Essendon players celebrate during the AFL Round 20 match between the Essendon Bombers and the St Kilda Saints at the Docklands Stadium. Slattery Images
We’ve had the fantastic St Kilda and Geelong, who have looked amazing, and apart from the match involving the two of them, have 35 wins from 38 matches between them in 2009. Then there is the chance that the eighth team in the finals could be there with as few as ten wins.
Seemingly none of Port Adelaide, Sydney or Hawthorn want to be there, leaving Essendon as the only one who wants it.
Hawthorn have lost its last four and seven of its last nine, but yet somehow are still in the running.
If the Hawks win this week, and all of Sydney (away to Collingwood), Port (away to Brisbane)and Essendon (away to Fremantle) lose, in Round 22, it will be playing Essendon for the final spot in the eight.
Crazy!
19-1
St Kilda and Essendon produced one hell of a match. It may have even have surpassed the stunning Geelong – St Kilda game.
Jobe Watson was sensational as he led the Bombers to victory, despite the Saints rallying from seven goals down late in the third term.
The loss could be a blessing in disguise for the Saints as they are now free of the pressures of going through the season undefeated. With North Melbourne and Melbourne in the final two weeks, the Saints should enter the finals with all guns firing.
Dignity in Defeat
It has been a funny two weeks for the Swans. They have played the Saints and Cats in consecutive weeks and gone down by a collective six points. Rumors of their death may well be exaggerated and they may find themselves back in an upwards swing as early as next year.
The return of some injured players, plus the infusion of some fresh blood, could see the Swans back up there. The retirement of Barry Hall could be the best thing that happened to the Swans in 2009.
The problem for them is the Catch-22 they tend to find themselves in – in that they play their best football when they have been completely written off
Blues return to glory days
Carlton is back in the finals and could finish the season as high as fourth. It currently occupies fifth position, and with home games against Melbourne and Adelaide to come, should enter the finals full of confidence.
The big question mark will be their ability to make the transition to finals football and the pressures that come with it.
It has been eight years since they were last in the finals. Now Richmond alone has the longest finals drought.
Go West
There seems to be no turning back on the Greater Western Sydney Team. The point of no return has been passed.
It seems odd that there will be two extra teams in the competition, when there are already too many teams in Melbourne.
The draw is compromised with 16 teams, and who knows how it would work with 18 teams. It would have to be some sort of conference system, wouldn’t it?
Michael C
Guest
I think so. He's a young tyro, in years gone by, he might still've been able to pull the boots on!! AT any rate - get a bit of the Brisbane and Collingwood 'culture' in (as appropriate)......to take advantage as the new facilities come on line. The 'old North' people will be out of the depth for a little while!! btw - Lucas pulls up stumps - - I'd've thought that Essendons best form this year was during a 4 wk period when Lucas kicked about 15 goals - - - and with Ryder and Fletcher in trouble for the next couple of weeks I'd've thought Lucas was still very much required right at the moment.
Redb
Roar Guru
MC, A little bit from left field, although Brian Taylor did suggest it might be Brad Scott over the weekend on Foxtel. Are you happy with the choice? Redb
Michael C
Guest
Dane Swan - the first bloke to accept the Brownlow wearing a spiderman outfit?? (well, almost a couple of years ago).
Brett McKay
Expert
David, see my comment above Andrew Demitriou and big bucks!! To answer your first question, there would have to be some kind of reseeding, and probably each year. I can't confirm this with any certainty after the event, but when I wrote the NRL draw artcile I mentioned above, I'm sure I came across the rough system the NRL use each year to do its draw, and from memory the two pools of 8 are determined by finishing position the previous year, and essentially split down odds and evens. At least that way both pools are going to be reasonably even. The only way to solve the problem properly is like you say, for everyone to play everyone, but then the choice is whether we want a 15/17 or 30/34 week regular season (obviously that's for 16 or 18 teams). I don't think either work, and so I guess the conference system is the only way to go..
David Wiseman
Roar Guru
You are 100% right. That game slipped my mind. Completely forgot about the forgettable Tigers. They have degenerated into nothing more than a rabble and again have found themselves as the last team standing in the musical chair game of trying to find a coach. Richo is a great player but there is no logical reason why he should be coming back next year. It is a decision based on sentimentality and with him needing to play 18 games next year to reach 300 games, I don't think he is going to make it.
David Wiseman
Roar Guru
Brett - I really have no idea what they will do. Will they reseed the conferences every couple of years? What if there was two divisions of 9 and this allowed for promotion/relegation? The bottom line is that whatever they do, over time, teams are not going to play each other and that isn't cool. In a sport like baseball (notwithstanding interleague play) you understand why an American League team hasn't played a National League one and that's fine. And in the Premier League, the fans of Norwich or Luton appreciate why they no longer play Manchester United or Liverpool but in AFL the competition relies on strong club rivalries. They are also up against it because the Gold Coast and GWS sides have no history or tradition therefore no rivalry with any other team. This will come but in the early stages it will be tough.
Michael C
Guest
So, Brad Scott it is.
Searly
Guest
Agreed Redb, Stevie J is a freak and we'd all love them both in our side (especially Essendon I suspect.....). Still, no need to try to work out who's better. They're both outstanding. Much like there's no need to try to work out who has a better midfield. Again, they're both A class, which is pretty much what I said in the first place. BTW, I hope you guys do draw the Blues in Week 1 of the finals and knock them off. Can't have them getting too big for their boots......
Redb
Roar Guru
Leon Davis has been great this year up forward, as a midfielder I'm not so sure. Why would you take him away from those goals! Anyway I raise you a Steve Johnson for your Neon Leon. That bloke can kick them out of his behind whilst scratching his ankle doing a triple somersault - Johnson's a freak. Neon has the best goal radar going around though, deserves goal of the year about ten times season to date. Redb
Searly
Guest
Oh sorry, Redb, I almost forgot. "Deadly. And stop calling me Searly."
Searly
Guest
Redb, I never said they were the BEST in the league, but they're right up there. Why not anyway? All of those Geelong players are outstanding, but Swan has been the equal of any midfielder in the comp this year and should win the Brownlow. Ask any opposition coach whether they think Didak is now one of the comp's absolute elite midfielders and he would answer by simply pointing to his best tagger, and Pendlebury and Davis have also consistently blown games wide open this season with the impact they've had. I don't know of any club that could match the entirety of the Geelong midfield for overall class, but I'd say no-one else is closer than Collingwood.
Michael C
Guest
Searly, as a Collingwood 'hater' - I sadly have to admit that the Pies are pretty damn good to watch, so too Essendon have been at times this year too. The Pies do look near to the 'real thing' this year. The main challenge is to bring Fraser back and to not lose the balance. Probably no room for Rocca? L.Brown vs Wood vs Rocca?? L.Brown gives probably better versatility and has played just about all year - - do we invisage a potential GF week hard luck story brewing??
Redb
Roar Guru
Searly you cant be serious. :-) Swan, Pendlebury, Didak in the same class as Ablett, Selwood or Bartel? I think not. Redb
Pippinu
Roar Guru
thanks Bruce!!
Searly
Guest
Not sure the Collingwood midfield is A class, Redb?? C'mon! Dane Swan (Brownlow favourite no less), Alan Didak has been phenomenal this year, Scott Pendlebury has been absolutely outstanding of late and Neon Leon Davis provides a real spark when he rotates through there. Add one of this season's most exciting debutants in Dayne Beams and the dependable Shane O'Bree getting plenty of clearances and doing the dirty work in close and I'd rank it right up there with the absolute best! Just for good measure, I'll also add that I reckon Tarkyn Lockyer is the most underrated player in the AFL. He has delivered an extremely high level of consistent performance over a long time now.
Michael C
Guest
"Special"
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Everything else you've written looks spot on.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
I saw Kosi take a really strong grab in the last quarter - sandwiched between two Bombers - the ball stuck like glue. The Riewoldt grab was a bit different - someone needed to go up with him to make a bit of a contest of it, but at a crucial point in the game, he's taken it a bit too comfortably (on the chest no less!) - but those three bombers look like they're ready to keel over from exhaustion.
Redb
Roar Guru
Pip, The forward talls of Reiwoldt and Kosi out marked us all day. Kosi took some great contested marks bugger him. It was significant that when Ryder got injured and Watson's influence waned with cramps, they got the ball out of the centre and the better forward sructure gave them a real target whilst our defence left short by the absence of Fletcher struggled against their pressure which has been good all year. The message- if St Kilda get the ball out of the centre their forwards will eat it alive, they can take a mark on the lead and be better than 50% in a contested marking situation which means you can bomb it forward if your a St Kilda midfielder. Geelong have a better midfield but their book ends are crumbling through injury and form. Collingwood are capable of matching the intensity required at the ball, just not sure their midfield is A class. Redb
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Folks, how about this goal. Aker, left foot, deep in the left pocket, threads it on the run with virtually zero goal mouth to aim for. Seals the deal for the bullies when the game was still there to be won. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVH8IZU6RLA