Pates

I feel like the other bigger point being made is that Tom for a very long time has probably been in the bottom 5-7 players most games (since he was omitted with his back issue in 2021). I think it was fair to back him in at the start as he was a premiership winning forward, but has he done enough to earn his place all season? Not really. Sam gets his shot now, so it’s up to him. Will be interesting to see the combo of Brown/Weid on the big stage.

100% it’s helped them to maintain their incredible finals record, and I would argue it’s a bigger advantage than what Adelaide/Port have at AO, and Freo/WC have at Perth Stadium. Reason being those are relatively new stadiums that have been built with dimensions that are very similar to other major stadiums in the country, at the grandstands and style of the ground protects it from unique elements. Compare that to KP where the dimensions are unique, and the weather exposure provides an element the the players would train in. Add to that the incredible home crowd advantage where they give the away fans a paltry amount of seats (disgraceful IMO that the AFL doesn’t mandate a minimum of 4-5k be allocated). WC/Freo used to have that at Subiaco, and so did Adelaide/Port at AAMI Stadium.

They have Hogan in there, which immediately drops your forward pressure acts into negatives. FWIW I have no ill feelings towards Jesse, but his lack of second/third efforts and regular sulking always bothered me, I love the fact that even if our forwards get a bad kick in, or don’t get it to them there’s no sulking. Jesse could not work in our current club culture.

GWS have the cattle to be much better but I see them being quite a bit like our 2019. Each player is now in selfish-self preservation mode, there is no dare or self-belief that they are doing the right things. Their season (if it wasn’t already) is now definitely over. Just throwing it out there, Clarko to GWS? List with potential, greatest coach of the modern era, the AFL would gladly throw the money at the giants to get him. On the Saints, I think we have to accept they might be a real deal. The biggest thing that makes me say that is that they are responding to pressure. They’ve come from behind against the tigers with a flurry, responded to the Suns putting some heat on, came from behind in the first half to grind out a win again GWS (in a pressure game for both clubs). Still to early to say if they’ll be a top 4 contender but when we face them I think there’ll be an expectation that they will be a team in September to look out for.

This probably isn’t the place to debate it but this is a massive cause of frustration for me and to me is tantamount to cheating/clear favouritism by the AFL. I totally understand the “maximising attendance” attitude but it should be on a rotation between ALL Victorian clubs to ensure each Vic team has to make the trek down there and face off against the most parochial crowd and what I would call the strongest home ground advantage in the AFL. I might be wrong but didn’t Hawthorn or the Tigers “have to” go down there a season or two ago? And of course their fans were up in arms. The choice should be one of two: either make it a rotation of “big clubs” going down there every year (doesn’t have to be all of them just one or two), or they play all their home games down there. I don’t think you could find a competition in the world the bows at the feet of the “big clubs” more than the AFL, it’s disgraceful.

Massive call by the selection committee to go for Weid over TMac, those critiquing it just remember they’ve barely put a toenail wrong in this regard since late 2020. Backing Weid in is a big decision but for me it does three things: firstly, it gives Weid a big chance to stake his claim for the second forward spot while showing huge faith in him. Second, it shows to him that we still see him as a big part of our future so that faith can be repaid by him. Thirdly (and I almost see as the biggest thing), it will light a bonfire under TMac. He’s a proud guy, he worked his [censored] off to get back to being in the team to eventually win a premiership, so I have no doubt that he will see this as a challenge thrown down to him by the selection committee. This week tests our depth, but what an opportunity it’s presented for those that have come in.

Oh yeah, forgot about the bumbers! Far out three weeks in a row no goals! Gotta get some stats gurus out there working on it!

Just to add another former umpires voice to the debate: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/stricter-respect-rules-putting-more-pressure-on-umpires-goldspink-20220419-p5aeir.html This legitimately is such a mess.

I just had to quote the players on this: Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli said there had been grey areas in the umpires' interpretations of the rule. "I think we can all agree with the rationale of supporting our umpires and their standing in the game and obviously adjusting our behaviours off the back of it," Bontempelli told Fox Sports. "But this will give us a bit more clarity around how we can best regulate our emotions." Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury said the media was the last group to understand the issue. "The players all have a handle on it, the coaches pretty clearly say we know what to expect but it's the media [and] guys commentating football that seem to have a big issue with it," he said. Are they sure they have a handle on it? Is the media really the last group to understand what’s going on? 😂

I would say that most if not all people are on board with the idea of reducing dissent/abuse towards umpires as well as making sure the umpires are given proper respect. I think what they’ve done wrong is the implementation of the rule, instead of trying to ease it in and looking at a punishment that fits the crime they have looked at an existing punishment (the highest available on field) and decided to utilise that. As for the argument of arms out and all that, I don’t like it but again it could’ve been brought in so much better and with less pain. Yet again though the AFL have made an absolute meal of it and has made the umpires more disliked than ever. (And it’s not their fault!)

I think what would be a much better system is that outright abuse (mouthing off directly at the umpire) get paid on the field preferably with a 25-30m penalty, and dissent (arms up etc) be a fine directly to the player, and make the fine a % of the players match fee rather than a set price. The thing that bothers me the most is that the 50m penalty is the HIGHEST penalty on the field. Late hits, thuggish behaviour, and violent acts are on the same level as a player putting their arms up in frustration. That doesn’t make sense to me.

I think for the tippy touchy ones it should be accumulative, the umpires can communicate with each other and say the team is on a warning for dissent. If it continues then by all means pay a 50m penalty, could even start at a 30m penalty and then get upgraded. I think the thing that is frustrating fans the most is that for something that is relatively lower grade compared to other infractions, it’s punished so severely.

Honestly a different umpire will take that as dissent, they’ll take that as “questioning the decision, thus disrespecting the umpire”. That’s my issue, there needs to be a middle ground that allows the player in the moment to be able to question the decision and even disagree with the call.

Definitely happened to us on Saturday night I’ve got no doubt on it. We’d got so badly screwed by the umpires with almost all the 50/50’s going GWS’s way, and suddenly in the third quarter 50/50’s started to sway our way as well as some just simply bad decisions (a couple of HTB’s in which the GWS did actually dispose of it properly). I think the intention behind the rules against dissent is good, as we don’t want disrespectful behaviour such as what happens in the round ball game. But there needs to be a middle ground because it’s actually causing fans to dislike the umpires even more, if it’s direct abuse or aggression then it should be punished. If a player is putting their arms up and asking (even if a little emotionally) what the free kick was for, then just grow a thick skin and remember it’s an emotional game. I also think that while they are working this out it should be reduced to a 25m penalty, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. EDIT: below is the sort of behaviour they’re trying to prevent and it’s a good thing.

Hawkins also put his arms out after a previous free kick against him and didn’t get a 50m penalty against. He was a lucky boy on Monday, that is until the final siren of course! 😝 It’s really funny, my mum always gets upset when my brother and I dislike a particular player but she thoroughly dislikes Hawkins. Says, “he’s a thug, and a whiner!” Takes a special kind to get on the bad side of my mum! 🤣

The questions about who we’ve beaten may be valid, but the way we’ve won is a different conversation altogether. We just seem to constantly go to a next gear the moment we get a challenge. I think the players even enjoy it, it’s like where running a race together and then just when the other team thinks they’re in with a chance we turn on the after burners.

The last two weeks have been so enjoyable to watch, in both games there wasn’t one point where I actually thought we could be in trouble. And then that third quarter was the first time I reckon we have genuinely got ourselves into a gear near to the Grand Final, what a joy to watch live!

When was the last time we had two weeks in a row of not letting the other team score a goal before quarter time?

I think he looks better in an average team because he takes the game on, which can look exhilarating but he still does the old “Frost Ball”. I remember there being a lot of angst about him leaving, I would’ve liked him to stay but realistically knew that in a premiership team he’s unlikely to be getting a gig.

The umps were absolutely shocking Sat night, though I’m going to swallow a little pride here and say the Langdon free against that denied Petracca’s amazing goal was there. The ones that really [censored] me off were: free against Harmes for high tackle, he actually did really well not to commit that offence (later in the evening a GWS player did the same thing on us but it was play on). The other one that baffles me was TMac appealing for deliberate, that (from my position at least) was given because he made a flicking motion with his hand and then rocked his head back when it wasn’t given. There we’re so many others through the night and funnily enough I noticed in the third quarter we started getting some cheap levellers.

I was one that felt that Tomlinson had earned the right to his spot until he played poorly, but I put my hand up and say I was wrong. Petty was absolutely outstanding, hadn’t missed a beat and slotted straight back in with ease.

Look I partially agree with you, Easter weekend does tend to have a negative impact on crowd numbers. But at the same time we have been desperate for success, and desperate to own the spotlight as a “power”. I would’ve hoped for minimum 25k for this match, and possibly 30k+ on a regular weekend. Are some of our fans too comfortable with us winning to come for these “lower grade” fixtures?

I’m taking my wife to her first footy match tonight (she’s a pom). Really just want to see us play well, don’t need her to be hooked and become a demon for life but I just want it to be an enjoyable experience for her. And of course it’ll be more enjoyable if we win!!!

I think it’s hard on Tommo dropping him, but Petty was phenomenal last year. Competition for spots is so tough.

Thats the best Pod I’ve heard from them, the interview with Mark Williams is brilliant.