St Kilda coach Ross Lyon addresses his players at quarter time during the AFL Round 22 match between the Melbourne Demons and the St Kilda Saints at the MCG. Slattery Images
Another home and away season is over and now the finals await. Hawthorn are the first premier since 1999 not to make it into the finals the following year to defend their title. 2009 was never the Year of the Hawk.
The Hawks will be the first to concede their season never got out of first gear and Buddy Franklin’s suspension just about summed it up perfectly. They will be back next year though.
Gone But Not Forgotten
There will a number of great footballers who won’t be back. Kane Johnson, Michael O’Loughlin, Adam Simpson, Scott Lucas, Brendan Lade, Mark Coughlan, Nathan Brown and Chad Fletcher are just some of the big names who won’t be returning in 2010.
It doesn’t matter that many of these players played AFL for at least 10 years. It whistled by in the blink of an eye.
Triple Treat?
Given that careers go by so quickly, do we appreciate what we see in Adam Goodes?
Even though he plays for a side that hasn’t had the best of years, that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the favourites for this year’s Brownlow medal.
He is one of eight players to win the medal twice. Only four players have won it three times and each one of them is a member of the AFL Team of the Century. That is heady company for Goodes. Is he that good or is this just another example that the medal doesn’t really mean anything?
Lloyd’s Legacy
There has been much angst since Matthew Lloyd took out Brad Sewell. It swung the momentum the Bombers’ way but will Lloyd be able to take his place in the game against the Crows? Or will the tribunal rub him out?
The Hawks will be out for justice and not just because Buddy was rubbed out for a similar offence. They aren’t fans of the way Lloyd goes about his business and there are many out there who feel the same way.
He is accused of being somewhat of a diver and one who stages for free kicks. He has 926 goals from 270 games and in all likelihood 2010 will be his last season. He has been a fantastic player for Essendon and given that AFL is a team sport, you can’t want anything more than that. He wouldn’t care less if he is liked by opposition fans or players.
Looking Ahead
There are two interstate finals the first week and won’t be any more thereafter. Essendon has had recent success at AAMI and Carlton won earlier this year up at the Gabba so the travelling won’t be an issue.
It will come down to whichever team settles down more. Conceivably either or both of the Magpies or the Dogs could spring an upset. Magpies-Saints will be absolutely massive.
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