Hardwick honesty

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Come game day and umps are seeing non existent head tackles in front of goal and six, let me repeat SIX holding infringments at clearances, a significant amount which could seriously affect the margin and or result.

Without dubious/soft free kicks and gratuitous 50m penalties, AFL football would often enough be a low-scoring tacklefest. A large percentage of games are taken up either by scrappy ground-level contests at stoppages, or no-risk maintaining of possession in the hope that something opens up. Exactly when football "jumped the shark" as a spectator sport will become a debating point for historians. But I digress.

Before this round we were second for frees against (behind only Hawthorn), so on reflection it's a moot point whether or not Hardwick's open about it. The umpires are already onto us.

 

[hellenictiger]

Its got more to do with being fierce on the opposition when they go for the ball as opposed to carelessly giving away free kicks. The free kick count doesnt give any reflection onto a game. Essendon have lifted the ante in recent weeks when it comes to tackling and they showed that last night and against Hawthorn a few weeks back, it was not suprising that we got tackeled so many times in traffic as we lack structure and intensity on the ball compared to most teams.

I'd be more interested to ask why we started so badly, the game was over at quarter time.

 

[GoodOne]

I'd be more interested to ask why we started so badly, the game was over at quarter time.

Well we were only 15 points down at some stage in the 2nd quarter so I would argue whether it was over at quarter time. At one stage we had 10 scoring shots to 8. Started getting a bit messier after that.