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Messages - townsendcalling

33
Blah-Blah Bar / Sam Newman at it again!
Sam Newman has doubled down on his comments against the Welcome to Country in a fiery interview, taking aim at AFL legend Adam Goodes and branding the common ceremonies a “hoax”.

The AFL personality stirred up controversy on this week after making comments on his podcast, You Cannot Be Serious, encouraging Aussies to boo or “slow hand clap” during the Welcome to Country, particularly at the upcoming AFL Grand Final at the MCG.

Appearing on 3AW radio on Thursday, Newman was asked by host Tony Jones whether his suggestion was “inciting violence”.

“What an extraordinary question,” Newman said.

“The public have had a gutful of people telling us how to live our lives, particularly footballing organisations. We like to go to the football and watch the game without being told to vote for the gay marriage proposal … without being told to vote for the Voice. Why do they get involved? It is an absolute hoax, it’s a rort, the Welcome to Country. Why do we have to be welcomed to the country we live in? Why is that? It is just a mark of division. The people who welcome you to country get a nice stipend out of it. Why do they charge? It’s just a rort.”
35
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications
Sorry, it is long and behind a paywall, but well worth the read!!

Craig O'Donoghue - Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Blake Acres and Sam Docherty prove what real toughness is about: thewest.com.au/sport/afl/crai…

There’s a massive difference between acting tough and being tough when it comes to playing Australian Rules football.

Carlton  wingman Blake Acres, captain Patrick Cripps and former skipper Sam  Docherty produced shining examples of what real footy toughness is  during Friday night’s cut throat semi final win over Melbourne at the  MCG as too many Demons wasted time being fake tough.

Acres  is playing with a shoulder injury, everyone knows it and everyone knows  he’s in pain. But by playing tough footy, he made himself a Carlton  hero.

When  Lachie Hunter tackled him to the ground early in the first quarter,  Acres landed on his shoulder and it was obvious that it hurt. But he got  back up.

Less  than 40 seconds later, Adam Tomlinson shoved Acres into the path of  Christian Salem. The Blue lost his balance and crashed to the turf. He  was visibly shaken. But he got back up.

Alex  Neal-Bullen tried to rattle Acres by constantly bumping, nudging or  pushing him in the shoulder. But Acres kept focusing on the footy.

And  with one minute and 52 seconds left in the game, Acres made a crucial  decision to run back with the flight of the ball and jump into Jake  Lever’s path to deny the Demon the chance to attempt an intercept mark.  Carlton trailed by five points and that ball simply had to come to  ground.

Acres  didn’t have to put his injured body on the line. Nobody would have  noticed if he’d jogged to be front and square instead of pushing harder  to get to that contest. But he chose to put his body on the line for  very little reward. That’s real toughness.

“Premierships aren’t won by acting tough. Premierships are won by being tough.  Melbourne should spend the summer remembering that.”

Then  he drifted forward the goal square where he marked a kick from Docherty  and kicked the match winning goal. Docherty’s toughness was amazing. He  dislocated his left shoulder shortly before half-time but got up and  played out the game. Without Docherty and Acres, the Blues wouldn’t have  won.

That’s courage. That’s being footy tough.

What’s  not being footy tough is Kysaiah Pickett jumper punching Mitch McGovern  in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Joel Smith had just taken a  mark and was lining up for goal from about 25m out on a slight angle. 

Remember, Melbourne lost by two points. The umpire reversed the kick,  costing the Dees that crucial shot for goal.

Pickett received a $1500 fine for that bit of fake toughness He’s lucky that wasn’t a suspension. But he wasn’t done. Pickett also chose to bump Cripps to the head in the second term.

He  didn’t need to make contact, but he couldn’t help himself. Everyone  knew Cripps was carrying sore ribs and that made him a target. Cripps  left the field under the blood rule but returned and had 27 possessions,  nine clearances and six tackles. That’s real toughness.

Pickett has been offered a one-match ban for his fake toughness on the Carlton captain.

It’s  not the first time Pickett has tried to be fake tough this year. He  launched himself like a missile into Bailey Smith in the opening round  in a horrible example of what the AFL is trying to stamp out of the  game.

He copped a two-game ban for that. It could have been more. Clearly he didn’t learn his lesson.

Tom  Sparrow decided to be fake tough too late on Friday night too. With  4:53 remaining and Melbourne leading by three points, Sparrow shoved  Adam Cerra to ground as he crossed the boundary line.

It wasn’t necessary but also wasn’t a free kick, which led to Sam Walsh confronting him.

Sparrow’s response was to grab Walsh by the jumper and throw him head-first into the fence. That’s fake tough.

Melbourne should have been setting up for a boundary throw in where Max Gawn could have exerted his authority over the contest. Instead, Walsh took the free kick and the Blues went forward. The AFL has fined Sparrow for that incident and he should be extremely thankful he’s not missing round one.

Any D-Grade suburban footballer can hand out jumper punches, late high bumps or throw someone into a fence. Fake toughness is everywhere at that level. More is expected when you’re playing in an AFL final.

Without disrespecting Acres, he wasn’t known as one of the AFL’s hard men at St Kilda or Fremantle. But he’s ignored pain and injury to kick the winning goals in consecutive finals for Carlton. He’s become a navy Blue hero. No matter what else he achieves in his career, he’ll now be lauded for being tough.

Finals bravado often leads to fake toughness. But it rarely works.

Premierships aren’t won by acting tough. Premierships are won by being tough.

Melbourne should spend the summer remembering that.
38
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL 1st Semi Final Carlton vs Melbourne Post Game Prognostications
 Check 1:50 to go, Cripps kicks a looper into the forward line. Acres with a bung shoulder goes front on to Lever and gets poleaxed for about the 15th time.  50 secs later, with bung shoulder, takes a saving mark and kicks the winning goal. Don't tell me that won't be on high rotation at the review. Courage wins finals, snipers don't.
45
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Elimination Final 1 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Sydney
Quote from: LordLucifer on
I need to see a heart specialist after that, thought we were going to choke.

And of all the people to take two match-saving marks deep in defence ........ one of my whipping boys Jack Martin. He''ll get 2-weeks for belting Blakey though.

So many uncharacteristic actions tonight, a lot of the things we have done over the past couple of months seem to go out the door tonight.

McKay was really horrible, just so out of sorts, that concussion may be a blessing in disguise anyway.

Can't serve up that sort of crap next week against the Dees, they will walk all over us if we do. They are ripe for the picking if we want it bad enough.

Really hope that tonight's game style (or lack of it) was just a one-off blip due to finals nerves after not being there for 10-years and we return to that confident style that got us there.

Well done Blues, we did something Essendon have been trying to do for the last 100 years!! Win a final!! We won ugly, but we WON!!