Who saw that coming last weekend? By ‘that’, I don’t mean Gary Rohan having a shocker, for if ever there was a bloke born to play really well for the Suns and therefore never in a final again, it is him.
But, to predict that Josh Kennedy, Lance Franklin and Luke Parker, among others, would all perform as if auditioning for a role in The Missing? That would have been a bridge too far for even Nostradamus.
Some of the Swans, including John Longmire, are starting to make a habit of folding in finals, though at least this year they didn’t save it for grand final day.
The ‘no dickheads’ policy has served the club well, however a ‘no going missing in finals’ policy could be even handier.
Chris Judd said that Buddy’s move to Sydney has been a success. A bloke who voluntarily shifted from West Coast to Carlton would say that. Spending $10 million and not expecting a premiership is ludicrous. I paid $50 for a cockatiel that can’t learn to whistle ‘Up there Cazaly’ and am considering asking for a refund.
When Buddy’s finished at the Swans, he won’t be remembered for the number of boat shoes, checked shirts and Botoxed faces he’s dragged through the gates.
Longmire claimed Sydney looked ‘tired’ after their capitulation against Geelong, so hopefully a glass of warm milk each before bed fixed that. I had a quick look at the draw and it seems the Swans played the same number of games as every other club this year, including recent training runs against Fremantle, Carlton and Essendon before having a bye.
Sydney consumers are notoriously fickle and by the time Buddy is finished the Swans could be joining trendy bakeries and frozen yoghurt shops in wondering where their crowds have gone.
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If it was Sydney’s worst performance since the 2014 decider, then it was Geelong’s best since their premiership win in 2011. Even Steven Motlop was trying. Still, there is more chance of Jake Stringer captaining the Bulldogs next year than there is of Geelong playing that well again this week.
Joel Selwood claimed that Chris Scott was Geelong’s best player last Friday and he’s probably right, but I wouldn’t be making a habit of expecting too much from a bloke who will be wearing a polo shirt during matches.
If the Cats overcome the Crows, then the pre-finals bye should be extinguished faster than the entertainment at a St Kilda Mad Monday.
It was sad to see two Brownlow medalists bow out with a loss last Saturday, but all is not lost as a job in coaching beckons for Sam Mitchell, and Matt Priddis has a long career in front of him as a Gene Wilder lookalike.
Mitchell was the leading goalkicker for West Coast, which is precisely why they didn’t win, and Steve Johnson was the leading goalkicker for GWS, which is not precisely why they did win.
Both the Eagles and Johnson were finished by halftime, but thankfully in the second half, the latter provided some entertainment for what would have been an exceptionally large crowd for an NRL match.
The problem for Greater Western Sydney is that this week they have to perform in front of a crowd six times larger, 99 per cent of whom want them to lose. I’m not sure the Giants will cope, as many of their talented youngsters are like window cleaners, so much do they enjoy being on the outside looking in. That lack of hardness will cost them against the ferocious Tigers, no matter what Stevie J can conjure.
Tigers fans are very much like their Collingwood counterparts, only with human qualities, which is why we all love them so much and want them to win, whereas if GWS don’t win a premiership for another 37 years only about 1200 people will care.
Prediction
Brian Taylor will be roaming around the rooms of one of his former clubs this Saturday night and everyone in there will want to talk to him.
Birdman
Guest
agreed Mike - they physically looked like they were from another planet when they first arrived
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Birdman Yes that is definitely a possibility as they we're quite the specimens . Conversely they could all run and run all game long inside big muscular frames . We know the Sandgropers love their recreational gear , so maybe your speculation may have some weight behind it - no pun intended !
Penster
Roar Guru
These are grown men accustomed to travelling, not 9 year olds on a sleepover.
Birdman
Guest
on the gear?
Paul D
Roar Guru
I love how you’re so cavalier with money here (a measly 500 million), yet on the giants thread you’re screaming at clouds about the far smaller sums of money ‘wasted’ on GWS and the Suns. You might think it’s important to spend large sums on some obscure notion of ‘fairness’ but I assure you cash strapped state governments don’t agree with you. Consider the climate of natural disasters, rising power prices, house prices – which state government is going to put a big fat bullseye on their free-spending ass to try and lure a game out of Melbourne that’s already contractually agreed for the next 20 years? We couldn’t even get the state government to put in a dollar for the training facility for the Lions. only way it will be moved is if the G is flagged for redevelopment works and the capacity drops, but while the ground is open it will remain in Melbourne.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Follow the money – worked for Woodward and Bernstein. I have to disagree that Sydney is taking over the country – NSW has always been the premier state, it used to say so on their number plates but it’s a two edged sword. The sheer size of Sydney scatters your audience and also makes it very difficult for people to attend events. Transport there is far, far worse than Melbourne. I could see it happening perhaps around 2028-2030 when Sydney finally has an underground railway constructed servicing a good chunk of the city, but remember too if Sydney puts up some cash there’s every chance the Victorian government will respond and match it. I think the Grand Final is a restricted free agent in that sense! I still don’t see it moving regardless, and I think it will go to Perth before it goes to Sydney. Sydney already hosts the NRL grand final remember. But the G is the best stadium in Australia for it and it has history and tradition on its side. Unless you buy into this ridiculous argument from anon about travel being cancer – and given he rarely leaves his basement, travel probably is nightmarish for him, but for those of us who just get on with life it’s just something that is what it is.
Liam
Guest
See, I find it very interesting to hear that it's unfair for interstate sides to play GF's at the MCG, considering that the home ground advantage they possess when they play interstate sides in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane is far more advantageous to them. If your side is bottom 8 going into the season, then the combination of the draw being in your favour - in terms of who you play - and where you play them - if, for example, West Coast were propelled all the way into flag contention because they played Adelaide once this year at home, and beat them there, as they are wont to do - is enough to place you in contention for the top 2 on the ladder. And let's be honest when we talk about home ground advantage; it isn't just knowing the ground, the ease of access to the ground for the fanbase etc. What we're talking about is getting home town free kicks. Simply put, having a home ground advantage makes it easier to win games and ensure a finals berth, but ultimately makes a flag harder to win on Grand Final day.
I ate pies
Guest
Come off it, it's a one hour plane trip. Players drive for longer than that to get into the MCG.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
It's not that hard to win finals interstate. The Bulldogs won 2 out of 2 last year. The better team on the day wins finals 99% of the time.
Rod
Guest
Yes please.
Gordon P Smith
Roar Guru
Excellent article, Sean! You touched on the gamut of issues surrounding the games with humor as well as bite, and got the blood flowing in the commenters' veins. Best of all possible worlds!
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Apart from Kennedy , their midfielders are to small and light and akin to soccer players . If the Swans wish to improve go and watch a video of the old WCE's side of the 90's . The Eagles had big, strong and fast men at the apex of their game - very physical and unrelenting over the ball . Mainwaring , Turley , Matera , Brennan , Kemp, Lewis - all beasts of footballers . Then look at the other bodies on display - Worsfold , McKenna , Jakovich, Lamb , Langdon ......the list is long. To be fair , these old Eagles were the complete footballers and would annihilate Sydney today and any other AFL team - men against boys.......
bloodssince1973
Roar Rookie
But there is a frustrating truth in all of these comments about our finals flop. We just cannot put our finger on it.
michael steel
Guest
Like your style with the article Sean, a bit tongue in cheek, I haven't read any of the long replies. Good line about Mitchelll and Stevie J.
anon
Roar Pro
The Bulldogs are a Melbourne team that got to play in Melbourne for the decider. The advantage was with the Bulldogs who slept in their own beds and not the team who had travelled to the game from interstate.
anon
Roar Pro
Any deal can be renegotiated if the will exists to do so. $10-15 million is NOTHING for the chance to grow the game nationally for the next 20 years through rotating the showcase game. We used to have ridiculous rules about one prelim having to be at the MCG. That was changed when it affected the integrity of a season (2004). It's a bad deal however you look at it. This Grand Final deal is based on the measly $500 million the Victorian Government spent on building the Northern Stand. The WA Government has just ponied up $1.5 billion for the new stadium in Perth. The AFL hasn't contributed a cent the fact they will be the major beneficiary. The SA Government spent $500 million on redeveloping Adelaide Oval.
Mattyb
Guest
Also Paul,I do think your line of discussion involving dollars and cents is far more correct than people who simply say "our stadiums the biggest". Money will play apart but the growth of the game in Sydney will dwarf any money provided by the MCG. If the game happens to really get a strong foothold in Sydney before 2037 I'd expect major pressure from both television executives and politicians to move the game to Sydney. In Victoria we like to think we are the country's leading state,but this is not true by a log way,everything is run out of Sydney and this is becoming more and more so. Change is inevitable,it's only a matter of when,and money and politics is going to play a big part. Can the MCC hold on until 2037,possibly yes,but saying there is a zero possibility is an awfully big call.
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
nice one.
Mattyb
Guest
Suggestions to how to move the game have been mentioned previously,and like you've suggested this would involve State Governments who would be very interested in the game to sell their cities. 2037 is along way away and much can change. The new Perth Stadium I believe will really open up people eyes to the standard of stadium we currently have in this country,both in the area of facilities and security. I could well imagine that a one off GF might needed to be played away from the MCG anyway before 2037 which,while this may not happen,increases the chances from as many z words you want to come up with. I really can't see the MCG running,without major upgrades for another 20 years. Things are moving quickly and outdated stadiums can become very outdated very quickly. Also,I can see a time when the League realises to get maximum growth of the game nationally it needs to step away from its Victorian centric nature. I also imagine that the WA government for one will begin increasing pressure on the AFL for the game,when they have a stadium far superior,and safer than anything else in the country. I do understand the contractual situation,but the same argument was put forward as to why the Victorian clubs had to have a home Prelim,and that ended up being renegotiated quite easily.
Paul D
Roar Guru
This emotionalism is all well and good, but let’s inject a healthy dose of reality into proceedings. http://www.footyindustry.com/wiki/index.php/AFL_MCG_deal From 2009: The AFL and the MCC today announced they had agreed to a new Stadium Use Agreement, which will see a minimum of $4. 6m distributed annually to AFL clubs for the next 10 years, and the general agreement extend by five years to 2037. • The “home” clubs will receive an additional $100,000 per game for the next 10 years ($4.6m per annum) for AFL home and away matches played at the MCG. This figure is capped at 46 games and is indexed against CPI. • A new “attendance incentive” arrangement, which will see the AFL clubs receive: o $1.50 per head for attendances between 2.1m and 2.5m patrons o $2.00 per head for attendances between 2.5m to 3m patrons o $3.00 per head for attendances in excess of 3m patrons • Based on 2008 crowd figures, this would amount to an additional $1.2 million paid to the AFL. • The licence agreement between the MCC and the AFL will be extended for an additional five years, to 2037. • The AFL will provide a reasonable endeavours clause to ensure aggregate crowds per annum of 1.5m patrons. • The AFL will schedule 10 of the 12 best attended home and away matches at the MCG and current finals agreement will remain in place which includes the Grand Final. • The MCC has incurred substantial debt in order to create this great community facility. • In the space of 15 years, around $600 million has been invested to rebuild the stadium. • Today, the MCC has borrowings of around $320 million as a legacy of this development – equating to $32 million in principal and interest that needs to be paid every year. • After debt and interest, the new arrangement will see the MCC retain 31.1 per cent of ground revenues relating to football, which covers all running costs, wages, maintenance and capital works. The remaining 68.9 per cent is distributed to the AFL and its clubs The chances of the AFL/MCG deal being wound up before 2037 is zero. Nada. Nil. Zilch. The MCG makes more money for the AFL than any other ground and there is absolutely no way while the comp is run out of Victoria that it will be moving. It’s all well to jump and down and bleat about it being unfair, but at least have the intelligence to suggest a way by which it might be moved. And the only way it’s going to be moved is if a state government pays up a large amount of money to the MCG – probably around $10-15 million – to buy the grand final off them.