The diving Riewoldts

[always right]

Pretty certain this doesn't deserve a thread but what the hell!

Did anyone listen to Nick Riewoldt doing special comments today? In the second quarter his cousin Jack went down like he was shot after receiving a minor block from Simpson in the middle of the ground and Richmond received a 50m penalty. When they replayed it and it was obvious that it was a very soft act, his cousin in the commentary box declared that he wished he was paid the occasional free kick for similar blocks.

Am I the only one that almost choked when I heard this?

[Twodogs]

Cheating &@'/&@$.

[LostDoggy]

It's like the Selwood situation. They play the rules for what they are, and some might say good on em, but in the end it's against the spirit of the game. No surprise that they turn out to be the most unsportsmanlike in other areas of the game as well, onfield and off.

Sportsmanship is very underrated. When I see an opposition player check that the bloke he just crunched is ok, when I see two players beat the living shit out of each other then shake hands properly afterwards (not the fake Johnson-Crowley type either), I'll immediately form a favorable opinion of the bloke, no matter the team, and applaud him ever after. It's something that separates great players from champions. Honour, integrity and fairness are the best traits a player can have, and the worst they can lack.

Very pleased seeing Jack sitting on his arse at the end of the game having his little sook.

[azabob]

(not the fake Johnson-Crowley type either), I'll .

What do you make of Crowley?

Is he a good sport?

[bornadog]

What do you make of Crowley?

Is he a good sport?

Macca loves him.

[always right]

Macca loves him.

Crowley is very good at what he does although much of it is right on the edge. The only thing that annoys me is how he chases everyone at the end of the game to shake their hand like the previous two hours never happened. I get the whole what happens on the field blah blah blah.....but he always looks absolutley amazed when his opponent doen't want to be all friendly as soon as the siren goes.

[LostDoggy]

What do you make of Crowley?

Is he a good sport?

It's hard to tell, really. He's one that baffles me. Not the on-field niggling — that's just his role — but without knowing just how sincere the post-game handshake requests are, it's hard to judge. I do lean towards the positive though — nothing wrong with going hammer and tongs and then shaking hands afterwards if it's sincere, and perhaps the opponent is just too upset to acknowledge it. For the stuff during the game, it depends on whether you think that kind of thing is within the spirit of the game. I do, so it doesn't bother me, but plenty think it shouldn't be.

[Remi Moses]

We had Libba playing that role for years. Crowley fulfils his role very well, and the coaching staff would love him.

[SlimPickens]

Well this thread got off track quick

[bornadog]

Well this thread got off track quick

Because the divers are boring

[chef]

What do you make of Crowley?

Is he a good sport?

Would love him at the Bulldogs.

[bulldogtragic]

I don't like pinching. It hurts. A lot.

[LostDoggy]

Well this thread got off track quick

I wouldn't say it got off track. The diving Riewoldts ultimately comes down to sportsmanship and the issues around milking/attempting to milk free kicks. This relates to the stuff we've discussed. The track may have veered left a bit, but we're still pretty much on it.

[jeemak]

I watch Premier League Football for the reason it's done its best to stamp out diving or "simulation" (isn't it completely ridiculous that a code will call diving something other than diving?) from the game or the culture of the game. I can't watch International Football these days, as it seems this behavior is rewarded too often.

I can honestly say that when playing Aussie Rules I faked for a free kick feigning a high hit once, and I felt completely silly doing it at the time even though I was awarded a shot on goal......which I subsequently missed. The thing that stuck with me from that, was the lack of respect I received from those at the ground watching the game, those I was testing myself against and probably the umpire that called the free who in hindsight would have known he was conned.

If players want to be treated with respect and fairly by those officiating the game, they need to have a mindset where they don't make the job of umpires harder than it has to be. Everybody acknowledges umpiring an AFL game is tough work, and everybody gets frustrated when they are infringed upon when they are going hard for the ball and have a case to be rewarded, but don't. So with this in mind, habitual diving irrespective of how many free kicks a player didn't get when deserved is something that should be completely discouraged.

I don't like the idea of pushing the umpires and the rules to their limits if it's not in the spirit of the game. Undermining the good will of those on the field around you, the umpires and the fans through diving falls into this category.

Just like every issue with the rules of the game, it needs to be looked at not only from a technical point of view, but also a pragmatic one. Since umpires have been encouraged to pay all free kicks that are technically there, can anyone say the game has actually gotten better and more enjoyable to watch?

Stop rewarding the diving. Diving is shit.

[bornadog]

I watch Premier League Football for the reason it's done its best to stamp out diving or "simulation" (isn't it completely ridiculous that a code will call diving something other than diving?) from the game or the culture of the game. I can't watch International Football these days, as it seems this behavior is rewarded too often.

I can honestly say that when playing Aussie Rules I faked for a free kick feigning a high hit once, and I felt completely silly doing it at the time even though I was awarded a shot on goal......which I subsequently missed. The thing that stuck with me from that, was the lack of respect I received from those at the ground watching the game, those I was testing myself against and probably the umpire that called the free who in hindsight would have known he was conned.

If players want to be treated with respect and fairly by those officiating the game, they need to have a mindset where they don't make the job of umpires harder than it has to be. Everybody acknowledges umpiring an AFL game is tough work, and everybody gets frustrated when they are infringed upon when they are going hard for the ball and have a case to be rewarded, but don't. So with this in mind, habitual diving irrespective of how many free kicks a player didn't get when deserved is something that should be completely discouraged.

I don't like the idea of pushing the umpires and the rules to their limits if it's not in the spirit of the game. Undermining the good will of those on the field around you, the umpires and the fans through diving falls into this category.

Just like every issue with the rules of the game, it needs to be looked at not only from a technical point of view, but also a pragmatic one. Since umpires have been encouraged to pay all free kicks that are technically there, can anyone say the game has actually gotten better and more enjoyable to watch?

Stop rewarding the diving. Diving is shit.

Following on from diving is the West Coast round the neck . Dropping the knees as you are about to be tackled. This has crept into our game and now players are doing it from various clubs. We know Gee long are also masters at it, especially Sellwood. To me its the same as ducking the head.