TOPIC:

Reading through Damian Barrett’s suggestions for the AFL, thought I’d give my opinion.
1. Friday night football. He’s right, too many shit teams and no one wants to watch bottom sides battling out in a shit display
2. Floating fixtures. Yep, would help keep the crabs out of prime time slots
3. Encourage players to speak their minds. Puleeze, a player will talk if he wants to. They are mature men, treat them that way.
4. Disclose what injury a player has to keep him out of a game. Why? Can’t see a problem here.
5. Ban the polo shirt. Honestly, is this one of football’s big problems? FFS!!
6. Make coaches speak publicly befote Wedsnesday. To tell us what? Another FFS.
7. Have a media person on the bench. You dickhead Barrett.
8. Cameras inthe quarter and three quarter huddles. You dickhead Barrett.
9. Curtin raisers. Hallelujah, finally a good suggestion.
10. Ban closed training sessions. If it was every session, then yes, but clubs are entitled to a closed session to work on new strategies.
It’s obvious he’s using a media brain and not coming to grips with common sense. Also obvious he hasn’t played much footy and certainly hasn’t coached.
All in all, wasted news space. None of the good suggestions are new, they’ve been discussed before.

Completely agree, 58.

When I read Barrett's column I thought he started out well, and then slowly deteriorated into nonsense.

1 2 and 9 I like

What does he mean by the Polo Shirt thing?

If it were Rod Barrett's suggestions I might actually have taken some notice of them!

58shark wrote: Reading through Damian Barrett’s suggestions for the AFL, thought I’d give my opinion.
1. Friday night football. He’s right, too many shit teams and no one wants to watch bottom sides battling out in a shit display
2. Floating fixtures. Yep, would help keep the crabs out of prime time slots
3. Encourage players to speak their minds. Puleeze, a player will talk if he wants to. They are mature men, treat them that way.
4. Disclose what injury a player has to keep him out of a game. Why? Can’t see a problem here.
5. Ban the polo shirt. Honestly, is this one of football’s big problems? FFS!!
6. Make coaches speak publicly befote Wedsnesday. To tell us what? Another FFS.
7. Have a media person on the bench. You dickhead Barrett.
8. Cameras inthe quarter and three quarter huddles. You dickhead Barrett.
9. Curtin raisers. Hallelujah, finally a good suggestion.
10. Ban closed training sessions. If it was every session, then yes, but clubs are entitled to a closed session to work on new strategies.
It’s obvious he’s using a media brain and not coming to grips with common sense. Also obvious he hasn’t played much footy and certainly hasn’t coached.
All in all, wasted news space. None of the good suggestions are new, they’ve been discussed before.

He forgot to add: No media RUMOURS unless they are authenticated by the SOURCE.
I like shit teams on friday as I then dont have to watch. Why not have All states having friday night games on TV. When they are shit games then charge 1/2 price, $2 pies & $3.00 beers. They will then come by the truckload.

With respect to preliminary matches I trust people realise that they would be required to finish around an hour before the scheduled AFL match.

Barretts suggestions are just tinkering at the edges.
What about the elephant in the room, which is reducing the number of Victorian sides that have to be propped up in the competition. Until this happens the AFL will always be just an expanded VFL in my view.
Less teams = better standard of football

mikeh wrote: What about the elephant in the room, which is reducing the number of Victorian sides that have to be propped up in the competition. Until this happens the AFL will always be just an expanded VFL in my view.
Less teams = better standard of football

Spot on Mike.
They apparently cant afford to support a Tasmanian side in the "national" comp but can prop up the likes of StK, NM, Melb, Foots year after year after year!
10 teams from the 1 state in an 18 team competition is far too many!

Beasley Hutton wrote:

mikeh wrote: What about the elephant in the room, which is reducing the number of Victorian sides that have to be propped up in the competition. Until this happens the AFL will always be just an expanded VFL in my view.
Less teams = better standard of football

Spot on Mike.
They apparently cant afford to support a Tasmanian side in the "national" comp but can prop up the likes of StK, NM, Melb, Foots year after year after year!
10 teams from the 1 state in an 18 team competition is far too many!

Not to mention playing games in ridiculous places like China where it is obvious that the only interest is the televison $$$$ they can make. Pity they couldnt put some of that money into revitalising the game in Tasmania.

Personally i couldn't care less who plays Friday night. I only watch the teams i'm interested in. (north Melbourne and Freo) Even then, i struggle. After growing up with footy in the 80's and nineties, i just struggle to get into it now.
Faster? yes, more athletic, fitter players - without a doubt!
Enjoyment??? low... even when my team is winning.
I watched North v Brisbane last Sunday arvo, (second full game for me this year total that Ive watched) and even in the last qtr with my side up by 10 goals i was still getting angry at the stupid turnovers from my side and the bloody umpires. God they shit me. i dont know how people put up with it every week!
The rule changes to me, are the biggest disgrace to our great game that i once loved! originally, the change were for the better in taking out the coward behind the play hits, and deliberate high contact (making them earn it, so to speak), but just like with anything, it goes too far.
Too many rules that ruin the game. it is a Contact sport. You may laugh, but i am honestly waiting for the day, when they say if you go for a mark, you need to consider if your knee may hit that person in the head, and put your legs straight instead! seriously, they talk about players duty of care, and decisions they are supposed to make in a split second, such as size difference) If you choose to bump someone (and remember at this stage it is a legal thing to do), but make incidental high contact, you can be suspended because you chose to bump!
I just struggle to watch the game now.
The disappointing thing is i used to go to the WAFL as well, but with my team (EF) constantly crap i have stopped going. I used to take my son to all the games, up until 2 years ago (id had enough of shit) and stopped going.
He is almost 10 now, and after playing footy since pre-school and going most Saturdays with the me to the WAFL, has given it away to pay basketball! He even said to me that part of the reason he stopped playing was because i had lost interest as well!!