1. Collingwood lose three in a row for the second time
Most of us were perplexed by the slow start to their season, but by Round 15 it seemed that the universe had restored balance and alignment with Collingwood fourth on the ladder. At that stage it seemed finals were all but assured, but football has a way of dealing cruel blows that now sees the Pies battling in 12th place and looking anything but a finals proposition. After taking out last year’s premiership, this will be a huge disappointment, and there’s a myriad of reasons as to why they are in this predicament. And it also poses a question regarding which of their older players should stay or go. They’ve had their share of injuries, but I don’t think they can use that to explain away all their concerns.
Darcy Cameron was one of Collingwood’s best finishing with one goal from 18 touches with a dominant 58 hitouts. As good a player as he still is, some may see that letting Grundy go was a stroke of genius. One veteran who is playing well is Sidebottom. 28 touches and a goal make his case for another season strong. John Noble also had 28 disposals and De Goey 24. It was a tight game for most of the night, but Geelong had three goals on the board before the ball had been touched by a Collingwood player. Three consecutive goals in the final term for the Cats broke the game open in eerie similarity to way their season has gone. With just six games remaining now, a lot has to go right for the Pies from here, and it starts this week against the Hawks.
Geelong have officially got their season back on track. In what has been an odd year, after going through the opening seven rounds undefeated, they then lost the next four games. By Round 15 they were 8-6 and were sitting in seventh place on the verge of slipping out. Since then they’ve won three in a row, including impressive wins against the Bombers, Hawks and Magpies. They’re now in fourth place and look set to feature in September and cause headaches. Max Holmes and Gryan Miers have continued their good form with 27 touches apiece. Stewart had 26 and Jack Bowes has now strung a few solid performances together including 24 touches in this match. All in all, the Cats have definitely arrested their slide and the upcoming game against the Bulldogs is shaping up to be a beauty.
2. The Hawks are undefeated this in Tasmania this season
Hawthorn have won all three matches they’ve played at UTAS Stadium in Launceston. It’s unclear moving forward what will happen to these games once the Tasmania team joins the AFL, but it’s a distinct home ground advantage the Hawks would want to retain one would think.
The Dockers gave a good account of themselves in this game leading by as much as 15 points in the third term. The midfield pair of Serong and Brayshaw had strong games with a goal apiece and 45 touches between them. In fact, it was Andrew Brayshaw’s goal that gave Fremantle the lead back in the final quarter before the Hawks kicked the last three goals of the game to win by 13 points. Jye Amiss will be disappointed with his game which resulted in him scoring 1.3. Banfield was the only multiple goal scorer for the Dockers, with two. Jackson was great with 20 touches but he would’ve hoped for better conversion than his 1.2 result. The loss sees Freo slip to 5th on the ladder for now, but a home game against the Demons next week is looming, and after Melbourne’s win against the Bombers, they may just be gearing up for the business end of the season.
Hawthorn’s dream of reaching the finals is still alive. With the Hawks down by 15 points midway through the third term, and with the skipper in defence looking out of sorts with a sore shoulder that meant his tackling ability was not at its best, Sam Mitchell swung him forward and that proved to be a match-winner. Sicily finished with three goals as the Hawks booted six of the last seven goals of the game. The Hawks remain a game and percentage outside the eight and come up against the Magpies. The loser of this game will possibly be making plans for their end of season trip a little early.
3. The Kangaroos were put back in their place
This heading may seem a little mean, and nobody would dare suggest that North Melbourne were getting ahead of themselves. However, after five solid weeks against some quality opponents where they finally notched up a couple wins among some narrow losses, they probably came up against the league leaders at the worst possible time. The Swans had just lost two in a row and would’ve come into this game breathing fire and intent on being merciless.
Up forward, the Kangaroos’ heavy reliance on Larkey shows they need to find another tall option. Larkey finished with three goals, while Zuurhar and Pink booted two each. Simpkin and. Davies-Uniacke battled hard with 26 and 24 disposals respectively. The Roos face a Carlton unit also having lost two in a row. Whilst I expect Carlton to return to the winners list, it’s clear for the moment at least that the Blues are not quite in the same class as Sydney so the result won’t be as lopsided one suspects.
For the Swans, ball magnet Errol Gulden starred once again with 41 touches while Chad Warner lead the midfield in Heaney’s absence with 31 and two majors. Tom Papley booted four majors as did Logan McDonald on the back of a couple of weeks he’d rather forget. Callum Mills made a return for his first game of the year, and Luke Parker may have revived his career coming on as the sub in the third term and kicking two goals from 13 touches. All in all, it was a comprehensive victory that reminded the Roos they’re still a long way off while giving a lot of Swans players a much needed confidence boost after the stumbles of the past fortnight. Next week sees them taking on Brisbane at the GABBA. Match of the round!
4. Carlton faced the Bulldogs in the wrong week
Looking at the form line of the Western Bulldogs, it seems quite rare that they play two bad games in a row, nor do they often play two good games in a row for that matter. Last week’s heavy loss to Port Adelaide was a veritable stinker, and this week, despite the absence of the likes of Naughton and Treloar, it was obvious early that they were up for the contest and would’ve won more comfortably but for their wayward kicking in the first quarter.
Ugle-Hagan finished with four goals and took full advantage of Weitering being hampered by yet another corkie received in the second term. Rhylee West also booted four goals from just 11 touches. The formidable Carlton midfield was humbled by the Doggies’ onballers with Bontompelli, Macrae and Liberatore setting up countless scoring opportunities from centre bounces and stoppages. The challenge now will be to back that up with another good performance against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium.
The Blues will need to do some soul-searching. It was a disappointing performance on a milestone day, with much loved skipper Patrick Cripps playing his 200th game. The game resembled the Carlton we knew in recent times where Cripps would carry the team during those leaner years.
With Tom de Koning clearly playing his best footy as sole ruckman, the decision to play Marcus Pittonet was baffling. The loss of McGovern meant Marchbank returned, but despite his solid VFL form, his injury-riddled frame does seem to have taken its toll. Just nine touches and two marks with zero tackles as a defender tells the story. Charlie Curnow’s 3.7 was wasteful, and after a great first half including three majors, Harry McKay managed just one disposal after half time. The Blues face the Kangaroos next week. Voss says that they’re not in panic mode, which is code for they’re in panic mode, but if the unthinkable happens next week, they won’t be able to disguise any fear at that point.
5. Riley Thilthorpe only needed a quarter to show his importance
Thilthorpe made his long-awaited return after a year on the sidelines as the sub. He came on at three quarter time with the game in the balance and booted two majors to help sink the Saints after what had been a tight struggle. With Taylor Walker heading into the twilight of his career and having an interrupted season with injury, Adelaide’s leading goal kicker this season is Darcy Fogarty with just 28 goals so far. With Thilthorpe back, the firepower lacking up forward may well be addressed, so I’m sure the club is hoping he can play all remaining games and stay healthy for a big 2025. He may be just what they need.
Rory Laird once again topped the disposal count with 33 while Jordan Dawson was possibly best afield with 26 touches which included 23 kicks in a good display of wet weather football. Soligo continued his good for with 25 touches while Keays kicked 1.3 from 24 touches. All the Crows can hope for is a strong finish to the year and it starts against the Bombers at Marvel next week. Riley Thilthorpe should be in the starting lineup and could cause headaches for the Bombers defence.
It was a disappointing finish by the Saints who could only manage a late behind in the final quarter against the Crows 4.1. Wood and Sharman kicked two goals each, but ruckman Rohan Marshall was by far their best player with 20 possessions and 48 hitouts in a dominant display. Marshall is probably flying under the radar in Brownlow betting, but he’s had a very consistent year and should poll well. Wanganeen-Milera continued his good form finishing with 28 touches and I’ll give a special mention to Phillipou who seems to be finding his feet at AFL level in his second season. Another solid contribution with a goal from 20 touches. The Saints might fancy their chances against the Eagles at Marvel this coming week.
6. No Gawn, no Petracca, no problem
The odds for an Essendon victory coming into this game were $1.50 against $2.50 for a Melbourne victory. On paper that seemed about right with Gawn unavailable. But midway through the final term, the Demons piled on five unanswered goals to hit a game high 41 point lead before the Bombers answered belatedly with the last four majors to go down by 17 points. Fritsch and Turner top scored for Melbourne with three goals each while former Bomber, Jake Melksham and Pickett scored two goals.
After Harry Petty misfired, Jacob van Rooyen took the ruck duties in Gawn’s absence and did enough to ensure Draper didn’t take control of the game. Another player at Melbourne to watch is Trent Rivers. He’s had a breakout season gathering 20 or more possessions most weeks. It was an important win which sees them back in the eight after a few weeks in the wilderness. Next week’s game at home against the Dockers in Perth looms large. Can they avenge a 15 goal loss in hostile territory? Hopefully Gawn will return.
Nic Martin had a huge game collecting 26 possessions and finishing with four goals against his name. Duursma and Langford kicked two each, but when playing the Bombers, if you can keep Stringer and Wright goalless, a big part of the job is done. Ridley battled hard with 29 touches and Dylan Shiel had 28. Although the Bombers have slipped to sixth on the ladder, they still remain just half a game from second so all is not lost. It’s a must win this coming Friday against the Crows. A loss there will be an indicator that finals isn’t going to happen.
7. The Suns broke a 13 year drought against the Power
I remember watching a winless Gold Coast travel to Adelaide in their inaugural year in the AFL back in Round 5, 2011 to take on the almighty Port Adelaide Football Club. Nobody gave this new team of youngsters and misfits any sort of chance. At 3/4 time it all seemed to be going to the script with the Power holding sway by 28 points. The last quarter saw the unthinkable happen with the Suns storming home with a six goal to one final term hitting the lead in the dying stages. Little did we know back then we’d be waiting 13 years until we saw a Gold Coast win over Port Adelaide again, and here we are.
Both sides needed this win to remain in the finals race. The Suns are undefeated at home this year. They’ve managed to beat everybody who has ventured there, and I never thought I’d see this in writing, but it looks like People First Stadium is a fortress! There! I said it. They’re literally a 5-10 goal better side there, especially when you factor in their poor away form. At home they tend to share the scoring load. This week we had ten goalkickers from their total of 14. Noah Anderson must love that ground because he virtually always turns it on. This week he had 29 touches and a goal with Sam Flanders just ahead with 30 touches and a goal. Next week sees the Suns head over to Engie Stadium to take on the Giants in another must win which they most likely won’t. So there’s that.
Port Adelaide had the misfortune of being one down on the bench losing Jones (concussion) and Marshall to injury by half time. Butters, Rozee and Houston all got plenty of the ball and Aliir had a welcome return to form after an up and down year finishing with 22 touches and an incredible 14 marks. Horne-Francis and Mead were the only multiple goal scorers for the Power kicking two each. As it stands right now, the Power sit just outside the eight on percentage. They’re at home to Richmond next week and wilpercentage-boosting win unless the Tigers can repeat what did to the Crows just a few weeks earlier at Adelaide Oval.
8. When Toby Greene fires, so do the Giants
It’s no coincidence to me that when Toby Greene isn’t at his best that the Giants are gettable. And although they were playing the bottom side, this was one game I could see being an upset. Greene was his brilliant best, kicking four goals from 17 touches. He also dished four goal assists. The side is always buoyed when he’s in this form. Hogan finished with 4 goals as well and is just eight goals behind Curnow in the Coleman race. Tom Green and Lachie Whitfield continued their great seasons with an impressive 37 and 35 possessions. It was a good win on the road and if they were to win next week against the Suns it would go a long way to ensure another finals appearance.
Richmond were competitive for most of the game but just lacked the polish of their opposition. It was looking like turning into a big defeat at the beginning of the last quarter but they fought it out and went down by a respectable 24 point margin. You have to love a guy with a name like Steely Green, but the Tigers may have found one here with his solid three-goal effort in just his third game of AFL football. Koschitzke, Bolton and Mansell all scored two goals each. Hopper and Taranto impressed with 28 and 27 possessions respectively against their former club while Prestia also had 27. It’s been a rough old year for the Tigers, but they’ll be hoping for a repeat of what they did to Adelaide a few weeks back as they head back to the Adelaide Oval to take on Port Power.
9. In a strange year, the Lions are somehow fourth
The Lions looked gone for all money after Round 11 where they sat in 13th place with just four wins and a draw. They have won their last six matches and their season is well and truly back on track although one loss is all it takes in most cases for a team to fall five or six spots, such is the tightness of the competition. The scary part is they’ve actually won a few games where they didn’t play particularly well. But I guess good sides can do that.
Brisbane had their work cut out for them after the dramas surrounding the exiting coach at West Coast. The Eagles had emotions running high within the playing group. Lachie Neale has done his Brownlow chances no harm with a 34 possession game with two goals. McCluggage also played with spirit, finishing with 32 touches. Six players scored two goals each for the Lions and it was another one of those games where they were good without being brilliant and still got the chocolates. They’ll need to find their best form as they won’t be afforded the luxury of playing a good average game in order to beat the Swans at the GABBA this coming Sunday.
West Coast head to Marvel this coming week to take on the Saints. They’d have to be eyeing this as a potential win, given the way they played this weekend. Oscar Allen struggled all day but finished strongly with three last quarter goals. Liam Ryan also finished strongly with two goals in the final term. Tim Kelly had 29 touches and worked tirelessly all day. He’s pretty much got the Eagles’ B & F in the bag I suspect.
10. It’s now back to looking like a one-horse race again
The gap between first and second has widened back up to three games, and with just six games to go, any thoughts of reeling them in is foolish. The Blues were there and looked to be on the cusp of something special. Two losses in a row with decent starts in both games is concerning, so we shouldn’t believe them when they tell us they’re not in panic mode. I guarantee they’d be shitting bricks if I’m being honest, especially at the thought of losing to North Melbourne this coming week!
Geelong now looms as a threat once again. After slumping to 8-6 after a 7-0 start to the year, they’ve won three in a row and are third by percentage only. They can’t be counted out either. And with Brisbane sitting fourth on the ladder, how do they fit into all of this? Although they still have’nt beaten too many sides in the top eight. They’re up against the Swans this Sunday so we’re about to find out just how real this resurgence is. Then there’s Freo who just fell short to the Hawks. There’s the Bombers who have won just two of their last six. I think the Giants might stay put for now. The remaining teams are like a blur with the Hawks down in 13th still a chance for finals. It’s a good year for the fact it’s so even. It’s just a shame Sydney are the one team who has broken away from the pack. At this stage, who is going to catch them?
