You know the drill by now – five winners and five losers from Round Eight of the 2024 AFL season.
Let’s go!
WINNERS
JAKE SOLIGO
Sometimes, it takes a bit of courage at selection to change the fortunes of a team, and that is what Matthew Nicks throwing Soligo into the guts in recent weeks.
What he brings to the table is something the Crows were severely lacking – genuine leg speed. Yeah, they’d throw Rankine and Rachele in there, but Soligo is a burst player, and he has rejuvenated the Adelaide midfield…
… just in time to win a Showdown Medal.
NICK DAICOS
So, he was matched up against Sam Walsh at that stoppage in the last quarter.
Walsh had arguably been Carlton’s most influential player, and his running ability has been well documented. But with one turn of the head – one moment of ball watching – it was Daicos on the burst, running onto a loose ball and slotting the game winner.
Walsh ended up caught up in traffic, six metres behind him.
And it was great to see Peter Daicos in the stands, being so benevolent to the losing Carlton supporters. The hatred runs deep, there.
JAMES JORDON TAGS
I’ve been banging on about the impact of Lachie Whitfield for weeks. He has being tearing teams to shreds with his run and carry from half-back, and other coaches seemed fine with it.
John Longmire was not fine with it, and sent James Jordon to keep an eye on him.
Some may look at the stats and think 19 touches off half-back is a decent day’s work. Not for Whitfield, who has regularly gone for 30+ this season, but with Jordon keeping him busy, both the new Sydney recruit, and the old bloke pulling the strings should take a bow for doing what no other team has had the guts to even try.
Once again, Horse playing chess, while other coaches play checkers.
MAX GAWN
Cometh the moment…
To be fair, up until three-quarter time, the ruck duel between Max Gawn and the Geelong duo of Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs was not completely in the Dees’ favour, but by the end, it certainly was.
Gawn put on a show in the last quarter, firstly slotting a big goal from outside fifty ot lift his charges, and secondly, with his clearance work and dominance around the ground.
With nine disposals, four clearances, a goal, and seven hit outs, Gawn once again stood up when his team needed him to. He has become one of the more reliable big-moment players in the game in recent seasons, and despite people with long memories (such as myself) having their favourites over the years, his feats will one day see him hailed as one of the great ruckmen of all-time. Hell, he might be there, already.
ZACH MERRETT
If the All-Australian team was selected right now, Merrett would be captain. No question about it in my mind.
His work against the Eagles was first class, as the Bombers’ skipper ran forward to snag three goals for the game amongst his 29 damaging touches.
Merrett is making a habit of demonstrating exactly the way he wants his team to perform – uncompromising, hard, and relentless. He was brilliant again this week, and could even give the Brownlow a shake this season if he keeps up this level of form.
LOSERS
TODD MARSHALL
What is this bloke?
A Key forward? A half-forward flanker in a key forward costume?
The big blokes of the league have a presence about them. Todd Marshall, now in year eight (in the league, not high school… although he looks like he could enrol) has no presence.
If this was a game for mongrels, he’d be a French Poodle.
Copped an ankle injury late in the game, but didn’t look threatening at all prior to that.
LACHIE SCHULTZ
A high-priced recruit who is not paying the rent at the moment.
I reckon the Pies would be a little relieved that Schultz has been handed a week off for hitting Blake Acres (FROM BEHIND!!!) as it allows them to reset and reload without Schultz doing… whatever it is that he’s been doing inside 50.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if Collingwood bring him back through the VFL to allow him to find some form.
I hope Lachie uses this week to reflect. Maybe about the time the orcs tried to take him to Isengard, or when Treebeard gave him that lift to the edge of the forest, that time? Or even the good old days in The Shire.
JAMIE CRIPPS
Close game. In-form key forward with a shot at goal from roughly 35 metres out – a bread and butter shot for a bloke like Jake Waterman, really. A goal would bring the Eagles to within one straight kick.
It’s tense. There is a lot riding on the kick.
A whistle…
Uh-oh, some bonehead has given away a free kick. It’s Jamie Cripps, and he has cost West Coast a shot at goal. And maybe, a shot at the game.
At 32, Cripps is supposed to be a leader in this West Coast team, but his actions were those of a hot-headed teenager. Grow up, Jamie – you owe the team one, now.
SHAI BOLTON
As the Tigers walked off the MCG after the first half against the Dockers, the stats sheet read like a horror movie for Richmond fans.
Not only had they kicked just one goal in a half of footy, but their star, Shai Bolton, was phoning in his performance, with just three disposals to his name and zero score involvements.
Richmond are now reliant on Bolton to be a consistent contributor. They need him to perform on a weekly basis, but what they got from him in this game was hot garbage. He finished with 13 touches and two tackles, but was never really dangerous, picking up just one score involvement for the game.
Time to remove the word “super” from his superstar moniker?
JACK LUKOSIUS
Tired of waiting for this bloke to stand up, Suns fans?
I am.
There were several moments where Jack could have made a statement in his team’s loss to the Lions, but when he was asked to step up, he kind of stepped aside, instead.
Dropped marks and missed goals were the order of the day for Lukosius, as he squandered just about every opportunity to hit the scoreboard in the last quarter and give the Suns… anything.
Maybe I should write a jingle about him. What rhymes with Lukosius?
Ah yes… atrocious.
Fitting, after his last quarter efforts. Better than Jack Diplodocus, I suppose
Yes, I know Brisbane had a couple that could have been in the first category – apologies to Dayne Zorko and Josh Dunkley. And also, apologies to Sam Durham, Jake Waterman, Josh Worrell, Nic Newman, Chad Warner, Errol Gulden, Dane Rampe, Jack Sinclair, Jake Lever, Josh Treacy, and Jarman Impey. You could just about interchange any of them for the five named as winners.
Feel free to add your own.
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