I can't stand Bruce McAvaney, because he gets so excited over mundane little things that happen on-field, and describing his pet player as 'delicious' is sublimely cringeworthy.

Anthony Hudson is cut from the same cloth, or so it seems. I'd be pretty happy if he ****** off elsewhere. I still have nightmares about that dreaded "THIRTEEEEEEEEEEEN!!! THIRTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!" call he did a few years back.

Player payments are a vicious circle... but at the end of the there are mutiple factors to blame:

1. Clubs are willing to pay big $$$$
2. Players happily put their hand out of excessive payments
3. The APPS

1 - The harsh reality is, while clubs are prepared to pay these $ amounts, there will always be a demand, and while I understand the ramifications around clubs not competing in the 'Meat market', the fact still remains, if every club made a stand, this wouldn't be an issue. Why is it still an issue, because clubs don't care about anyone but themselves, and sometime they are killing themselves anyway in their pursuit of success. So all this talk about side deals etc wouldnt be a problem if EVERY club made a stand on principle and stuck to the payment limits. Will this happen, no, and the second ONE club goes outside the boundries, the rest will follow in a heart beat.

Fact still remains, if clubs didnt pay it, problem wouldn't exist!

2 - Now whilst I like the idea of loyalty to your club etc, the generation of today do see things like when I was a kid, so I don't really care if they want to keep swapping clubs to play with mates, moved towns etc etc. Where things have got out of hand is the comfort levels of blokes asking for money. Blokes staying at clubs for a year or two until a better offer comes along etc. Now while money is important to all of us, when blokes are weighing up one club over another for something like $50 difference per game, your kidding yourself young fella. What gets worse now, is blokes going back and forth between clubs they offered me $500 if you give me $550 I'll play for you etc. And asking for sign on fees, your a country footballer, you dont deserve sign on fees, if you were as good as you think you are you wouldn't be playing country footy! But it also haapens at the bottom end, kids 18,19,20 asking for $50 a game ply petrol money.... How about you just get a kick and become a regular A grade player mate, then if the club wishes to reward you then so be it, but at the minute, you should be thanking the club for letting you play there and the opportunity to play A grade footy, not putting your hand out. But again, if you go back to point 1, if clubs are happy to throw it around, would you say no if they offered it to you?

3 - The Point system was put in place to limit player movement, mainly driven by the ametuers worried about blokes goin to the country. In a system that is so slawed as this one and one the ammo's dont actually buy into, all it his done is make their plight worse. Most country clubs had an import rule of some description, relevant to their league and surroundings, that possibly wasn't perfect but workied more often than it didnt. The new points system has dramatically chaged rectruiting 3 ways:
a) placing the basic 'points' system creates a value on every player, unfortunately that value is way to uneven. for example, someone at Sturt last year may have played 7 league games, 9 reserves games for the year, effectively making him a 3 point player. Then a young kid, 18 plays back pocket for Sedan-Cambrai last year, pretty average kid but due to depth issues, plays 9 A grade games and 7 B grade games, he is also a 3 point player. What the system is telling you, that a bloke who played nearly half a season at SANFL league level is the same value to a team as a average kid whos realistically a B grader in Hills Country division.
b) While the ammo's continue to offer EVERY team 15 points every year no matter what, the APPS is not a one fits all system, and therefor forces country clubs to look for players. Perfect example, Goody Saints, Div 1 champions for 3 or 4 years, every single year they had 15 points to play with, whilst every 'points' player is reduced by 1 each year, meaning the system actively encourages them to continue to recruit (and you don't hear Ammo clubs whinging about that), yet Tanunda 4 flags on the trot and the points system allows them 3 points in the BLG, so providing all their current players are 0 pointer they can recruit 1 bloke, but if they have points players from the previous year, no room for recruiting there. So when country clubs aer limited to the volume of players they cn recruit, they have to make an extra effort to draw said player to their club rather than lose it to someone else, hence good clubs only target the best players available, which brings me to point 3
c) even if every club has the same $ Budget to work with, the points system actively drives up the prices of players without the player actually having to do anything. Lets say an ammo club has $50k to spend as does a country club. Ammo club has 15 points (5x3 point players) so they have on average $10k to spend on each player, then the country club only has 6 points to play with (2x3 point players), yet still has the $50k budget, effectively having an allowance of $25k per player to spend. So while that is really simplified, the APPS system actively allows/encourages the country club to spend more to maximise the value of their 3 point player.

So while i could elaborate further on each point, and I'm happy to if anyone wants to on a certain point, the reality is, evan as little as say 7 years ago, player payments would have only been around half of what they are now, what has changed, the APPS came in, created an uneven meat market, drove player prices up, now it is what it is.

But with a well managed points system at executive level in that league, the only way it's viable is, if the stronger teams keep getting less and lesser points, after 4 or 5 yrs with the points system in our league we are starting to see the affects and the evening up of the comp. also the points system has stopped teams recruiting 10+ a yr to buy a premiership, agreed value has gone up on the good players but that's because clubs are being smart and trying to get the best player they can for those points. The system just needs tinkering with but I don't think these drastic changes of some sort of $$ cap will work and I don't personally agree with it.

Absorbed some very concerning information today. Have it on good authority that a few HFL clubs are paying a hell of a lot more for the services of SANFL players than recently speculated on this forum. One player in particular earns more for one game than most of us would take home in a month, all thanks to a bidding war between 2 HFL clubs. It's obviously not restricted to the HFL, all country leagues are poaching from and killing the SANFL, Something needs to be done. My suggestion, cull the points to 5-10 per club, that way we go back to playing locals and showcasing what Country Footy is all about, playing for the jumper.

So you can rob the bank once that's all good, You can even do it again we'll let that slide but you do it a 3rd time mister and your gone!

FFS give me a break. 3 strikes is a joke.

You get done for performace enhancing drugs no strikes at all, You get done F**k off your out.

Recreational drugs you get caught once- 10 weeks suspension and $20,000 get done a second time. F**k off your out.

These blokes live the greatest life's in the world. They love the fame but the fact is being a role model is par for the course in being AFL footballers, Like it or not. It's just the way it is.

In my line of work were randomly tested. So we toe the line as these guys need to.

'Ice' is a huge concern in the current climate we live in. I know I worry like hell about my lad and the group he can associate with I've just done my best to educated my lad and hope he makes the right life choices. I'm pretty confident he'll turn out fine but, You can't help but worry in this day and age.

He plays for Sydney, 1 game is the maximum you ever get.

cracka wrote:NRL certainly know how to do the pre game entertainment, Cold fn Chisel.

NRL have always put on a better show for the GF. Maybe the AFL should have a look how its done.

Best of luck too all being affected by the bushfire. Been thro it in the hills many years ago it's not fun hope all are safe.

I know for a fact clubs like Hahndorf and Lobethal have put ALOT of effort into the juniors in the previous years and i think you can see it is starting to pay off. Lobethal have a list of mostly local players and play with very few points each game and a lot of Hahndorfs current senior players all played there juniors there so credit to them. I know other clubs have started to try but I just think maybe a few other clubs should take a leaf out of there books and start focusing a lot more on juniors as they are important to a good club.

F**king disgrace.

First time I've ever left before the end of the game.

Lobbe, Westhoff, Toumpus, Hartlett need to be f**ked to the magpies.

The above must go. Take Neade and Stewart with you, the thing with them we know there shit unlike the names above.

Plan the footy trip lads.

Goes go show we worry about stupid things like umpire decisions when there are more important issues


All the best to Roughy

Just in case someone in Australia was yet to see that graph? All it tells me if you're good at scoring and good at defending you're a good team. Fairly obvious I'd have thought.

I do enjoy Horses press conferences

"I looked at the calendar this morning and it's still May, and we're one game off seventh."

Coach John Longmire laughed off talk his side is the one to beat for this year's flag.

What about Ebert's effort though - starts it off with a little cheap shot from behind, then when Viney fronts him & it gets a bit willing, Ebert pulls out holding his face looking for an umpire - then only goes back in when a few team mates come in.
Weak as piss :lol:


I call your Ebert and raise you Lindsay Thomas

Up the saints! Great to see a win 'in the flesh', been a bloody long time

Titus O'Reilly

There are reports that up to a dozen football fans are excited about raffle specialist Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey beating Michael Tuck’s game record this weekend.

“I suppose I should be excited; it is an amazing record,” said footy fan Elise Mayberry.

“I assume North fans are excited. I’ve never met one, so I’m not sure but you’d think they would be.

“I just wish it was someone else you know? Like anyone else.”

Long time Kangaroos fan Bertie McNichol said Boomer had always said he was motivated by the haters.

“No wonder he’s played so long then. He could play until he’s eighty if that’s what gets him going.”

Hawthorn fan Derek Suarez said he was disappointed Michael Tuck’s record was being broken.

“I guess this is what people mean when they say it’s tough being a footy fan. As a Hawthorn fan I never really understood what that meant.”

“This has left me feeling pretty flat. Don’t worry about me though. The annual premiership always cheers me up.”

A spokesperson for North Melbourne said there had actually been a huge amount of interest surrounding Boomer’s 427th game.

“We even sold one of those commemorative jumpers the other day, which I can tell you is a busy week for us.”

Couldnt have put it better myself

BoundaryRider84 wrote:He got presented wirh a bravery award on Monday for that incident, I believe. Dogwatcher to confirm?

Ironic, we used to joke that he was built like Tarzan and played like Jane.
Good on him though, obviously what he did was braver than anything that could be done on a footy field, well done Herby.

Can only imagine what words are coming out of Carey's mouth at this minute!

Hectorville and North Haven advertising on SAAFL website for senior coaches. Didn't Hectorville just win the Div 5 Premiership.

Is it in their constitution to advertise each year???

My understanding is that Phil Neagle was going to give up coaching at the end of this season regardless of any results. (spoke with him preseason) Getting a Premiership was just the icing on the cake for him :D

Didn't think the challenging group sold themselves that well on their plan and that Doctor bloke seemed like a bit of a knob

LMA wrote:I suggest the National Anthem on Anzac Day and the Grand Final day ONLY

and the Last post only on Anzac day too

I suggest the National Anthem on Anzac Day and the Grand Final day ONLY

Wedgie wrote:The big game tonight has well and truly hit me, felt sick for the last two days, beers are tasting ordinary, got the shakes, has the sweats today at work and I think it's all because of the game tonight. Nervous as ****.

September pressure got to Wedge? There is a solution.... Follow Carlton!

Hats off to Hahndorf, they have quality all over the ground and that was evident in their incredible last quarter. Congrats to TV on a fantastic year also, just lacked a little depth compared to Hahndorf.

To win 5 out of 6 flags is an amazing effort and Hahndorf deserve a lot of praise for how they run their club. I believe Their 15s have now won 8 or 9 in a row which is a testament to their junior program.

2 or 3 votes to Wines? I'd go with;

3. R.Gray
2. O. Wines
1. P. Cripps

I have Ollie on 9 brownlow votes right now.


I reckon you have got it right. Gray will probably get the 3 vote due to his scoring involvements.
Personally, I think Wines was the better player doing the hard work around the packs and delivering it forward.
Silly part is that one of them will get as many votes as the so-called key forward (Dixon) got kicks against a very poor side.
Sam Rowe was brilliant against him. Although Dixon wasnt great, dont take that away from Rowe, he played a really good game considering the no of inside 50's Port had.

2 or 3 votes to Wines? I'd go with;

3. R.Gray
2. O. Wines
1. P. Cripps

I have Ollie on 9 brownlow votes right now.
Wines was better than gray tonight imo

I agree mate but umpires love goal kickers. Possibly Gray missing a few as well might swing the maggots Wines way.

For mine tho as good as Gray was most of his goals were when the game was well and truely dusted. Wines was super early when the game needed to be won.

Wedgie wrote:Daniher is a beast, he could be anything.

Worse set shot on goal than Cloke

Finally a good game of a Friday night football

1992: Sydney go 0-6 after a mid-season bye, sixth loss comes on the same day St Kilda beat Hawthorn 130-55

2017: Sydney go 0-6 to start the season, sixth loss comes on the same day St Kilda beat Hawthorn 130-55

bit freaky

Pretty cool what happened with Bomber Thompson's '84 premiership guernsey involving Michael Lawson.

How long do hawthorn keep going with Gibson?
Seen the hawks a few times this year and he's a deadset liability.
Hardly set the world on fire last year.

Solid defender, if overrated, when they were going well. But he's just filling the space a kid could be playing now.

Enjoyed the Nick Dal Santo episode. I think he summed up his career pretty well at the start and the perception supporters held of him. Far too much time was spent on the photo ‘incident’ though. WGAF..

Was watching on youtube and replayed the 'Milne Bounce' half a dozen times. I'm a masochist. :?
I watched the Dal Santo episode on Wednesday night. He speaks well and seems like a honest, respectful fella that tells it like it is. I've liked listening to him in the media.

Most over umpired round of football I have ever seen.

Collingwood president and former Footy Show Eddie McGuire will reportedly return to his seat in the host chair as Channel Nine get set to shake up the long-running show.

The Herald Sun has reported on Friday afternoon that McGuire will replace Craig Hutchinson as the main host, and will host the show alongside Rebecca Maddern and Sam Newman, who will keep his spot on the desk .

Next step is to turf Dave Hughes. Have him on as a bit part person if they need too, but not as a panellist ffs

Collingwood president and former Footy Show Eddie McGuire will reportedly return to his seat in the host chair as Channel Nine get set to shake up the long-running show.

The Herald Sun has reported on Friday afternoon that McGuire will replace Craig Hutchinson as the main host, and will host the show alongside Rebecca Maddern and Sam Newman, who will keep his spot on the desk .

Next step is to turf Dave Hughes. Have him on as a bit part person if they need too, but not as a panellist ffs
Dave Hughes isn't even a comedian FFS!

Darcy Hourigan would have to be one of if not the best power forwards in SA country footy?? Bloke is a monster and rarely misses.

I guess building from the bottom means your gonna need a fair few players that are points, seeing as there local talent isn’t as strong

I didn't realize that Ardrossan had 20 points. A couple years ago the bottom clubs would have a max of 15.
That's a lot of points and no doubt coin. Local Talent has struggled for a while and without many juniors coming through, it won't improve over the next few years.
A few of the younger ex A graders roaming around on the golf course on a Saturday afternoon now. Older golf club members loving it and the bar takings have increased a fair bit as well.

May have got approved for more points? seem to have a decent group of adelaide blokes who love being there

Now they have moved the no scoring module up to and including U11's for the upcoming season so presume they are going with what was said a couple of seasons ago that they would eventually take it up to and include U13's

Personally i think it is crap, few people on the wireless this morning not happy about it either
Any kid at any age will always ask and want to know if they won or lost... Winning and losing and how you handle them are great life lessons to learn. Taking that away doesn't benefit them, i believe its vital learning tool which is getting taken away from them...
when you lose you learn...
This. Society as a whole cuddles our kids so much that any sign of possibly hurting their feelings ('losing' in this case), and we change the rules to suit. Kids are resilient creatures when they are given opportunities to fail. Unfortunately society keeps taking these opportunities away by the 'everyone wins' approach, eventually making adults who can't deal with any small sign of adversity or difficulty in their lives.

This isn't just in footy or sport by the way, all aspects of society.

Rd 3

Ardrossan v CMS Crows = Crows
Ardrossan are in good early form but Crows are rested and will run over the Roo’s late.
Crows by 10pts

Bute v Wallaroo =Bute
Bute are also in good early form and Wally lost their best player again for the year with a ACL.
Bute by 10pts

Kadina v Maitland = Maitland
Both sides are rebuilding but Maitland got close to Wallaroo so going with that form.
Cougars by 20pts

Paskeville v Eagles =Pasky
Paskeville had a great win last week against the prem favourites and at home will be hard to beat.
Pasky by 25pts
Gee your finals will be played before the APFL season begins.