In this edition we take a goosy gander at the round that was, including one or two amusing moments. Also, some of the lesser respected names in the AFL will be given some of the love they deserve, and of course we finish it off with the fight for the Mirrorball Keyring in the only award dedicated to the ageing veterans of our great game.
Fallout Boy – The Big Three?
The Swans and the Dockers now have a two game and percentage break on the chasing pack, while the Hawks have a one and half games break over the rest (percentage is now irrelevant for them after the draw on the weekend), but do they deserve the tile of ‘The Big Three?’
On exposed form this season, the answer to the above question must be a categorical ‘yes’, however, any sense achievement the Swans, Dockers and Hawks have needs to be tempered. Breathing down the neck of the table toppers is a little team called the Lions, who are just starting to work their way into the season nicely and they are ready to pounce if there is any slip within the top echelon.
Remember the Lions, the reigning back-to-back reigning Premiers?
It is not only the Lions and/or the Suns they need to be wary off in the coming weeks, but also their own form.
Form can be fickle, and using the Doggies as an example, they have gone from the Roosters of the competition early in the season to now being a feather duster. Yes, yes, I know they have been ravaged by injuries, but that is my point.
Bad luck, injuries, and natural form slumps will occur over a long season and the litmus test for any team seeking September glory is how they handle the hurdles which come their way.
Hawthorn struggled on the weekend, and they were lucky to get away with a draw.
A slightly off Fremantle couldn’t shake the undermanned Doggies all game last Friday night, however, and to their credit, they won on the road, which is something all teams (possibly except the Lions) have struggled with in previous seasons.
The Dees gave the Swans one almighty scare on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the SCG, and they did exploit a glaring weakness in the Swans’ game plan, that being, without Tom McCartin the very tight Swans back six are suddenly vulnerable.
Any club would rather be on top of the pile trying to perfect their systems rather than being part of the chasing pack, and NO club should be resting on their laurels this early in the season.
Further, recent history shows teams in or near the top of the ladder after round eight struggle to maintain their dominance the closer it gets to September, with of course, the exception to the rule being the Brisbane Lions (again) who are already nicely positioned to make a run at the threepeat.
Having said all that, a good argument could be made the top six teams (I include Geelong with a question mark) are already set and the only equation left is what order they finish at the end of the season.
The Forgotten Heroes
A couple of weeks ago one of the other writers for this great publication asked me if I had forgotten to mention Jai Newcombe by mistake?
My response was, it is expected that Jai performs well week in and week out and yes, given his consistency, it is easy to take players like Jai for granted.
All clubs have forgotten warriors who rarely get a mention in reviews purely because of their sheer consistency.
Players from each club who don’t get the kudos they deserve:
Crows – Wayne Milera
Lions – Darcy Wilmot
Blues – Nic Newman
Pies – Jack Crisp
Bombers – Sam Durham
Dockers – Brennan Cox
Cats – Tom Atkins
Giants – Lachie Ash
Suns – Touk Miller
Hawks – Jai Newcombe
Demons – Tom Sparrow
Kangaroos – Cameron Zurhaar
Power – Ollie Wines
Tigers – Nick Vlastuin
Saints – Jack Sinclair
Swans – James Rowbottom
Bulldogs – Bailey Dale
Eagles – Liam Duggan
Please feel free to disagree with me as I am viewing this list as a neutral supporter, and not as a supporter who has their heart and soul invested in their club.
Stand Aside Libba, and let me introduce Hugo Garcia
On Saturday night, Hugo Garcia, a young St Kilda tyro, went toe to toe with Patrick Cripps, with his eyes bulging, his nostrils flared and breathing venom.
Hugo’s reaction to Cripps trying to get under the skin of Jack Silvagni was magnificent to witness, and while the Cripper didn’t take a backward step, he also didn’t take a forward step.
Points to young Hugo who derailed Cripps on the weekend, and I look forward to more of his natural aggression.
Jarman Impey
Unlike young Hugo, and many years his senior, Jarman Impey is playing some of his best football in his long career this season and he is fast becoming one of my favourite footballers to watch.
It is interesting to note; opposition coaches seem to put little to no effort into quietening the veteran, who was instrumental in keeping the Hawks close enough to snatch an unlikely draw against the Pies last Thursday night.
Ben Long and Clayton Oliver
In true vaudevillian style, Ben Long and Clayton Oliver looked like characters straight from Laurel and Hardy, or The Three Stooges shows.
Ben Long’s love tap on Oliver had the power of someone swatting a fly, while Oliver dropping to the ground like he had been shot was great theatre and byplay, and the AFL should look at it that way.
It should be noted; both players were laughing throughout the entirety of the whole performance.
Let them entertain us.
The Showdown
HB Meyers has already written an article questioning why the Doggies and the Dockers was scheduled last Friday night against the Showdown, and in my review of the game, I came out swinging on behalf of the two South Australian teams (something I rarely do).
Showdowns are marquee matchups, and it is about time the AFL and the bean counters gave the Showdowns the respect they deserve.
Carlton, Richmond and Essendon
The once powerhouse clubs of the VFL and the early years of the AFL presently occupy the bottom three rungs on the ladder, and if time travel was possible, past players like Sticks Kernahan, Mark McClure, Mark Harvey, Maurice Rioli or many others, would be dumbfounded as how far the mighty have fallen.
Richmond aside, as they have had real success in the last decade, the plight of the Bombers and the Blues is an ongoing Shakespearean Tragedy with the Bombers starring in King Lear, and the Blues having the leading role in Othello.
It is always good times down at ‘The Globe’.
Next Week
The standout match next weekend is the Cats hosting the Pies at the MCG, and not GMHBA Stadium. Strangely, I always thought the boutique stadium GMHBA was built to host more marquee Geelong games at GMHBA?
Just like Scott Pendlebury, I must have missed that email, and as such Pendlebury is playing a Geelong home match at his home ground the MCG to equal the all-time games record. For the record, Pendlebury has never played a game at Geelong.
The other standout match is the Thursday night game between the table-topping Dockers and Hawks. A game starting at 5:10pm Western Australian time, not doesn’t even giving the Purple Haze the time to get home from work or to get to the ground on time, however I won’t mention #vicbias.
In other games, the Suns and the Saints go head-to-head in Darwin in an intriguing battle, the Doggies are now playing a must win game in Adelaide against the Power, the Swans have a danger game against Norf at Marvel, while the Lions, Giants, Demons and Crows on paper should easily account for their opponents.
Taylor ‘Tex’ Walker and Steele Sidebottom – Don’t Mention the ‘R’ Word
The dreaded ‘R’ word is not a word any player over the age of 30 wants to hear, however, after the weekend that were a few questions being raised about Steele and Tex.
Tex pulled his hammy in the first quarter of The Showdown, and while a hammy is not generally a death knell to anybody’s career, at the tender age of 36, any injury which requires time to heal could potentially be the end of the road for Tex.
Meantime at Collingwood, Steele Sidebottom has got noticeably slower this season, and while it shouldn’t warrant immediate concern, questions are starting to arise about his time left in the game.
Seriously, he was running around out there like someone had stepped on his hand, or something.
I sincerely hope both players finish the year out and go out on their own terms, with Tex and Steele riding off into the sunset.
Talking about the veterans, this makes for a nice segue to The Mongrel Punt’s award for the over 30s in the competition.
Disco’s Over 30s Casey’s Nightclub Award
This award is for the players proving there is life after 30 in the AFL and it is theoretically sponsored by the once legendary nightclub located in the Glenferrie Station arcade, Casey’s Over 30s Nightclub. On any given Wednesday or Saturday night the more mature singles of Melbourne would pack the joint to the rafters. The smell of cheap aftershave was truly overbearing.
There are many players in the AFL thirty years of age or older performing gallantly and as such The Mongrel Punt have introduced this award specifically for the elderly citizens of the competition who will be competing for The Mirror Ball Keyring.
Similar in style to the Coaches Votes, the voting system for this cherished award is the top ten elderly citizens of each round will be ranked with ten being the maximum and one being the minimum.
Votes for Round 8
10 Christian Petracca (GC)
9 Dayne Zorko (Bris)
8 Bradley Hill (St K)
7 Ollie Wines (PA)
6 Brodie Grundy (Syd)
5 Jack Sinclair (St K) Jarman Impey (Haw)
4 Alex Neal-Bullen (Ade)
3 Marcus Bonetempelli (WB)
2 Callum Wilkie (StK)
1 Nic Newman (Carl)
Leader Board
30- Brodie Grundy (Syd)
16- Jack Gunston (Haw) Zach Merrett (Ess)
15 – Jack Steele (Melb)
14 – Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
11- Lachie Neale (Bris) Luke Parker (NM) Jarman Impey (Haw)
10 – Jeremy Cameron (Gee) Christian Petracca (GC)
9 – Toby Greene (GWS) Taylor Walker (Ade) Liam Ryan (Freo) Dayne Zorko (Bris)
8 – Lachie Whitfield (GWS) Bradley Hill (St K) Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
7 – Jack Crisp (Coll) Max Gawn (Melb) Ollie Wines (PA)
6 – Jack Darling (NM) Alex Pearce (Freo) Brayden Maynard (Coll)
5 – Marcus Bontempelli (WB) James Sicily (Haw) Jack Sinclair (St K) Callum Wilkie (St K)
4 – Jake Melksham (Melb) Tom Aitkins (Gee) Alex Neal-Bullen (Ade)
1 – Nic Newman (Car)
In previous weeks votes had been given to Harris Andrews, however he does not turn 30 till December, and the same applies to Peter Wright who doesn’t turn 30 until September.
Fin
Have a great weekend and may your team win.
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