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GEELONG greats have rushed to defend Cats star Steve Johnson over his elbowing of St Kilda's Steven Baker in a spiteful encounter at the MCG on Friday night.
As Johnson faces a possible four-week suspension over the incident, in retaliation for Baker's attacks on his right hand, broken earlier in the game, debate has been sparked on whether provocation should be a defence to striking in football.
A war of words has broke out between the clubs, with Cats great and Brownlow medallist Paul Couch saying Baker "deserved a smack in the mouth".
Should Steve Johnson be penalised for retaliating against Steven Baker's provocation? Have your say below
Don't like to have their pants pulled down, do they?
Didn't Riewoldt (Jack that is) do something similar a couple of weeks ago in regards to targeting an injury to a player that was on him..?? Can't remember who it was but I do remember he didn't get so much as a second glance from the match review panel.
Geelong need to harden up methinks! Nice attempt at deflection. Too bad we all know you were SMASHED fairly and squarely by the mighty Saints outfit!
I could barely believe the articles and the quotes attributed to it. My only conclusion is that they're worried about Johnson getting big weeks and they're trying to get on the front foot early. Thompsons quote about the saints wanting to hurt them and get revenge is nothing short of ridiculous. Bakes would have done that to any opponent with a broken hand who decided to stay out on the park. If you make a conscious decision to play on with an obvious injury then you will get targetted at this level.
I suspect taht Couch has some sour grapes re Goose not getting much of a go last year - Aren't Maguire and Couch related in some way?
I'll say it again. Yes Bakes was an annoying little prick Friday night. Bad luck. That's footy. The umpy's could have done something about it, but they chose to do nothing. Stevie J took the law into his own hands and now has to suffer the consequences. I'm not sure that Johnson's hit was much worse (when taken in isolation) than Barry hall's 2 yrs ago. You just can't do it.
Winmar wrote:Bakes probably did deserve a smack in the mouth! If I was Steve Johnson I sure would have wanted to. It's still amusing though.
G Hocking having any input into this is laughable. He's a dog.
No sympathy for Baker, can't blame Johnson for eventually losing his cool. He's only human.
I hope they both get off, but that seems unlikely. The debate of 'player protection' will be at boiling point come Monday night, as the AFL vowed to penalise this kind of 'niggling' contact.
Given Baker's abysmal record at the review panel, I think he'll get a few weeks, as will Johnson. Though, if Baker get's a few and Johnson nothing...stranger things have happened.
Until we have an administration that demands success and a playing group that bleeds for the guernsey, St. Kilda will just be a sh*tty football club.
Wonderful thing that a Brownlow medalist and great of the game would advocate players giving opposition players "a smack in the mouth"
It a wonderful message to all the kids out there playing junior football if your opponant is getting under your skin just elbow him in the face, no worries at all its Paul Couch approved.
Seriously Couch go and have a good long hard look at yourself you bloody idiot.
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Geelong have a fair history of snipers, can't believe they'd sook but then again you only need look at the squealing done out on the ground by their elder stattesman, Milburn...the Cats like to throw their toys from the cot when under pressure.
Gary Ablett snr, the greatest sniper of all...ask Burke, Grant, Frawley, Bardsley
Garry Hocking
Neville Bruns, the way he tried to break Leigh Mathews forearm behind play is still a disgrace today!
"The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break in the game. Every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches that's gonna make the f***in' difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!'
The AFL hierarchy hate Baker beyond all reason. They see him as a blight on the game and would like him out of it.
So I'm a bit worried about the fallout from this incident. The media seem to be lining up behind Stevie J. I expect Baker to go for many weeks and Stevie maybe to get one or two.
If this occurs, perhaps our club will have the guts to go to court this time and blow the whole ludicrous system wide open. Somehow I doubt it.
Unfortunately, as we saw with Chris Judd recently, in AFL all players are equal but some are "more equal tha others" (with apologies to George Orwell).
"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into."
- Jonathan Swift
Lets face it, Geelong dont like being beaten, they dont like it when their players are towelled up, no team does.
But.........they are bad bad losers, there is no "the better team won on the night" going on, its all about the bad umpiring, injured players and Steven Baker.
Not only did St Kilda beat them, they actually got under their skin, took their focus off playing football and onto how hard done by they have been.
A win win situation IMO
"Oh I do love to be beside the sea side..........................................."
Really, Geelong supporters have now gone to the top of the whinging ladder. One of their band of incredibly stupid supporters who rang 3AW footy show yesterday, suggested that the Cats deliberatley threw the game, and he came to that conclusion having been a supporter of 50 years. Obviously they deliberately lost a couple of Grand Finals in the '80s and also threw the game they lost earlier this season. I have a new respect for Collingwood supporters now.
ACTSAINTER wrote:Lets face it, Geelong dont like being beaten, they dont like it when their players are towelled up, no team does.
But.........they are bad bad losers, there is no "the better team won on the night" going on, its all about the bad umpiring, injured players and Steven Baker.
Not only did St Kilda beat them, they actually got under their skin, took their focus off playing football and onto how hard done by they have been.
A win win situation IMO
Yep.
"The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break in the game. Every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches that's gonna make the f***in' difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!'
Winmar wrote:Bakes probably did deserve a smack in the mouth! If I was Steve Johnson I sure would have wanted to. It's still amusing though.
G Hocking having any input into this is laughable. He's a dog.
No sympathy for Baker, can't blame Johnson for eventually losing his cool. He's only human.
I hope they both get off, but that seems unlikely. The debate of 'player protection' will be at boiling point come Monday night, as the AFL vowed to penalise this kind of 'niggling' contact.
Given Baker's abysmal record at the review panel, I think he'll get a few weeks, as will Johnson. Though, if Baker get's a few and Johnson nothing...stranger things have happened.
For what reason will Baker get a few weeks? ...for a love tap here and a jumper punch there?...Baker was receiving from the master squib as much love tap and jumper punch as he gave...that sort of thing going on all over the park....as to hitting an injured hand.....whinging bomber has a duty of care to keep injured players of the park.........baker is not a Doctor............we or the tribunal should not expect him to take care of the injured.........(particularly when they are capable of kicking a goal)...............i love the little bugger.........will go to the front with him on my side any time..............
SainterK wrote:Couple this with Lings comments regarding the umpiring....excuses, they are looking long and hard for them.
Yep, how the mighty have fallen. Ablett's indecision is tearing their club apart.
Ablett is not undecided, he simply hasn't got the guts to confess he is in love and going to marry her - money that is.
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