Disco’s Pondering’s
Round One
Oh boy, it is great to have footy back, and then some,
From the opening chuck-up at the MCG, with Richmond gallant in defeat against the embattled Blues who really needed a win, right through to the final siren of the Sunday triple treat which didn’t look that flash on paper, but what those three games lacked in flash, they made up for it with a lot of dash and daring.
Some of the games in Round One went to script (wins by the Suns and Hawks), with a couple of upsets (Demons and the Roo Boys), while another team franked their credentials for the season by brutally (Bulldogs) dismantling another highly ranked team (Giants).
I love it.
So much Hyperbole so early in the Season – I like it
There were some sensational comments over the weekend about how the season will pan out over the next six months.
We all like to spout a bit of shite occasionally, adding a bit mayo or a cherry on top, but some of the comments over the weekend by the media, were, to put it politely, absolute dog droppings.
From Petracca is winning the Brownlow (sorry to the player who I will never mention by name in Pondering’s), relegating ‘him’ to being the runner-up again, through to all the back and forth commentary about Merrett, starting with questioning if his heart is still in it anymore, through to Essendon are lucky to him. Further, questioning whether Ross Lyon’s is the right fit for the Saints, I mean fork me drunk, it is only one round and already there are calls for coaches to be sacked! And finally, as it the tradition, every newbie on debut being compared to some legend of the game after only one kick.
You get the point
The drama, the theatre and the emotional rollercoaster is back, and it feels great.
While I am it, Dwayne Russell, who I think is one the better commentators in the comp, tried so hard to pump up the Power’s tyres after kicking one goal in the last quarter was an absolute joke, especially considering the Roo Boys were up by around eight goals at the time. For a guy who constantly says, “it is a thing of beauty”, in his eagerness to make the game seem interesting, the Pipe never realised what the Roos were doing was, a thing of beauty.
To continue the venting process theme, basically anything Jack Riewoldt or David Kings says during commentary should be taken with a grain of salt. Everything that comes out their noise holes is either sycophantic (especially when referring to ‘him’), or just reactionary to the immediate, often forgetting what they said completely contradicts what they spewed out earlier.
Smithers, who is that player in jumper 47? I like the cut of his jib, a real firebrand.
If you hadn’t ever heard of Cooper Trembath before, you were not alone, and to quote the Pipe, his game against the Power was a thing of beauty. It was great to see a rookie draft pick in only his fourth match making the most the opportunity afforded him.
Another player, who was only called up the Eagles list a couple of weeks ago, Milan Murdock, can now put his sparky tools away for a while as he did enough on debut with a couple of goals, good intensity and game savvy to be an AFL player.
Most kids ranging from birth right through to the age of 90, or even older, would give their left ‘one’ just to play an AFL game, so well-done Milan for fulfilling a dream so few get to taste.
Also, shame on you Jon Ralph for raining down on the debut of Hussien El Achker who sporting the red sash for the first time. I have seen more highly-ranked recruits fade under the bright lights. Nobody can take away Hussein’s pride, and that of his family, and the sheer delight as he lived out a dream kicking a goal on debut in round one, under the lights on a balmy Friday night.
Chapeau Hussein, you have now played one game more AFL game than Jon Ralph.
There have been some great sporting family dynasties in the AFL over the years, and on the weekend, Latrelle Pickett made his debut for the Demons alongside his cousin Kysaiah, while the number one draft pick form 2025, Willem Duursma, showed plenty on debut.
I cannot recollect the last time there was not a Pickett or a Duursma somewhere on an AFL list.
Segue.
While I am talking about Duursmas, I never knew North Melbourne selected Zane Duursma the pick before the Hawks landed the Wizard. Both players have bright futures, but at this stage North let a good one go through to the keeper.
The punishment of being a Number One draft pick
Imagine this for a moment, you are clearly the best underage player coming through the system and after all the medical checks and combines you are seen as a superior performer. On Draft Night the West Coast Eagle’s representatives walk to the podium with their number one draft pick and they say, ‘Willem Duursma’, at that moment celebrations break out, but you are thinking, with a sinking feeling in your heart, want the hell did I do wrong, why…
Your parents are proud, but they feel a bit peeved as their son’s reward for being the best junior in the country is being shanghaied to a foreign place some 4000kms away to play for a club who don’t look having ANY success in the next decade at least. Your mates don’t get the chance to say goodbye, and your heart sinks as you say goodbye to your girlfriend
Within the next week you kiss your Mum, who is full-on crying, as you say goodbye at the airport, heading to the AFL’s version of Siberia, the West Coast Eagles. Finally, as you face your first night in a house without your parents, again you think, what the hell did I do wrong, why…
Within weeks you are the front and back pages of the wests newspapers with questions already being asked, are you going to be loyal to the Eagles? Every hesitation or stutter creates headlines, and all this before you have even played a game.
Midway through your first game, as your team is getting crushed by the Suns, the reality hits you – you are playing for a shite team. Halfway through the second half of your first game, Harley Reid, the 2023 number one draft pick, pats you on the bum. and in a sarcastic tone says, ‘welcome to hell’.
Suddenly you know how Harley Reid and Jason Horne-Francis felt on their debuts, ecstatic they are playing AFL, but bewildered as to why they were playing for a bottom ranked team. You ask yourself, ‘what is the reward for being the best junior player?’
Then, just to rub into your wound somebody points out to you that Ty Gallop, the player taken at number 42 player in the 2024 draft has already played in premiership team, and to make it worse, he didn’t have to leave his state to achieve success.
While we are up north, a player who had crossed your path a few times with supreme ability, who should have been drafted in the top ten of the 2023 draft is now a dual premiership player. The thought crosses your mind, ‘why was Logan Morris rewarded so handsomely, while you are running around for a club who is rudderless at the moment?’
A bit later that night you get a one-word text in capitals from Jason Horne-Francis, which simply says, ‘HA’.
To make you feel worse, another text is received for Sam Lalor which reads, ‘life is good’, but in your heart, you are not feeling good at all, and suddenly you miss everything was good about life 12 months earlier.
Please realise all the above is fiction.
Witnessing another number one draft pick player being sent to play a bottom club with no clear road map to achieve success is heartbreakingly sad.
For every Luke Hodge who is drafted at numero uno, there a more players like Jack Watts (2008), Tom Scully (2009), Bryce Gibbs (2006), Jonathan Patton (2011). While they’re good, their careers are judged harder because they were number one tag,
Then there are the warriors who embrace the number one tag and live up to all the hype. Sadly though, when the final siren blows on some their career/s there is an empty space left in their hearts having never tasted ultimate success. Players like Marc Murphy (2005), David Swallow (2011), who both had stellar careers and they remained loyal to the club that recruited them, albeit with little team success.
The there is the unusual case of Tom Boyd (2013), the outlier. His career was a slow burn, but that was until the 2016 finals series as he delivered on his promise with one of the best all-time individual final performances. Boyd was the needed point of difference the Doggies required to win the Grand Final that year, and they did. After the Granny win Boyd then walked away completely from the game never to be seen again – I’ll be buggered.
Being the number one draft pick does not guarantee success and nor does it necessarily eventuate the club with the number one draft pick improves enough to offer team success. Further, after a couple of years why do the players like Reid, Horne-Francis and Duursma owe any loyalty to the club that original drafter them? They had no say in going to that club.
Horne-Francis is still consistently booed, but he never wanted to be at North despite saying the right things, so when opportunity arose, he jumped ship. He owed the Roos nothing, they were just bad enough to have the number on draft pick in 2021.
Like trickledown economics, equalisation just doesn’t work, with the victim/s being the ‘what if’ careers of the best young players in the land.
While I was pondering this diatribe, I can only think of one solution. The two best ranked young’uns each year should be able to go to the club of their choice, there is no difference between this and the father/son scenarios.
Well, that took on a life of its own.
(Not sure I can get onboard with this idea, Disco – HB 😆 )
Justin Longmuir
Come at me Freo supporters, but I thought it was a bit rich Longmuir blaming the AFL’s Zero Round as one of the reasons the Dockers lost. Your team led by six goals and got beat. That has nothing to do with Round Zero, but as most see it, it has more to do with Freo being Freo, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Further Justin, have a go at Optus Stadium putting no one cares Shields matches before the interest of your club.
A lot of neutral fans want to see the Dockers succeed this year, including a lot at The Mongrel Punt so, but may I suggest, less talkie and more allowing actions to be your voice.
Round One Gary Votes
Every club has players their supporters love to hate, and in my case that player was and still is Gary. Gary had all the skill and ability, but more often than not Gary would go missing in big games, especially finals, and even when he went to another club, he only played one good final’s game, as such, in honour of Gary – The Gary Rohan Award.
The Gary Award is only eligible for top end talent who have played over 75 games and who go missing in action when their club needs them most.
3 Charlie Curnow (he must learn the Bloods team culture)
2 Justin Longmuir (see above)
1 Kelly Underwood (as soon as she mentioned the health of the Swans list, bang bang, down go Errol and Issac)
Votes to date
3 Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow
2 Harris Andrews, Justin Longmuir
1 Bailey Smith, Kelly Underwood.
Next Edition
This is the third edition of ‘Disco’s Pondering’s’ which is still evolving and I welcome suggestions for future editions, especially suggestions that will rankle a few supporter bases.
My Challenge to myself this season is to not mention of a certain Collingwood demi-god for the entire season.
Have a great week.
