Good old days are rubbish | OPINION

That’s a lot of rot.

Players have more courage than ever before and some of us retired folk, short memories.

The fact is compared to football in the 1980s and 90s, every single second of every minute of every game, is now scrutinised, analysed and dissected ... and players therefore have nowhere to hide.

If they make a mistake, no matter how slight, it can haunt them wherever they look — whether it be on the back pages of newspapers, on television or online.

Jack Watts is the latest such “victim”.

As a former No. 1 draft pick, he’s an easy target.

There’s a perception that he should have been a world-beater from the very moment he stepped into the AFL ranks and anything less was a waste of talent.

His form last year, and in the first three weeks of this season, has proven there’s still very much an upside to Watts, but now his bravery has been called into question because he flinched in a marking contest.

It’s ridiculous.

Almost every footballer I know — whether they be good, bad, strong, weak or otherwise — has experienced genuine fear of being hurt at some point in their career.

I was no different, and neither was my former teammate Glenn Archer, whose bravery and courage is almost without peer.

Just ask him about having to back into a bullocking Tony Lockett.

We all, at some point, get scared on a footy field.

Bracing for a collision, flinching or momentarily taking your eyes off the ball, doesn’t mean you lack guts.

The problem is we’re all also armchair experts, and just like the fish that got away, our tales of days gone by sometimes get exaggerated.

One of the most common questions I’m asked is if players are softer now than in the 80s and 90s?

I couldn’t be more emphatic in stressing the very opposite.

In tracing footy back to the 80s, there tends to be a widespread misconception that it was a time when “men were men” and the very toughest ruled.

But toughness was measured differently in that era. Fists flew.

Shirtfronts were common — and legal — allowing teams the chance to “take out” rivals within the rules.

Think of players like Dermott Brereton.

He’s a great example of what fans considered to be a tough footballer.

He had a physical presence and ran through blokes if he got the chance, whether it be at the centre bounce or smashing into an opponent who dared to push back into his area.

But I can guarantee you there were as many players, if not more, ducking their heads and avoiding those big hits.

The same goes for the 90s.

The focus wasn’t always on the ball — there was genuine opportunity to go the man.

Times have changed. The game has evolved. It’s quicker. There are more teams. Players are more athletic. They are younger.

The bump is now also effectively dead, the fists are gone, along with most of the niggle behind play, meaning all effort has been concentrated on one thing only — getting the ball.

And therein lies the biggest difference.

“The contest” is where the game is now measured in detail and why players are boring in at frightening speeds. It’s also why the game’s lawmakers have been tinkering to guard against potentially serious head injuries.

There’s a lot to be said about the way that individuals — and teams for that matter — respond to criticism, and Watts may just have a point to prove.

And the clash truly is looming as a cracker.

It wasn’t that long ago these two teams were among the easybeats, but they’re both now on the rise.

The Demons had a great start to the season and were really brave against Adelaide last week.

They’re a more free-flowing, attacking team than they’ve been and rookies such as Angus Brayshaw and Jesse Hogan look like readymade AFL footballers.

Likewise, the Tigers’ faithful are up and about after a great start to the season, albeit against relatively weak opposition.

A 3-1 start to the season would really get them dreaming.