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Thread: The Pile-On

  1. #1
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    The Pile-On

    I think there's an interesting discussion to be had about 'the pile-on', as experienced across Woof, Twitter and Facebook with Billy Gowers last night. Especially in the context of everybody watching from home and not having their usual outlets.

    For me, I would definitely have been classified as part of the Pile-On, both here and on twitter (I don't use the Facebook groups). I feel that I have every right to criticise an individual player for a significant mistake, but regret my comments re: immediate delisting.

    IMO Woof and my personal Twitter are safe spaces. I am not followed by any players and I doubt they read woof (and if they do, I really don't think they should). The only way that I can imagine my comments are seen is by the players individually searching their own names (which again, I don't think they should be doing). Regardless, I had made a pact with myself to be positive about our players online this year to try and contribute to a more positive online environment overall - I broke this pact last night.

    The line for me is drawn under any tagging of players, commenting or replying to their personal social media posts or direct messaging them. That is putting your negative views in a place where the players cannot avoid them, and the potential impact is much greater.

    What are your views on the Pile-On, and criticism online?

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  3. #2
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    Re: The Pile-On

    I'd imagine Twitter and FB were fairly savage to old Billy, but that's the nature of the beast.

    I think it was relatively tame here on WOOF, and while there was well justified frustration in the moment, it wasn't over the top and there were even some cooler heads defending him.

    I also think there is an element of 'I told you so' and some frustration with Bevo continuing to pick his favourites boiling over.

    Just imagine if it slingshotted down the other end for a match winning goal. Billy might have decided to just stay in QLD.
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  4. #3
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by comrade View Post
    I'd imagine Twitter and FB were fairly savage to old Billy, but that's the nature of the beast.

    I think it was relatively tame here on WOOF, and while there was well justified frustration in the moment, it wasn't over the top and there were even some cooler heads defending him.

    I also think there is an element of 'I told you so' and some frustration with Bevo continuing to pick his favourites boiling over.

    Just imagine if it slingshotted down the other end for a match winning goal. Billy might have decided to just stay in QLD.
    I think Woof is always fairly tame and reasoned. I find Facebook to be extremely frustrating, and Twitter goes both ways.

    Without referring specifically to the Gowers situation, what more can be done to protect players from the sort of criticism which is just thinly veiled abuse?

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    Re: The Pile-On

    I don't know what Billy achieved in training or in scratch matches to warrant selection, but in any case he was there in the RWB.

    Yes, the moment he kicked that ball when he had an option to kick to Smith all on his own in the forward 50, I screamed at home. Mrs BAD was not happy as I promised her I wouldn't yell and scream whilst watching any Bulldog matches.

    I agree with JazzaD, there has been too much bagging Billy and not enough positivity towards our gutsy win.
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Online forums can bring out the worst in human behaviour, and FaceBook is probably the worst of it.

    Football is an emotional game sometimes. I certainly think vitriol towards any of our own players is unwarranted and don't want to join the online pile-on, but if I'm being honest my language last night watching the game late in the 4th isn't the same way I'd speak around my grandmother.
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  8. #6
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    Re: The Pile-On

    I was unable to see the match last night and was stuck with watching an NRL match. To keep up to date I flicked between the AFL website and the WOOF match day thread. I found the Woof match day thread hilarious. I often do on the occasions where I can't see the game. The number of times I've seen our team/players slagged off with monotonous regularity only to find we still won I've lost count. You just can't take the comments, good or bad, too seriously. These are made in the heat of the moment just like barracking from the sidelines at the game. I do, however, find it distasteful when a player is personally attacked. Thats not on.
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Agree that the personal messages, tagging of players, etc on social media is not on at all unless it's positive (personally I would never do it at all).

    I get the frustration in the match day thread during the game but the considered pre and post match negativity towards Gowers has been over the top on here in my opinion, simply because I hold WOOF to a much higher standard then anywhere else online. Not that there has been anything awful said, but it has just been too much. Like it or not he's one of us and we should show all our players support when they pull on the jumper.

    If I ever look at comments on Facebook I almost always immediately regret it.

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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by Mofra View Post
    Football is an emotional game sometimes. .
    Yeah - it is. The Gowers moment wasn't great but ultimately it didn't cost us anything. In the 2nd quarter we had no-ruckman at a D50 stoppage - to me a much more egregious error - yet no-one seems too phased. Then again, that didn't cost us anything either I guess.

    I don't know. I do think with some players people cheer for their own storyline. A lot of people have decided Gowers is no good, therefore everytime he does something wrong calling it out helps support their opinion. I was surprised he was selected - but what can I say, he must be playing well in match sim as Bevo is regularly talking about him being in the mix. Which means he needs to pick him so that the players understand that what they are doing on the track actually matters with regard selection.
    What should I tell her? She's going to ask.

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  13. #9
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    A lot of people have decided Gowers is no good, therefore everytime he does something wrong calling it out helps support their opinion.
    In the AFL world especially, initial impressions about a player can last a long time. People were still calling Gia soft later in his career when he'd often cop a hit while kicking but still would deliver the ball well in traffic. It's a hard thing to shake
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Billy frustrates me at times as he is often capable of performing a lot better but I tend to agree that from a forum perspective he copped a bit more than his share last night. I might be wrong here but I suspect that had we been 5 goals up many of us might not have angst with his decision making.

    With reduced quarters we probably can't even make allowances for fatigue
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  15. #11
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by mjp View Post
    In the 2nd quarter we had no-ruckman at a D50 stoppage - to me a much more egregious error - yet no-one seems too phased. Then again, that didn't cost us anything either I guess.
    Thank you for reminding me about this.

    How farcical are the AFL rules when everyone has to stand around and watch the GC ruckman take the ball without someone going up with him because they forgot to nominate a player. AFL administration is just a joke with no common sense.
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  17. #12
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    Thank you for reminding me about this.

    How farcical are the AFL rules when everyone has to stand around and watch the GC ruckman take the ball without someone going up with him because they forgot to nominate a player. AFL administration is just a joke with no common sense.
    Especially when their nominee had a direct opponent in Bailey Smith.
    Yes, silly by Smith to not raise his hand and say he was the ruckman.
    Yes, silly by the umpire to not use common sense that the Bulldogs nominee was probably the player contesting with the GC nominee.
    Yes yes yes, terrible by our coaching staff to not have a better plan.
    Also confused why GC didn't send Ben King in to contest those hitouts, rather than have him stand in the goalsquare.

  18. #13
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Quote Originally Posted by jazzadogs View Post
    Especially when their nominee had a direct opponent in Bailey Smith.
    Yes, silly by Smith to not raise his hand and say he was the ruckman.
    Yes, silly by the umpire to not use common sense that the Bulldogs nominee was probably the player contesting with the GC nominee.
    Yes yes yes, terrible by our coaching staff to not have a better plan.
    Also confused why GC didn't send Ben King in to contest those hitouts, rather than have him stand in the goalsquare.
    It was an interesting tactic - more aimed at not leaving English free around the ground than anything else.

    Not rucking Ben King I can understand, not having Sam Day do it was ahead scratcher but it worked - we got caught out a couple of times. I distinctly remember Macrae taking one contest.
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  19. #14
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    Re: The Pile-On

    Great point made
    That was a horrendous mistake especially against an excellent stoppage inside 50 team
    The whole rule is like an under 10 one
    Another sledgehammer to a grape type rule
    Billy’s been disappointing the last 2 seasons and gone away from what made him a valuable player
    He doesn’t lead up anymore and seems to want to engage in a test of strength with his opponent

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    Re: The Pile-On

    Re: the Gowers pile on. Yes, a lot of people had a crack at him and there were a wide range of cracks from earthquake size to hairline. I had a crack implying that he had better grasp any more opps that came his way cos he had no credits left.
    I think the pile on was really influencd by the way the game unfolded. If it was us trying to win and he muffed the chance to pass to Smith in the open for a certain goal the pile on would have been a lot less
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