Dustin Martin after booting one of his six goals in Richmond’s qualifying final win against Brisbane. Photo: AFL MEDIA
A jumper clash, a free kick for contact below the knees and a new score review system walk into a bar … it sounds like the start of a bad joke, or even (admittedly) a laboured metaphor.
But stay with me and ask yourself this: which of the three comes off best when their meeting descends into a bar-room brawl? You would have been given decent pre-match odds on the latter.
The league’s new “ARC” passed its first test over the opening week of the 2019 finals series. The fact you haven’t heard much about it since it was announced is a good thing.
The same couldn’t be said for the jumper clash policy, or lack thereof, which produced a messy blur on Friday night, causing all sorts of headaches at the ground and through television screens around the country.
Clever wags on social media were quick to point out the easy way to spot the difference between Geelong and Collingwood was that the Magpies were the team in possession of the football, at least in the first half.
The Cats, it seemed, couldn’t buy a trick. Even when they got to the ball first, they sometimes came off second-best. Just ask Patrick Dangerfield, who beat Callum Brown to win possession, but was penalised for doing so.
Talking points that led to heated public debate in the most “2019” ways possible – via social media and the provocative digital arms of traditional outlets – weren’t limited to the MCG.
In Perth, Nic Naitanui had his dreadlocks tugged, we saw a drink thrown from the crowd at the offending Bomber during the ensuing melee, and it all worked West Coast fans into a frenzy in a scintillating return from injury.
The Eagles’ win kept their premiership defence alive and poured heat on favourite son John Worsfold, whose position as coach of Essendon sits somewhere between precarious and safe for another year, depending on who you believe.
Bombers assistants Ben Rutten and Blake Caracella have been thrown up as possible replacements, as has Ross Lyon, whose previous post at Fremantle is still up for grabs.
But we digress. When it came to the footy over the first week of finals action, there were some familiar names at the forefront of the action.
Dustin Martin has had a sniff of September for a while and turned it on when the whips were cracking, kicking six goals as Richmond knocked off Brisbane to book a preliminary final berth for the third straight season.
Martin’s contribution helped ensure the top two sides lost in the first week of the finals for the first time in 93 years. He only had 14 disposals, but boy, did he make them count.
Shane Edwards, Dion Prestia, Kane Lambert and Trent Cotchin found enough of the ball to cover the Brownlow medallist’s midfield absence in front of an AFL-record Gabba crowd.
Nine straight goals to the Tigers during the second and third quarters put Brisbane away as Lachie Neale (37 disposals and two goals) fought valiantly.
And now it looks as if Richmond and Collingwood could meet in a grand final for the first time since 1980. Melbourne might just explode if they do.
But Naitanui and his West Coast teammates might yet have something to say about that. The cult hero’s return from injury was superb.
He set the tone on Thursday night by winning two of the first three centre hit-outs against Essendon’s Tom Bellchambers and claimed the clearance at the other re-start, before getting a chop-out from Tom Hickey.
Despite playing only about 60 per cent of game time and having just 14 disposals, Naitanui was one of the most influential players on the ground.
His chase-down of Adam Saad was a highlight and there was no way he was letting Will Snelling out of his grasp. A goal would have just about brought the Eagles’ shiny new house down. Josh Kennedy and Jamie Cripps kicked four of them each as Lewis Jetta, Liam Ryan and Willie Rioli ran riot.
Scott Pendlebury starred in his 300th game as Steele Sidebottom turned it on for Collingwood in its win over Geelong, despite Dangerfield’s best efforts.
Jaidyn Stephenson played well in his return from that betting ban, and Jamie Elliott and Taylor Adams turned it on.
But plenty of questions hang over the Cats’ flag credentials as they take a horror September record (now 3-10 since the 2011 premiership) into a semi-final against West Coast. Geelong also has a 2-12 record after a week off in-season. It’s a trend that can’t be ignored.
One of the lesser lights was a star for Greater Western Sydney, as Matt de Boer shut down Marcus Bontempelli in a big win over the Western Bulldogs.
There was plenty of talk about the bye potentially halting the Bulldogs’ momentum.
It’s easy to say in hindsight, of course, but the break didn’t work well for Luke Beveridge’s side this time around.
The Giants were brutal, dominating contested possession and beating up the Bulldogs in the area they pride themselves on most. Jacob Hopper, Josh Kelly and Tim Taranto were at the wheel as the Ferrari cruised into week two.
Stephen Coniglio won’t return for the Giants’ semi-final against Brisbane, but is a realistic chance to come back from a knee injury the following week, if the Giants get the far.
Speaking of injuries, they’ve hit hard at the worst possible time.
Brisbane hard man Mitch Robinson could miss games with a hamstring injury, and Collingwood faces a nervous wait on Jordan de Goey, who went down with a similar complaint on return.
Geelong midfielder Mitch Duncan could miss the rest of the season with a medial ligament issue, and tough Magpie Levi Greenwood, who suffered a suspected ACL tear, could be out for a year.
The Bulldogs hope Aaron Naughton’s knee injury isn’t that bad, but it doesn’t look good, and former Tiger Brett Deledio’s career is over after another calf injury ruled him out of the rest of the Giants’ finals campaign.
It was a sad end for some, but September rolls on, and there’s plenty of action to look forward to.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t centre around the ARC.
