The AFL Thread Proudly Sponsoring Patrick Dangerfield

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Partly baffled you even know her enough to have such a strong opinion, I didn't think you were very into AFL in the first place. Also partly curious why you think she is so terrible.
 
She's... not at all a bad journalist? I'd love to know why you think that. I've not agreed with some of what she has written, but I would hold her up as one of the three or four best AFL journalists we have.
 
I'm sort of with Ian. I've said before that I used to consider Caro a must-read, but that in the last few years she's at times bordered on unreadable. Her vendetta against Essendon perhaps rankles me a bit more than it would supporters of other clubs, but in general I've felt like her work has declined sharply in quality and she carries her grudges too obviously.

But that has nothing to do with McGuire (and his boys club) being a duplicitous and two-faced pig. This is another example of him being a fuckwit, a trend that has gone on much too long, and if he won't walk of his own accord then he ought to be made to walk.

And at least Caro's grudges are about the issues (excepting, maybe, her animosity towards Hird, which has been very personal in tone) and don't descend to threats of drowning.
 
She's... not at all a bad journalist? I'd love to know why you think that. I've not agreed with some of what she has written, but I would hold her up as one of the three or four best AFL journalists we have.

What others would you name as particular standouts? I must admit I don't read more widely than the sport sections of the Age and Guardian, and at the moment the only sports writer so good that I'll read any article with their byline even if the headline looks dull as dishwater is Russell Jackson.
 
What others would you name as particular standouts? I must admit I don't read more widely than the sport sections of the Age and Guardian, and at the moment the only sports writer so good that I'll read any article with their byline even if the headline looks dull as dishwater is Russell Jackson.

Agreed on Russell Jackson. I think Rohan Connolly is also very good, maybe Gerard Whateley although he does fanboy over his favourites a bit (although that's not really a massive knock to be honest). Going more into football draft/recruitment type of journalism, Emma Quayle is also excellent.

I can't really think of any more, and it does show there are a lot of seemingly 'nothing' journalists who I don't rate very highly.
 
I know her for her awful hot takes at league. Mostly unjust - and I'm willing to accept when league is in the wrong.

I can understand that, even though I think League is as boring as piss. As a rule, it does frustrate me to see journalists taking shots at a code they normally wouldn't cover.
 
Agreed on Russell Jackson. I think Rohan Connolly is also very good, maybe Gerard Whateley although he does fanboy over his favourites a bit (although that's not really a massive knock to be honest). Going more into football draft/recruitment type of journalism, Emma Quayle is also excellent.

I can't really think of any more, and it does show there are a lot of seemingly 'nothing' journalists who I don't rate very highly.

Quayle is sharp, and by god she knows her drafts. Connolly stands out to me just because the Age pushes him so prominently, and I usually find his articles interesting, but rarely in a way that really impresses me. He's a solid and dependable 100/150-gamer, not an exceptional 300-gamer. To be honest, most of the Age's writers are like that and I often fail to notice who the author is. They blur into a mass of decent and informative but unremarkable writing.

I can understand that, even though I think League is as boring as piss. As a rule, it does frustrate me to see journalists taking shots at a code they normally wouldn't cover.

This is one of the things I really love about Russell Jackson's writing - you can tell he just loves sport with all of its narratives and drama. He has his favourites and you can tell where his knowledge is strongest, but when he touches on sports beyond his usual subjects it's usually with genuine affection and enthusiasm. I can't imagine him writing some dogshit article pitting AFL against soccer against league against union.
 
I'm sort of with Ian. I've said before that I used to consider Caro a must-read, but that in the last few years she's at times bordered on unreadable. Her vendetta against Essendon perhaps rankles me a bit more than it would supporters of other clubs, but in general I've felt like her work has declined sharply in quality and she carries her grudges too obviously.

But that has nothing to do with McGuire (and his boys club) being a duplicitous and two-faced pig. This is another example of him being a fuckwit, a trend that has gone on much too long, and if he won't walk of his own accord then he ought to be made to walk.

And at least Caro's grudges are about the issues (excepting, maybe, her animosity towards Hird, which has been very personal in tone) and don't descend to threats of drowning.

I think your support of Essendon kind of precludes you from making a fair comment. She is tough and uncompromising in an industry dominated by men. I agree that she does seem to carry grudges too obviously and can get bogged down by them at times but I see absolutely no basis for the comment that her work has declined "sharply" or that she is "borderline unreadable".

Yes, her animosity towards James Hird is very clear. But what every single Essendon fan seems to forget is that the only person who is to be blamed for the what happened is... James Hird. His cult of personality and his horrific supplements regime are directly responsible for what happened. And good on Caro for being one of the journalists who wasn't scared to call him out for what he was. I would argue that she has always had the players' best interests at heart.

I know her for her awful hot takes at league. Mostly unjust - and I'm willing to accept when league is in the wrong.

Examples please? (I can't recall any.)

What others would you name as particular standouts? I must admit I don't read more widely than the sport sections of the Age and Guardian, and at the moment the only sports writer so good that I'll read any article with their byline even if the headline looks dull as dishwater is Russell Jackson.

Russell Jackson, of course. Then there's the people Vlad mentioned. Although he forgot Greg Baum. Some of the older hands at the Herald Sun also do a great job - Jon Anderson and Glenn McFarlane, for example, are both great.

Gerard Whateley is top for mine.

On merit, she's bad. There was no need to ruin what could have been an excellent take-down.

What are you saying here?

Agreed on Russell Jackson. I think Rohan Connolly is also very good, maybe Gerard Whateley although he does fanboy over his favourites a bit (although that's not really a massive knock to be honest). Going more into football draft/recruitment type of journalism, Emma Quayle is also excellent.

Emma Quayle is outstanding.
 
I think your support of Essendon kind of precludes you from making a fair comment.

Oh come now. Basically every other footy writer at the Age and the Guardian touched on Essendon, some frequently. The only one who I thought did a poor job of it and let their own desire to grind some axes get in the way of their analysis was Caro. Every other author seemed capable of maintaining at least a pretence of objectivity. Some had fantastic takes that skewered the club's errors. Caro was on the warpath and took the absolute harshest interpretation possible. It was Daily-Tele-reporting-on-the-Greens stuff.

Yes, her animosity towards James Hird is very clear. But what every single Essendon fan seems to forget is that the only person who is to be blamed for the what happened is... James Hird.

Bullshit. I'd love it if it were that simple and that I could consider the club pure beyond one toxic personality. There are lots of people who bear responsibility for what happened. No footy club is a one-man show.

Some of the older hands at the Herald Sun also do a great job - Jon Anderson and Glenn McFarlane, for example, are both great.

I'm aware of this but just can't bring myself to read the Hun.

(Well, except for Titus now that his previews end up on there - and fuck you, he makes me laugh every week.)
 
Sam Newman had a go at Caro on TFS tonight, the crowd cheered, Brayshaw was like 'but but but ...' and Rebecca Maddern saved this from becoming a truly sickening moment.
 
I have no idea. I have also stumbled upon a Herald Scum article suggesting he was going to run for Lord Mayor on a 'anti-political correctness' platform. Apparently he's a big fan of Trump, too.
 
Along the lines of 'as a woman I find this very discomforting' etc etc., very sensible response without attempting to actually engage the old crank.
 
Greg Baum is fantastic, though not exclusively AFL. His yarns on soccer are really good. Always felt that he wants to follow the sport more closely but is so often distracted by footy and cricket.

I never really bother with Quayle as I find draft stories really boring... I'm rarely interested in hearing about a 17 year old prodigy who very well could be delisted after playing four games of footy. Just can't get into them.

I have time for Mark Robinson. He comes across as a bit of a doofus, particularly on TV, but his articles are always very sincere. I recall him being particularly impressive during the booing saga against Goodes last year, as was Caroline Wilson.

Then there are some who don't offer much at all. Ralph, Niall.




Sent from a barge floating through the docks of Dublin
 
"Ooh a gig on a Thursday, that won't clash with the footy! Wait, what?"

Looks like I'm missing a good close one too.
 
Look what happens when they finally find the goal with a bit more regularity.
 
Shocking match tonight. 20k on a Friday night at a Collingwood home game is awful.
 
How on earth was it that low? I saw some people blaming the weather, but I went into a gig around about the time of the bounce and the weather seemed perfectly alright. Clearly it rained while I was at the gig, but the truly atrocious weather was yesterday - and atrocious weather has never stopped fans of the big Melbourne clubs anyway.
 
Back
Top Bottom