One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => View from the Outer => Topic started by: one-eyed on February 24, 2008, 02:12:58 PM
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Farmer for Brownlow to be scrapped
Herald Sun | Jay Clark | February 24, 2008 12:00am
LEGENDARY ruckman Graham "Polly" Farmer wants the Brownlow Medal scrapped. The 1963 Geelong premiership ruckman said the coveted award put too much emphasis on individuals and detracted from the spirit of the team game.
Farmer also hit out at the voting system, re-igniting the debate over the best method, saying it was impossible for umpires to officiate and pick the best players.
"The Brownlow Medal is given to the fairest-and-best player picked by the umpires, but the majority of umpires have never played the game," he said.
"They're busy out there seeing the game is played fairly, so it's a very difficult position to put them in.
"Technically, it really would be better off if there weren't any in dividual awards, then the sprit of the game would be team against team.
"They (AFL) should scrap the Brownlow, but unfortunately that hasn't happened because it's such a big part of the game now."
As football prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary, and reflects on its greatest players, more than half of the AFL's team of the century did not win a Brownlow.
In fact, several of the prime candidates to be rated the greatest footballer yet -- such as Leigh Matthews, Farmer, Gary Ablett Sr, Ted Whitten, Ron Barassi and Wayne Carey -- all missed out on the Brownlow.
The AFL does not see any need to change the Brownlow system, but Farmer disagrees.
"It's an individual award that is picked by umpires, who may not be in the best position to vote, but they're the ones who do it," he said.
"You'd still have a best-and-fairest, because newspapers and television stations would pick best players, but it wouldn't be from the actual league itself."
Now, 36 years after he retired, Farmer reflects on his football career with great pride.
"All the things young people dream of in football, I dreamed of and I achieved them. It gives me great satisfaction," he said. "Football was the game I loved and it was all I had going for me."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23266457-19742,00.html
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He's only saying it 'cos he never won one lol
Biggest sook of all time Polly.
Hey Polly, we won the '67 grand final
Just thought I'd remind him :lol :rollin
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He's only saying it 'cos he never won one lol
Biggest sook of all time Polly.
Hey Polly, we won the '67 grand final
Just thought I'd remind him :lol :rollin
:lol
The Brownlow is what it is. It's for the umpire's B&F player for just one year. The champion career award is a Hall of Fame induction.
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Hejust want someone to say,"SORRY".
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Hejust want someone to say,"SORRY".
Don't think that would be enuff for him.
He'd find something else to whinge about after we said it :lol
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It might be hearsay but was it the late Fred Swift who would deliberately wind up Polly by saying he marked the ball across the line? :lol
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Biggest sook of all time Polly.
You are correct Moi - sadly.
Polly unfortuantely comes across as one very bitter and twisted dude.
40 years and he is still sooking about the 1967 GF. Wont accept that perhaps they were beaten by a better team.
Over in WA they named a road after him he complained
and now this ...
Move on Polly
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In Polly's defence at least he has the brains to have stated many times that if he hadn't been taken from his original "home" environment he'd be long dead. He's never claimed to have been stolen.
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In Polly's defence at least he has the brains to have stated many times that if he hadn't been taken from his original "home" environment he'd be long dead. He's never calimed to have been stolen.
still a whinging prick but valid point.
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Maybe he's broke and needs money and this is a way to get his head in the papers and on the idiot box. Stuff him its all sour grapes if you ask me. And I love the comment we won the 67 Grand Final. :lol :lol Maybe Polly wants a Cracker.
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And I love the comment we won the 67 Grand Final. :lol :lol
I was there that magnificent day - one of the best days of my life :thumbsup
All the Richmond people were bawling after the match lol
It had been 24 years between flags.
Can you imagine it if we were to do that now
Nah, never happen, tell her she's dreamin :pray
:rollin
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Dreams are meant to become reality someday Moi.
Hopefully someday soon.
P.S Love the Captain Blood avatar.
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In hindsight,he's one baby they should have left in the squalor... :wallywink
I guess it's hard for him to accept that he has now,thru no fault of any government nor racial profiling,become a member of a forgotten generation.
Guess they called her Polly for a reason.