Goodaye, ya'll! No love for Footy here!?!?!? Never found another thread... Merge if so, but otherwise... 

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... An American of all people had to create this thread. Just let that sink in for a wee-bit.


If you were following my Aussie thread from OT, then you'll know this is my first season watching and boiiiii, what a season to start (technically... half a season? Better late than never, I guess.) Not just starved for sport really, but genuinely have wanted to get into the AFL for a few years now. Better time than ever, I 'spose.

So, who you got winning the Premy? How about those piped-in crowd noises, eh? Up-and-coming players to look out for till October? Hell, tell me your favorite team, expose me to the culture, who should I be looking out for in particular in your opinion? I'm trying to learn as much as humanly possible about the sport in the process. Dustin Martin is the big name I keep reading and hearing about. From the highlights I've seen, and from my own eyes, Chris McDermott is an absolute killer for the Crows; he always seems to come up with some big goals (are they actually called 'goals'? See! SHAME! I should not be the one creating this thread, ya 'roos!)

Should I root for Collingwood or am I a damn dirty bogan if I commit such atrocities? I love Mason Rudolph, but I don't want to be rooting for the AFL's equivalent of the Dallas Cowboys either. I'd like to use this thread for educational purposes, as well as discussion, so lesssssgooooo!

@hr iNCY possibly @nath can help.

One of the strange quirks of Australia is that we're divided on the premier football code. I happen to live in Queensland, which is one of two states where the NRL is king. I've tried to promote that around here but it's just nonsense to anyone who doesn't follow it.

As an outsider looking in, the two Queensland teams are actually performing quite well. The Brisbane Lions are a good young team that has grown leaps and bounds over the years. They had a disappointing post-season last year where they went 0-2, but they've started the season well and have a huge clash infront of them. I'm not a big watcher but the player who stands out to me is Charlie Cameron who is extremely quick around the ruck and does a great job linking with other players.

The Gold Coast Suns are one the expansion teams (the other is Greater Western Sydney) who were given all these advantages early on in their life but couldn't make the most of it and have been languishing on the bottom of the ladder. I heard they were set to get another set of advantages just to keep the club from bankruptcy but nobody expected them to start as well as they have.

Beyond that, I'm clueless. I could chat your ear off all day about the NRL, but the AFL is more iNCY and @hr's domain than mine.

[Source] rad said:

Should I root for Collingwood or am I a damn dirty bogan if I commit such atrocities? I love Mason Rudolph, but I don't want to be rooting for the AFL's equivalent of the Dallas Cowboys either. I'd like to use this thread for educational purposes, as well as discussion, so lesssssgooooo!

No, you shouldn't barrack for Collingwood, unless you're missing half your teeth and keep a pack of cigarettes in your shirt sleeve.

I'm a 4th generation Saints supporter which means I'm a twisted unit, though they look good this year.
It's too hard to get a reading on form given the disrupted season... Richmond and West Coast were favourites but they're looking awful.

From what I've read, play seems to be at a not-so-ideal level right now, but I'm not sure what people were expecting given these guys have been out of competition for several months now to this point. Umps get rusty, too. I'm obviously coming into this as a newcomer, but I think people should give the product some time to breathe first before jumping the gun.

Hoping play doesn't stop due to the rise of covid in Victoria, but of course -- health of the players and populace first, of course, I'm no madman, it'd just be horrible timing on my part if the season gets postponed yet again, lol.

Also, I wish I had a Sharrin so I could get out and actually play this with some friends, just kick and pass it around for a few. I wanna punch it, dammit! See how far I can kick it; all dat jazz. I think I might just have to order me one online in the far-flung future.

Jun 29, 2020 13:32:17 GMT Big Pete said:

@hr iNCY possibly @nath can help.

One of the strange quirks of Australia is that we're divided on the premier football code. I happen to live in Queensland, which is one of two states where the NRL is king. I've tried to promote that around here but it's just nonsense to anyone who doesn't follow it.

As an outsider looking in, the two Queensland teams are actually performing quite well. The Brisbane Lions are a good young team that has grown leaps and bounds over the years. They had a disappointing post-season last year where they went 0-2, but they've started the season well and have a huge clash infront of them. I'm not a big watcher but the player who stands out to me is Charlie Cameron who is extremely quick around the ruck and does a great job linking with other players.

The Gold Coast Suns are one the expansion teams (the other is Greater Western Sydney) who were given all these advantages early on in their life but couldn't make the most of it and have been languishing on the bottom of the ladder. I heard they were set to get another set of advantages just to keep the club from bankruptcy but nobody expected them to start as well as they have.

Beyond that, I'm clueless. I could chat your ear off all day about the NRL, but the AFL is more iNCY and @hr's domain than mine.

That's ironic -- Gold Coast and GWS have the worst logos in the league, imo. I do like the Lions from what I've seen of them, love the color scheme. I'd have to say they're right up there with Adelaide for me right now.

Believe it or not, I was looking into NRL before discovering Aussie Rules. I will say that NRL is much more exciting than what I've seen from England or other rugby leagues; I forget the distinction between the different types of rugby. Most in America have a deep respect for it seeing that it gave way to our favorite sport, it's just that no one really knows the rules or where to watch it. But the physicality and level of play is definitely respected regardless. I'd like to see our national team do better, we actually have a decent history with the sport that most here don't even know about.

The scrums are the most boring part, similar to how big gaps of time wasted between downs annoys even us with the NFL, but I guess no sport is perfect. I'm going to have to watch some highlight footage though and give this more of a chance -- I trust your opinion.

Jun 29, 2020 20:18:15 GMT iNCY said:

[Source] rad said:

Should I root for Collingwood or am I a damn dirty bogan if I commit such atrocities? I love Mason Rudolph, but I don't want to be rooting for the AFL's equivalent of the Dallas Cowboys either. I'd like to use this thread for educational purposes, as well as discussion, so lesssssgooooo!

No, you shouldn't barrack for Collingwood, unless you're missing half your teeth and keep a pack of cigarettes in your shirt sleeve.



I'm a 4th generation Saints supporter which means I'm a twisted unit, though they look good this year.

It's too hard to get a reading on form given the disrupted season... Richmond and West Coast were favourites but they're looking awful.

Only missing two, so I guess that's ruled out. Damn, sounds worse than the Cowboys fanbase actually. Had to look it up to realize it was St. Kilda, still familiarizing myself with the club nicknames. Nice upset over Richmond recently, btw. Speaking of, I know for sure I won't be rooting for the Tigers -- dominant team of the era, wears black and yellow -- they might as well be the Patriots/Steelers of this league to me. Also probably won't be pulling for any side from Sydney -- it's the New York of Australia, I assume.

I don't actually mind Richmond, they're a good working class team and deserve a good run for the years they spent on the bottom.

The problem with the game now is that it's too fast, I think the AFL will fix it by reducing the amount of rotations per quarter next year. It makes the game a scramble rather than kick and mark type game that it's famous for.

This year is anyone's, but I expect Brisbane to be there finals time. That Charlie Cameron is a freak, I will see if I can find a youtube clip of the mark he took:

Apparently former Indy Colts punter Pat McAfee is getting hip to the sport now and is supporting the Magpies on his show due to the Rudolph connection. More punters/kickers should consider the possibility imo, especially those struggling to crack a starting NFL roster. Not saying it's easy by any stretch (huge learning curve I imagine), but I can't think of a more perfect position from another sport that would translate as well. Imagine a younger Sebastian Janikowski kicking that thing...

Jun 29, 2020 21:23:01 GMT iNCY said:

I don't actually mind Richmond, they're a good working class team and deserve a good run for the years they spent on the bottom.

The problem with the game now is that it's too fast, I think the AFL will fix it by reducing the amount of rotations per quarter next year. It makes the game a scramble rather than kick and mark type game that it's famous for.

This year is anyone's, but I expect Brisbane to be there finals time. That Charlie Cameron is a freak, I will see if I can find a youtube clip of the mark he took:

I need to get hip with team cultures and fanbases, I think that'll help me decide better than anything. Big reason I chose the Green Bay Packers when I was young was because the town owned the team, rather than say, a Jerry Jones flying in on his private jumbo jet. 

The marks and tackles are the best part of the game for me, as well as those last desperation kicks to cross the bars. The latter is the big reason I started liking McDermott and noticed him first, dude's got a rocket for a leg and great coordination.

DAMN. I'm going to keep an eye out for Cameron now -- That's gotta be one of the best "speckys" (think I said that right?) I've seen so far.

Jun 29, 2020 21:08:49 GMT rad said:

From what I've read, play seems to be at a not-so-ideal level right now, but I'm not sure what people were expecting given these guys have been out of competition for several months now to this point. Umps get rusty, too. I'm obviously coming into this as a newcomer, but I think people should give the product some time to breathe first before jumping the gun.

Here's a good article that explains how modern coaching strategy has affected the watchability of footy, and while things have gotten much worse because of the COVID disruptions, matches with just a handful of goals have been a long time in the making.

Unfortunately there's yet to be an equivalent revolutionary aesthetically pleasing style in the AFL like Guardiola's tiki-taka was in European football supplanting the defensive focus of Mourinho and Benitez from the mid 00s.

Jun 29, 2020 22:26:25 GMT rad said:

Apparently former Indy Colts punter Pat McAfee is getting hip to the sport now and is supporting the Magpies on his show due to the Rudolph connection. More punters/kickers should consider the possibility imo, especially those struggling to crack a starting NFL roster. Not saying it's easy by any stretch (huge learning curve I imagine), but I can't think of a more perfect position from another sport that would translate as well. Imagine a younger Sebastian Janikowski kicking that thing... 

It would have been an easier transition back in the day when a long kick was genuine attribute in the AFL, and there wasn't such a focus on endurance. Going from having to run 10kms a game and getting hit and bumped all the time to only having to trot on to the field maybe five times to kick the ball before going off again makes much more sense. :lol:

There's a couple of things they could do @admin,they could make the minimum kick 25m or mandate 4 players in the defensive arc.

I also think that sooner or later the game will change on its own, personally I think the more you chip the ball around the more chance of turning the ball over. The teams doing well are going fast down the corridor and switching seems less effective.

Jun 30, 2020 0:48:05 GMT @admin said:

Jun 29, 2020 21:08:49 GMT rad said:

From what I've read, play seems to be at a not-so-ideal level right now, but I'm not sure what people were expecting given these guys have been out of competition for several months now to this point. Umps get rusty, too. I'm obviously coming into this as a newcomer, but I think people should give the product some time to breathe first before jumping the gun.

Here's a good article that explains how modern coaching strategy has affected the watchability of footy, and while things have gotten much worse because of the COVID disruptions, matches with just a handful of goals have been a long time in the making.

Unfortunately there's yet to be an equivalent revolutionary aesthetically pleasing style in the AFL like Guardiola's tiki-taka was in European football supplanting the defensive focus of Mourinho and Benitez from the mid 00s.

Jun 29, 2020 22:26:25 GMT rad said:

Apparently former Indy Colts punter Pat McAfee is getting hip to the sport now and is supporting the Magpies on his show due to the Rudolph connection. More punters/kickers should consider the possibility imo, especially those struggling to crack a starting NFL roster. Not saying it's easy by any stretch (huge learning curve I imagine), but I can't think of a more perfect position from another sport that would translate as well. Imagine a younger Sebastian Janikowski kicking that thing... 

It would have been an easier transition back in the day when a long kick was genuine attribute in the AFL, and there wasn't such a focus on endurance. Going from having to run 10kms a game and getting hit and bumped all the time to only having to trot on to the field maybe five times to kick the ball before going off again makes much more sense.

Enjoying this article. Not sure what Sheedy means by "basketball crap", but I assume he's correlating an overabundance of stupid fouls with holding-the-balls here? I need to find a good comparison of footage here to probably get the full picture. I can definitely get the sentiment though. No one likes defensive battles. High-octane offense is what makes football over here fun in the first place, otherwise I might as well be watching snail racing.

True. Speed and endurance aren't often P/K strong suits, though the guys coming into the league today are much more of specialists than ever before, having experience in wideout or even running back sometimes. I could definitely see more US players making the leap over at some point, given how many athletes we have over here with so few spots left over in the pros. Basketball is an obvious talent pool, too.

Searching for more content detailing the game's past; interested in the history of the league. Watched AFL H.O.F. playlist on Youtube the other day and got hip to the Kennedy family and some of the other recent inductees who's names I fail to remember now. Not sure I'll be able to catch a live game as I have a Roku but no cable/digital provider, 'course I could always go rogue and find an online stream off Reddit or somewhere I'm sure. Wouldn't mind financially supporting in the future though. It sucks how different our timezones are, the ratings would definitely improve if it wasn't on at 3-5AM over here usually. Now I understand how UK/Aussie fans felt with WWE ppv's lol.

EDIT: $33 monthly subscription is insane. Apparently FS1 airs mostly recap footage, which is incredibly lame. Found a supposedly reliable stream off Reddit, so it looks like I'll be staying up to watch Collingwood v. Essendon tomorrow morning. Struggle is real; now I guess I'll know how UK/Aussie fans felt having to stay up so late to watch a WWE ppv lol.

I enjoyed the Saints win tonight.
Longer took a great mark