Opinion
After a pulsating Round 3 of footy, lets hope that Round 4 will be just as exciting and unpredictable.
Adelaide Crows: Showdown win; momentum or over confidence?
The Crows comeback win over their arch rivals the Power could lift their morale or make them complacent; only time will tell. In a side plot, will the Crows find a spot for Tex?
Brisbane Lions: Dotting every i and crossing every t
The Lions should bring their ruthless four quarter performance in Round 3 against a hapless Kangaroos outfit into the Lions Round 4 clash with the Cats. The Lions didn’t let up in Round 3; they played as if their lives depended on the game from start to finish.
Carlton Blues: The Blues are the team to watch
The Blues have won their opening three games in season 2022. They are playing a good brand of footy. There’s no doubt that their midfield bats deep. They are playing a Suns team that should mean that they are four and zero.
Collingwood Magpies- Can the Pies go three and one
The Magpies need to put in a four quarter performance against the Eagles if they are to ensure a spot in the top eight after Round 4. It’s great to see the Magpies playing attacking footy, but a bit of tempo footy to conserve their energy wouldn’t go astray.
Essendon Bombers- Lose and their season may be over
The Bombers look devoid of options in the forward half with Peter Wright the only viable option to kick to. There are some tough calls to be made at selection, including perhaps dropping, Sam Draper.
Fremantle Dockers- A watershed game
The Dockers face a Giants team that they are capable of beating. There’s no disputing the Dockers will need to be at their best to beat the Giants. A win for the Dockers could build momentum and a loss could be catastrophic in terms of their top eight hopes.
Geelong Cats- A game that will show them where they are at
The Cats will be playing against an in form Lions team. There’s no disputing that the Cats will have to play the way they did in the fourth quarter in Round 3 for four quarters in Round 4 as they will be facing a formidable opposition.
Gold Coast Suns- Was Round 3 an aberration?
The Suns should be in no doubt watching their Round 3 game back and the lack of fight they showed against the Giants that they need to improve to be a viable club. They can’t keep changing coaches; the players need to show some fight against the Blues in Round 4 to prove Round 3 was a one off and not the start of a trend.
GWS Giants- A game they need to win
The Giants must beat the Dockers; it’s as simple as that. They need to prove that they deserve to play finals, because there’s a big difference between being one and three and two and two.
Tom Green. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Giants looks dejected after a loss during the 2021 AFL Round 20 match between the GWS Giants and the Port Adelaide Power at Marvel Stadium on August 1, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Hawthorn- They must respond
Hawthorn is no doubt surprising a lot of people, but they did have their first loss in the Sam Mitchell tenure by the smallest of margins in Round 3. They must prove that they can mix it with a team on the rise, in the Saints if the Hawks are to continue to be a sneaky chance of featuring deep into September this season.
Melbourne Demons- They have weaknesses to exploit
The Demons have won their first three games of the season by a combined total of 38 points. Every time a team wins a premiership their game plan is a template for the rest of the competition to study. They will be facing a hungry Power team, which will be a test for the Demons.
North Melbourne Kangaroos- Are the players as brave as their coach
The Kangaroos coach David Noble didn’t hide behind anything in his press conference following their Round 3 obliteration by the Lions.
Will the players respond against the Swans in Round 4? Only time will tell. The Kangaroos must bring an acceptable amount of endeavour to the game or be dropped.
Port Adelaide Power- The lights may be out
The Power get the perfect game to follow a narrow Showdown loss when they face the Demons in Round 4. The Power have their season on the line, in what should be a pulsating contest given they did reach the Preliminary Final in season 2021, but are zero and three in season 2022.
Richmond Tigers- The Tigers’ era of domination is over
The Tigers left too much to too few in Round 3 against the Saints. They need a team-first effort that the likes of Nathan Broad provided in Round 3. It’s tough to see them winning against the Bulldogs.
St Kilda Saints- The Saints face the ultimate test
The Saints face off against Hawthorn in Round 4 in what should be a cracking contest. It’s tough to predict a result in, but hopefully the Saints bring the same fight they have in Round 2 and Round 3.
Sydney Swans- Swans should be bullish
The Swans have started the season well, despite a loss in Round 3. They did face a hungry Bulldogs team, but the Swans were still competitive. They will face a desperate Kangaroos team so it will be a test, which the Swans should pass with flying colours.
West Coast Eagles- The Eagles are in trouble
The Eagles have been decimated by COVID protocols and injuries and now they face a Magpies team under a new coach with a good attacking game plan. It’s difficult to judge the Eagles players or coach, but they need a good performance to show they can avoid the dreaded wooden spoon!
Western Bulldogs- A danger game
The Bulldogs must kick straighter than they did in Round 3 as they had 11 more scoring shots than the Swans, but won by 11 points! That’s what makes it a ‘danger game’ against the Tigers.
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