Danny Frawley enjoys a laugh as he interviews former Hawk champion Cyril Rioli in 2018. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
1. Geelong is under all sorts of pressure.
Having been torn apart early by Collingwood in another meek start to a finals series, pouring more heat on Chris Scott, the Cats are on the verge of going out in straight sets.
They would be the first minor premier to go out with consecutive losses since the top eight was introduced in 1994 – and only the third top-two side to drop straight out during that period.
Those stats, plus the ever-present travel factor, suggest fifth-ranked West Coast starting favourite against minor premier Geelong at the MCG on Friday night is a bit odd. The Eagles are slightly more fancied as a $1.85 chance, with Geelong at $1.95. Quick reminder – gamble responsibly.
Not so long ago, Adam Simpson’s Eagles were renowned flat-track bullies who regularly got smashed on visits to Melbourne. They were mercilessly smashed in the press and by fans, who cared little if key club figures got their backs up about the disparaging moniker. And rightfully so.
However, these days, we must give credit where it’s due. Some commentators have been a little slow in doing so.
Before their narrow defeat to flag favourites Richmond last month, the Eagles had won their previous five matches at the home of football. The strong run of form where it counts most took in three wins over Collingwood, including last year’s grand final, and one over a dogged Hawthorn in trying conditions. Indeed, West Coast hadn’t lost in Melbourne since 2017.
The travel record doesn’t look so pretty against Geelong, though. The Eagles have lost their last seven games against the Cats in Victoria by an average margin of more than 58 points. In fact, the last time they beat the Cats away from home was way back in June 2006.
Tyson Stenglein kicked three goals for the Eagles, Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr each had 31 disposals, and Gary Ablett hadn’t heard of the Gold Coast Suns, let alone spent seven years there.
But the stats and figures will count for little on Friday night. Another hot start for the Eagles, or another slow one by the Cats, could decide both sides’ fate.
2. Few players, if any, were more closely watched than Nic Naitanui last week as he fought to prove his fitness for West Coast’s elimination final against Essendon.
This week, the eagle eyes – and Eagle eyes – will be set firmly on one of the “Flying Fijian’s” possible opponents. Or, more specifically, Geelong’s decisions around him at the selection table.
Rhys Stanley was left out by the Cats for last week’s game against Collingwood, and the big ruckman became the big talking point after the wet weather his coaches expected didn’t arrive at the MCG.
Post-match, Chris Scott conceded Stanley probably would’ve been picked if he’d known the conditions would be unseasonably perfect for football.
Quizzed again at a press conference on Tuesday, Scott said that Stanley’s selection remained in limbo until 90 minutes before the bounce at the MCG. It was a surprising claim, given that Cats defender Tom Stewart told reporters post-match that he had found out the day before the match that Stanley wouldn’t be playing.
From the outside, Stanley’s selection this week seems a no-brainer, given the Eagles are certain to go in with twin towers Naitanui and Tom Hickey leading the charge.
Geelong could have more issues to work through. Tim Kelly didn’t train early this week because of illness, according to Scott, but is expected to recover quickly. If so, the star midfielder could be taking on his future teammates in another intriguing sub-plot to the semi-final showdown.
Kelly will reportedly seek a move to West Coast during the trade period for the second straight year, and Jeremy McGovern joked there would be a seat on the plane home to WA for the South Fremantle product after the game.
Give it a few weeks and he might be scanning his boarding pass.
3. You wouldn’t think Toby Greene would be putting his hands near any opponent’s face this weekend.
The GWS star can consider himself awfully lucky to be playing this weekend after pleading guilty to serious misconduct over the incident involving Marcus Bontempelli and being fined $7500.
But don’t expect Greene to take a backwards step against Brisbane. It’s simply just not in his football make-up, and that attitude suits preliminary finalist Collingwood to a tee.
“With any luck it’s a heavily physical, contested game and a few boys pull up reasonably sore,” Magpies defender Jeremy Howe joked this week. And don’t be surprised if that’s exactly how it plays out.
The Giants found a winning formula with their ultra-aggressive approach against the Western Bulldogs outfit last week, and it would be fair to expect Brisbane to come out firing after it was stung by Richmond last week.
The Lions are expecting a bruising battle, according to Jarrod Berry and Chris Fagan, who fronted the press this week.
It’s the sort of contest that would have suited Mitch Robinson to a tee. Just who replaces the Brisbane hard man will be a big watch this week.
Fagan has declared he is considering up to half-a-dozen possible replacements from the Lions’ reserves team (which is unbeaten in the NEAFL during 2019).
4. Essendon’s bid to bounce back next year and make a genuine charge at the flag under John Worsfold hinges on a few key points.
Firstly, Worsfold needs the backing of the entire club and playing list, after chief executive Xavier Campbell guaranteed the coach would retain his post for the final year of his contract.
Secondly, the Bombers need to bolster that list via the trade and draft periods and ensure stars like Joe Daniher and Orazio Fantasia don’t leave. And thirdly, they need to get their post-season injury management and summer preparation right.
Captain Dyson Heppell will have surgery on a sore left foot that hampered him throughout the back half of the season and won’t return to full training until at least December.
Key defender Michael Hurley has had a shoulder operation and won’t resume until after Christmas. And Fantasia, who requires a hip arthroscopy, will spend even longer on the sidelines and is eyeing a January comeback.
Marty Gleeson (ankle), Matt Guelfi (knee), David Zaharakis (syndesmosis), Irving Mosquito (hamstring) and Noah Gown (foot stress fracture) have all gone – or are going – under the knife, while Mitch Brown (calf) and Zac Clarke (fractured fibula) have also had setbacks of late.
Essendon only needs to look at Melbourne for proof this period of the year immediately following a season is crucial to a team’s success in the following campaign.
The Demons’ off-season was a shocker, and they paid dearly for it when they slipped from the second-last week of September in 2018 to second-last on the ladder this year.
5. The football media is rightly castigated for lacking sensitivity and care at times.
But its response to the tragic death of Danny Frawley has mostly been appropriate, respectful and reflective of the esteem in which the St Kilda legend was held.
The same can’t be said for the actions of a long list of so-called fan pages and social media users who dispensed with all sense of compassion in running with news of the football great’s passing well before the time was right.
It was disappointing to say the least, but also a sign of the times.
The football world must now get its official tributes right, and almost certainly will in celebration of the life of a man who had a big impact on the game and so many of its people.
