David EdwardsThe Road To The Finals - AFL
August 30th 2006 12:46
Yesterday we looked at how the NRL finals will pan out, and even though the competition is shaping up to be a fierce contest, it is absolutely nothing to what the AFL is gearing up for come September.
Last year I commented that the 2005 season was one of the closest the AFL has seen in its history, but somehow in 2006 they were able turn it up even more. With only eight games left in the regular season, the turns and twists that are occurring over the competition leaves us with no real clue who is the forerunner of the contest.
To see how tight the competition is this, nine clubs are still vying for the top eight spots, with Geelong now out of the running due to drawing their match with Melbourne last week, and once again it is the interstate clubs that are the dominant species.
But to everyone’s surprise the teams from Victoria are still in the running. However that is not the story, what is so interesting about the league at the moment is the teams that were destined to be the juggernauts of the competition seemed to have stumbled at the last turn, and not one but two dark horses are still in the running for the title, the Melbourne Demons and Fremantle Dockers.
Before you check to see your eyesight, it is true. The Fremantle Dockers have seriously established themselves this year as a strong squad, and a potential leader of the competition in years to come. The side, who has appeared in the finals only once in their short history, are now on a eight game winning streak, and have overcome the leaders of the AFL, the Adelaide Crows and more impressively the West Coast Eagles last week, to storm to thirds place on the ladder with only a game remaining.
Whilst its amazing that both Fremantle and Melbourne have been able to slip under the radar to the third and forth on the ladder, what is more surprising is the fall of the gods, with both Adelaide and West Coast losing out on their local derbies to what was considered lesser sides last round. Whilst West Coast were simply beaten on the field by a faster and more determined Dockers squad, the surprise act was Adelaide losing out to Port, who are 11th, by 14 points.
But the pain doesn’t end there for the Crows, and they are now going through one of the toughest moments due to injuries. Ben Hart, Brett Burton, Andrew McLeod and Trent Hentschel will all miss out playing in the finals, and Hentschel also confirmed to miss out next season as well due to a horrific knee dislocation. But the sheer bottom for the side is captain Mark Ricciuto out, due to an mystery illness no one can diagnose.
With the competition turned on its head just before the finals hit, lets see how each team can fare.
West Coast Eagles (currently: 1st, will finish: 1st) – The Eagles were hard hit by the ‘dark horse’ Dockers, but will definitely bounce back against Richmond to take the minor premiership. Have been a solid squad all season, and there is no real thought that they cannot get to the Grand Final smoothly.
Adelaide Crows (currently: 2nd, will finish: 2nd) – What will now become to the Crows? They have been hit, and hit hard with injuries, and at such a pinnacle point it seems to be the final blow. The Crows will be spared from a first week fallout due to their performance throughout the season, but they will have to battle bravely to get anywhere near what everyone was expecting.
Fremantle Dockers (currently: 3rd, will finish: 3rd) – The ‘dark horse’ Dockers have certainly set fire to the league in the last eight rounds, and will cap off the season with a almost certain victory against Port Adelaide. In all honesty, it is extremely hard to see how far they can go, but expect a few surprises on the way.
Melbourne Demons (currently: 4th, will finish: 4th) – The Demons have been the second surprise packet, and will be able to top off a great year with a win over the struggling Crows. But how they can go in the Final Eight is all dependent on their opponent, as their faults are many and there are a select number of teams that have the capacity to exploit them.
Sydney Swans (currently: 5th, will finish: 5th) – The reigning premiers are definitely not the same as last season, but in no way are they out of the game yet. Playing against the Blues in the last round will give them the victory they desire to carry into the finals, and they could get to within a step of the biggest game of the year. Just don’t expect the same fairy tale ending.
Collingwood Magpies (currently: 6th, will finish: 7th) – The magpies, who have dealt their fair share of surprising results this year, are still one of the hardest sides to judge. Even though it’s a lock that they will win against the Kangaroos this week, by how much and if its enough to keep them at 6th is a different story. I truly believe that they don’t have the strength or the depth to go against the others in the finals though.
St. Kilda Saints (currently: 7th, will finish: 6th) – It seems that the Saints motto should be “the bridesmaids of the finals”, as they never seem to be firing at the right time to make that drastic push. They should convincingly win against the Lions by enough to push them up one more place, but how they can fare against the cream of the crop is another story. Saints supporters should fear for the worst and begin the well-trodden mantra “there’s always next year”.
Western Bulldogs (currently: 8th, will finish: 8th) – The Bulldogs have played well this year, but no one can say that they have either the skill or the depth to make the push this year. However it cannot be denied that getting into the finals even with their horror injury run gives them more incentive for next year.
With how long this has gone, I will make my last statement short. It’s the Eagles year this year, and despite the dark horses and potential upsets, I still personally believe they will be holding the cup come September.
Until next time, sports minds.
Last year I commented that the 2005 season was one of the closest the AFL has seen in its history, but somehow in 2006 they were able turn it up even more. With only eight games left in the regular season, the turns and twists that are occurring over the competition leaves us with no real clue who is the forerunner of the contest.
To see how tight the competition is this, nine clubs are still vying for the top eight spots, with Geelong now out of the running due to drawing their match with Melbourne last week, and once again it is the interstate clubs that are the dominant species.
But to everyone’s surprise the teams from Victoria are still in the running. However that is not the story, what is so interesting about the league at the moment is the teams that were destined to be the juggernauts of the competition seemed to have stumbled at the last turn, and not one but two dark horses are still in the running for the title, the Melbourne Demons and Fremantle Dockers.
Before you check to see your eyesight, it is true. The Fremantle Dockers have seriously established themselves this year as a strong squad, and a potential leader of the competition in years to come. The side, who has appeared in the finals only once in their short history, are now on a eight game winning streak, and have overcome the leaders of the AFL, the Adelaide Crows and more impressively the West Coast Eagles last week, to storm to thirds place on the ladder with only a game remaining.
Whilst its amazing that both Fremantle and Melbourne have been able to slip under the radar to the third and forth on the ladder, what is more surprising is the fall of the gods, with both Adelaide and West Coast losing out on their local derbies to what was considered lesser sides last round. Whilst West Coast were simply beaten on the field by a faster and more determined Dockers squad, the surprise act was Adelaide losing out to Port, who are 11th, by 14 points.
But the pain doesn’t end there for the Crows, and they are now going through one of the toughest moments due to injuries. Ben Hart, Brett Burton, Andrew McLeod and Trent Hentschel will all miss out playing in the finals, and Hentschel also confirmed to miss out next season as well due to a horrific knee dislocation. But the sheer bottom for the side is captain Mark Ricciuto out, due to an mystery illness no one can diagnose.
With the competition turned on its head just before the finals hit, lets see how each team can fare.
West Coast Eagles (currently: 1st, will finish: 1st) – The Eagles were hard hit by the ‘dark horse’ Dockers, but will definitely bounce back against Richmond to take the minor premiership. Have been a solid squad all season, and there is no real thought that they cannot get to the Grand Final smoothly.
Adelaide Crows (currently: 2nd, will finish: 2nd) – What will now become to the Crows? They have been hit, and hit hard with injuries, and at such a pinnacle point it seems to be the final blow. The Crows will be spared from a first week fallout due to their performance throughout the season, but they will have to battle bravely to get anywhere near what everyone was expecting.
Fremantle Dockers (currently: 3rd, will finish: 3rd) – The ‘dark horse’ Dockers have certainly set fire to the league in the last eight rounds, and will cap off the season with a almost certain victory against Port Adelaide. In all honesty, it is extremely hard to see how far they can go, but expect a few surprises on the way.
Melbourne Demons (currently: 4th, will finish: 4th) – The Demons have been the second surprise packet, and will be able to top off a great year with a win over the struggling Crows. But how they can go in the Final Eight is all dependent on their opponent, as their faults are many and there are a select number of teams that have the capacity to exploit them.
Sydney Swans (currently: 5th, will finish: 5th) – The reigning premiers are definitely not the same as last season, but in no way are they out of the game yet. Playing against the Blues in the last round will give them the victory they desire to carry into the finals, and they could get to within a step of the biggest game of the year. Just don’t expect the same fairy tale ending.
Collingwood Magpies (currently: 6th, will finish: 7th) – The magpies, who have dealt their fair share of surprising results this year, are still one of the hardest sides to judge. Even though it’s a lock that they will win against the Kangaroos this week, by how much and if its enough to keep them at 6th is a different story. I truly believe that they don’t have the strength or the depth to go against the others in the finals though.
St. Kilda Saints (currently: 7th, will finish: 6th) – It seems that the Saints motto should be “the bridesmaids of the finals”, as they never seem to be firing at the right time to make that drastic push. They should convincingly win against the Lions by enough to push them up one more place, but how they can fare against the cream of the crop is another story. Saints supporters should fear for the worst and begin the well-trodden mantra “there’s always next year”.
Western Bulldogs (currently: 8th, will finish: 8th) – The Bulldogs have played well this year, but no one can say that they have either the skill or the depth to make the push this year. However it cannot be denied that getting into the finals even with their horror injury run gives them more incentive for next year.
With how long this has gone, I will make my last statement short. It’s the Eagles year this year, and despite the dark horses and potential upsets, I still personally believe they will be holding the cup come September.
Until next time, sports minds.
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