Great article. Top of the heap. This to me is gods honest truth. Ironic, since god does not exist (its been proven but people still wish to believe otherwise.....and being told to get a haircut - this aint the army where short hair might save your life)
I am not at all sad that he is going. Let them waste their money.
To me it just gets people to ask the question once presented with AFL: "Now you've seen it, do you like it?"
Yet its a question many have answered already. AFL is a rejected game by a large number of Australians. Relying on a Polynesian player to convert us is folly. And lump hunt in with that.
I bet they didnt consult John Oneil on this one.
That may be so. I think he will go alright, and if by some chance he is incredible I think we will all be surprised. At the end of the day I think people will look at this deal and judge that it was not worth the money.
People go on and on about AFL skill. I ask, what skill? Kicking, jumping and catching, and running around as if trying to catch a mad chicken on the ground. There is not much to it. And so too they go on and on about the great kicking....but so what. If kicking is the ONE skill in the game that happens a lot, of course you are going to train on it, anyone can kick a ball, and if you train long enough, have long and powerful legs (the latter of which is not hard to develop), sure, you are going to get good at kicking.
Reminds me of baseball players and throwing. They throw tens of thousands of balls back and forth each year. Same with AFL and kicking. Yeah, you'll get good at kicking.
AFL is a paradox......a game with no offside rule, and its main skills are kicking and jumping and catching....is it any surprise he passed the test run with flying colours? You'd only rule out a down syndrome in a wheelchair, surely. Yet they call it super skillful. They say its a great 360 degree game and its best apreciated for people who MIGHT come into play all around....but hey, it looks a mess, and sorry, I have watched it live, and no, I dont like it. Because what is there to like about it??
Its a structureless rabble, and the compromised scoring would surely be a world-wide joke if only the world knew about it.
And they say we rl fans must be jealous of the AFL's popularity and strength and power atm. Its not jealousy. Its bewilderment.
After all, we are talking about a society where fast food is highly desirable. Religion is declining but popular in spite of proof of its non real core. Just because they are popular does not mean much. Some people love the game and some hate it. People I meet from overseas cannot get over it, "but its so crap" they say. All of AFL's strengths are subjective. Just because we are talking about it does not mean we are taken up by it.
I've rejected the game numerous times - every time they try and shove it down my throat. No, Falou wont be missed and its highly unlikely AFL will be liked more by him just being there. No amount of psychological maneuvering is going to make up for the fact that many just plain dont like it.
WOW, what a post, mind if i ask you a few questions?, thanks, i will, but first of all, im not some big footy troll, i follow both codes (yeah yeah i know, youve heard that before) fact is i hate stupid people, i hate trolls, be it of the NRL/AFL variety.
now, lets get down to bussiness.
skill, AFL.
kicking, often on the opposite foot, abilty to hit fast moving targets, lateraly or diaganally, often under pressure, ability to kick long distances whilst running flatout, on both feet, with precision too, you must also run flat out to the contest you kick too, an unwritten law of Aussie rules, just to butter up in case your needed, must have good decision making abilitys.
thoughts
awareness, most important, remember, you can get smashed for just being in the vicinty of the ball, also, 360 degree vision is needed but obviously impossible, you often just dont see the hit coming.
handballing, pretty much the same as above, must be creative, must use both hands (which is easier said than done, beleive me), must have penetration for long range handballs, this is a very difficult skill, much harder than throwing the ball.
thoughts?
marking, often whilst running flatout directly at the ball, the ball often travells in exess of 100kmh, and im not talking about taking it on your chest but in your hands, more often than not under extreme pressure from an opponant/opponants, also often whilst extremly fatigued, also use of the body in marking duels, the courage needed to run back with the flight of the ball without knowing whats coming is frightening, if you take your eyes off the ball, its an instant free kick to anyone you make front on contact with, example of the courage needed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW-x90N4ZBw
thoughts??????????????????????????????????
running ability, no need to explain that one.
thoughts??
goal kicking, the holy grail, looks easy yeah, its not, set shots from directly in front should be kicked, but as you know they often arnt, all fwds should have the ability to make the ball bounce left to right upon bounceing, a pretty simple skill really, it should be used in both rugby codes but ive never seen it used TBH, ability to kick bananas, snaps (reverse banana)
tackling, ability to take your opponant down or dispossess him without giving away a free kick.
bouncing the ball, almost always done at full speed, sometimes done while trying to avoid tacklers pretty easy if you know how to do it but not so if you cant, irish and other imports have really struggled with this skill.
ball handling, abiltiy to scoop the ball up one handed whilst running flat out often whilst under pressure, also ball handling ability, knowing when and when not to pick the ball up.
abilty not to give away free kicks, in the back/high tackles ect.
tackle breaking abiltys, footwork, balance, strengh, ect ect.
this is without mentioning ruckwork, midfeild plays, defending and such, could you list the skills required for league please?
FWIW, theres a few skills involved for a skilless sport isnt there, fact is mate, elite players of both codes make things look easy, sorry to break the news to you but they're not.
