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With Round 8 underway in the AFL season, we have an understanding of which teams will be premiership favourites, which teams will make the finals, who will miss the top eight and which coach is under pressure to keep their jobs for 2014.
The season’s major headlines started in February when Lance Franklin announced he has delayed his contract talks with Hawthorn until the end of the season, with reports speculating that Buddy may be thinking of moving to another club for 2014.
Essendon announced to the footy world at AFL House that they had asked for an ASADA investigation to determine if players were taking banned supplements.
Many experts feared that they may have a struggling season, but they have defied the odds with great character in their group, which is led by their coach James Hird and skipper Jobe Watson.
They sit with 6-1 on the ladder and have beaten Adelaide at AAMI, Fremantle after being behind at half time at Patersons Stadium, after most media personalities had that week asked for Hird to stand aside after he was accused of taking supplements that is banned for players, but not coaches.
The Bombers also put in a great performance to beat Collingwood in the ANZAC Day Clash that they have not won since 2009.
Also in February the AFL announced that the Melbourne Football Club was found not guilty for tanking in the 2009 season.
But former coach Dean Bailey and then football general manager Chris Connolly were found guilty of acting in a manner of being prejudicial to the interest of the game which relates to a meeting that took place in July 2009.
Before the season started, the Brisbane Lions won the (who cares) NAB Cup against Carlton and experts in the footy media expected the Lions could improve their ten-win 2012 ration in 2013.
So far they sit with 2-5 and Michael Voss is under pressure to keep his job for 2014 and is so far my disappointment for this season.
The teams I think that will be playing footy at the last Saturday of September are Geelong and Hawthorn.
Can you imagine if they these clubs were playing in the grand final and the Hawks beat the Cats and break the Kennett curse, how ironic that will be?
Geelong stand 7-0 and were impressive as usual against Essendon last Friday night, also provided a good performance against Sydney at the SCG.
The Cats came from behind at half time to beat Hawthorn and North Melbourne in rounds one and two.
You just have to look at their playing list they have with players like Jimmy Bartel, Andrew Mackie, Harry Taylor, Corey Enright, Steve Johnson and Joel Selwood and don’t forget they have some players like Allen Christensen and Steven Motlop who have played under 50 games.
We all know Geelong has won three premierships since 2007 and this could be their year again.
Hawthorn has lost only one game so far, to the Cats in Round 1 which saw the Kennett curse still continue.
What has impressed me about the Hawks is the injection of Bradley Hill. He will be another Cyril Rioli in the future.
Luke Hodge is leading the way with his hard work week in and week out. They have found ways to win games without Buddy kicking goals and Cyril Rioli out injured.
Also there defence is in good sharp with Brian Lake getting better since he put the Hawks guernsey since leaving the Western Bulldogs last season, Josh Gibson playing well at the back and they don’t have Matt Suckling and Ryan Schoenmakers due to an ACL injury.
Both teams will meet in Round 15. As am sure it will be another classic game at the ‘G.
The same old same old this season is good old Melbourne Demons.
I’m glad Peter Jackson is at the club, as change is needed for this footy club to move forward.
I feel sorry for the fans going to watch them play at the ‘G every week and getting belted and laughed at by the media and other fans week in and week out.
Everyone is pointing to sack Mark Neeld but I don’t think is that easy to sack the coach and believe the problem will fix itself.
They sacked Dean Bailey a few seasons back and they are still the same old, same old.
If I was rich and loved the footy club, I would run for chairman and change the poisonous structure and ask everyone at the club (including staff and the footy department) if they want to be part of this club, because from the outside looking at them I don’t see passion.
The only passion I see is those poor fans that pay their money to watch their footy club whether by going to the game, being a member and paying for the club’s merchandise.
If the new CEO doesn’t made key changes by the end of 2013, then I don’t see Melbourne getting any better.
At this stage they are lucky if they still be around for the next 15 years, unless they merge with GWS or Gold Coast.
Let’s talk about the good story of 2013 and is Port Adelaide.
I was at the game last year at Skoda Stadium when they lost to GWS. From that moment I didn’t expect to see the changes they did in the off season.
First move was David Koch as chairman. Most media experts thought it was a joke to have someone like him, due to his celebrity for his breakfast television host show Sunrise.
But I knew with his background in business and being a passionate Port supporter – and don’t forget he was the club’s number one ticket holder – that he would do his best to change the club around, and today they have over 40,000 members.
Port also have a new coach with a never-give-up approach for his players to have, which they have shown in their victories against Adelaide and West Coast.
At this stage I am not sure if they be there in September, but I will know that they will never give up and will have a good group of players in their roster for seasons to come with the likes of Travis Boak, Oliver Wines, Chad Wingard, Jake Neade and Justin Westhoff.
If Melbourne can look at Port Adelaide then maybe there will be hope for the Demons.
With Round 8 set to get underway is time to have a beer with your mates and enjoy the footy and I will write back in a few weeks with part two of the AFL 2013 season so far.
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