At last comrades, we have made it!
Finally, we’ve arrived at the worst game of the year. Thankfully, there aren't too many rounds left.
In fact, the only thing worse than this game would be a panel about healthcare featuring Patrikios and Darling.
who wore it better
And yet, here we are with both teams having everything to lose and nothing to gain. Saints are still a minor chance to get eliminated first week of finals, and we are a slight chance of falling below North on percentage. The stakes could not be higher or more interesting.
two of the few reasons to actually watch these teams, both absent
Yes, the respective midfields really WILL have to go head-to-head without any hit outs to advantage this week.
Rotham might get a chance on-ball to show us how he’s not just a good late night dancer with a weird kicking action.
Forget Bailey vs Marshall. Rotham vs Liernert in the ruck is shaping up as one of the most interesting and horrible things about this game.
AKA Kelly vs Steele: it's more than impact vs cost, okay?
Kelly has been in the sort of form that has been commanding a tag and Steele is by and far one of the best players to watch in the competition, leading his team in clearances and tackles most games.
Steele never lost the defensive nous he began his career with and Kelly can turn a game. So let’s hope they go head-to-head for a little while to make this interesting.
Meanwhile, careful VFL and WAFL watchers will be comparing how Clark and Bytel go this week in the seconds while they accumulate credits in the bank.
Harry Edwards was given a bath by the agile Saint tall Max King last year, who was marking everything in sight. So… we know what match-up to avoid now, I guess?
More recently, our emerging leader Tommy Barrass pulled down a whopping 18 marks and 30 disposals last week whilst casually destroying the Hawk’s Mitch Lewis and racking up a perfect 10 coaches votes.
King has not been in amazing form lately, but here’s another contest that could stop us all from stabbing our eyes out.
Can we stop a team from chopping us up on the rebound this year?
Not looking good, with Brad Hill and Jack Sinclair both finding space and biting off some great kicks through the middle of the ground this year.
On the other hand, Saints have also been picked apart this year, and now's a good a time as any to see some improvements with how we transition the ball.
Will Jai Culley maintain his staggeringly high tackle average this season?
Yes, he will again make 11 tackles. You heard it here first.
Culley gets a chance to compete against Cooper Sharman, another mid-season draft pick who'll always be described as such.
At the very least, we get to look to the future this week. Hough and Bazzo have shown they deserve a spot and will keep getting better. And clearly, XON will have his best game since the win against the Pies earlier this year.
There is no way we don’t win against this middling rabble.
It will be punctuated by moments of awfulness, culminating in the sweet schadenfreude of ruining the finals chances of another team from the bottom of the ladder.
Eagles by 32 points.
Finally, we’ve arrived at the worst game of the year. Thankfully, there aren't too many rounds left.
In fact, the only thing worse than this game would be a panel about healthcare featuring Patrikios and Darling.
who wore it better
And yet, here we are with both teams having everything to lose and nothing to gain. Saints are still a minor chance to get eliminated first week of finals, and we are a slight chance of falling below North on percentage. The stakes could not be higher or more interesting.
Ryder vs Naitanui
two of the few reasons to actually watch these teams, both absent
Yes, the respective midfields really WILL have to go head-to-head without any hit outs to advantage this week.
Rotham might get a chance on-ball to show us how he’s not just a good late night dancer with a weird kicking action.
Forget Bailey vs Marshall. Rotham vs Liernert in the ruck is shaping up as one of the most interesting and horrible things about this game.
Two sides who can’t draft an inside mid or play them in their correct position
AKA Kelly vs Steele: it's more than impact vs cost, okay?
Kelly has been in the sort of form that has been commanding a tag and Steele is by and far one of the best players to watch in the competition, leading his team in clearances and tackles most games.
Steele never lost the defensive nous he began his career with and Kelly can turn a game. So let’s hope they go head-to-head for a little while to make this interesting.
Meanwhile, careful VFL and WAFL watchers will be comparing how Clark and Bytel go this week in the seconds while they accumulate credits in the bank.
Stopping Max King
Harry Edwards was given a bath by the agile Saint tall Max King last year, who was marking everything in sight. So… we know what match-up to avoid now, I guess?
More recently, our emerging leader Tommy Barrass pulled down a whopping 18 marks and 30 disposals last week whilst casually destroying the Hawk’s Mitch Lewis and racking up a perfect 10 coaches votes.
King has not been in amazing form lately, but here’s another contest that could stop us all from stabbing our eyes out.
Generating run from the defensive half
Can we stop a team from chopping us up on the rebound this year?
Not looking good, with Brad Hill and Jack Sinclair both finding space and biting off some great kicks through the middle of the ground this year.
On the other hand, Saints have also been picked apart this year, and now's a good a time as any to see some improvements with how we transition the ball.
The future: Culley’s tackle average
Will Jai Culley maintain his staggeringly high tackle average this season?
Yes, he will again make 11 tackles. You heard it here first.
Culley gets a chance to compete against Cooper Sharman, another mid-season draft pick who'll always be described as such.
At the very least, we get to look to the future this week. Hough and Bazzo have shown they deserve a spot and will keep getting better. And clearly, XON will have his best game since the win against the Pies earlier this year.
Speculative and unjustified concluding remarks
There is no way we don’t win against this middling rabble.
It will be punctuated by moments of awfulness, culminating in the sweet schadenfreude of ruining the finals chances of another team from the bottom of the ladder.
Eagles by 32 points.
