1. Without doubt the suggestion of an in-season AFL tournament is the silliest idea I’ve heard for a long time.
Let’s just leave the season at 23 games please. Over the past few years, we have introduced Opening Round and Gather Round and gone from 22 to 23 games. That’s enough for now. We don’t need more changes, let’s just get the current fixture sorted. The English Premier League has been 38 games since 1995 and the NFL in the United States was 16 games for 42 years before increasing it to 17 in 2021. What I’m saying is these are all great products, and we don’t need change for change’s sake.
2. This could be a case of an old man yelling at clouds but am I wrong that the noise from the ground announcers and activations happening at games is at an all-time high?
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You cannot hear yourself think pre-game and at the breaks. Now I know we need to cater for a wide range of people at games, but can we just dial it back a bit? What happened to going to the footy to catch up with mates and have a chat about the game in the breaks without the noise and activity on the screens. Am I wrong or just getting too old?
3. My pet hate in football is when a player comes from the ground after kicking a goal.
Now I know it’s all about sports science but here is a case that shows why it kills a player’s momentum. The last time the Dogs played at Marvel Stadium two weeks ago, Will Lewis kicked the first two goals of the match within the first five minutes. He then came off the ground despite being on fire, allowing his opponent to breathe a sigh of relief. Guess what happened after that? Lewis didn’t kick another goal.
4. If a player punches another player in the head deliberately, they will be suspended and rightly so.
But guess what, you can get away with this if you grab their jumper and then do the exact same action. It’s called a ‘jumper punch’. Players have been doing it for as long as the game has been played and getting away with it. Well, we should not anymore with what we know about head trauma. The AFL must stamp it out. It’s not acceptable anymore.
5. Let’s get out the crystal ball, the Carlton footy club have now won six games in a row and are in finals calculations under Josh Fraser.
They are two points off the Pies in 10th place heading into round 17. I’ve got them winning five more games which gets them to 12 wins. I think that would have them in the wild-card round. They also don’t leave Melbourne again, with three games at the ‘G and their last five at Marvel. What an incredible effort this will be after the sacking of Michael Voss. Surely if this happens Fraser will be appointed the permanent coach for next year.
6. I said this earlier in the year. The Showdown has overtaken all the traditional rivalry matches and is now the best in the game.
It is always a ripping contest regardless of ladder positions and that was proven again last Saturday night. What a win and coaching performance from Josh Carr. This could also prove to be the loss that costs the Crows a spot in the top six. One in every three Showdowns is decided by two goals or less and over the past decade the crowds at Adelaide Oval are 93 per cent of capacity. What a rivalry this is.
7. Zak Butters is clearly leaving Port Adelaide. This would be a hard thing for him to be wrestling with in a fanatical footy town like Adelaide.
His form while agonising over this decision is nothing short of amazing. In his past 15 games, he has been in the top five ranked players on the ground in the official player ratings. Whoever gets Butters is going to be a very lucky footy club. This player leaves everything on the ground.
Zak Butters accepts the Showdown Medal. Credit: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
8. Overheard a funny chat in the sauna the other day. These blokes were taking about players they hated.
Now hate is a strong word. I’d say players that annoyed them from other clubs. Normally these guys play for top teams. They were referencing Hawthorn’s James Sicily and Nick Watson. These two got on their nerves. One of the lads then lamented that his club didn’t have any hated players anymore. His club was St Kilda. He referenced past players such as the “Tip Rat” Stephen Milne and the “G Train” Fraser Gehrig, Stephen Baker was mentioned as well. I thought to myself these guys are right. If your club doesn’t have these divisive figures or characters you are probably at the lower end of the ladder.
9. The Rising Star race is now wide open. A few weeks ago, I thought it was down to three.
Willem Duursma, Jagga Smith and Phoenix Gothard. Well make that four with the Blues’ Harry Dean coming hard at this trio. Dean has been outstanding in a key defensive post, and I think has played even better in the absence of All-Australian defender Jacob Weitering. Dean is hard, tough and brave. He’s also playing key position which I think is a lot harder at his young age. He is right in the mix now to win this award.
Harry Dean flying high. Credit: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
10. At the recent US Open golf tournament there was a remarkable achievement of sustained professionalism at the highest level.
I don’t think it got the recognition it deserved. Australia’s Adam Scott competed in his 100th major tournament in a row. That’s 25 years without missing. He joined the GOAT Jack Nicklaus as the only two players in golf history to have achieved this feat. It speaks volumes of his playing ability and consistency but also his professionalism to get his body right for 25 years at the highest level. I’m not sure this will happen again. FYI Nicklaus played 146 in a row from the 1962 Masters through to the 1998 US Open.
