Opinion AFL 2024 Finals Week 2 - Weekend Wrap & Liked, Learnt, Hated SEMI FINALS EDITION

[Zevon]

Folks, we have our 2024 preliminary finalists! Only two games and yet there’s a fair bit to talk about here, so let’s get wrapping…

Port v Hawks, Friday night: Question… have we ever seen a more annoying footy term than “Hokball”? Seriously kids, it’s revolting. Gen Z clearly isn’t ready to take over the English language just yet. Anyway, with the untimely demise of everyone’s number 1 seed the Western Bulldogs last week, we were assured by all on Bigfooty that the Hawks were the new number 1 seed. We were also assured that Port were shot and Ken Hinkley couldn’t coach the Alberton under 12s. Turns out he can lead an AFL side to victory, sledge the opposition small forward and royally piss off the coach and captain all in one night. I can only conclude that NOBODY ON THIS SITE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT. Anyway, Port gets to take their famous Pokball game on the road next week and have a crack at their 900th consecutive win against the Swans. Surely it’s time to start talking contract extensions for Kenny if they can get that done at the SCG.



Giants v Lions, Saturday night: WOW. Now that is a comeback. When the Giants were 44 points up I didn’t just think they were preliminary final bound, I thought they were steamrolling towards the Granny. Clearly I’m one of those people on Bigfooty who doesn’t have any idea what they’re talking about. For the second week in a row GWS were dominant for long stretches but then completely lost control of the game. This time it was Joe Daniher and his merry pride of Lions that pinched it from them, and you sense this is one of those losses that’s going to sting for a long time. Sensational stuff from Brisbane though. You wouldn’t have backed them with Wosh’s money partway through the 3rd term but they flicked a switch and came from the clouds. Bumper prelim coming up against the Cats next week. Anyone’s game.



Don’t forget to post your Liked, Learnt, Hated below… along with any other thoughts you had from the two Semi Finals!

 

[ibd77]

Scoring power is king in finals and I think the eventual premier will be Geelong or Brisbane. I don't think Port or Sydney will hit the scoreboard enough even in a arm wrestle match. But who knows. This season is delivering the unexpected and maybe we are it?

 

[kickazz]

Liked: Brisbane throwing caution to the wind in that last quarter, desperate footy. Hawthorn doing the same on Friday.

Disliked: Ex Hawthorn players in the media being really sore losers.

Learned: A cats flag would make me very happy if course, but I think any of the other three would be good stories for teams that have been up there, done their time, got close and deserve (as much as a I hate that word) one. The Giants need a couple of honest journeymen midfielders to teach the others a bit of grit.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Scoring power is king in finals and I think the eventual premier will be Geelong or Brisbane. I don't think Port or Sydney will hit the scoreboard enough even in an arm wrestle match. But who knows. This season is delivering the unexpected and maybe we are it?

We don’t have a gorilla forward line but we’ve scored more points than any other team this season.

 

[JackFlash]

Liked: The Giants losing as they have had the wood on us for a few years...Kenny showing some emotion!

Learnt: Giants just achieved the biggest choke in AFL history, not so much learnt, but reaffirmed, it's still going to take years to get a major foothold into Western Sydney.

Hated: Whinging Hawks over some verbals, what did they expect?

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Liked : The delicious tears from all of the ex-Hawk media heads. I haven't heard him, but I suspect, as usual, Dunstall would have either been the only sensible one or the only one controlled enough to bite his tongue.

Learnt : Nothing readily comes to mind.

Hated : Hinkley and the ex-Hawks players taking the focus off the game. Be Better and keep your traps shut.

 

[Hawksboy72]

Liked: both games, the drama, the comeback, a coach on the edge, another choke.....

Learnt: GWS & Hawthorn won't
win premierships with Keeffe & Chol in their forward lines.

Hated: My coaches presser after Friday nights game. His response should have been "yeah things got a bit emotional but that's finals footy I'm more disappointed that it happened while we were paying respect to a 3 time premiership player"...

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Liked: Two great games.

Learned: Any of the remaining four can win the flag.

Hated: Media (and BF) working themselves into a lather over something as nothing as Ginnivan's Insta post and the subsequent events. FMD it's like a children's pantomime.

 

[BringFevBack2021]

Liked: both games, the drama, the comeback, a coach on the edge, another choke.....

Learnt: GWS & Hawthorn won't
win premierships with Keeffe & Chol in their forward lines.

Hated: My coaches presser after Friday nights game. His response should have been "yeah things got a bit emotional but that's finals footy I'm more disappointed that it happened while we were paying respect to a 3 time premiership player"...

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

Lewis, Dear, Watson
Ginnivan, Chol, Moore

Macdonald first rotation

Looks like a flag winning forward line to me

 

[flamethrower]

Liked - 2 pulsating, drama filled semi finals that went down to the wire with plenty of controversy to keep the tabloids busy well into the week. Big Joe converting when it counted.

Hated - The overreaction from the Hawthorn media mafia who showed their true colours when the boot was on the other foot. Only Jason Dunstall didn't embarrass himself. Surprised Leigh Matthews didn't call for Sicily to king hit Kenny, Neville Bruns like.

Learnt - The Bulldogs are miles off the pace. Would have been slaughtered by all 6 of the teams that finished above them, and need a complete clean out of the dead wood. Worst ruck in the comp and it's not close, worst bottom 6, and zero depth in the VFL. If they cop a few injuries early next year to key players, they will finish bottom 4.

 

[ibd77]

We don’t have a gorilla forward line but we’ve scored more points than any other team this season.

True but can you do it under manic pressure? Geelong can, Brisbane can but I doubt Sydney can as their scoring power comes from the mids.

We definitely cannot unless our opponent doesn't show up. We need to restrict our opponent Ross Lyon style to have a chance.

 

[Vindicater]

Liked: Daniher showing up big time. Still love the big Derpy idiot.

Learnt: Hawks media types are as soft as butter.

Hated: The free kicks the Hawks "drew" on Friday night

 

[rei154]

Liked: Two crazy games. Watto showing why he received the Wiz nickname.

Learnt: Footy fans think that there's a Hawthorn media mafia, ignoring them all sticking the boot in to us for the last few years and down playing us as much as possible all season.

Hated: lack of heat from Hawks mids. Needed to crack in and get physical against a banged up Power midfield that went about it mostly bruise free. GWS fourth quarters in finals are not it.

 

[Xtreme]

Liked: great matches of footy edge of your seat stuff

Learnt: Coaches may get emotional, but they shouldn't carry on like turds.

Hated: The welcome to country should be axed from pre game.

 

[Zevon]

Hated: The welcome to country should be axed from pre game.

Lol. Nah.

 

[kickazz]

down playing us as much as possible all season.

Serious?

 

[DazalenkoUBewty]

See Port copped a 20K fine from the AFL. The AFL hand out fines like there's no tomorrow. Horrible organisation.

 

[rei154]

Serious?

Sorry- not the media in general, former players who have copped it in the last 48 hours for their comments on Hinkley.

Hodge, Dermi and Lewis are insufferable when they comment on Hawks games live because they try so hard to show that they aren't biased to us.

 

[Osho]

Liked: quality of footy is ace, the drama is high, neutrals must be lovin it if they're fair dinkum.

Learnt: blonde stars are the Giants' Achilles Heel.

Hated: don't start.

 

[jakson68]

Two finals with great finishes.
Four remaining teams, from four different states.

The AFL is in a great place.

 

[davos44]

Liked: Finally, some good finals. Port Hawks= Intensity GWS Bris = big comeback fun

Learned: Geez. Port are flaky and GWS choked twice. Sydney could be in a bit of strife if good Port rock up, Geelong are fine because Brisbane just can't get it done at the G.

Hated: The Prelims aren't really that tantalising, teams without much against each other. Maybe a Port vs Cats GF would be good for the 119 redemption arc? Port Brisbane for the 04 revenge? Sydney vs Brisbane for a rivalry AFL fans don't really care about that much?

 

[unwise gamgee]

Hated: The Prelims aren't really that tantalising, teams without much against each other. Maybe a Port vs Cats GF would be good for the 119 redemption arc? Port Brisbane for the 04 revenge? Sydney vs Brisbane for a rivalry AFL fans don't really care about that much?

Mentioning redemption arcs without mentioning the possibility of Sydney getting to exorcise 2022 GF demons with Syd v Geel looking probable?

 

[E Shed]

Great footy. Hope the rest of the finals are as good.

Have disliked Mitchell ever since he deliberately took out Taylor Walker

13

Taylor Walker

Age

34

Ht

194cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.0

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.6

5star

and then Fyfe with corking a few years ago.
Anyone prepared to deliberately injure others to win has crossed the line for me. Hawks are very entertaining to watch but don’t dish it out and then sook when someone gives it back.

Sad to see GWS go out, love watching them but kudos Brisbane. Love the way Lohman goes about it. Such a shame Coleman isn’t there.

 

[peetoo]

Great footy. Hope the rest of the finals are as good.

Have disliked Mitchell ever since he deliberately took out Taylor Walker and then Fyfe with corking a few years ago.
Anyone prepared to deliberately injure others to win has crossed the line for me. Hawks are very entertaining to watch but don’t dish it out and then sook when someone gives it back.

Sad to see GWS go out, love watching them but kudos Brisbane. Love the way Lohman goes about it. Such a shame Coleman isn’t there.

Taylor Walker got injured and off the grounded when he tried to smash a smaller hawks player who wasn’t Sam Mitchell.
It wasn’t even related to any injury in the incident with Mitchell
Truth flew out the window that game, obviously

 

[E Shed]

Taylor Walker got injured and off the grounded when he tried to smash a smaller hawks player who wasn’t Sam Mitchell.
It wasn’t even related to any injury in the incident with Mitchell
Truth flew out the window that game, obviously

There is footage online of the incident(s) being analyzed by footy media with slo-mo footage and in both cases Mitchell clearly leads with the point of his knee into the thigh of Walker & Fyfe resulting in them both being injured.