This is supposed to be a competition dominated by the Non-Victorian teams. I mean, they’re the ones travelling every second week, after all, right?
Someone should tell Collingwood, who are now making their move and enter the top two.
We’ve heard it for years – the teams based outside Victoria have it tougher.
I get it, though. I really do. Forced to travel interstate almost every second week, some teams clock up enormous miles as they traverse the country to be part of this sport we love.
Meanwhile, we get some Victorian-based clubs cracking the sads when they have to play at Marvel Stadium instead of the MCG, and vice versa. Or those who get a little nasty when a move away from Kardinia Park is floated.
So, how do the teams fare away from home, and who is travelling best at the moment?
The Mongrel has devised a little ladder to assess who is the best road team in the league. Oh, the Vic teams will still get a look in if they’re good enough, and whilst I fully expect a number of fans to say this system is rigged to favour non-Victorian teams… I really don’t care. Stop your whining.
So, how does it work?
The Road Warrior Ladder is named after one of the best Tag Teams of all time. Don’t come at me with your Demolition garbage, or your Powers of Pain crap… they were Road Warrior rip-offs… who were, in turn, rip-offs of the 1980s movie, Mad Max.
It was called The Road Warrior in the United States because… geez, I’m not a film buff. Do your own homework.
Anyway, you get four points for an interstate win and two points for a win at an away venue that IS NOT played at the venue you consider your home ground. I don’t care if it’s not your home game – you’re still at the ground you play your home games. The Road Warrior Ladder Nazi isn’t concerned with your feelings – just facts.
Tasmania is considered a home game for Hawthorn. You choose to play your home games there – you cop it. Same with GWS and Canberra – if it’s your choice, you wear it.
Now that my belligerence is out of the way, let’s get to business.
THE ROAD WARRIOR LADDER AFTER ROUND 17
1 – PORT ADELAIDE 24 PTS (119-POINT DIFFERENTIAL IN ROAD WINS)
2 – COLLINGWOOD – 18 PTS (160)
3 – GWS – 18 PTS (40)
4 – BRISBANE – 16 PTS (160)
5 – CARLTON – 12 PTS (171)
6 – SYDNEY – 12 PTS (96)
7 – RICHMOND – 12 PTS (52)
E8 – FREMANTLE – 12 PTS (34)
E8 – ST KILDA – 12 PTS (34)
10 – MELBOURNE 12 PTS (89)
11 – WESTERN BULLDOGS – 10 PTS (69… DUDE)
12 – GOLD COAST – 8 PTS (94)
13 – ESSENDON – 8 PTS (77)
14 – GEELONG – 4 PTS (47)
15 – ADELAIDE – 4 PTS (3)
16 – NORTH MELBOURNE – 4PTS (1)
17 – HAWTHORN – 2 PTS (10)
18 – WEST COAST – NO POINTS AS YET
ANALYSIS
Port continue to possess a very handy game-and-a-half lead on the chasers, with Collingwood joining GWS on 18 points and slipping into second spot. The Pies picked up two points for packing their bags and travelling alllll the way across town to play at Marvel Stadium. We pray for a safe return trip for them… maybe a few days off to recover.
Seriously though, the Dogs play Marvel really well, and Collingwood were just irrepressible as they once again rode a great game from their second-year star, Nick Daicos. Can he win the Brownlow? Half the media is already anointing him! Collingwood only have two away games left fo the remainder of the year (their R24 game against Essendon is scheduled for the ‘G).
Carlton are the other big mover, jumping up to fifth due to their whopping away wins on WA, downing both the Eagles and Dockers by a combined 161 points. In reality, there are five teams on 12 points, but when the Blues win these away games, they win biiiiig!
And lastly, the Dees were able to hold off the hard-luck Saints to grab two points, as they emulated Collingwood in picking up a two-pointer at Marvel.
Some think the two-point games are cheap because they benefit Vic teams. It’s true – they do. I’m okay with that, given they travel less and in the end, it hasn’t mattered much over the last two years as the volume of travel always benefits the Non-Vic teams… in this system alone. It’d be brutal in every other way.
UPCOMING FOUR-POINT GAMES
The WESTERN BULLDOGS face the Swans at the SCG
BRISBANE face their demons… literally, as they take on Melbourne at the MCG. A win here shuts a lot of people up.
FREMANTLE would be desperate for a road win, but they play the Pies at the MCG… ouch.
ST KILDA look to keep their September hopes alive and snuff out the Suns in one fell swoop as they head to Heritage Bank Stadium
PORT ADELAIDE have the chance to extend their lead, with a visit to play the Blues at Marvel.
GWS head to Adelaide Oval to face the Crows in what should be a belter
And RICHMOND head west to take on the Eagles at Optus Stadium
TWO-POINT CROSSTOWN GAMES THIS WEEK
HAWTHORN finally get a chance to pick up some points, facing North at Marvel
And ESSENDON make the trip down the highway to take on Geelong at Kardinia Park
If Port knock over the Blues this weekend, I reckon we can go ahead and award them the title of Road Warriors for 2023. That said, this has a real big-game feel to it, and you just get a sense that Carlton know it is their last roll of the dice. Win this, and they’re right in the finals mix. Lose… they’re done.
GWS might be the danger to Port. They have three road games remaining (Dogs, Port, and Carlton). Of course, if Port win this week, it means GWS will have to win all of them to catch them.
ODD FOOTNOTE OF THE WEEK
Let’s take a look at the Crows for a moment.
They have not played terrible footy away from home, recently – their loss to Collingwood was a heartbreaker, and though the Bombers ended up winning by 18 points, Adelaide showed plenty by hanging in there and fighting back when it seemed as though the Bombers were going to roll over them.
So, what is going on with their record on the road?
The Crows have won just one game away from home all season – in Round Six against the Hawks in Tassie… and they fell in to win that game by three points. They are a true Jekyll and Hyde team at the moment, who look brilliant at home but just cannot get it done anywhere else.
In the run home, they have only three games remaining away. Round 19 against Melbourne at the MCG, Round 22 at the Gabba against the Lions, and finally, Round 24 on the road against the Eagles.
Looking at that draw, you’d think they’re gonna go 1-2, with the game against the Eagles the win, right? I reckon they need to go 2-1 to secure a finals berth. It only takes one slip up at home to bring their season crashing down, so another win on the road is a must.
I cannot see them beating Brisbane at the Gabba, which leaves Round 19 against the Dees. To me, that is the must-win game of their season. Emerge victorious in that one, they play finals. Drop it, and I am afraid for all the promise they’ve shown, they might end up ninth or tenth.
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