It is fair to say that six of the seven finals so far have been extremely underwhelming in this AFL finals series.
After one of the most even seasons in AFL history, the finals have been a procession of unexpectedly one-sided contests that have been dominated by the home teams. The exception certainly was the elimination final between West Coast and Port Adelaide, a game which had enough excitement and drama – and a grandstand finish – to make up for the ineptitude of Greater Western Sydney, Geelong and Essendon when they forgot to show up in the first week of the finals.
Week 2 wasn’t much better. Sydney suddenly returned to their miserable early season form and the Eagles, so surprised they were at even making it this far into September that post-season European and Bali holidays had to be postponed, meekly surrendered to the speed and precision of the youthful Giants and their hostile 14,000-strong crowd.
But this week promises a lot more. Plenty has been made of the low turnout at Spotless Stadium last week. You can’t be surprised though; the Giants are not a short-term investment. Overall the AFL would be viewing the Western Sydney invasion as a success so far. Membership has grown to 20,944, while the average attendance throughout the season has also increased significantly.
Now the demand for AFL facilities at the grassroots level in the region has exceeded the current supply. That’s a big indicator that the AFL is beginning to win over the hearts and aspirations of the future talent in NRL heartland.
The other reason the Giants are also a big success is that they’re winning. Everyone understands that to win over a new sporting market the team needs to be successful. On-field success brings people through the gates, sells memberships, and gets people consuming the game and the associated sponsor products.
The relationship between winning and attendance is very strong, and this is true for all clubs. Think back to 2011 when Port Adelaide finished second last behind the Gold Coast Suns, had an average home attendance of just 21,676 and desperately struggled for sponsors. In came David Koch and Ken Hinkley, and the Power’s new fast-paced game plan saw them rise up the ladder, and similarly too did their average attendance.
(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Giving the Giants multiple free kicks in the form of high draft picks and other 50-metre penalties against AFL equalisation by spending over $20 million on the club each year has ensured that success is guaranteed. I’m not sure how Gillon McLachlan can promote the AFL as the most even competition in the world with such concessions.
But the AFL doesn’t care. If the integrity of the competition is compromised for a period of time, so be it! If the end result is establishing a strong base in the country’s most sought-after regions, then that’s a price they’re willing to pay.
Then there’s the Tiger juggernaut. The lid was well and truly blasted off following their 51-point hammering of Geelong. As Channel Nine reporters went around interviewing ecstatic supporters the next morning, there were comments such as “give Dusty the Norm Smith now” and “that was the greatest game I’ve ever seen played!”. Greatest game ever? Personally I’ve seen better 51-point wins before.
But how the football world has come alive with the resurgence of Richmond! I didn’t realise how many diehard Richmond supporters I knew. Richmond are now the Bulldogs of 2017 – everyone’s second favourite team.
And again, the AFL couldn’t have dreamt of a more perfect scenario. The Giants will suddenly play in front of 90,000 people. If they win their way into the grand final, it would be another success that keeps AFL on the front pages in Sydney. Success this year isn’t the bigger picture. Consecutive preliminary finals, potentially even a grand final appearance, will only mean more kids will begin calling the Giants their own.
On the other hand, if Richmond win, the Tiger juggernaut will just roll on and gather even more steam. The fanaticism will hit unprecedented levels; Dusty will become the King of Melbourne and a new Tiger dynasty will be created. But that’s for the fans to debate among themselves, consequently creating more and more noise for the AFL to drown out its annoying neighbours, the NRL.
You see, the AFL doesn’t mind who wins the match; they win either way. It’s just another year of growth. Another year of success. Another year towards the completion of the giant Western Sydney invasion.
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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.
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale will be looking to lead his team to a victory against Melbourne in what will be his 250th AFL game.
It’s high stakes with five teams having lost their first three games of season 2024, and in desperate need of a win.
It could be a weekend for contenders to emerge, teams to hopefully break droughts, o and overall footy to have a party.
We’ve already seen what Jack Ginnivan is capable of at Collingwood with his ability to grasp big moments - how will he go against his former teammates?
