Rnd 9 Match Day Thread. Hawthorn V Sydney. MCG. 19.50 pm.

[crackedactor]

There was nothing soft about that 50 against Cyyyyrrriiillll - he got warned 3 times at least by the Umpire for getting over the mark and continued to do so.

As for the supporters comments, it really does matter who you run in to. Case in point is the Crows - usually I've found them to be pretty tame, latte sipping types - but then this year at the Adelaide oval on the way out run into a raucous bunch that were off their faces and clearly looking to try and pick fights.

In terms of Hawthorn, I had no major issues before we won the flag in 2012. But after that, I've witnessed (and been subject to) substantial vitriol, especially since we got Buddy. The two games in Melbourne in 2014 in particular were pretty awful - in particular the GF, which stands out in my memory for seeing some of the most deplorable behaviour I've ever seen at a footy game, and the 2015 1st game in Melbourne was no better.

I've given up on games against them away from home for a while (may go if we ever play them in Tasmania again). But every group has their good and bad fans - although repeat offenders don't help one to have a good image of a club.

Also a bit confused when Zac Jones got paid a mark and then was thrown to the ground in the last quarter, why is that a soft 50 m penalty???

[Triple B]

Also a bit confused when Zac Jones got paid a mark and then was thrown to the ground in the last quarter, why is that a soft 50 m penalty???

Only soft in the sense that the ball traveled about 10-11m max and it should have been play on. At the end of the day you have to play to the whistle and on top of that, it's hard to feel sorry for Smith who I rate as a grade one knob. Admittedly he has some stiff competition among some of his teammates for that title...

[Mel_C]

Or the two swans who should have been penalised for tripping.
We also got three really, really soft 50s.
It all evens out in the end.

Yeah that's what I was saying Annie that both sides were affected....But the media only highlighted the 2 missed trips to the hawks but failed to mention our missed frees.

[dimelb]

Did you give them back?

Or did you invoke an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?

[dejavoodoo44]

Or did you invoke an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?

Now that I think about, I probably would have given them back straight away. As it's sort of easy to imagine, the great torrent of spittle that would be emanating from someone who was shouty, irate and recently toothless.

[mcs]

That's about right. I've been to plenty of soccer matches in Europe where the fans' behaviour was terrifyingly violent; you never see anything like that at the footy. I never think twice about taking my family to an AFL match.

The only supporters that have ever given me grief were from the Bulldogs. Once when some drunken moron set fire to my wife's handbag. And another time when an angry Bulldogs supporter got so worked up abusing Paul Kelly that his false teeth fell out and landed in my lap. That was really scary.

Yep some of what goes on in Europe at football matches is still terrifying, despite it being a shadow of what used to regularly occur in the 70s and 80s over there.

[Plugger46]

There was nothing soft about that 50 against Cyyyyrrriiillll - he got warned 3 times at least by the Umpire for getting over the mark and continued to do so.

As for the supporters comments, it really does matter who you run in to. Case in point is the Crows - usually I've found them to be pretty tame, latte sipping types - but then this year at the Adelaide oval on the way out run into a raucous bunch that were off their faces and clearly looking to try and pick fights.

In terms of Hawthorn, I had no major issues before we won the flag in 2012. But after that, I've witnessed (and been subject to) substantial vitriol, especially since we got Buddy. The two games in Melbourne in 2014 in particular were pretty awful - in particular the GF, which stands out in my memory for seeing some of the most deplorable behaviour I've ever seen at a footy game, and the 2015 1st game in Melbourne was no better.

I've given up on games against them away from home for a while (may go if we ever play them in Tasmania again). But every group has their good and bad fans - although repeat offenders don't help one to have a good image of a club.

Yep, spot on - it's all about who you come across. I've been to many games in Adelaide and aside from the 2003 QF, I've never had any dramas with them.

2014 GF is also the worst I've seen. Other than Kennedy kicking the first goal, we never had the ascendancy so they were relentless. Just a horrible day.

It's a shame that their behaviour has got you to this point because the last two victories against them in Melbourne have been very sweet.

[mcs]

Yep, spot on - it's all about who you come across. I've been to many games in Adelaide and aside from the 2003 QF, I've never had any dramas with them.

2014 GF is also the worst I've seen. Other than Kennedy kicking the first goal, we never had the ascendancy so they were relentless. Just a horrible day.

It's a shame that their behaviour has got you to this point because the last two victories against them in Melbourne have been very sweet.

The way my live away games are going so far this year (been to Crows away, Tigers away and Lions away) it is probably a good thing I wasn't there last Friday night Hoping for better results for the other away games we are going to (Norf and St Kilda away)!

[KTigers]

Yeah, I think with an away record like that you should consider not travelling to games that aren't being played in Sydney. I admire the dedication, but it might be time to put the team first. Just a thought.

The way my live away games are going so far this year (been to Crows away, Tigers away and Lions away) it is probably a good thing I wasn't there last Friday night Hoping for better results for the other away games we are going to (Norf and St Kilda away)!

[mcs]

Yeah, I think with an away record like that you should consider not travelling to games that aren't being played in Sydney. I admire the dedication, but it might be time to put the team first. Just a thought.

I was looking over my record of games the other day (I have a little book where I write down every game I go to and a few stray thoughts) and my away record is actually not bad over the 11 years I've been going to live swans games - I think it was around 65% winning rate, which is not too bad at all - with one god damn awful draw (rd 1 vs Melbourne around 2011 was it?) throw in for good luck.

Undefeated for Home Games this year however

[KTigers]

65% away game winning record ! I take it all back MCS. You should be travelling with the team. Do we really need a Travelling Emergency Ruckman? I think he's got get bumped, and you should take his place. I get how your winning percentage can be inflated by being choosy with the fixtures card (Geelong at Skilled? forget it..... or the Suns at Metricon, you're probably flying business class for that ten goal romp) but even taking that into account, you're pretty much guaranteeing us at least a Prelim every year.

I was looking over my record of games the other day (I have a little book where I write down every game I go to and a few stray thoughts) and my away record is actually not bad over the 11 years I've been going to live swans games - I think it was around 65% winning rate, which is not too bad at all - with one god damn awful draw (rd 1 vs Melbourne around 2011 was it?) throw in for good luck.

Undefeated for Home Games this year however

[mcs]

65% away game winning record ! I take it all back MCS. You should be travelling with the team. Do we really need a Travelling Emergency Ruckman? I think he's got get bumped, and you should take his place. I get how your winning percentage can be inflated by being choosy with the fixtures card (Geelong at Skilled? forget it..... or the Suns at Metricon, you're probably flying business class for that ten goal romp) but even taking that into account, you're pretty much guaranteeing us at least a Prelim every year.

No doubt a little inflated by a few trips to Brisbane and Gold Coast as I have family in northern NSW, but I've had a pretty decent run (given we've been a pretty damn good team for a large chunk of the last 11 years!) so far. Taking them out of it, probably somewhere closer to 50%, but still not bad

I'm guaranteeing a big win next week at Gold Coast as I'm not going - my brother is coming to visit me instead of me going up there, so I will miss the game. On this year's form, it is most definitely a good thing for the team.

I haven't got to Geelong at Skilled yet - was thinking of this being the year for that, but it will have to wait another year. Looking forward to a first venture to Tassie later in the year (Had wanted to go to the Hawks game in Launceston in 2012 but didn't get there!)

The joys of travelling and following our mighty red and whites around the country

[RogueSwan]

Only soft in the sense that the ball traveled about 10-11m max and it should have been play on. At the end of the day you have to play to the whistle and on top of that, it's hard to feel sorry for Smith who I rate as a grade one knob. Admittedly he has some stiff competition among some of his teammates for that title...

It was pretty close to 15m, if the mowing marks on the ground are, as they say, 10m apart. I paused my recording as it was kicked and it was an iffy distance, but the Swans got the benefit of the doubt this time.

[KTigers]

At the Club Champion function (following the grand final that shall not be spoken of) we were seated next to a retired couple who lived in Adelaide and travelled to Sydney for every home game. I was mightily impressed by their dedication to the cause. I also know of a Collingwood supporting Sydney family that moved in their entirety to Melbourne for the 2012 season so that they could "live the Magpie dream" and "be closer" to the team for six months. So they were kind of evil to MCS and the Adelaide couple's good. Anyway, I'm sure there is a book (or at least an article in the Good Weekend) in there about the travelling fan and their experiences out on the road.