesn't seem to matter what that player does from that point on, as they will never be congratulated for doing the right thing, only condemned for doing the wrong thing.

Sums footy forums, and general football fandom up in a paragraph. People hate because they WANT to hate, and then quote stats to support the arguement they have chosen. Happen almost all the time too. The worst part is stats in footy are by and large so useless that it's ONLY opinion that counts. What makes the game great, and at times unbearably annoying. Not like Cricket or Baseball where they count EVERYTHING.

Bruce/Sylvia would probably be equal to, if not moreso, than Miller/Newton.

Especially considering the first two are better players than the other two, but cop more.

im sure Bruces' name would only come up on this website - thanx to one [censored] in particular.. <_<

on the article... Miller an Newton just aren't good enough and thats why their singled out.

Plenty of players over time haven't 'made' it - Whats frustrating about them is, we've invested a fair amount of time in them and they've teased us in that time, but to date have really under-performed.

Edited August 15, 200916 yr by DemonDan...

GEELONG: Kane Tennace, Tom Lonergan

I would more be leaning towards Cameron Mooney and David Johnson. Then again, I'm not a Cats supporter.

Haha. Jordan McMahon. Pretty funy the one time Tigers supporters wnated him to stuff up he didnt.

Sometimes I think it becomes a gang mentality. Criticism of poor play is fine, cathartic even, but some people can't or won't let go of certain players and will berate them until the end of time.

One of the worst points is that it doesn't seem to matter what that player does from that point on, as they will never be congratulated for doing the right thing, only condemned for doing the wrong thing.

Colin Sylvia is the classic case.