AFL Season Discussion 2018

Great game in Perth today. Eagles dominated the tigers thru 3 quarters and smashed them on the scoreboard. Take away the tigers second quarter revival and they didn't get going at all. Whether or not the eagles can sustain this run to the finals is another thing, but they are playing great stuff right now

jackbhoy wrote: »

P1ssed with Richmond getting Thursday night game, 1.5 days off work for me.

Don't like Thursday night games in general but if you are going to do it pick teams that are not interstate travelling and will have smallest crowd i.e. Syd v GWS. AFL pandered to fact Sydney AFL fans are fickle "event" attenders and wouldn't turn up Thursday or Sunday, and they know they will get 95k at Richmond game regardless.

No idea how it will go, Tiges have been best all year but finals always throws up a surprise. Hard to believe we have never played Hawks in finals before. It might not be pretty but should be a cracking game...

First time in history that the big 4 Melbourne clubs, Richmond, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Melbourne have been in the same finals series. considering it used to be the VFL and they were mainstays, you'd have thought they would have been in it at the same time.

Tigers are favourites and realistically should win out. Eagles have been decimated by 2 huge injuries and a suspension, arguably their top 3 players all out. Talks that Kennedy will be back, but he cant be back at 100% efficiency after so long out. With Gaff gone and Natanui out a while back, they actually did exceptionally well to finish top 2 and its hugely disappointing to go into finals with home ground advantage but knowing the teams is much weaker than it could be. They'd give it a right crack if a fully fit Kennedy and Naitanui and a non suspended Gaff were there.

GWS are even more decimated with injuries and will go out with a whimper. Hawthorn did very well in what was a mini rebuilding phase for them. They could spring a shock, but I cant see them winning. Sydney are too hot and cold and no consistency. Similar to Geelong. Able to beat any team on their day, but their days are too infrequent. Melbourne are still weak enough in my opinion and despite making finals, have under achieved really with the talent at their disposal. Gawn had a serious year, but they failed to capitalise enough on his dominance and their midfield is not clinical enough. Only leaves Collingwood, who despite finishing third are slipping in under the radar a bit. I wouldnt be shocked to see them turn over the Eagles, have a home final and then make the granny.

Still though, hard to look past Richmond. Fully fit squad and winning their games. Geelong and Bulldogs showed they are vulnerable though and both should have beaten Richmond with easily convertible last second kicks. That may have been the kick in the hole Richmond need not to be complacent, so good to get it in a win and in the regular season.

Enjoy the finals jackbhoy! would love to be there going to one!

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

A couple of more Irish lads have come home recently. Another guy Connellan is going home to Westmeath according to a headline in the42.ie. That should help Westmeath with Heslin already home.

The Flynn guy with Kildare has had a good impact with them since he returned.

It makes you appreciate how well Zac Tuohy has done to carve out the career he has done. You do wonder if county teams at home are losing out on potentially their star player for a generation and their ability to carry their county to honours.

Speaking of players coming home is Tommy Walshe still playing club football in Tralee? It is sad how his career has gone the way it has. He was a serious talent for Kerry. AFL is a tough sport for the body. Not many sports out there that demand as much of the athlete.

It's impossible to know. Tuohy was a wing back for Laois and not really on many people radars as the next best thing on that Laois team. Conor Meredith (who was with North Melbourne for a spell) Donie Kingston and John O Loughlin were all arguably brighter potential stars from that Laois side. If you were to pick out of that group of players who went over at that time, most would have had the skinny small looking Tuohy as the most likely to be first home. The fact he has become a major player and current record holder for consecutive games is testament to his drive and ability.

A lot of people say that the AFL ruined lads or that they have lost players to it. Plenty of players never fulfil their underage potential for a huge number of reasons. Many who have gone over and come back and not been huge stars may well have not been good enough in the first place. But for the most part, any player who went over and is now back is playing for their county.

The only ones that I can think of off hand who have come home and not been on county sides are obviously Tommy Walsh and then you have Jamie O Reilly (Down), Sean Hurely (Kildare) are the only ones I can think of who have not been able to sustain intercounty games since returning.

The vast majority have, and have been pivotal for their sides. Begley, Quinn, Heslin, Kilkenny (albeit only out for a few months), Flynn, Brophy, Cribbin (all 3 with Kildare), Mooney, Hanley (now making strides with Mayo) and many more who gave it a shot, didnt work out, and are home again.

Fair play to them for giving it a go. Not many get the opportunity and you never know if you'll be a Tuohy, Kennelly or even Stynes, or will you be a McKeever, Sheehan or Walsh. Go out, give it a go for a couple of years and come back the better for it in most cases.

A lot of Irish lads involved in this years finals, wonder if its the most ever? Conor Nash played yesterday for Hawthorn, Tuohy and Mark O Connor playing today for Geelong.

So two absolute hammerings, one a major upset not only in result, but the margin that Collingwood won by was impressive. The Demons today were pathetic. No goal in the first half and I've never seen as many handball turnovers when not under pressure.

Interesting final nonetheless. Eagles with 2 wins already over Pies, one in Perth, one in MCG. But all that goes out the window on grand final day. Despite West Coast missing top players in Gaff and Naitanui, I still think they can win this one. Collingwood looked impressive, but it's one thing to do that once, have they shot their load in taking out Richmond? Will be huge pressure and media focus this week, with the Eagles having nice isolation out of Melbourne.

Collingwood favourites, but I'm letting the heart rule here and call it Eagles by ten.

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

There seems to be great crowds at the Melbourne derby games - upwards of 90,000.
What way have attendances been during the season especially for the newer teams like GWS, Suns, etc.?

Both with pretty poor averages and lowest by far of the teams. Doesn't help that the AFL have one off games in regional and different grounds for novelty factors. GWS probably averaged around 10,000 or so which, considering they were a flag favourite, is pretty poor.

jackbhoy wrote: »

Jeez we were trounced by Collingwood. I didn't feel it on Friday night but in a way I'd rather lose like that. No excuses, no "if only", just hammered by much better team on the night. Back to back premierships don't come easy and real pity (for us) that we threw away a golden opportunity.

Really hard to tell who takes it now. It hasn't been a great finals series so hopefully we'll get a good close GF.

yeah the only good game in the finals was ironically the previous match up of Collingwood and West Coast, so at least there is that to hope for again on Saturday. I think West Coast will shut down Mason Cox an awful lot easier than what Richmond did. McGovern, Barrass and Hurn wont let him catch so many handy marks 30 from goal. And on the other side, I dont think Collingwood match up well with Darling and Kennedy and then having all the smalls in Rioli, Ryan, Le Cras and Cripps around them.

So where the battle can be won for Collingwood is in the middle. Its a serious set up they have and absolutely vital for them to win that to have a chance. Pendlebury, Treloar, Sidebottom and as important as them all, Grundy,need to be on top form to stop the Eagles getting the ball regularly into their forward line. They have enough in that midfield to beat the Eagles, but failure there and I cant see where Collingwood gets help at either other end to compensate for that.