sue

I haven’t reviewed the video so have no opinion on the incident. But with a record like he has it is perfectly reasonable for his actions to be closely scrutinised.

Well that's better than actually giving Brisbane a free for the Bulldogs player showing insufficient intent of keeping it in. But that is exactly what he did - clearly he showed insufficient intent to keep it in (though not responsible for the motion of the ball). But it does not change the Brisbane player's "intent" if an opponent could have kept it in but didn't. So as unsual for the AFL, the terminology of rules is imprecise as well as being cringeworthy as Nasher said.

Are they awarding frees for insufficient intent when a player lets a ball kicked by an opponent go out rather than try to pick it up?

Didn't Goodwin say he'd play 3 quarters today?

Yes, it wasn't about difficult shots. It was about developing your set shot kicking technique. My point is that you first should develop your set shot kicking in perfect conditions so you know when what you are doing is wrong and can't mentally blame the wind etc or be uncertain as to the cause of your miss. Then practice in all conditions to learn how to deal with wind, rain etc. I'll try not to post on this again.....

I agree. But no point in practising difficult shots before you get the fundamentals right.

and nor can you PM people about it I guess?

A stationary spherical golf ball being hit by a plane surface is a lot simpler than a spinning oval football being hit with an unevenly structured foot dropping from a variable height. (I used to play golf.) I obviously live on a different planet to some here because it seems blindingly obvious to me that if you are trying to perfect a technique then you want to do it with as few external variables as possible. And later learn how ot adjust for those variables. Let's drop the wind issue and instead consider learning to kick straight with someone standing on the mark trying to put you off by saying "your mother is a $%$!$&" or throwing mud at you. If you miskick, how do you know whether it was caused by your poor technique or your distress at hearing your mother so described or your dodging getting mud in the eye? So perfect your kicking without the abuse/mud. Once you've got the right technique by all means then learn how to handle the abuse/mud (or the wind).

sadly, no

Totally disagree. Double newsflash. Of course you have to learn how to handle the wind, but you first have to perfect your techinque so that the ball goes where you are aiming. Then take into account the wind. If you practice in windy conditions and you miss you don't know if your technique was to blame or your failure to take correct account of the wind. I'd have thought this was bloody obvious.

I can imagine some on here saying we haven't beaten anyone above us on the ladder when we are at the top of the ladder all year.

I've said this before, but how can players practise goal kicking at a windy site like Casey? When they miss (or score) they won't know if it was their technique or the wind that was the cause.

I see the AFL website is still listing start times on the broadcast times website as daylight savings times.

I’ll have to check on replay but it happened right near me and I thought the whistle was quick.

Didn’t get them continually however. Exactly how many such frees did he get? I expect a lot less than were warranted

The down field free is there to penalise players who thump players who have disposed of the ball. But those [censored] umps pay it for a slight push in the back maybe a millisecond after disposal.

Were you at the match? I saw Oliver manhandled off the ball continually.

Was great to hear the Grand Old Flag sung so loudly by the supporters that I couldn't hear the loudspeakers. Great to not fold when they had a run on and when they kicked the first 2 of the last to bring the margin to just 6 points. The umpiring looked bad at times, but I'm always impressed by the super eyesight of supporters who can spot a missed free on the far side of the ground. I can barely see what's happening.

if you mean me, website via firefox

Not only is the AFL website horribly laid out (eg. click on where you think the pull-down is for matches, you are likely to go to the Carlton page, not to mention that annoying box in the bottom right), but you will pleased to know our match today starts at 7:10pm AEDT. Which I guess is true if we are still on daylight savings.

Saints doing badly takes some of the shine off our win last week.

The wind. How can MFC players practice kicking at such a ground. Every time they miss a goal, at practice they'll be mentally blaming the wind, either for miscalculating where to aim or blowing ball of course. They need to practice where the only variable is themselves.

Won't be any swinging around after the siren I'm afraid.

So will I.

I have been endlessly moaning about details of the new rule being unstated by the AFL. But OK, I finally have some clarification of one aspect, but only by 'overhearing' a direction by an umpire in last night's match. A player had a mark and the ump told the man apporaching from forward of the mark that he could run forward but not closer than 5m to the mark. So presumably this is a rule? Where has the AFL actually stated this, eg on the website? Of course I now wonder what the rule is if you approach from 4m forward of the mark. Perhaps if you are anywhere within 5 m you have to stand if the ump choses to say stand? We now have umps making more decisions requiring reliable estimates of distances with a massive penalty if their estimate differs form a players. Whether you like the new rule or not, please, please someone point me to the full written details of it.