Out with the old, in with the new. That was the story of the first week of finals.
Last year’s grand finalists, West Coast and Hawthorn? One gone, one going. North Melbourne have played in the prelims the last two seasons. That won’t happen for a long time now. Goodbye.
Sydney, the perennial contender? Beaten-up, bruised and bowed.
Those four losers played a combined 21 finals for 14 wins in 2014 and 2015.
The four sides that beat them – Geelong, GWS, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide – played five finals for one win in the same period.
This wasn’t just a changing of the guard. This was the new shift stripping down the old, putting their feet in cement and throwing them in the river.
Swaggering into the second and third week of finals are the new sheriffs in town.
No team has more strut than GWS. Previously, it was seen as unearned, but now they have a preliminary final berth at home ground Spotless Stadium, where they will likely start favourites to make their first grand final regardless of which team they play.
The Giants produced a physical onslaught to take down the Swans. First they broke bodies and then they broke minds. In a game where the evenness of the stats betrayed what happened on the field, one statistic stood out – GWS laid 50 per cent more tackles than Sydney despite having slightly less of the football.
Adelaide is the unmatched scoring behemoth that evokes memories of Geelong under Malcolm Blight, big on goals and bigger still on entertainment. They may not have Gary Ablett senior in their side, but Eddie Betts is a modern day version in his ability to set the crowd alight and turn the freakish into the commonplace.
The Crows were the only side to top the 100-point mark in the first week of finals, and they didn’t just edge over the line, they smashed through it.
The Western Bulldogs have become everyone’s second favourite team, and if you don’t have a dog in this finals fight, you’re on their side. It was their job as underdog to spark the finals series on opening night, and if their game against West Coast was a boxing match scored at a point a minute, the Dogs would have won 120-0.
The Dogs had the most unorthodox finals preparation, having lost in Perth in the final round against a team that hadn’t won for ten weeks, and bringing in a host of potentially underdone players.
They were the lowest scoring team in the top 12 this year, yet were the second highest scoring side this week. Finals brings out the best in some players and some teams, and this might just be the case for Luke Beveridge, his men and his club.
When it comes to confidence, no player embodies that more than Patrick Dangerfield, both on and off the field. He has injected his brand into the Geelong Football Club and turned around their fortunes after a year or two in the wilderness.
The Cats aren’t so much a new kid on the block as that kid that failed the same school level twice. Kind of new, but kind of the same too.
The Kennett curse must still linger. The Hawks kicked the last-second match-winning goal against every other side they tried it on this year (and it seemed like half of them), but were unable to do so against the Cats.
Isaac Smith won’t be allowed to sit at the same lunch table as James Sicily, Paul Puopolo, Cyril Rioli and Jack Fitzpatrick this week.
GWS, the Bulldogs, Adelaide and Patrick Dangerfield are the faces of the new generation of finalist, the breaths of fresh air to blow away the stale stench of Hawthorn and company. (Click to Tweet) It’s about time.
Ken Baxter
Roar Rookie
The initial idea for the national competition was that the VFL would enter 8 teams, the SANFL 2 teams and the WAFL 2 teams. The Western Bulldogs should never have been part of the national competiton. They just got a free ride on the coat tails of the larger Victorian Clubs. Their 26 year history in the AFL has not justified their participation. They have never even made a grand final which is deplorable considering the equalisation measures including the draft and the salary cap which have been to their aid. It is so statistically improbable that this could happen - their record it's just ridiculously useless. When the Bulldogs arrive in cities outside Melbourne, they do not bring the cache of the large Melb clubs. In so many ways, he add nothing and only subtract from the competiton. In particular, they are always at or near top of the list for clubs which receive the most financial aid from the AFL. In fact, since GWS entered the comp in 2012, Bullddogs have been paid more by the AFL than GWS. The bleeding heart retoric coming out of Melb for the game today vs GWS is utter nonsense and hopefully GWS give the Bulldogs and absolute hiding.
Republican
Guest
.....& Geelong Cat? Yes but at least these footy club entities have a historical context whereas GWS do not, not a skerrick of footy DNA Cat. Had the AFL plonked the new brand in Tassie or Canberra, there would have at least been some local content on the paddock as well as an historical context. I happen to believe this is a criteria that should be integral to any AFL's expansion, so long as it continues to exist. St Kilda are in the throes of rebranding themselves as the NZ Saints I believe, one of many clubs void of identity, while it could well be Geelong next - I suppose.
Redb
Roar Guru
8 years is very unlikely, the salary cap will sort many of them out. Maintaining the hunger always a challenge.
Redb
Roar Guru
Clipper, I was sceptical of the TV rights value of the extra games and the Giants in particular, however when an all Sydney AFL game draws 400K+ on pay tv, a healthy 157K on FTA and 60,000 at the game I think we can conclude it is a good start. Also the actual rivalry is now very real - so the Giants at least move from a plastic manufactured team to one hated by the Sydney Swans. Battle of the Bridge does not hit the mark, it should just be the 'Sydney derby' and let the antipathy do the rest.
anon
Guest
But last Friday night proves those close wins were luck not skill. Otherwise they would have closed out their most important game of the season thus far.
anon
Guest
What's this fascination Aussies have with having "world class" stadiums. Anyway, the MCG lags behind the Adelaide Oval and will soon lag behind the new Perth Stadium I go to the footy to watch the game and grab a beer. Go to a bar or restaurant if you want to be pampered or waited on. Subiaco Oval isn't exactly world class, yet two preliminary finals where held their last season with tremendous success. Anyway, Wembley isn't the home ground of any team. It's truly a neutral ground -- unlike the MCG.
Raimond
Roar Guru
I thought going into this finals series that the most likely outcomes for the Giants were a runaway Grand Final victory, or a straight sets capitulation. Looking like the former at this stage. The Bulldogs have become one of the least entertaining teams in the AFL. They will have to up the ante in attack if they want to win premierships.
Boban Fett
Guest
Don't forget the resentment from seething Freo fans! To us watching GWS win a premiership is almost as bad as watching the Eagles win a premiership.
EddyJ
Guest
Geelong also won three flags in a row but it took them five seasons. Or if you ignore seasons 2008 and 2010.
EddyJ
Guest
The Giants played very well, but all the top five players from Sydney went missing. I don't know why people are saying Giants are now going to dominate next decade, win four cups in a row, etc. etc. They've won one game of importance. Could they slip in the Preliminary? Could they freeze at the MCG? They've only won one game ever at the MCG, and that was against Melbourne a few years ago. A week is a long time in football. The Swans didn't turn up last week, against all expectations? Could the Giants have a shocker next week? Or a raft of injuries? Or have a few players targeted in the head, just like they did against the Swans? Let's wait about four years time in 2019 before we start making any predictions about a Giants four-peats.
alicesprings
Guest
Ahhh Mitchell's knees have been remarkable quite lately. If there's one team that systematically pushes the rules of the game to the absolute limit...its Hawthorn.
Cat
Roar Guru
Nothing needed to be said, he pointed at the umpire. Not allowed to remonstrate like way.
paulywalnuts
Guest
Hawks of the 80s? No-one in the current Hawks team has gone close to the onfield thuggery of Lethal, Dipper or Dermie.
D Fitz
Roar Rookie
Don't know what Hodge said but assume he abused the umpire.
Peppsy
Guest
What actually caused the 50m? I know he gave away the free and then apparently abused the umpire but what was said?
Mitcher
Guest
The most amazing thing is you lot win 3 in a row and in with a red hot chance for four, and yet still get so wound up by these people who clearly wouldn't back down no matter how many forum wars you engage in. Enjoy while it lasts a bit more I'd say. Pretty sure your grand children won't be that inspired when your stories of the great three/fourpeat are based around keeping the internet tro11s honest.
Mango Jack
Guest
It's called good list management. No one forced Lake and Frawley to join Hawthorn.
andyl12
Guest
Watch the 2014 QF.
Republican
Guest
RA as painful as it would be I believe a couple of Melbourne relocations are long over due while I am personally fed up to the back teeth with the AFL's unsustainable expansions, aggressively forcing their brand at great cost and despite a growing number of well established clubs existing on the brink, on demographics that are culturally incompatible. If say Tasmania and the ACT had already been integral to the AFL, expansion to places i.e. GWS would be less of an issue. I dont believe the current commercial criteria is sustainable because it puts ALL its eggs in one basket which happens to be the television one. This also has the effect of compromising criteria i.e. grass roots support, historical and cultural affinities, disenfranchising what I believe to be the DNA of any code, perhaps not its consumers but certainly its supporters of which I believe some still exist. I also reckon that smaller boutique stadiums, akin to home grounds of old have merit and should be revisited both from a commercial as well as a community tribal one. This may also begin to make smaller deserving cities i.e. Canberra and Hobart more viable. The competition won't be truly national until Tassie and the nations capital and perhaps even the top end(albeit population is certainly a factor for that part of the country) are integral to the league in my humble opinion.
AR
Guest
An asterisk...? You may have forgotten that the Hawks also lost the best player in the competition after 2013... and got nothing for him. Swings and roundabouts really. Unfortunately, but inevitably, poorly-run clubs are susceptible to losing their better players. And conversely, well-run clubs are more likely to attract good players.