Has a season ever flipped on its head from week to week like this one?
From the outset of 2024, we’ve had drama to spare, and Spherical 17 has solely delivered a stack extra to go away us all confused as to who precisely will come out of this craziest of years with the premiership.
The toast of the city mere days in the past, Carlton and Sydney head dwelling with tails between their legs courtesy of upset losses – within the Swans’ case, their second in succession, to a tremendously courageous St Kilda remaining quarter comeback, that offers their standing as unbackable premiership favourites a critical shake.
After taking part in one of many season’s worst video games final week, Port Adelaide and St Kilda each roused their despairing supporter bases with well-known wins, the latter shredding a horrid Western Bulldogs outfit that appeared on track to surge into the eight, and the latter in some way rediscovering its finest footy when it was wanted most to torch a minimum of an opponent within the Swans with a 4 objectives to nil final quarter.
GWS and Essendon are again within the premiership dialog after assertion wins over fierce foes, whereas Collingwood discover themselves outdoors the eight, and with accidents mounting, face a frightening process to get their season again on monitor.
It’s bonkers, it’s hectic, and it’s completely, completely compelling. Let’s dive into the weekend’s speaking factors.
1. The closest season ever takes one other twist
I’ve by no means seen a season this insane in all my footy-watching life, and I believe you in all probability haven’t both.
Good luck understanding which workforce goes to rock up and put in a cracking efficiency in any given contest, and which one will flip up their tails and have a shocker. Proper now, the competitors is so even that from first proper right down to 18th, even a 5 per cent drop in motivation, depth and energy means unhealthy issues.
The massive winners from the spherical? Most likely Essendon, who settled some shaking nerves from their supporter base with a balance-restoring victory over Collingwood on Friday evening, within the course of preserving themselves inside the highest 4 – and now simply half a recreation behind Carlton in second. Stuff their lowly share and stuff discuss of a simple draw – if this season has taught us something, it’s you could solely beat what’s in entrance of you, and proper now the Bombers are doing that higher than most.
The Giants and Energy, too, will likely be relieved to get respective monkeys off their again after a poor run of type – having endured the lion’s share of the criticism during the last fortnight, each Adam Kingsley and Ken Hinkley’s males present they’re forces to be reckoned with after they get going. And it nearly doesn’t matter if they’ll’t replicate it constantly, as a result of nobody can this 12 months: if both can hit a type purple patch when September comes round, they’re each completely able to using this wave all the way in which to premiership glory.
St Kilda and North Melbourne, too, deserve a shoutout: the Kangaroos definitely received’t be taking part in finals and the Saints’ season is all however shot, however they’ll each do some critical shaping of the eight within the run dwelling. St Kilda’s final quarter to sink the Swans, taking the sport on, spreading the sector with sharp kicking and run and carry, is precisely what followers have been crying out for all season lengthy.
The massive losers? The Bulldogs have been the ugliest of the vanquished, principally due to the horror efficiency they dished up in a winnable recreation and the already skinny line a troublesome run dwelling and mediocre win-loss file had them treading. With Carlton and Sydney developing and an already shaky backline decimated with the lack of James O’Donnell to go along with Liam Jones, plus Aaron Naughton’s absence up ahead on account of concussion, their season is likely to be on its final legs.
However Gold Coast and Hawthorn have been simply as disappointing – the Suns merely wanted to discover a well beyond the Kangaroos for anybody to take them critically, whereas the Hawks grew to become the most recent workforce to return from Geelong with tails between their legs, their excellent run of type counting for little towards a hardened, expertise Cats workforce which might be properly and actually again in enterprise now.
Every week is a very long time in footy – there’s each probability that the Bulldogs will shock the Blues in Spherical 18, or the Hawks finest the motoring Fremantle, or the Bombers drop a real hazard recreation towards Melbourne.
Possibly West Coast may even beat Bri… really, that’s one recreation you in all probability can lock in already.
Rowan Marshall celebrates St Kilda’s win over Sydney. (Photograph by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photographs/through Getty Photos)
2. Heeney ought to get per week – however nearly definitely received’t
In most sports activities around the globe, hitting an opponent within the face so onerous his nostril splits open could be grounds for a suspension.
However though I strongly imagine Isaac Heeney must be taking a look at a ban – and the lack of his Brownlow Medal favouritism – for the backhander which left Saint Jimmy Webster bloodied (and freed him as much as kick a objective), I’ve completely little question that by Monday night he will likely be cleared.
Why? Easy – Webster wasn’t concussed, and performed out the sport freely. And that proper now appears to be nearly the one set off on what will get you suspended these day.
What Heeney did was definitely not malicious, but it surely was careless – in attempting to create distance between himself and Webster, a flailing arm crashed into his face with vital drive – anybody who’s ever damaged their nostril is aware of simply how onerous you must be hit for it to crack.
As a result of he meant to make use of his arm to push Webster away, it can seemingly be graded as ‘careless’ by match evaluation officer Michael Christian, versus the soccer accident that was Brandon Zerk-Thatcher concussing Aaron Naughton on Saturday afternoon on the Adelaide Oval, the place the Energy defender wasn’t even taking a look at Naughton when the contact occurred.
The foundations have been tightened over the summer season on off-the-ball incidents corresponding to this, however it could be an extremely courageous name from Christian to rule this as ‘intentional’ – and you’ll guess your life the Swans will take that straight to the Tribunal.
“In cases the place a participant intends to forcefully push or fend an opposition participant off the ball (together with to realize separation for the aim of contesting the ball) and the impact is that the participant ‘strikes’ their opponent, the strike will normally be graded as Intentional slightly than Careless,” is the precise wording.
Be aware the ‘normally’ there that offers all of the wriggle room on this planet for both Christian or the Swans’ legal professionals. Add to that that two separate incidents this 12 months – Jesse Hogan on Lewis Younger and Zak Butters on Tom Inexperienced – have been each much more apparent strikes off the ball that each acquired downgraded to fines, and it’s unimaginable for me to see how Heeney might probably miss per week.
From there, the one probability Heeney has of being suspended could be if Christian, towards all precedent, graded the contact ‘medium’ influence or increased – a grading practically solely reserved for any act that leads to a concussion, whether or not an entire accident or in any other case.
Put it this fashion: if our recreation was actually, correctly critical about stamping out concussions, and never simply attempting to stroll the tightrope between retroactively punishing concussion-causing acts with out banning the sport’s finest gamers, then the top could be sacrosanct, as it’s in each different sport going round, and Heeney could be on the sidelines for per week.
However we don’t dwell in that world. And because it stands, it could break each precedent set this 12 months for Heeney to cop per week, and by extension lose the Brownlow that appears prone to be his.
And provided that latter reality, I can’t think about anybody on the AFL being overly eager to vary that.
3. The Suns blow it – once more
I wrote final week that Gold Coast’s win over Collingwood was its finest and most significant ever – and in that spirit, their loss to North Melbourne was nearly essentially the most disappointing in its historical past too.
It has been 30 years since we’ve seen a workforce have such a stark distinction between their dwelling and away data – the Suns have been unbeatable at dwelling underneath Damien Hardwick, and but they’re pitiful away from dwelling, recurrently crushed by sides that must be their equals and now defeated by a facet who, with the best of respect to North Melbourne’s enchancment, they need to be crushing.
No surprise Damien Hardwick stated in his post-match media convention that his facet must ‘develop the f–ok up’ – which was nice, by the way in which. In the event you wanted an indication that the coach is dedicated to the monumental process of turning Gold Coast right into a aggressive footy outlet and never merely there to take the money, it was in that.
It’s unimaginable to place a line by way of the Suns given how even this season has been, as a result of the remainder of their draw might hardly align higher for them. I absolutely anticipate them to proceed their pattern and beat Port Adelaide at dwelling subsequent week, as a result of that’s the kind of workforce they’re.
However can you actually depend on them to beat West Coast or Richmond on the highway, the 2 worst groups within the competitors?
The Suns are a ok workforce with ok gamers for Hardwick, and their supporters, to anticipate higher, dwelling or away.
They confirmed towards the Pies simply how excellent they are often at their finest. It’s time to deliver that skill on the aircraft subsequent time.
4. North – and McKercher – clap again on the disrespect
Keep in mind when, two months in the past, North Melbourne have been being mocked by one and all for not tanking final 12 months’s remaining spherical towards Gold Coast and costing themselves Harley Reid?
I believed on the time that discuss was disrespectful to each the Roos and the person they took with decide 2, Colby McKercher. And my, haven’t the chickens come dwelling to roost since then.
Reid will, regardless of a tough previous couple of weeks, be a star: however so will McKercher, whose excellent show towards the Suns will do his hopes of creating a late cost for the Rising Star award no hurt in any respect.
A ravishing ball-user from half-back – and, as we realized on Saturday, scarily fast – he would possibly transfer into the midfield in years to return.
However with Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Powell, Jy Simpkin the injured George Wardlaw and now Harry Sheezel to forming the crux of a perfectly well-balanced and growing midfield brigade, his immaculate kicking abilities would possibly simply flip him into an Errol Gulden or Josh Daicos-type outdoors participant. And that’s excessive reward certainly.
As for the Roos, it’s barely condescending to say it, but it surely’s onerous to not really feel completely satisfied for Kangaroos supporters and employees, the previous of whom have seen a mere handful of wins dwell for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic.
During the last month, they’ve seen the blossoming of a workforce that has a vivid future forward, and one which – dare I say it – wants the talents McKercher brings to the desk much more than the explosive stoppage power Reid will present within the years to return.
It’s sufficient to make these derisive tanking calls look a bit untimely – and foolish.
5. Tim English isn’t a ruckman
There’s an incredible stat that in 16 AFL video games this season, Tim English, the reigning All-Australian ruckman, is but to wi a single hitout rely.
The faucets are, in fact, principally irrelevant in relation to deciding video games, and fashionable rucks are required and anticipated to contribute as a lot across the floor as of their major position, the cell English greater than most. But it surely’s a fairly unimaginable run of losses for a ruckman of such excessive calibre as to be judged the most effective within the recreation underneath 12 months in the past.
English’s limitations have been brutally uncovered on Saturday afternoon on the Adelaide Oval, when he was comprehensively bossed within the ruck by Jordon Candy, a former Bulldog who left for Port Adelaide after 5 years and 11 video games caught behind his former teammate within the pecking order at Whitten Oval.
To lose the rely 42-24, and 9-4 in hitouts to benefit, must be embarrassing for English. Candy’s dominance within the air was a key issue within the Energy’s utter, extraordinary dominance of a high-quality Bulldogs midfield from pillar to put up in a crushing win for the house facet.
With eight marks and two objectives for the day, English was nonetheless removed from the Canines’ worst, however tellingly, lower than half of his grabs have been contested, the standard modus operandi for a giant man. Too typically, he leads up on the ball-carrier on the lookout for an affordable go as an alternative of positioning himself as an extended goal down the road, which because the tallest participant on the workforce must be his position.
In impact, he performs like a lead-up ahead – which is precisely what he’s. He’s a pleasant kick, has nice palms and covers the bottom splendidly for a person of his dimension – however into his eighth season, if he’s nonetheless being bullied by larger, stronger ruckmen, even these he as soon as stored within the VFL, then that’s simply the participant he’s.
Because it stands, English is at one thing of a crossroads: West Coast’s curiosity appears to have cooled after being proper into him as a commerce goal – and understandably so – 12 months in the past. And even when they do make the Western Australian a proposal, it’s unlikely to be as sizeable because the one which was on the playing cards final 12 months, doubtlessly complicating the free company compensation the Bulldogs would obtain.
I’ve lengthy thought the most effective case situation for the Bulldogs within the occasion of English departing could be to make use of the compensation decide to attempt to lure Sean Darcy from Fremantle, ought to the Dockers be keen to half with him like Kane Cornes desires them to.
However even when that doesn’t eventuate, the Canines must be wanting inward. There are sufficient potential options to be the primary ruckman – Rory Lobb, for one, or maybe even Sam Darcy – that persevering with to persevere with English regardless of his rucking inadequacies will solely proceed to restrict a workforce nonetheless stricken by inconsistency and damningly simple for good sides to work out.
(Photograph by Quinn Rooney/Getty Photos)
6. Please, AFL, cease the music
I solely watched GWS’ win over Carlton at Engie Stadium on Saturday evening on TV, however I can’t think about it could have been a nice expertise watching dwell.
After each objective, blaring music made it troublesome to listen to Channel 7’s commentators – I do know, I do know – and if it permeated my lounge room, I anticipate it could have been much more inescapable on the floor.
Name me old style, however I see going to the footy as a social expertise, the place watching the sport mixes with chatting with mates, household and/or fellow spectators, generally in regards to the recreation, generally not.
It’s nearly unimaginable to try this these days, with each break in play full of a cacophonous roar from each speaker that drowns out dialog and deafens the eardrums.
The MCG appears to be the one place spared from the fixed music, no less than from what I gleaned from watching the 2 matches there this weekend – North Melbourne are copying Brisbane with particular participant songs after each main, with out even having the singalong attraction of a ‘Nation Roads’. I think about the lingering recall of the outrage sparked by far too loud music on the venue through the 2022 finals collection is likely to be taking part in an element there.
So my query to every stadium is: why? Who’s asking for this? What profit does it deliver?
Aussie Guidelines soccer shouldn’t be cricket, and neither is it round-ball soccer: play is nearly steady, there are few if any lulls, and that’s what makes the post-goal interval the place everybody will get a little bit of respite so welcome.
If it’s about ‘fan engagement’, then I might level out that 95 per cent of footy goers are engaged as is – and people who aren’t are definitely not going to think about their day on the footy properly spent as a result of they acquired to hearken to ‘Hey Ya!’ by Outkast 300 occasions.
Judging from what I’ve seen on social media, I’m definitely not alone: possibly if all of us band collectively, we are able to deliver an finish to the tunes and substitute it with the gorgeous sound of hundreds of individuals fortunately chatting to at least one one other whereas we look forward to play to start out once more.
Random ideas
– Has Liam Baker already checked out of Richmond? Can’t bear in mind him ever being extra invisible than in his final two video games.
– How necessary did this contact from Dougal Howard – and tumble into the Sydney cheersquad – find yourself being?
– That new quasi-on ball position has labored wonders for Tom Stewart. Chris Scott does it once more.
– Zak Butters complaining about off-the-ball soiled play is slightly bit wealthy given *gestures vaguely on the $30,000 price of fines he’s racked up this 12 months*
– I’m not satisfied Jeremy Howe ahead does something besides damage Collingwood’s backline.
– Matt Hill’s an amazing commentator, however he calls West Coast ‘the West Coast’, which I merely can not forgive.
– Dylan Shiel, how about it.