TOPIC:

Why the clubs will never agree with SOO again every year.Can't see why we can't go back to the 4 year Carnival system. Which we played for over 50 years,pre season.
1.Vic 2.SA 3.WA 4.Allies which is Tas+NT+Qld+Nsw+Act.

Very enjoyable game. Vics were excellent in last quarter. Bit unlucky. Brereton dominated. Royal and co kicked beautifully. Buckenara's kicking was outstanding. Seems like a higher standard of skills, though not so much the heavy traffic stuff.

I have just finished watching it again, JL - a bloody good game.

A few things that stood out for me:

- the amount of head-hunting* (see below)

- the umpiring, which at times was (I thought) very good, and at other times, pretty ordinary

- the same with the player skills, at times sublime, and others, abysmal (bearing in mind it was a fine day, and how open the game was)

- the commentary, where I had forgotten how good Sarich was, in contrast to that boofhead Richards

- how easily "marks" were paid

- Dwayne Lamb and Laurie Keene's kicking

- the travesty of Hardie's Simpson.

Of course, all of this is seen through the prism of watching AFL almost exclusively since the late 80s. I imagine I thought it was very very good on the day, as I had managed to slip away from Allendale Square for the afternoon.

* following the game, I had a "what happened to Michael Mitchell" moment, and see that he was lost to footy after only 150 odd games - due to repeated head knocks and concussions.
I also remembered him as a bloody good fast-medium bowler playing with my team in Carnarvon in the late 70s.

Carnarvon? Geez don't tell me.

Did you ever play football there?

Nope.

Never even tempted.

must be a whaler lad then.

Can't remember the name of the team. The captain was the town pharmacist.

Small world.