Autopsy AFL 2025 First Qualifying Final - Crows v Pies Thursday Sept 4th 7:40pm AEST/7:10pm CST (AO)

[57 Milner]

It’s Maynard. No other explanation needed.

Yeah, I saw that. Nothing much in it really. Not expecting a public apology.

 

[joe444]

I thought Thilthorpe was really good tonight. If you take out that bad turnover and the bizarre decision to handball instead of kicking the goal and you’d say he had a really good night. As you say it was his first crack at finals and he’ll learn from it.

Dawson didn’t star but I thought he was solid, he had to do a lot more grunt work then we’d probably like him to, and he got his hands to a fair few marks that didn’t quite stick, bit of an almost night for him.

Keays is best as a complement to Rankine and Rachele, not the main guy. We are desperate to get Rach back.

Keep in mind that my stance is this often happens to finals newbies and can quickly be addressed

Thilthorpe: There were two contests, including a really important mark backing into a pack when they still had a chance, that he shirked. Not a good look.

Dawson: Ah you're a bit too kind there. They needed him to stand up, not give 52% disposal efficiency and get run down repeatedly.

Keays: You could sense he was trying to lift them and I can accept he suffered from having a little more attention on him.

All fixable. And yes I will play the 'seen it all before privileged Geelong fan' here ... but no team / crowd can really understand the difference of finals until they stare it down.

 

[Crow till I die]

Crows badly outcoached in the midfield last night and got some key match ups wrong, and for a side boasting a few old fellas, the pies did not let up for 1second pressure wise ad thoroughly deserved the win.

Crows need to learn the lessons from last night and bring the heat in the semi final

 

[Kapow!!!]

McRae is disappointed with the booing.
I'm disappointed in McRae and Collingwood for what they did!


Anyway, I called a Pies win. Crows want Rankine in the GF.

The most disappointing thing in Fly's presser was conflating the Quaynor booing with the Houston booing. Houston earned his reception and quite frankly it was a bloody good crowd response to make it such a compelling atmosphere. Quaynor was the victim and was targeted for being a victim, there's a difference and it wasn't one of the Crows crowds finest moments.

Fly combining the two just makes him sound like he's condemning booing in general. Not only is it incorrect as it's a good thing in footy (big games need big atmosphere's) but it's also hypocritical: Pies fans absolutely give the opposition heaps and for 99% of the time it's a good thing.

Either way Quaynor handled it in the best way possible and now hopefully we can just move past it and this thing just becomes a footnote in footy history rather than a chapter. Quaynor got his own major win with a great game that was pivotal in his team winning a big final, Crows fans get another game to continue putting up an intense atmosphere without any contentiousness and getting into a Prelim they would still absolutely have every chance of winning.

Footy wins, lets move on.

 

[Woody15]

What was Maynard's issue after the siren, you've won and carry on like an idiot. Didn't like it.

Maynard buried someone in a tackle with about 5 seconds left and gave them a spray while the player was sprawled out on the ground.

Keays waited until the final siren to get involved in the match and confronted Maynard.

 

[DaicosDisciple35]

It's almost weird watching a game this year and thinking, the umpiring was decent, or not even noticing it.

especially when captain dickhead with the headband is umpiring. He still made a few bad calls.

 

[DaicosDisciple35]

The most disappointing thing in Fly's presser was conflating the Quaynor booing with the Houston booing. Houston earned his reception and quite frankly it was a bloody good crowd response to make it such a compelling atmosphere. Quaynor was the victim and was targeted for being a victim, there's a difference and it wasn't one of the Crows crowds finest moments.

Fly combining the two just makes him sound like he's condemning booing in general. Not only is it incorrect as it's a good thing in footy (big games need big atmosphere's) but it's also hypocritical: Pies fans absolutely give the opposition heaps and for 99% of the time it's a good thing.

Either way Quaynor handled it in the best way possible and now hopefully we can just move past it and this thing just becomes a footnote in footy history rather than a chapter. Quaynor got his own major win with a great game that was pivotal in his team winning a big final, Crows fans get another game to continue putting up an intense atmosphere without any contentiousness and getting into a Prelim they would still absolutely have every chance of winning.

Footy wins, lets move on.

He did that to protect Q. He tried to make it really clear he always hates booing and didn't want the story to be about Quaynor so he made it really general on purpose. He still was clear that he was against it while protecting his player and celebrating the pies fans. I loved it.

 

[RCAB]

Have you heard their coach Nicks' response the question of the booing... 'i don't want to comment... Didn't really hear it '.

If this is the response of the coach then it's little chance Rankine or any other players will condemn it.

Nicks commentary has been poor the whole time since the incident.

He's a poor coach, who lucked out with umpiring this year, desperately wanting his star player back for the finals but severely outcoached last night.

 

[iGNITER]

Genuine question here that I've been thinking about for the past 12 hours.

Does Jake Soligo sleep with the light on?

I personally think he does.

 

[DaicosDisciple35]

Got banned last time for having a massive go at rankine. Feeling a bit more justified now.

Pies should win and win big. Crows not a great top of the table team and Collingwood travel well.

Rankine has done a lot of damage to the club in such an important time. Doubt it will have helped them much.

This aged well if I say so myself.

 

[Makeshift Park]

The most disappointing thing in Fly's presser was conflating the Quaynor booing with the Houston booing. Houston earned his reception and quite frankly it was a bloody good crowd response to make it such a compelling atmosphere. Quaynor was the victim and was targeted for being a victim, there's a difference and it wasn't one of the Crows crowds finest moments.

Its clear that Quaynor doesn't want to be the story here and Macrae is doing what he can to direct the commentary away from him towards the bigger picture, which is pretty understandable.

 

[AFaiL]

Crows do a lot right all season, then when it matters, absolutely fall apart at the seams. I am not just talking about the myriad failed performers last night, but the Rankine situation was the catalyst.

Bitched and moaned to get 1 less week so he could play in the GF if they lost the Qualifying final... Well, they got their wish. Truly very poorly managed, wanted to have a Plan B and now all they have is plan B and it's a long road to the GF.

Pies on the other hand, focussed on job at hand and delivered. Sublime and professional.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Its clear that Quaynor doesn't want to be the story here and Macrae is doing what he can to direct the commentary away from him towards the bigger picture, which is pretty understandable.

He did that to protect Q. He tried to make it really clear he always hates booing and didn't want the story to be about Quaynor so he made it really general on purpose. He still was clear that he was against it while protecting his player and celebrating the pies fans. I loved it.

Yeah that makes sense and it's a balance to find in the messaging for sure but unfortunately I don't think he found the right message as that leaves it open for easy straw manning by the bad faith actors and thus easily dismissable by those the message needs to reach. Ultimately though that's why it takes such a long time for the necessary change to happen because you need to protect the individuals harmed and that is the bigger priority in each situation.

Either way, I'm really happy for Quaynor that he had the game he had but it's sad that we're having this discussion.

 

[joe444]

Are fan bases different?

I always thought (and I'm not alone) that Geelong fans are too quiet, and clap a lot. Then again, we were the only fanbase that didn't boo Adam Goodes, right at the peak of the saga.

Crows fans (a minority) behaved like dicks but it was their first final for a while. Holier than thou stances don't add much to the mix.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Are fan bases different?

I always thought (and I'm not alone) that Geelong fans are too quiet, and clap a lot. Then again, we were the only fanbase that didn't boo Adam Goodes, right at the peak of the saga.

Crows fans (a minority) behaved like dicks but it was their first final for a while. Holier than thou stances don't add much to the mix.

I live in Sydney and as much as Swans fans can be annoying for a opposition fan, in this day and age I cannot imagine a scenario where a significant proportion of the SCG crowd would make homophobic taunts.

Sure there's always gonna be the odd tosser in every fanbase including mine, but what happened last night wasn't one or two neanderthals in isolation.

 

[Munich]

Are fan bases different?

I always thought (and I'm not alone) that Geelong fans are too quiet, and clap a lot. Then again, we were the only fanbase that didn't boo Adam Goodes, right at the peak of the saga.

Crows fans (a minority) behaved like dicks but it was their first final for a while. Holier than thou stances don't add much to the mix.

Was why I stopped going to KP games, the crowd on the whole was very quiet.

Though we were smashing sides week in week out so it did become predictable.

 

[timokane]

Do we think De Goey will be cleared to play in the prelim.
I do it looked like a smoother but after he smoothed the ball happen bend up and looked more of a bump.
Crows player actually didn't feel it.
Looked like a smoother gone wrong but nothing in it.
Cleared to play
Collingwood set to appeal if any suspension.
De Goey probably end up getting a fine for rough play.

 

[jackag24]

Genuine question here that I've been thinking about for the past 12 hours.

Does Jake Soligo sleep with the light on?

I personally think he does.

One of the bigger down hill skiers you'll see. Has he ever played a good game in a crows loss?

 

[Spook]

I thought Thilthorpe was really good tonight. If you take out that bad turnover and the bizarre decision to handball instead of kicking the goal and you’d say he had a really good night. As you say it was his first crack at finals and he’ll learn from it.

Dawson didn’t star but I thought he was solid, he had to do a lot more grunt work then we’d probably like him to, and he got his hands to a fair few marks that didn’t quite stick, bit of an almost night for him.

Keays is best as a complement to Rankine and Rachele, not the main guy. We are desperate to get Rach back.

Even in your words having your two best players good and solid wasn’t good enough. That’s the same as saying your 2 best players were not good enough on the night. Solid would be his average.

Dawsons disposal efficiency was 53% and against his 2025 average
2025 ave / Qual Final
Inside 50 6 vs 1
Tackles 8 vs 4
Dips 19 vs 24
Con Pos 10 vs 7

That’s not solid

 

[HBFlanker]

One of the bigger down hill skiers you'll see. Has he ever played a good game in a crows loss?

I dont think so. Crows fans keep telling everyone hes a good player though.

Got embarrassed last night and only gets harder against a GWS/Hawthorn midfield.

 

[OniAu]

Maynard buried someone in a tackle with about 5 seconds left and gave them a spray while the player was sprawled out on the ground.

Keays waited until the final siren to get involved in the match and confronted Maynard.

Wouldnt surprise me if Maynard mouthed ANB about his celebration on the non goal in the first quarter.

 

[Spook]

Maynard buried someone in a tackle with about 5 seconds left and gave them a spray while the player was sprawled out on the ground.

Keays waited until the final siren to get involved in the match and confronted Maynard.

And to add, it was a strong fair safe tackle. I loved it, always give 100% to the final siren.

 

[Woody15]

Wouldnt surprise me if Maynard mouthed ANB about his celebration on the non goal in the first quarter.

Poor old Neal-Bullen. he got a bit excited then with his windy. Is now 0-2 against the Pies in the last 3 years in Qualifying Finals.

 

[OniAu]

Poor old Neal-Bullen. he got a bit excited then with his windy. Is now 0-2 against the Pies in the last 3 years in Qualifying Finals.

From memory not the first big tackle hes copped from Maynard

 

[domus]

Against a team that hasn't played finals for 7 years and constantly dump kicked the ball to Darcy Moore.

Adelaide's midfield is lacking without Rankine and they desperately need Rachele to provide some spark up forward, although Pedlar did well tonight but it's not his usual MO.

Both Geelong and Brisbane's midfields are superior to Collingwood's.

Still, they now have a home prelim, although both teams have beaten them at the 'G, with Brisbane beating them easily.

And we beat Brisbane easily (9 goals) at the Gabba. Geelong only won after Crispy missed a set shot. So superior.