devilsadvocate wrote:whufc wrote:Love the Geelong vs Footscray final at the MCG where Brownless? kicked the winner just ebfore or after the siren, the game was a cracker, would love to see that one again for sure.
Ahhhhhhhhh the football back in the 90's when i was passionate about the AFL, these days i don't give a carp apart from my tipping and fantasy sides.
I'd be interested to know why is that? I'm still passionate about Port, but less so about watching as many AFL games as I used to back in the 90's.
The current AFL is not the game that I as a junior played and dreamt about playing as an adult for Carlton.
Holding the ball was simple, if you picked the ball up and tried to run away from everyone and then were tackled you had to either handball the ball out or make an attempt, otherwise you were gone.
Players were encouraged and rewarded for winning the ball at the bottom of the packs. These days the biggest disadvantage in the game is being the first bloke to the contest.
Spekkies were allowed even if you had to place your hands on the opponent’s shoulders, shaking your opponents hand before and after a game was an absolute must and the hip and shoulder was a fair part of the game provided you kept your elbows tucked in a bumped between the shoulder and the hips.
Mud was all part of the fun and could bring even the best sides down and the sherrin bloody hurt at 9am on a 5 degree Sunday morning not wearing any gloves as you played.
There was still a place for the nuggetty five foot nothing that played as a rover/forward pocket and the skinny little runt on the wing that could run like the wind. Half back flankers were defenders, the full back took all the kick ins and forward pockets didn’t have to worry about tackle counts.
The game was simple the object for forwards was to get away from your opponent and kick goals, defenders stuck to there man like glue and midfielders just had to get as many kicks (note kicks) as possible. You never ever ever ever kicked the ball across goals either.
Defenders were allowed to defend; there was no tunnelling or chopping the arms. The number one rule for defending was if you couldn’t spoil the ball, spoil the hands. The only time we ever heard zone was when we use to talk about going to the near by game arcade Timezone after the game.
Boots came in black and black only, they took half an hour of the most focused mind frame to polish before and after each game and wearing your boots in the club room was an absolute sin.
When I took a mark 20 meters out directly in front I was allowed to wave to my parents, pull up my socks, throw the grass in the air to check the wind and re-do up my shoe laces.
We didn't recruit from the Elizabeth Little Athletics club either all our players came from the surounding primary schools and were all mates of someone in the side.
The game is not football as I played as a junior and I am only 26 years old, the most basic concepts and ideals are no longer part of thus great game that’s why I go and watch the SANFL every single week, the SANFL is slowly changing as well and one day ill probably be back watching Eastern Park in the ammos every week.
AFL of the 80's-90's =test cricket
current AFL= T20 cricket