Well, what a way to finish off Round 13.
I feel like I have been blessed this long weekend – extremely lucky in the games I had the pleasure of covering.
The Crows and Cats, Hawks and Dogs, and Swans and Saints all went down to the wire, but this one… this one may have topped them all.
In a game that both teams seemed desperate to win, but just as desperate to waste their chances to do so late in the contest, it was an ill-advised Kysaiah Pickett play on with under a minute to play that resulted in the goal that sealed the game.
And what a game it was.
Played at a break-neck pace, the Pies and Dees wrestled for control, and in all honesty, this started to feel more like a Collingwood-type of game as we ticked into the final quarter. They’d started running the footy through the middle after being denied in the first quarter, and seemed more polished and prepared to take the right risks. What they were doing was working, and the Dees seemed to have to work harder to garner the same results. However, the Dees dug in, and the longer the game progressed, and the heavier the legs became, the more difficult it was to blow past the marauding Demons.
The pressure was high, mistakes were costly, and the margin remained tight.
Kysaiah Pickett missed a shot from 35 metres out after intercepting an errant Darcy Cameron across-goal pass. It was the type of kick Tom Hafey or Ron Barassi would have lost their marbles over, but one that is common in the modern game. Pickett’s shot failed to make the distance, which led to the Pies sweeping forward, where Jordan de Goey had the chance to put them in front after a strong grab.
He fluffed his lines, as well, pulling his kick to the left.
Nick Daicos tried to step through traffic to get the Pies moving on the wing, and was run down by a brilliant Harvey Langford tackle. Then finally… yes finally, Pickett got out for a mark inside 50, played on… because that’s just what he does, and curled the footy through for a goal around the body with seconds remaining.
Of course, the main story coming out of the game was the injury to Brody Mihocek. Landing awkwardly in a Billy Frampton tackle, Brody remained on the deck, unmoving, and was stretchered from the ground. This is an incident that has already divided the footy world if the social media comments section is anything to go by. I want to dive into this from every angle possible as part of the review… it’s gonna be a long one.
Add in Brayden Maynard’s multiple shoulder injuries, and how he fell into one of those instances, and there is plenty to discuss.
Enough chatter – let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Statements from one of the games of the season.
This is just the introduction – the remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re all in on the 2026 AFL season. Player articles, stats, awards, game coverage. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
