"Aussie Rules requires no brainpower at all": Irish journo

[one-eyed]

Has this guy actually ever watched Aussie Rules ???


Clarke shows true vision by leaving Australia behind
By Tommy Conlon
Sunday September 05 2010

He had his time in Australian rules, but Martin Clarke plays Gaelic football not unlike an American quarterback too.

Watching him pick his passes in various games all summer has been one of the pleasures of this terrific championship season.

He played 46 senior games for Collingwood in the Australian Football League, but obviously had far too much brainpower for a sport that requires no brainpower at all. Aussie rules is a dumbed down field sport; it is essentially a game of long-distance running, with the ball as an optional extra. As it happens, they play it with an oval ball, which in a kicking game reduces the skill level even further.

They learn to kick it very long, and very straight, off the flat of the foot, because that is the only way an oval ball can be kicked with accuracy. It is a one-dimensional skill, outside of which there is little room for experimentation. You cannot put curl on it with a shot off the instep, nor slice an arc on it with a shot off the outside -- you'd just look stupid for trying. The choice of foot passes is also severely limited by the imperative to find the man directly with the ball, as opposed to playing it into space -- the ridiculous bounce sees to that.

If Clarke had stayed in Melbourne, his football brain would've turned to mush and his kicking skills would've been reduced to one generic technique. He might have made good money, he'd have wasted a very good talent.

He returned from Australia late last year and in recent games has been unveiling a wide repertoire. He is now running the Down attack line like a classic, playmaking centre-forward: dropping deep, demanding the ball and spraying the passes.

Full article at:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/clarke-shows-true-vision-by-leaving-australia-behind-2325280.html

[FNM]

A sport perfect for the Irish 

[mightytiges]

LOL FNM 

They learn to kick it very long, and very straight, off the flat of the foot, because that is the only way an oval ball can be kicked with accuracy. It is a one-dimensional skill, outside of which there is little room for experimentation. You cannot put curl on it with a shot off the instep, nor slice an arc on it with a shot off the outside -- you'd just look stupid for trying. The choice of foot passes is also severely limited by the imperative to find the man directly with the ball, as opposed to playing it into space[/color]

This guy is clueless and if he has ever seen a game of Aussie Rules which is doubtful going by his moronic comments then he probably has seen one since the 1960s. Drop punts, torpedoes, banana/checkside kicks, dribbling the ball along the ground round the corner for goals, etc ..... yep no experimentation whatsoever  . No to mention the whole point of the game now is to hit players in space rather than the old days of bombing it to packs. As I said this guy is clueless. As for Marty Clarke ripping it up back in Ireland - the journo has completely ignored that it might have something to do with Clarke having 3-4 years being a professional footballer under his belt. He's now gone home with that professional knowledge and training and is using it to tear apart the amateurs in Gaelic football.

[Tigermonk]

LOL FNM 

They learn to kick it very long, and very straight, off the flat of the foot, because that is the only way an oval ball can be kicked with accuracy. It is a one-dimensional skill, outside of which there is little room for experimentation. You cannot put curl on it with a shot off the instep, nor slice an arc on it with a shot off the outside -- you'd just look stupid for trying. The choice of foot passes is also severely limited by the imperative to find the man directly with the ball, as opposed to playing it into space[/color]

This guy is clueless and if he has ever seen a game of Aussie Rules which is doubtful going by his moronic comments then he probably has seen one since the 1960s. Drop punts, torpedoes, banana/checkside kicks, dribbling the ball along the ground round the corner for goals, etc ..... yep no experimentation whatsoever  . No to mention the whole point of the game now is to hit players in space rather than the old days of bombing it to packs. As I said this guy is clueless. As for Marty Clarke ripping it up back in Ireland - the journo has completely ignored that it might have something to do with Clarke having 3-4 years being a professional footballer under his belt. He's now gone home with that professional knowledge and training and is using it to tear apart the amateurs in Gaelic football.

couldnot have said it better MT   .

[Penelope]

Perhaps he has Aussie Rules confused with Rugby Union ?

[mightytiges]

Perhaps he has Aussie Rules confused with Rugby Union ?

I know the couple of times I've seen Eric Bana get interviewed in America about Aussie Rules they ask him: "Is it like Rugby Union?"  ???.

[Ox]

we're the only ones who think he;s an idiot.

[the_boy_jake]

Actually Rugby union requires an enormous amount of brainpower from a few players on the field. There is a great emphasis on a struggle for possession and territory, and as a result the fly half and scrum half need to be able to sense when to run, when to kick, when to spread the ball, when to send a few phases up the middle. Due to the less continuous nature of the game, I think that these players would do much more thinking than any AFL player. AFL is i) a very impulsive sport where players have such a short time to sum things up ii) An egalitarian sport that doesn't have the specialization of other sports.

I guess it is much the same way that you would say a NFL quarterback needs to think much more than just about any player in any sport, yet other players on an NFL team don't have to think at all

[TigerLand]

This bloke is TM.

ToMmy Conlon. 

[Willy]

This poor little Irishman is still on his rags over the belting Chirs Johnson and the aussies handed them them a couple of years back.

[Tigermonk]

This bloke is TM.

ToMmy Conlon. 

Spoken by a Professional & Personally involved Draft person 

[dizza]

hahaha fail Conlon. our boys beat your lot even though we had to use a round ball!

[mightytiges]

hahaha fail Conlon. our boys beat your lot even though we had to use a round ball!

Nice bump  . Conlon is his paper's soccer writer so just further proof he's seen little or no Aussie Rules.

[mightytiges]

hahaha fail Conlon. our boys beat your lot even though we had to use a round ball!

Make that twice. Conlon =