The season is flying by and so too are the chances of some of the league’s biggest clubs. Round 3 has affirmed that the 2016 season is going to be one of the most evenly contested in recent memory and a nightmare for footy tippers all around the country.
Let’s have a close look at how the season is progressing for the 18 AFL clubs. For some footy fans, this is going to hurt.
Port Adelaide
Except for four points, not much else could be gained for the Power in Round 3. Last week’s dismal performance against the Crows will be a dark cloud which hovers over the club for many weeks to come, and a run of consistent performances is what the club and supporters will be looking for.
There is no doubt that if the team’s performances mirrored that of their superstar midfielder Robbie Gray, then the Power would be one tough team to beat. Gray consistently plays at a level that is unattainable for most players, and will be high in Brownlow Medal contention for the next few years.
After last week’s justified criticism, Charlie Dixon worked hard to provide a target for his teammates. Dixon is a man-mountain and has a real presence in the Power forward line. His performances will be vital in the resurgence of Port Adelaide.
There is a good test awaiting the Power in Round 4, with a clash against Greater Western Sydney at Manuka Oval. This is a great opportunity for Port to claw back some respect from the football community; GWS are a tough, competitive side, but one the Power should beat if they are to join the competition’s elite.
Essendon
There was hint of unrealistic expectations placed on the Bombers this week. Last week’s inspiring performance against Melbourne was always going to be hard to replicate for a young outfit.
Prime time games involving the Bombers are always going to be a problem for the AFL – a Friday night game where the result is seemingly predetermined is of no benefit to anyone.
This is where this unrealistic optiumism around the Bombers came from this week. For the sake of a good game, footy fans were willing the Bombers to perform at a level they just aren’t capable of.
As poor as Port Adelaide were last week, beating them at home this week was always going to be like climbing Mount Everest for the young Bombers. By no means were Essendon embarrassed on Friday Night; they showed all the courage and commitment coach John Worsfold would have asked of them.
Their midfield is a hard-working, competitive unit lead by David Zaharakis and young gun Zach Merrett who are both playing at a consistently high level.
The problem for the Bombers really lies in the forward line. Generating shots at goal is a painfully hard exercise for an Essendon team that relies so heavily on young tall Joe Daniher. Although limited in his options, John Worsfold has to construct a functioning forward set up capable of rewarding the tireless performances from the midfield.
Where is Matthew Leuenberger and who is the imposter wearing his jumper? At the beginning of the season, the ruck position would have been seen as one of strength for the Bombers, and, after a smooth pre-season, Leuenberger would have been expected to grab his opportunity as the number one ruckmen in the team. At the moment, he will be lucky to keep his spot in the team.
A big plus for the Bombers next week is they will be back home at the MCG against the Geelong Cats. I think Essendon’s better performances this year will come at the MCG; away from home is where the problems will arise for the young Bombers team.
St Kilda
Teams rebuilding their list need these types of wins to give the club and its fans the confidence and belief they are on the right track. Drawing inspiration from the club’s legendary players of the 1966 premiership team, the current-day Saints ran Collingwood off their legs at the MCG.
The most pleasing thing for Saints fans is the win was built on the back of performances from their young running brigade. Jack Billings, Jack Newnes, Seb Ross, Jimmy Webster and Luke Dunstan all played big parts in the win, and you got the feeling pretty early on that their effort and commitment was going to remain at a high level for the duration of the game.
It was almost as if the Magpies were waiting for what they thought would be an inevitable drop-off in intensity from the young Saints which would allow them back into the game. That never came even with two key forwards – Nick Riewoldt and Patty McCartin – sitting out much of the game through injury.
Although young forward Paddy McCartin didn’t get much of the ball, there were a few promising signs. In many ways he is the key pillar to the future success of the St Kilda Football Club. The Saints have compiled a promising group of ball winners and runners but they need a big forward to grab the baton off club legend Nick Riewoldt and be the main target up forward.
The recovery of Riewoldt and McCartin will be a massive priority for the Saints this week, as they face the toughest challenge in footy – a trip to Aurora Stadium to play the mighty Hawks.
Collingwood
Houston, we have a problem! I, for one, was guilty of getting sucked into the Collingwood hype this year. Some key additions over the last couple of years had given Collingwood a complete list. A top-four spot looked a realistic goal for the Magpies this season, but after three rounds they aren’t playing well enough to even make the finals.
Injuries are now starting to add to their problems, but they are by no means the reason the Magpies find themselves in this position. Injuries weren’t a factor in their humiliating performance against the Swans in Round 1 and, although there were a few key players missing on the weekend, the team sent out looked more than capable of beating the Saints.
Coach Nathan Buckley fully understands Collingwood is a club which demands success. Even the fact Buckley is a favourite son of the Magpies won’t save him from the inevitable scrutiny he is about to be put under.
A real disappointment for the Magpies in the first three games is, despite the midfield talent introduced to the club over the last few years, it is still captain Scott Pendelbury who is left to do much of the heavy lifting. A sense of urgency is needed to turn their form around and get their season back on track.
A game against Melbourne at the MCG is a very winnable game for the Magpies. But it also represents a big danger, as throwing away any more wins against the bottom half sides would put more pressure on the Magpies to win the harder games that will inevitably come. Breaking point has been reached, and no more mistakes can be tolerated.
Richmond
Another big Melbourne club in an early season form slump. After three seasons of finals footy, Tigers supporters were expecting their team to take the next step and contend for a premiership this season, but that looks a million miles away at the moment.
Not yet knowing the full capabilities of the Adelaide Crows this year makes this Tigers performance hard to rate – the Crows have shown good early season form and it may be the case that they are just a better team than the Tigers this year. This would be heart-breaking for the Tigers faithful, as it would mean they are heading in the wrong direction, and a season of going backwards wasn’t in this year’s script.
One of the main problems the Tigers haven’t been able to fix over the last couple of years is the contribution they get from their bottom five or six players. Richmond have had a very talented core group of players who have won the club plenty of games over the last three seasons, but against the top echelon of teams, the Tigers are sometimes exposed.
An honest look at the Richmond team which took on the Crows shows there were five or six players who would struggle to get regular games in the competition’s best sides. The inclusions of Chris Yarran, Brett Deledio and Ivan Maric are very much needed to get their season back on track.
Games don’t get much harder than the West Coast Eagles at Domain Stadium. But the Tigers simply must find a way to win because a 1-3 start to the season leaves them a big mountain to climb.
Adelaide
The surprise packet of the season so far. With a number of AFL clubs struggling to find forwards to kick their goals, the Crows seem to have a production line full of them.
Even the late withdrawal of the lead-up machine Tom Lynch didn’t diminish the scoring power of the Crows. Mitch McGovern continues to develop with every game he plays – his marking is a real feature of his game – and he could become a big weapon for the Crows as a swingman.
Eddie Betts continues to dazzle Crows fans with his sublime skills, but Betts’ all-round game has improved over the last couple of seasons, with the little magician often leading up the ground to provide a target for his teammates to help cover the loss of Tom Lynch.
One of the highlights of the Richmond versus Adelaide game was a couple of the goals kicked by Richard Douglas. The ball comes off Douglas’ boot like it has been shot out of gun, and he unloaded a couple of shots that flew through the goals.
The blockbuster match of Round 4 is the game at the Adelaide Oval between the Crows and the Sydney Swans. This match will give an early indication into the credentials of both these in-form teams.
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Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
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