My dad’s an astronaut
i’m with rolo, Hunt from geelong circa 06 ish got called a squib for not going back with the flight of the ball, next week fearing being called the same, lonergan does and loses a kidney.
There’s not wanting to put your body on the line fearing you’ll get absolutely killed, and then there’s just softness at the ball and man. Zaka did it on 3 occassions that i remember and to anyone saying it wasn’t visible on the tv it was.
He should be dropped for his first half efforts. He should be encouraged and told that coming out after half time and improving is the sign of a fighter, but his actions in the first half should not be condoned and accepted as well acceptable.
that is the mentality that has plagued this club and players for far to long, putting in putrid performances only to be redeemed by minor improved efforts in the second half.
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No, please, don’t divorce me from CB.
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Just watched the reply. Regarding the Burgoyne play in the 1st quarter.
I don’t think he squibed the contest at all. It was pretty obvious that Burgoyne was always going to get to the ball first. No point in Zaka charging in and getting wrong footed and stepped around.
I think people on here are being a bit harsh. Overall apart from the 2nd quarter he had a pretty good game. I thought he did some important things early in the 1st quarter especially.
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Many here have never played football, particularly senior football.
They have no idea how many things can go through the mind at any time in the split second decision making world of that, far less AFL level.
I can think of at least 6 things he might have thought in that instant. Sometimes things can look cut & dried & much worse than they really are to the inexperienced.
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Hold on, il just pull my chair a little closer
That’s awesome. Please, tell me more
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Why are people so unkind?
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I was at the game and the Zaka “squib” happened right in front of me and it was obvious that he pulled out and all the Essendon supporters around my mate and I erupted and went off their heads.
I then watched the replay the day after and I could hardly tell from the angle on the TV that he had at all.
Either way, he isn’t the first player to do it and he won’t be the last but if all we are complaining about is whether or not Zaka may have “squibbed” a contest in round one whilst we beat the Hawks by 25 and had almost 80,000 there to see it then I think we are in pretty good shape.
He got better as the game went on anyway and kicked a clutch goal when we needed it. Like most of the other senior guys, he was rusty and is a classy player when up and about.
The past 5 or so years we’d be crying that we had been smashed to smithereens by these ■■■■■■.
Let’s just enjoy it and not get caught up in this petty ■■■■■.
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We could win the flag and gloomers would be endlessly going on about some negative ■■■■.
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Hawks put plenty plenty of work into him after it as well.
Well if he was as bad as often as the negatives views are on here then there’s no way he’ll be picked this week, hey?
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Listen to Wooshfold, David, not these wombats. Especially Crazy. He sits down to wee.
I just watched the replay having missed it at the game (complete opposite side of the ground)… Talk about peak overblown garbage… Could he have gone a bit harder? yes. But wow, I’ve seen plenty of softer stuff than this week in week out on a footy field…
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I was at the game and have watched the replay four times. I dunno WTF you guys are on about.
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Life tip for the younger readers… Not all large ladies are pregnant. Consider your words thoughtfully when offering the lass a seat.
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Plenty plenty big time work
“Excuse me mam … please…take my seat…”
“Wha??? I’m not FARKIN PREGNANT you ■■■■■■■■!!!”
“I know you’re not…just thought you might be a little too fat to be standing up, that’s all…”
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Yeah but that’s not the point. What happens is that you get to raise a perceived shortcoming in someone, and you get to justify that at every subsequent opportunity. You get to focus right down in a way that you don’t in others, just to justify that opinion of yours. There’s other aspects as well. By calling someone out for these perceived faults, you get to establish a greater wisdom than those who don’t see or deny or forgive imperfections. You are invincible in your opinion. You know more than the coaching panel. If only the club consulted you, a premiership would be a formality. Confirmation bias is a great tool to reinforce your wisdom. A patch of 4-5 poor games ineterspersed with several 30 plus possession games becomes 10 weeks of pure rubbish. You would never say this to your target, whom you nominally support, but the insulation afforded by your computer screen allows you a certain swagger and faux bravado. And you can emphasise a fault by finding something better and comparing (pity your missus!). In the end, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of measured criticism but when it gets personal, when it falls into that confirmation bias country (which took stants a long time to fight his way through), it starts to reflect in the critic a bit of the fact that life is full of good and bad, and everyone gets to dwell on the bits they choose.
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I was at the stadium at the other end of the ground and when i saw it, knew he pulled out and yelled out ‘go harder zaharakis’. So yes he ‘squibbed it’. There are supporters that will always see good in everything our players do and others that will see the opposite.
I think the disappointment from fans (including myself) came from the fact it was a big game, round 1 and zaka seemed like he had gone straight back to his old ways of not stepping up like in previous years.
Overall though i don;t think these squib moments make much difference, except when a goal results from it, so it doesnt really matter and most of us on the forum would take a short step too in the same situation. So this more than anything was his already soft reputation as well as people always being disappointed that he hasn’t finally stepped up to where people think his talents should put him at.
Also i’m enjoying the threats flying around in this thread, keep em coming its good entertainment.
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FIXED. Now drop him.