Tag: AFL

David King and Gerard Whateley have named their top four seeds after Round 20 of the 2022 AFL season.

King and Whateley have ranked the four teams they have the most confidence in, coupled with what they have shown so far.

The seedings will be updated on a weekly basis on SEN’s Whateley throughout the year.

See their seeds below:

KING:

1.Geelong

“They’ve got a completely even spread across their team at the moment.

“It’s a great profile. But they were still waiting for one player to say, ‘Hey, I’m back’ and if you absolutely need me to go into beast mode for 10 minutes in a final, I’m showing you I’m still here.

“Paddy Dangerfield had 26 disposals and it wasn’t the disposal count, it was the way they counted. They have an edge to them, a level of brutality that most players can’t bring.

“It’s the biggest result out of the weekend for me, was Dangerfield doing what he did to show that he’s still got it.”

2.Sydney

“There’s a lot to like about what they’re doing with their small men department – ​​Papley, Gulden, Warner, Parker.

“They’re dangerous. Their backline’s really solid.

“I would not want to play Sydney in Sydney if it fell that way through a finals series.

“If they were able to win in the first week of the finals, whether they’re on the road or at home, and play a home Prelim … look out.”

3.Melbourne

“They were four for me last week, they came up one, got the job done.”

4. Collingwood

“My three and four are Melbourne and Collingwood.

“Huge Friday night (game). Can’t wait to see it.”

WHATELEY:

1.Geelong

“I can’t remember a more brutal Geelong performance than that.

“The sheer physicality and (Jonathon) Ceglar gave them something really interesting.”

2.Melbourne

“I like Melbourne at two.

“That was the performance I’ve been waiting for.”

3. Collingwood

“Sheer respect for 10 in a row which is so rare.”

4.Sydney

“Completely aware of the threat that’s looming there.

“They’re into the top four which we forecast weeks ago. They’re there.”

Interim GWS coach Mark McVeigh had players texting him to apologize for their performance after Saturday’s heavy loss to Sydney in a clear sign his connection with the group is strong.

McVeigh’s brutally honest post-match press conference after the 73-point thrashing saw him declare some players had “checked out” and “embarrassed” the club.

McVeigh also named the eight players he believed “went to the wall” against the Swans, with his public admissions raising concerns of player unrest before a trade period the salary cap-strapped Giants will be very active in.

But a player-led meeting after the Sydney loss where many took ownership of their failings was followed by an already-organized Sunday barbecue attended by players, their partners and staff.

The Giants are aware there is a lot of work to do to restore the premiership credentials of a club that hasn’t finished top-four since 2017.

GWS have won only 25 of 60 games since playing off in the 2019 Grand Final and like Collingwood in recent times, now face the prospect of picking up the pieces of a failed premiership tilt.

That is somewhat complicated by the fact this is a playing list that has a handful of players on salaries hovering around $1 million a season, such as Josh Kelly, Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield.

The Giants will be among the most active participants in the upcoming trade period as they look to balance the books.

Tanner Bruhn’s desire to return to Victoria will see him leave only two years after being taken at pick 12 in the 2020 draft, while Bobby Hill has been wanting a trade since last year.

Tim Taranto is out of contract and widely expected to seek a fresh start. His midfield running mate Jacob Hopper is contracted for next year, but has become Geelong’s No.1 trade target.

Indeed, most bets are off when it comes to the Giants’ list management direction. Haynes has been raised by GWS as a trade prospect, but is highly unlikely to move given his age and the back-ended nature of his contract.

Whitfield signed a seven-year contract through until 2027, but can’t be ruled out as a trade option.

While Whitfield has not been formally discussed at list management level at GWS, there are some at the club who are willing to entertain the prospect.

The Giants sit 16th with three games to come against Essendon, Western Bulldogs and Fremantle.

They are currently searching for a senior coach having met Alastair Clarkson multiple times in recent months.

St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall admits there were some “stern conversations” at the club after recent defeats.

The Saints were beaten by Fremantle by 41 points in Round 17 and the Western Bulldogs by 28 points in Round 18, a pair of results that threatened to derail their season after an 8-3 start.

However, they have wrestled back the ascendancy with back-to-back wins over West Coast and Hawthorn to sit in the eight with three fixtures remaining.

Saints coach Brett Ratten spoke about having a glass half-full mindset over the constant glass half-empty narrative that has been plaguing the club in recent times.

“Probably everyone that speaks abuts speaks about half-empty,” he said at the post-match press conference.

“Every time we speak to somebody we’re not going so well, we don’t do this, we don’t do that.

“We won the game of footy.

“We didn’t play the game for four quarters how we wanted to, but we took four points.

“Everyone can keep looking at how negative the Saints are and what the Saints are doing, we won a game of footy. It would be nice if people say well done for a change.”

In response to those words, Ruckman Marshall, who starred in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, admitted that talks have occurred within the group that have helped them turn around their form after threatening to fall out of the finals race.

“We had a pretty strong review of the game after the Western Bulldogs where we were really disappointing,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

“We reviewed that game pretty heavily and found out that we just weren’t challenging each other enough on-field and off-field as well.

“We’ve had some pretty stern conversations over the last two or three weeks and I think that has been pretty positive.

“The last couple of weeks the footy has been pretty good on the back of that.”

Part of the 12-point win over the Hawks was to do with the performance of midfielder Dan Hannebery.

The injury-troubled former Swan has struggled for game time in recent seasons but contributed greatly with 27 disposals, five clearances and a goal in his first senior appearance of 2022.

Marshall praised the 31-year-old for his output and his leadership.

“He’s a superstar, ‘Hanners’,” Marshall added.

“He’s not only a good player, but a lot of people don’t realize how good he is with his communication and leadership inside the four walls of the footy club.

“I’ve never played with a better communicator before and you almost walk taller when you’re out there playing with him because you just know he’s got your back.

“He’s got the best intentions for the team. It was awesome to see him back out there.”

It was Hannebery’s 16th appearance for the Saints in four years.

The Saints will now look to maintain their position in the eighth when they take on ladder leader and current premiership favorite Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.

The Buck Stops Here.

Nathan Buckley has gone through his five biggest takeaways from the weekend of footy.

Buckley has touched on Sydney, Patrick Dangerfield, the Tigers-Lions thriller, Joel Selwood and Carlton.

Swans have reinforced their DNA

“We’re going to start with the Swans.

“They have had what I would suggest is the most under-the-radar month, but potentially have set themselves up for the finals and a real crack at the flag in 2022.

“I think they’ve had a relatively easier draw, but the fact is they’re a good young team that have now reinforced exactly what their DNA is – and their DNA is pressure.

“They’re the number one pressure team in the competition across the season, they’re the number one team in the pressure differential across the last month, and three of their best five performances for the year have come in their last four games.

“They’ve ramped up. They’ve narrowed their focus on, ‘We’re going to put absolute heat on the opposition and that’s going to kickstart our game’.”

Dangerfield looms as finals X-factor

“Patrick Dangerfield becomes such a massive X-factor.

“He’s a champion of the game, he’s obviously been a consistent contributor to his teams both in Adelaide and Geelong, but his performance on the weekend highlights what he could be over the next six or seven weeks.

“Finals are about contested ball and winning key contests and that’s what Patrick Dangerfield can provide.

“He’s a clearance beast. We haven’t seen the need for him to go forward yet in amongst Cameron, Hawkins, Stengle, Close, who have got a really established forward line that are scoring heavily. He can still go forward and do that.

“He only played 63 per cent game time across those four quarters.”

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Storylines out of Tigers-Lions thriller

“How good is footy? I just loved to see this game and there were so many storylines that came out of it.

“Since they (Brisbane) have been a top four side, they haven’t played that much footy there (MCG).

“Their first half looked like it had answered that – Daniher and Hipwood stand up, Cameron kicks straight, Rayner looks up and about, their midfield are giving them supply. That’s a story out of it.

Bailey’s injury concern is one. Dylan Grimes’ injury, what does that mean for Richmond?

“But Richmond stands up…they raise the fight. They out pressure one of the top four sides in the competition and they’re able to turn around a 42-point deficit to get it done.

“Noah Cumberland kicks five goals, Lynch stands up, Riewoldt stands up, Shai Bolton… what’s he going to be? And as ‘Fages’ (Chris Fagan) said, celebrating the 300th game of Shane Edwards.

“There was so much to like about that game.”

Selwood’s 350th game

“The fourth one is about Geelong and Joel Selwood and how they handled that.

“I look at it from afar and look at the Geelong footy club, not just about their on-field performances but their admin, how they set themselves up off-field, how they handle different situations, I think they do it with class and I thought what we saw with Joel Selwood after the game on Saturday night was amazing.

“The jury is out around final performances, but that’s still there for them to chase.

“Geelong handle crisis as well as anyone. They’re a tight-knit organization on and off the field and they get things done.”

Where Blues must improve

“I think they’re a very interesting study.

“12 wins have put themselves in a position where they have a crack at playing finals, they’ve been touted as top four, will they miss the eight? There are a few question marks for the next three weeks against them as they take on Brisbane next week, then Melbourne, then Collingwood. Three blockbusters to finish the season off.

“I think we’ll see that game in Round 23 (against the Magpies) and I reckon we’ll see it repeated in the first ending.

“Carlton is the second-best contested ball side in the comp, they’re the second-best clearance side in the comp, they’re the ninth-worst offence, the 11th-worst defense in terms of defending transition.

“In contest they’re great, in stoppage they’re great, in transition it’s always been a watch to see whether they can build an effective and efficient unit to play the transition game, which is where sides like Geelong and Richmond and Collingwood lately and Melbourne have been elite.

“The jury is out on that. They still need to develop that, and they need to improve if they’re going to challenge the best sides when they get to September.”

Collingwood will find themselves at least one game clear inside the top four at the end of Round 20 after they picked up their 10th straight win with a six-point victory over Port Adelaide on Saturday.

With a win-loss record of 14-5, the Magpies may only have to win one more game from their last three to earn a double-chance and give themselves a genuine shot at contending for a premiership.

Having finished 17th last season, the rise has been a remarkable one under rookie coach Craig McRae, with a top-eight finish out of the question at the start of the season.

Now with a final spot locked up, the question has been asked of whether Collingwood could genuinely lift the cup on the last Saturday of September, something no one thought would even be a possibility with this group six months ago.

Tony Jones, Kane Cornes, Matthew Lloyd and Damian Barrett discussed how far the Magpies can go in 2022 on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

jones: “Can Collingwood win the premiership?”

Cornes: “I’m a skeptic, I’m more of a skeptic and I don’t think they’ll be there on Preliminary Final weekend.

“I think if they win a final that’s an extraordinary year, I’m looking forward to the test of the next three weeks.

“I’m concerned around their forward line and a lack of key targets there.

“I think their defense is a bit loose with (Jeremy) Howe and (Darcy) Moore.

jones: “But they’ve own 10 on the trot.”

Cornes: “You asked me the question, I’m answering it honestly, I don’t think they’ll be there on Prelim Final week, I could be wrong.”

Lloyd: “What if they beat Melbourne on Friday night?

“I’m with Kane at the moment and I’m expecting Melbourne to win but if they win that one then everything changes.”

Cornes: “I think you’re right on that so I’m looking forward to the test.

“Can they win the premiership?”

jones: “Yes, because they play without fear, and I don’t think they listen to this sort of stuff (doubters).”

One reason why Magpies fans are becoming bullish on their chances is the return of stars Jordan De Goey and Brodie Grundy from injury in the lead-in to finals.

Playing in his first game since Round 16, Lloyd was impressed with how the midfielder looked in a dynamic performance against the Power.

“We talked about De Goey earlier and how big he could be,” Lloyd said.

“Some players play at their best when they’re playing for a contract and he could make a few people nervous again.

“I’m one who was saying, ‘Move him on’, because you probably don’t get enough out of him across a season.

“But when you see games like this where he has 23 disposals, five clearances and kicks a couple of goals, he made a big impact.”

Barrett added that Collingwood has primed De Goey for a finals push with the star undergoing somewhat of a mini pre-season in recent weeks to build his fitness level.

“They did with him through necessity the program the Cats did with Patrick Dangerfield when he wasn’t playing,” Barrett explained.

“They got some fitness into him and he’s returned yesterday and was looking really fit.”

Collingwood will hope to make it 11 in a row when they face Melbourne at the MCG on Friday night.

“You asked me the question, I’m answering it honestly.” 👀

Can the Pies win the flag? #9AFLSFS | Watch on @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/cwtvE4EkXK

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 31, 2022

20 rounds have been won and run with just three weeks left until finals kick off.

With the finish line nearing, here’s what we learned from the weekend’s ladder-shaping results.

Carlton’s inconsistency looks set to cost them a flag tilt

Carlton’s loss to Adelaide has probably cost them a top-four place.

With 12 wins to their name, the Blues would probably need to win all three of their remaining games to have a chance of earning a double-chance finish.

That’s easier said than done, particularly with Brisbane (away), Melbourne and Collingwood to come.

While we’re still expecting the Blues to play in September, from here it looks likely that they’ll have to do it the hard way and run the gauntlet, a journey only the Bulldogs in 2016 successfully navigated.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Blues, as it is losses to St Kilda, Richmond and Adelaide (teams they’re higher on the ladder than) since the bye which looks set to cost them.

They without a doubt have enough A-grade talent to compete with any team, but it looks like 2022 won’t be their year considering where they’ll have to come from.

While they can still turn things around and secure themselves a top-four finish, on current form, they’d have to find something out of the ordinary to get there.

Let’s see if that can start next Sunday against the Lions.

Geelong’s bottom half has never been stronger

Geelong’s long been a perennial contender with such a bevy of stars in their line-up, but they look an even better side in 2022 getting an even contribution across their entire squad.

While the A-grade talent is still performing to a high level, improvement from the likes of Brad Close, Tom Atkins, Jack Henry, Tyson Stengle, Sam De Koning and Zach Guthrie among others is helping propel the side to new heights.

With Chris Scott’s system and structure stacking up, Geelong no longer needs to rely on monster games from their biggest names to get them over the line against quality outfits, something that couldn’t be said in previous years.

With three rounds remaining and a minor premiership at their mercy, the Cats have never been primed more to win it all since 2011, a remarkable thought considering how often they’ve found themselves near the top of the ladder in the last decade.

While their stars will no doubt steal headlines, if the script goes to plan in September, the difference will be how even this side has become.

Away from home win could kickstart Melbourne’s run

Just as we were beginning to question Melbourne’s credentials, they come out and flex with a 46-point win away from home against Fremantle, proving that their best is near on impossible to stop.

While they’ve gone 4-5 from their last nine games, premierships aren’t won in July and the Demons will be hoping their form builds now through September.

With three rounds left and a top-two spot still looking like their destiny, Friday’s win could well be the turning point that sees Simon Goodwin’s side charge from here and go back-to-back in 2022.

We’ve seen in recent years how important the last month of the home and away season is for reigning premieres, and the Demons may have timed their run perfectly.

Look out if they can keep this going across the next seven weeks.

The Magpies are in it to win it with top-four push

Collingwood fans have been expecting a loss to come for some time now, but with 10 wins in a row, they genuinely find themselves as contenders.

It’s something that feels strange to even ponder given where they’ve come from, but there’s no arguing against the ladder and their win-loss record is as good as any bar Geelong.

While there’s still a long way to go for Craig McRae’s side, the return of Jordan De Goey and the pending comeback of Brodie Grundy will have this playing group brimming with even more confidence.

Some may point to the fact that the Pies’ recent run has come against non-finals opponents but taking a closer look at their results you can see that their game plan stacks up against any.

Of fellow top-eight sides, the Pies have beaten Melbourne, Fremantle, Carlton and St Kilda, while they only narrowly lost games to Geelong and Brisbane.

Considering that’s who’ll they’ll be playing in September, who’s saying this side can’t make a tilt at a premiership? Particularly if they make the top four.

They probably need at least one or two more wins from their last three games to get there, and while they don’t have the easiest run home, it’d take a brave punter to bet against Fly’s Magpies at the moment.

Brisbane’s MCG hoodoo is real

This was the game Brisbane would’ve had circled on their calendar to try and prove the naysayers wrong, but in defeat, only more doubt has been cast over their credentials.

Up by 42 points midway through the second term, it looked like Brisbane would finally put their MCG hoodoo to bed and win at the venue for the first time since 2014, but alas, they again failed to get the job done.

In fairness, Richmond is a far better side than their ladder position and record suggest, but there’s no excuse for coughing up a lead like that when you consider yourself to contend.

If they are to win it all they’ll have to do it at the MCG and with where they’re headed, they could find themselves at the home of football in week one or two of the finals series.

There’d be no better time to snap the hoodoo in September, but there’s got to be genuine concerns at Brisbane whether they can do it on the biggest stage.

It’s another hurdle that this side has failed to jump.

It’s a big week for Fremantle

Just as they looked destined to finish the season strong, Fremantle had had three poor weeks to almost cost them a top-four spot.

With losses to Sydney and Melbourne plus a draw with Richmond, the Dockers sit half a game or a game and a half outside the double chance slots with just three weeks left.

To finish inside the top four Justin Longmuir’s side will probably have to be flawless from here, and that starts with a huge game against the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

Win that, and they’ll go in favorites against the Eagles and Giants in the last fortnight with 15 wins well and truly within their reach.

Lose, and they’ll almost certainly be consigned to an elimination final finish which would be disappointing considering how well they were traveling just one month ago.

It’s a huge clash for both teams, the AFL world will be anticipating that result with bated breath.