A big week for the Rad Warrior Ladder, with the new team on the top of the ladder for the first time in a long period.
Wins fr the Giants., Freo, and the Swans on the road have seen some significant movement. Don’t give it all away in the first two paragraphs, HB… you do that quite often. Let’s get into it.
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 20
1 – GWS – 26 PTS (59-POINT DIFFERENTIAL IN ROAD WINS)
2 – PORT ADEALIDE – 24 PTS (119)
3 – COLLINGWOOD – 22 PTS (162)
4 – SYDNEY – 20 PTS (127)
5 – BRISBANE – 16 PTS (160)
6 – RICHMOND – 16 PTS (90)
7 – FREMANTLE – 16 PTS (41)
8 – CARLTON – 12 PTS (171)
9 – ST KILDA – 12 PTS (34)
10 – MELBOURNE 10 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 – HAWTHORN – 8 PTS (58)
16 – ADELAIDE – 4 PTS (3)
17 – NORTH MELBOURNE – 4PTS (1)
18 – WEST COAST – NO POINTS AS YET
ANALYSIS
GWS continue to roll, and with yet another win on the road – their sixth of he season, they have knocked the faltering Port Adelaide from the top spot. Port were the official “away” team against the Crows, but really, the Showdown is like an additional home game.. the same type of game people whine about when co-tenants at the MCG play each other.
The Giants are quickly becoming a force, and it is safe to say that very few saw this coming a coupl of months ago. But GWS are hitting form at the right time, and if they hit the finals with a record of 9-2, or 10-1 over their last 11 games, there will be a bunch of teams worried about playing them, irrespective of where the game is staged.
Right, let’s take a look at the contenders and their remaining games
Port Adelaide – Two interstate games remain in Geelong and Freo
Collingwood – They’re done. Despite being the “away” team, they don’t travel again this year
GWS – Two more interstate games to go, in SA (Port) and Marvel (Carlton). They’re in the box seat to win now.
Sydney – One interstate (Adelaide) and one crosstown (GWS) means they can get up and tie it all up at the top, but only if GWS and Port don’t get another road win.
So, it is looking increasingly like it will be Port or GWS as the Road Warrior Champions this season, with the Swans an outside chance to tie it up and win with their better point-differential.
Who would your money be on?
UPCOMING FOUR-POINT GAMES
WEST COAST, fresh off a win, head to Marvel to face he Bombers
GOLD COAST travel to South Australia to play the Crows
PORT ADELAIDE visit the not-so-stronghold of the Cats
MELBOURNE head to Tassie to play North at Blundstone Arena
And BRISBANE make the long haul flight to play Freo at Optus Stadium
TWO-POINT CROSSTOWN GAMES THIS WEEK
RICHMOND have to make the arduous trip across the CBD to pay at Marvel against the Dogs on Friday night.
SYDNEY make the crosstown trip to play the Giants in a massive cutthroat game
ODD FOOTNOTE OF THE WEEK
How about some stats I dug up when I was updating an old article?
30 touches and five goals in a game has been achieved 54 times in the history of the V/AFL. Stats for disposals were only kept from 1964 onwards, so we get about one per year, on average.
Of those 54 times, Leigh Matthews has done it 11 times, easily eclipsing the next best – Kevin Bartlett, who has four of these games to his name.
The most recent player to achieve this mark was Jeremy Cameron, back in 2019
The only other current players with one of these games to their names are Jack Billings, who had 30 and five goals seven weeks before Michael Walters did it with 32 touches and six goals. It must be about time we have another few – it’s been four years. Pull your finger out, boys.
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