North Melbourne lost seven of their first nine games, decided it was time to part ways with their coach after a decade, won his send-off game, reeled off four wins in five weeks under their new mentor, gave him a long-term deal, and then put up their lowest score since joining the then-VFL in 1925.
All of those things happened this season, which still has plenty to play out.
We often forget how long an AFL season is, and how much it ebbs and flows for most teams. The Kangas are just one example.
Richmond were floundering in ninth spot at the conclusion of the bye rounds. They had seven wins from 13 games, a lousy percentage of 92 and had dropped three straight games – the closest of them a 33-point defeat at the hands of the Crows.
The Tigers have since won seven straight to sit a game clear in fourth spot and with home games against the two sides directly above them to complete the home-and-away season, could yet finish top two.
Conversely, fellow contenders Collingwood and Geelong have gone off the boil since their bye. The Pies are 4-4 after a 9-3 start, while the Cats have also split their past eight games, alternating between victory and defeat each week.
It’s fashionable to write them both off – Collingwood are missing too many good players; Geelong have been figured out.
But as the Tigers have shown us, things can change dramatically in an AFL season, and with a fortnight to play, there’s still plenty of time for the Magpies and Cats to piece things together – Geelong are still on top of the table, after all, and Collingwood are all but guaranteed at least one home final, with the top four still in play.
Photo by Michael Dodge/AFL Media/Getty Images
No one needs to tell the Giants how long the season is. Greater Western Sydney might not be able to field a 22 come finals time the way their players are dropping.
There was the usual cliched criticism of the AFL’s youngest club after they were iced by the Hawks on Friday night – frontrunners, mentally weak, unable to adapt, etc.
Of course, the absence of Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly, Callan Ward, Matt De Boer, Jacob Hopper, Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson probably played a part as well.
Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one.
One more thing
Seeing Friday night’s Giants-Hawks game played in snow was fantastic. I was envious of those in the Canberra crowd who turned out in numbers well beyond expectation and seemed to love every minute of it.
Despite the great time had by so many on a rare event, the complaints came thick and fast about scheduling a game on a cold night in Canberra – heaven forbid we play a winter sport during winter.
It might be a valid complaint if it was a regular occurrence, but seeing as it’s the first time it’s happened in my 30-odd years on this Earth, we can probably just take – and enjoy – this night for the rare night that it was.
A night later, in perhaps their most significant game since the 2016 grand final, the Bulldogs steamrolled the Bombers to the tune of 104 points in a powerful display that included 21-straight goals.
Elsewhere, the Cats flexed their muscles and held North Melbourne to a single goal.
Was the narrative that followed about how cool Snow Game was, or how Alastair Clarkson has figured out GWS, or how strong the Dogs or Cats looked?
Of course not. The biggest story out of every game was the negative aspect of it. It’s a familiar theme this season and it’s bloody exhausting.
Rob
Guest
Deano, this is by far the most accurate and well written summation of the Cats I've read in months. I particularly like the way you shove it up Ross, good man. Cats are about to make a big statement
Powa
Roar Rookie
getting the right fitness mix/training is as much a key part of the sport as playing, these clubs must be doing something wrong
anon
Roar Pro
You make a good point about Geelong (and Fremantle).
deano
Roar Rookie
for what it's worth, i agree. i sent the following to my tipping comp after the round 20 cats/freo game. Chris Scott won’t admit it, but the Geelong Junket Experiment went according to plan. Geelong don’t bother with the petty pizza and beers at the coach’s place approach. They give the whole club a week off at the casino in Perth, a month before finals. Pure genius. And also a wonderful reflection of AFL cultural values. Coach Scott actually gave the game away when he said, "It's not as if we have been taking out a big group of players and saying 'we don't mind if we lose these ones because of our ladder position’”. But it is. It is exactly that. Geelong is using sports science to manage their players. Somehow the media have convinced themselves that Geelong aren’t going to make an impact in the finals. But let’s face it, if brains were a disease, the AFL media would be very healthy. I think outside of the media, the only person who didn’t realise that Geelong were tanking was Ross Lyon, who had the smug, satisfied look of somebody who has just sprinkled sugar on their watermelon. Freo don’t value technology as highly as Geelong. At Freo , the role of technology doesn’t extend much beyond investing in a new knife to cut the oranges. The sour, not playing finals variety of orange.
Liam Clark
Roar Guru
I honestly love the AFL season length, however injuries do take a toll. One way to sort this would be to shortening the season so everyone club played each other once. This would never happen though because it would cost the AFL a lot of money in revenue
Fairsuckofthesav
Roar Rookie
Enjoying the snow sounds like an appropriate Monty Python moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUhlRoBL8M
anon
Roar Pro
It hasn't been a great year despite the "parity". The raft of rule changes have not improved the aesthetics of the game. I feel like footy is no longer "must watch" because of the lucky dip nature of the top 4 and top 8. It feels like no team wants to stake a claim on this season. One thing we've discovered this season is what I've been saying all along with regards to coaching -- stability is a consequence of success, not a precursor. The reality is club CEOs and club Boards have less clue about footy then people posting on here. They might be good at running small businesses, working in politics, etc, but not much idea about footy. Yet these people wield huge influence over footy clubs. A lot of clubs thought that if they don't sack their awful coaches then they'll suddenly morph into Clarko's Hawks. The simplistic thought process was that Hawthorn was a good team because of stability. Hardwick winning a premiership and Buckley making the 8 after underachieving for years further strengthened this belief that you must stick with underachieving coaches no matter the cost because you might be sitting on the next Clarko, next Hardwick. But this year has busted this myth. Teague has won in two months what it took Bolton two years. The Carlton Board was dragged kicking and screaming into sacking Bolton. If North didn't bone Scott, Bolton would still be at the Blues making excuses, spewing out cliches. There are many overrated coaches in the league, and many CEOs and Boards with NOT A CLUE.
Maxine
Guest
Hi Peter,I think you're right,with current compulsory delisting rules and reasonably free player movement between clubs,I think it's very difficult in the current climate to have premiership depth beyond a certain breaking point,and clubs certainly realise a bit of luck is now required to win a flag. While not in a premiership window like the clubs you've mentioned,I also think StKilda and Fremantle would be far closer to the top 8 if not for injuries. I feel in the upcoming years clubs will start putting a far greater emphasis on their strength and conditioning departments for these very reasons.
penguin
Roar Rookie
The AFL injury list is basically the determinant of the premier this year. If you lose key position players in your spine, particularly with the introduction of the 6, 6, 6 rule you are stuffed. Brisbane has either got the best injury management or had amazing luck. Port, Richmond, West Coast and Geelong are doing well and have a show. The rest are effed – GWS, Collingwood, Essendon, Freo, GC, Hawthorn, Melbourne, St Kilda and Sydney are decimated.
anon
Roar Pro
Pies only beat one top 8 team in the home & away last season. Maybe they were never as good as you thought they were?
TomC
Roar Guru
To be honest I was surprised how many turned out. I’m afraid I didn’t manage to get to the end. Not even close.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience Tom. I was told by another Canberran that many turned out on the night specifically to be part of the experience – and probably left at half time because of said temperatures. I was at a Ballarat game last year, standing on the hill with the rain and wind smacking me in the face where it "felt like" minus-4.5, so perhaps I'm just a glutton for punishment.
TomC
Roar Guru
One of my favourite things about footy is how so many premiers over the last 20 years appeared to have been out of contention at times during their premiership season. Brisbane in 2001 were dead at 3-5. Geelong had a similar record in 2007. Richmond lost four in a row in 2017. It is more unusual though to find teams that go through a form slump in the second half of the year and recover to win the flag, like Geelong and Collingwood will have to do. Arguably Brisbane in 2003. But there really isn't much of a gap between first and eighth; some teams are just a bit more consistent than others. No results in the finals would truly be a surprise. I reckon Adrian's views on the snow game are those you could only have if you watched it on TV. It was *very* cold. And while five minutes of snow was a novelty for us Canberrans, standing around for a couple of hours getting buffeted by sub-zero winds was not. It should not have been scheduled for a Friday night in early August and hopefully it won't happen again.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I checked the afl injury list yesterday and yikes, the bombers are done, to many good players off the park, Daniher and Hurley are enormous outs for them.
Maxine
Guest
Hi Ritchie,really good question,I hope this helps. In the event of the number of available players on the list of any club reducing through injury,illness,or other incapacity to 22 or less the AFL may in its absolute discretion grant to such club the right to include in the team of the club a player or players other than a player or players listed with such club for such a period and upon such terms and conditions as the AFL shall in its absolute discretion determine. Without limitation to the foregoing any club which claims that a player or players is or are unavailable through injury or illness shall not be entitled to this benefit unless such club shall have obtained from the AFL medical director a certificate in support thereof.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
These teams obviously lack the depth and grit of the Tigers. A recent study had the Tigers way beyond your oft used excuse of 'reaching tipping point' on the basis of missed games from last year's top 10 in the b&f. By quite a margin, too. No other side even came close, including your 'beloved Pies'. Time to give it a rest. It takes a list to succeed. Too many list cloggers at these sides you mention if you ask me. No excuses!
RT
Roar Rookie
On the suggestion that GWS may not have 22 players to field a team, although it is unlikely it is not impossible. Has the AFL ever stated what would happen in this scenario? You would hope they have a contingency plan
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Injuries are a valid excuse for The Giants, Pies and Bombers. A shame we don’t get to see what these lists are really capable of.