Six takeaways from Finals Week 2
We’re into the endgame now.
18 grew to become eight, eight grew to become six, and now, with simply two weeks to go for the AFL season, 4 groups stay standing of their quest to say some of the exceptional premierships ever gained.
There are storylines galore, each out of a dramatic weekend that includes two stone chilly finals classics, and as we sit up for the ultimate three matches of 2024.
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Do Port Adelaide, heavy underdogs, have a puncher’s likelihood in opposition to minor premiers Sydney, who they’ve crushed eight occasions in a row relationship again to 2016 and smashed by 112 factors lower than two months in the past? Did they, or Brisbane of their epic comeback to GWS, play their grand last in a semi last?
Naturally, the weekend’s greatest speaking factors have been Ken Hinkley’s put up siren tirade at Hawthorn on Friday evening, after which 24 hours later, the Giants letting a 44-point lead slip by way of their fingers within the choke to finish all chokes.
However there are a number of different key tales which have flown beneath the radar amid the plain drama, too.
Right here’s what we realized from the second week of finals.
Harris Andrews is the luckiest man in Australia
The Brisbane captain should be thanking his fortunate stars his late, excessive hit on Stephen Coniglio within the first quarter of their epic win over GWS wasn’t even deemed worthy of a point out in dispatches from Match Evaluate Officer Michael Christian.
Loads of gamers in 2024 have been banned after doing far much less flawed than Andrews did on this incident: he arrived late, took his eyes off the ball, didn’t even try to spoil the footy, and picked up with a point of drive together with his forearm to the again of Coniglio’s head.
Careless conduct? Completely. Excessive contact? With out query – the Large’s head whiplashes noticeably because it pinballs from Andrews’ arm to Aaron Cadman’s hip, the latter blow doling out probably the most extreme harm to Coniglio’s cheekbone and rule him out of the sport.
It could have made for an enchanting check of the AFL’s excessive contact metrics whether or not Andrews’ function in Coniglio’s harm was deemed worthy of an improve below the ‘potential to trigger harm’ clause from low to medium impression, and thereby set off every week.
What was shocking – and a contact suspicious – was the shortage of media consideration from the printed shops on the incident; Fox Footy, who often lap up any potential controversy, didn’t even point out the incident at half time past updates on Coniglio’s harm, whereas Seven adopted go well with.
On the very least, the hit warranted a advantageous below Christian’s personal MRO tips; on the very, very least, it merited an evidence of why he deemed Andrews to don’t have any case to reply.
Sure, we wish to defend defenders’ proper to spoil, and sure, accidents occur. However this was correctly clumsy by Andrews, each in actual time and in slow-motion; it appears for all of the world a basic case of a defender eager to, by authorized means, make an opposition participant earn it.
It’s a problematic space of the sport that gamers executing in any other case good tackles that result in head contact with the bottom typically cop suspensions, whereas correctly reckless, harmful acts don’t – often as a result of they don’t lead to harm, others, like this Andrews’ case, for much less clear causes.
Had Andrews taken the case to the Tribunal, as actually would have been the case within the occasion of a ban, and the Lions authorized group which twice this yr has obtained Charlie Cameron off harmful sort out suspensions had labored their magic once more and freed him, then advantageous.
But it surely wanted to be put to that final check; that it didn’t uncovered one other loophole within the AFL’s supposedly stringent concussion-preventing legal guidelines.
Harris Andrews (Photograph by Michael Willson/AFL Photographs by way of Getty Photographs)
The Giants simply blew the very best likelihood they’ll get
2024 marked the seventh time 9 years the Giants have made it to the second week of the finals collection no less than.
For a group with constantly robust line-ups, and having by no means did not win no less than gained last in every of their earlier September berths, only one grand last – and a stinker at that – and nil premierships must be a bitterly disappointing return for a membership which appeared on the verge of a dynasty again in 2016.
For apparent causes, their semi last loss to Brisbane, having held a 44-point lead halfway by way of the third time period, is both probably the most devastating loss of their fledgling historical past, or an in depth second behind their slender defeat to the Western Bulldogs within the 2016 preliminary last.
I’d argue, for a number of causes, that this was the worst of the duo: not simply because the despair is tinged with embarrassment at a finals choke that can reside lengthy within the reminiscence, however due to the differing states of the 2016 and 2024 Giants.
The previous group was one on the rise, which made a shock run to the highest 4, stormed over Sydney of their maiden last, and simply couldn’t get it finished to make a play for a flag that will have come forward of time had they triumphed in 2016.
These Giants are older, wiser, extra battle-scarred… and quick working out of time.
Throw of their capitulation from a 21-point three-quarter time lead of their qualifying last loss to the Swans, in addition to the absence of any correctly dominant group in 2024, and it’s more and more feeling like this was the Giants’ greatest likelihood but to say that elusive flag… and may additionally show their final.
That is nonetheless a group with unimaginable expertise throughout all traces; however Greene has regarded considerably aged this season, Stephen Coniglio is banged up and borderline greatest 22 to begin 2025, Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield are nearer to the tip than the start, and even Jesse Hogan, contemporary off a career-best season and good finals collection, can be 30 earlier than their first sport subsequent season.
Jesse Hogan lies distraught as Jack Payne celebrates Brisbane’s semi last win. (Photograph by Cameron Spencer/Getty Photographs)
Two or three of these weapons solely must drop by 10 or 15 per cent for Adam Kingsley to be left scrambling to exchange their output.
The top comes for all group, good, nice or in any other case; if 2025 does carry such a demise for the Giants, their semi last capitulation will formally have thrown away their greatest ever likelihood on the flag their array of expertise has virtually demanded for the higher a part of a decade.
These two ‘harmful sort out’ frees had been completely there
Thank goodness they didn’t show match-deciding in the long run; as a result of if Hawthorn had obtained up over Port Adelaide on Friday evening, the 2 harmful sort out free kicks the Hawks acquired in entrance of objective within the third quarter to spark them to life would nonetheless be being debated now.
First, Mabior Chol was run down from behind by Lachie Jones, who dragged him to floor and his head into the turf, immediately turning a particular holding the ball right into a Hawks free because the Energy followers screamed their disapproval.
Simply minutes later, Dylan Moore appeared to tug Jase Burgoyne down with him to attract an an identical free kick, his conduct inflicting Burgoyne to blow a gasket and the Energy to surrender a 50m penalty on prime of the free and make sure of the objective.
In order for you an thought of how poisonous, and divisive, these two free kicks had been in actual time, please get pleasure from this ‘dialog’ on X between The Age journalist Peter Ryan and well-known umpire defender ‘Has the umpire made a foul choice?’
My take? Easy. Hate the participant, not the sport; the 2 free kicks are farcical, however completely there below the legal guidelines of the sport.
Overlook the spirit of footy, or the ‘really feel for the sport’ as Ryan places it; the umpires are there to interpret the principles, and the principles have been clear all yr: in case you sort out, and your opponent’s head hits the bottom, 9 occasions out of ten you’ll give away a free kick, and as a rule you’ll be headed for a date with the MRO too.
Jones hasn’t been cited for his sort out – and rightfully so – and I’m removed from satisfied the listing of alternate options the league and Tribunal have each expressed this season are honest on gamers. In response to them, he shouldn’t have tackled if he couldn’t safely execute it – and given Chol’s velocity and separation, a determined lunge that took him off his personal ft was Jones’ final possibility – that means successfully, if he didn’t wish to give away a free, he principally needed to let Chol waltz into objective.
None of that’s the umpire’s fault, although; it’s disappointing to see criticism firmly geared toward them for making a name that the AFL requires them to make.
Hopefully the league responds to the vitriol by locking in that umpire to officiate within the preliminary last, too. To not can be tantamount to saying that they stuffed up, which was completely not the case.
Ashcroft > Sheezel
A bit over 12 months in the past, a day after he suffered the knee harm that will finish his 2023 season and eat into a big chunk of his 2024 as nicely, I declared that Will Ashcroft ought to nonetheless be topped that yr’s Rising Star forward of Harry Sheezel.
My take was easy: whereas his stats weren’t as eye-catchingly spectacular as Sheezel’s, the No.1 draft decide had slotted so seamlessly right into a core midfield function on the Lions that his exceptional consistency, good abilities and swathe of athletic attributes had been taken with no consideration faster than any first-year participant I’ve ever seen.
Being off-Broadway didn’t assist – Sheezel was already the standout participant in a poor North Melbourne group, whereas one other freshman sensation, Nick Daicos, was strutting his stuff for the most important membership within the land.
So Ashcroft quietly went about amassing clearances, remained a key hyperlink in probably the most damaging midfield within the competitors, and excelled repeatedly, till the footy fates conspired to rob him of an opportunity at a grand last the Lions may nicely have gained with him obtainable.
The identical is true of this yr: so seamlessly has the 20-year previous returned from that harm, selecting up proper the place he left off with out even a single VFL match to get minutes into his legs, that it has taken one thing really extraordinary for him to get seen.
That being, in fact, a Herculean efficiency to tug Brisbane over the road of their semi last win over Brisbane, one of many nice September performances by a 29-gamer. We will’t overlook Will Ashcroft anymore.
With Lachie Neale tagged and each Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley detached, Ashcroft stored the Lions within the sport within the first half, together with his determined solo effort within the ahead pocket to stave off a military of Giants and arrange a Brisbane objective probably the most spectacular of his highlights.
Then he was entrance and centre within the comeback, dominating the clearances, driving the ball ahead and pulling off one of many yr’s extra good objective assists; preventing by way of a robust Lachie Ash sort out, he one way or the other managed to get boot to ball into the goalsquare, inserting the footy completely for Charlie Cameron to volley residence on the road.
I’m not going to lie: I really feel vindicated that I felt this younger celebrity was the sport’s greatest teen 12 months in the past, and am ready to reiterate that, proper now, I might decide him over Sheezel if I had the selection between them.
That’s not a knock on Sheezel, who’s as good as any 19-year previous has any proper to be: it’s extra a mark on how extremely Ashcroft should be rated.
If the Cats assume they’ll put all their consideration at stoppages into clamping Neale and proscribing McCluggage, then they’re in for a impolite shock.
Will Ashcroft. (Photograph by Chris Hyde/Getty Photographs)
The jury remains to be out on Chris Fagan
It was fascinating to see the outpouring of pleasure and popularity of Chris Fagan as he celebrated the Lions’ win with travelling followers after the ultimate siren in Sydney; as a result of it’s virtually indeniable that, had they not overturned a 44-point deficit for one of many nice finals wins, he would have acquired the lion’s share of the blame.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say the Lions gained in spite of Fagan’s teaching; however in every thing from his refusal to ship Harris Andrews to a rampant Jesse Hogan regardless of Jack Payne being utterly out of his depth and the Giants’ different talls efficiently denying the captain the prospect to recover from and assist him out, to the Lions’ continued struggles at defending in transition, to their poor strain and at occasions baffling ways at stoppages (Oscar McInerney’s indiscriminate hacks ahead after taking it out of the ruck chief amongst them), he was getting a correct tub within the coaches field from Adam Kingsley, till he wasn’t.
Brisbane, actually, have the very best listing within the sport.
They lack for nothing – they’ve the very best intercept-marking key defender within the sport, an All-Australian half-back in Dayne Zorko, and a advantageous tall and small lockdown pair in Payne and Brandon Starcevich.
The midfield is chock filled with superstars – Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage and Ashcroft would all stroll into any group within the land, whereas Jarrod Berry is the last word Mr Repair-It equally able to a run-with job as he’s as a working wingman. Feeding them is among the sport’s simpler faucet ruckmen in Oscar McInerney, who can go ahead and take a great seize as nicely.
Then, up ahead, you’ve obtained Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron, two undisputed stars; the flashes of brilliance from Cam Rayner and Zac Bailey; and a vivid future within the type of the electrical Kai Lohmann and the spectacular Logan Morris.
It’s the kind of group that makes you assume perhaps the Lions shouldn’t be needing to throw warning to the wind and mount a 44-point comeback in a semi last to start with.
Finals wins of this magnitude are seldom criticised, and honest sufficient – however in the long run, it was actually extra expertise than ways which obtained the Lions out of jail in the long run.
The one actual teaching transfer of word Fagan made that made a key distinction was switching Zorko ahead, the place he bobbed up with two objectives and was way more impactful than in defence with James Peatling respiratory down his neck.
Just like the Giants, Brisbane have had a superb run of success over greater than half a decade now, and due to their comeback, are right into a fourth preliminary last within the final 5 years.
That displays fantastically on Fagan, as does the Lions’ transformation from a group haemorrhaging expertise within the Justin Leppitsch eras to a correct vacation spot membership attracting a celebrity each two years (assume Neale in 2018, Daniher in 2020 and Dunkley in 2022).
However with all that stated, that is each a aspect ok to have crushed the Giants with out the necessity of the second-greatest comeback in finals historical past, and one that ought to comfortably take down Geelong in Saturday night’s preliminary last.
Can they do it? Solely time will inform.
The karma bus is coming for Ken Hinkley
I wrote on Friday evening that Hawthorn, by advantage of the abrasive, smug method they’ve embraced each on-field and off in 2024, had the kind of spray Ken Hinkley dished out to Jack Ginnivan coming.
It’s time to maneuver on from the furore – the mud has settled, Hinkley has copped an outrageously hefty advantageous for a little bit of banter, and each Port and Hawthorn appear eager to let bygones be bygones.
But it surely’s value noting this: Hinkley, in doing what he did, has created precisely the rod for his personal again that Jack Ginnivan did together with his Instagram remark.
The Energy coach sacrificed the ethical excessive floor, in addition to a considerable chunk of dignity; and he now heads into each a preliminary and, ought to they beat Sydney, grand last with a goal hanging over his head.
He should know that something in need of a premiership, or on the very most a extremely honourable grand last loss, will depart his group and himself a laughing inventory. His grand final-less profession report is barely going to exacerbate the scorn that comes his approach.
Ken Hinkley exchanges phrases with Hawthorn gamers. (Photograph by Michael Willson/AFL Photographs by way of Getty Photographs)
Friday evening was Hinkley’s flip to dish it out. However the footy gods bear in mind, and karma has a approach of biting you on the bottom.
There’s each likelihood the Swans may drive him to eat crow of their prelim. And he’d 100 per cent deserve it.
