Mega Thread 2026 Media & Miscellaneous Thread

[Spirit Level]

Yeah I felt like that reading his answers in the Q+A tbh.

Also, seemed to dodge some of the more pertinent, hard hitting questions

 

[DQ 4EVER]

Could an entire team go out there hairless, just to make a mockery of it?
If it's an AFLW team, even funnier

I don't think our captain would go for it.
On another note, First Crack is the best footy show going around at the moment

 

[go_the_dockers]

Whately and Lyon bagging out the problems the smoke and mirrors round.
Eight rounds of byes, stopping and starting ways of teams, ladder stupidity, don't know who is where until after round 15/16.
The league are concerened that the first week there was 50,000 down on last season. Really!! Have a listen to what the football public are telling you, you fools.

Crows play Geelong, with a 5 day break, with Geelong coming off a 12 day break.

 

[Andy Brennan]

I just finished listening to Duff's SEN podcast from earlier today and in hearing Joe Brierty and the way he answers a question, without answering a question, it is so akin to a politician.

I give it 5 years maximum before he is employed by the AFL in some capacity, with a high rise view at AFL house.

As an aside, if somebody asked you who the main face of Geelong FC is, it's very obvious. Who is the main face of Fremantle FC?

 

[Shaymuhz]

I just finished listening to Duff's SEN podcast from earlier today and in hearing Joe Brierty and the way he answers a question, without answering a question, it is so akin to a politician.

I give it 5 years maximum before he is employed by the AFL in some capacity, with a high rise view at AFL house.

As an aside, if somebody asked you who the main face of Geelong FC is, it's very obvious. Who is the main face of Fremantle FC?

What are you alluding to?

 

[Mogumber]

I just finished listening to Duff's SEN podcast from earlier today and in hearing Joe Brierty and the way he answers a question, without answering a question, it is so akin to a politician.

I give it 5 years maximum before he is employed by the AFL in some capacity, with a high rise view at AFL house.

As an aside, if somebody asked you who the main face of Geelong FC is, it's very obvious. Who is the main face of Fremantle FC?

Big time fraud if ask me! He won't make it to AFL house, no success.
Garlick might, but he's a Vicco!
Garlick to me is the face of Freo, but he's only temporary. So hopefully, is Brierty

 

[Lach72]

Entry Visualiser

Good site

 

[CapitalA]

I just finished listening to Duff's SEN podcast from earlier today and in hearing Joe Brierty and the way he answers a question, without answering a question, it is so akin to a politician.

I give it 5 years maximum before he is employed by the AFL in some capacity, with a high rise view at AFL house.

As an aside, if somebody asked you who the main face of Geelong FC is, it's very obvious. Who is the main face of Fremantle FC?

Bailey Smith? or Jeremy Cameron? or Patrick Dangerfield?

 

[go_the_dockers]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/from-two-allaustralian-blazers-to-fighting-for-his-spot-why-is-luke-ryan-on-the-outer-at-fremantle/news-story/1ad1985583f0c937b106abe9e49bef54&ved=2ahUKEwiy49SE8qyTAxVJaHADHVD_B8IQFnoECB8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0up7bfOuFpVsiXS854eKM4

Anyone have this?

Could I have a summary?

 

[Alfonz]

Bailey Smith? or Jeremy Cameron? or Patrick Dangerfield?

I'd even say Chris Scott. But the answer is clearly not very obvious.

 

[greatgatsby]

Nothing much new about Ryan's interrupted preseason and his coming from a long way back fitness-wise.

This from Eliza grabbed me though, re the first quarter last week, when Pearce spent a lot of time on the bench:
"It’s no coincidence that some of the best ball movement of Longmuir’s tenure came in the absence of Pearce, Ryan and Cox."

 

[mike91]

Nothing much new about Ryan's interrupted preseason and his coming from a long way back fitness-wise.

This from Eliza grabbed me though, re the first quarter last week, when Pearce spent a lot of time on the bench:
"It’s no coincidence that some of the best ball movement of Longmuir’s tenure came in the absence of Pearce, Ryan and Cox."

It's also no surprise how weak we looked in their absence, but people like Eliza forget defenders need to defend first. Notice what happened when Barass lifted and blanketed Charlie?

People can cry all they want about speed and ball movement, but if you can't defend, good luck being relevant.

 

[anchor man]

I don't think our captain would go for it.
On another note, First Crack is the best footy show going around at the moment

Nah Wan is on it.

 

[Docker82]

It's also no surprise how weak we looked in their absence, but people like Eliza forget defenders need to defend first. Notice what happened when Barass lifted and blanketed Charlie?

People can cry all they want about speed and ball movement, but if you can't defend, good luck being relevant.

Think the issue was we attempted to replace Ryan with a bunch of mid sized defenders that aren't nearly as good in the air. Also McDonald was rubbish.

Given the above it was basically Pearce trying to play lose to make up for the rest of the lack of overhead defending ability of everyone else. He wasn't quite there to impact the contest on a few occasions amd it resulted in Geelong marks inside fifty.

 

[Mags98]

seeing a whole bunch of whinging on twitter in the 1st quarter last night about how the game has 'become basketball on grass'. phew these media go early and hard dont they? im sure its the same types who whinge about ross lyon footy as well!

always gotta have a hot take

 

[swanny1234]

It's also no surprise how weak we looked in their absence, but people like Eliza forget defenders need to defend first. Notice what happened when Barass lifted and blanketed Charlie?

People can cry all they want about speed and ball movement, but if you can't defend, good luck being relevant.

See Ryan can also play as the second tall if need be, he’s done it before.

I’d still back him as a lockdown defender over Omac.

You can still have your Clark’s, McVee’s, Walkers etc and play Ryan.

 

[ubiquitous226]

seeing a whole bunch of whinging on twitter in the 1st quarter last night about how the game has 'become basketball on grass'. phew these media go early and hard dont they? im sure its the same types who whinge about ross lyon footy as well!

always gotta have a hot take

Yeah there will always be complaining.

The game always changes throughout the season too, both as weather changes and as teams get more tired and work through reactive tactics.

 

[greatgatsby]

If you think there's complaining in the AFL, try F1!

 

[PrancingPony]

If you think there's complaining in the AFL, try F1!

F1 has fans?

 

[greatgatsby]

F1 has fans?

Seems so - nearly half a million through the gate in Melbourne the other weekend.

 

[PrancingPony]

Seems so - nearly half a million through the gate in Melbourne the other weekend.

Fair enough then, I guess F1 is one of those sports I just don't get the appeal of, more power to them though.

 

[greatgatsby]

Fair enough then, I guess F1 is one of those sports I just don't get the appeal of, more power to them though.

Sadly not the case at the moment

 

[David Bubb]

The first step in solving any problem, is acknowledging you have one. The AFL has never been very good at that.

Opening Round is working (it’s true, more on that later), but in its current form is unfair, unbalanced and frankly hated by the majority of footy fans.

In an attempt to build interest in the New South Wales and Queensland markets, the league is neglecting its base — particularly those in Western Australia and South Australia — and somehow adding yet another layer of inequality to an already laughable fixture.

We shouldn’t expect the VFL — sorry, AFL — to understand. They never have. Neither have the majority of Melbourne’s media.

To them we whinge, we complain, we should be grateful we’re even in their competition.

Geography will never allow a completely fair fixture, but the AFL habitually refuse to consider the simple fixes which could soften the blow.

Justin Longmuir

Justin Longmuir

Age

45

Ht

196cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.4

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

4.5

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.6

3star

got caught in the firing line this week, for simply answering a question with honesty.

Quizzed on Opening Round, Longmuir first criticised his own side’s collapse against Geelong, then gave a considered response.

“Anyone who’s been around football would realise it’s an advantage,” he said.

“We should all start the season the same way, there should be no competitive advantage for any team playing a game before they play another team.

“It just makes so much sense to people in the industry, and we’ve just got it wrong.”

For his thoughts, Longmuir was branded a ‘sore loser’ by one veteran journalist, who also took the chance to slap Freo’s trophy-less history in their face.

Disrespectful name-calling aside, listening to the rest of the media conference may’ve helped with understanding.

As Longmuir pointed out, Opening Round and the fixture didn’t cost Fremantle the game against the Cats.

But reasons and excuses are often roommates, one of them just has better PR.

A million things contribute to games of footy being won and lost, both macro and micro. Skill errors, opportunities taken, missed tackles, held tackles, luck with injuries or the bounce of the ball. Tactics, travel, fatigue, home ground advantage, talent, experience.

If we’re to believe the AFL, it’s their job to create as equal of a playing field as possible.

You can’t manicure every disposal or every player’s decision, but you can control the fixture. Along with the draft, it’s their most crucial lever for equality.

There’s no denying Opening Round has had a positive impact for the Swans, Giants, Lions and Suns.

All four clubs hit record highs in membership last year.

AFL participation in Queensland surged to 91,000 in 2025 — another record. They now trail only Victoria in that area. NSW/ACT aren’t far behind – at 78,000.

For reference, WA sits at 90,000, SA at 70,000.

The ‘non-footy’ states are trumping the traditional AFL hotbeds.

Hats off to the AFL. They’ve invested millions into the success of those states and it’s working. On and off field.

We all know growth in those states is crucial. The AFL has just about every fan they can get from Victoria, WA and SA. The growth areas are the traditional NRL states. That’s where the new eyeballs can be mined. That’s how the game grows, how the TV and radio deals get bigger, salaries grow and everything along with it.

So, what’s the fix? How do the AFL keep feeding the northern beast, but stop leaving the rest of us ‘sore losers’ out in the cold?

The league has three options.

1. Scrap Opening Round.
2. Keep it and put the NSW/QLD games in the prime-time, clear-air TV spots, but let every club play.
3. Keep OR just for the northern states — BUT — don’t have OR teams playing non-OR teams the following week. Definitely don’t have non-OR teams travelling to play OR teams in round one.

Fremantle and West Coast couldn’t play at home last weekend due to the Asian Cup, but were handed the toughest road trips in footy, Geelong and Gold Coast. They were teams that had played a game already and had then spend the week tweaking, learning and becoming physically ready.

Why not against North Melbourne, Melbourne, Adelaide, or any one of the other non-OR clubs? I haven’t even mentioned the early-season ‘bonus’ bye for the OR teams. Hawthorn beat the Swans on Thursday and now has 18 days off before facing the Cats on Easter Monday.

Longmuir wasn’t wrong, and a chorus of coaches and past players have publicly agreed with his thoughts before or since, including Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

, Nick Riewoldt, Garry Lyon, Kane Cornes and Steven King

Steven King

Age

47

Ht

201cm

Wt

104kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

4.9

4star

CL

1.3

3star

HO

16.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

HO

8.8

5star

.

Sometimes, pleasing everyone is impossible. In this case, it isn’t. It’s simple.

But first, the AFL must wake up and acknowledge the problem.

 

[Quazar2]

The first step in solving any problem, is acknowledging you have one. The AFL has never been very good at that.

Opening Round is working (it’s true, more on that later), but in its current form is unfair, unbalanced and frankly hated by the majority of footy fans.

In an attempt to build interest in the New South Wales and Queensland markets, the league is neglecting its base — particularly those in Western Australia and South Australia — and somehow adding yet another layer of inequality to an already laughable fixture.

We shouldn’t expect the VFL — sorry, AFL — to understand. They never have. Neither have the majority of Melbourne’s media.

To them we whinge, we complain, we should be grateful we’re even in their competition.

Geography will never allow a completely fair fixture, but the AFL habitually refuse to consider the simple fixes which could soften the blow.

Justin Longmuir got caught in the firing line this week, for simply answering a question with honesty.

Quizzed on Opening Round, Longmuir first criticised his own side’s collapse against Geelong, then gave a considered response.

“Anyone who’s been around football would realise it’s an advantage,” he said.

“We should all start the season the same way, there should be no competitive advantage for any team playing a game before they play another team.

“It just makes so much sense to people in the industry, and we’ve just got it wrong.”

For his thoughts, Longmuir was branded a ‘sore loser’ by one veteran journalist, who also took the chance to slap Freo’s trophy-less history in their face.

Disrespectful name-calling aside, listening to the rest of the media conference may’ve helped with understanding.

As Longmuir pointed out, Opening Round and the fixture didn’t cost Fremantle the game against the Cats.

But reasons and excuses are often roommates, one of them just has better PR.

A million things contribute to games of footy being won and lost, both macro and micro. Skill errors, opportunities taken, missed tackles, held tackles, luck with injuries or the bounce of the ball. Tactics, travel, fatigue, home ground advantage, talent, experience.

If we’re to believe the AFL, it’s their job to create as equal of a playing field as possible.

You can’t manicure every disposal or every player’s decision, but you can control the fixture. Along with the draft, it’s their most crucial lever for equality.

There’s no denying Opening Round has had a positive impact for the Swans, Giants, Lions and Suns.

All four clubs hit record highs in membership last year.

AFL participation in Queensland surged to 91,000 in 2025 — another record. They now trail only Victoria in that area. NSW/ACT aren’t far behind – at 78,000.

For reference, WA sits at 90,000, SA at 70,000.

The ‘non-footy’ states are trumping the traditional AFL hotbeds.

Hats off to the AFL. They’ve invested millions into the success of those states and it’s working. On and off field.

We all know growth in those states is crucial. The AFL has just about every fan they can get from Victoria, WA and SA. The growth areas are the traditional NRL states. That’s where the new eyeballs can be mined. That’s how the game grows, how the TV and radio deals get bigger, salaries grow and everything along with it.

So, what’s the fix? How do the AFL keep feeding the northern beast, but stop leaving the rest of us ‘sore losers’ out in the cold?

The league has three options.

1. Scrap Opening Round.
2. Keep it and put the NSW/QLD games in the prime-time, clear-air TV spots, but let every club play.
3. Keep OR just for the northern states — BUT — don’t have OR teams playing non-OR teams the following week. Definitely don’t have non-OR teams travelling to play OR teams in round one.

Fremantle and West Coast couldn’t play at home last weekend due to the Asian Cup, but were handed the toughest road trips in footy, Geelong and Gold Coast. They were teams that had played a game already and had then spend the week tweaking, learning and becoming physically ready.

Why not against North Melbourne, Melbourne, Adelaide, or any one of the other non-OR clubs? I haven’t even mentioned the early-season ‘bonus’ bye for the OR teams. Hawthorn beat the Swans on Thursday and now has 18 days off before facing the Cats on Easter Monday.

Longmuir wasn’t wrong, and a chorus of coaches and past players have publicly agreed with his thoughts before or since, including Chris Scott, Nick Riewoldt, Garry Lyon, Kane Cornes and Steven King.

Sometimes, pleasing everyone is impossible. In this case, it isn’t. It’s simple.

But first, the AFL must wake up and acknowledge the problem.

Ryan's very good at this, he sticks his neck out (wonder if he'll eventually get punished?!), he's written a similar piece a few years ago suggesting WA could have a derby in Round 1 and other prime time slots for other teams, other than the traditional VFL old boys back-slapping fest of Carlton vs. Richmond etc. Every. F***ing. Year.

But the AFL doesn't give a crap about that.

 

[Midnite65]

It's also no surprise how weak we looked in their absence, but people like Eliza forget defenders need to defend first. Notice what happened when Barass lifted and blanketed Charlie?

People can cry all they want about speed and ball movement, but if you can't defend, good luck being relevant.

We seemed to do both in the first quarter, have good speed and ball movement as well as defend. Pearce, Ryan and Cox are both really slow movers of the ball but defend well ala Barass at the Hawks. Maybe they just need to be instructed to handball to Walker, McVee, Clark, Chapman or anyone else as soon as they get their hands on it, i.e. what used to happen to rucks when they couldn't be trusted to kick the ball.