AFL: Buddy Franklin returns to the MCG and chats to Jordan Lewis at half time as his previous clubs go head to head.
Two big wins for the Sydney sides, and a finals-like Saturday spectacular, look to have proven there are four true contenders in 2024.Watch every game of every round this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo?HAS A CLEAR TOP FOUR FOR THE FLAG EMERGED?And while the Bulldogs of 2016 will continue to inject themselves into this conversation every year, history tells us you need to make the top four to win the flag.
But then you climb up the ladder and you can point out flaw after flaw. Collingwood’s winning streak ended in shaky fashion on ANZAC Day; Gold Coast is still too young; Fremantle can’t score enough; Essendon is Essendon. The Magpies at their best can win the flag, obviously, but we haven’t seen enough of their best this season.The top six teams, all 5-2 or better, look like pretty certain finalists. But they’re not all the same.
We’re certainly not jumping off the Blues bandwagon. They arguably should’ve beaten both the Cats and the Giants, dominating much of the play against Geelong and having an overall impressive fortnight despite a bad run of injuries. Saturday’s game felt like a final and it very much could be one; they’re a legit team.And keep in mind that, since the middle of last year, Carlton and GWS would top the AFL form ladder.
But they’ve got seven matches left at GMHBA Stadium. That’s at least five or six wins. Get a few more elsewhere, and you’re at 15 or 16, and that’s a top four berth. But as dual premiership Kangaroo David King told SEN’s Crunch Time on Saturday morning: “That was the greatest 10-point smashing I’ve ever seen … No matter which angle you watch that game from, Port were always winning that game.
“They’re no hope at the moment – and then you start looking at where to from here,” King said.Lyon said it was “pretty clear to most experts what we’ve got to build out to compete with top-four quality”. That would surely be around generating more scores and a stronger forward-half game, as well as improving their contested possession output.
King said the Saints had “a better list than last year”, but added it was tough to get “multiple high-end picks or players into your organisation” when finishing mid-table so often. Put simply, they need to land a big fish at season’s end. They were close to luring Jordan De Goey a couple of years ago before the star midfielder opted to stay at Collingwood.“They don’t have a midfield torchbearer. That’s what worries me,” King said.
Davies-Uniacke is contracted until the end of 2025 and will be a restricted free agent next year. Intriguingly, he’s reportedly put off contract talks with the Kangaroos. Asked if there was “a walkaway price” for McCluggage, Brown told Fox Footy: “There probably is. I don’t think they are going to go to $1.3 million. Brisbane have done really well managing their salary cap and they’ll want to keep this group together. There’s going to have to be some sacrifice made for senior players.“I think he’s a ‘sticker’ … he’s settled well in Brisbane. I think it’s more likely he’ll stay.
When it was put to triple All-Australian Nick Dal Santo at three quarter-time that Brisbane loomed as one of the big talking points of the next week, he told Fox Footy: “Rightly so. They came in with high expectations, they’ve been one of the best teams for about five years – this might be the end of an era.”
“They looked one track-ish in the middle of the ground, and as that game wore on, they could not deal with the leg speed of the Giants coming between the two arcs pushing through the middle.Three-time Richmond premiership winner Jack Riewoldt flagged the fact that the Lions were able to intercept on a number of occasions but weren’t able to translate those to scores — summarising it as a massive issue for Fagan’s brigade.
“They’ve got some winnable games coming up,” he said. “But the facts are, this team and this particular core group have been going hard to win a premiership for four or five years now, and one of the best teams. And they were a kick away from the ultimate prize last year. The upcoming matches Dal Santo alluded to come against the Gold Coast Suns, Adelaide Crows, Richmond, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda.
While many of his teammates were sloppy with ball in-hand, Lefau impressed with his competitiveness and footy nous, booting one goal from nine disposals against Melbourne while also competing well in the ruck. “He presents brilliantly and he’s giving them what they need,” Dunstall said. “I guess they’re used to ‘I see Dusty, I’ll kick it to Dusty, even if he’s not in the best position’. But I think this young man can make a real go of it.”
“I’m envisaging six weeks’ time when we get a lot of our players back. The selection is going to be really hard based on what our young players are showing,” Yze said on Wednesday. “There is a silver lining the fact they’re getting an opportunity. Tom Brown is taking his game step by step.” Instead, the Kangaroos faithful were treated to another repugnant defensive product en route to a 57-point loss — another in a long, growing list of uncompetitive defeats.
“They’ll get a win somewhere,” Brereton told Fox Footy. “I don’t know how they’re going to do it, but they’re going to get somebody who has four or five injuries on the day.
Footy Nous Max Laughton Darcy Wilson Ideal Inclusion St Kilda Lengthy Injury List Josh Dunkley Premiership Race Gold Coast Suns Form Ladder Dynasty Period Ben Waterworth Familiar Territory Footy Pundit Footy World Hits Boundary Victoria Walkaway Price Cash Splash Tom Stewart Mitch Owens The Gabba Boundary Umpire Sweet Flag Glory David King Tom Lynch Tom Brown Small-Forward Brigade Canberra Tim Taranto Flag Race Scoreboard Lies Richmond Tigers Football World Senior Players Port Adelaide Sets Finals Exits Adelaide Crows South Australia Hobart Premiership Pecking Order Premiership Window Jordan De Goey Yar Contender Jordan Lewis Eight-Point Contest Dermott Brereton Greater Western Sydney Giants Evening Game Adam Kingsley Defensive Resistance Hugh Mccluggage Toby Greene Western Bulldogs Joe Daniher Australia Jack Riewoldt Kangaroos Press Queensland Ball In-Hand Straight-Line Lead Spin-Heavy Post-Match Tough Yards Seth Campbell Premiership Winner Talking Points Rugby League Background Midfield Brigade Sam Taylor Dominant Side Alastair Clarkson Matches Dal Brisbane Jason Dunstall Flag Credentials Repugnant Defensive Product Preliminary Final Josh Caddy Jack Higgins Clearance Count Gold Coast Chris Fagan Tasmania Gerard Healy Dual Premiership Once-Wide-Open Premiership Window Patrick Dangerfield Midfield Torchbearer Footy Club Footy Convert Four-Time Premiership Final Top Dion Prestia Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Lachie Neale Lion Jonathan Brown Tough Night Jamie Elliott Quality Midfield Leg Speed Oceania Phenomenal Final Quarter Stephen Coniglio Injury Toll Geelong Cats Brisbane Lions Key Defender Execution Letting Defensive Unit Flag Contenders Contested Possession Australia And New Zealand Young Players Jacob Hopper Guys Opportunity Disappointing Fashion Supplemental Selection Period Straight Sets Finals Young Man Contested Possession Output Australian Capital Territory Talking Pts
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