Peter Wilson kicks a critical and famous goal over his head for West Coast against Geelong in the 1992 grand final.
In any other year, the build-up to this round nine blockbuster would have seen images of Tim Kelly splashed across our screens by Channel Seven and Fox Footy at every available opportunity.
We’d see flashbacks to finals contests of the last decade and old clips of Peter Matera setting sail for home, Peter Wilson bobbing like a cork in the ocean and the once-agile Billy Brownless using Ashley McIntosh as a launchpad.
Commentators would spend days pontificating about the prospect of West Coast and Geelong doing battle again on grand final day, as we saw twice more than a quarter-century ago.
Alas, this isn’t any old season – far from it. Kelly and his new gang taking on the Cats for the first time since the midfielder switched sides isn’t quite being built up as the grudge match it might have been under usual circumstances.
With games spread across five days again this week – and every day for the next three weeks – there’s a whole lot more live footy to advertise before we get anywhere near Saturday night.
Nevertheless, two serious premiership contenders standing toe-to-toe in front of what could be the biggest crowd we’ve seen to date this season is still one of the headline acts in round nine.
Tom Hawkins will be there, after originally being suspended, but there will also be plenty of eyes on Josh Kennedy as he attempts to continue his sparkling run of form from the past fortnight, which has put the veteran Eagles spearhead firmly in Coleman Medal calculations once again.
The man leading the race is a surprise contender that nobody would have picked to be in that position this late in the year. Could Tom Papley actually win the league’s goalkicking award in 2020? If so, the Sydney goalsneak would be the shortest man in more than 80 years to do so.
Papley is listed at 177 centimetres in the AFL Season Guide, while multiple football websites have 1975 winner Leigh Matthews standing at 178cm. St Kilda’s William Young (1956 – 179cm) and Collingwood’s Des Fothergill (1946 – 178cm) were around the same mark.
But not since Richmond legend Jack Titus (1940 – 175cm) has a man shorter than Papley topped the charts.
Interestingly, Young led the VFL goalkicking in his debut season – a feat matched only by the great John Coleman – as a 24-year-old who arrived from the bush. Young kicked 56 goals in each of his first three seasons and led the Saints’ goalkicking in five of his six years at the club, finishing with 274 majors from 94 appearances.
The talented all-round sportsman was a Victorian country cricket representative, who once scored a half-century against the touring English team. Young passed away aged 88 in March this year.
The football historian within digresses. Let’s get back to the current action.
You almost can guarantee players and coaches will play a straight bat during their media appearances this week after AFL football boss Steve Hocking’s email to clubs, which told key figures to tone down criticism of umpires.
What’s less predictable is where the holding-the-ball rule is headed after it was seemingly dragged back a little last week from the previous extreme overcorrection. What happens this week is anyone’s guess.
Patrick Cripps is almost certain to get a few free kicks after his illegal treatment by opponents was highlighted this week, and that will no doubt rile Friday’s opposing coach Alastair Clarkson.
But Clarkson’s criticism of umpires (and Papley, who he accused of playing for free kicks) was the main reason for Hocking’s memo in the first place. The master coach will have to be on his best behaviour to avoid sanction.
On Tuesday, the AFL released a statement outlining Hocking’s message. “We must maintain a collaborative approach within the industry, the same approach that ensured we were able to return to play despite the numerous hurdles we have faced so far,” part of the statement read.
“The comments made in recent weeks are against the spirit of the game and are not examples of the conduct required by leaders within the AFL.
“The message today is to be expressive, have an opinion, and provide insight for fans, but to do so in a manner that shows a level of respect to all involved.”
Bizarrely, in the same email, the AFL also sent a reminder of AFL Regulation 15.1 – which states: “Any person subject to these regulations or AFL rules, shall not make any public comment about an umpire or a decision made by an umpire.”
If it seems contradictory, it’s because it is.
This week, Steele Sidebottom is free to return from the four-week suspension for his coronavirus protocol breaches in a welcome boost for a Collingwood side missing gun trio Scott Pendlebury, Jeremy Howe and Jordan De Goey.
Zac Williams is back from a hamstring injury to add much-needed speed for the Giants, and we can expect more debutants across the competition as clubs tackle condensed fixtures that will require careful management of some senior stars.
The Western Bulldogs are braced for arguably the toughest run of all, kicking off with reigning premier Richmond at Metricon Stadium on Wednesday night. The following eight days feature meetings with top side Port Adelaide and second-placed Brisbane.
And good luck tipping winners in a round full of toss-of-the-coin contests at the top, bottom and middle of a congested ladder.
