I love watching The Derby. Both this game, and the South Australian Showdown are appointment viewing for footy fans who like a bit of spice in their games. There is always great spirit, irrespective where the clubs are situated on the AFL ladder, and this one was no exception.
That it didn’t matter about ladder positions was probably a good thing, as both sides were stuck down the bottom heading into this one, which was expected when it came to the rebuilding Eagles, but was a bit of a slap in the face with a wet fish for the Dockers, for who big things are expected in 2025.
There were plenty of storylines heading into this one, with Isaiah Dudley making his debut, plenty of heat on Harley Reid, and a lot of questions about which flavour of gameplan the Dockers would bring to the table.
The result was beyond doubt about halfway through the third quarter – the Dockers were the superior team and had put the game away, so it was with great interest that I watched how the remainder of the game played out.
Why, you ask?
Isn’t the heat taken out of the game by that point?
Well, yes, but there is a lot you can find out about a team, or a particular player, when the last quarter becomes a dead rubber. And we found out plenty in this one.
Time to jump into HB’s Perspectives on this one.
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