Opinion AFL 2024 Round 11 - Weekend Wrap & Liked, Learnt, Hated

[Zevon]

Dogs v Swans, Thursday night: The Doggies had a red hot crack at this one, but some inaccuracy and a couple of injuries were always going to make it difficult against a true juggernaut and the undisputed best side in the competition this year. Yes, yes, we got a couple of dodgy umpiring calls go our way, but umpiring calls never decide the outcome of Bulldogs-Swans encounters… right??

Walyalup v Pies, Friday night: No. I’m not writing about this game, and you can’t make me. Do yourself a favour and forget it ever happened.

North v Yartapuulti, Saturday arvo: You know a team is going great guns when people respond to a 59 point loss and say “oh well, that wasn't TOO bad…”

Blues v Suns, Saturday arvo: The Blues needed a bounce-back performance and they delivered. The Suns needed to prove they can win on the road and… yeah.

Cats v Giants, Saturday twilight: One of these teams is a dominant powerhouse at GMHBA stadium and hardly ever loses there. The other is the Geelong Cats. This result should have surprised precisely no one.



Tigers v Bombers, Saturday night: Essendon supporters left this game happy with a win and the excellent return of Jordan Ridley

14

Jordan Ridley

Age

27

Ht

195cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

1.7

4star

MG

244.8

4star

D

17.0

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

6.7

5star

T

1.7

3star

MG

265.4

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.4

4star

MG

208.2

4star

. Tigers fans had could leave happy that their team put in a vastly improved showing and didn’t get thumped on the big stage. Good night all round really.

Hawks v Lions, Sunday arvo: You’d have forgiven the Hawks for getting blown away in a flat performance after their heart-breaker last week, but they responded in rollickingly good fashion! That’s 3 wins in 4 weeks now (rank underdogs in all of them) and they were a bad 30 seconds away from making it a perfect four. Fast becoming the banana peel side that nobody wants to play.



Narrm v Euro-Yroke, Sunday arvo: I’m going to level with you here... I didn’t watch this one. But be honest, did you?? Ross Lyon footy vs Melbourne Demons footy. It would be like choosing to waste your Sunday afternoon hanging out with the tedious mother-in-law you hate AND that arrogant-yet-boring middle manager at work who makes your life miserable. No thanks.

Kuwarna v Waalitj Marawar, Sunday twilight: A down game for the young Eagles and an up game for the... middle aged (?) Crows. Was probably always going to get ugly if that kind of scenario played out.

 

[blueiris]

The fixture really is a joke 6;years in a row against Hawthorn as the away team I think is probably the longest streak I've seen where a team hasn't had a least one home game

 

[SC_Power]

The fixture really is a joke 6;years in a row against Hawthorn as the away team I think is probably the longest streak I've seen where a team hasn't had a least one home game

Port played away to North Melbourne for the 11th time since 2012, with only 2 home games in that time. It happens.

Liked: Jason Horne Francis (again)
Learned: North are in even more trouble that I thought.
Hated: In the midst of the AFL promoting another two Melbourne clubs for a stand-alone marquee game, a snap quiz (without looking it up): Who was the 2024 Indigenous Round ambassador? And what did you learn about him? Exactly, I hated the disrespect.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The fixture really is a joke 6;years in a row against Hawthorn as the away team I think is probably the longest streak I've seen where a team hasn't had a least one home game

33 of our last 39 against Collingwood have been at their ground. The other 6 are two in covid neutral venues and 4 at Docklands. So 37/39 in Melbourne.

 

[Hawksboy72]

Liked: Attacking the game in the 4th Quarter instead of going into panic mode. The free kick against Collingwood (funny)

Learnt: Brisvegas...GONESKI. St Kilda are gluttens for punishment if they continue with Ross the Boss.

Hated: Getting 8 from 9.

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[jannissary]

liked: jordan ridley

14

Jordan Ridley

Age

27

Ht

195cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

1.7

4star

MG

244.8

4star

D

17.0

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

6.7

5star

T

1.7

3star

MG

265.4

4star

D

13.8

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.4

4star

MG

208.2

4star

. favourite player by a country mile and he dominated all night on saturday. good to have him back
learned: essendon isn't consistent, there's trouble in st kilda
hated: umpiring all weekend was nearly the worst i'd seen in a long time

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

Liked: GWS winning down at that dump Kadina park

Learnt; daniher is a spud, and Lohman has shit hair

Hated: not much

 

[JackFlash]

Liked: GWS winning down at that dump Kadina park

Learnt; daniher is a spud, and Lohman has shit hair

Hated: not much

At least spell "the dump" right. It's Kardinia Park...and they still play at their home ground.

 

[Andronicus]

Liked: GWS winning down at that dump Kadina park

I hope you don't have a friend named Virginia that you write to regularly.

 

[JackFlash]

Liked:The end of this round!

Learnt:The Cats have had the gong and it's only going to get worse from here. The envious opposition supporters will be enjoying this no end.

Hated:White shorts again in home games, 60 metre penalties, Collingwood players running at least 30 metres without bouncing and of course losing.

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

Liked: Adelaide won, Richmond were much more competitive, Hawthorn learnt their lesson from last week.

Learnt: I am feeling more and more vindicated by the week that Gold Coast are flat trackers.

Hated: More appalling umpiring, even more injuries to add to an incredibly long league list.

 

[CakeEater]

Liked-Alex Pearces goal, even though i thought he was no chance.

Learnt- Harley Reid wouldnt look out of my place in my favourite movie Mighty Ducks QUack Quack Quack Quack

Hated- that we couldnt play 4 decent quarters, but was pleased that we worked hard against an older and more expierenced side

 

[South of the Yarra]

Port played away to North Melbourne for the 11th time since 2012, with only 2 home games in that time. It happens.

Liked: Jason Horne Francis (again)
Learned: North are in even more trouble that I thought.
Hated: In the midst of the AFL promoting another two Melbourne clubs for a stand-alone marquee game, a snap quiz (without looking it up): Who was the 2024 Indigenous Round ambassador? And what did you learn about him? Exactly, I hated the disrespect.

An amazing man, good fella.

 

[PerthBoy86]

I thought the Crows by about 30-40 but the 100 point belting has shattered any illusions we arent a bottom 4 side (as opposed to maybe bottom 8). Need a lot of work to do, and Harley isn't going to single handedly save us. Has a team had such a contrast between home and away games? Our average losing away margin is 51, while weve had 3 30-40 point home wins. Our away losing margin this season isn't all that different to 22-23, yet weve turned around our home form. Still a big step.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Swans are head and shoulders above the rest. I was wrong. I wasn't sold on Sydney pre-season, but I am now. They're bloody good.

Hawks are a good, up and coming side. They play great football and are a joy to watch.

Lions are ****ing woeful at times. What the hell happened? Still only half way through the season a long way to go yet.

Geelong can't play GWS just like the above sides have that bogey thing against one another. Giants 4th straight win down at the Cattery.

Blues steadied with a good win and Port have come right back up when they looked poor last week before that last quarter. Footy's a wonderful game but also a funny one.

Pies ****ing shot ourselves in the foot. Dockers regrouped too and The Saints are rubbish.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I thought the Crows by about 30-40 but the 100 point belting has shattered any illusions we arent a bottom 4 side (as opposed to maybe bottom 8). Need a lot of work to do, and Harley isn't going to single handedly save us. Has a team had such a contrast between home and away games? Our average losing away margin is 51, while weve had 3 30-40 point home wins. Our away losing margin this season isn't all that different to 22-23, yet weve turned around our home form. Still a big step.

Suns are having a similar H&A season with maybe not as big a deficit in the losses away from home. I reckon you will get more consistency once the young guys mature, the signs are there.

 

[woosha24]

The fixture really is a joke 6;years in a row against Hawthorn as the away team I think is probably the longest streak I've seen where a team hasn't had a least one home game

I dont think West Coast have hosted the Lions at Optus Stadium ever. How does stuff like that even happen?

 

[woosha24]

Suns are having a similar H&A season with maybe not as big a deficit in the losses away from home. I reckon you will get more consistency once the young guys mature, the signs are there.

We're headed in the right direction, but still have 2-3 more years down the bottom before we're a finals hopeful again.

We've reached the stage where we are now at least competitive at home. Have to take the next step and be consistently competitive away, then we can start stringing wins together.

 

[blueiris]

I dont think West Coast have hosted the Lions at Optus Stadium ever. How does stuff like that even happen?

Yeah I agree stupid how they can fixture this it really should be a fair system I think you win quite easily this season when we have our first game at Optus

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

I hope you don't have a friend named Virginia that you write to regularly.

Quoted for it’s sheer quality
Very good

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

I dont think West Coast have hosted the Lions at Optus Stadium ever. How does stuff like that even happen?

Another strange one is that Melbourne have only hosted West Coast twice in the last 10 years, and neither were at the MCG.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Suns are having a similar H&A season with maybe not as big a deficit in the losses away from home. I reckon you will get more consistency once the young guys mature, the signs are there.

Definitely improving in the short term, can't deny that. Few of us are thinking finals, just one step at a time, maybe two steps forward, one back. We're too rich and powerful to stay down long - you'd think lol.

 

[SuperMal]

Liked - Swannies
Learned - Jonny Ralph is truly an arch dickhead
Hated - VFL tribunal

 

[Don Won]

Liked - Swannies
Learned - Jonny Ralph is truly an arch dickhead
Hated - VFL tribunal

Slow learner

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Another strange one is that Melbourne have only hosted West Coast twice in the last 10 years, and neither were at the MCG.

This season is our only third clash with the Dogs at AO, and they haven't hosted us in Melbourne since 2016, they're home games against us have been in Ballarat and GC in 2020.