Opinion AFL 2023 Round 22 - Liked, learnt, hated

[Zevon]

Liked - Just a great round of footy. Close finishes, upsets, controversies. There was a bit of everything and I loved it.

Learnt - The Swans are in 7th?! Yeah but I’m serious… when did that happen? We were 15th a few weeks ago.

Hated - The Eagles losing margin. Completely understand where they’re at but thought it might be a smidgeon closer after an improved showing last week.

 

[JackFlash]

Liked: When you lose to Collingwood you don't like much.

Learnt: It's a pretty weak bottom half of the top 8, i suppose Carlton are not too bad, but the rest are very ordinary including my Cats who miraculously can still make the finals which would be a waste of time. I'd rather they finished 12th and get a top 10 pick in the draft

Hated: Pies winning and if i hear the word Matildas one more time i'll explode!

 

[Malifice]

Learnt - The Swans are in 7th?! Yeah but I’m serious… when did that happen? We were 15th a few weeks ago.

Tell me about it.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

and if i hear the word Matildas one more time i'll explode!

Seconded. I fear the extraordinary media frenzy we've copped so far is still nothing compared to what we'll see leading up to Wednesday. And gawdelpus if the Matildas win that too. I'm having a media blackout myself.

 

[JackFlash]

Seconded. I fear the extraordinary media frenzy we've copped so far is still nothing compared to what we'll see leading up to Wednesday. And gawdelpus if the Matildas win that too. I'm having a media blackout myself.

I am having a media free day also, put me in the stocks, hang me upside down, draw and quarter me, but i might be one of the few people living in OZ that will just shrug his shoulders if they lose?

 

[HarryBeef]

Liked - Just a great round of footy. Close finishes, upsets, controversies. There was a bit of everything and I loved it.

Learnt - The Swans are in 7th?! Yeah but I’m serious… when did that happen? We were 15th a few weeks ago.

Hated - The Eagles losing margin. Completely understand where they’re at but thought it might be a smidgeon closer after an improved showing last week.

Has Buddy ruled out finals?

 

[HarryBeef]

Liked: When you lose to Collingwood you don't like much.

Learnt: It's a pretty weak bottom half of the top 8, i suppose Carlton are not too bad, but the rest are very ordinary including my Cats who miraculously can still make the finals which would be a waste of time. I'd rather they finished 12th and get a top 10 pick in the draft

Hated: Pies winning and if i hear the word Matildas one more time i'll explode!

You'd be fun at parties...

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I am having a media free day also, put me in the stocks, hang me upside down, draw and quarter me, but i might be one of the few people living in OZ that will just shrug his shoulders if they lose?

There are many more of us than people think there are, Comrade.

 

[PhatBoy]

I am having a media free day also, put me in the stocks, hang me upside down, draw and quarter me, but i might be one of the few people living in OZ that will just shrug his shoulders if they lose?

I’m in the same boat. I will admit I watched the other night at the cost of watching the opening 20 minutes of a rare good performance from my NRL team and yeah it was exciting.

It was also a scoreless draw that owed little to them being a great team and there is every chance that in the final four games a similar scenario will unfold

 

[melbun]

Who are the Matildas?

 

[PerthBoy86]

Seconded. I fear the extraordinary media frenzy we've copped so far is still nothing compared to what we'll see leading up to Wednesday. And gawdelpus if the Matildas win that too. I'm having a media blackout myself.

I think its great womens soccer/football is getting more attention, and the Matildas campaign is inspiring, but yeah its weird, before you'd never see or hear anything about women's football and now we're selling out big stadiums and beating viewing records. That's fine, but I noticed they had to emphasise quite a few times how no one cared about the AFL etc when the Matildas were playing...but lets hope we'll see a bit more coverage of womens soccer after world cup mania has died down.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Liked: quite a few close games. Carlton Melbourne game of the year, the intensity of the last few minutes was finals like.

Learnt: How the fudge are Hawks bottom 4? Its a reflection of how even the comp is, that bar North and us any team can potentially beat any other team, no matter where.

Hated: as we've all been saying, we need better video review tech. Maybe put a sensor on the ball or whatever to see if its touch while theyre at it lol jk.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

NRL and AFL hog all the mainstream media real estate for 99% of the year, yet some off you guys are getting pissy about a national team getting hyped for getting into the semis of a WC? get over it

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

NRL and AFL hog all the mainstream media real estate for 99% of the year, yet some off you guys are getting pissy about a national team getting hyped for getting into the semis of a WC? get over it

Well if overseas success was the sort of thing that floated my boat I wouldn't be following AFL, would I?

 

[jackenny]

Liked: quite a few close games. Carlton Melbourne game of the year, the intensity of the last few minutes was finals like.

Learnt: How the fudge are Hawks bottom 4? Its a reflection of how even the comp is, that bar North and us any team can potentially beat any other team, no matter where.

Hated: as we've all been saying, we need better video review tech. Maybe put a sensor on the ball or whatever to see if its touch while theyre at it lol jk.

Recency bias, honestly. Their early pre-bye form was horrible. Had some genuine capitulations. First two rounds were diabolical against Bombers and Sydney, had a reprieve in round 3 beating North by 19 points, then a return to capitulation against Geelong in round 4, followed by narrow losses against Giants, Crows, a normal loss against the Bulldogs, another row of capitulations against the Dockers and Demons, their second win for the year and an absolute smacking for West Coast in round 10. Had their first, good win (their third for the year) against a flying Saints in round 11 (10 points, yeah - but beating the tar out of the Eagles in the middle of their injury woes isn’t brag worthy). Then got absolutely smacked by Port the following week (margin flatters them, kicked 6 goals in the last quarter-effectively a whole quarter was junk time, such was the smacking in the first three quarters). Round 13 beating the Lions and to a lesser degree Round 11 beating the Saints were signs of their form turning around. But again, getting thumped by Port, the Suns, the Blues by ten goal margins, a narrower loss against Giants, was mixed in. Beating up North a second time. Almost getting it done against Richmond but capitulating in the last quarter (Day playing so well, but in defence punching the ball back into the corridor twice attempting to spoil and kill the ball leading to goals - Wingard playing his best game for the year). Even with Breust kicking six goals, couldn’t beat the Saints a second time. Not a consistent side; young. Their best football is on the back of what will become an elite midfield and half-back line. Half-forward line is threatening to be elite, too. Ridiculous, gut-running side. But again, recency bias.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Recency bias, honestly. Their early pre-bye form was horrible. Had some genuine capitulations. First two rounds were diabolical against Bombers and Sydney, had a reprieve in round 3 beating North by 19 points, then a return to capitulation against Geelong in round 4, followed by narrow losses against Giants, Crows, a normal loss against the Bulldogs, another row of capitulations against the Dockers and Demons, their second win for the year and an absolute smacking for West Coast in round 10. Had their first, good win (their third for the year) against a flying Saints in round 11 (10 points, yeah - but beating the tar out of the Eagles in the middle of their injury woes isn’t brag worthy). Then got absolutely smacked by Port the following week (margin flatters them, kicked 6 goals in the last quarter-effectively a whole quarter was junk time, such was the smacking in the first three quarters). Round 13 beating the Lions and to a lesser degree Round 11 beating the Saints were signs of their form turning around. But again, getting thumped by Port, the Suns, the Blues by ten goal margins, a narrower loss against Giants, was mixed in. Beating up North a second time. Almost getting it done against Richmond but capitulating in the last quarter (Day playing so well, but in defence punching the ball back into the corridor twice attempting to spoil and kill the ball leading to goals - Wingard playing his best game for the year). Even with Breust kicking six goals, couldn’t beat the Saints a second time. Not a consistent side; young. Their best football is on the back of what will become an elite midfield and half-back line. Half-forward line is threatening to be elite, too. Ridiculous, gut-running side. But again, recency bias.

That's true, but to beat Brisbane and Collingwood handily is pretty good for a 16th placed team.

Where do you think they'll finish next year? Thing is those above them are still better and should improve. I'm going to say about 12th though.

 

[jackenny]

That's true, but to beat Brisbane and Collingwood handily is pretty good for a 16th placed team.

Where do you think they'll finish next year? Thing is those above them are still better and should improve. I'm going to say about 12th though.

Melbourne this round will be an interesting game, IMO. Bulldogs have always been susceptible to hard tackling, high pressuring opposition. I rate the win, but the Bulldogs are still a middle of the road team (more-so without Libba). But the Demons are a different beast. Hawks don’t need to win, but I want to see how they play against a team that won’t (or shouldn’t) take them lightly from the start (like Collingwood did in the first quarter, genuinely got caught with their pants down, IMO - didn’t really have a plan to neutralise Sicily, Newcombe, or Day, either).

Next year they should be aiming between 8th and 14th. Need to get out of the bottom four as a minimum expectation, but should aim for finals to gain finals experience. Need to genuinely start pushing for finals and making a splash by 2025, though - while their current midfield team is still together and before Father Time ruins Sicily.