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Round 9 is completed, and I believe like with each passing week, we be told much less concerning the season we’re having.
GWS are again in trade in shocking taste, whilst Geelong and Brisbane, the massive winners out of remaining week, fell off their perch. Collingwood are red-hot irrespective of who they put out at the park, Richmond have as many wins within the first two months of the yr as we idea they’d have all season, and Gold Coast have lurched again to the ‘good’ aspect of the Are-they-actually-good-o-meter.
And is any individual else beginning to assume we could be slumbering on Essendon just a bit bit?
In any case, it was once a cracking around with 3 thrillers on Sunday to complete it off – and the whole thing from Showdown Medals to the Willie Rioli saga to unpack.
And because it seems, it was once the nearest around by way of moderate margin in VFL/AFL historical past! Truly particular.
Let’s start.
1. The Showdown merits top time permanence
There is not any higher contention within the AFL than the Showdown.
In truth, it’s now not even shut – and I fight to think about a greater one among of Australian game.
We have cross-town derbies always. Plenty of fits come between two groups who hate each and every different – assume South Sydney and Sydney within the NRL, or nearer to house, GWS and the Western Bulldogs, or extra just lately Collingwood and Geelong.
And there are even groups that reguarly produce thrillers – the Giants and Cats, for example.
But the Showdown combines all 3 – and the one factor incorrect with the most recent vintage between Adelaide and Port Adelaide was once the timeslot through which the AFL scheduled it.
It’s time for the league’s splendid contention to be an enduring top time fixture, and now not hidden away on Fox Footy as a part of a Saturday evening double-header.
A nice recreation is almost about inevitable – contemporary years have proved shape doesn’t topic in any respect in those video games. The Power got here into Saturday evening off the again of a 90-point loss, whilst the Crows have had a excellent begin to 2025 – but in any case, not up to a objective separated the 2 groups.
What different fit are you able to financial institution as being a blockbuster AND residing as much as the hype yr on yr?
If it was once as much as me, the Showdown can be given an enduring top time slot as a marquee tournament – one thing just like the Thursday evening earlier than Good Friday – to convey it to as vast an target audience as conceivable.
If the AFL thinks Victoria, nonetheless the largest marketplace, can have minimum pastime in comparison to a fit that includes a big Melbourne membership, I might level to social media on Saturday evening, which was once ruled with dialogue at the Crows-Power vintage unfolding.
Please, AFL. Give the folk what they would like.
2. Rozee boos turn out it’s time for a big medal reconsider
When Connor Rozee was once introduced because the Showdown Medallist on the Adelaide Oval on Saturday evening, the stands erupted in boos.
The explanation why? Not since the honour was once debatable – even though I’d without a doubt argue {that a} positive R. Thilthorpe was once extraordinarily stiff – however as a result of Rozee was once at the shedding aspect, Port Adelaide having misplaced a mystery by way of 9 issues, and celebrating Crows lovers within the stands had been in no temper to be gracious.
We could make the response all about Adelaide lovers missing magnificence if we wish, however for me, the response to Rozee’s win bolstered a idea I’ve had for some time concerning the league’s primary best-afield medals: they must be awarded to the most productive participant … at the profitable aspect.
Partly, it is because I in finding best-afield honours secondary normally to Most worthy participant honours – the person or girl that made the largest affect on his workforce’s victory.
Rozee had 32 disposals – a few of them he didn’t even flip over – 684 metres received and a surprising objective, however it wasn’t sufficient to get the Power over the road. That can’t be mentioned about Thilthorpe, whose 3 objectives and vice-like arms proved instrumental within the Crows’ triumph in spite of badly shedding the inside-50 depend.
Mostly, even though, it’s as a result of awarding a best-on-ground medal to a participant at the shedding aspect is without equal mood-killer.
No Power fan or participant takes any solace out of Rozee’s medal within the aftermath of a heartbreaking Showdown loss – Rozee himself was once flat as a tack when giving a stylish acceptance speech through which it was once transparent he’d somewhat had been anyplace else.
It’s the similar for the uncommon circumstances the place a Norm Smith Medal is received by way of a participant on a shedding grand ultimate workforce – did Nathan Buckley or Chris Judd get any pleasure by any means about being referred to as onto the dais for the medal they didn’t wish to declare that day?
Compare it to the pleasure of teammates and the roar of the group when it is going to a participant at the profitable aspect, like for Steele Sidebottom on Anzac Day, or Will Ashcroft within the QClash, or Ashcroft once more for remaining yr’s Norm Smith.
It’s a no brainer for mine – forged the votes post-game or have the selectors come to a decision by means of a consensus, however both means make the winner an on-field victor too.
Connor Rozee celebrates a Port Adelaide objective. (Photo by way of Michael Willson/AFL Photos by means of Getty Images)
3. Let’s communicate concerning the Dees’ Clayton Oliver drawback
That Melbourne have an issue with Clayton Oliver, and that it’s rising larger by way of the day, can’t be denied.
Regardless of whether or not it was once his thought or Simon Goodwin’s, the sight of one of the most premier ball-winning midfielders of his technology, a four-time splendid and fairest, two-time Coaches Association MVP and three-time All-Australian, lowered to tagging a pre-season draft graduate in Jai Newcombe – and doing a very good activity, to be honest – would had been unthinkable even 12 months in the past.
The factor for Melbourne, even though, stays the similar because it was once on the finish of remaining season when Oliver’s call was once as soon as once more put at the business desk – there’s no state of affairs the place the Demons can offload him and his sizeable contract with out popping out important losers.
It was once even urged on one of the most footy panel displays this week that the Dees ignored a trick by way of now not offloading him on the finish of remaining yr – and I actually imply ‘offload’, given the advice was once for them to have thrown in a prime draft pick out as a sweetener, very similar to what Gold Coast did with Jack Bowes in gifting him to Geelong.
There would had been riots within the streets if the Dees had completed that. Oliver stays, then again dire his remaining couple of years, probably the most necessary males in fashionable Melbourne historical past, and handy him over to the Cats – and everyone knows that’s the place he would have long gone – for the rest wanting two first-round choices, by no means thoughts truthfully giving up a pick out of their very own as neatly, would had been insanity.
Yes, it might have unfolded some area within the wage cap: however other people appear to leave out that having loose cash within the cap can most effective take you to this point.
Geelong and Brisbane luring a celebrity recruit each different yr has proved no hindrance on their cap area; in the meantime, St Kilda are about to spend their warfare chest on a ruckman they don’t want in Tom De Koning, apparently as a result of he’s the primary big-name gun from any other membership who’s agreed to them after rejections from Finn Callaghan, Zach Merrett and Andrew Brayshaw.
If offloading Oliver was once going to assist them land an Oscar Allen, say, and even an Aaron Cadman, or assisted in luring Luke Jackson again house, then tremendous; however occasionally a warfare chest simply finally ends up leading to overpaying for Jared Polec, Jasper Pittard and Dom Tyson, as any North Melbourne supporter can let you know.
Right now, irrespective of whether or not he’s tagging or can ever get again to his splendid, Oliver is extra treasured to the Demons in pink and blue than he may be able to be in different colors.
As sticky a scenario as it’s, the most productive factor to do is be affected person, pass your hands, and hope issues ultimately click on for him. At 27 years outdated, he’s nonetheless were given a variety of time on his aspect.
4. Of route Zach Merrett deserved to be cleared
No, Zach Merrett being cleared for his prime whack on Nick Blakey isn’t a case of various regulations for Brownlow Medal contenders than for everybody else.
It’s now not a case of the Match Review Officer in spite of everything striking motion above end result, having shirked clear of it in circumstances equivalent to Bo Allan’s prime hit on Jack Viney and particularly Paul Curtis’ take on on Josh Sinn.
Merrett attacked the ball with an open palm, tried to faucet the ball over Blakey’s head, made touch with the ball, after which stuck the Swan prime.
A loose kick? Absolutely. But the rest greater than that, irrespective of whether or not Blakey were concussed or now not, would had been but any other instance of the MRO’s regulations being ill-equipped to handle the rest however probably the most egregious of incidents.
Comparisons to younger Eagle Allan’s ban also are ridiculous – for something, Merrett had eyes at the ball during, in contrast to Allan, and for any other, truthfully made touch with the footy.
The most effective equivalent incident to match it to is Rory Lobb’s tried ruin in Round 2 which ignored the ball and picked up Mason Cox within the head – for which he was once, appropriately, cleared.
The drawback I’ve is I worry that Merrett WOULD had been suspended had Blakey certainly proved to be concussed, and that it might had been any other three-week ban with a ‘severe’ grading.
But I in finding it funny that, after weeks of bemoaning each unmarried suspension passed down, the clamouring for Merrett to be banned for this.
Yes, we wish consistency – however we additionally need the proper resolution. What’s the purpose of consistency if each unmarried name is a howler?
5. The AFL let everybody down in Willie Rioli saga – particularly Willie Rioli
No, Willie Rioli isn’t the sufferer out of this week’s drama.
But the AFL’s dealing with of his threatening message aimed toward Bailey Dale, from begin to end, turns out to had been built to ensure that him to be pilloried up to conceivable.
The league’s resolution not to droop him for the preliminary textual content was once utterly out of line with different bans they have got doled out for off-field behaviour lately.
No, a large ban like what was once passed out for homophobic abuse remaining yr to Jeremy Finlayson, Will Powell or Lance Collard would had been overkill – then again threatening the message, the one one suffering from it’s the particular person receiving it, while homphobia is an instantaneous slur towards a whole group of blameless bystanders.
But a one-week ban would have killed the tale right away, and allowed the league to make a difference when tales later broke of earlier threats Rioli had made – that, within the phrases of Brad Scott, so long as it’s now not racist or homphobic, what occurs at the area remains at the area.
Not giving a ban, and most effective launching an investigation as soon as the media unearthed additional grime, made the league glance incompetent, derelict in its responsibility, and – and that is worst of all – allowed the worst other people within the AFL group to proclaim the race card as the rationale Rioli at the beginning escaped sanction.
Willie Rioli celebrates a objective. (Photo by way of Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Then, the cherry on most sensible – to just announce a ban after Rioli himself had elected to face down from the Showdown, successfully each inflicting him to leave out a fit whilst additionally permitting the idiots of the arena to proclaim that they had been nonetheless now not punishing him.
In the method, it made a media circus of one thing everybody, maximum of all Dale and the Bulldogs, sought after to easily transfer on from; simply as Geelong and Essendon made no public point out of Rioli’s on-field threats remaining yr.
The AFL dropped the ball horrendously this week. And greater than any individual else, Rioli was once let down probably the most by way of the entire shambles.
6. It’s too early to understand the rest about this yr
As North Melbourne threw the whole thing however the kitchen sink at Brisbane within the demise mins at Ninja Stadium to very just about thieve the second-most not likely win of the yr (Richmond beating Carlton in Round 1, in fact, the unconquerable chief), it struck me that a large number of conclusions are already being drawn a few season which we nonetheless know slightly the rest about.
Things just like the 8 being set already and the premiership contenders unshakeably established had been bandied about this week – or even with historical past suggesting that when 8 video games, lots of the most sensible 8 is already set, it moves me that fashionable footy is loopy sufficient to throw that historical past immediately out the window.
Only remaining yr, the eventual premiers had 3 wins and a draw to their call at this level; Hawthorn had simply began to show the nook, whilst each Melbourne and Essendon had been entrenched within the most sensible 8.
Strange issues can occur in any season, and in fashionable footy maximum of all – if the Kangaroos can just about topple the ladder-leading Lions, and deny them the total 4 premiership issues for simply the second one time this season, then actually the rest can occur.
So no, Sydney aren’t already cooked this yr – and certainly, only a week in the past after beating GWS, we had been speaking about them as having grew to become the nook.
The identical is going for Fremantle amid their depressing run, and particularly GWS – probably the most out of shape workforce going round remaining week, they silenced a variety of doubters by way of storming GMHBA Stadium for a well-known win at what has turn into the strangest glad looking floor in footy.
On the turn aspect, Geelong stay extra inconsistent than they’ve been for moderately some time – you don’t know whether or not you’re getting the powerhouse which took down Collingwood and Adelaide in Adelaide, or one that may seem like schoolboys towards Jesse Hogan at their very own fort.
Hawthorn are racking up the wins however don’t really feel all that inspiring in this day and age – they might both come nice and dominate the contest, or fall by way of the wayside as any collection of strong-starting groups have completed through the years.
Equally, we would possibly had been slumbering on Essendon all this whilst: the closeness in their wins has avoided the standard rush of acclaim each time the Bombers get a win streak going, and you’ll wager that fits Brad Scott simply tremendous.
The level is: footy is bizarre presently. And with 15 weeks of season 2025 left earlier than the finals, regardless of the place you might be at the ladder (with the exception of, most definitely, should you’re West Coast), hope springs everlasting, and crisis is most effective ever one nook away.
Random ideas
– Turns out this was once an omen!
– Jack Gunston is vying for Steele Sidebottom’s most sensible spot within the ‘I thought you were cooked three years ago’ stakes.
– Andrew McQualter screaming from the field for Tom Gross to kick it, then blowing his stack when Tom Brown stuck him, would possibly simply be my favorite footy clip of the yr.
– Heartbroken Reilly O’Brien didn’t apply via with a transfer with 40 seconds at the clock within the Showdown. Would had been the ruckman second to finish all ruckman moments.
– You can’t critically be paying maintaining the ball on this scenario.
– Harvey Langford goes to be some participant.
