Gab is back with eight things he learnt from the past weekend of footy. Let’s dive in.
1 – MICHAEL VOSS COULD BE ONE WEEK AWAY FROM BEING SACKED
Oh how the mighty have fallen. You can cast your minds back to Round 16 last year. The Blues were sitting pretty in second place on the ladder with many suggesting they were giving premiership favourites Sydney a run for their money. We all know how last season ended, and at the time the club could hide behind an injury list that boasted a few big names for their drop in form, but the cracks were on display for all to see, and those who have observed Carlton during the Voss era would’ve noticed something a little deeper.
That said, with the new year upon us, the slate was wiped clean and Carlton people were bullish about their chances in 2025. Nobody saw the Round One loss coming to a very young and green-gilled Richmond outfit, particularly when they lead by 41 points halfway through the second term.
The manner in which they capitulated on that night was as bad as anything of its kind ever seen. And it seems to have set the tone for a spectacular year of underachievement. It’s fair to say that Michael Voss isn’t solely to blame. But with just two wins from the last 13 games the club has taken part in, and with those wins coming against two teams who won just eight games between them in 2024, we are talking about a diabolical drop in form from a team who had 11 wins from its first fifteen games last season.
The Blues play a struggling West Coast Eagles in Adelaide next week. Surely a loss there means the end for Voss. If he can’t get the boys up for a win in that game, what would be the point in keeping him? Surely something has to happen to get this club off this godforsaken path that they are currently on. By now you may suspect I’m a Blues fan. Us supporters have endured some pretty dark times. The last two seasons, particularly 2023, seemed to have finally announced an end to the darkest of periods in the club’s history. But now we all have that sinking feeling of déjà vu. The Blues have sacked a few, but the rot started when they terminated Ratten’s contract. And to think they could’ve had Adam Kingsley or Ross Lyon.
I know Pies fans, while they revel in Carlton’s misery, will also want to hear about their team’s performance on Thursday night. It was only in the third quarter that they really asserted their authority over a bewildering Carlton who continue to come out after half time as though they’ve been given a high dose of Valium. They banged on 4.6 to 0.1 in a demolition, and it was said that Collingwood came into the game expecting Carlton to fade out after half time, so the slender lead held by the Blues at the long break wouldn’t have caused them too much concern.
The wet conditions really showed up the poor skills from Carlton as the Pies were able to hit targets with comparative ease. The Daicos brothers were influential and it was noteworthy to see a 34 year old Steele Sidebottom continually outrunning his Carlton midfield opponents. With the game decided midway through the last term, two late junk time goals to Carlton reduced the margin to just 17 points in the end to create the illusion that the Blues aren’t that far away, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Something seems very off as normally courageous players in the navy blue are backing out of contests and refusing to present. Collingwood are sitting pretty at 3-1 and hold huge hopes for finals action while the sorry Carlton are 0-4 and look likely to find wins very difficult. The Pies have a testing encounter against the Swans in Adelaide next week, while the Blues have a testing encounter against whoever they play against it would seem.
2 – TALK OF DANGERFIELD’S RETIREMENT HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD
I don’t know too many footy fans who don’t have a deep admiration for the Geelong skipper in Paddy Dangerfield. He’s had a stellar career and has won countless awards. His last couple of seasons have seen him nursed through week by week as his aging body was seemingly starting to succumb to injury on a regular basis, causing many to think that this year might be his last. If Friday night’s effort is any indication, there’s every chance he’ll go around again.
Danger booted three goals against the Demons and really helped set up the win. The move to the forward line is paying dividends as he has kicked seven goals so far this year, and it could very well extend his career a little longer. Other good players for the Cats included Zac Guthrie with 30 touches, and the recruit of the year contender in Bailey Smith had another strong game picking up 28 possessions. Geelong look good at times, but it’s hard to know just which Geelong will show up from week to week. They’re still pretty hard to beat at home so the Dees were always going to struggle, but in the end the Cats were just too good for their winless opponents. On Thursday night, Geelong take on the Adelaide Crows away from home which is fast becoming the toughest assignment of 2025. We might have a better indication of where the Cats are at after this encounter.
I reckon Melbourne’s favourite club at the moment might be Carlton. They are probably in just as much doodoo as they are sitting second last without a win, but all the focus is on the beleaguered Blues while their horror start to this year flies under the radar. This game was a more spirited performance than their previous two, but the problems still remain around scoring.
Van Rooyen is still yet to take a game by the scruff of the neck as he seems to be good for just a single goal each week. Bayley Fritsch and Pickett both could only manage three behinds each to add more frustration in the coach’s box. Max Gawn is playing just OK by his normally lofty standards. The same could be said for Petracca who is playing well but not having the same dynamic influence we’ve come to expect from him. Oliver is probably one player who has improved from last year, but that’s also because last year was a year he’d rather forget.
So where is Melbourne’s first win going to come from? In Gather Round next week, they face the Bombers. It might present some opportunity, but how do you back a side that is averaging just 62 points a game while the Bombers are going at 85. Surely if they lose we will see a higher level of scrutiny for Melbourne than there seems to be right now.
3 – YOU CAN PENCIL IN ADELAIDE AND THE SUNS FOR SEPTEMBER
In what was billed as game of the round, this certainly didn’t disappoint. Not only did we see two highly skilled teams giving it their all, the game was decided by a solitary point as it was the home team that hung on. As always there was some controversy with some saying Rankine should’ve been paid a mark in the final minute of play that would’ve seen him lining up for goal. But in the end either side would’ve been a worthy winner, and the Crows may be bitterly disappointed with the loss, but they shouldn’t be disappointed with their effort.
The Suns fought hard in the second half, getting out to a three goal lead on a few occasions, but the Crows kept coming. Riley Thilthorpe had a day out kicking five goals while Tex kicked four majors for the second week in a row. And with Fogarty also chipping in with three, it’s pretty clear that this trio of talls in Adelaide’s forward line is working a treat. They will no doubt cause headaches for opposition defences all year long, and judging by their form through the first four games, Adelaide look very much a finals team. It’s an early call, but all the pieces of the puzzle seem to be there. Dawson starred with 31 touches while Hinge had 27 and Soligo 26.
Back home in Adelaide next week they will be tested by a Geelong determined to not let their season get away from them. I’m seeing a Crows win and a possible top eight finish to the year for them, but if the Cats come to play and take the points, I may need to reassess.
Calling the Suns a finalist after three opening wins might seem a little crazy, but under a seasoned campaigner with an enviable track record of getting his team up to the stage of contending for a premiership, I’m confident, on what I’ve seen so far, that this club now in its 15th season, will finally get a taste of finals action.
You can already see the difference Dimma has made. He has instilled belief that they were missing in the Stewart Dew era, and only now does it seem that they actually realise they’re a very good team. Daniel Rioli has enjoyed the move up North as he finished with 26 touches. Jed Walter booted three goals. Coleman favourite Ben King booted two, taking his tally to 12 for the season in just three games. Even with the likes of Noah Anderson (24) and Matt Rowell (17) down on their usual high disposal rate they were still able to secure a gutsy win and spread the workload evenly around the team.
There’s no doubt in my mind after this match that the Suns mean business in 2025 and we shouldn’t see a repeat of their previous seasonal fadeouts after a strong start to the year. Their focus will turn to next week’s clash against the Kangaroos. North will challenge them, but it’s hard to see them stopping the Suns of 2025 – provided, of course, that the Gold Coast Suns don’t revert to their away form from previous years.
4 – BRISBANE BEAT THE TIGERS AT THE MCG FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2009
It’s hard to believe that the last time the Brisbane Lions came away from the MCG against Richmond with the 4 points went back all the way to 2009 when Michael Voss was the coach. This current crop of Tigers are certainly among the more gettable teams in the competition right now, so the undefeated Lions would’ve been inconsolable if that streak continued, but fortunately for Brisbane, it went to the script as they recorded a 28 point victory. It’s worth pointing out that they lead by as much as 54 points at one point, so there may be some discussion in the Lions’ den about allowing the plucky Tigers to bank some goals in junk time, but whichever way you want to spin this, even though the Lions have been unconvincing at times, they remain without a loss after four rounds after taking out the premiership last year.
Lachie Neale had a lazy 42 touches and would be all but certain of drawing 3 votes toward a potential third Brownlow Medal. Charlie Cameron kept working his way into form booting three majors, along with fellow small forward Zac Bailey. All in all, it’s looking pretty good so far for the title holders, but they wouldn’t want any lapses when they take on the Bulldogs next round. The Lions keep finding a way to win despite not necessarily being at their best, but I imagine they wouldn’t want to try their luck against the Western Bulldogs who are on a mission of their own this year. It should be a game of great interest.
The Tigers have spent the last fortnight being thumped mercilessly by the Power and then the Saints. It’s part and parcel of what happens when a club goes down the path of rebuilding via the draft with youth. It worked pretty well the last time, so they’d be hoping for a repeat of that effort in the years to come, but in the meantime, any win will be a bonus, and avoiding getting obliterated every week would also be on their agenda. The past fortnight has seen the Tigers fall away quite badly after half time, so there’s no doubt Adem Yze will take some comfort in their last quarter effort where they were able to bring the margin back from the brink of another disaster to a more respectable loss of under five goals to last year’s champions.
Jacob Hopper amassed 32 possessions and Tim Taranto was also busy with 29. First year player and number one pick Sam Lalor had his best game for the club finishing with 24 touches as well as two goals Sam certainly looks at home playing in the AFL and will no doubt be an integral part of the Richmond rebuild. Next week the Tigers play the Dockers. The Dockers will want to have their guard up against a young team that still has the potential to shock a team here and there throughout this season, especially ones who are prone to a little travel bug from time to time. The Dockers should get the points, but it depends on what frame of mind they all show up in.
5- BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR CLARKO
We’ve all been waiting patiently for Alistair Clarkson to weave his magic at the Kangaroos. Now in his third year at Arden Street, he’s overseen some glimpses of improvement, but coming into this season, he had only been able to extract a meagre six victories in the first two years of his coaching tenure. You could forgive North Melbourne fans for getting excited after their impressive 59 point win against Melbourne in Round 2. You’d have to go way back into their archives to see an eight-goal-to-one final term again, and they looked pretty good. Their loss last week to Adelaide wasn’t too painful to watch either. They fought hard, but the Crows look to have found another gear this year and are flying right now.
So coming into this round, some pundits would’ve seen North as a bit of a smokey to upset the Swans at Marvel Stadium on Saturday. However, the Swans came to play this week, and they held sway at half time by 22 points before a third quarter blitz which resulted in a seven-goal-to-one term, and North Melbourne were blown off the park and eventually went down by a commanding 65 points.
The pressure the Swans applied throughout the game never let up, and Kangaroos players were forced into making countless errors which suggest they still have a fair amount of work to do before they can get themselves away from that bottom third of the ladder. Sheezel battled hard for his 34 touches while former Swan Luke Parker put in a very solid 27 touches and two goals in a small reminder to his old club that he still has currency. This game may prove to be a setback for what seemed like some improvement, but if they can bounce back and challenge the Suns next round, all is not lost. However, a big loss there would suggest that the Kangaroos are still a fair way off being a team to fear for now at least.
Sydney came out hard and fierce at Marvel against a Kangaroos team desperate to regain respect among the AFL ranks. It was clinical at times, with forward entries most sides would die for. Joel Amartey and Will Hayward both enjoyed silver service to finish with four goals apiece while Riley Bice topped the possession count with a productive 26 touches. The big victory was achieved without the usual heroics from the likes of Heeney (19) or Warner (10) who was subbed off late in the game.
Sydney’s list runs deep. They don’t rely on the same few every week, and even the newer faces seem to slot right into their system seamlessly. Some of us were fooled into thinking they might be one team who would fall back into the pack, but after their tight win on the road against the Dockers and this impressive demolition of the Kangaroos, perhaps they might’ve just found their groove again and are ready to rip into the season for another tilt after last year’s disappointing finale. And there’s no better time to prove themselves to be contenders once more than next Friday as they head to Adelaide for Gather Round where they face the Magpies who have won three in a row and look like a team to beat. The result of this encounter will tell us more about each club than we presently know.
6 – THE EAGLES ARE STILL A BASKET CASE
West Coast Eagles have been cellar dwellers for several years now. After winning the 2018 premiership, they played finals in 2019 and 2020, and then just missed out in 2021. The rot had set in by 2022, and they’ve managed just ten wins in their past three seasons. There were some signs of improvement in 2024 as they managed five wins and were more competitive overall. There may have been some optimism coming into 2025 under new coach Andrew McQualter, but on what we’ve seen so far, it might be fair to say that they might have gone backwards.
The game against Brisbane where they shot out of the blocks early and ended up losing by just 19 points was promising, but in their other three games they’ve barely given a yelp. The Giants were playing a training drill and there were blue and gold witches hats all over the field. There weren’t a lot of shining lights for the Eagles, but they might be pleased with Harley Reid picking up 25 touches, although playing him in a defensive role seems questionable. Their encounter with the winless Blues next week will give us an indication if they have any prospect of rising up off the bottom rungs of the ladder, but even the ailing Blues should prove too good for this team based on the heavy losses they have suffered. It would seem that the Eagles look as though they are in for a few more years of misery.
The Giants are looking pretty good and with Jesse Hogan back and firing, things may get even better. All last year’s Coleman medallist needed was ten kicks to finish with nine goals straight. You have to love a forward with that sort of conversion rate despite his stuttering approach and even though he missed the opening two matches, all of a sudden Hogan finds himself just one goal behind the current leaders in Larkey and Thilthorpe. Toby Greene booted three majors from 24 touches. The Giants skipper is in top form and we all know just how important he is to that team. The Giants midfield is working well with Green, Kelly, Whitfield and Ash all making major contributions, and there are stars all over the ground. So far they’re looking like being right in the action at the pointy end of the season, and although they’ll be tested against the in-form St Kilda, they should go in favourites next week. That said, you wouldn’t want to go into that game anything below your best. The Saints are the surprise of the year so far.
7 – THE SAINTS ARE SILENCING THEIR CRITICS
The Saints were barely in the conversation coming into this year, and after the Round 1 mauling they received at the hands of the Crows, it was seemingly going to the script. Some suggested the Round 2 win against the Cats was just one of those nights, while Round 3 against the Tigers was not a huge shock. Even though Port Adelaide haven’t exactly started their year in a blaze of glory, a win against them on the road is never easy.
The Saints lead all through the game and were able to stave off a Power comeback with the last two goals of the match to run out winners by 17 points. They have a 3-1 record which most would’ve predicted as 1-3 before the season opener. Jack Macrae continued his great form with 28 touches while Wanganeen-Milera could come into calculations for All-Australian selection in a defensive role. Jack Sinclair also featured heavily with 25 touches and a late goal that snuffed out any chance of a Port victory. It seems Ross Lyon may have found something in a list that seems to be lacking something, but we have been here before and it is a long season. The game in Adelaide against the Giants looms large. A win there would really see their stocks rise.
I still can’t get past the fact that Port Adelaide went into this campaign knowing that Ken Hinkley will be moved on at the end of the season. From where I sit, their indifferent start is no coincidence. It’s hard to imagine that Ken’s heart is 100% behind the cause and it’s also not ridiculous to think some of the players may have caught those feelings.
Having been unfortunate enough to see them live against the Pies in Round 1, I believe the playing group just aren’t as invested this year as they have been. Losing at home is a tell-tale sign that Port are in a world of trouble. Even the successful return of playmaker Zak Butters with 30 touches couldn’t get them home. I’m taking nothing away from the Saints who clearly are invested and are playing some great footy, but the Power seem a spent force who are just going through the motions right now and look certain to be making up the numbers this season. Skipper
Connor Rozee started the season strongly but his last two outings have produced 19 and 20 disposals respectively which is well down on his normal output. Horne-Francis booted three goals and picked up 28 touches in a best on ground performance while Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord also finished with three apiece. The next fortnight will make or break their season, and one suspects they may be put out of their misery once and for all as they take on the Hawks in Gather Round followed by a trip to the SCG to face the Swans. Their formline suggests they will 1-5 after Round 6, and that would put them well and truly out of contention for this year.
8 – THE DOCKERS AND BULLDOGS BATTLING FOR MID-TABLE HONOURS
At this early stage of the season, I believe that one of these teams might squeeze into the Top 8 while the other will miss out narrowly. That’s about as far as I think either team will go. They’ve both won two and lost two. The Bulldogs have only had wins against winless teams while the Dockers probably would’ve lost this game if it were played in Melbourne. Both sides will probably win between 10 and 13 games this season, so the best result for either in my humble opinion will be around 7th or 8th on the ladder.
You do have to hand it to the Dogs who have performed admirably when you consider the absence of Bontempelli and some others. But I think both teams are in that middle bracket that can beat anyone on their good days, while they’ll put in the odd stinker as demonstrated by the Dockers down in Geelong in Round 1.
Sam Darcy was very good again finishing with five goals and doing his best to help his team nearly snatch victory. Liberatore (30) and Dale (26) were also busy while discarded Blue Matthew Kennedy (26) also played well leaving Carlton supporters scratching their heads as to why their club let him go. The Bulldogs take on the Lions in Adelaide next week. Even though Brisbane are undefeated, some of those wins have been far from convincing and the Bulldogs will go into that game with some confidence.
The Dockers have enjoyed three consecutive weeks at home, and after narrowly losing to the Swans in Round 2, they now find themselves with two wins in a row heading into Gather Round to face the Tigers which should make it three in a row. With the struggling Melbourne away from home the following round, all of a sudden an opportunity exists for four straight wins which will see them most likely in the eight. That could serve as a platform for them to make finals, but as I stated earlier, it will be hard to see them getting any higher than the lower part of the eight.
Opposition sides when playing the Dockers seem almost powerless to quell the influence of Serong and Brayshaw. These two playmakers had 67 touches between them and were damaging when it counted. Josh Treacy booted three goals as did Michael Frederick. The game was pretty much won in the second quarter when the Dockers banged on 6 unanswered goals before half time. It was a long way back from there for the Doggies who put up a brave fight to get within ten points late in the game, but the damage was done.
