AFL 2010

[trimster]

I had thought that there wasn't much point starting an AFL thread this year- due to the mysterious disapearance of Melbourne Arab. He was this forum's keenest fan, and usually made most of the posts (and he was probably the only Melbourne-based fan on here, which helped!)

But the competition has already started... so I will start one; just in case someone else wants to make comments, or MA comes back. I don't passionately support any club- I occaisionally attend Port Power (and SANFL) games.

Financially struggling Port Power have been saved by a cash injection from former Adelaide United owner Gordon Pickard. But the other SANFL clubs have vetoed an amalgamation between the Power and the Port Magpies: they didn't fancy the Magpies becoming the reserve side of an AFL club and dominating the local competition once more. So the Magpies, SA's most famous club, will more than likely fold up at the end of this season.

As for this year's AFL comp- who knows? I haven't been following the Melbourne scene closely. I would assume that, once again, Geelong, St Kilda and Hawthorn would start as favourites. It will be interesting to see how two big name "bad boys" will go with new clubs: Brendan Fevola at Brisbane, and Barry Hall at the Bulldogs.

[jason voorhees]

AFL 2010

Yeah, I was wondering, especially as I actually got to see the Geelong win over Essendon (the dictionary definition of the champs having a 5th gear,) Carlton's destruction of Richmond, and St. Kilda's win over Sydney. That said, it was nice to see these early games without a hitch.

Too bad about Port Magpies, as they were one of the teams with very strong ties to the USA through the New York City club (who would send their best player to train with the team every year.)

[jason voorhees]

AFL 2010

Nice game between Port and WCE this morning. I would've loved to hear what MA said about St. Kilda's 100+ destruction of North Melbourne.

[trimster]

AFL 2010

Yeah, St Kilda look pretty convicncing so far; they will be determined not to let the premiership slip from their grasp this year.

This is the last AFL season with 16 clubs- Gold Coast will join the competition next year, and a western Sydney based team the following year. Many people are speculating about where the AFL's expansionist activity will lead- can the AFL actually sustain 18 clubs? Gold Coast seems like a reasonable idea, as plenty of southern states expats live up there. But western Sydney? The game barely exists at grassroots level there. It is a rugby league stronghold, and a new A League soccer team will be set up there soon. A new AFL team there will make inroads into the Swans' supporter base and possibly cause problems for them.

But AFL boss Demetriou seems fairly confident (all ceo's of big corporations have to appear confident, of course...) And if people in North America have some interest in the game, there must be something going for it....

[jamzinho]

AFL 2010

That North Melbourne game was embarrassing! One of the commentators on the ABC, said it was difficult to watch because it was so one sided.

My team, the Crows, have made a poor start. Beaten by Freo in Perth in game 1, then losing at home to Sydney for the first time in ages in game 2. I've not seen coverage of either game, but they sound out of form and fitness, with a few key players not available at all. We play Melbourne at the MCG next week, which must surely be a Crows win (regardless of Melbourne's courageous one point loss to Collingwood).

We are being treated by ESPN at the moment in the UK! Three games a week so far this season, and it continues next weekend. Over Easter we've had Friday, Saturday and Monday. Next weekend we get Friday, Sat and Sunday games - brilliant!

[Guest]

AFL 2010

Saturday night’s first quarter was close to perfection. When St Kilda lost to North Melbourne in round 21 last year, we were restricted to just 8 goals in the entire match. On Saturday, St Kilda opened the match by kicking 8 straight before a late behind from Jason Gram prompted some loud, but good natured, booing. The quarter time score of 49-0 was an historic one – it was the first time in 10 years of games at Docklands that a team has failed to score in the first quarter.

Incredibly, St Kilda’s 8 goals didn’t include any from Nick Riewoldt (although he finished the match with 7) and giant forward Justin Koschitzke (Kosi) missed the match through suspension. His replacement, Adam Pattison, had a miserable debut with a grand total for the night of 2 kicks and 6 handballs, one of his kicks a hideous shank from a shot at goal 30m out. Pattison was a very strange piece of recruitment by St Kilda having been delisted by the competition’s worst team, Richmond, at the end of last season. Kosi is out for 2 more games but whether Pattison can hold his spot, even after a 104 point win, is surely doubtful.

Despite the score, it’s not as if North didn’t have their chances in that first quarter. They managed 10 inside 50s against a St Kilda defence missing its best player, Sam Fisher, out for several weeks with an ankle injury. Young New South Welshman, Sam Gilbert, who has a rugby league legend for a grandfather, was outstanding in Fisher’s absence. North eventually scored a behind halfway through the second quarter to reduce the deficit to a round 10 goals. St Kilda actually eased off a bit in the middle part of the match, kicking 8 goals across quarters 2 and 3 before finishing off with a thumping 7 goals to 1 fourth term.

Wayward goalkicking cost St Kilda a deserved premiership last year so the first 2 rounds have been encouraging - 23.5 against North and 15.6 against Sydney.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

What have we learned from the first 2 weeks which have produced a remarkable number of great games?

Adelaide are not the top 8 certainties we all believed and the top 4 looks well beyond them. They are missing a few players but appear very slow and devoid of goal scoring threat (apart from excellent youngster Patrick Dangerfield). 7th is the best they can hope for.

Brisbane had a kind draw which gave them 2 games at the Gabba to start with and they won both. Will finish between 4th and 6th with the latter more likely.

Carlton made the finals last year for the first time since 2001. Loaded with number 1 draft picks they should be getting better but the loss of Fevola to Brisbane will hit hard. Best case scenario is 7th again.

Collingwood should make 4th but could go as low as 6th with an unusually tough draw. They play Geelong, St Kilda, the Bulldogs and Hawthorn twice although, as they found out in Saturday’s extraordinary match against Melbourne, the worst teams do lift when they play Collingwood.

Essendon made the finals despite not winning half their games last year. Have suffered 2 embarrassing final quarters so far kicking 2 goals and conceding 14. Will not make the finals and could plunge into the bottom 4 which would leave coach Matthew Knights in big trouble.

Fremantle have been the surprise team so far beating Adelaide and then getting a rare win in Melbourne. Their next 2 games are against Geelong and St Kilda but, unless they get slaughtered twice, they look far too good for 14th which is where everybody thought they would finish.

Geelong are top 3 certainties. A pre-season poll of the 16 AFL captains saw only 3 predict Geelong would reach another grand final and 1, incredibly, had them missing the 8. Two impressive come from behind wins so far. This is the last year of their premiership window.

Hawthorn will finish 4th to 6th. Their defence is dodgy (but I said that in 2008) and they have massive problems in the ruck which ultimately lost them the game against Geelong on Sunday (and what a hell of a game that was).

Melbourne will finish 15th. They have a huge stockpile of young talent but much of it is injured. 5 years from now the grand final will be Melbourne v Gold Coast.

North Melbourne are in massive trouble if they lose at home to West Coast at the weekend. Will not make the finals and could finish as low as 14th.

Port Adelaide might make the finals. I was very impressed with their St Kilda like performance against the Western Bulldogs pre-season. There’s little doubt that ex North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley, now assistant at Port, has toughened up one of the flakiest teams in the league.

Richmond are one of the worst sides in history and could finish 0-22. They could not have picked a worse time to hit rock bottom because all the young talent is going to the 2 new clubs in the next couple of years. Face a very bleak future but, incredibly, have sold more than 35,000 memberships for 2010. If North Melbourne or the Western Bulldogs were this bad, Tasmania would be getting an AFL club.

St Kilda are top 3 certainties. You can keep Gary Ablett, Nick Riewoldt is now the best player in the AFL. If St Kilda make the grand final, Nick needs to be fit (he played injured last year) and it needs to be dry.

Sydney are much better than anybody thought and could finish as high as 7th.

West Coast have a massive game at North Melbourne this week (see above). I thought they were an outside chance for the finals but I’m not convinced now.

Western Bulldogs are top 3 certainties and will beat either Geelong or St Kilda in the grand final as long as their 30something group of players don’t fall over. They’ve suffered 2 agonising preliminary defeats in a row and this is the last year of their premiership window.

[trimster]

AFL 2010

Good to see you back, MA....

Expect to see Neil Craig's job on the line this year, if the Crows continue to struggle.

I still haven't understood a single word he has ever said.... don't know how the players manage to follow his words of wisdom...

[Guest]

AFL 2010

Over the years I've often mentioned the unpleasant experiences I've had at Collingwood games having to put up with hordes of drunken, knuckle dragging, slack jawed, toothless, feral, racist scumbags. Tomorrow night, St Kilda play Collingwood at a sold out Etihad Stadium. It's a home game so at least I know I will be sitting with fellow human beings. The downside is that most of the standing room only tickets will be purchased by Collingwood supporters who will spend the night standing at the back of bays nearest the bars abusing everybody very loudly and offensively. The bay we sit in is very close to a bar.

I mention this because the president of Collingwood, of all clubs, reckons it's not safe for visiting fans to go to Adelaide:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/eddie-mcguire-attacks-unsafe-aami-stadium/story-e6frf9jf-1225851355154

[trimster]

AFL 2010

Ha, ha.... last time I attended a match at AAMI Stadium, I was surrounded by fans whose average age looked to be about 60-plus. They sat in stony silence for most of the match. I guess the sight of Eddie M. might just bring out the worst in them....

[jamzinho]

AFL 2010

Brilliant! That is one of the stupidest statements that I've ever heard him make.

Mostly agree with your summary after two rounds. I still think the Crows can still make the top 6.

There was a comedy show on ABC last year where they predicted the future of the AFL. One of Tim Lane's predictions was that Melbourne would relocated to Tasmania to become the Van Diemens

[jamzinho]

AFL 2010

Is it not safe in Adelaide because of this...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/91919/default.aspx

[jamzinho]

AFL 2010

Interesting start to this St's v Pies game. I don't think they even had an opening bounce did they? Harry O'Brien giving Clint Jones a lot of attention, bumping/grappling. Cue many players from both sides joining in. Free kick ends up going to Collingwood. Turns out in the replays that Michael Gardner had Wellingham around the neck.

I do find the bumping and jostling quite off putting, but I suppose I'm not used to it coming from a soccer background.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

A magnificent battle at Etihad Stadium last night and, against all the odds, one of St Kilda’s great wins.

It was a strange start to the game as Jamzinho has mentioned – an off the ball incident saw Collingwood awarded a free kick before the match had even started and then seconds after Collingwood kicked the first goal, St Kilda were awarded a free kick down the other end to kick their first.

After that, the goals dried up, the highlight being former St Kilda captain Luke Ball missing an easy shot for goal for Collingwood. Then, a minute before half time, came the moment every St Kilda fan dreaded – Nick Riewoldt got injured.



He landed awkwardly in a marking contest, clutched the back of his leg, and fell to the ground. As he was being treated and carried off, Collingwood went down the other end and, 2 seconds before the siren, took the lead 32-29. It’s since been confirmed that Riewoldt has torn a hamstring but the extent of the damage isn’t yet known. At best, he will out for 6 weeks; at worst, if the hamstring has been torn off the bone, Riewoldt’s season (and St Kilda’s) is over.

Wise men would have put a lot of money on a Collingwood win at half time as St Kilda were still, inexplicably, favourites. St Kilda kicked the first goal of the second half and were hanging on grimly when disaster number 2 struck. Sam Fisher, the team’s best defender, had made a surprise return from a pre-season ankle injury. Halfway through quarter 3, he was stretchered off the ground with his neck in a brace. Minutes later, midfielder Lenny Hayes’ nose was rearranged across his face as he crashed into team mate Steven King. St Kilda were now missing their key defender, toughest midfielder and leading goalkicker (3 of the 4 best players on the list) but Collingwood just couldn’t kick a goal. Incredibly, St Kilda kicked the only other goal of the 3rd quarter to lead 42-38 at the last break and Hayes came back on with much of his face bandaged.



The majority of the 50,000 crowd had been in a state of gloom at half time but there was this extraordinary feeling in the ground at three quarter time that we could pinch this. The atmosphere at the start of the final quarter was as raucous as I’ve heard it inside Etihad Stadium and the Saints’ players responded with an astonishing onslaught, smashing Collingwood in the centre and pouring forward in waves pinning Collingwood into their defensive 50 and tackling like maniacs. It was magnificent stuff. St Kilda kicked 4 goals to seal the match and then Sam Fisher, back from the dead, walked up the tunnel to sit on the bench bringing the house down. The response when he came on the ground and took his first mark was spine tingling. He’s apparently suffering from severe headaches and has a black eye.



By this stage, the Collingwood fans were leaving in droves and the ground resembled a soccer stadium with the home support on their feet roaring their appreciation of the astonishing effort of their wounded, undermanned team. The contrast with tepid atmosphere at the recent A League grand final could hardly have been greater and my voice was gone at the end.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

Nick Riewoldt requires surgery and could be out for 8-12 weeks. It will be a hell of a struggle for St Kilda to sneak into the top 4 now.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

Round 3 started with a classic and finished with one. For the first time in their inglorious history, Fremantle have won their first 3 games and they did it by beating Geelong.

3 teams have won every game (St Kilda, Fremantle, Brisbane) and 3 have lost every game (Adelaide, West Coast, Richmond).

[Guest]

AFL 2010

West Coast and Essendon are not good teams so it was a pretty unappetising start to round 4 except for one thing – Nic Naitanui. Naitanui is 19 and has played just 14 AFL games but he is on course to become the most exciting player in the competition. Every time he goes near the ball, there is huge roar of anticipation at Subiaco. He started Friday in extraordinary fashion. In the ruck, he tapped the ball to himself, ran through the Essendon midfield, handballing to himself, then launched the ball into the forward line for Mark Le Cras to kick a goal. Time elapsed – 17 seconds. Astonishingly, he repeated the feat at the start of the second quarter although this time it took 48 seconds for West Coast to score.

Meanwhile, Adelaide’s season is in tatters – a home thumping from Carlton leaving them 0-4. They’ll be 0-5 next week after they lose to the Western Bulldogs and then they have the first showdown of the season against Port.

Unfortunately, the two most attractive games of the round went head to head last night with Collingwood easily beating Hawthorn and Brisbane moving to 4-0 with a remarkable win over the Western Bulldogs. Brisbane had an astonishing 72 inside 50s to just 39 for the Bulldogs but only won the game late in the 4th quarter after kicking a wasteful 13.23. Early in the third quarter, they had been 5 goals down.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

St Kilda went into this evening’s top of the table match against Fremantle (!) without both big forwards Nick Riewoldt (injured) and Justin Koschitzke (suspended) for the first time since 2005. Even more remarkable, it was only the 5th time since the two were picked in the same draft, in 2000, that they’d both been missing. In 2005, St Kilda still had Fraser Gehrig in the side who consistently outscored both but, last year, Riewoldt (78 goals) and Kosi (48) kicked 126 of St Kilda’s 322 goals. Surprisingly, Riewoldt was replaced in the team by a defender, Raph Clarke, and not giant teenager Rhys Stanley who had an impressive pre-season cup, as St Kilda opted to confuse Fremantle by rotating 3 big defenders, Brendon Goddard, Sam Fisher and Zac Dawson, through the forward line. Michael Gardiner, the ruckman who was so effective forward last week, played solely in the ruck with St Kilda obviously terrified about the damage Fremantle’s ruckman Aaron Sandilands would do if left unattended. Sandilands is 211cm tall and virtually unplayable.

This was yet another outstanding game with a very impressive Fremantle in it right until the final quarter before St Kilda pulled away to win by 15 points. Neither Fisher nor Dawson troubled the scoreboard in their unfamiliar roles but Goddard kicked 5 as did small forward Stephen Milne and Matthew Pavlich for Fremantle. I know the season is only 4 weeks old but I’ve already seen enough to be convinced that Fremantle will still be around in September. Their style of play is almost identical to St Kilda’s with an emphasis on forward pressure, zoning in the attacking half and ferocious tackling. Sandilands is a huge part of their game plan. Not only is he a brilliant ruckman but, by kicking to him at every kick in after conceding a behind, Fremantle know they will keep possession. His only weakness is kicking for goal. When the opposition are kicking in, Sandilands is strategically positioned forward to make life very awkward.

As impressive as the win was, I can’t see St Kilda’s makeshift forward line working every week but at least Kosi returns for round 5. There were several times tonight, though, when the Saints midfield looked toward the forward 50 and couldn’t see a tall target. As effective as Milne is as a crumbing forward, at 176cm he doesn’t win many marking contests. Nick Riewoldt is irreplaceable.

[trimster]

AFL 2010

Worst start to the season ever by the Adelaide Crows- played four, lost four. The last two games against usually beatable opponents Melbourne and Carlton have been woeful. As I predicted, fans are calling for the head of Neil Craig, but of course the club is "standing by him".

Fans are sick of the gnomic, pseduo-scientific gobbledygook that Craig spouts when he is "explaining" Adelaide losses at post-match press conferences. They are calling for someone with a bit more heart to replace him, like former captain Mark Bickley.

Port showed a bit more heart in their first half against Geelong, but were absolutely overrun in the second, when the Cats kicked fifteen goals to their three.

At the weekend, I had the interesting task of explaining the rules of Australian Rules Football to a visiting cousin from England who had never seen the game before. Try explaining "holding the ball or holding the man" after a few drinks!

[Guest]

AFL 2010

In the fallout from the Melbourne Storm scandal, St Kilda are now second favourites for the wooden spoon on betfair! Brian Waldron, the man behind the Storm cheating, was St Kilda CEO before he moved to Storm.

At least we won't lose any premierships.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

Adelaide were competitive for a quarter tonight against the Western Bulldogs but got thrashed again. They are now 0-5 and no team has ever made the finals from that position.

[jason voorhees]

AFL 2010

Saw the game this morning. I'm going to assume it's tough to make the finals when all you can do is connect 3-4 hand passes in a row, much less miss every free kick from the arc.

#10 on Western Bulldogs is quite a player. I suppose any Aussie Rules team worth its salt needs that short baldheaded player who kicks tons of goals.

[trimster]

AFL 2010

Did you see Neil Craig at three-quarter time, wandering aimlessly around, frowning at his clip-board, the players ignoring him? A real inspiration....

[Guest]

AFL 2010

jason voorhees wrote:

Saw the game this morning. I'm going to assume it's tough to make the finals when all you can do is connect 3-4 hand passes in a row, much less miss every free kick from the arc.

Adelaide might do a bit better if someone explained to them that they are playing Australian FOOTball and you are allowed to kick it.

They had 227 handballs last night and just 165 kicks.

[Guest]

AFL 2010

trimster wrote:

Did you see Neil Craig at three-quarter time, wandering aimlessly around, frowning at his clip-board, the players ignoring him? A real inspiration....

That frown is permanent now I think. It's the SA showdown next week with the Crows as the home team. If they lose that Craig will need a police escort off the ground.