AFL Season 2015

[Aerlik]

Off to bed now, and I've managed to bring the blood pressure and heart rate back to normal. 

Alrite Horse, Freo have beat all but one of the teams "below" them all season.  Aye, I believe the commentary was shocking again.  I listen to that p***k Basil Zempalis on 6PR on the way to work sometimes and he would scunner ye!  Biased?  How can he be when he only sees one team.

(Re. Gaah man's comments...hmmm, how to respond?...cue images of tumbleweeds blowing down a windswept New Mexico street in a spaghetti western.  One-eyed Freo fan?  Me?  Folk yeah.)

[AlriteHorse]

Just to clarify, I meant that Collingwood have only been playing the so called lower teams. (Teams in bottom

Freo game on thurs was the best ive seen in a while. Thankfully didnt see swans as I was sitting on a plane back from good ol' Karratha.

[Never beat the deeler]

Rare chance to see my team live this weekend as the Lions come out west to play the all conquering Fremantle. Was really looking forward to seeing Pearce Hanley making his 100th appearance, alas he has failed to recover from a hamstring strain. Add to the fact  we  are likely to get beat by 100 plus. Oh well, hope it doesn't rain.

Big news today, with photos of a Gold Coast player surfacing of him (allegedly) taking speed, but I haven't got time to go into it.

[Aerlik]

Round Thirteen.

Fremantle 80-73 Collingwood
It's always satisfying to beat Collingwood; all the moreso when the very biased Vic-centric media suggest that Freo are about to slide down the table.  Well what a game.  No, it wasn't a "great" game full of pure footy; no, it wasn't Freo's best effort in front of 37.000+ fans; no, it didn't do my blood pressure any good.  But yes, it was gutsy, hard, uncompromising and close.  In fact, too close.  Both teams were guilty of woeful set-shot kicking, but in Michael Walters, we have a real excitement machine.  Another four goals to add to his season's tally.  The conditions were slippy and cold and not suited to flowing footy.  These are the games I love to be at (providing we win, of course).  You roar and gulder for your team and you groan at the shocking umpiring (yet again).  And you take a step back and think to yourself: that fella is going to be one to watch in the future.  On this occasion I am not referring to the best player in the comp, Freo's Nathan Fyfe; I'm referring to the new Collingwood ruckman Witts.    An ugly win is always prettier than a gallant loss.

Richmond 95-77 Sydney
If ever there is justice in sport, this game was the epitome of that.  No-one gave Richmond a chance against the much more experienced Swans team, and were trailing by 32 points at half-time.  Now, if that was 32 points against Melbourne or, say, St. Kilda, you might think the Tigers would have a chance.  But no, this was Sydney in Sydney, the Sydney with Franklin, Tippett, Hannebury, Richards, Goodes etc. No chance.  Not a hope in hell. Nada. 
The third quarter turned out to be a complete role reversal with the Tigers kicking 7.5 to 2.1!  Unheard of.  If you get a chance watch Trent Cotchin's miraculous effort off the ground.  Great stuff. 
Now for the nitty-gritty stuff.  Franklin is a good player.  He's a big man, at 6'5" and has  a great left peg.  And he is, to paraphrase a Melbourne sports columnist, a protected species.  The way he dropped his shoulder, looked at the man and not the ball and then barged into the man's head with his left shouder was worthy of more than the one paltry week he got.  It is patently obvious that he is a protected species because he has a pretty poor record at the Match Review Panel for his indiscipline/dirty play.  It is increasingly more obvious that the AFL are really battling to keep the game alive and strong in Sydney against the "threat" of Rugby League and soccer.  To do that they have to keep the big name players in the city.  And that means favouritism!  In the same game, Tippett clipped a player in a stock standard hit that earned him a week's rest.  Now while that rest might help Port Adelaide's cause tonight (which I doubt it will), it is not all bad.  Both of them will be eligible to play against themuns over here in a few weeks.  (Where's my Derry shirt?)

Hawthorn 114-76 Essendon
The hawks added more misery to the Bombers' dismal season with a fairly pedestrian win.  I didn't see the game but heard a bit about it.  Oh, and then there was the wee jibe about the jab, Sam Mitchell's goading of the Bombers players, which didn't go down well.  We'll see what WADA has to say!  He might be right.

Adelaide 82-69 Brisbane.
Anyone with even an iota of a conscience couldn't but feel sympathy for the lions in this game.  24 points up at three-quarter time there was every reason to think a great win was on the cards.  Oh dear...there followed a classic pre-Ross Lyon coached Fremantle-esque collapse, not helped by a hamstring injury to Pearse Hanley.  Goalless in the final quarter and still anchored in the bottom two.

Western Bulldogs 62-56 St. Kilda.
How did the Saints lose?  7.14 to 9.8 may mean only 4 scoring shots' difference, but had only two of those points been goals, well, it would've been a decent win. 

Carlton 109-69 Gold Coast
Not the best week in the history of the Gold Coast.  I didn't expect Carlton would be too bothered by them and even Zac Tuohy kicked a belter - he has done little else of note this season, it must be said.  But the managerial issues at Carlton are taking a backseat to the latest drug allegations to affect the Suns.  Former player, Karmichael Hunt, the first player to convert from Rugby League to AFL at the top level (and now playing Union) started the ball rolling and now the latest allegations against Harley Bennell has sent a few shock waves through the game.  Watch this space.

And so there you have it. 

Fremantle are still at the top of the pile - oh, I don't get tired saying that - some other club which has got the easiest run in the league (or nearly so - I forgot that Collingwood always gets the easiest fixtures) is second and then come the others.  Off to the Brisbane game with mini-me on Sunday.  Deeler, if you are in the Irish club before the game, you'll recognise me with mini-me.  Dockers tops etc. so come over for a yarn and you can buy me the pint we'll bet on to see who wins.   

[Aerlik]

 

Very tragic news today.

Phil Walsh, the senior coach of Adelaide Crows, was stabbed to death early today (approx. 2am Adelaide Time).  His 26 y.o. son has been arrested and charged with his murder.

Very, very sad.  Not much more to say.

[Aerlik]

Round Fourteen

As I mentioned in my last post, the very tragic news of the murder of Phil Walsh, the Adelaide Crows senior coach, has really rocked the Australian sports scene and especially the AFL to its core.  A tragedy at the best of times but more poignant considering the respect that was afforded to Walsh throughout his career as a player and junior/assistant coach.  He was in the process of transforming the crows from a mid-table team to a real challenger for the top honours.  It remains to be seen if his plans will come to fruition in the seasons ahead.  The scenes before and after every game since the news broke best exemplified his passing.  RIP

Sydney 94-84 Port Adelaide
I was really hoping my second team could do us a favour and grab a win here, not only to keep their finals chances alive but to put a bit of breathing space between Freo and Sydney.  It was not to be.  This was a really exciting game to watch and even without the "Twin Towers" of Franklin and Tippett, Sydney had a fella who has been around for a long time and seen it all; Adam Goodes.  The maestro continues to perform at the top level, brushing aside all the accusations of the red-neck racists that he is bad for the game.  No he isn't.  He is a pleasure to watch and for aspiring players to learn from.  The game was right in the balance up until the last 4 minutes and then the experience and cool heads of the Swans came to the fore, pinching the win at the death.

Hawthorn 101-91 Collingwood.
15.11 to 12.19 says it all.  Yep and at least three of those 19 points may well come back to bit Collingwood on the arse if they fail to make not just the top 4 but the finals.  The set-shot kicking of Cloke and Fesolo was atrocious.  These men are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to kick a ball straight.  Surely it can't be that hard?  Seemingly it is.  Another cracking game for the neutral (ahem, I was secretly hoping for a Pies win for the same reason I wanted Port to win), and a great Friday night crowd at the MCG and around the continent.  The game had some great skill, some wonderful scores and, (ditto above) some terrible efforts too.  Still the Hawks progress, and I'm dreading what will happen next weekend.(gulp )

Richmond 78-69 Greater Western Sydney
If you want to see a coach go off at players during a break, watch the end of the third quarter of this game as Tigers' coach Damian Hardwick launches a tirade against some of his big name players.  And he was right to do so.  This was a game they should have lost.  They were dismal in the first three quarters but in Alex Rance they have one of the best full-backs in the game and he saved their arses several times in this game.  Not a game for the purist but the highlights I saw plus the commentary leads me to believe that the Jekyll and Hyde team of the competition can be skating on very thin ice at times.  Anyways, the tigers remain just outside the top 4 and are well set for a final assault on the last few games.

Gold Coast 125-70 North Melbourne
The guillotine is being prepared.  Man, if I was a Roos fan I'd be the one wishing to do the act.  How the hell this team continues to stuff up is simply beyond me.  Notwithstanding the return of Gary Ablett Jr to the Suns team, the effort from North was abysmal.  I only watched the highlights and the only thing of note for the whole game was the "screamer" mark taken by Lyndsay Thomas.  Worth a watch.  Nothing else in this game is.

Western Bulldogs 64-53 Carlton
A real ding-dong affair, this one.  Just when the dogs looked like they were going to annihilate the Blues, they came back and for a time we were left thinking that perhaps they might win.  But in the end they ran out of steam and ideas.  I didn't see any of the game but read that Zac gave a best on ground performance.  Maybe he has been reading my comments.

Themmuns 114-60 Melbourne
Yawn.   Garbage.  Putrid to watch and if that is what Darwin-based footy fans have to look forward to every year then they have every right to demand their State Govt. cancel the contract with the AFL cos that was a shite demons effort.  As for the other mob, well they better enjoy the easy  games they've had cos the big boys await. 

St. Kilda 162-52 Essendon
Nuff said.  More garbage from the pretenders to the crown of "drug cheats" (no guessing who wears that shameful title).  I thought the bombers would be way too much for the saints but the opposite was clearly the case.  Nick Riewoldt continues to defy the odds and is a superb leader for the saints.  WADA loada rubbish. 

Adelaide 0-0 Geelong
As a mark of respect for all involved in the tragic death of Phil Walsh, this game was cancelled and the teams shared two points. 

Fremantle 84-48 Brisbane
It was like being in Ireland on a summer's day last Sunday in Perth; it was pishing down non-stop from midday and that led to one of the worst games of footy I have seen Freo play in years.  Brisbane came with a very clear game-plan to nullify the Freo midfield and at half time the teams were level on 5.2 each.  It was so frustrating watching this game unfold as it was obvious what Brisbane were playing a counter-attack game in the hope that they could sneak scores against the run of play and for the most part that is exactly what happened.  And yet again the inconsistency of the umpiring (against BOTH teams) continues to baffle us.  How some of the decisions were made defies me.
In the end the midfield and halfback strength of Freo took its toll on the Lions centre players and some cleverly worked goals gave the Dockers a deserved win.  But Lord, it was not pleasant.  And I sat in the fekkin wet with a soaked arse, too.  We're not allowed to use umbrellas inside the ground which is fair enough, I suppose.  The plastic poncho thing I had on is all well and good if you're standing all the time.  When you sit down and it slides up your back allowing the rain to drip down your butt crack, well, that is not conducive to an enjoyable footy experience. 
Freo need to up the game significantly next week as they have the Hawks to contend with in Launceston.  I am simply hoping for a miracle.  Even the exclusion of star Hawk Jarred Roughead will still not significantly lessen the potency of the Hawks.  He had a melanoma cut out from his lip and is awaiting test results for other scans.  Hope he recovers fully.

At the end of the round, Freo are still top of the pile by two clear games.  Themmuns, Sydney and Hawthorn make up the second to fourth teams.  Brisbane prop up the table.

[Club Rossa]

Statement of intent from Hawthorn at the weekend with a massive win over Fremantle.They seem to be finding form at the right time.Huge game coming up with the Swans though and they will do well to come out on top.

[TabClear]

Serious statement by the hawks at the weekend.  Their 30+ stars of Mitchell, hodge and Lewis were brilliant.  Fyfe couldn't get into the game at all and Gibson and Lake mopped up everything at the back.

Another "accidental" knee from Mitchell as well? ?

Even if you close down a couple of hawks forwards they can get goals from all over the park. Bring roughead back into that team and it looks ominous for the other teams.

[TabClear]

Another big win by the Hawks in Sydney tonight.  Good to see roughead back after his cancer scare.

Bar a 2 minute spell where Buddy scored 3 in a row the Hawks were all over them. Sydney had plenty of the ball but nothing up front.  Hawks in contrast scored every time they went forward. Rioli is a freak in terms of marking fir a small man.

Geelong just outside the 8 now as well with the magpies poor run continuing.  I think Collingwood will miss out this year on finals.  They look to have ran out of steam against the big clubs.

[Aerlik]

Round 15
Apoloties for the delay as I was feeling pretty average last week - in no way related to what happened in Tasmania, I might add.

Port Adelaide 66-63 Collingwood
Whilst I tipped the pies to win, I am delighted to see Port win this game.  It was a real battle throughout and was great viewing, even if it was relatively low scoring.  Collingwood is starting to lose a bit of its early season potency and my prediction of them not making the finals is looming more likely.  For Port, they have to win most if not all of their games to guarantee finals action.

Richmond 71-41 Carlton.
I didn't see any of this game but the result went according to plan.  The Carlton woes continue with a season-ending injury to Bryce Gibbs.  The Tigers are just humming along and are sitting just outside the top 4.  Expectations are starting to rise that perhaps a Top 4 placing awaits.  Time will tell.

Essendon 69-60 Melbourne
Yet another defeat for the Demons when they should, quite frankly, have blown the Bombers out of the ground (no pun intended).  10.9 to 7.18 says it all.  That's the third or fourth game the Demons have lost in such circumstances this year.  Must be frustrating to be a fan.

Western Bulldogs 95-73 Gold Coast Suns
A sensational 10-goal final quarter hauled the dogs past the Suns in an amazing game.  Since his return to the Suns team, Ablett has really been felt and would appear to have lifted the team immensely.  But even his genious could not help the Suns to another win. I was watching this game on the AFL site score-tracker and I couldn't help but admire the tenacity of the Dogs.  Down 9.5 to 4.9 at three quarter time it all looked over but then the final quarter started!!!

North Melbourne 120-79 Geelong
It's not often a team beats the Cats by 41 points.  It's even rarer for the Kangaroos to score so highly.  I didn't see any of the game but the win keeps the roos in finals contention and the Cats are just outside the top 8.

Themmuns (W'eagles) 147-91 Adelaide
An extremely poignant night in Perth saw the Crows play their first game since the murder of Phil Walsh, their head coach.  I only watched a bit of the third quarter and the game was all over by then.  The scenes at the end as the Crows walked off the ground were quite appropriate.  Would that all the Eagles fans had such decorum.

Greater Western Sydney 84-49 St. Kilda
Nothing special to report.  The highlights reel was pretty average too.

Hawthorn 115-43 Fremantle.
Mother of Mercy!  Thank jaysus I had a good reason not to watch this shite...work!  I haven't even bothered to watch the highlights on the AFL site.  This result was due to happen, and Freo's form slump in recent weeks came to a head.  Notwithstanding the illegal antics of Sam Mitchell who deliberately kneed Nat Fyfe in the thigh, thus rendering the superstar practically immobile for the rest of the game, this was a clear indication that Hawthorn are only just hitting peak form.  It does not augur well for the rest of us.

Brisbane 49-70 Sydney.
Yep, well the status quo continues.  Average at best.

So at the end of the round, Fremantle is now only one game ahead of the chasing pack of themmuns, Sydney and Hawthorn.  The next three weeks will sort out the top 4 I feel.

[Aerlik]

Round 16

North Melbourne 93-68 Essendon
Don't you just love to see a team which has clearly cheated and been caught out, getting beat.  Not too many outside of Melbourne would be mourning this result.  It was average viewing for Friday night footy.

Geelong 72-64 Western Bulldogs
There was never any more than 12 points separating these two at the end of the first, second or third quarters.  The Dogs were looking for their first win in Geelong for several years and the Cats were trying to avoid losing four games at home in a season for the first time in over a decade.  I watched the highlights  but can't seem to remember anything of note.

Greater Western Sydney 94-79 Gold Coast
Only 15 points separated them in the end but the 29-19 scoring shots in favour of the Giants portrays a better image - they should have won by much more.  The Giants might just do enough to get into the finals but that might be as far as it goes for them this year.

Themmuns 87-56 Collingwood
Probably the only time in the year when the Collingwood fan base would have been bolstered by an additional 50,000+ (Freo fans, that is).  I, for one, was shouting for the pies but that was a fruitless effort.  Oh dear, oh dear oh dear oh dear...the slippery slope continues.  For themmuns, the injury to young key defender Jeremy McGovern is a massive blow and whilst I detest anything to do with that club, I won't gloat in the injury to another team's player - even one of themmuns. Themmuns now has the task of playing Sydney and Hawthorn in the next three weeks and that could be the difference to a top 2 position or out of the Top 4.  Suddenly the Sydney and Hawthorn fan bases are bolstered by 50,000+ again. Themmuns made it to the top of the league for the first time in several years after this game...albeit for three hours.

Hawthorn 146-57 Sydney
Eeeeek.  Need I say more. 

Fremantle 95-53 Carlton
Normality restored.  Not a great game but still a good, solid win which saw Chris Mayne kick 4 (he could've had 7) and big Jon Griffin return to senior football for the first time in over a year.  And what an effort by the big man.  An injury to star forward Haydn Ballantyne where he tore a pec could see him out for the rest of the season but his loss won't be that huge based on his recent form which has been fair to middlin' to be honest.  Fyfe was heavily tagged (man-marked) in this game reducing his potency and he was still carrying an injury from the week before when Mitchell of the Hawks deliberately kneed him.  Why Mitchell wasn't suspended is just one more example of the shocking inconsistency of the Match Review Panel. 
However, cast your minds back a few rounds when I was extolling the virtues of the Freo small forward, Michael Walters.  Now, go to the AFL website and watch the video of the stunning mark he took in the final quarter of this game.  Definitely mark of the year without any doubt.    A massive game against Richmond at the MCG awaits the lads next week and could go a long way in deciding if Freo finish top 2 or not.

Melbourne 60-36 Brisbane
When you get beat this much by Melbourne you really wish your season was over.

Adelaide 116 - 113 Port Adelaide
Do yourself a favour, if you can, and watch this match.  Even 24 hours after the end of it, the adrenaline is still going.  This was the first time the two teams played each other since the murder of Phil Walsh who was so important to both clubs.  As well as being the Head Coach of Adelaide, he was in the backroom staff of the 2004 Port Adelaide Premiership-winning team.  Fittingly both teams entered the packed Adelaide Oval (record crowd of over 52,000) together but that is where the friendship ended.  Adelaide led throughout even up by 30 points at three quarter time.  Then the comeback began with Port just falling short having kicked 4.5 to 0.2 in the final quarter.  As the auld saying goes, goals win games.
After the game there were moving scenes as the daughter of Phil Walsh presented the MOTM medal, and the crowd (it was a Port home game and practically everyone stayed) applauded for a minute.  Great stuff.  Would loved to have been there.

Richmond 89-73 St. Kilda
In yet another significant game, family and humanity came before footy in a sad memorial to the sister of Nick Riewoldt, Captain of the Saints, and cousin of Jack, the Tigers full-forward.
A 52-point three quarter time lead for the Tigers was almost overhauled in the end by the Saints who came storming back to kick 6.2 to 0.3 in the final quarter only to lose by 16 points.  There is concern in the Tigers camp about the fade-outs that have been happening.  Let's hope such fade-outs continue next week, starting in the second minute of the first quarter.

And so for the - jaysus I forget how many weeks it has been - severaleth week, Fremantle are sitting aloft the ladder.  Themmuns are second followed by the Hawks and Swans.  Now the pointy end of the season beckons.

[Aerlik]

Round 17

Hawthorn 173-35 Carlton
Yes, you read that correctly.  The biggest loss in Carlton's history.  And finally the AFL has conceded it got it very wrong by setting up the fixtures so that Carlton would have the most Friday night games this season, (traditionally the slot with the largest TV viewership).  Well I, for one, didn't watch it.  Mini-me's school volleyball match and birthday bbq were more pressing concerns.  And we had further cause to celebrate as he has been selected for the Perth Demons U-14 Development squad (equivalent to playing County level in the GAA).  This auld boy is a tad happy about that.

Geelong 69-42 Greater Western Sydney
You cannot let a man like Tom Hawkins kick five goals and expect to win.  The GWS inconsistency continues and many, like me, tipped them to win this game but there is more than one life in this season's cats.  Both teams sit outside the Top 8 on the slenderest of percentages.  It's going to be scrappy from here on in for both.

Adelaide 125-80 Gold Coast Suns
And there we were, all looking forward to watching the rest of the season with Ablett back in the team, then, BANG!  A season-ending knee injury to the superstar.  The AFL is a tough business and even the best are not immune to the rigours of Aussie Rules.  Sad to see this and just hope he is right for next season.  I want my son to watch Ablett play in the flesh as he is fantastic to watch.  I only watched the highlights of the game and other than Ablett's injury there was nothing of real note.

Fremantle 82-78 Richmond
Where do I start?  Six weeks ago the Tigers skelped our arses in Perth and that defeat began a bit of a drop in form for Freo, whilst sparking a bit of a resurgence in Tiger forturnes.  The game on Saturday was seen by many as the making or breaking of both teams' top 4 ambitions for the season, and Freo's top 2.  Well, guess who didn't watch the game, at all?!  No, I had to work night shift and so dozed off around 2pm, then woke at 6 expecting the Doomsday Cult to have overtaken my phone with SMS's from gleeful Themmuns fans (yes, I have a few WCE-supporting friends).  The silence was deafening.  I knew something was wrong, or right as it were.
Freo only led on two occasions through the whole game, the second minute of the first quarter (I predicted a Tigers demise from that point onwards, last week) and the twelfth minute of the second quarter.  In between the Tigers were dominant but couldn't score goals, instead kicking points and hitting posts. 12.10 to 10.18 says it all.  Then with three minutes left, the brilliant Pavlich took a mark out on the wing and centred the ball to young Tom Sheridan who was only about 30m out, almost directly in front of goal.  It would win the game, surely.  Oh no, he missed and suddenly Tigers had a get out of jail card in the shape of a 2-point lead with only little over a minute to play.  Houli took the kick in but sent it straight up the middle to a waiting Ibbotson of Freo who spotted David Mundy practically in front of the goals.  Suddenly there was hope for Freo and the mercurial Mundy didn't disappoint slotting a 50m set shot to send Freo into the lead with 30 seconds left, a lead they hung on to.  Deadly stuff.  Probably a good decision I didn't watch.  Just goes to show that goals win games and it isn't over till it's, well, over I suppose.   

Port Adelaide 129-116 Essendon
A very high-scoring game with lots of exciting play throughout and Chad Wingard almost pulled off the mark of the year with an incredible effort only to lose his balance at the last second.  He is such a brilliant player to watch.  Patrick Ryder, the former Essendon ruckman, got booed incessantly by the bombers fans but he answered them by kicking goals at crucial times.  The season just keeps getting worse for the drug cheats.  Just rewards.

North Melbourne 110-38 Brisbane
Nothing of note other than Brett Harvey playing his 400th. AFL  game.  Some feat.

Western Bulldogs 104-86 Collingwood
A significant win for the Dogs and a significant loss for the Pies.  The former cements its place in the top 8, the latter drops down the ladder and the reality of no finals footy is starting to dawn on the club.  As I predicted.  I only watched the highlights.

Saint Kilda 83-46 Melbourne.
Yeah well, this was average at best.  I haven't even bothered to watch the highlights.

WCE 103-51 Sydney Swans.
"Australia is not a racist country, but it is full of racists", is something I was told prior to arriving on these shores over fifteen years ago.  Yesterday I saw that blatant, disgusting racism for myself.  Now, before Alrite Horse has a cheap dig at me for going to a Themmuns game, I must point out that I was only there because the lady had two free tickets and I wanted to go and see if Themmuns were as good as the WA media makes them out to be.  What I did see was a considerably weakened Swans team minus four first team players through injury and suspension dominated by a good midfield.
However, my abiding memory of the "experience" will be the shocking, incessant booing of one of the greats of the modern game, and a player who has won it all and even received the highest accolade - Australian Of The Year - Adam Goodes.  Any time he was near the play or got the ball, the racism that still tarnishes this land came to the fore.  I have no desire to support Sydney but when he scored their first goal, Goodes was met by a wave of booing.  And to have the media describe it as "a few" is bollix.  There were thousands booing, including parents of young children seated near me.  So I stood up and cheered for him.  The glares I got, said it all.  Thereafter, any time he was involved in play he was jeered, to the point that when Lewis Jetta scored a goal in the fourth quarter he turned to the Eagles fans and performed an aboriginal war dance.  That, too, was booed and jeered at.
What a sad memory for myself and others in the crowd who wanted to see a champion man and player on the field for probably the last time.  Shame on you, Eagles "fans".

So there you have it, another round and still Freo sits atop the table.  Themmuns is next followed by Hawthorn and Sydney.

[stephenite]

Even watching on TV you could see it was disgraceful

[TabClear]

Even watching on TV you could see it was disgraceful

Just watched that game.  The crowd booing off Goodes was like something you would see in the premiership. . Grim to watch. While the Goodes reaction has more sinister undertones,the booing of players is something that has becoming more common over the past few years.  Ryder got a hard time on Saturday as well from the bombers. I think Ablett even got booed at  geelong!

[Never beat the deeler]

Even watching on TV you could see it was disgraceful

Just watched that game.  The crowd booing off Goodes was like something you would see in the premiership. . Grim to watch. While the Goodes reaction has more sinister undertones,the booing of players is something that has becoming more common over the past few years.  Ryder got a hard time on Saturday as well from the bombers. I think Ablett even got booed at  geelong!

It's horrible. I never really liked Nathan Buckley, but since his regular slot on AFL360, he's one of my favourite people to listen to about the game. He spoke well on Monday night about booing in general, and he was measured and non-sensationalist about the whole thing.
At the other end of the scale is Mark Robinson - I'm just watching Tuesday's episode, they are talking about the game in two weeks in Geelong. Robbo says that if there is booing, he hopes that Goodes walks off the field, and goes further to say that the Swans, and Geelong should walk off.

It seems to me that Robbo would love something like this to happen so he can write about it, he seems to have this fake indignation, but at the same time his priority isn't Goodes well-being. If he was never booed again, I have the feeling Robbo would be gutted.

Edit: FFS he (Robbo) just said he's concerned that Goodes will self-harm. Where is that coming from?