Michael Walters is the weakest and worst player in the league since Lindsay Thomas

If thomas played for us he wouldn't get nearly as many frees as he normally does. FACT

Completely agree - he is no worse than Monfries or Jetta yet they were both denounced as “stagers”.

I didn’t like they what they were doing because it became an excuse not go for a hard ball or stay on your feet. Thomas is no different but the system seems to have changed around “staging” and/or he wear a different colour jumper…

He’s far worse.
Monfries actually corrected his knee-buckling after he stopped getting frees, became reasonably honest in his last 2-3 years with us.

I thought Jetta was pretty stiff to get done. Never saw him as a real repeat offender. He was terrible at it when he did try.

Playing for a free is cynical. It’s an admission you can’t beat your opponent on merit. Lindsay used to have a bit of pace and a spring. Now the ducking is all he’s got left. Couple more years he’ll be on a street corner with a sign saying “Will cheat for kicks”.

If thomas played for us he wouldn't get nearly as many frees as he normally does. FACT

Completely agree - he is no worse than Monfries or Jetta yet they were both denounced as “stagers”.

I didn’t like they what they were doing because it became an excuse not go for a hard ball or stay on your feet. Thomas is no different but the system seems to have changed around “staging” and/or he wear a different colour jumper…

How can you even put them in the same bracket?

And Jetta did it a couple of times maybe, while Gus just dropped his knees no different to Selwood but not as bad.

Thomas changes the direction of his head to go into the shoulder of opposition players!

Gus had the ole collapsible knees, when in front going for a mark. I can’t recall him ducking into a tackle in traffic (a la Selwood) too often - he probably did do it but not often enough for it to be an issue on its own. He’s gotten worse since he’s gone to Port IMHO.

I have no posts but so proud we have this thread. I completely agree

I would love to Thomas and Selwood in a contest.

I would love to Thomas and Selwood in a contest.

They’d dig a ■■■■■■ deep hole with their chins!

just another reason to hate football currently.

I would love to Thomas and Selwood in a contest.

Would be very interesting to see which player would ‘win’ a free kick.

Imagine how the 4 Selwood boys were in the backyard. Wouldn’t have been an upright stance amongst them.

Imagine how the 4 Selwood boys were in the backyard. Wouldn't have been an upright stance amongst them.

Could have been one of the great limbo foursomes if they didn’t keep deliberately whacking their face into the pole and lying prone on the ground until somebody whistled.

l must be in the minority here. l don't find Thomas weak, nor close to the worst. He is a smart player, able to milk the rules for the benefit of his team. If he wore red and black, people here would be lauding his efforts and quite rightly claiming he is one of best small forwards in the league. Bartlett did the same, and they changed the rules to stop him exploiting the loophole, his coach basically made the same claim after the game. The same will happen here, now that it has been given enough exposure.

Stop all the whinging, there are bigger issues that need to be discussed.

Agree - he is very experienced and milks the system perfectly. He is also the player opposition fans detest as a result.

I can’t speak for all Essendon supporters but I don’t want this at the club-

And this

Anyone who says that is staging for a free kick is kidding themselves.

Impressive horizontal leap

Well Brad Scott told us we’re kidding ourselves!!

Thomas had a total of 4 disposals the entire game against Freo the weekend. His only goal…you guess, is from a free.

Thomas had a total of 4 disposals the entire game against Freo the weekend. His only goal...you guess, is from a free.

We looked twice the team against Freo than North did…and they went in off an 8 day break whilst we had only a 6 day break.

We might complain about our game plan but it seems designed for us to be able to compete and potentially beat the best teams in the toughest games but not necessarily thrash weaker teams as flat track bullies. North’s game plan is the opposite. They have not got within 10 goals of either Hawthorn or Freo. They are yet to play Swans. In the meantime we have:

  • been beaten by the Swans by 12 after leading them by 41, on their turf, off a limited preparation and losing a key big-bodied mid in the first 2 minutes
  • beaten Hawthorn at the MCG by 2 points after leading by 35 points late in Q2.
  • jumped Freo early off a 6 day break, got a series of decisions against us, then got out-muscled in Q2, started to work our way back inot in Q3 and got right on top in Q4, holding Feo goalless in Q4 eventually losing by 28 points and having only 3 less scoring shots (plus Daniher’s complete miss from 45m straight in front)

And all this with the ASADA/WADA circus on our backs.

We just need to learn the mentality of a marauding warrior when we play the lesser teams and put them to the sword like a Freo/Swans/Hawks do. That’s the next step in our evolution.

Add both the Beams brothers to this group. Call em out

In the interests of balance. Didn’t like Joe’s effort in the 3rd, I think for his 4th goal. Didn’t like it one bit. Very reminiscent of the Linday-vs-Cats one posted earlier in this thread.

In the interests of balance. Didn't like Joe's effort in the 3rd, I think for his 4th goal. Didn't like it one bit. Very reminiscent of the Linday-vs-Cats one posted earlier in this thread.
Agree with this. I was disappointed to see it and it may work against him in the future. Hopefully a one off.

yep

DIDNT LIKE

I enjoyed it, he never gets them when he has 3 hanging off him. Tried something different and it worked.

He would have to do it about 10 times a game to even get close to those other divers and duckers.

Found this of facebook. Thought it appropriate.

Yeah, Christiensen (Sp.) is definitely up in the top 3. Never really noticed him at Geelong. Hate him instantly at Brisbane.

General Manager Football Operations Mark Evans on Monday wrote to all 18 AFL clubs to advise of a stricter interpretation around players leading with their heads into a tackling player, to apply immediately from upcoming round 10 matches this weekend.

Mr Evans said the AFL umpiring department, headed by national director Wayne Campbell and head coach Hayden Kennedy, had been consulting with all club football departments in recent weeks after the AFL flagged in mid-May that it was increasingly concerned with players leading into contact with their heads in a bid to win a free kick.

“The onus is on the tackler to tackle the player with ball legally. What we have begun to see in the game is the player with the ball driving his head toward a tackler or leaning into a tackler in order to receive a free kick,” Evans said.

“The AFL has significant concerns around player safety with this tactic and the interpretation change was considered an important enough issue by the Laws of the Game Committee to deal with in-season.

“The change of interpretation that will be immediately enacted from this weekend of matches, going forward for the rest of the season, requires the player with the ball to not contribute to high contact by driving or leading with his head into a tackling player,” he said.

Under the changes, the following will apply:

  • Any movement where a player drives or leads with their head into a stationary or near-stationary tackler will be deemed as a drive and will be umpired as the player with the ball having had ‘prior opportunity’;
  • The player must immediately kick or handball or a free kick for holding the ball, under the prior opportunity rule, will be paid against him.

Evans said the tackling player will still be required not to be reckless or indiscriminate with his approach to the player with the ball, as the changes were specifically focssed on the player with the ball initiating contact with his head.

Separately, umpires will be instructed that there is no change to what constitutes a shrug of a tackle, or a player lowering himself into a tackle, as has been adjudicated through the season.

“The AFL is seeking to encourage good technique when players are picking up the ball by turning their bodies to protect their heads,” Mr Evans said.

A number of examples of the interpretation change that the umpires will be working towards have been placed on AFL.com.au while Wayne Campbell will also appear on Fox Footy’s AFL360 on Monday night to detail those same examples.

As background for all media, this law was previously addressed by the AFL Commission on the eve of the 2014 season when the following changes were made:
High contact – Players leading with the head – The aim is to discourage players from seeking to draw forceful head high contact:

  • A player who drives his head into a stationary or near stationary player shall be regarded as having had prior opportunity. If legally tackled following this he will be required to legally dispose of the ball or he will be penalised
  • Where a player ducks into a tackle and is the cause of high contact the umpire will call play on.

So they’re not addressing the problem at all. Great.