I ended playing footy in my mid 30's as a defender.

Having to give way to younger midfielders I moved to the HBF, and tagged Paul Goss (Port) in a BP for a GF (win).

It's incredible the mindset change that happens just from a positional change from forward to midfield to backline.

From getting bumped, niggled, punched, pinched, kneed, punched and abused etc as a forward (and less so in the midfield because I was not good enough to warrant being tagged I suppose), I automatically (without instruction) became the aggressor when I moved to the backline. I held jumpers, shorts, bumped etc when the ball hadn't even been bounced or even when the ball was on the other end of the ground. I knew that was the program from experience.

My child hero in the VFA Alfie Beus at Sandy and did this (no, he was really really bad), as did every other defender I saw in the VFL, VFA, Metro and country footy the same applied to all forwards.

It's not new, it's expected, and if they didn't they were considered asleep.

Coaches told us to either do it if we weren't, or to continue to do it, even stand on their toes if we weren't. The idea was to take the opponents focus away from the game, their game and the ball. It was a tactic to put them off, and to ensure they know you're there all the time to squeeze out any space or freedom they may find comfort with.

It's to make the forward uncomfortable.

Setanta is doing nothing new; it's a standard. These tactics are as much part of footy today as they were in the 90's, 80's, 70's, ....since day dot.

These days with video scrutiny, the only thing Setanta can do and get away with it is to bump and be in the forward's face. Standard stuff really.

Those Setanta knockers should have a look at everyone else in defense and look at the tactics backmen apply to forwards. It's their craft. If you haven't noticed that before, you've missed part of the footy puzzle and you don't know what you're talking about.

Setanta's tactics are Footy 101 standard.

Get real and get off his back. So, you don't like him. You're embarrassed to have a novice in the big time; in our jumper. You find Setanta embarassing. I don't!

Well that's your problem, not Setanta's.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Bondi who said anything about not liking him? Why be so melodramatic? My point is there is no point carrying on like a pork chop if your getting beat most weeks.

I'm not a big Ackland fan but he's been better than O'Hailpin this year.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Playing in the backline you have to be disciplined and smart......SOS wasnt Full back of the century through niggling players.
He broke and bended the rules by hanging on etc but was subtle the way he went about it.....Santy does his niggling in a non too subtle way and gets carried away.
In his attempts to unsettle Brown he lost focus himself.......beating a player using your own skills still has to be Santy's major focus...niggling is just a minor tactic reserved for knobs like Lloyd, Richo, Mooney etc..
When you have mastered the basics of the game and playing the position then you can worry about the minor tactics...IMO Santy still has a lot more to learn about the game and should be concentrating on the skills and finer points.

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I disagree...

Santa has been terrific this year...and he has the X factor that Ackland doesnt.

When Santa does something special (5 possessions in 10 seconds) the team lifts.

The punch up is no big deal...shows a bit of passion.

I think you guys just like to argue.

Go Blues!

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They coud'nt.....could they?

I agree it's no big deal, I was one of the first to write that here.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Nah Sorry TG....................i couldn't dissagree with you more on that one.

I admit, Ackland has stepped up these pst two games, thank god, but Setanta has shitted all over him this year. As did Cloke.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

Holly shit BB.An old Association player.Sounds like you are an old Dandy or Coburg player.Maybe Oakleigh.Gotta say BB,if you mixed it in those circles you aint no nancyboy.But i notice until in your later years when you had the runs on the scoreboard did you come the antics.And that would be pretty smart of you in that sort of company.I
But on Setanta,we beg to differ.I agree,he has come a long way,but has a mile to go before he gets into mindgames with his opponent.

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All my dangerous friends

Santa gives the Blues grunt...

he is becoming our:

Hall, Gehrig, Brown type player.

Any media about Santa being "aggressive" brings a smile to my dial.

Next time Gibbs and/or Murphy get roughed up...you will see a big angry Irishman taking care of business.

It has been too long since we have had some grunt.

All I can say is: Bring it on Santa!

By the way...Go Blues!

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They coud'nt.....could they?

Exactly.

As I mentioned earlier Setanta is soaking up knowledge about our game and is very eager to learn - he takes instruction pretty literally (I did say somewhere almost Hymie like).

Although he has bought a bit of agression from his Hurling background - he has been taking the instruction to niggle and bump his opponents very very literally.

In the very early days last year - he was almost apologetic to his opponents about it "Sorry Mr. Hall, but the coach wants me to bump you"

I think its fantastic how he goes about it - and I reckon he has his aggression pretty much in hand.

As John Nicholls once said - you must make yourr opponent think that you have lost your cool but you shouldn't actually do so.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

You guys crack me up.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Exactly

God when did we all get so @#$%&! precious.

Setanta is who he is, like him or not, who gives a toss. I'm loving every minute of him, every inch. But hey, lets look to show how much we know by finding fault - yet again.

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This type of slight is alien in the more cultured part of the world - Walsh. Its up there with mad dogs, Englishmen and the midday sun!

What he said.....

gee that setanta guy can play a bit huh ?!

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Here comes the cavalry! It's ok to rip on Ackland but god forbid you mention anything about the Irish boys shortcomings.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

SQUAWK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Let Setanta be himself.

Carlton is in the last quarter of a total rebuild from the ground up - which was the result of the train wreck of 2002 - and what is more, we have been trying to be competitive on the field while this occurs.

So at this point in our development we sorely need someone with aggression like he shows a lot more than someone that hasnt any aggro at all.

Remember we are a club that in the last 5 years has won around 20% of our games. We are coming off an incredibly low base and need every bit of team development there is. Our win ratio is almost as bad as the ill fated University was in the early 1900's - and they eventually folded.

So what if through a will to win and by playing attacking football, with plenty of heart and agression, and we manage to beat Pot Adelaide on Saturday.

That will mean 2 wins in a row - and how long has it been since that has happened at Carlton?

So Id rather take the risk that he goes off his head a bit becuase he gets sucked in than have him not show the passion he does.

He is smart enough to work things out, and even if he makes a mistake, he has a willingness to learn what to do next time.

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My Blue Heaven

That's the point, it's not a shortcoming. That's why you are getting ripped apart and even my mate Agro and I see eye to eye on this one.

Meet this kid and his brothers and then you'll understand a little more. Determined, passionate, loyal, following instructions... that's how I describe Setanta. Thug, Idiot, Losing control... NOT even close.

Ripped apart? What are you on about? I just said he isn't going as great as some would make out here. Trust me I've got a better view from my seat than you do from yours.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Read a little more carefully... I said you're getting ripped apart not Setanta.

And thanks for the advice. I feel better now that I can trust you. btw, does your seat include meeting the O'hAilpins? Nah didn't think so.