Footy lingo - especially for newbies

[Nico]

You can be good long kick but not an accurate kick. Someone who sprays his kicks is not a good ball user. Good hands means you are quick to handball and accurate, or is a good one grab mark. One criticism of Sinclair is that he fumbles marks or spills them so he doesn't have good hands. Buddy is not good over head so doesn't have good hands. Hanners is good with hands regards handball but not a good ball user because he often kicks blindly to nowhere in particular.

[bloodspirit]

So good kick just means can kick the ball a long way, you say? I always thought it meant that you were a "good deliverer of the footy by foot". And hence the term "good ball user". I like it better my way - so much simpler.

OK, now I'm straying beyond lingo, why is Hanners able to impact a game so much when he is no good at using the ball by foot? I'll attempt an answer myself. He is super fit and can get to every contest and compete for the ball effectively. He works really hard with his two way running and second, third efforts. He's good at using the ball by hand. He's courageous. And, I presume, he must be good at knowing where to run. Perhaps a key difference with Hiscox (along with the ability to get the ball).

[Bloods05]

"Good hands below his knees" is an anatomically bizarre Breretonism.

[bloodspirit]

OK, another question: what does "athletic" mean? Does it mean quick? Does it mean good endurance runner? Does it mean agile? (Presumably they say agile when they mean agile?) Does it mean good at jumping? Does it mean all of these things taken as a package? Perhaps this seems pedantic but I often get the feeling that when a footy pundit uses this word it has a particular meaning beyond just fit or sporty, which it might mean if I said it in the office. For instance Fox Footy has described Shaun Edwards as an "athletic" wingman. What the hell do they mean?

[Nico]

"Athletic" is an interesting one. In my early days of watching footy in the 60's and 70's I don't recall hearing the term. A smaller, solidly built player was said to be "nuggety". There were rucks and taller key position players but the 6 foot plus running player was probably confined to a half back flank. Your full back didn't venture far and wasn't that quick, until along came David Dench for North who was a dasher. "the player"evolved over a couple of decades. At one point some recruiter had the idea that a medium sized player with slightly hunched shoulders was the new dynamo because they recruited one who was a gun. Others then latched on. Richmond in their heyday had Bourke and Clay playing wing who were taller than usual, as was Keith Greig. But these people were never called athletic. Many clubs had sub 6 foot players who were quick and played on the wing.

Players were recruited because they could play football. All of a sudden, I think in the 90's, athletic players became the vogue. Football skills were not that necessary because the athletic player was now 6'4", lean and could run like the wind. So the athlete was not that heavy but provided another asset that gave a different dynamic to a team. An athletic race horse is seen as sleek, fine and bouncy with a longer body.

Buddy is athletic, as is Rohan, none of our midfield is athletic but AA is. In the nuggety class are Papley, Hanners and McGlynn very much so. Puopolo is probably the quintessential nuggety player. If your look at the Bulldogs they have a lot of quick players who you would call athletic and it almost seems like that is what they look for in a player. On TV tonight they showed their draftees. All look lean and quick. Yes 18 and raw but very similar to a lot of players they have.

[Meg]

Ok, here's another commonly used term. "Hard-at-it VFL defender joins Dons as Category B rookie". (from AFL website).

John Longmire uses the 'hard-at-it' description a lot. What does he mean?

NB: responses will be moderated for content that might be considered offensive!

[Nico]

They go in hard for the footy, have 2nd and 3rd efforts, head over the ball, tackle hard and stick tackles.

[bloodspirit]

OK, another one, probably with a clearer answer. What does flying the flag mean? Best I can gather it is when teammates retaliate after the opponents get some cheap shot on a player. Has it gone out of vogue? Did it used to be considered strategic or honourable? Has it become less common? And is that because coaches and teams consider it is smarter not to retaliate (just be "professional" and "disciplined") or for a different reason? Is there a contrary view that there is still a place for it or is this just a view held by fans?

[dimelb]

I think it once had the meaning of retaliation but is now more about intervention - for Swans at least! - as in what happened after Mad Dog Johnson attacked Josh.

[sharp9]

Don't forget that if you are no good you will go "back the the Magoos where you belong." Mr. Magoo was a kids TV character (I think) who, conveniently rhymes with "twos" ie the reserves (not the ones!)

[royboy42]

Twos also the 'dew kickers'.
Even further back, the 'seconds'. In those days there were also the 'thirds'!
Every game in 50s , and well into the 60s had the 3rds at 8 am or so, then the 2nds and the firsts at 2ish.
Often the seconds would be coming off the field as the firsts ran on..
You sure got bang for your buck back then.

[dejavoodoo44]

OK, another one, probably with a clearer answer. What does flying the flag mean? Best I can gather it is when teammates retaliate after the opponents get some cheap shot on a player. Has it gone out of vogue? Did it used to be considered strategic or honourable? Has it become less common? And is that because coaches and teams consider it is smarter not to retaliate (just be "professional" and "disciplined") or for a different reason? Is there a contrary view that there is still a place for it or is this just a view held by fans?

Yes, "flying the flag" generally means making it obvious where your true allegiances lie. Which can often be as part of a melee. I'm pretty sure it has it's origins as an old nautical term, possibly from the 18th century. That is, it comes about from hostile ships sailing under false or neutral flags, and then hoisting their true colours when in reach of their target. For instance, a pirate ship sailing with a British flag and then changing to a Jolly Roger.

[56-14]

My understanding of "Flying the Flag" is not the retaliation or part of a melee thing.
Rather - let's hang in there - down & out, but don't capitulate, don't throw in the towel.

[sharp9]

My understanding of "Flying the Flag" is not the retaliation or part of a melee thing.
Rather - let's hang in there - down & out, but don't capitulate, don't throw in the towel.

No, flying the Flag is always in reference to the physical stuff...as in soldiers planting the Flag at the Top of Iwo Jima....Richie Van den Berg anyone....he also marked a "Line in the sand"....(See the Sands of Iwo Jima)

https://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://www.iwojima.com/bond/lflage.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.iwojima.com/&h=742&w=602&tbnid=qxBWsOdiEv4JPM:&vet=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=150&docid=xDmqG9xsrhgdVM&itg=1&usg=__TFwW7v_Qt17i8oGrojvPO_xcglE=&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjum-C1pv_QAhUDNbwKHRm3DgMQ_B0IdzAK&ei=-1FXWK6yL4Pq8AWZ7roY#h=742&imgdii=qxBWsOdiEv4JPM%3A%3BqxBWsOdiEv4JPM%3A%3BvRzhY267l86kCM%3A&tbnh=186&tbnw=150&vet=1&w=602

[Nico]

A player was said to be a "weak reed" if they were an outside player who didn't like the hard stuff. Also a player who "pulled out" of a contest was said to have "shirked the issue". It was said they were a "shirker".