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Stop the AFL season, I want to get off

Anthony Sharwood

by Anthony Sharwood

01 Aug 01:15pm

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Filed under: Afl, Coaches, Grand Final, Melbourne Demons, Sport

57 comments

Tempting as it is to bang on about the perennially inept Melbourne Demons, the real story is at the pointy end of the AFL ladder.

Locals have long claimed Geelong is way better than Melbourne. Pic: Getty Images

Jim Stynes, the admirable Melbourne Demons president, did a good job of being stoic but not stubborn at an emergency press conference today, hot on the heels of his team’s record 186 point weekend thrashing, and the subsequent sacking of coach Dean Bailey.

Amazingly, the woeful Demons are still just a game-and-a-half out of the eight. That says less about them than it does about Collingwood and Geelong. And it leads to one conclusion. The grand final should be played tomorrow.

Seriously, no other team can make the 2011 decider and no other team deserves to.

Look again at this weekend. Geelong beat the Demons by an average of almost eight goals per quarter. Meanwhile Collingwood, who coach Mick Malthouse described as the “flattest he’d ever seen before a match”, beat top eight contenders Esssendon by a whopping 74 points. That, after being behind at halftime.

The other 15 clubs must get stiff necks when they stare at the ladder each week. Collingwood and Geelong are so far ahead, they’re above the clouds. While everyone else plays on a rainy day, the Cats and the Magpies are bathed in sunshine.

Sure, three other teams are having reasonable seasons. Hawthorn and Carlton show touches of class, while West Coast have improved so much that they pipped the Cats on their Perth home patch the other week.

But really, the bookies’ odds say it all. Collingwood are $1.80 to win the flag. Geelong are $4.00. Write your own ticket the rest.

For the AFL, these are interesting days indeed. Andrew Demetriou can rightly point at the first 11 seasons of the new millennium as a period in which there were eight different premiers from six different cities. That, on the surface at least, is evidence of a healthy competition.

But there is another set of indicators which paint a darker picture. Look at the wrong end of the ladder. Richmond haven’t made the finals since 2001, while the Demons were thrashed in the 2000 decider, and have won just two low key finals matches since.

The Adelaide clubs are in disarray, the Brisbane Lions show no sign of returning to their glory days, the Dockers are the team that simply refuse to become a force, while the Saints and the Bulldogs’ premiership windows have been firmly slammed shut.

Clearly, football is cyclical. But some teams seem to find it considerably more difficult to climb onto that Ferris wheel. As George Orwell said, all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.

Not to start a code war, but by way of comparison, the fortunes of teams in other major Australian codes seems to be much more fluid.

The NRL’s Sydney Roosters were wooden spooners in 2009, grand finalists in 2010 and will finish close enough to the spoon again this year.

It’s a similar story in the A-League, where Sydney FC fell from premiers to ninth in 2010/11, while Brisbane Roar rose from ninth spot to champions in 2010/11.

That kind of turnaround just doesn’t happen in the AFL. Or when it does, it is more gradual. The best recent example was Hawthorn, who rose from 15th in 2004, 14th in 2005, 11th in 2006 and 5th in 2007, to premiers in 2008.

Jim Stynes said this afternoon that “you don’t develop resilience unless you go through some really tough challenges”. That’s all very well, but resilience is one thing, success another. And the Demons have been busy accruing resilience for several years now.

Meanwhile, Geelong and Collingwood sit pretty as the AFL season meanders along to its inevitable conclusion on that “one day in September”, which this year will actually happen on that “one day in October” – October 1st, to be precise.

Notwithstanding, the remote, remote possibility of a preliminary final upset a la Carlton over Essendon in 1999, they should probably just play this year’s GF on that “one day in August”.

Most commented

57 comments

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    • Richie says:

      01:27pm | 01/08/11

      Different teams getting to win all the time isn’t the factor behind a healthy competition Anthony you rabbid socialist raspberry. Just look at the English Premier League, each year there are realistically the same 2 or 3 teams that can win it and it is still the biggest sporting league in the world. A salary cap on the AFL teams ‘non-football department’ would help to make sure that inequities amongst teams aren’t sustained. After that, the competition is definitely cyclical, which means its up to the club’s to get their players, recruiting, coaches and tactics right. The real challenge for the AFL (and indeed all sport) is how to combat the rise of gambling, as well as the AFL’s nonsensical ‘3 strikes’ drugs policy.

      Reply

    • Markus says:

      11:13pm | 01/08/11

      The most interesting part of the EPL is the battle to avoid relegation, because at least that is a contest.

    • acotrel says:

      06:55am | 02/08/11

      Watching pigs mating would be more interesting!

    • MarkS says:

      11:05am | 02/08/11

      @Richie
      You must be a Colonwood, Essenscum or Carltank fan. They go on & on about how any system that does not allow them to dominate is socialist.

    • NSW says:

      01:29pm | 01/08/11

      Its because Melbourne are a team of grammar school fairies. They need to get some tougher players.

      I’ll cry if it somehow becomes a Pies versus Carlton final.  Collingwood have a history of being robbed by the umpires every single time they play against them especially in grand finals. The headline would read “Judd the protected species and the umpires versus Collingwood”

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      02:02pm | 01/08/11

      I’m just going to throw something into your works, @NSW:

      This was written in round 13 by someone royally pissed off at the sorts of stuff Collingwood and their faithful get.  Unlike the utter rubbish you’ve posted @NSW, these are facts:

      Collingwood’s Draw

      ... the AFL have gone out of their way to ensure that Collingwood have a dream run so that they finish top four. Eddie McGuire claimed the Brisbane Lions got salary cap concessions to win their premierships, however in the history of the VFL / AFL has any side has had a draw like Collingwood.

      Read the following and pass it onto your friends. It makes you lose faith in the way the AFL is heading when you realise the special treatment that Collingwood receive.

      Question: Including this Queens Birthday Monday, of the last 22 games played by Collingwood (including four finals matches) how many games have they played at the MCG.

      Answer: They have played 19 of their last 22 games at the MCG, the other 3 were played at Etihad Stadium. They have also had 1 Bye.

      Question: When was the last time Collingwood played a match interstate?

      Answer: It was the 9th July 2010, eleven months ago. In round 15 of 2010 they played Port Adelaide in Adelaide. Their next interstate match is against Sydney in Round 14 on the 25 June 2011, which is 352 days after the last interstate match they played.


      Question: Including this Queen’s Birthday Monday, of the last 18 Home and Away matches played by Collingwood (the other 4 were finals), how many times has their opponent come off an interstate match the week before?

      Answer: Incredibly in 11 of Collingwood’s last 18 Home and Away games the side they have played had an interstate match the week before. On top of this, in Round 1 of 2011 they played Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium, who had to travel from Adelaide. So in 67% of their last 18 Home and Away games, their opponent had to travel the week before or had to travel that week.

      Round Collingwood’s Where the Opponent
      Opponent played the week before

      16 in 2010 St Kilda Brisbane
      17 in 2010 Richmond MCG
      18 in 2010 Carlton Perth
      19 in 2010 Geelong Sydney
      20 in 2010 Essendon MCG
      21 in 2010 Adelaide Crows Brisbane
      22 in 2010 Hawthorn Launceston
      1 in 2011 Port Adelaide Had to travel from Adelaide
      2 in 2011 North Melbourne Perth
      3 in 2011 Carlton Brisbane
      4 in 2011 Richmond MCG
      5 in 2011 Essendon MCG
      6 in 2011 Western Bulldogs Perth
      7 in 2011 Had the Bye
      8 in 2011 Geelong Skilled Stadium
      9 in 2011 Adelaide Adelaide
      10 in 2011 West Coast Eagles Perth
      11 in 2011 St Kilda Perth
      12 in 2011 Melbourne MCG

      Question: Who do Collingwood play in round 13 of 2011, the week before their first interstate match in nearly 12 months. (This match will be played at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, where Collingwood have a very good record)

      Answer: They have the Bye, while Sydney their opponent for Round 14 have to travel to Melbourne to play Carlton on a Sunday before fronting up against Collingwood the following Saturday.

      Question: Since Round 16 of 2010, up to Round to 13 of 2011, how many times has your club had to play a game interstate.

      Answer Melbourne Based Club Games Played Interstate

      Collingwood None
      Carlton Five
      Essendon Three
      Geelong Five
      Hawthorn Nine (Four in Launceston)
      Melbourne Five
      North Melbourne Five
      Richmond Three
      St Kilda Four
      Western Bulldogs Six

      Imagine if your club got the dream run that Collingwood receive. You would expect to make the finals, finish top four and have a decent shot at winning the premiership.

      So are Collingwood that good or have the AFL created the situation where they practically hand them over the premiership.

    • NSW says:

      02:23pm | 01/08/11

      How original.  Lifting a comment off some forum from months ago that’s complete bollocks anyway. Why do people insist on believing that theres some conspiracy to keep the pies winning when, like everything else in the world the actual reason is money. Other clubs want to play at the G because of the money they make off these games. Your club IS the reason for collingwoods draw. Get your facts straight.

    • Tron says:

      02:44pm | 01/08/11

      And the last time Collingwood player Geelong at skilled stadium? try 11 years ago…..... Obviously because skilled only sits 30,000 but still we all know the cats dominate down there and the pies dominate the G why do the pies get the advantage from the AFL which seems to be a common occurence

    • Mahhrat says:

      03:21pm | 01/08/11

      @NSW - mate, I’m a Sydney Swans supporter.  I’d be quite happy to see them play that many games at the SCG.

      You complete and utter fool.  Go fellate Joffa, stop worrying about how “hard” Daisy Thomas has it, and get back to work.

    • Tails says:

      03:26pm | 01/08/11

      Two weekends ago Collingwood played the Gold Coast - where? The Gold Coast. This weekend, Collingwood plays Port Adelaide - where? Adelaide. In round 24 Collingwood plays Fremantle - where? Perth.
      That’s three interstate trips in six weeks before having to play Geelong the week before the finals start.
      What favouritism!
      How DO they get away with it?!?!

    • NSW says:

      03:46pm | 01/08/11

      Fellate joffa? Sounds hot! Love the way when proven wrong people resort to abuse! Tell me - are you one of the bandwagon swans supporters that only follow them when they are winning? Then claim all of south melbourne’s history as their own?  You have no credibility. Next time write your own comment that’s based on fact, buddy.

    • Liam says:

      03:59pm | 01/08/11

      @NSW,
      Your kidding right.
      I hate Carlton as much as Collingwood, but the umpires where black and white, not navy blue and white.
      And No interstate club wants to play their home games against the pies at the G, the pies get the money from gate takings, not the interstate team.
      “Other clubs want to play at the G because of the money they make off these games. Your club IS the reason for collingwoods draw. Get your facts straight” - Thats a stupid post, thats not an explanation for collingwood only playing 4 games a year interstate
      The AFL favour collingwood and to a lesser extent, Carlton and Essendon because of the money making revenue from those games in primetime slots etc.
      But this only serves an immediate purpose, however the long term effects will be over exposure for those clubs while smaller clubs like the roos and dogs, will struggle to attract new supporters due to their limited exposure.
      @Mahhrat,
      Good post, I’d love to see those stats over a longer period of time, say a decade, it would probably be alot similar.
      @Tron,
      While it is unfortunate that the pies wont be able to get creamed at skilled for many years yet (until the cats build a 50k seater stadium), the cats(the only ones in the comp @NSW) that sell their home game to the MCG for the increased revenue from gate takings. However if Geelong ever had home ground advantage against the pies in the finals it should be played at skilled, but a final only getting 30k in attendance, comrade Demetriou won’t stand for that.

      From a ‘dons supporter!!

    • Tyrone Biggums says:

      04:08pm | 01/08/11

      @Tails,
      GC and Port Adelaide, wow Hard slog those games, Mick could even leave Swan, Daisy and Dingleberry at home for those games!!
      Freo a little bit tougher but guess what, 11 other teams have to travel their as well!!
      Doesn’t matter where you have them, you only have 4 interstate trips a year, and the one against Sydney was at ANZ, not exaclty a home ground advantage for the swans!!

    • A Dose of Reality says:

      04:55pm | 01/08/11

      Tails POST @ 03:26pm | 01/08/11

      Your post says it all.  The ‘wobbles only have to travel 3 times this year.  They never have any more than 4 away games in any year.  They are kept in their home ground (MCG), playing in front of their home crowd for a staggering 18 or 20 games each year.

      Compare that to Adelaide, the filth, Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast, West Sydney (when they start), West Coast and Fremantle, who ALL play 10 ‘away games’ each year.  That’s 10 compared to 3.  and it is quite often that these clubs play 4 away games in a 6 game block, usually having to play collingwood if they played on the other side of the continent the week before.

      There is also an inherent advantage playing at your home ground during the finals, where you have trained and played near every week - particularly when against a side that has played there once that year - and never had a training run on it.

      3 games in 6 weeks and you whimpering?  How would you be if you had a real draw to compete in?.

    • missb says:

      11:15am | 02/08/11

      NSW is obviously still sore about last year’s Brownlow. Even Swan’s midseason trip to Arizona to pump him full of ‘roids won’t win him the Charlie this year.

      3 Votes Ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Judd!

    • GB says:

      11:21am | 02/08/11

      Oh and gee, trips to Adelaide and GC to play the bottom two sides in the comp. Must be tough being Collingwood being sent interstate so close to finals to play some witches hats.

    • hot tub political machine says:

      02:31pm | 02/08/11

      The AFL is not a competition and will not be until they have a fair draw. Until then it is a system of making money for Collingwood. Wake up and go watch an actual Aussie Rules competition rather than a money spinning organisation.

    • stephen says:

      01:30pm | 01/08/11

      Those two at the top belong at the bottom.
      I though the Dockers would have done better ; they were looking good early on.
      The Saints need another Captain.
      Club Richmond over the head and get Mr Riewoldt over to replace his name-sake. Just cannot forgive that pissweak kick of Nicks at goal in last years Grand Final.
      He should have been sacked after the game.
      Anyway, hope it rains for the GF and our heroes get a mouth full so we don’t again hear Micks excuses, cause he’s gonna lose.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      01:38pm | 01/08/11

      I think when one team in the competition has the luxury of sending its stars to Arizona for a mid-season training camp there has to be an issue.

      Reply

    • Reid Wright says:

      02:28pm | 01/08/11

      i think when the other teams manage to build a membership base of 70,000+ they will be able to afford Arizona. I’m pretty sure Richmond making finals only 2 out of the last 20 seasons isn’t because they can’t afford Arizona, It’s not because they have been robbed of draft picks, and it’s not because they don’t have a large enough fan base. Richmond have 40,000 members Dees 37,000. Sydney and Geelong have managed to maintain their positions without draft picks and with membership levels below 40,000 it can only be put down to the culture within the club, which is something only players like Paul Kelly, Brett kirk, and Tom Harley can create for a club.

    • Tim says:

      02:49pm | 01/08/11

      I’m not necessarily talking about the cost of sending them there.
      It’s the fact that Collingwood can willingly afford to play premiership games without some of their stars because they’re on a training camp.
      The four points are still expected to be won even without those players.
      Other clubs can only dream of that kind of player depth.

    • Shifter says:

      06:07pm | 01/08/11

      @Reid - Geelong had a pretty healthy dose of draft picks prior to success. Some fairly astute late picks as well. Some absolute gifts, like getting Ablett in round 3 (5th Geelong pick at 40) due to the father-son rule where other sides would have picked him top 10.

      Side note - how good was the 2001 draft class? Admittedly pick 58 still hasn’t learned how to kick, but he’s pretty good otherwise.

    • luke says:

      01:46pm | 01/08/11

      Ant, The AFL standard is only going to get worse the next few years with GWS and Gold Coast draggng the quality of the game down. Remember what happened to the NRL when they expanded to SA and WA, it was a disaster.

      The AFL is heading down the same path with their expansion into rugby territory. The money for TV rights is the only positive for the AFL.

      Reply

    • Static says:

      02:31pm | 01/08/11

      The ACTs been bleating about not having enough games played there,but if you have a look at when their televised games are on they dont deserve any extra. TV coverage there is woefull and no ones kicking up a stink. They get live swans games live.but if you want to watch night games its 9.30 Friday nights and near midnight on Saturdays. I suppoes we shall get the luxury of waching GWS cop floggings live!!!. ACT is not an AFL city

    • Tim says:

      02:51pm | 01/08/11

      Static,
      AFL games are always on live on MainEvent in the ACT.
      If ACT AFL fans love their sport so much, then they cough up the Foxtel bill.

    • Barry says:

      03:38pm | 01/08/11

      @luke I doubt that will last.  GC will be a finals contender within three, if not two years, and GWS will follow a similar path.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is just living in dreamworld.  It’s still basically a team of teenage bodies running around.  Once they get some more weights and hormones into them, they’ll be dangerous.

    • Shane* says:

      04:57pm | 01/08/11

      @Barry,

      But if the creme of young AFL talent in Australia is duopolised by GCS and GWS, doesn’t that mean that in years to come the other clubs will have players running around past their use-by date, since no elite kid has come along to replace them?

      http://www.thebigtip.com.au/afl/afl-expansion-and-dilution-dilemma

    • static says:

      07:06am | 02/08/11

      Tim thats fine,what about those who dont have the readies to pay for pay tv and with all the new free to air stations one would think that live AFL would out rate the repeats that are shown instead

    • Not an AFL city?? says:

      09:41pm | 02/08/11

      Static: ACT is not an AFL city?  Really, but tell me, what is the ACT then?  It doesn’t seem to be an NRL city since the crowds at Raiders games have been pathetic over the years, barely reaching 10,000 on many occasions (except that one final they made), the Brumbies crowds have really dropped off over the years. Ummm, trying to think of other sports they have there???  Wait, no that’s about it!!  I forgot they lost most of their sporting sides because nobody in Canberra goes to watch sport. They all went bust.

    • Daniel says:

      02:21pm | 01/08/11

      how can you claim that afl teams don’t turn it around in short periods of time.

      West coast are currently a top 4 contender, 
      2 points behind carlton with a game in hand. (next match vs richmond in perth, should consolidate their spot in the top 4)
      remember last year?

      in 2010 west coast got the wooden spoon.
      only 4-5 years prior to that did they play in successive grand finals against sydney.

      so clubs do have the potential to improve in a short period of time.

      Reply

    • missb says:

      11:33am | 02/08/11

      Nah, that’s just tanking.

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      02:29pm | 01/08/11

      A Collingwood premiership- the best money can buy…....

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      02:31pm | 01/08/11

      Ant,
      Counting last year and 1990, Collingwood has won just three premierships since 1958, the same number as Melbourne actually and have you forgotten the 32 year drought.
      Geelong has only won three since 1963 and had that bridesmaid handbag reputation for many years you may recall.
      St. kilda is waiting for a second flag, first being in 1965 and then South Melbourne/Sydney Swans had a bit of a wait too.
      From about 1966 was it to 1983 all flags were shared amongst just four sides.
      So here we have two sides doing pretty well at the moment and so what for St Kilda has had its issues and could be on the way back, Essendon of whom not much was expected has run hot and cold with quite a few injuries not helping either.

      Sure odds are that either Geelong or Collingwood will be in the GF if not both but then again sides coming good at the right time could change that.

      As for the Bombers Saturday effort in the first quarter, Collingwood had not had more than four goals scored against them in the first quarter all season and the Bombers doubled that and number of goals scored by the pies, something they may not get away with all the time.

      Reply

    • Anubis says:

      04:09pm | 01/08/11

      @ Gregg - 1966 was St Kilda’s sole Premiership

    • Mike says:

      05:13pm | 01/08/11

      A ‘bit’ of a wait. How is 72 years a ‘bit’ of a wait.

    • Alfred Deakin says:

      12:25am | 02/08/11

      In a way the most amazing thing is that in the 40 years from 1897-1936 Collingwood won 11 Premierships, but in the 74 years 1937-2010 Collingwood won only a further 4 (1953,1958,1990,2010).

      Maybe we are seeing a return to the “Good Old” Collingwood which won more than 1 in 4 of the first 40 VFL flags!

    • Ben Haslem says:

      02:37pm | 01/08/11

      Why Tim? We have 71,000 members. That generates huge resources. Perhaps the other clubs could lift their marketing efforts.

      Reply

    • S.L says:

      02:48pm | 01/08/11

      The AFLs expansion will mean a lot more lopsided scores as the talent will be spread too thin. The EPL is a different story as it has an endless flow of players from all over the world were Aussie rules can only source from a few states here. Don’t think the Falau/Hunt experiment will work!

      Reply

    • kath: says:

      10:34am | 02/08/11

      Falau isn’t shaping up too badly as a full forward.  He can mark and kick.  Although it will be interesting when he starts playing on regular first grade defenders, rather than the reserves and ACT comp.

    • Anthony says:

      02:55pm | 01/08/11

      west coast finished last in 2010 and this year they’re vying for a top 4 spot and the dockers have had a ridiculous amount of injuries.

      Reply

    • Shane says:

      04:18pm | 01/08/11

      Not to start a code war, but by way of comparison, there aren’t any other major Australian codes.

      Reply

    • Buddy says:

      04:34pm | 01/08/11

      i remember people saying very similar things in 2008. Surely Geelong couldn’t be beaten. They did win the GF the year before by over 100 points. everyone thought it was a foregone conclusion. except the Hawks, who took out the comp. this article is going to look very silly when the Hawks do it again this season.

      Reply

    • A Dose of Reality says:

      04:59pm | 01/08/11

      Tails POST @ 03:26pm | 01/08/11

      Your post says it all.  The ‘wobbles only have to travel 3 times this year.  They never have any more than 4 away games in any year.  They are kept in their home ground (MCG), playing in front of their home crowd for a staggering 18 or 20 games each year.

      Compare that to Adelaide, the filth, Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast, West Sydney (when they start), West Coast and Fremantle, who ALL play 10 ‘away games’ each year.  That’s 10 compared to 3.  and it is quite often that these clubs play 4 away games in a 6 game block, usually having to play collingwood if they played on the other side of the continent the week before.

      There is also an inherent advantage playing at your home ground during the finals, where you have trained and played near every week - particularly when against a side that has played there once that year - and never had a training run on it.

      3 games in 6 weeks and you whimpering?  How would you be if you had a real draw to compete in?.

      The notable thing about the ‘wobbles over the past 5 or so years is not that they won in 2010 - it’s that they ONLY won in 2010.  Any other side with the same advantages would have won 5.

      Reply

    • Servaas says:

      05:15pm | 01/08/11

      What I always wonder is why in the world would anyone name their team ‘Demons’ ? It’s like calling a team the Melbourne Rapists or Melbourne Pedophiles.

      Reply

    • Alfred Deakin says:

      12:19am | 02/08/11

      I think they were originally called “The Reds” until this had Communist connotations early in the 20th Century. Manchester United didn’t seem to mind the name though!

    • Rev says:

      08:23am | 02/08/11

      Liverpool are ‘the Reds’.

    • Punters Pal says:

      01:46pm | 02/08/11

      Alfred and Rev, you both are both wrong. Neither team is called “the Reds”. Liverpool is called Liverpool Football Club and Man Utd are called Manchester United Football Club. There is no “reds” or “red devils” in their name. The supporters of both teams call out” Come on you Reds”, but since both teams wear red kit, it is understandable.

      Only teams I know which are called Reds and Queensland Reds rugby team and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams.

    • I hate pies...footy's becoming boring and predicta says:

      05:27pm | 01/08/11

      I’m with you Anthony. The divide between the haves and the have nots is growing progressively wider, and it’s being exacerbated by the AFL itself.
      I’m also sick and tired of hearing about Collingbloodywood. Even on these forums the commentry inevitably turns to them, and the supporter start spouting on about how much everyone needs them.
      I’m hoping for West Coast at least make a prelim this year so we can watch someone different for a change.

      Reply

    • Shifter says:

      06:15pm | 01/08/11

      Someone different? We’ve only been crap for 3 seasons!

      How about Richmond, or seeing Fremantle 2 years in a row wink

      Seriously… how can Richmond be continually so crap?

    • Likes Joining Dots says:

      07:46pm | 01/08/11

      Watching Melbourne get a shellacking, I could only think of one thing - please don’t beat Fitzroys 190 point winning effort in 1979, the Roy Boys have to stay in the AFL history somehow.

      Apologies to Ant for sidetracking the theme of your article, but for some the pain still lingers. I suppose a comfortable draw for the Roy Boys at Brunswick/Junction oval may have made a world of difference at the time.

      Reply

    • Alfred Deakin says:

      12:16am | 02/08/11

      Anthony - I agree with you that it is almost certain that Collingwood will make the Grand Final. I wouldn’t be so sure about Geelong. At this time last year all the press pundits were salivating over the “inevitable” Geelong-Collingwood Grand Final. There were apparently no other teams in the running. Given the subsequent Preliminary Final result, where Collingwood annihilated Geelong while “easing up” in the last quarter, it was probably just as well that the pundits were wrong.

      None of those 37 goals that Geelong kicked will be on the scoreboard when they play their first final. I for one am not writing off Carlton or West Coast to make the Grand Final.

      Reply

    • Chilliman says:

      11:26am | 02/08/11

      There is no incentive for the AFL to favour collingwood (a self supporting entity). Collingwood plays at the MCG because every club wants to play them there, I’ll bet any money the admin at Geelong requests that they play them at the G. Is it fair that Collingwood get so many games at the G? No. But neither is it fair that they have to carry the whole competition on their shoulders.

      Reply

    • Blind Freddy says:

      12:07pm | 02/08/11

      Until they put some integrity in the competition with each team playing the others the same number of times, in one season, the AFL is a joke.

      The AFL is being run as entertainment and not sport.

      Reply

    • hot tub political machine says:

      02:34pm | 02/08/11

      Nail Head Hammer.

    • Judy says:

      12:49pm | 02/08/11

      I’m over all sport now. Individual sport is the worst - the sheer bullshit espoused by ‘aussies’ after cadel won the TDF is cringeworthy. He’s a fucking individual , who gives a fuck how he does - it does not refelect on any of us at all. So what if he’s an ‘aussie’ BIG FUCKING DEAL. And now team sports are crap as well. Sporing injuries cost the economy 2 billion a year - ban all contact sports

      Reply

    • Adrian says:

      02:23pm | 02/08/11

      To all the Collingwood haters - Boo f’ing hoo! Keeping in mind ignorant ones that last year we played almost all of the top 8 teams twice, and travelled 4 times, some real favouritism there! This year we play GC once - over there - while others play them twice. We play Sydney (our bunnies) once - over there, regardless of where it is, it’s their home ground, suck it up, even when we travel we win. In fact we’ve won (approx.) 13 out our last 15 games that we’ve travelled. Victorian sides want to play us at the ‘G, not our problem, quite the opposite in fact, it’s THEIR problem of $ over points.

      Reply

    • Brandi says:

      09:43am | 17/10/11

      Gee williekrs, that’s such a great post!

      Reply
 
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