Certified Legendary Thread Willo's Friday Inquisitions - Seasons 1 & 2

[Willo_]

Welcome fellow Cats fans and opposition lurkers to another episode of the Friday Monday uhh Willo's Inquisition

This weeks guest is a poster who IMO has made a large impression in the past 12 months, had he not have actually registered initially 2 years ago he would have won the rising star such was his impact. He is antagonistic, loves a battle, stubborn... but also knowledgeable and very funny... his picture questioning the size of Zac Smiths forehead still is one of the better laugh out loud posts I've seen in a while.

Today we are joined by BlightysCats

 

[Willo_]

The standard opener, why the Cats for you?

Well I used to barrack for Essendon until I was about 8, my Dad barracked for Essendon but he left when I was a bit younger and I'd just sort of carried it on I think without even really following footy properly...That all changed in round 10 1989, my dear old Mum was/is a Geelong desperate and she realised she had a golden opportunity to brain wash me by taking me to a packed 'G' for the Geelong Collingwood game and I think she also realised that a certain G. Ablett might spike my interest in footy a bit and might make me support the Cats - God bless her she was right on both counts. By the end of that game I'd decided that G. Ablett was the most extraordinary person I'd ever seen and the Cats fast paced explosive Blight footy was just incredible...I was hooked.

A very exciting time to start your love affair with the club it's fair to say

Yeah it was a really exciting time, that Blight era team from 89-94 was the best Geelong team I've seen as a pure spectacle, they could be 6 even 7 goals down in a game and you just knew they could get a run on and win it but the downside was they could also be 6-7 goals up and lose it, but that's the way they were such a confidence team that really played with momentum. Just to put it in perspective for some of our younger BF posters there were three weeks in a row in 1992 where we scored 37, 32, and 28 goals against Brisbane, Adelaide, and Essendon respectively and this was not uncommon for that team I think in '91' and '89' they also had weeks in succession where they'd just kick mammoth scores playing open, fast, and dynamic football. I remember in the late 90s watching Adelaide winning their flags and just loving the way they played, that beautiful Blight footy, in both their premiership wins they played with a great momentum late in the game that was irresistible, it was sad really because we always had that ability under Blight but couldn't do it on the big day. I know the old timers go on about the Farmer/Goggin ruck/rover combination talking about the 6th sense they seemed to have with one another but in their own way the Couch/Ablett midfielder/forward combo seemed to me to be similar, Couch could pin point Ablett on a lead seemingly from anywhere no matter how many defenders had dropped back in to the holes and of course even if he did slightly miskick one to Ablett Gazza would just take mark of the year or gather it at ground level dodge his opponent and kick a reverse torp goal from 50 out on the boundary line anyway.

A better spectacle than 07-11?

Yes, IMO. I mean that Blight team had Ablett Snr, need I say more. Don't get me wrong quite obviously our 07/11 team was great to watch and played a tougher more accountable and resilient style of football while still displaying great flair at times, especially in '07' when they probably had the most sublime individual passages of play I've ever seen in the game, but for mine as a consistent pure spectacle that '89' to probably 94/95 team was superior. Maybe it's just a bit of childhood nostalgia on my behalf I don't know but I always felt a great sense of anticipation before every Geelong game back then, a sense that anything literally 'anything' could happen and with Ablett in the team it often did. There was a kind of magic about watching that team, smelling the mixture of cigarette smoke, beer, and meat pie that filled the air, listening to the obscene language pelted out somewhere behind me in the standing room on the outer at Kardinia Park, and watching 16 year old Collingwood supporters who'd illegally smuggled booze in projectile vomit in the gutter outside the ground after the game - just a beautiful innocent charm about footy in those days....

Do I take from that that you aren't as in love with the whole modern day experience?

Yeah apart from the last bit of my previous answer I do seriously miss the old suburban grounds, the standing room, the characters that went along with that and the stupid things they'd yell out, also oddities like the old guy who sold peanuts from the boundary line and threw them well back in to the stands at Princess Park, or the ridiculous code system they used to put in the footy record and then display on the old scoreboards to show you the scores from other games -
A 12880
B 111177
C 10969
D 4529
Then you'd just hear everyone confounded around you saying who's A? Who's B? etc...

But the modern game is a lot more tactical and I do enjoy that, it's not as free flowing and high scoring as it once was but the players average skill level is definitely better than in those days and it is good to see the game develop so quickly tactically. The mod cons like better food options, a roof when it's wet at Etihad and the quality and cleanliness of toilets and numerous bars etc. are all way better than the filth of yesteryear...although I did kind of like it for some reason (except the toilets they were horrendous.)

You mention it is a lot more tactical, and from your posts I take you as someone who really enjoys the nuts and bolts of the game. Is that a fair assessment and what is it about the tactical side of it that appeals to you?

Well I feel like AFL is getting a bit like soccer now and teams more and more kind of have formations like in soccer (obviously more complex as there are more players) so you can have an attacking formation defensive formation and change at certain times in the game etc. That's why you see goals scored sometimes by teams kicking it long over the back of an opposition zone (mostly from a kick out) to certain teammates who are running in to heaps of space forward on to the ball and kicking easy goals, it's almost like there's an offside rule sometimes.
In the late 80s to mid 90s all teams pretty much played the same way and it was just which teams had the more skilled players and better fitness or drank the least the night before but now it genuinely feels like the better coaches have more of a say on the game than they once did and you can clearly see that certain teams set up completely differently to others. That's what I find interesting seeing the clash of philosophies or set ups on the field and watching the players trying to figure out what's the right option/wrong option etc. I know many commentators say it but it really is like watching a giant game of chess sometimes.
The best game I saw this year was the Freo v Hawthorn Prelim to me it was amazing that Ross Lyon had the Dockers within a goal with about 10 mins to go in that game. It was incredibly tactical and both teams really had to think their way through the game, plus it was tough and unforgiving like all Ross Lyon finals seem to be - crappy result though.

We all are aware of your thoughts on Scott and his tactical ability so rather than go there instead I'd like to know who you think are the best currently when it comes to tactical ability, and why?

Nice easy question Parko. Just to clear it up I do think Scott and our coaching team prepare well tactically at times and when I do criticise Scott it's more about my perception of the tactical inflexibility he shows on match day...Anyway, I think in no particular order Ross Lyon, Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick, and Simpson are probably the best tactical coaches. I'll pick a few to discuss but keep in mind I don't think I'm some tactical expert I just notice a few things that I think are interesting and to be honest I don't think I'll really be able to expand on anything most on here don't know anyway.

Alastair Clarkson: Hawthorn's playing group is the most skilled team by foot the AFL has ever seen and that must really open up tactical options for any coach. I think he's one of the best tactically because of how he adapts Hawthorns play to suit their opponent, the best example of this was the difference in the way Hawthorn approached their qualifying final against West Coast compared to the Grand Final. In the Qualifying Final Hawthorn tried to play their usual safe type short kicking style game for most of it but the Weagles Web just chewed them up, so in order to break the hold of the Eagles zone the Hawks completely changed the way they played in the Grand Final, they kicked long, took risks, and moved the ball incredibly quickly, there was hardly a short kick to be seen.

Ross Lyon: Lyon is great tactically, I know people love to hate him and his defensive mindset (I know I have in the past namely the 2013 qualifying final) but he's been a couple of kicks away from being a two time premiership coach. Lyon loves to create stoppages in Freo's defensive half and then just crowd the hell out of it, by doing this they create acres of room forward, from here using their 7ft giant they try to create clearances from the stoppage that result in a clean chain of possession in to the dangerous space up forward they've created. This compact crowding of the stoppages (which nearly every team has adopted now) also creates great pressure on the opposition to get any meaningful inside 50s because they end up just hacking kicks forward and means Freo can act like a bit of a sponge sucking up meaningless forward 50 entry after meaningless entry until they get the clean piece of play they want that they can use on the rebound to push deep in to their basically empty forward half. The other thing about Lyon is his ability to really spot the best matchups for certain players in the opposition and I like this because it harks back to the old days of footy a bit where match ups were probably the best tactical tool a coach had.

Hardwick: Damien Hardwick is really developing the short kicking game Hawthorn like to do but a bit slower and with a few more defensive options in his formation because Richmond aint Hawthorn and tend to turn it over more so they need a bit more back up should that happen. Hardwick cleverly created a compact short zone that The Hawks found it really hard to kick through when they played them late in the year, as a result the game was played on Richmond's terms which is no mean feat against the Hawks.

Adam Simpson: I think we heard enough about the Eagles tactics this year to last a lifetime.

So there you go. Let's not forget though that man on man footy is still pretty common in AFL especially from centre bounces, some stoppages, and in finals.

It’s interesting you mentioned Hardwick tactically being good when it seems a common thought that maybe he isn't a good coach given the Tigers poor finals showing..

Hardwick is dealing with an organisation that's had 30 odd years of abject failure which has permeated the entire culture of the club so for him to get the Tiges in the finals series 3 years in a row working with very limited player stocks - they have a reasonable midfield (all be it rather weak defensively) one decent consistent defender in Rance, and one decent forward in Riewoldt - is a great effort! Not to mention Richmond's consistent ability to beat Hawthorn over their triple premiership period. Only a coach with real tactical nous could consistently beat Hawthorn with the talent Hardwick has had at his disposal compared to that of Hawthorn and Clarkson.

I know I'll cop a lot of 'debate' on here over my assessment of Hardwick especially compared with Scott but they've both lost their last 3 finals and Hardwick, even with our injuries in 2015, had a worst list than Scott to work with this season IMHO. Richmond under Hardwick this season were 4 points away from having the second best defence in the league and to put it in perspective despite playing one more game than us in 2015 conceded more than 250 points less than we did, only finished a game behind Hawthorn at the end of the season, and still have an incredibly young developing team. I understand some Richmond fans are greedy for any success but I think if they persist with Hardwick they'll be fine.

Do you think we have the cattle to contend?

It's really difficult to say, I think on a structural level we lack a genuine small forward and lack some dynamic players with speed especially off half back. Also it's hard to know what we're going to get from S. Selwood and Henderson, Henderson's form in the last two years has been pretty bad but his best is pretty good, S. Selwood has struggled with injuries in the last two seasons so again it's difficult to know what we'll get. Also everybody I'm sure by now knows my opinion of our coach , so to be honest even if S. Selwood, Smith, and Henderson are at their best and with the addition of Dangerfield I don't think we can seriously contend, at least not this coming season, but perhaps we could with some more additions in 2017. I think absolute best case scenario we sneak in to 4th position and win one final in 2016 but it would be remiss of me if I didn't say we should be really aiming to win it and daring to dream.
I'll be very happy to be proven wrong next year...

That's why I said do we have the cattle and not will we contend

Where you happy with our recruiting this off season?

I think every Geelong fan has to be pretty happy with our recruiting this offseason, I'm certainly wrapped with Dangerfield! My only minor gripe is I thought we could've bought in a small forward. This is a bit of a roll of the dice though as it really feels like we're recruiting like we expect a flag within the next two years and if we don't get one I just wonder where that'll leave our list and us as a team in 3/4 years time? In the present however I'm looking forward to next season to see just how competitive we might be.

Danger is certainly worth being wrapped in... where do you see him in the scheme of the league?

Simple really the top 3 players in the league are Ablett, Fyfe, and Danger.

And what impact do you see him having with us?

Much the same impact he had for Adelaide, he'll add real polish, speed, and dynamism to our midfield and with the reduced interchange this year will also prove dangerous up forward. I would expect him to be a real goal kicker while in the midfield too which will help us with our poor scoring ability but I think his main impact will be on memberships and people through the gate as well as number 35s all over kids backs, I reckon a few Dads might stick a 3 in front of their old number 5 jumpers as well. He will free up Selwood, Duncan, and Caddy/Guthrie a bit too so that they can have more of an impact and I'm also interested to see how he goes playing with Motlop as they're both highly skilled players and if they formed some on field chemistry could really toy with opposition midfielders on the break. I'm not sure about his leadership skills but it'd be good if he could bring a bit of that to the table as well.

You have mentioned Gaz Snr a couple of times. I am fair in guessing that if asked your favourite all time cat he would comfortably top the list?

Yep no.1 by a mile. The guy had a pretty big hand in getting me to support Geelong and love AFL when I was a kid. It's sad he ended up with the troubles he did post the end of his career but I always admire players for their playing ability alone as I can see that on the field, I don't go into this hero worship stuff because to me they're just people with a special ability/talent for footy.

It's a good way to look at them, IMO too many get caught up worshiping players as gods

I grew up out in Sunbury so was fortunate enough to know a few of the Geelong guys through the 2000s either personally or through mates so I was able to find out a bit about Ablett Snr's time at the club and some of the ridiculous stories of things he did and the effort the club had to make sometimes just to make him do simple stuff like turn up to games. I won't go into it but obviously the guy lived in his own world a bit and really had a completely different philosophy to football and life than everyone else, he really was a bit of an eccentric footy genius but really struggled to cope with the hero worship thing away from football.

Over your time following the cats which other players have you most enjoyed?

I really enjoyed watching Gary Hocking he was tough as nails and had a bit of a mercurial side to him, Riccardi was great too and carried our midfield through the late 90s, Hinkley was a fantastic player who was very smooth with immense poise and one of the best decision makers we've ever had in our defensive half. Of the premiership crew I really enjoyed Stevie J at his peak he was just one of those players who brought a smile to your face, I really love Mackie and his team lifting goals from downtown, and watching Nathan Ablett for the brief time he was there was also great. Honourable mention to the uncompromising toughness and composure of Scarlo/Milburn. Really though it's about watching the team and how it plays as a unit. Billy and Barnsey were good too for novelty value and great high marks.

What got you on to big footy?

I can't remember how I found out about BigFooty but I had a really brief look at it and signed up in 2013. It wasn't till the beginning of this year that I thought I'd take a look again and then began posting. As I've already mentioned I didn't grow up in or around Geelong so had precious few Geelong mates I could discuss the Cats with and I think BigFooty has copped about a decade's worth of pent up Geelong discussions I had in reserve. I had no idea what it'd be like really when I started but most posters are just really passionate opinionated supporters of the club who aren't backward in coming forward (hence why they post online in a public forum about their club.) I know I'm pretty divisive on here and I'm sure some people either hate me or strongly dislike me at times, and no doubt I've felt the same way about some posters but it only lasts for a bit and then you move on. I'll honestly say 99% of the posters I've had a strong disagreement with, even if it deteriorates in to trading insults, I feel no ill will toward and I'm pretty sure it goes both ways. To me that's the great thing about BigFooty you'll be vehemently disagreeing with someone on one thread then you'll switch over to another and be liking one their comments because you agree with them. I've also found BF brilliant for all the news and insight you get that you just wouldn't hear in the mainstream media.

It's also great to get an idea of some of the characters on here like JUBJUB and his disturbing inability to communicate except by using memes/gifs, Mahlepi constantly breaking stories like Damien Barrett except containing more truth, and posters like NSFB who manfully guard the Chris Scott walls against complete ruthless bastards like myself, Bobby_, and Biggy etc. who are itching for change at the top...And then of course posters like you Willo with your trusting Parkinson eyes staring back at me revered by the BigFooty Cats supporting public much in the same way the British public adore the real Parkinson, Sir Paul McCartney, or Adam Ant.

Congrats on the POTY award by the way.

Cheers mate,
And I guess you have answered my next question about what do you enjoy about the place so much!

Yeah I seemed to have read the play there.

Well summing up everything above it's just the interaction about it that I love. I mean without being completely cornball about it (and now let me proceed to be completely cornball about it) it's awesome to be able to have a laugh, whinge, debate, or general discussion about the second oldest club in the AFL, which is also one of the oldest football clubs in the world and one that we all have the immense privilege of supporting.

You briefly touched on 07 earlier, as someone who got into the cats during an exciting but ultimately frustrating time... how was 07 for you?

Incredible mate, I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a tear thinking about a few people close to me I wish had have been able to see it but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. I was incredibly fortunate to be there on the day with a large section of my family and just thoroughly enjoyed the whole day, I still thought Port might be a chance at half time (talk about previous Geelong Grand Finals PTSD) but then relaxed after we got the first of the third and realised we'd done it. I always thought if Geelong won the flag I'd be on a bender for the next 3 days/nights but I was so exhausted from the whole emotion of the thing that I ended up in bed at midnight which for me back then was a pretty early one on the drink. I remember walking back through the streets of Brunswick to a pub I was going to and there weren't many if any Geelong supporters around but I was wearing my scarf and was just amazed how many strangers were saying congratulations and 'I'm really happy Geelong won,' pats on the back etc. Obviously in Geelong I heard and saw it was mental but to get that sort of reaction in Melbourne was great in it's own way.

Could you have imagined the heartbreak and then success that was to follow in the next few years?

No way. I always felt we were ripped off a bit in 89, 91, 92, 94, and 95. In '89' we played one of the greatest teams of the modern era, in '91' we lost Ablett and Brownless before our Prelim against West Coast and then lost Stoneham during the game and still only lost by 16 points playing without our entire forward line, in '92 & 94' again we lost to one of the great teams of the modern era and in '95' we played a team in the Granny that had lost only two games all season. My point is we never got an easy Grand Final then you watch teams like North who played Sydney in '96' and Carlton in '99,' after their upset prelim win over Essendon, and you just think where's our easy Grand Final? That's what we got in 2007, we finally got a GF against a nothing team which helped propel our confidence and self belief toward the difficult flags against St Kilda and Collingwood. It was so good during that period of success being able to turn around to all my Essendon mates who were so arrogant in the 90s early 2000s and be able to laud it all over them...Oh and also it was great to see Geelong play so well and enjoy all of that too

It's a shame about that pesky Hawthorn result in there as well...

I've lived to see Geelong break their Grand Final hoodoo, I just hope I live to see Geelong break their Hawthorn in Grand Finals hoodoo.

And lastly... care to put your nads on the line prediction wise?

Ok, Geelong won't finish top 4 next year and Collingwood will finish above us, Josh Cowan and
Jake Kolodjashnij will prove revelations in defence for us, Nakia Cockatoo will win at least 3 games for us next year with important goals at important times, Joel Selwood will unfortunately continue his decline, Bartel won't be getting a game by the end of the year, pressure will begin to really grow on Chris Scott, Danger will win the Carji, the Country Game between Geelong and Essendon will prove a hit, channel 7 will somehow find a new way to make their footy coverage even more lame, Freo will slide, Geelong will win 13 games and hopefully win our second final in 4 years, and due to the interchange limit of 90 there'll be more attacking footy late in games. I think I'll have a laugh when revisiting these predictions at the end of next season.

Actually one more.. does Jimmy get to 300?

Well I certainly hope he does he deserves to, after all he's been a complete legend for the club and is one of the most decorated players in AFL history, plus I think he brings at least 1000 women through the gates each week.

Thanks for your time mate.

 

[manboob]

We all are aware of your thoughts on Scott and his tactical ability so rather than go there instead I'd like to know who you think are the best currently when it comes to tactical ability, and why?

Nice easy question Parko. Just to clear it up I do think Scott and our coaching team prepare well tactically at times and when I do criticise Scott it's more about my perception of the tactical inflexibility he shows on match day...Anyway, I think in no particular order Ross Lyon, Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick, and Simpson are probably the best tactical coaches.

Hardwick: Damien Hardwick is really developing the short kicking game Hawthorn like to do but a bit slower and with a few more defensive options in his formation because Richmond aint Hawthorn and tend to turn it over more so they need a bit more back up should that happen. Hardwick cleverly created a compact short zone that The Hawks found it really hard to kick through when they played them late in the year, as a result the game was played on Richmond's terms which is no mean feat against the Hawks.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Another good interview, Willo_

 

[Willo_]

You'll notice I did further get him to elaborate on this particular view

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'm a fan of BlightysCats and we've had our differences in the past. We're similar personalities and I have a lot of respect for the way he posts.

Good interview.

 

[Larry Donohue]

Nice one guys.
Blighty's cats you do occasionally rub me up the wrong way (as cats often experience)
Your interview gave me a little insight into your reasoning for pessimism.
I too will enjoy looking back at your predictions and how they transpire.
Happy to wear the egg if you are too!!
With Cowan and Cockatoo purported on your interview to get a lot of game time, I'm struggling to work out who will miss.
Thanks for enlightenment of perspective

 

[BlightysCats]

You'll notice I did further get him to elaborate on this particular view

Don't listen to him Willo, I fear he may be a sith.

 

[David the Cat]

Don't listen to him Willo, I fear he may be a sith.

I was going to give you a "like" for you're interview, but realised you had exhausted you're 2015 quota......may the force be with you.

 

[BlightysCats]

I expected such responses to that controversial call.

 

[manboob]

I expected such responses to that controversial call.

I mean anyone else but Hardwick...

 

[Pivo]

And like Adam & the Ants, Blighty does tend to "Stand and Deliver".

Another good one, there were parts of BlightysCats interview that really resonated with me.

Well done once again Willo_.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Good interview.
I'm another whose at the other end of the spectrum with blightycats, and at times we can have a fair dig but I respect his posting and views on the game, even if he is wrong
Again, good interview guys.

 

[Partridge]

I expected such responses to that controversial call.

I don't see it as controversial funnily enough. There are plenty of worse coaches around than him.

 

[BlightysCats]

I don't see it as controversial funnily enough. There are plenty of worse coaches around than him.

Obviously I agree, I reckon if he was coaching nearly any other team in the AFL he'd get a lot more respect in general from his own and opposition supporters.

 

[cats23]

Yeah apart from the last bit of my previous answer I do seriously miss the old suburban grounds, the standing room, the characters that went along with that and the stupid things they'd yell out, also oddities like the old guy who sold peanuts from the boundary line and threw them well back in to the stands at Princess Park, or the ridiculous code system they used to put in the footy record and then display on the old scoreboards to show you the scores from other games -
A 12880
B 111177
C 10969
D 4529
Then you'd just hear everyone confounded around you saying who's A? Who's B? etc...

Great interview guys.

I vaguely recall that crazy code system from the old records too BlightysCats -remember my Dad trying to figure out which teams were winning, getting all flustered, chucking his record to the ground then yelling at the scoreboard in his thick Italian accent "you stupid bloody board, tell us who's winning", probably shaking his fist at it as well. (Yeah, he was one of those standing room "characters")

Oh, and I love the term "cornball"-I must remember to use it more often.

 

[Partridge]

I vaguely recall that crazy code system from the old records too BlightysCats -remember my Dad trying to figure out which teams were winning, getting all flustered, chucking his record to the ground then yelling at the scoreboard in his thick Italian accent "you stupid bloody board, tell us who's winning", probably shaking his fist at it as well. (Yeah, he was one of those standing room "characters")

It's funny, if you grew up with it, you thought it was perfectly normal. You basically needed one quick look at the record to work out who was who (and how some letters never appeared), but after that you were fine.

 

[cats23]

It's funny, if you grew up with it, you thought it was perfectly normal. You basically needed one quick look at the record to work out who was who (and how some letters never appeared), but after that you were fine.

Do you remember roughly how long ago it was?

My excuse is that I must've been really young (Dad used to drag me along to games from when I was 3 or 4), and my Dad was a brand new immigrant with a hot temper and no patience!

 

[WeAreGeelong]

Do you remember roughly how long ago it was?

My excuse is that I must've been really young (Dad used to drag me along to games from when I was 3 or 4), and my Dad was a brand new immigrant with a hot temper and no patience!

Was this your dad?

 

[Partridge]

Do you remember roughly how long ago it was?

My excuse is that I must've been really young (Dad used to drag me along to games from when I was 3 or 4), and my Dad was a brand new immigrant with a hot temper and no patience!

I'd say if your formative football years were the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, you would have experienced it. Particularly at the suburban grounds without any kind of video replay. So Princes Park, Geelong, Windy Hill etc., any of those. It was almost like a branch of mathematics 11-year-olds were forced to learn.

 

[FredLeDeux]

I'd say if your formative football years were the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, you would have experienced it. Particularly at the suburban grounds without any kind of video replay. So Princes Park, Geelong, Windy Hill etc., any of those. It was almost like a branch of mathematics 11-year-olds were forced to learn.

Went back much further than that, it was the same in the 50s and 60s.

 

[Partridge]

Went back much further than that, it was the same in the 50s and 60s.

You mean I was learning obsolete technology!

 

[BlightysCats]

Went back much further than that, it was the same in the 50s and 60s.

I remember it was still going till the mid 90s at Kardinia Park and Princes Park. I also remember in the early 90s when there were still a lot of games on a Saturday afternoons (as you'd remember I'm sure from much earlier times as well) that the code scores would go up to G and H on the old scoreboards. Obviously if you had the footy record it wasn't confusing but if you didn't it was a nightmare! Also I remember as time went by for some reason they made that code way harder to find in the footy record and hid it in really small print on some out of the way page.

 

[Seeds]

I'd say if your formative football years were the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, you would have experienced it. Particularly at the suburban grounds without any kind of video replay. So Princes Park, Geelong, Windy Hill etc., any of those. It was almost like a branch of mathematics 11-year-olds were forced to learn.

They had it throughout the nineties. Its not that old.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

They had it throughout the nineties. Its not that old.

They had it right up until KP had its first redevelopment on the wing in 04-05. Before then there was that target time clock and it had the around-the-grounds scores either below it or beside it, can't quite remember.