North Melbourne caretaker coach Rhyce Shaw is going well as he auditions for the full-time coaching gig. Photo: AFL MEDIA
1. Get ready for your weekend to start early.
That’s often how it feels when Thursday night football rolls around.
The AFL increased its Thursday night offerings to eight matches this season, plus the Wednesday night fixture before ANZAC Day. And don’t be surprised to see that number jump again in 2020 if television ratings continue to demand it.
Tonight, in the first of three consecutive Thursday night matches, Adelaide hosts Richmond in a contest that will have huge ramifications for both sides as they jostle for position in the top eight.
Can the Crows’ big guns stand up to be counted again after outlasting Greater Western Sydney in show of strength last week? Or will the undermanned Tigers bounce back from their MCG horror show against Geelong?
Damien Hardwick’s men have recent form in Adelaide, having knocked off Port Adelaide with their backs to the wall in round four. It snapped a two-game losing stretch and gave them momentum that they carried through the subsequent fortnight.
The big stage is set. And if a packed Adelaide Oval for a standalone Thursday night fixture is an AFL version of Broadway, what does that make Riverway Stadium?
Don’t worry, we had to Google it too.
2. The AFL ticking off on the Jeremy Howe “studs up” free kick this week was more predictable than super mare Winx cruising her fourth Cox Plate triumph last October.
We’ve been told that’s the correct interpretation right now, despite plenty of players getting away with similar legs-out actions this season.
Howe was unperturbed about the controversial decision, later telling Fox Footy that he had accepted the call for what it was.
But was Howe’s foot in Tom McDonald’s back the sort of incident for which the rule was brought in?
Wasn’t it supposed to prevent unnatural and dangerous actions, such as Toby Greene’s karate kicks to Luke Dahlhaus and Nic Newman? And how many spectacular grabs will be ruled out in future under this interpretation?
Fans regularly implore the league to “leave the game alone” and stop tweaking the rules, but this might be one that needs some adjustment at the end of the season.
3. Fremantle’s ruck injury crisis could not have come at a worse time as Port Adelaide rolls into town.
Saturday’s Optus Stadium clash pits two developing sides against each other, with both hell-bent on securing a spot in the top eight. And how Ross Lyon attempts to work around his depleted ruck stocks could make or break his side’s season.
Veteran Aaron Sandilands (calf) hasn’t played all year, developing protégé Sean Darcy (ankle) has been out of AFL action since round two, and Matt Taberner (foot fracture) won’t play again until 2020. A foot fracture will keep Rory Lobb out for an “extended period” – most likely the rest of the season.
Now reports have emerged linking Fremantle to a move for exciting young Western Bulldogs ruckman Tim English (originally from Pingelly in the WA wheatbelt).
But even if the Dockers did manage to wrest the contracted 21-year-old away from Whitten Oval, that won’t help them this year.
Darcy is likely to be recalled to take on Port Adelaide’s imposing ruck duo – former West Coast premiership player Scott Lycett and 2017 All-Australian Paddy Ryder – despite not having played football at any level since he was injured during a WAFL match four weeks ago.
Lyon couldn’t even consider calling Alex Pearce up from full-back to fill a hole in the ruck. The key defender was in All-Australian form throughout the first half of the season, but has had surgery to repair a fractured ankle and won’t play again until next year.
The spate of lower leg injuries has become a major concern for Fremantle, which has cancelled planned training sessions on the hard surface at Optus Stadium.
West Coast, too, has been plagued by foot injuries since the new venue opened last year.
Tom Barrass is sidelined with a foot stress fracture, while Elliot Yeo, Jamie Cripps and Willie Rioli have all endured similar issues.
Sydney superstar Lance Franklin missed a month of football last season with a heel complaint that the Swans blamed on the Optus Stadium surface.
4. Forget the weather forecast, the Marvel Stadium roof will be closed for the five remaining day matches there this season regardless of what Mother Nature throws up.
Well, maybe.
Disgruntled fans were joined by a host of senior players in voicing their disapproval when the roof was left open for the Carlton-Brisbane clash last week.
Scott Pendlebury led the charge, tweeting: “We talk a lot about what’s good for the fans and viewers, I’ll tell ya one thing that no one enjoys, the bloody roof open! Shambles.”
There was a time when the AFL actually believed the retractable roof should stay open for day games during dry and sunny weather to improve the fan experience.
But put simply, the configuration of the AFL-owned stadium makes footy hard to watch – both at the ground and on television – when the sun is beaming down.
Calls have now come for the roof to be closed for all future AFL fixtures.
It’s time the league heavyweights Gillon McLachlan and Steve Hocking listened to the majority of fans and made the decision to shut it.
5. Is North Melbourne capable of launching a serious bid for a top-eight spot?
We’ll find out on Sunday when it hosts Greater Western Sydney in Hobart.
On paper this looks simple: the super-talented Giants are within touching distance of a top-two spot and firmly in the premiership race.
It’s hard to tip against them when they’re taking on a side that is operating under a caretaker coach (Rhyce Shaw) and has just lost one of its most important players (Shaun Higgins) to injury.
But the Kangaroos have quietly hit a little purple patch since Brad Scott’s departure was announced on the eve of round 10.
They boast the longest winning streak of any club bar ladder leader Geelong, and have scored more points than any other side over the last three weeks, averaging 104 points per match.
They also lead the competition in several other key performance indicators, including inside-50 differential and time spent in forward half. And they love playing at Blundstone Arena (aka Bellerive Oval).
Before a hiccup against Sydney in round nine, North Melbourne had won five straight matches at its home away from home. The run included thrashings of the Giants and eventual premier West Coast last year. Overall, the Kangaroos boast a 14-5 record there.
It’s amazing what effect a little bit of belief can have on a football team, and right now North Melbourne has it in spades.
Shaw has his side playing a strong brand of football as he auditions for the full-time coaching gig, and seems to be enjoying every minute of it. An upset win over the Giants would give him and the club a significant boost.
Crazier things have happened.
