Graham Cornes and his wisdom!

[Grim Reaper]

Well done Cornsey!


Graham Cornes: Mike have you taken one hit too many?

01oct05

IT'S been the year of the ugly duckling. Sydney won an AFL flag when most footy observers thought its scrappy game plan wouldn't even get it into the top eight.

Andrew Demetriou was obviously right about Sydney playing ugly football. How wrong he was about Sydney not winning many games. But ugly is the new beautiful.
The winner of the NRL grand final tomorrow will also be an unlikely ugly duckling.

Both teams have come from nowhere. Either unfashionable North Queensland Cowboys, from deep in red-neck country, or the Wests Tigers, that unlikely amalgam of teams from trendy Balmain and Sydney's ugly western suburbs will win their premiership.

Can you imagine Glenelg and Port Adelaide merging to win a flag?

We've also seen the emergence of a couple of ugly-minded sports journalists. Two weeks after claiming the Swans as the sole property of Sydney, iconic Daily Telegraph columnist, Mike Gibson, directed his considerable literary talents to denigrate Aussie Rules generally and the gripping AFL grand final specifically.

What is it with the devotees of rugby league? They continuously expose their inferiority complexes as they take every opportunity to attack and criticise our one true Australian game. Football followers from outside NSW and Queensland couldn't care less.

We obviously prefer Aussie Rules but can sit and appreciate a good game of league. There is no need to denigrate the opposition - the game speaks for itself.

Not so Mike Gibson. One of his statements simply defies belief: "Rugby league wingers - and fullbacks - are more accomplished at taking high marks than AFL players".

Apparently he has formed this opinion on the basis that Leo Barry's memorable mark was the only worthwhile moment in the AFL grand final.

Mike, have you taken one hit too many? Occasionally, a rugby league winger will score by catching a high kick to the corner, and yes, it is truly spectacular.

However, you can see the same thing a dozen times a game in Aussie Rules. Gibson also ridicules the inaccuracy of AFL players when shooting for goal. I'm sure league players do have a better conversion rate when kicking goals, but they have the ball all nicely set up on a kicking tee, and generally they don't kick from a long way out.

They would rarely attempt a drop goal from 40 metres out. And usually only one bloke in the team is the kicker; most of the rest can't kick to save themselves.

Rugby league is supposed to be a running game, but most of the runs are no longer than 5 metres.

It's close, tough and unspectacular, and quite difficult to follow the ball when you are live at the ground. It's a much better spectacle on television.

Occasionally a team like the Wests Tigers comes along with a game based on run, speed and flair, but most games are torrid, stolid affairs.

However, we don't complain, we can appreciate all codes.

But he's a funny bugger, Mike Gibson. He reckons comparing AFL to rugby league is like comparing Edna Everage to Elle Macpherson. He's got it half right: we'll take Elle; they can have Magda Szubanski! She's far better suited to their game.

[Beaussie]

Great article Graham. And before you jump in Scorger and say... see AFL journos are just as bad, that is the first time I've ever seen an AFL journo discuss rugby league and point out its defficiencies. Oh and let's not forget it was in response to the idiotic comments about AFL made by the has been Sydney rugby league journo Mike Gibson.

This quote is a real gem:

"Rugby league wingers - and fullbacks - are more accomplished at taking high marks than AFL players" says Mike Gibson.

[Willis 21]

Who is Graham Cornes??

I don't think he would have to worry about wearing a balaclava if he robbed a bank in Sydney...

[King-Eliagh]

"Rugby league wingers - and fullbacks - are more accomplished at taking high marks than AFL players" says Mike Gibson.

Definitely a stupid quote beaussie however i think some fullbacks and wingers in RL would make fine AFL players.

For a start they are stronger and faster. Secondly they often take more contended marks in a game of RL than Barry Hall took in his last two games of the season. And thirdly the marks they often do take are often contended by three or more players...definitely something we dont see happening all that often in the AFL. In that, im saying there are still many attempts at contended marks in the AFL but the amount that go to ground is more than three quarters of them whereas not so many go down in league.

A stupid point from gibson but definitely worth exploring.

[beachlover]

they use a ball in thugby leeg?
News to me.