Another week of quality AFL footy has been and gone and this was one of your more straightforward weekends of footy. Nothing too shocking results-wise and some very clear goo, bad and uglies which makes my job easier. The only honourable mention to even cover is, of course, the news that is nothing special really, it is only that Tassie now officially has a team!
Fantastic news for all involved is that the footy state that is the apple isle finally gains some recognition and will enter the league in just 5 short years. For anyone complaining that that is ‘too long to wait’, grow up, the road map for other teams has been even longer. Those people seem to forget that GWS started as a proposal in the early 2000s, their training facility broke ground in 2007 and the license was granted in 2008 and it wasn’t until 2012 til the newly named Giants made it onto the field for the first time.
When it comes to the naming of the team, I like the sound of the Tassie Timbers. Have the mascot be a woodchopper to represent the state’s great success and fondness for that pastime and that way you can also keep the whole forest colour scheme the state has going on. The Tassie Mariners is also something I wouldn’t mind seeing as a nod to the old name for the state’s academy team. Of course, Tassie Devils is ideal, but who knows if they will win that court case against Warner Bros. The question is now, where does Team 20 go? It is inevitable, they have to even up the draw somehow. Expect that matter to be solved within a few years with team 20 announced to be entering the league not long after the Tassie boys.
Alright, enough chit-chat, let’s get stuck in!
The Good
Bont And Green Light Up Manuka
Marcus Bontempelli had one of his career-best performances on Saturday night and it was yet another example of why he is one of the best in the game. With every flurry of momentum the Giants grabbed, Bont stomped out with authority, launching himself into the pack and clearing the ball out, thumped in the direction of the Dogs’ goal. 32 Touches, 26 of them contested, 7 tackles, 7 Inside 50s, 28 pressure acts and an eye-watering 14 clearances. Oh and don’t forget about a goal. It certainly put him in good stead for his chase of Nick Daicos in the Brownlow race.
The only thing standing in his way of 3 votes is a certain Tom Green. If you think Bont had an all-timer, which he did, get a load of this kid! 38 touches, 8 clearances, 9 tackles, 10 score involvements, 26 pressure acts and a staggering 3 goals, 2 of which got his team right back into the game. Tom Green deserves his own fan club. Oh wait, he’s already got one! For only 22 years of age, Green is just a phenomenal talent and in my opinion is up there with the Daicos’, Walsh’s and Serong’s as the best young gun in the game currently. While Taranto and Hopper getting traded away has hurt the Giants immensely, it is potentially the greatest thing to ever happen to young Green. He now gets to be the midfield anchor for the Orange Team, not just a half-forward or winger that rotates sporadically on the ball. The kid is a freak and he’ll be incredibly stiff to miss out on the 3 votes here and the Giants’ B&F later this year.
Seriously, two of the best performances you will ever see and they happened in the same game. Not much else you could ask for prime-time Saturday night footy. Albeit, I would’ve loved to see a bit more of the biff that this rivalry has become known for. Maybe it was because Toby Greene was a late out?
The Bad
Buddy Hate Bandwagon Gets Silly
First off, this is not about the booing of buddy by the Collingwood fans. This is about SWANS fans smashing Buddy on social media for the past month that he should retire.
Why are Sydney fans hating on Buddy all of a sudden? Sure he’s in his mid 30’s and he is getting a little slower and easier to defend and he isn’t lighting up the field week in, week out anymore. But who does? And answer me another question – how many other players out there are capable of coming out and kicking a bagful of goals and being the most feared presence on the entire field? Not many. Buddy Franklin on his day is still very much so capable of that despite his age and waning form. Those so-called ‘fans’ out there that flood the Swans’ Instagram comments with calls for Buddy to end his career early are the same ones that will jump for joy and call him the GOAT whenever he puts in a showstopping performance. The whole thing just reeks of double standards.
I’ll die on a hill arguing that Buddy is still the man to be the main key forward for the Swans. Who is going to replace him if Buddy all of a sudden starts listening to the hate from his own fanbase and hangs up the boots? Logan McDonald is still an unfinished project that is a couple of years off fully maturing to AFL standard. The exact same can be said for Joel Armartey. Aaron Francis? No. Sam Reid? No, he’s about to retire as well.
You’ve got nobody Sydney…yet. For now, let Buddy play his role as the veteran forward who directs traffic while giving the likes of McDonald and Armartey plenty of space and opportunity to develop their craft and confidence to the point where they can eventually take his place when he does decide to retire.
The Ugly
Carlton Continue To Overuse The Ball
What has happened to the Blues? Their first few months under Voss were some of the most smashmouth, run over the top of your opponent and put the foot on the throat stuff I have ever seen. It was at the end of Round Ten last year that the Blues sat at 8-2 and it was looking like Finals was a lock and the dark days were over. Since then, the Blues have gone 8-11 with one draw. They tumbled out of the Top 8 last season and they look likely to be teetering on the edge of the Top 8 again this year, as they currently sit in 8th by the tip of their laces thanks to a season-opening draw against the Tigers.
Carlton’s ability to efficiently deliver the football to Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow requires immediate improvement, as it appears to be getting harder every week as defenders are cracking down on them. It also doesn’t help that they both go to the same contest half of the time. But it is their ball usage in general that worries me. Despite having 57 more disposals and 25 more contested possessions than their opponents, the Lions managed to equal them on inside 50s. Riddle me this, if the teams had equal inside 50 opportunities, then how does Brisbane have 6 extra scoring shots? Because currently, more often than not, Carlton’s inside 50 kick is woefully ineffective. Watching them play the last few weeks I have noticed that they are fine to chip the ball around to each other and stat pad, but when they try to take ground and move up the field they cannot seem to string together 5 clean kicks, with somebody messing up somewhere along the chain and they can’t afford to do that against teams like Brisbane.
Look, alarm bells aren’t ringing just yet. As I previously mentioned, they are still in the top 8 and they still sit 4-3-1 which is far from an undesirable record. However, I would argue they have the hardest road to the bye in the entire competition. Bulldogs, Collingwood, Sydney, Melbourne, Essendon and Gold Coast all await them before they get a week off and with the way they are playing currently, they could quite easily find themselves 4-9-1 if they aren’t careful.
What did you think of the week of footy that was? Was I too harsh? Or am I bang? Comment below with your thoughts! I would love to discuss it.