#AFL Finals week 2 weekly discussion thread

[Ralph Dawg]

My point is, this is exactly the same justifation the Vic's have about Goodes.

I bet you could find that exact quote somewhere in the archives of Bigfooty.

Firstly, this would not be all Victorian supporters' view on Goodes. In fact I would only say the minority.
Secondly, I stand by my point that Goodes was not targeted by some perceived "grubbiness" - he staged for the odd free kick but it was because people didn't like an indigenous player speaking out against racism.
I know you would disagree with this point of view and that's your perogative. Happy to leave it at that and not rehash the Goodes debate in this thread.

[AnnieH]

I know TG is a bit grubby, however to give him a week for that trumped up charge is M. Christian reacting to outrage on SM, surely.

I consider it more like "making up for what they didn't do last week". He didn't really deserve to play against Brisbane.
He needs a week on the sidelines to think about what he does with his hands, GW$ need to lose to the colliwobbles, then the rest of the team can say "we lost because you weren't there".

[barry]

Just revisit your source of "Toby Greene is Grubby".

Its gets bandied around that he has been charged by the tribunal many times.
Fact: Most of these are fines for joining in a melee. Surely the most minor of infractions.

It gets bandied around that he's an eye gouger.
Fact: He's never been charged with eye gouging. Even todays charge is contact to the face, based on vision that
a) Doesnt clearly show a hand to the face. Just some random blur.
b) Toby is on the other side of the pack, and couldnt see where his face was anyway.
Its a far, far cry from the Raiders player that recently got suspended.

His karate kick rule, has been overturned once Reiwoldt got stung for it, and has been a common thing in footy for centuries.
Which is the AFL admitting it over-reacted.

Yes he plays hard, yes he's on the edge, he's has an arrogant public image. But he's no where near a Ballentine, Rhys-Jones, Dermie, or libber.


There may be some good that comes out of this:
1) Shaun Ryan never gets to umpire a final again.
2) The whole MRO/Tribunal gets re-organised. Its been a farce not just for this, but for almost everything this year. Christian has to go.
3) The AFL stop changing the rules/interpretations/crack-downs every round.

[stevoswan]

I know TG is a bit grubby, however to give him a week for that trumped up charge is M. Christian reacting to outrage on SM, surely.

I agree. I don't like him either.....but if he doesn't get suspended last week, there's no way he should have even been reported this week. I've watched that footage, his hands are no where near Neale's eyes and now Fagen has said that Neale felt contact with his nose, not his eyes.

He will get off on appeal and he will play this weekend.

PS: Barry, Greene makes Ballantyne look like a saint.....compared to Greene, Balla is just a naughty little boy.....he's not a thug.

[AnnieH]

You guys are forgetting that "head high contact", whether it's on the nose or "in the eye", is STILL against the rules.
Once you start to soften these rules, it becomes a free-for-all.
We don't want that.

[neilfws]

Unless I'm missing something, there really didn't seem to be much at all in the Greene footage this week? I can't really see anything wrong, short of "he's at it again"?

I agree, I can't see anything more than a "face rub" and it looks less contentious than the previous week. So surely the same penalty as the previous week.

I'm sure both GWS and Geelong will appeal, all they have to lose is $10 000. Have to say the Hawkins incident doesn't get better with replays. Only defense might be "caught him high by accident as he was going down".

Aside from all that I thought Lions/GWS was a great game. Would have liked the Lions to get up, but early inaccuracy and later solid defense did for them in the end.

Seemed like fans on both sides were whinging equally about the umpiring on social media which probably means it was about right albeit rather over-officious in the first half. I honestly think some people prefer to whinge than watch the game. If they can sit through a pulsating, hard-fought drama-filled final quarter like that and their only comment is about umpires, well maybe they're missing something.

The prelims should be fascinating. Two teams that many would have as the anointed finalists, two teams with nothing to lose who will give everything.

[barry]

I admit I am hypersensitive to (perceived) umpire bias since the 2016 finals series.

[KTigers]

Aside from all that I thought Lions/GWS was a great game. Would have liked the Lions to get up, but early inaccuracy and later solid defense did for them in the end.

Seemed like fans on both sides were whinging equally about the umpiring on social media which probably means it was about right albeit rather over-officious in the first half. I honestly think some people prefer to whinge than watch the game. If they can sit through a pulsating, hard-fought drama-filled final quarter like that and their only comment is about umpires, well maybe they're missing something.

The prelims should be fascinating. Two teams that many would have as the anointed finalists, two teams with nothing to lose who will give everything.

Agree. The defence by the GWS back six in the last quarter was extraordinary. At one stage the inside 50 count in the last quarter was
14 to 2 Brisbane's way, and somehow Davis & co held on. Will be interesting to see how the Lions back up next year with a tougher draw.

[Bloods05]

This could be the most childish post ever seen in RWO.

Yeah, nah.

[Bloods05]

Just revisit your source of "Toby Greene is Grubby".

Its gets bandied around that he has been charged by the tribunal many times.
Fact: Most of these are fines for joining in a melee. Surely the most minor of infractions.

It gets bandied around that he's an eye gouger.
Fact: He's never been charged with eye gouging. Even todays charge is contact to the face, based on vision that
a) Doesnt clearly show a hand to the face. Just some random blur.
b) Toby is on the other side of the pack, and couldnt see where his face was anyway.
Its a far, far cry from the Raiders player that recently got suspended.

His karate kick rule, has been overturned once Reiwoldt got stung for it, and has been a common thing in footy for centuries.
Which is the AFL admitting it over-reacted.

Yes he plays hard, yes he's on the edge, he's has an arrogant public image. But he's no where near a Ballentine, Rhys-Jones, Dermie, or libber.


There may be some good that comes out of this:
1) Shaun Ryan never gets to umpire a final again.
2) The whole MRO/Tribunal gets re-organised. Its been a farce not just for this, but for almost everything this year. Christian has to go.
3) The AFL stop changing the rules/interpretations/crack-downs every round.

That's defending the indefensible at Olympic level.

[Hotpotato]

As the Swans are not involved I want T. Greene playing for the pure theatre of it all in the PF against the Pies.
Lethal reckons he should be playing if he’s any litmus test .

[KTigers]

This could be the most childish post ever seen in RWO.

That is a massive call Barry. Just massive.

We've all said some pretty silly stuff over the years.

This is the internet, after all.

[barry]

That's defending the indefensible at Olympic level.

You are many things bloods, but Numero Uno, you are a proud Victorian.

[KTigers]

It does seem that a lot of Tobes' fines are for joining a melee. I think players should be fined internally by their club
for NOT joining a melee and "flying the flag".

[Sandrevan]

Great last quarter by Geelong, Danger WAS huge......but Hawkins could be in a bit of trouble.

Dangerfield was huge - he was the difference late in the game.

Hawkins has form for that kind of act. He did exactly the same thing when we played the cats. A forearm to the head of Jordan Dawson. Dawson was down for about 30 secs then got up and played on. Hawkins was fined but not suspended. He has been offered 1 week but the cats will appeal it. I think he has a good chance of getting downgraded to a fine if Princess Toby's antics from last week are any indicator.