A BLOCKBUSTER START TO FINALS
HAS West Coast blown its premiership chances with the loss last week? I still think it can win from fifth but it will have to travel interstate three weeks in a row to do it, which might be a bridge too far for Adam Simpson’s team. It was an extraordinary coaching performance from Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson to plan and execute the way he did last Saturday. The Hawks took the game away from the Eagles intercept defenders and playing Shaun Burgoyne up forward was a masterstroke. Is pushing them out wide and keeping them out wide a blueprint for Essendon? The Bombers did well to give their players a rest and some of those guys will have had three weeks off now, which might help them next Thursday. But at a full-packed Perth Stadium against a fired-up West Coast side I don’t give them much hope. WE will talk a bit more about this one next week but this finals match-up goes back to the 2007 preliminary final, the 2009 preliminary final, the 2010 preliminary final and the 2011 Grand Final. These clubs have some great recent history in finals and playing in front of a big crowd is the experience and exposure that players should be looking for whenever possible.
Collingwood does this most weeks, and while I would love to see a final in Geelong again, playing in front of 90,000 people at the MCG could be the greatest experience in your life. This is an ideal opportunity for the Cats in particular to get used to this stage, but the Pies are getting a few of their injured players back and look like they are getting back to what we saw from them last year so it will be a fascinating game. THIS is one of the more exciting games for me on the back of recent history. When I was working at the Dogs I remember some of their players telling me how cocky and arrogant the Giants players were, saying to them they would never win a premiership because they were crap, and that really stung. They beat them in the preliminary final in 2016, which was huge, and with their midfield being as strong as anyone in the competition, led by Marcus Bontempelli, and their young forward line firing, against a Giants side that hasn’t been in great nick they will be confident. I believe in history, which says they were the first team to win from seventh, but I said that three years ago, so they could prove everyone wrong and go all the way.
The Dogs do give up marks in their defensive-50 though, so they need to shut down Jeremy Cameron, Jeremy Finlayson and Harrison Himmelberg. WHAT a brilliant way to finish off the first week of the this year’s finals series.
Brisbane would have taken some confidence out of what happened on the weekend. The Lions started poorly and had some match-ups wrong, but when they are playing in Brisbane in front of a packed Gabba, which is extremely loud, things will be different. They won’t start that way again, but Richmond is the inform team of the competition and both teams have had a good look at each other now and both will have learnt some things they can use on Saturday week.
There will be a lot of reviewing of the match, and I think even though neither side has really tagged, and neither would want to change their style too much, I would be surprised if some close attention didn’t go on Lachie Neale and Dustin Martin. Expect some heat to come on both players, and maybe Mitch Robinson, who is not easily intimidated, could be the man for Dusty. WHAT are the Cats going to do during the bye week? Their record is dreadful in recent times, so they must have a big hit-out on Saturday to keep some continuity. There is no need for a weekend off because you can go away for a weekend off in five weeks. For now though, stay focused, keep your heads in the game and break this bye hoodoo against Collingwood. I liked Rhys Stanley’s game against Carlton. He started really well and set the tone, which was great to see. We have heard Chris Scott talk about how it might end up being horses for courses with Geelong selection so it will be interesting to see which way they go now, but Stanley took it up to Brodie Grundy in Round 1, particularly in the second half after he was beaten in the first two quarters. I think Stanley needs to hold his spot and go again. I am not liking the week off before finals. When I was playing you would finish the last round and the momentum of going straight into finals was great for the players, the club and the supporters. It helped the Bulldogs a few years ago and it may help Essendon this year, but after the last two rounds with all of the big games we have had, I would love to just see the season continue and give the break away.