2 minutes ago, Demonised said:

We need to get back to things like this, noted in the Australasian Sketcher, September 1881 - 'Members of the theatrical profession in Melbourne taking part in a charity match on behalf of the family of the late Marcus Clarke; held on the East Melbourne Cricket Club ground; opera house employees against the remaining theatres; all the players are in theatrical costumes'.

 

Which one is Brian Taylor?

15 hours ago, tiers said:

The McLelland trophy used to be awarded to the team with the best results overall for seniors, reserves and thirds. We actually won a few times in my memory.

Dates me, doesn't it. Who else remembers reserves (or seconds) and thirds? And the pink coloured "Sporting Globe" when it was a mandatory read and not a bar.

No legal; betting on footy, footy special trams to the games, suburban grounds, no creature comforts but the footy was at least as good. And no pretentious, pompous, pratty, pseudo personalities to cheapen our great game with their dumb comments.

At least we no longer have 3LO, 3UZ and 3DB who would fit the footy commentary in between the races at lesser places than Manangatang just when your team was about to score.

I'm pretty sure in 1980, Michael Roach, Fatso Taylor and Mark Jackson all won the goal kicking at Bunt Road across the Seniors, Resies and U19 respectively. 

And DB and UZ used to get the match of the day based on some weird rotational basis and fit it in between the races. Bizzare. 

1 hour ago, Roger Mellie said:

^ This.

I wouldn't mind so much if they came up with something original, rather than pinched it from some US sport or soccer. It's so incredibly lame!

Bring back the daisy cutter! And, who could go past the drop kick? A unique and technically difficult style of kicking that, as a bonus, became a popular form of derision. Eg. The commentators are a bunch of drop kicks!

 

And who could forget the late Doug Heywood's brilliant piece of commentary, "{insert player's name] has let rip with an enormous drop *&nt". The station fell silent for about five minutes. 

"Leadership Group" . . . . . please . . . . . .

When those doing an analysis of a club's playing roster (sorry, team), and authoritatively state "this group" [insert whatever profound insight they arrived at in the car on the way to the studio (yes, I'm thinking of you Lloyd and Cornes)] completely [censored] me. What, all of the 38 players blah, blah, blah . . . . 

2 hours ago, Demonstone said:

It's not quite as innocent as it seems as it's a shortened version of the rhyming slang "dropkick and punt".

Still works well on its own as a derisive expression.

A dropkick can be described as out dated, unreliable, erratic, unpredictable, difficult to execute and should not be attempted  except by those who have exceptional skills eg. Tassie Johnson, Bernie Massey and Phil Rhoden.

Neatly sums up most commentators.

2 hours ago, Tony Tea said:

I'm almost 60, and I've always used banner.

Hi TT. I ran our cheer squad with four mates at the back end of the 1980's into the early 90's. At that time everyone within each cheer squad knew them as run throughs whilst everyone else on the outside called them banners. The general consensus at the time was that Lou Richards was responsible for using the incorrect term during his match commentaries and it spread from there but I wouldn't know to be honest. 

"Clash strip". Strip of what? 

"Interchange gates". Seems to me they've swung off their hinges. 

"Marks it at its highest point". 

No, that would be metres up in the air.  Marks it with arms up at full stretch is more accurate.

The term “one wood” to describe a team or players strength is annoying and has become over used in recent years. A golfers strength may be their putter. The one wood is just one club in the bag. It also hasn’t existed since the beginning of the nineties, when the “driver” became what that club is referred to. Must have a lot of [censored] golfers in commentary.

People who work for clubs or the AFL referring to the game as an "industry" really grates with me. It's a sport, a game, supposedly community based. of the people. An industry is an economic enterprise, a business, money orientated. I know the money men took over a long time ago but still, it really grinds my gears every time someone talks about the AFL "industry"

 

 

 

I don't like being called the Melbourne Demons.

We are Melbourne, the dees or the demons.

Combining the city / suburb and team name is an NRL thing that a largely Sydney base media fail to recognise is not traditionally what happens in VFL / AFL. 

Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm are what they are reffered to in NRL but it has crept into AFL reporting and I can't stand it.