Andrew Gaff pondering the consequences of his hit on Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw last year. Photo: AFL MEDIA
1. Ken Hinkley isn’t afraid to make the tough calls at the selection table. A quick look at Port Adelaide’s recent reserves line-ups would provide proof enough.
So don’t be surprised if the Power coach has spent the last few days loosening up the shoulders for another swing of the axe.
Port is one of this year’s mid-table rollercoaster sides. Brilliant one week, inexplicably woeful the next. And it appears to be in urgent need of a kick up the backside after a shock home defeat to the Western Bulldogs set back its finals bid.
Fortunately, the big names playing for Port Magpies last weekend have given Hinkley some options ahead of Saturday’s “Showdown”.
Tom Rockliff amassed 57 disposals and 14 clearances in the prison bars, while Justin Westhoff racked up 37 possessions and three goals. Sam Powell-Pepper had 33 touches, and Paddy Ryder kicked a couple of goals. Any (or all) of them could be called up for Showdown XVII.
Adelaide lies in wait for what shapes as one of the biggest home-and-away season clashes between the SA clubs in memory as they fight for spots in the top eight.
It’s just unfortunate that arguably the AFL’s best rivalry has again been buried in the fixture, this time in the Saturday twilight slot, sandwiched between four other games on the same day.
2. When Melbourne defender Steven May was jeered by Brisbane supporters* last weekend, nobody – except said fans, of course – said boo. Pardon the pun.
But brace yourself for excrement to hit the ventilator on Saturday night when a section of the Fremantle fan base lets Andrew Gaff know it still hasn’t forgiven him for breaking Andrew Brayshaw’s jaw.
The whole saga remains a touchy subject in the west. Despite many fans urging others to move on, there will no doubt be some that aren’t yet ready to do so. And given this is the first time Gaff will play in a Fremantle “home” derby since his return from suspension, you can expect there will be some resentment in the stands.
For what it’s worth, the two players at the heart of the matter and their clubs have done their best to put it behind them. That is, until Nathan Vardy’s jibe directed at Gaff during a training drill last month.
Who knows how Vardy’s clearly audible comments got past West Coast’s social media team, which uploaded a video to club channels that fanned the flames again.
Any Freo fans jeering Gaff’s possessions will have their persistence tested, given the star wingman averages a career-best 32 disposals a game across a dozen appearances this season. But what really matters on derby day is the result.
West Coast is building very nicely and could finish the weekend comfortably nestled in the top two. On the flip side, Fremantle is getting desperate, clinging to its spot in the top eight as injuries begin to take their toll.
Some relief could be around the corner, though. Rory Lobb and Aaron Sandilands are both possible inclusions and could return to try to quell the influence of Nic Naitanui, who looked like he had barely missed a beat on his comeback from a second knee reconstruction last week.
The Eagles will get Jeremy McGovern back from suspension and won’t feel a need to rush back Tom Barrass against a Dockers forward line lacking height without Matt Taberner and Jesse Hogan.
*The Lions faithful had clearly not forgiven May for separate hits on Stefan Martin and Tom Rockliff, which earned the former Gold Coast skipper a total of eight weeks on the sidelines more than three years ago.
3. Melbourne entered 2019 as a genuine flag contender, rated among the favourites to challenge reigning premier West Coast for its crown.
Its subsequent tumble down the ladder has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for a club that thought it had emerged from the dark times and was headed full-speed towards a brighter future.
Somehow, for the most part, Melbourne has escaped the extreme levels of scrutiny typically associated with such a fall from grace. But there will be no hiding for the Demons if they fall to Carlton this week.
Remarkably, the Blues, who sacked Brendon Bolton last month when they had just one win on the board, would climb above Melbourne if they win Sunday’s meeting at the MCG. It would leave the Dees second-from-bottom and facing the blowtorch from the football world.
Carlton has been the talk of the town after a mid-season revival that has produced two wins in three matches, included a thrilling come-from-behind upset of Fremantle last week.
North Melbourne has won three out of four since agreeing upon a split with Brad Scott and the record has been enough for more than a few commentators to begin suggesting Rhyce Shaw is the right man to continue in the role.
Would the same number have a similar effect for David Teague at the Blues? We might be about to find out.
4. Lake Grace, Halls Creek … Tammin? We might soon be able to add another tiny WA country town to the list of those which have produced AFL stars.
Leaving Perth’s east end, drive over the Swan River and straight past Optus Stadium, take a quick left and head another 180-odd kilometres down the Great Eastern Highway. There you’ll find a wheatbelt town of about 200 people, with little more than a train station and post office occupying the main drag.
It was once home to Liam Henry, a rising star who lit up the AFL under-18s championships for the victorious Black Swans, who claimed their state’s first title in a decade this week.
The 17-year-old Indigenous speedster boasts silky skills and could be an All-Australian when the team is named this week. Importantly for Fremantle fans, he’s a member of the port club’s Next Generation Academy, and could eventually fill the role once earmarked for Harley Bennell.
That’s if the Dockers are willing to part with a top draft pick or match any bids that could come in the first round of November’s lottery.
There was no shortage of future stars on display during the U18 Championships, and one of Henry’s teammates could end up being the biggest of them all. Literally.
Former national underage basketball prospect Luke Jackson stands at 198 centimetres and has demanded recruiters’ attention with rapid development during his first full season of football.
5. Silly season. In the AFL world, it used to denote the short period not long after the grand final when trade whispers grew louder and deals got done.
Over the years, the silly season gradually stretched. New rules allowing greater freedom of player movement, increasingly savvy player managers, fans’ growing thirst for news and a much larger footy media all played roles in seeing to that.
Tim Kelly was always going to be front and centre of trade talk after Geelong and West Coast failed to agree a deal for the WA midfielder last October. His manager was in Victoria this week and met with Cats officials. According to Kelly, his future remains “up in the air”.
The Orazio Fantasia story blew up quickly. It was reported the contracted Essendon forward had informed the club he wanted to return home to South Australia “at some stage in his career”.
The report, from AFL Media’s Marc McGowan, suggested the Bombers had “long known” of Fantasia’s wish and that both SA clubs were also aware of it.
It set off a host of reactions on the nightly radio and television programs, and triggered a response from Fantasia via a brief doorstop interview at the club just a few hours after the initial report.
The news cycle is a quick one these days.
Other players’ names are raised daily. The AFL Exchange podcast this week discussed the prospect of a rebuilding North Melbourne using Ben Brown as trade bait.
Some fans devour the constant stream of trade news and speculation, while others detest it.
Whichever side of the fence you sit on, you may as well get used to it. Mid-season trading isn’t too far away, and you can count on the silly season becoming a year-round event.
