Enough is enough

[giant]

I don't know about you guys but I am sick to bloody death of being spoken down to and putting up with innane comments from Melbourne commentators. Examples:

Less than a minute left in the 3rd quarter, we kick a goal and we hear, 'That will buy some breathing space for the Swans.' Breathing space? We lead by 30 points at that stage.

The end of the 3rd quarter Jetta kicks a goal after the siren and we are told, '...the Sydney crowd doesn't know as much as we do about Afl...they thought it was a goal.' At the game the roar of the crowd was like the swell of a wave. Up it went till we all heard the siren then we returned to hoping the young bloke would do it next quarter.

Finally, being interviewed after the game he (Jetta) was nearly cutoff in his last thoughts by a fool who was not listening to the young man speak.

Surely in Australia's greatest city, this great game could have Sydney callers and commentators...not blokes that played for us, but people who live here and love the team.

Forgive me if anger does not breed a PC attitude within

This quote in particular was just shameful - hey, Matty, any chance that we didn't hear the siren coz we were cheering so hard? Just about worth getting the Human Rights Commission on to that fool.

And yes, Clinton - sigh.

[Primmy]

Her problem wasn't knowing the names, just putting them to the correct faces.

At least she corrects herself.....its always been the blokes who call wrong names out, and can't be bothered to correct. Its a very fast game to call, and the moments pass just like "that".

However, Matthew Lloyd is a git.

The ignorant ones still blobb on about Sydney crowds not knowing........yadda yadda yadda.......stupid stupid men. I figure if I have attended all (except for broken leg and death knell flu) games since 1996, and what I haven't attended I have watched on tv, and recorded each winning game, and swapped them over from video to dvd. That makes me - what 15 years? - somewhere in amongst that I might just have learned the rules. And I didn't have to have to go to school or anything to do so. Why oh why are we inflicted with such disrespectful ignorance I fail to understand. Ah, well that may be the clue, ignorant, brainless, thick.

And yes, I miss Clinton Grybas....that spark in his eye and fabulous enjoyment of his environment and the game.....not fair.

[Captain]

Kelli was far worse, she needed to be corrected on numerous occasions by the other supposed commentators. Please Kelli learn the players names.

Surely you could say that for a lot of commentators.

Personally I can't stand Dwayne Russell. I find his calling biased and boring. Don't get me started on his repeated use of: 'that was a spear', 'position 1A' and 'entering time on'

[Chookbilly]

This quote in particular was just shameful - hey, Matty, any chance that we didn't hear the siren coz we were cheering so hard? Just about worth getting the Human Rights Commission on to that fool.

And yes, Clinton - sigh.

Totally agree, Llyod is a twat, and I'm pretty sure he made a similar comment about Sydney crowds a little earlier in the match.
I couldn't believe his ignorance to say it once, let alone twice!

[Big Al]

Enough is enough

This quote in particular was just shameful - hey, Matty, any chance that we didn't hear the siren coz we were cheering so hard? Just about worth getting the Human Rights Commission on to that fool.

And yes, Clinton - sigh.

He doesn't like the Sydney crowds because the tool is oblivious to reality in that he could never understand why we booed him every chance we got.

[Doctor J.]

He doesn't like the Sydney crowds because the tool is oblivious to reality in that he could never understand why we booed him every chance we got.

Yeah sure Matty, giving the umps and him a serve as he was presented with the Marn Grook whatever it is, that night when McPhee passed the ball from behind the bar in the members and still wasn't called out, is not understanding the rules.

Apart from being a boring brainless git, he doesn't have the voice to be a commentator.

[jono2707]

When Team GWS comes in these commentators are really going to do a great job welcoming all of those thousands of budding new AFL fans out there in western Sydney that are just dying to embrace our game aren't they?

[Beaussie]

How about one of the networks getting Dale Lewis to commentate Sydney games. Always enjoyed his contribution when he was on The Fat. Agree with the sentiments expressed in this thread, enough is enough with the Victorian commentators.

[TheHood]

I was appalled at the call of the Dees game particularly the opening when Green's shot at goal bounced off the post. Friday night Collingwood game and they would be all over it.

Commetti, Bruce and co just spent the game barracking for Melbourne.

Victorian's hate us and I can see why. We can be pretty hard to swallow when we play lock down footy but we have equal rights at impartial calling. The AFL is more worried about the Sydney market and I would suggest they should be having a quiet word about the calling of interstate teams...

[Jewels]

When Team GWS comes in these commentators are really going to do a great job welcoming all of those thousands of budding new AFL fans out there in western Sydney that are just dying to embrace our game aren't they?

Exactly right Jono.
In frustration at one particularly annoying game earlier in the season, I sent an email to both Fox sports and Channel Ten stating that with the present band of commentators they will alienate more Sydney people than attract them.

[magic.merkin]

Surely in Australia's greatest city,

get your hand off it.

[Go Swannies]

The opening post has a touch of Sydney Vs Melbourne about it.
I mean come on, to claim commentators from Melbourne are crap, and that they should be replaced with guys that are in Sydney?!
And then to label Sydney as the greatest city in Australia.

Not to open a can of worms, but to me, that's like people wanting Gillard as PM purely on gender.

A good commentator is a good commentator, regardless of location.

In that case there isn't a good commentator doing televised footy. There is ALWAYS a snide putdown of Sydney in any coverage, like the Swans is a quaint experiment. We've had it with Tadhg and still do - "the Irishman" isn't an expresssion I've heard used about Jim Stynes recently. Kieren's only role on the field is to stick it to League, Mike Pyke is a Rugby import and every bloody Swans player is an ex-somewhere else! McGlynn and Kennedy's towelling up of their old team was worth a mention or two but Jetta is ex-Swans Districts or wherever. Mattner is an ex-Crow. B2 is still a bloody ex Lion, for goodness sake.

In 2005 the coverage was bit fairer because the Swans were hard to avoid. But any praise is grudging these days for our blue-collar team (with the only playing double Brownlow medallist one of the few left from when that term was first coined).

Over the past month, the Blues lost to the Swans (the Swans didn't win) and the Premiership-bound Hawks were caned by the Swans and it was all their fault. In between, the Swans were gone after being Smashed by the Young Stars of the Dees and again by that team of stars that only became plodders when they played the Pies. At least that's the media portrayal.

One week on AFL Teams a few weeks ago they forgot to review the Swans team at all (oh well, not important - now let's look at the Doggies' individual line-ups). Last night's On the Couch was a rare exception. There was a lot of time on why the Hawks lost but rather than just move to the next game, there was a look at the Swans - and genuine discussion of the Jetta goal and Jack's incredible performance. Just as I was thinking that finally the Melbourne media were taking us seriously we moved onto a lot of discussion about how the Swans can only ever perform on the SCG. I must have missed the SCG Grand Final then.

I have friends who have no interest in footy but earn their living out of nuances in language. Around me they get exposed to footy and both have commented on the subtle putdowns that characterise all media coverage of the Swans. The Sydney papers even do it when they lift articles from the Melbourne press without subbing it for bias.

Rave over. We need commentators for the Sydney market or the AFL will find GWS an even harder sell. It p***es me off but I love my team. As a non-involved Sydneysider I'd turn off before half time. The semi-keen can't even listen to the excellent Sydney 2MMM coverage while viewing the TV because of the time lag.

[Jesse Richards]

I have friends who have no interest in footy but earn their living out of nuances in language. Around me they get exposed to footy and both have commented on the subtle putdowns that characterise all media coverage of the Swans. The Sydney papers even do it when they lift articles from the Melbourne press without subbing it for bias.

Spot on, Go Swannies. Whether people are consciously aware of those nuances or not, the reality is that prejudices, biases, attitude etc do come through in languaging, tone of voice etc. It's good that you put it into words as clearly as you did throughout your post.

[magic.merkin]

Seriously I don't think it's that bad, and we do struggle to win away from the scg over recent years.

But yeah whatever, you guys against the world if that's what makes you feel better.

Riddle me this, why for 3 weeks straight did Sydney's own Sunrise fail to mention the swans sunday game at all? even with a belting of Cartank?

It's everywhere, and whilst you are pondering, do remember that Sydney played a club who also didn't get a mention.

As a non Victiorian, living here reading the tripe that comes out about victorian clubs losing to us etc is painful. Just wear it, if the club isn't pushing the wheel barrow for change then I don't think it matters to much.

Embrace the underdog status, just don't whine to much about inferiority. You only feel what you let them make you feel.

[Damien]

I do hear funny things in the crowd from long term members "Like Kick off", "Why wasn't that a penalty?", that make me cringe, but I think the overall knowledge of the rules etc are as strong as in most other places.

The one thing I get REALLY annoyed at is that Sydney based fans seemed to get laughed at when we yell ball or ask for free kicks for whatever reason, but EVERY club at every level, the same thing happens and will always happen during the heat of the battle and has nothing to do with knowing rules or getting the game, it's all about trying to get decisions to go our way.

As for commentators, Eddie McGuire (who I really don't enjoy as a commentator) raised a valid point when he took over Nine, he suggested that Brisbane and Sydney needed a more bias commentary team on TV, similiar to what 7 used to do for WC and Crows games in the 90s with Neil Kerley etc. I think casual Swans fans (Not talking about RWO here), have very little interest in the competition as a whole and are turned off by what can be deemed as Melbourne centric coverage, it's a bit like all the Socceroos coverage being looked after by the UK Media instead of our own, it would fail to inspire and during this ongoing development stage of the game in this city, it is worth looking at something radical to engage the greater population that really doesn't give two hoots about "Gazza Watch" or which Melbourne based coach is under pressure this week.