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Mark Jackson on "Open Mike"

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I have spoken to Mark Jackson on two occasions, he was quiet, thoughtful and no fool.

The Mark Jackson on the footy field and the one on TV seem to be a creation of his. He may have a split personality and be mad as a cut snake but that is not the guy I spoke with. He does have a special ability to be that ratbag bogan. I wonder if he really is mad.

 

One of the more interesting interviews i've ever seen, some of what Jacko said was just horrible and he probably shouldn't ever be allowed on the air again, but i think he thinks he was being honest. 

Not sure any of the current day journo's ( Barrett, Caro and co ) could have handled an interview like that as well as what Mike did, i reckon he probably needed a cold one very quickly after that. 

I think the biggest take away i got from that was in a different era of footy two fundementals of the game were givens for just about every player, being able to use both sides when kicking, and being a good set shot at goal.

Not nearly enough time is spent on those things, growing up my old man made me kick on my left ( non dominant side ) at Auskick and my right at mini league which was straight after that to develop those skills, and it makes a very real difference in senior footy, but so many blokes go into the AFL system unable to kick both sides and missing easy set shots at goal, which i understand the pressure is a factor in that but it's not everything, though most players seem to rarely miss at training so it's not as simple as saying they should practice more.

 

Was Mike forced to interview Jacko?

 
8 minutes ago, Fifty-5 said:

Was Mike forced to interview Jacko?

Yes.

Mike has been on record that he was against FOX producers in interviewing him and rightly so.

My respect for Mike has gone up a notch even more because i think he is the only journo who had the guts to do the interview.

Put Damo Barrett or Robbo in Mikes seat and i would bet every dollar that they would not bother to show up at all.

 

 

15 minutes ago, Abe said:

One of the more interesting interviews i've ever seen, some of what Jacko said was just horrible and he probably shouldn't ever be allowed on the air again, but i think he thinks he was being honest. 

Not sure any of the current day journo's ( Barrett, Caro and co ) could have handled an interview like that as well as what Mike did, i reckon he probably needed a cold one very quickly after that. 

I think the biggest take away i got from that was in a different era of footy two fundementals of the game were givens for just about every player, being able to use both sides when kicking, and being a good set shot at goal.

Not nearly enough time is spent on those things, growing up my old man made me kick on my left ( non dominant side ) at Auskick and my right at mini league which was straight after that to develop those skills, and it makes a very real difference in senior footy, but so many blokes go into the AFL system unable to kick both sides and missing easy set shots at goal, which i understand the pressure is a factor in that but it's not everything, though most players seem to rarely miss at training so it's not as simple as saying they should practice more.

 

I think you'll find that aerobic fatigue is a large part of the poor set shot conversion percentage in modern footy.  Certainly the likes of Jacko and Plugger didn't have to contend anywhere near as much with that factor.  Having said, playing surfaces were far inferior to what they are today and wind was a much greater factor at all venues (including the MCG pre Great Southern Stand and Members / northern stand redevelopments).


I would often watch training during the 80's and remember Jacko being king of the kids.
Supporters kids aswell as players kids.
Like moths to a flame they were and he was great with them.
Take from that what you will but something I won't forget.

I also agree with him about how the characters in the game are gone.
Like it or not those blokes got the fans through the turnstyles.
Once upon a time you could go to the footy and just about anything could happen.
These days it's just a homoginized product that we're encouraged to gamble on.

Edited by Fork 'em

Reckon Jacko was on the money on two points.

1. Sheehan was a sycophant of the AFL/VFL when chief football writer at the Sun. Just look up his articles during the MFC/HFC merger. Straight from AFL headquarters.

2. Football is now played by athletes who are trained to play football. Skilled footballers who don't meet the strict criteria as determined from the development/feeder programs are being discriminated against.  George Bisset, Paul Callery,  Mick Nolan et al would never make it today.

 

Edited by Spirit of 26

25 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

I would often watch training during the 80's and remember Jacko being king of the kids.
Supporters kids aswell as players kids.
Like moths to a flame they were and he was great with them.
Take from that what you will but something I won't forget.

I also agree with him about how the characters in the game are gone.
Like it or not those blokes got the fans through the turnstyles.
Once upon a time you could go to the footy and just about anything could happen.
These days it's just a homoginized product that we're encouraged to gamble on.

 

Yep, he was always awesome to us as kids and he adored my younger sister who would have been about 7 or 8 when he was at the Dees. We always got in the rooms and he always made a fuss of her.

I remember after a preseason game in Shepparton the old man, bro and I sat on the ground for what seemed like an hour, he sat there with my old man and drank a few tinnies, just seemed like a likable larrikin. 

And you are right, this bloke put people thru the turnstyles, when he was on fire it was awesome to watch, along with Robbie feeding him all day long. Every supporter loved that he was a Demon.

 

Fairly sure this is a publicity stunt to boost his public speaking business. He always has been a self promoter and mercenary. I don't find him in any way entertaining. A couple of bolts in his neck would suit his image.

12 minutes ago, Spirit of 26 said:

Reckon Jacko was on the money on two points.

1. Sheehan was a sycophant of the AFL/VFL when chief football writer at the Sun. Just look up his articles during the MFC/HFC meger. Straight from AFL headquarters.

2. Football is now played by athletes how are trained to play football. Skilled footballers who don't meet the strict criteria as determined from the development/feeder programs are being discriminated against.  George Bisset, Paul Callery,  Mick Nolan et al would never make it today.

 

Don't agree on these 2...think Boomer Harvey and Caleb Daniel for example.

Also think Sam Mitchell, when Jacko complained about no more Greg Williams type players.

Bisset & Callery would still find a game...Mick Nolan might have had to do a Mummy and drop the take aways, he certainly had the skill though and probably would make it.


The cancer comment was truly a horrible one. Find it amazing this has only been brushed upon. If this comment was made against Caro, it would be on the front page of the paper, all over the news and radio. 

Edited by Ethan Tremblay

He has studied Mohammed Ali and copied his approach to a tee. even quotes his sayings word for word...'You haven't got the mental capacity to go with me'..'I don't like you', 'I hate you'.

Ali v Howard Cosell drove ratings through the roof. Ali said some terrible things on camera.

Jacko has modelled this no doubt. and got great results.

2 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

The cancer comment was truly a horrible one. Find it amazing this has only been brushed upon. If this comment was made against Caro, it would be on the front page of the paper, all over the news and radio. 

seems to me the media haven't given this interview much oxygen, which is not like today's media.

wish they'd take this approach more often with nuff nuff self promoters

4 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

seems to me the media haven't given this interview much oxygen, which is not like today's media.

wish they'd take this approach more often with nuff nuff self promoters

I turned it off after the cancer comment. It was pure trash television. 

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 


I love colorful personalities as much as the next bloke.. but I am glad the game has moved on from thugs like him!!!

45 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

 ... It was pure trash television. 

Completely disagree.   There was self-promotion and, yes, Jacko wanted to whack Mike nationally.  Just like Mike did to Jacko, when he unnecessarily referenced personal tragedy when discussing a tribunal matter, and to footballers and coaches in general for 20 years.

Then there were valid discussion points made on the AFLs disregard for rural footballers and clubs, both financially and structurally (rule changes, athletic testing vs minor football testing). Also on the sycophantic nature of the medias relationship with The Gate-keeper, the declining accuracy in kicking shooting for goal, the declining ability to kick shoot with both feet, the sterilisation of personality and its impact on crowds / crowd involvement, etc ...

Trash TV is a show dedicated to the daily life of the family of the the daughter of the guy who successfully defended a guy who may or may not have killed a girl.

15 minutes ago, Trisul said:

Completely disagree.   There was self-promotion and, yes, Jacko wanted to whack Mike nationally.  Just like Mike did to Jacko, when he unnecessarily referenced personal tragedy when discussing a tribunal matter, and to footballers and coaches in general for 20 years.

Then there were valid discussion points made on the AFLs disregard for rural footballers and clubs, both financially and structurally (rule changes, athletic testing vs minor football testing). Also on the sycophantic nature of the medias relationship with The Gate-keeper, the declining accuracy in kicking shooting for goal, the declining ability to kick shoot with both feet, the sterilisation of personality and its impact on crowds / crowd involvement, etc ...

Trash TV is a show dedicated to the daily life of the family of the the daughter of the guy who successfully defended a guy who may or may not have killed a girl.

Spot on. He went in and out of discussion points and rarely answered any of Mike's questions without diverting to a completely unrelated topic, but he brought up some very valid points. I was particularly fond of his points on personality and goal kicking. Seeing "pure" forwards like Jesse Hogan struggle to kick 40 meters...it's an indictment on the development process of young kids who come into the system. I remember going to the footy in the 90s and seeing players kick set shots post high from the center square at the MCG, and easily make the distance. Carey, Lyon, Salmon, Loewe used to slam them home with no hesitation, be it off one-step, or from a set-shot. You don't see that anymore. The system has failed guys like Cloke, who should have had his kicking issues addressed from a young age. Hogan I fear can head down the same path. With more pressure and closer games, can we rely on him, our only pure forward at the moment, to kick a clutch goal from 50 meters? I think few teams have players that can do that. Fevola was probably the last "pure" set-shot in the game. Franklin is the exception because he's a freak, one-of-a-kind who we may never see again. And his kicking style is hardly "by the book". Imagine a young kid trying to work in that curving run-in to their game?

Seemed like a trivial discussion point but when you bundle it together with the deteriorating entertainment value of the sport, it's an important discussion point.

Don't see any Haloes on either of these two blokes, just a question of who is/was the biggest hot shot.

Little Mike, who likes putting sporting people on the spot ala Andrew Denton

and Jacko, who has a complex about not fitting into society, a society that, at the moment is probably not worthwhile fitting into

3 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

I would often watch training during the 80's and remember Jacko being king of the kids.
Supporters kids aswell as players kids.
Like moths to a flame they were and he was great with them.
Take from that what you will but something I won't forget.

I also agree with him about how the characters in the game are gone.
Like it or not those blokes got the fans through the turnstyles.
Once upon a time you could go to the footy and just about anything could happen.
These days it's just a homoginized product that we're encouraged to gamble on.

I don't recall our crowd numbers swelling when this buffoon was at the club. He did have an impact when he played for Brunswick in the VFA. I went to a game against Coburg at the City Oval, and 13,000 turned up. Usual crowd was 1,000.

I'd put Jacko in the same class as Clive Palmer. Small minded people will agree with what he's saying without realising that he's only doing it to for financial gain.

 


We were sellar dwellars mate.
Lucky to have anyone go through the turnstyles.
There was Flower and no-one.
Fkn swelling crowd numbers ........ 

4 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

We were sellar dwellars mate.
Lucky to have anyone go through the turnstyles.
There was Flower and no-one.
Fkn swelling crowd numbers ........ 

You were the one who said that characters like Jacko brought fans through the turnstyles. He didn't because supporters weren't interested in his antics.

15 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Why did we ditch him after kicking 77 goals? Any one thing in particular or just the general lunacy?

As I understood it at the time, his behaviour at several official MFC functions left a lot to be desired.  Clearly the guy had some talent, but was never going to be a star.  Accordingly, he set up his own 'publicity' machine, in an effort to make a few bucks.  That machine, albeit a lot more slowly, continues to chug along, as witnessed by Open Mike.

 

 
30 minutes ago, mo64 said:

You were the one who said that characters like Jacko brought fans through the turnstyles. He didn't because supporters weren't interested in his antics.

Disagree, we loved going to see Jacko play and loved his antics. The handstand, the spinning the ball on his finger basketball style among many others. His games against Ronnie Andrews were huge and always attracted people thru the gates for their tussles alone.

 

Didn't Jacko take out Robbie at training once? Or am I confusing him with someone else? 


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