Week one of the finals often sorts out the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the contenders from pretenders.
And as we arrive at the Monday following the weekend before, we now know that the Pies and Cats, once again, are the real deal.
The rest?
Well, that’s what Semi-Final weekend will determine.
On a more individual basis, we saw players step up to the plate, whilst others backed away from it.
Let’s have a look at both.
“Can’t you just call them the players who weren’t winners?”
No… no, I can’t.
THE WINNERS
JACK GINNIVAN
His transformation from kid who loves a goal to mature half-forward who can change a game has been a pleasure to watch.
Ginnivan is now doing far more than just hitting the scoreboard ane celebrating, although that still makes the highlight reels. He has become an integral part of the Hawthorn transition game, and consistently presents as an option between half forward and the middle.
As he punished the Giants and Aaron Cadman for a miss at the other end with consecutive goals, Ginni was doing exactly what the Hawks need from him, and with his fourth game of multiple goals in finals, he is demonstrating that he loves the big stage.
Back to the scene of the 2024 crime, this week… no aeroplane talk, Jack!
JOE FONTI
One of two real winners for the Giants, he was able to completely blanket Nick Watson in a stellar defensive performance.
The Font matched Watson for speed, and appeared quite content to take the game on in his first final. With 22 games under his belt, the Giants have found one here.
THE COLLINGWOOD DEFENCE
Too hard to separate one or two. Dominant. Right across the board, simply dominant.
Brayden Maynard have Darcy Fogarty fits. Isaac Quaynor had the best first half I’ve ever seen from him. Billy Frampton was overshadowed by Moore, but with a defensive double-double (ten intercepts and 12 one-percenters), he was solid as arock deep in defence.
And then there was Darcy Moore.
After giving up the first two goals (Tex marked against him, then he turned the ball over for a goal to Dawson), it looked as though Moore may have been in for a tough night.
But he turned it around, and produced one of the best games of his career.
With nine intercept marks amongst his 13 intercepts for the game, Moore silenced those who were pretty bloody vocal about his performances as little as a month ago.
A magnificent night for the Collingwood defence – amazing what happens when the midfield put pressure on their direct opponents’ isn’t it?
STEELE SIDEBOTTOM AND JDG
Far out… the last time he snagged three goals in a final, he had a full head of hair!
Between him and Jordan de Goey, they simply tore the game away from the Crows in the third quarter, as they set the table for the Pies to kick five goals for the quarter and build their lead.
De Goey looked powerful. Steele looked composed under pressure.
Experienced bodies make a difference in finals, and both Sidebottom and de Goey picked their moments to remind everyone just how potent they can still be.
Oh, and whilst I won’t give him his own section, the way Nick Daicos was able to find time and space to deliver the footy whilst everyone else appeared pressured… first class.
LUKE PEDLAR
He’s been on the fringes all year – in for a little bit, then back to the SANFL – but he made some fans with his play in this one, giving the Crows what little sniff they had against the Pies.
His two third quarter goals gave Adelaide some hope, as he seemed to be the only Crow able to accurately read the defensive set up and lead accordingly.
With not much else going right, Pedlar has booked his place for week two of the finals, and possibly beyond.
OLLIE DEMPSEY
HB eats humble pie…
Last week, we awarded Jarrod Berry the 2025 Robert Flower Wingman of the Year Award. I am still good with that decision, by the way, but Ollie Dempsey made a statement in the Cats’ win over the Lions that had a few sending me messages asking if I’d like to reconsider.
You’re all so thoughtful.
Dempsey played his best game of the season, slamming through three goals and collecting 25 touches, as the Brisbane matchups of Levi Ashcroft (terrible defensive positioning) and Cal ah-Chee (too slow) allowed Dempsey to push hard forward whenever he liked.
He is the type that doesn’t need an invitation to do that, and he was close to the most punishing of all Geelong players as they established early dominance.
MAX HOLMES
After the idiotic shenanigans of the late second quarter, it was up to the Cats to do something about it.
They don’t call it the Premiership Quarter for no reason – Max Holmes made that period his own.
With ten disposals, a goal, a direct goal assist, and a whopping 330 metres gained, he took the game on and dared any Lion mid to catch him.
They couldn’t.
Between him and Bailey Smith, the Lions had no answer for the run of the Cats, as they kicked five goals to two, and put the contest to rest.
JARMAN IMPEY
The back half or Jarman Impey’s season has been exceptionally good, and it continued into the finals series. His pace from half-back opened up the Giants as he and his partner in crime, Karl Amon, continually cut GWS to ribbons.
Since Round 14, Impey has averaged 23.8 disposals, and with huge strength for a player of his size, is able to impact contests both in the air, and at ground level.
Will be a big finisher in the 2025 Peter Crimmins Medal – bank on it.
JAI NEWCOMBE
The Duke has played three finals.
In those games, he is averaging 32.3 disposals and seven clearances. His career averages almost ten fewer disposals and one clearance per game.
Guys, not many people see their numbers leap up like this when the heat goes up, but Newcombe seems to relish the high-pressure stakes of a final.
With no Will Day, Newcombe has become the man in the Hawks’ midfield, as he gears up for a clash with the Crows, I am sure Matthew Nicks has to be looking at his options for clamping the influence of the Hawthorn tough nut.
JOSH KELLY
Turned the game on its head at Engie stadium, with one of the most impaired quarters of footy you’ll see.
After coming on as the sub in the third quarter, he had 14 disposals, six clearances, and two goals in a quarter.
There was a period where Kelly was one of the most sought-after players in the game, but he stuck with GWS. He has yet to obtain that flag, but surely I am not the only one that thinks a healthy GWS tam is as good as any in the business?
THE BIG MAC
Had the matchup on Josh Treacy for the majority of the day, and did a fantastic job.
Treacy is no joke, but Andrew’s ability to use that reach and bring the ball to ground allowed the Crows to control the game in teh first half.
And then, wit the game on the line, he drifts forward, clunks a mark and kicks a goal to tie it up.
People questioned his big contract extension – question no more. That’s why they paid him, and that’s why he deserved it.
ROWELL AND POWELL
And together, they’re known as… Prowell!
They’re not really, but for the sake of the line above, let’s say they are.
Rowell was the ball winner, and Powell was the interceptor, as the Suns propelled themselves into week two of the finals.
Powell’s story is a ripper – his akle injury back in 2022 was the type that can derail a career, but he has played 23 games this season, and looks to be ready to be at his best when it counts the most.
As for Rowell, what else can you say about him? He is the ONE player in the league that will find a way out of a tackle unless you latch on and hold for dear life. He thrashes and whips his body around like a trapped animal, and makes you execute perfectly. If you don’t, he’s out, and he’s gone. Mrs Mongrel’s favourite player.
THE LOSERS
TOBY GREENE
I hate writing this, but Toby met his match against the Hawks.
In his one-on-one clash against Blake Hardwick, Toby was found to be second to the footy, and lacked the fire in the belly we see from him so often.
GWS had their forward line spluttering along, and needed someone to kick them into gear. Usually, that’s Toby.
Not this time.
DARCY FOGARTY
Finals are a time when the big men need to throw their weight around and make a statement.
The only statement Darcy Fogarty was able to make in this game is that Brayden Maynard has his number.
None of the ‘big three’ Crows forwards were able to heavily impact the game, despite Champion Data rating Riley Thilthorpe’s game as the highest of any Crow. But Fog was the worst of the three, with just ten touches and two marks for the game.
Needs to play like he looks.
THE ADELAIDE CROWD
Not a good look, guys.
Let’s leave it at that and, hopefully, learn from it.
THE CROWS’ RECRUITS
Let’s give Gil McLachlan some flashbacks and say two out of three wouldn’t have been bad, but one out of three… that was exactly what the Crows didn’t need.
Alex Neal-Bullen was the only one of the three Crows recruits to stand up, and whilst he wasn’t dominant, at least he was involved.
James Peatling had perhaps his worst game for the club, whilst Isaac Cumming looked overawed by the occasion. These three were brought in to make the club better – only one even got close.
Be sad – one out of three IS bad.
CAM RAYNER
I hate staging. I hate baited staging, too.
Rayner is better than that, as evidenced by his one-on-one win in the third quarter.
Hope we don’t see that in his game again.
CHARLIE CAMERON
Kicked the first of the game for the Lions and I thought ‘oh, Charlie could be on, here!’
He was. He was on for one more disposal for the entire contest.
All year, I have been saying he looks like he is teetering on the edge. I’ve had Lions fans tell me he is doing plenty of other stuff. The club needed him to do something this week. Just one more time.
He couldn’t.
Country roads are ready to take him home.
AFL UMPIRING
The war on aggression continues. Only, this time, it appears people have had enough of the petty shit the umps are choosing, or are directed to, pay.
Whilst we get some who trot out the “it was to the letter of the law” defence (which the AFL refused to buy into, to their credit), the reaction of the majority of the footy public was one of “stop fucking the game up!”
This reaction has been coming for a while, and had the consecutive gifted goals to Cam Rayner switched the momentum of the contest enough for the Lions to win it, I would not have blamed Geelong fans for going nuts!
This is not under 12s. Let the men play football!
JAKE STRINGER AND THE GWS SELECTION
Was one of three players under injury clouds who came back into the GWS team…
… and was the one player they could have left out.
Jake looked out of sorts for the entire first half – rushed and sloppy… like most of my teenage sexual encounters.
He found a decent little patch in the third, but it was nowhere near enough to justify his inclusion. Almost another ‘Meatloaf’ trio of inclusions.
MICHAEL FREDERICK
A shocker. An all-round shocker for Freddy, who set the tone for his day early in the piece, as he ran into goal, tried a dribble kick, and missed from 15 metres out.
He later tried to take the advantage on a Josh Treacy free kick and was mown down like a kangaroo on the highway.
In a game decided by a single point, you have to wonder how Michael Frederick is reconciling his efforts.
JYE AMISS
Not built for finals, is he?
Subbed out of the game with two touches, Jye just looked like the lights were a little too bright for him.
TY GALLOP AND THE HOTEL STAFF
Did you hear about his story?
The poor bloke had his hotel room burgled while he was across the road, playing in a losing final.
The kicker?
Well, apparently, a man of African appearance was able to gain ID with Gallop’s name on it, and the hotel staff were unable to ascertain that it wasn’t the Caucasian Brisbane player. Gallop had eight touches and no goals in the young Brisbane forward line, but imagine getting back to your hotel, finding you’ve been robbed, and then finding it out the hotel staff were so inept that they permitted a bloke with no resemblance to you, into your room while you were getting a flogging by the Cats?
Got any more winners and losers you’d like to add? As always, I’d genuinely like to hear, and unlike 95% of AFL Media, I actually respond. Still, doesn’t stop some people from saying “you’ve changed” or “you used to be better”.
Familiarity breeds contempt – HB.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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