When Fearless Leader, the incomparable and legendary HB Meyers, asked me if I was interested in having my own weekly column late last season it got me old grey matter working overtime.
After some consideration I thought why not, but what would I call it, and even more importantly, what would be the theme, and what would be the flavour would my weekly ponderings?
I decided I will go loose. Very loose, and not confine my ramblings to any set format. Not yet, anyway.
Welcome to Disco’s Ponderings and whatever follows – let’s have some fun!
Disco’s State of the AFL (SOTA)
The Head of the Snake
The Tale of Gill and The Dill
Last weekend I switched over to Channel 504 and caught a bit of the Gold Coast and whoever they were playing in their practice match. As a spectacle it was close to unwatchable. I can’t even tell you who they were playing. I quickly switched channels as the quality of the audio and the lack of a crowd on one side of the ground took me back to a very dark place – the harrowing days of the AFL Covid style.
I am still recovering from the Covid years. It was the main topic of conversation with my shrink this week.
Strangely, this nondescript practice match made me miss the Gill. The man who could sell ice to an Eskimo and have it delivered by a French au pair just because he could.
Without Gill’s negotiation skills, polish, and sense of the occasion, the Covid AFL years might not have even happened.
All good things must come to an end, and in 2025 the torch was handed over by the Gill to The Dill.
With the departure of the showman Gill, with his flair and air of invincibility, it is fair to say The Dill’s first year at the helm was a hellish baptism of fire.
It is not fair to compare the Gill to The Dill, but with the enemy from the NRL (his name will not be mentioned) sensing weakness and smelling blood in the water, he needs to step up and take a stand this season.
(While I am at it, FIFA is holding some competition in Canada, Mexico and most likely (who really knows) USA which will also be competing with the AFL dollar and viewership.)
There is competition aplenty this year for the sports loving fans’ dollar this year, especially in a time of a financial squeeze.
The Dill has to sell the AFL as the best bang-for-buck sports and entertainment product in the country.
I have watched with interest the struggle the WWE is having trying to sell WrestleMania tickets this year, with very real competition from the Winter Olympics and the upcoming World Cup stealing their thunder. As much as Triple H is no Vince McMahon, The Dill is no Gill and there are lessons to be learned when the head of the revered snake is removed.
The straight-batting Dill needs to harness his inner ‘Barnum and Bailey’ and stamp his imprimatur on the competition this season. If that means making some tough decisions, so be it.
As for the Gill, in the words of Joni Mitchell, you don’t what you’ve got until it’s gone…
Hoopla – Bring on Opening Round
Please let the real season begin, as I am sick of hearing from excited Essendon and Carlton fans trying to convince the footballing public how good they are going to be this year.
I read a post earlier this week from a Carlton-based blog stating how this is their year. In the name of research, I read similar comments on Essendon sites.
If they are talking about another mediocre season, then I wholeheartedly agree, but they were seriously talking about September silverware. Take this to the bank Carlton, and for that matter Essendon players and supporters can safely book tickets to Bali this September.
That is my ‘meow’ comment to generate some clickbait, let the comments section light up.
What is with the Wildcard Weekend?
Congratulations mediocre clubs, you can now claim how good your season has been if you make the new Wildcard Weekend.
Apart from it being another Americanisation of our game using the word ‘Wildcard’, why would any competition create a system whereby teams are rewarded for being average?
$urely, $omeone know$???
This is a glorified participation award which one day will haunt the AFL (for the record, in 1977 North Melbourne played in five finals to win the flag).
The whole Wildcard concept will come a cropper one day when a team which finishes tenth with eleven wins and twelve losses for the season runs gauntlet and wins the Premiership.
Enough, I hate the concept, but eh…..
Top 4, Top 6 and Wildcard or Top 10?
In years to come how will the stats of a club and/or player be correlated?
Player A: 260 games, one Premiership, seven Top 4’s, ten Top 6’s and eight Wildcards.
Further, how do divide ladder positions from here on in?
Top 4, Top 6 and Wildcards?
Ladder predictions in 2026 will make for a some really messy scenarios, not just because it diminishes teams that finish seventh and eighth on the table, but because I am yet to hear any pundit categorically say how the ladder will now be divided. Not even Kane.
For the record, I have always believed the finals bye should be the week before the Grand Final.
Callum Mills and Zach Merrett
For differing reasons, the fortunes on both the Swans and the Bombers will heavily rely on the form of Mills and Merrett.
Mad Monday Mills has had a few interrupted seasons since the Swans 2022 debacle for a variety of reasons, including a wrestling match with Jacob Konstanty which ruled him out for an entire season. It is now time for the Swans Captain to return the faith the club, the players, and the supporters have shown in him.
At his best, Mills drives the heart and soul of the Swans which they have lacked in the last few seasons. At his worst, he is not an automatic selection.
In the words of Little Pattie, it’s time, time stand up Callum.
Zach Merrett has not only been the best player at The Hangar for some time, but he has driven his young troops to follow his example.
Due to Merrett wanting to play at a successful at the end last season, and failing in the attempted move, Andrew McGrath has replaced him as Captain and his form throughout the 2026 will be a must-watch.
I see the McGrath/Merrett scenario similarly to the one of Pat Cummins and Steve Smith. Smith’s form didn’t miss a beat when he was relieved of the Captaincy, and he worked in well with Pat Cummins and the younger players coming through.
Merrett may cop some heat from his own supporter’s early season, however, by season’s end I expect he will still be in contention to win his seventh Crichton Medal.
North Melbourne
Putting aside earlier comments about Wildcards, North Melbourne is one club which will be aiming for a post-season game, and it would be another disappointing season if they miss out.
When clubs are swimming in the shallow end of the competition year after year, there must a season when they learn swim upstream against the current to maintain the hope, belief, and faith the supporters have put in them. Now is that time for North.
St Kilda – the Aints in AFL Purgatory
Until the start of this season, teams that consistently finished tenth to fifteenth position lived in AFL purgatory, not going up and not going down.
Last season, St Kilda put in some herculean performances against more fancied opposition, only to then falter the following week against a team they should’ve beaten. Win one, lose two has been the Saints’ mantra since Carl Ditterich (he is the toughest player to ever play the game) left the club for Melbourne in the 1970s, with a couple of exceptions throughout the 2000s.
‘With exception’ is the best term to sum up the Saints, they give real hope to their poor suffering loyal fans, only to crash back to earth the next week, or next season.
With the inclusion of several new players this season it is expected Ross and his boys will finish top six.
As I said (with exception), expected.
Next Edition
This is the edition of ‘Disco’s Ponderings’ which still evolving, and I welcome suggestions for future editions, especially suggestions that will rankle a few supporter bases.
My Challenge to myself is to not mention of a certain Collingwood demi-god for the entire season.
Have a great week.
