We’re five rounds in and it has been an unbelievable start to the 2015 AFL season.
We have the underdog teams making everyone believe. It seems we already have around four teams battling for the wooden spoon. And the best thing about the first five rounds is that the competition seems to be pretty even, which is exciting news.
It is highly unlikely that any footy fanatic had the Bulldogs sitting third on the AFL ladder after five rounds. If you did, can you do my tipping every week please?
This article will look at one positive and one negative for the Power, the Bulldogs and the Blues so far this season.
Port Adelaide
A positive I didn’t see coming – Jasper Pittard no longer being the whipping boy.
For most of Pittard’s 61-game career he has been on the receiving end of bronx cheers by both the opposition and his own Power fans. He’s been in and out of the Power line-up for his whole career. He can make you want to cheer as loud as you can, as well as shout in anger whenever he touches the ball.
Enter 2015. Five rounds in and Jasper Pittard has elevated himself from Port’s easiest target to one of the best rebound defenders in the AFL and one of Port’s most important players.
His run and carry, his daring movement through the corridor and his rebound football off of Port’s defensive 50 has been pivotal in Port’s 3-2 record to start the season.
He is 24 now and has clearly matured, however he will still make mistakes because he is a crafty, courageous player who wants to have the ball in his hands. I didn’t see Pittard’s transition from whipping boy to emerging half back flanker coming in 2015, but if you are a Port fan, you couldn’t been more pleased.
A negative I didn’t see coming – Port’s lopsided inside 50 count.
Port Adelaide’s defence is holding up… just. In the past two games, Port have given up 150 inside 50s, compared to 85 of their own.
Despite the imbalance, Port still beat Adelaide by 24 points in The Showdown. However, the week before, they played Hawthorn. After a flawless opening term, Port struggled to contain the Hawks, who steamrolled home to almost steal the victory.
In 2014, Port Adelaide was one of the premier teams when defending entries inside 50. They allowed around 44 entries a week to their opposition, a staggering disparity in the numbers for 2015.
Although they’ve survived against teams like Adelaide and North Melbourne, it’s clear this could be a major problem when facing heavyweights like Sydney and Hawthorn.
Coach Ken Hinkley said: “You won’t survive if you continue to give up that many entries”.
Carlton
A positive I didn’t see coming – the promising Patrick Cripps.
It’s been a tough start to 2015 for the Blues. They’re 1-4 and Mick Malthouse seems to be one bad remark or one more bad loss from the sack. There are rumours that Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs are on the trading block and Chris Judd probably is regretting his decision to play on.
But one positive I didn’t see coming was the emergence of Patrick Cripps. Cripps was Carlton’s first selection (pick 13) in the 2013 draft. He missed most of his debut season with a broken leg.
But Cripps has been lively and one of the few positives of Carlton’s first five rounds in 2015. He won the Round 4 NAB Rising Star nomination in Carlton’s first and only win of the season in Wellington against the Saints.
In just his sixth AFL game, Cripps gathered 33 disposals (23 contested), eight clearances, 11 tackles and his first goal in AFL football. He is only seven games into his career but Carlton fans will be smiling at the promise of Patrick Cripps.
A negative I didn’t see coming – a lacklustre milestone performance.
I had Carlton finishing in the bottom half of the bottom eight so it comes as no surprise to me that they are really struggling in 2015.
But, every Carlton, every Collingwood, every AFL fan would’ve marked the Round 5 Carlton versus Collingwood clash in their calendars, as it was the game Mick Malthouse would become the longest serving coach in AFL/VFL history.
If one of the greatest milestones in this game’s history can’t motivate you, what can? Carlton served up an uninspiring, lifeless performance to not only ‘honour’ their coach, but also for their fans and themselves.
I did not see this coming. I didn’t see them winning, but I thought Carlton would give a performance that could’ve earned the praise of Robbo and Gerard on AFL 360. They were outclassed, outmuscled and outworked all game long. A poor result on a wonderful evening for Mick.
St Kilda
A positive I didn’t see coming – Josh Bruce second in the Coleman race.
Whoever saw this one coming, take a bow. Josh Bruce. Wow, what a start to 2015 he is having. With captain Riewoldt on the sidelines and Paddy McCartin and Tim Membrey still finding their bearings around the forward line, Bruce has emerged as the Saints’ headline act in the forward 50.
The experiment to swing one-time defender Bruce up into the forward line is working for coach Alan Richardson. Bruce is giving a typically predictable forward line set-up an edge. You get the feeling Bruce is on the verge of becoming a cult hero for St Kilda fans.
He’s kicked 17 goals to date, with big bags of six and five goals against Gold Coast and Essendon respectively. He’s also very accurate, with only four blemishes for the season. Bruce’s marking is just as impressive as his kicking. He’s ranked second in the AFL for total contested marks and ranked fourth in total marks inside 50.
Bruce, along with some other fresh blood at the club, is making the Saint’s immediate future looking a little brighter then some initially thought.
A negative I didn’t see coming – Ahmed Saad’s comeback.
St Kilda have their problems. It’s no secret. They have ageing stars and lots of young talent. Unfortunately, their middle bracket of players is slim. Bruce’s emergence has possibly masked the initial struggle of Ahmed Saad’s comeback into AFL football.
After serving an 18-month ban set out by ASADA, St Kilda showed incredible faith and loyalty in Saad, reselecting him with a rookie draft selection this past off-season. Before his ban, Saad played 29 games and kicked 45 goals in what was a quality output for an unconventional small forward.
In his first stint with the Saints, Saad provided an x-factor to an ageing forward line.
But Saad has struggled since his return to the Saints line-up this season. He played in the first four games, kicking only three goals, before being dropped for the Round 5 clash against the Bombers.
No doubt Saad has worked incredibly hard for his second chance at an AFL career, but he needs to start repaying his teammates, coaches and fans, just like they did for him.
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