Six talking points from AFL Round 18

The 2020 AFL home-and-away season is all but over with just a single match left to be played on Monday night. Here are my talking points from the weekend.

Dogs defeat Dockers, deny Dees
For the second year in a row the Western Bulldogs entered the final Sunday of the AFL home-and-away season needing to beat their opponents to secure a finals berth.

Last year it was an ailing Adelaide Crows side in Ballarat, and the Bulldogs pulled off a comfortable 34-point victory to return to September football for the first time since their 2016 premiership.

This year could hardly have been more different: if there’s a footy ground that’s the opposite of Ballarat then it might well be Cairns, and rather than coming up against a fading contender, this time they met one of the competition’s rising sides in Fremantle.

The hopes of the Melbourne Demons rested on the Dockers, knowing that if the men in purple could pull off an upset win, as they have done already more than once in 2020, it would allow Melbourne to sneak into the eight against all odds.

It was not to be.

The match was tense and tight in the first quarter-and-a-half, Fremantle controlling the game but not able to open up a serious lead, until the Bulldogs got on top and kicked three quick goals to take a handy 12-point advantage into halftime. That was then pushed out to 15 by the final change.

It was a lead that the Bulldogs would only extend further in the last quarter, that motivation of a finals spot just too much for the Fremantle to overcome, though the Dockers never let their opponents start breathing easily – or at least not until the last five minutes or so.

Best on ground for the Dogs was Lachie Hunter whose form since returning to the competition mid-season has been remarkable. It’s a credit to him how well he has rebounded after copping a lengthy suspension earlier in the year.

The silver lining was not without a cloud, however. Aaron Naughton went down after a head knock with Sean Darcy during the second quarter, and was sent to hospital for precautionary scans.

Hopefully the pre-finals bye gives him time enough to recover.

(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images via Getty Images)

St Kilda break nine-year finals drought
In my first Roar column of 2020, I asked the question: which teams would break their finals drought in season 2020?

No AFL side entered the year as far removed from their most recent finals campaign than St Kilda, who’ve not featured in the post-season since 2011.

The Saints came into this season on the back of a remarkable transformation at the end of 2019 – sacking their coach, promoting Brett Ratten, and trading in five players from rival clubs.

Still, there was pessimism around them We questioned the quality of their recruits, and of the talent already on the list. Pre-season predictions for them to play finals were few and far between.

And yet, on Friday night, St Kilda secured their first finals berth in nine years on the back of a commanding 52-point victory over last year’s runners-up, the GWS Giants.

The new faces at the club have certainly played their part. Dan Butler has been the value trade-in of the season, while Dougal Howard, Zak Jones, Paddy Ryder and Brad Hill have all made solid contributions.

But St Kilda’s best recruit has been the man sitting in the senior coach’s chair, Brett Ratten, who has transformed this team in more ways than one.

The Saints have gone from playing a stodgy, starchy, at times unwatchable brand of football under Alan Richardson to being one of the competition’s most dangerous, attacking sides.

Players who were relatively anonymous in the league before St Kilda’s 2020 campaign, like Jack Steele or Ben Paton, have seen their hidden talents revealed.

Going onto a finals win would be the icing on the cake. But whether St Kilda achieves that or not, their performance in season 2020 deserves to be lauded.

They made bold decisions to target a goal not many believed they could accomplish – and they got there. Bravo.

Tigers in pole position for another premiership
Regardless of Monday night’s match between Port Adelaide and Collingwood, we know for certain that the Power and Lions will finish 2020 as the top two teams on the ladder.

Yet if you were to take a vox pop asking about flag favourites, it would be hard to find too many who believe those are the leading premiership contenders.

Why? To put it short, they lack a certain legitimacy. Port haven’t won a final in six years and Brisbane in more than a decade. Like Richmond in 2017, until they make that breakthrough, it’s just hard to believe in them.

The Tigers, on the other hand, have a level of legitimacy that no other side in the competition can match: they’ve won two of the last three premierships and even when not at their best, they possess an undercurrent of belief unlike any other team in the competition.

Their wins in the past fortnight over Geelong and Adelaide have secured them third spot on the ladder, and while that may not seem impressive on face value, it’s a happy hunting ground.

Third is where they finished in both 2017 and 2019 before going on to win the flag – contrast that with 2018, where they were dominant minor premiers only to fail to clear the penultimate hurdle.

That’s not really enough data to draw solid conclusions from, but I suspect some would agree that the Tigers love to be able to view themselves and underdogs and challengers – it gives them the kind of hunger that delivers premierships.

The big question for this side is over injuries. They’ll get Shai Bolton back for their first final, but critical players Dion Prestia and Tom Lynch remain uncertain.

Could a rival side prove too talented for them if those two don’t get up – or if they are in the team, but underdone? Only time will tell.

We are entering a unique finals series and one that, on the surface, looks like it could be very competitive. But if you want my early tip, I’m backing Richmond to get it done – again.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Cats only win by a whisker despite four big inclusions
When Geelong named their team for Sunday’s match against the Sydney Swans, they brought back four names who could all prove crucial for their finals campaign.

Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett need no introduction, and Jack Steven and Gary Rohan too may well have a significant role to play in the finals.

Steven has been in and out of the side all year, struggling to make a consistent impact, but has shown hints of his match-winning talent at times.

He’s the kind of player who just might have a few shots to fire off in the finals, and could prove the difference between winning or losing a crucial match if at his best.

Rohan, on the other hand, doesn’t have the resume of these three, but prior to missing Round 17 with injury had been playing a vital role alongside Tom Hawkins in the Cats forward line.

He kicked seven goals in back to back games against St Kilda and Port Adelaide earlier this year, and was one of the most important players in Geelong’s come-from-behind win over the Bulldogs in Round 14.

If the Cats were hoping all four would slot back into the side seamlessly and build momentum ahead of finals, well, they didn’t quite get their wish.

Sydney put up a spirited show and in the end Geelong were a little lucky to get away with a one-goal win, albeit one that was still enough to secure a top-four finish.

Selwood, Ablett and Steven were all solid without being match-winners, and Rohan only recorded eight touches and two behinds but did provide two goal assists.

A week after having their pants pulled down by Richmond, the Cats were less than convincing, and will need to improve significantly on this form if they’re to make an impact in finals.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Worsfold era ends at Essendon
John Worsfold’s five year-tenure at the Essendon Bombers finally came to a close on Saturday as the Bombers bowed out of season 2020 with a 19-point loss to Melbourne.

It was a typically frustrating affair for both sides: Melbourne clearly better but unable to kill the game, Essendon putting together exciting bursts but incapable of consistently staying on top.

Worsfold’s final years at Essendon have delivered less than was hoped for. Despite bringing in multiple mature players, they have played one final in three years for a 55-point loss.

Sometime between now and the start of season 2021, the time since their last finals win will extend out beyond 6000 days, comfortably the longest drought in the league.

And the frustration Essendon fans have sometimes felt with Worsfold, clearly, is reciprocated. After last week’s loss to Port Adelaide, he had this to say:

“I understand that Essendon people think that Essendon should be better. But they have also got to understand that the competition challenges clubs now to work to the same rules, so the same rules at the draft and the salary cap.

“And no one team has any more right to be successful quicker than any other team just because they’re a big name club. You have got to knuckle down and commit to doing the work, and good clubs will do that and come out of it with success.”

Hopefully as they part, Worsfold and Essendon can celebrate and remember the best of each other.

The Bombers were at their lowest ebb when Worsfold arrived ahead of season 2016. He guided them through their darkest hour and brought excitement back to the club.

Perhaps the partnership lasted longer than it should have, but they are undoubtedly better off for it. They may not be in a great position right now, but it could so easily have been far worse.

Still, the way forward appears unclear for the Dons, and Ben Rutten has a significant task to decide firstly what he thinks this team can be, and then how to mould them into it.

Will Joe Daniher be there in 2021? Will Adam Saad? Or Orazio Fantasia? These are all questions they don’t yet know the answer to, and they’ll shape Essendon in the short-term and the long.

(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

Everybody gets a turn
Adelaide Crows (3-14) – Have copped their first wooden spoon in club history, but will enter the off-season with some genuine excitement about the form they showed in the last few weeks. Nice also to see Tex Walker break the club’s goals record – will he be there in 2021?

Brisbane Lions (14-3) – When teams were named on Friday night I realised I had committed the great crime of basically forgetting Stefan Martin existed. That in itself speaks to just how well Oscar McInerney has held down the spot without him in the side. Interested to see if they can get back into the swing of things in finals.

Carlton Blues (7-10) – Perhaps it really was Kade Simpson’s decision not to play on in 2021, but watching on Saturday night, I couldn’t help but be bewildered that he is finishing up and Eddie Betts isn’t. No disrespect to Eddie, but if you could only keep one on next year, I know who I would pick.

Collingwood Magpies (9-6-1) – Simple equation for them tomorrow night: Win and they are playing the Saints in Queensland, lose and they are travelling to Perth. Feel like they’d go in with some confidence either way, but avoiding the roadtrip would be nice.

Essendon Bombers (6-10-1) – He’s been something of a slown burn for Essendon but a player who has queitly improved this year is Kyle Langford, one of the few in the comp who could boast that he has recorded career-best disposal numbers even with shortenend 16-minute quarters. Well done.

Fremantle Dockers (7-10) – So ends what was ultimately a promising and enjoyable season for Dockers fans – so begins the countdown to Caleb Serong winning the Rising Star on Thursday night.

Geelong Cats (12-5) – This win belonged to Patrick Dangerfield who, while he was quiet in early patches of the game, went forward and booted three goals in a row to give Geelong a lead that they would not surrender – and in a game they could not afford to lose. Bravo.

Gold Coast Suns (5-11-1) – 2020 ends with a bitter taste in the mouth but make no mistake, this season was a step forward in Gold Coast’s ability to remain competitive more often than not. The best percentage of the bottom six, they’ll threaten finals in 2021.

GWS Giants (8-9) – Stephen Coniglio had a big first quarter after being put back in the side on Friday night with ten touches and four score assists – and then petered out a bit, finishing the night on 23 disposals. The Giants may well have missed finals either way, but it still feels like a bizarre decision.

Hawthorn Hawks (5-12) – Much like Jarryd Roughead’s memorable retirement game in 2019, this one was full of great moments as the Hawks farewelled three-time flag players Paul Puopolo and Ben Stratton. Puopolo booted a season-high three goals while Stratton was thrown forward late to kick only the second of his career – loved the celebration.

Melbourne Demons (9-8) – Lost to the Cats and Lions by less than a goal each, put in shockers against Sydney and Fremantle to lose games they should’ve won. If just one of those results goes the other way they are a top-eight side, instead, bitterly disappointing once again. The margins can be razor-thin sometimes.

North Melbourne Kangaroos (3-14) – Made headlines on Friday when, less than 24 hours after their season came to an end, they cut 11 players from their list. A sad end for many fan favourites at the club, but they are decisions that had to be made. I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces.

Port Adelaide Power (13-3) – Would they rather win the minor premiership and play Geelong (who embarrased them earlier this year) in their first final, or slip to second and play Richmond (who they beat)? One suspects going into finals with the momentum of another win would be the best outcome regardless of what it means for their fixture.

Richmond Tigers (12-4-1) – They’ll be watching tomorrow night’s match with some interest. If the Power win then it sets them up for another qualifying final against Brisbane at the Gabba, where they’ll go in confident. But you suspect they wouldn’t mind having a second crack at Port at the Adelaide Oval either.

St Kilda Saints (10-7) – Liked seeing Dan Hannebery back in the side for St Kilda on Friday night. He did pretty well too with 13 touches in less than 60 per cent game time with the Saints easing him back into it. If he could fire up in a final it would do a lot to silence some critics.

Sydney Swans (5-12) – The combination of Hawthorn’s big win and their narrow loss means they have snuck into having pick 3 in the draft. Certainly would’ve preferred to take another big scalp, but all things considered, not a bad outcome.

West Coast Eagles (12-5) – How much footy will the club get out of Jeremy McGovern, Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo in finals this year? They showed in 2018 that they can win the flag even while missing a name or two, but if that quartet are all on the sidelines, it’s hard to see them contending.

Western Bulldogs (10-7) – Fair to say he’s had some highs and some lows, and at times it’s looked like Tom Liberatore’s career might wind up early. Not so now – he’s had a great 2020 season and is an underrated member of a start-studded Dogs midfield.