There were a few upsets this round, and some massive margins! We managed to tip the highest margin in the Adelaide vs. Brisbane game, as well as Adelaide being the highest scoring team.
For all the Round 20 highlights, read on…
Oh Yes!
Well, the ol’ saying, “a week is a long time in football,” could not be more apt to describe what happened on Friday night. Richmond won! Yep, they beat Collingwood, which means coach, Damien Hardwick’s noose has loosened, all the horror from the week prior is now forgotten and everyone is on the same page again. It’s like a Disney movie! Okay, sarcasm aside, if the unexpected win wasn’t enough, the pure joy and jubilation in the rooms post-game proved that a genuine bond exists between the Richmond players and their coach. I had a tear – really, I did.
Cyril Rioli’s screamer of a mark in the goal square during the second quarter…Eddie Betts may have some serious competition for Mark of the Year. However, Hawthorn’s 29-point loss to the Demons has made ladder positions very, very interesting. If Alistair Clarkson had any thoughts of resting players in the next few weeks, that plan is now off the table. Melbourne’s win was the perfect swansong for outgoing coach, Paul Roos. He leaves the Demons in a far superior place to when he started, knowing full well they’ll be genuine top eight contenders in 2017. Following his break in Hawaii, if Roos’ does return to AFL coaching, his tenure with Melbourne, and the clubs’ transformation under his guidance, will allow him to ask for any salary he demands. He’ll be a wanted man – in a good way! Cha-ching!
Sydney had Port Adelaide on the back foot from the get-go. A two-point last quarter prevented Sydney from a bigger win, but the margin at the final siren was still 67-points. Despite the blowout margin, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin still only managed two goals for the game. Port Adelaide has been one of the most disappointing teams in 2016. They have the talent to be elite, yet they just don’t seem to be able to gel together to get the wins needed to be finals contenders.
The Giants were lucky to win, and by just 8 points at that! The scores were level 7 times throughout the game. The Suns led at every quarter, except the one that mattered. The grossly undermanned Gold Coast Suns took it right up to the Giants and they gave them a real scare. The Suns’ just ran out of legs in the end. It was a brave effort without many of their mid-field superstars. Onward to 2017!
Another comedic, tongue-in-cheek Bulldogs’ banner…”Fact: No Player Has Ever Won Their 428th Game.” They were right! Bulldogs win!
Rising Star contenders for Round 20: It’s a race in two. Oleg Markov (Richmond) and Sam Weideman, on debut (Melbourne). Both rookies were influential players in Richmond and Melbourne’s upset wins.
The Saints thrashed the Blues by 73 points. Both teams are so hot and cold, it’s hard to know what they’re going to dish up from week to week. It was an unfitting way for Andrew Walker to finish his career at Carlton. Then again, most milestone games are met with a team’s loss. It’s usually the kiss of death.
Fremantle came out firing against the West Coast Eagles. They stuck on gamely until half time, but as expected, the cream rose to the top in the second half. Josh Kennedy had already kicked six goals by three quarter time (he kicked seven in total) and the margin started to open up, eventually ending with a 46-point win for the Eagles.
Oh No!
Collingwood captain, Scott Pendlebury had a quiet night and he left the ground in the last quarter with an ankle injury. He’s been carrying this injury for a while. It finally went on him. The likelihood of him playing out the last three matches are slim. The year is over for the Pies anyway. Disappointing season.
North Melbourne’s, Ben Brown has injured his knee. How serious is it? Bone on bone, they’re saying. Not ACL, which is a positive. Still, knees are knees, and they need Brownie if they’re going to make a serious go of this finals footy thing. Injuries going into finals are a cruel blow.
Play on advantage is way too inconsistent. Jordan Lewis clearly had it. He was off and running towards a certain goal, only to be called back by the umpire. Same game, and play on advantage is awarded the other way, resulting in a Jack Watts goal for Melbourne. The play on advantage is a clear disadvantage when the rule is interpreted differently during the same match.
Prior to the game, a triple-digit margin seemed the likely result at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. In reality, it was an embarrassing 138-point loss to Brisbane. The Crows kicked a higher score in the first quarter than Brisbane managed to kick in four! They’d conceded 94 points to the Crows by half time! What now? Justin Leppitsch can’t possibly continue as coach of the Lions, and if any board needs to be thrown over by disgruntled members, it’s this one! This was the Lions’ second worst loss in history, just one point behind their biggest losing margin, which was against St. Kilda in 2005. The post-match press conference whining by Justin Leppitsch is spiralling out of control. In all honesty, it’s as sloppy and unprofessional as his team, which isn’t surprising. After all, the snake wriggles from the head.
A 66-point victory to the Cats’ seems like a convincing win, but against a tired and depleted Bombers’ team, it was less than impressive. Geelong managed the magic 100 points, but in a game where percentage mattered, they didn’t quite do enough to put Essendon to the sword.
Instead of an open letter, I’m writing an “open sentence” to all coaches and players. Two very overused words – “external noise” – stop using it! Stop it!
On to Round 21…see you at the end of the week!
What have you liked, learnt and hated about round 20? Comment here…
