Oh Yes!
As expected, the West Coast Eagles won convincingly (by exactly 13 goals) over Essendon, but they were in cruise-mode for most of the game and looked dis-interested at times. Despite two wins in a row to lowly teams (Brisbane and Essendon), as strange as it sounds, both of those wins still weren’t impressive. With Nic Nat out, the mid-fielders aren’t being fed the ball the same way. The jury is out on the Eagles. I get the feeling that the last two weeks have made the so-called “flat track bullies” appear far better than they truly are. I’m still not sold on them being true finals contenders.
Port Adelaide still has a slim hope of making the top eight. In the face of mounting criticism, from both inside and outside the club, Travis Boak stood up and played his best game in months. The team fed off his intense effort, a captain’s effort, and they got a convincing win over the Tigers because of it.
Jack Silvagni made his long-awaited debut. So much pressure on the kid, but he played okay. Despite giving up a certain goal when he was just a few metres out, (it would have been his first) by passing it to teammate, Bryce Gibbs, who missed, it was Silvagni’s unselfish attempt at being a team player. Nup! Not when you’re that close, Jack. Just kick the goal, son! No doubt, his grandfather, father and coach will tell him exactly that. It was a split decision, rookie mistake. He’ll learn from it.
On paper, our only game on Sunday looked to be a one-sided match…until the game started! Melbourne took it right up to Adelaide and they lead the Crows by 11-points at half time! It was a score fest from both teams, with a collective total of 218 points by the final siren! The Demons were very good all day. Despite the loss, they can take a lot of positives from the game. The Crows won by 22-points, on what was, the one-year anniversary of the death of their former coach, Phil Walsh. You know, I was really disappointed to see the Crows players run out sans black armbands. The Walsh family and the Adelaide Football Club didn’t want a lot of fanfare, which is totally understandable, but the arm bands are about as understated as you can get. Without saying a word, those arm bands say everything. It would have been a nice touch. In my opinion, it was far more of a glaring omission without them.
The Hawks are still on top, one game ahead of the pack with 44 points. Their percentage isn’t great (119.6), so they have to keep the wins coming to stay put. Amazingly, it’s only percentage that separates 2nd thru 7th. Six teams in the top eight are all sitting on 40 points. The Eagles have 36 points and sit in 8th spot, only one win away from 40 points, and with a healthy percentage (134.8) that could move them much closer to the top four with just one more solid win. Closest competition we’ve seen in years!
The bye rounds are finally over! Oh Yessssss!!!
Oh No!
Richmond’s season is cooked! We kind of knew that weeks ago, but as usual, the Tigers have limped along, with slim hopes of making finals, but only if they kept on winning. Coach, Damien Hardwick has now conceded. Season 2016 – done! Richmond have a handful of classy players and it’s the same ol’ story, same ol’ names: Alex Rance, Trent Cotchin, Brandon Ellis, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt are the glue that hold the team together. All the rest are trade bait. The Tigers need a massive clean out, and they need that clean out and influx of new talent before those aforementioned names get too old to be influential if/when the Tigers play finals. The clock is ticking!
Young St. Kilda forward, Paddy McCartin suffered his third concussion this season. He was taken off during the first quarter at Metricon Stadium and he failed his concussion test, so he took no further part in the game. His playing future is on shaky ground. The kid has type-1 Diabetes, so he’s up against it as it is. For a young player who goes hard at the ball, three concussions in one season, in quick succession, and at the beginning of his playing career, well, it’s serious stuff. Personally, I think the Saints would be remiss to risk him for the rest of the season.
St. Kilda lost to the Gold Coast Suns by 40 points. Yet again, the Saints are a force to be reckoned with in Melbourne, but when they travel, they’re an absolute rabble! How do the Saints beat Geelong in a thriller one week, and then get done by a team that hasn’t won for 10 weeks the next? If a magic pill could fix this problem, the Saints would have it prescribed in high doses.
The Suns and the Saints kicked 38 points between them! No, it wasn’t windy. In fact, there was hardly a breeze to be had all day. No, it wasn’t raining either. It was played on a beautiful Gold Coast afternoon. For some reason, accurate goal kicking, for many teams, has severely diminished this season. It’s an epidemic! How about we throw out the idea of making the padding on the goal posts an entirely different colour? A fluoro yellow or pink to differentiate between the point posts to the left and right. Maybe that’s the key. Make those big sticks in the middle stand out and the players will have a better idea where to kick!
Sydney lost a game they should have won. Had they got the win, top spot was theirs for the taking. As it turned out, the Dogs won by 4 points. It was a hard fought battle all afternoon, with several lead changes. However, the Swans were two points up with a minute to go. What happened to playing to save the game? What happened to milking the clock? Don’t teams train for that moment? You’re two points up. You have a minute to go on the clock. This is it! The entire game is won or lost in that last 60 seconds. Hell, kids in the backyard play that scenario out better than the Swans did on Saturday afternoon! I’m pretty sure that Jake Lloyd bombing the ball out of the back line, which caused a turnover and subsequent goal on the siren by Jason Johannisen, isn’t the coaches plan when that situation is a reality on game day. Sydney played right into the hands of their opposition. It was sloppy and unprofessional. That loss will hurt for a long time, and so it should.
The Carlton/Collingwood game was the worst display of skills, or lack thereof, that I’ve seen this season. It was a low scoring game in ideal conditions. Both teams managed just 102 points between them. Neither played to AFL standard. It was a shocking game of footy! Awful! Awful! Awful! Did I say awful? So much so, the remote control got a work out, with rolling election coverage being far more interesting than the game! That says it all! I hate politics! I hated this game more! Collingwood scraped in with a 12-point win. Travis Cloke snagged himself 13 disposals and 9 marks for the game. However, he kicked zero goals (2 points only). Mason Cox had no impact, with just 2 disposals for the night. The big American needs a well-earned rest. They’re playing him into the ground and it’s bad management to keep putting him out there week after week.
Brisbane players holding the club to ransom over lengthy contracts and inflated worth need to take a walk. Captain or not, everyone is tradeable. The club has to make a stand, and make it now. They’ve knuckled under and overpaid for too many average players already. Enough! Sign on, or move on. It’s that simple.
The newest low act, the sneaky gut punch. No more fines. That’s too easy. A one week suspension is the only way to stamp it out. Even worse, a sly, sharp punch in the back of Jay Schultz by an unnamed Richmond player while he was on the ground and underneath a pack of players was caught on camera. The MRP will most certainly look at it. That’s the lowest of the lows, especially considering it was Schultz’s first game back after a lengthy hiatus following two back surgeries. An intentional act, targeting a player’s vulnerable area (and the delicate back at that!), he should get a two-week suspension. A fine isn’t enough. That’s just dirty play, and an even dirtier act. There’s no place for it in our game, or society in general.
