Greetings Tipsters
Memos and fone calls rattled across the length and breadth of the DAFL early this week. ‘Make it look good’ was the message. Unsurprisingly, the response from the teams was ‘Piss off, we’re here to win.’
We’ve been here before, Zeus liked to bang on about it, had a go at Sydney, who duly won the flag. Any sports team will place winning ahead of any other factor. Allasame, Aragorn has a point. The Carlton-Collingwood match was a drearfest, West-Melbourne was a cracker, the other two were one-sided. Four teams managed goal-free halves.
It’s the football equivalent of that ‘difficult’ second album. Less of an exciting novelty, the public wants to see if the band has what it takes to dig in and produce a worthwhile product; Aragorn and co will want to see the DAFL pay some bills eventually. That means ticket sales, will 20,000 folks pay $15 each to watch the likes of the Friday night match?
The pressure will increase next year, two more teams and another four in 2020. The major concern is that this will dilute the talent pool (I said the same about a 16 team GAFL and have yet to renege) at the worst moment. In the next two years we want the quality of the product to take an ever-climbing arc, to become something that people will pay money to watch. Yet there will be 200 more players in two years time.
Worth noting, the VFL took 28 years to go from eight teams to twelve.
It smacks of hubris. Had Aragorn asked, I’d have said stick with eight teams for five years. The quality of play would increase, it would create a demand for playing spots, in 2022 there would be hundreds of girls, 12 or 13 today, who would have been training and playing and ready to rip. The quality of the game would have been established. Instead, too much, too soon.
Colleen is my oldest dear friend and Superbowl is like Christmas, only more so. I’d work on Christmas day but never on Superbowl day. Between our breaks to go outside and talk about plans for her backyard, fetch food, drinks, roll spliffs, replay important plays severally, it took us six and a half hours to watch the game. It was a beauty, offence all the way, aside from the pivotal moment when Dreamy Tommy was sacked just as everyone thought ‘here we go again.’
And how did Eagles fans celebrate? Why, in a manner that an English infantry commander in 1776 could only have envied. I love the USA for many reasons but sometimes it’s too much like your crazy uncle and, oh dear, who will his date be this Christmas? (Confirm this with my nieces and nephews.)
Justin’s halftime show was dull, aside from his adventure into the stands. That was neat, the selfie with the kid – according to sensationalist media, his life has been ruined. Yeah right, he’s gonna be the coolest kid in school this year. Onya, lad.
Has Aragorn met Roger Goodell? Coaches from all over the world and codes get together, Clarkson and Scott were in the huddle this year, but do League bosses do likewise? I doubt it, if you’re running the NFL or EPL y’aint gonna give a shit about the AFL. Tho NFL players could do with some hints from rugby players about open field tackling.
Cheers Tipsters
P&C, A Stop Privatisation Of Footy Production
Brought to you with the assistance of Pet Sounds, Forever Changes, King Northern Soul and a bunch of other classics I’ve been digging from the banana lounge since I set up a stereo in the backyard.
About Earl O'Neill
Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.
I dug out Forever Changes earlier this week, coincidentally. I’m still not sure that I get it, but I’ll keep trying every couple of years.