SA Footy

Friday night - Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs

Saturday night - Sydney v Adelaide

Only 5 games of AFL footy left for the year.

Preview a bit short this week booney

A couple of ripper games, just stoked I get to spend my birthday weekend stress free.

bennymacca wrote:Preview a bit short this week booney

W.I.P

bit rich coming from the Hawks... They are after all the most protected team from the umpires in recent memory...

HAWTHORN star Shaun Burgoyne is urging umpires to pay free kicks to stop premiership teammate Sam Mitchell being "targeted" by off-the-ball hits.

Mitchell has copped plenty of heat from opponents trying to put the four-time club champion off his game this season and tagger Scott Selwood got under his skin in Friday night's epic two-point loss to Geelong.

Although Mitchell thrives on the physicality, Burgoyne called on the men in green and his Hawks teammates to better protect the 33-year-old midfielder.

"We need to help him out and protect him a little bit more, but he's one of those guys who loves the fierce, in-tight battles and he's done it for such a long period of time," Burgoyne said.

"It's a hard one for the umpires as well because they want to let the game go and they want it to be a physical game and they don't want to be paying soft, silly frees.

"But if a player is being targeted, like he was on the weekend, I would've thought one free kick here or there would definitely help him when they step over the mark, because a few times off the ball he did get hit."

Mitchell still racked up 30 touches – for the 13th time in finals – and won 10 contested possessions against the Cats, although his normal deadly effectiveness was limited by Selwood's efforts.

Burgoyne didn't want to "whinge and moan" about the attention on Mitchell and said the Hawks needed to be prepared for similar tactics by the Western Bulldogs in Friday night's cut-throat semi-final.



"There's a few times that he was hit off the ball, but you can't pay every single one that's there," he said.

"He just moves on pretty quickly, as do we … sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't.

"I can't really comment too much [on] the umpires and what they're thinking, how they see it, if they do see it at all, but we've got to prepare that he's probably going to get another close-checking player this week and help him out if he does."

Tom Liberatore shapes as a potential match-up after he blanketed West Coast clearance machine Matt Priddis while picking up 22 touches and snapping a goal in the Dogs' stunning elimination final upset.

All part of the mental games!!

I don't think the Hawks would care to much if it comes across a bit rich

""There's a few times that he was hit off the ball, but you can't pay every single one that's there," he said."
Of course you can. A free kick should be a free kick. That's why the rules being left up to umpire's discretion is so stupid and make watching AFL so frustrating.

Sam Mitchell is one of the dirtiest off-the-ball players going around. Should have been suspended multiple times this year.

**** him

bennymacca wrote:Sam Mitchell is one of the dirtiest off-the-ball players going around. Should have been suspended multiple times this year.

**** him

No mention of the punches off the ball to the other team?

I reckon he was stiff not to score a couple of frees in the first half the other night. Would be plenty of players from both teams though that could have the same complaint. Happens in the real physical games, play on ..

JK wrote:I reckon he was stiff not to score a couple of frees in the first half the other night. Would be plenty of players from both teams though that could have the same complaint. Happens in the real physical games, play on ..

So he can punch blokes but he should get frees for bumps. Got it, I'm starting to understand the AFL.

How about the Hodge punch to Selwoods kidneys at three quarter time?

Brodlach wrote:How about the Hodge punch to Selwoods kidneys at three quarter time?

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Yeah shouldve got 8 weeks for it

daysofourlives wrote:

Brodlach wrote:How about the Hodge punch to Selwoods kidneys at three quarter time?

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Yeah shouldve got 8 weeks for it

Was more saying that the Hawks are the masters of the little hits behind play and yet they want to have a whinge. Must be getting a bit worried about this weeks game

seriously though, punches to the body have to be looked at. They have no place in the game at all, and its ridiculous that people are getting weeks for rough conduct but you can punch a guy and get nothing

Brodlach wrote:

daysofourlives wrote:

Brodlach wrote:How about the Hodge punch to Selwoods kidneys at three quarter time?

\
Yeah shouldve got 8 weeks for it

Was more saying that the Hawks are the masters of the little hits behind play and yet they want to have a whinge. Must be getting a bit worried about this weeks game

Ruggles?

Ruggles what?

Got a fine

bennymacca wrote:seriously though, punches to the body have to be looked at. They have no place in the game at all, and its ridiculous that people are getting weeks for rough conduct but you can punch a guy and get nothing

Kicking and deliberate tripping is only a $1,500 fine... Far more dangerous than a tummy tap... HTFU!