Hard to get excited

[AngryAnt]

The thing is, with all the changes, I feel we've been ahead of the game.

Everyone thought we would be hurt by the increased kickout distance as it would hurt our forward half game. Last season I think we were one of the best at scoring from our back half. Shorty and Bakes are key to this. I think the further increased kickout distance will also benefit those guys. We are thought of in the industry as a poor kicking team. They get sucked into our gameplay in that we keep it moving by hand, means that we don't trust out kicking. I actually think thats wrong. Dusty is probably the best kick in the game, add in players like Short and Bakes who are 2 of the best kicks in the game.

The tall forward change, we were already recruiting Lynch at this point.

We have been ahead of the game for any of these rule changes, and I'd hasten a guess that the man on the mark rule will also benefit us. We have smart footballers and smart coaches who will take advantage of these rules to our advantage.

One of my great joys in watching our team play the last four years is that we rarely miss targets by foot, at least it goes to a contest. yeah we do run out by hand and then can usually spot up a player with a kick.

I remember the bad old days, kicking the ball regularly to the oppo. Just doesn't seem to happen these days.

 

[mrposhman]

One of my great joys in watching our team play the last four years is that we rarely miss targets by foot, at least it goes to a contest. yeah we do run out by hand and then can usually spot up a player with a kick.

I remember the bad old days, kicking the ball regularly to the oppo. Just doesn't seem to happen these days.

Agree, we have some excellent kicks of the footy, particularly in the backhalf.

The media seem to enjoy creating a rhetoric around who we are and how we play and hence they believe that, and why they constantly think that we will fail each season, remember we were only a forward half pressure team, counter that and you beat the Tiges, so we beat teams from the backhalf. Tiges can't win clearances so will set up to lose it and then bypass the clearance, so we then turn it around and win the clearances.

Now its Tiges are defensive and they don't move the ball quickly so will be impacted negatively by the man on the mark. What have they been watching the last 4 years? We are one of the best teams at quick ball movement (mainly by hand) as we run in waves better than anyone, but they then think we aren't great kicks. Our best kicks such as Bolton, Dusty, Short, Bakes, Jack etc will make teams pay with the more open room that will be there this season.

 

[22nd Man]

I will say something against the grain, I reckon the games appear too long now , prob 18+ would have been right size . 34/35 min qtr are bs

That's because of the time off rules..... Not the nominal length of the quarter.
Clock stops for a lot mor whistles than it did say in the 70s which were 25 minutes elapsed but rarely ran beyond thirty.

 

[Sintiger]

The thing is, with all the changes, I feel we've been ahead of the game.

Everyone thought we would be hurt by the increased kickout distance as it would hurt our forward half game. Last season I think we were one of the best at scoring from our back half. Shorty and Bakes are key to this. I think the further increased kickout distance will also benefit those guys. We are thought of in the industry as a poor kicking team. They get sucked into our gameplay in that we keep it moving by hand, means that we don't trust out kicking. I actually think thats wrong. Dusty is probably the best kick in the game, add in players like Short and Bakes who are 2 of the best kicks in the game.

The tall forward change, we were already recruiting Lynch at this point.

We have been ahead of the game for any of these rule changes, and I'd hasten a guess that the man on the mark rule will also benefit us. We have smart footballers and smart coaches who will take advantage of these rules to our advantage.

The other rule change that was meant to hurt us was the 6-6-6. That was because our defence would be no good because we couldn’t play 7 man backline.
2 flags later that theory is debunked.
Shorter quarters was meant to hurt us in 2020 , we win the flag.
We are the myth busters of the AFL

 

[Ridley]

That's because of the time off rules..... Not the nominal length of the quarter.
Clock stops for a lot mor whistles than it did say in the 70s which were 25 minutes elapsed but rarely ran beyond thirty.

If I recall correctly when the quarters were 25 minutes plus time on the clock didn’t stop when the ball went over the boundary line. Now it does.

 

[22nd Man]

No

I’ve found the last 4 years far more exciting than these supposed halcyon days back in the 80’s and the 90’s. I’m sure that has a lot to do with us being the best in the comp, but I also feel there’s a lot of things were always better in the good old days about that thinking. It’s a little like an injured or retired player seems to get better for every game they miss or every year they’re retired.

No one ever says the 50s or 60s were better...

 

[22nd Man]

If I recall correctly when the quarters were 25 minutes plus time on the clock didn’t stop when the ball went over the boundary line. Now it does.

That is definitely one. And recall with one boundary ump they were often 50m behind. Field ump could call time on if ball was lost in crowd but generally clock ticked over. Also does clock stop fro ball ups now?

 

[DavidSSS]

That's because of the time off rules..... Not the nominal length of the quarter.
Clock stops for a lot more whistles than it did say in the 70s which were 25 minutes elapsed but rarely ran beyond thirty.

That was the idea when they reduced the quarters from 25 to 20 minutes, the quarters were meant to be the same length as before but the timing more tightly focussed on ensuring that time in play was the only time counted.

As far as I remember time was stopped for boundary throw ins back years ago, can't be sure though.

The clock stopped for all those free kicks back in the 1970s, that certainly has not changed. I remember regularly having 80-90 frees a game, that is a fair bit of time off.

As for lamenting football from a couple of decades previous, that has always happened. Too much handballing in the 1980s and 1990s is one complaint I remember and I'm sure there were more.

Football was always better on the "old days", the old days are generally about 10-25 years ago.

DS

 

[ToraToraTora]

Our club is on the precipice of history. A feat that most of us will never see again. I don't think I've been more excited about an upcoming season. They can play tiddlywinks in tutus for all I care as long as we win 3 in a row.

 

[blx]

My biggest fear was when we start falling? The thing is I just can't see it happening this year or next.

Probably Houlis last year but his vacancy has the most applicants applying. Naish, Ralphsmith, Cumberland and Stack? Even Edwards. Then you could start switching in players from other positions.

If our fearless leaders calls it a day after this year I feel that his legacy will still carry over into the next batch of leaders including Edwards/Vlaus/Graham/Ross even Lynch. I have no doubt we have the cattle in place to cover him on the field, and more importantly, off the field.

Prestia and Grimes just signed on. We've got Dusty locked in for what... another 5 years??? Can't see Lynch going anywhere... Edwards looks like he will play on till he is 40! Our halfback line in Baker/Balta/Short are still young.

Without going to deeper, I just can't see us falling anytime soon.

 

[caesar]

Yeah it's hard to get excited, it's a real bummer having to go and watch Dusty every week

 

[fastin bulbous]

As we get older these things happen.....

 

[DavidSSS]

I remember 1975, so, yes I'm excited. If we can get 3 in a row they might have to start looking at our playing list and realise just how many stars we have.

Of course, the silverware makes up for any lack of recognition for our playing group.

Just as an aside, there was a nice article about Vlastuin on the Mongrel Punt recently, paid him the respect he deserves.

DS

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Now its Tiges are defensive and they don't move the ball quickly so will be impacted negatively by the man on the mark. What have they been watching the last 4 years? We are one of the best teams at quick ball movement (mainly by hand) as we run in waves better than anyone, but they then think we aren't great kicks. Our best kicks such as Bolton, Dusty, Short, Bakes, Jack etc will make teams pay with the more open room that will be there this season.

The teams that remain competitive with us are the ones that hold their structure at the back. They also find it hard to score...

 

[year of the tiger]

Our club is on the precipice of history. A feat that most of us will never see again. I don't think I've been more excited about an upcoming season. They can play tiddlywinks in tutus for all I care as long as we win 3 in a row.

yes get excited Jan ..... mixed metaphors so to speak

a possible 3 peat is pretty exciting
a Dusty is pretty exciting
watching Balta, Baker and Bolton mature is pretty exciting

long may it continue

 

[craig]

The boundary umpires seem to wait an eternity for the nod to throw it in too. What are they waiting for?

For the players to all make their way to the middle of the ground from the boundary line to contest it.

 

[craig]

As we get older these things happen.....

Do Your Kegels lads ..............Kapow!!

 

[TigerMasochist]

As we get older these things happen.....

Old age, that's the time when you're excited to get hard.