This week on the Real Footy podcast, special guest Mathew Stokes join Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall and Caroline Wilson to review a cracking first round of finals and look ahead to the semis.
On the winners’ list were the Cats, who got out of jail against Collingwood. The Pies could have put Geelong away at the start of the game, but performances from some key players, including Jeremy Cameron, finals experience and some key decisions by players made the difference on the day. Finals are about moments, and Geelong won more of those moments when it mattered the most.
Collingwood’s strength can be their weakness when they move the ball forward quickly and through the corridor and it came back to bite them in the qualifying final. And they finally lost a close one. Has their spell been broken? They next play the Dockers, who are coming off a huge come-from-behind win and will be full of belief. How much of a home-ground advantage will the MCG provide? Is the fixturing unfair for Fremantle? Plus, we take a look at potential team changes going into the semi-final.
The Tigers struggled without Dion Prestia in the second half again the Lions on Thursday night. But Brisbane had a big loss of their own when Oscar McInerney went off in the opening minutes. Brisbane adapted better than Richmond did. A large part of their success was due to Lachie Neale, who played a brilliant game – and wasn’t tagged. Should Melbourne tag him from the jump in their semi-final? Melbourne have a midfield concern in their own backyard with Christian Petracca dealing with a hairline fracture in his leg. Should Petracca play if he’s not at 100 per cent? And what should the Demons do at selection when it comes to their forward line?
And Dayne Zorko will come up against the Demons again just weeks after his sledge of Harrison Petty, which left the Demon in tears on the ground. The Lions were thrilled with his performance against Richmond. But how will Melbourne players handle their first encounter?
The Swans are through to a home preliminary final and have been flying under the radar. Their running game was great, Luke Parker and Callum Mills were fantastic and Tom Papley helped changed the game. Lance Franklin was beaten by Steven May, but his presence was crucial to the Swans’ victory. What does the future hold for Buddy?
For the vanquished finals teams, it’s season over and time to start looking ahead. Where to now for Richmond? Are they still in the premiership window? And how much of that depends on whether Dustin Martin stays? Will there be changes to support Luke Beveridge at the Western Bulldogs? Do they need a reality check regarding how good their list is?
We also discuss finals umpiring, putting the whistle away and whether the AFL will look at how and when holding the ball free kicks are paid over the off-season. Plus, Marnie Vinall drops in to talk about AFLW and why the Demons are premiership favourites, despite Brisbane’s impressive performances across the first two rounds.