The greatest moments in sport are the ones that you don’t expect. What looked a run-of-the-mill round delivered high drama and intensity, quality football, and the biggest upset of the season, surpassing even GWS defeating Sydney in Round 1.
Finally, a round of football that might just get people talking about football.
So let’s have a week without Eddie McGuire and Andrew Pridham hacking away at each other in a boring, who-cares war.
Let’s have a week where we don’t care how Mick Malthouse treats a couple of precious reporters, or get told how much we should or shouldn’t like him.
Let’s have a week without the banal focus on who’s out of contract and who isn’t, and how much they want and how much they’re worth.
Please, let’s have a week where we’re not talking about one umpiring decision out of hundreds across a weekend, especially one where a case can be made either way. Newsflash: umpiring is hard, with a series of unending judgement calls. You’re not going to agree with all of them. And if your team is playing, rather than telling us how hard done by they were, please shut up. You just look like an idiot.
Instead of these pedantic matters that too often have no bearing on anything, let’s focus on the game itself, and the teams playing it.
Let’s focus on North Melbourne’s pathetic inconsistency, and why, even though the team has gone forward in terms of wins and ladder position, so many of the younger individual players have gone backward.
Yes, we’re looking at you Ryan Bastinac, Jack Ziebell, Aaron Black and Aaron Mullett. We’re also looking at more experienced players like Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas.
Let’s focus on exactly where Carlton are at. Was Friday night the first building block in a bright future, or another mirage that the Blues faithful will mistake for an imminent rise up the ladder?
Let’s talk about just how difficult Fremantle have made the run home for themselves after dropping the unloseable game to St Kilda. Round 20 down at Geelong and Round 21 hosting Hawthorn will surely define their season now.
Let’s talk about how GWS and Melbourne are tracking on-field, both coming from as far back as any team has had to in the last 20 years, but delivering plenty of hope and optimism – the Demons to their fan-base; the Giants to their fan. No game is seen as unwinable now.
Are Port finished as a top four contender, counter-intuitively running out of steam as the season gets longer, even though they’ve made their name as saving their best for last within games?
Are Geelong really capable of playing premiership football when for so long they’ve played in fits and starts? It’s a weakness that goes all the way back to 2009, when their best was unmatchable, and they could sustain it for longer. That’s not the case these days.
The Dogs continue to rise from a low base, and the Dons are rising from the middle tier. We can expect to see many more epic clashes between the two over the next decade.
Let’s look forward to a cracking weekend of football too.
West Coast and Richmond are looking to storm home, give their fans some joy in a disappointing year, and prove to themselves that they belong in the eight come 2015. They should provide a fast game and great entertainment on Friday night.
The Suns have to prove they can play finals, and register a maiden win without Gary Ablett. What better place to start than a Q-Clash against a resurgent Brisbane who continue to punch above their weight in recent times.
Hawthorn taking on Sydney at the MCG on Saturday night needs no introduction. If you’re not going to be watching this game, then don’t leave comment down below. You don’t love Australian Rules football.
Collingwood against Adelaide at the same ground a day later will have far-reaching ramifications on the shape of the season.
So, just for a change, let’s talk pure football. Just for a week.
And if you’re about to get sucked into discussing any of the nonsense that passes for footy debate these days, just stop and ask yourself, “Do I really care?”
Bosk
Roar Rookie
What I find funny Gene is people constantly use the fact Geelong's been in flag contention since 2007 as a valid reason for dismissing its chances - yet these same folk conveniently forget Sydney has been right in the mix since 2005, and I believe has a list older than the Cats'. The prevailing view here at The Roar (AKA Swans Central) is that Sydney's immediate future is bright while Geelong's is beginning to dim, regardless of the fact Geelong have blooded a LOT more young players in recent years than Sydney. Mind you... if Geelong were able to shift $500k of its two best players' wages outside the salary cap via an "ambassador" program, inherited a 9.8% larger salary cap than its rivals for the next two years, and were gifted a talent academy where it was able to outbid rivals for the creme of the crop in a manner similar to the Father/Son system....... yeah, I'd feel pretty bullish about Geelong's chances too! Ah well, at least as Victorians you and I can take immense pride from knowing our clubs *earned* their premierships. :D
Macca
Guest
DOn - I don't think you are serious about anything.
Don Freo
Guest
You thought I was serious with that request, didn't you?
Deep Thinker
Guest
The fact is the Cats conceded that game. If you were watching the game it is pretty obvious that Sydney jumped them and the Cats knew they didn't have it in them to reign them in given the difference in preparation. No excuse? Fair call. Will it happen again in September? Doubt it. If both teams have an even preparation (ie. if the Cats make top 2), I would back the Cats to beat the Swans in the last game of September.
Macca
Guest
Whatever.
Don Freo
Guest
Crowley only has so few tackles because the player he is tagging never gets hold of the ball. Curnow has to tackle more because the player he is tagging keeps on getting the ball. Onya Ryan!! Notice how you can read stats any way you want to?
Macca
Guest
There is a difference between a hard tag and being responsible defensively - only Crowley tags for Freo and Ed has him well and truly covered for grabbing the ball (Crowley gets just 14.9 touches this year) and grabbing the man (Crowley lays just 2.7 tackles this year). And I didn't say Barlow didn't win, just that Curnow stacks up pretty well.
Don Freo
Guest
Every Dockers player tags. Barlow wins. Curnow only wins the tackle stat. That's 'cos Barlow has the ball so he is the tacklee. C'mon Ed, grab the ball more!
Macca
Guest
Interestingly this year from 10 games for Curnow and 13 for Barlow the stats are as follows; Disposals - Barlow 26.1, Curnow 21.8 Marks 5.8 to 4.2 Tackles 4.9 to 6 Contested Possession 10.7 to 9 Effective disposal per game 18 to 14.5 Clearances 4 to 2.6 Considering Curnow is tagging and Barlow isn't I would say Ed stacks up pretty well. (Plus Ed is 2 years younger)
Macca
Guest
Nope. Both have been pretty good though.
Don Freo
Guest
Have you got any stats on which player is the best stopper since a broken leg?...or who has the most disposals since a broken leg...Barlow or Curnow?
Stuart
Guest
Noise, Gene and here is some more factually correct noise. Sydney played 4 games from 03/05 until 29/05, which is exactly the same amount played by Geelong in the same period. Another fact is that you have no idea if plane trips and short breaks have any real effect on players. You throw these things out there and stand back and say 'see, there's your reason'. It would take most of the players up to 3 days to feel 100% fine again - that's all. Lets face it, you have no idea whether Sydney's intra-club hit out was any less taxing than Geelong's previous game and you yourself used the words "different preparations". Don't use words like 1 game in 13 days against 3 in the same period as scientific proof that Geelong has a legitimate reason to explain away their loss because I don't buy it. Sydney were switched on like no oither team I have seen following a bye and if Geelong had won, Swans supporters could have used the whole deflated after a bye excuse, but I wouldn't buy that either. That is just 'expert' journalism and one-eyed supporter crap, when the article's title is "forget the crap", Gene?
Macca
Guest
Why would we swap Curnow, great tagger wins his own ball, elite runner, hasn't been out of the Blues best since he came back from a broken leg and hasn't yet turned 25 - he is one of the most important blues players.
Macca
Guest
DOn - Yes you should win easy, but you should of beaten St Kilda easy.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Hahaha you smoking to much of that purple stuff Don you really should give it away.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Young sides play in patches, so when they're in form, they hold it for a while, but when they're out of form they find it hard to turn it around. The Dogs are in a good patch right now, and we can see the bright signs for the future. It's just a case of keeping the faith when they have a poor run!
Cat
Roar Guru
Considering there is almost always suspensions resulting from the clashes for stupid crap that doesn't need to happen, I'd say there's bad blood.
Don Freo
Guest
Suns will get there...5th or 6th. Home final.
Don Freo
Guest
I wouldn't mind that finish Peter. Freo could take Sydney in Sydney then a home final against Adelaide. GF here we come!
Don Freo
Guest
Gene I prefer Macca's water flowing under the bride.