Why have the finals stunk so much the last few years?

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Oh please

It was always gonna take a couple of years to wear off

But boy when it did.....


How long until Carlton’s salary cap cheating sanctions wear off?
 

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Aug 14, 2001
10,336
17,958
Melbourne
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Bulldogs are a good team but they lost matches against teams they shouldn’t have lost to, and had to peak in August to make finals. That means tapering and little volume in their training to make sure they were right for games. They were always going to struggle without the work. It was nothing like their 7th in 2016 when they were top 4 until the last few rds and they dropped a couple of matches due to injury.

You’ll generally find 7th and 8th are scrapping to make it and are playing their finals a month out so training is adjusted to account for this. Even Hawthorn would’ve been belted.

Then you have a team like Richmond with the best lead in to a finals any club could wish for. 7 straight games at home including five 7+ days turnarounds between matches to round out season. They’re tuned to perfection 👌
Pretty accurate.

Bombers were in bad form for 5-6 weeks leading to finals and I have no doubt Dogs threw everything at it just to get there.

There’s always been varying quality in 5-8 teams.

What’s more worrying is some of the top four contests in recent years. Some horrendous blowouts which shouldn’t really happen to the top teams so much, particularly when many have locked in a top four berth weeks in advance and have time to plan their training etc.
 
Jun 27, 2010
1,779
4,184
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Sturt
Looking at this year, the contrast is with the minor round where we saw a lot of upsets which gave the impression of an even comp.; I think in reality there's a middle order of 8-10 teams with not much separating them, and 2-4 teams that are a level above.

Plus the good teams run into form at the right time. So no surprise at the four winners this weekend. Geelong have been pretenders since the bye, Essendon and Bulldogs only just scraped in, and Lions suffered from nerves - probably not good enough to win but missed so many easy goals in first half.

Biggest reason for the continued blowouts is the obvious one - the bottom teams in the eight are just making up numbers.
 

PerthBoy86

Norm Smith Medallist
May 23, 2016
6,789
5,677
AFL Club
West Coast
Brisbane vs GWS wasn't just the best final but one of the games of the year. Neither team seemed willing to give an inch, and it came down to the last 2 minutes. It was like seeing an invading force assaulting a fortress, the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, and the latter (the Giants) bravely held strong.
 
Feb 5, 2018
13,936
33,320
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Chicago Blackhawks Melb Renegades
Thank science for the semi's. Geelong vs West Coast was a really good finals contest until the surprising momentum swing in the final quarter. Last nights was a classic despite the constant whistles.

I will say though, for neutral fans we haven't ended up with a very likeable final 4. Going out on a limb with this comment, but does Collingwoods redemption story see them as the sentimental favourite over the arrogant Tigers, lovechild Giants and whinging Cats?? :oops:.
 

RAPPA

Brownlow Medallist
Feb 20, 2008
15,756
31,760
Victoria
AFL Club
Carlton
Thank science for the semi's. Geelong vs West Coast was a really good finals contest until the surprising momentum swing in the final quarter. Last nights was a classic despite the constant whistles.

I will say though, for neutral fans we haven't ended up with a very likeable final 4. Going out on a limb with this comment, but does Collingwoods redemption story see them as the sentimental favourite over the arrogant Tigers, lovechild Giants and whinging Cats?? :oops:.

Logic suggests it will be a Collingwood v Tigers GF which is likely to generate the better spectacle out of all other variations for the GF with the remaining 4. Personally I can’t stand either of those two teams and only help they belt the $hit out of each other and will be supporting Richmond as the lesser of two evils.
 

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Macpotata

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 22, 2017
9,595
10,877
AFL Club
Geelong
The finals have been great and the semis exceptional.

WCE vs Essendon - Frenetic and intense. The Dons hung in there and fought back after getting belted early, they got belted again. It was a good game imo with some great goals.

Collingwood vs Geelong - Had it's lulls but the Pies were brilliant and had their own story. Writing last years wrongs and proving that they can step up when it matters. That's their history or at least recent football history like away to the Power in 2002, then the Prelim against Adelaide. Essendon 2003 in the final home and away game to secure top 2 then Brisbane in the QF. So many home and away contests like the Tarrant-Crows game during that year and many backs-to-the-wall wins like Richmond in last years Prelim etc. The intensity was there and it was an arm wrestle.

Giants-Dogs - Good for 2.5 quarters before the Giants class came to the fore.

Lions vs Tigers - Ditto. Just add Dusty. The Lions were good and kicked inaccurate. Only 10 points at half time.
 
The finals have been great and the semis exceptional.

WCE vs Essendon - Frenetic and intense. The Dons hung in there and fought back after getting belted early, they got belted again. It was a good game imo with some great goals.

wut? WCE won every quarter - it was an ordinary game where a team that weren't up to finals quality belted across the park
 
Oct 3, 2007
16,084
17,344
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
West Perth
West Coast v Geelong was a very good game.
Brisbane v GWS was a very good game
Richmond V Geelong was a cracking game
GWS v Collingwood was a good game with a great finish.

Not much to complain about this year.
 

Demon13304

Club Legend
Feb 12, 2014
1,815
3,298
AFL Club
Melbourne
Gee it's almost like some games are boring blowouts and some games are fun , close armwrestles like the way it has been for the last 150 ******* years
 

Kavliaris69

Club Legend
Sep 1, 2011
1,418
1,413
"A Little Left of Heaven"
AFL Club
Hawthorn
No Hawks is boring....

The 12,13,14,15 prelims were some of the best games for footy fans. Crows nearly stole it, Kennet curse was broken, Port came home flying and Dockers couldn’t win at home.

Like us or loathe us the Hawks can make the finals pretty entertaining for all.
 
Oct 2, 2008
8,897
18,482
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Brothers of Destruction
No Hawks is boring....

The 12,13,14,15 prelims were some of the best games for footy fans. Crows nearly stole it, Kennet curse was broken, Port came home flying and Dockers couldn’t win at home.

Like us or loathe us the Hawks can make the finals pretty entertaining for all.
What are you on about buddy???

Last night,

We just saw two teams literally crash into each other like monster cars for 60 minutes, then one of those teams took the ascendency and the lead. With 20 minutes left, the commentator called the game, proclaimed the Giants as grand finalists.

Collingwood then proceed to put on one of the bravest, quickest and phenomenal comebacks this century.

With 5 minutes left, any team can win and it becomes a titantic struggle to the end, where Collingwood want the ball back in play, whilst the giants want stoppage after stoppage, counting each 10 seconds as they’re shaved off the clock is the viewer from home.

To witness Collingwood lose in heartbreaking fashion on two occasions in the one match! The first occasion was the grind, with the giants putting them to the sword in the third, then finally...the clock being counted down as the giants barely hold off. You know if there was a fifth quarter Collingwood would have won by 30++

It’s an amazing game to watch,

And I come on BigFooty and see some nutty supporter ramble about hawthorn being in it?? Like come on!! You know what’s more interesting than hawthorn, Geelong and ******* Sydney?

Giants winning their first, Collingwood accounting for last year, Richmond getting their revenge on Collingwood, Brisbane winning an unlikely flag, west coast vs richmond which..at the time would have been an epic if they hadn’t of lost their top four spot.

Anyway, my ramble is over,

Just tired of seeing supporters of teams not in the finals complain it’s not entertaining, no doubt it’s not, your team isn’t in it!!

I love seeing new clubs mix up the finals and I’m sure when Gold Coast ever get there, it will be a fascinating watch.
 

Kavliaris69

Club Legend
Sep 1, 2011
1,418
1,413
"A Little Left of Heaven"
AFL Club
Hawthorn
What are you on about buddy???

Last night,

We just saw two teams literally crash into each other like monster cars for 60 minutes, then one of those teams took the ascendency and the lead. With 20 minutes left, the commentator called the game, proclaimed the Giants as grand finalists.

Collingwood then proceed to put on one of the bravest, quickest and phenomenal comebacks this century.

With 5 minutes left, any team can win and it becomes a titantic struggle to the end, where Collingwood want the ball back in play, whilst the giants want stoppage after stoppage, counting each 10 seconds as they’re shaved off the clock is the viewer from home.

To witness Collingwood lose in heartbreaking fashion on two occasions in the one match! The first occasion was the grind, with the giants putting them to the sword in the third, then finally...the clock being counted down as the giants barely hold off. You know if there was a fifth quarter Collingwood would have won by 30++

It’s an amazing game to watch,

And I come on BigFooty and see some nutty supporter ramble about hawthorn being in it?? Like come on!! You know what’s more interesting than hawthorn, Geelong and ******* Sydney?

Giants winning their first, Collingwood accounting for last year, Richmond getting their revenge on Collingwood, Brisbane winning an unlikely flag, west coast vs richmond which..at the time would have been an epic if they hadn’t of lost their top four spot.

Anyway, my ramble is over,

Just tired of seeing supporters of teams not in the finals complain it’s not entertaining, no doubt it’s not, your team isn’t in it!!

I love seeing new clubs mix up the finals and I’m sure when Gold Coast ever get there, it will be a fascinating watch.
Check the last quarter comebacks by Crows, Power and Hawks in 12,13,14. Spectacular games right down to the last seconds.

Last night was no different to those. Fizzer first half and great second.
 
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