If you are reading this, you had a shocking weekend when it comes to AFL tipping or you barrack for one of the teams that had an upset win and are up and about – good for you.
Carlton fans, don’t bother reading this.
The rest of you, read on, let’s see what hindsight we can take in from the round that was in the little blog that can- 5 Lessons Learned: AFL.
(1) Nobody tipped nine, let alone four this weekend
How’s everyone’s footy tips going?
If you got more than four tips correct this weekend, you clearly pulled it out from your backside or you clearly know nothing about football.
Round 11 gave us upsets aplenty, and most didn’t get a correct tip until Essendon unconvincingly beat West Coast by 50 points.
Who honestly expected Hawthorn to make it back-to-back wins over St Kilda?
Those who gave Carlton another chance, relied on Geelong to get the job done at home or thought Melbourne would beat Freo at the MCG and would be filthy this weekend.
Be it your footy tipping at work or that multi over the weekend – it was ruined by upsets.
The only ones celebrating this weekend’s results are fans of the respective clubs who caused an upset and the bookies in the trading room at Ladbrokes HQ, they loved this weekend’s results.
Typical.
(2) Carlton is no good.
…but don’t take my word for it.
Here’s a collection of Carlton supporters ringing up Melbourne radio 3AW post-game on Friday night.
Blues premiership legend Mark Maclure dropped a truth bomb on SEN the next day.
Bryce Gibbs couldn’t help but weigh in with a hot-take either.
Forget the final episode of Succession, the real ruthlessness and manipulation will be in the board room at Princes Park, let alone the Carlton chat that will transpire on all the Monday night footy shows.
Expectations were high on the Blues to go the next step this season.
(3) A Showdown Grand Final? It could happen!
Both Port and the Crows are flying.
Port has won eight on the trot and despite a hiccup in Ballarat last week, the Adelaide Crows are playing their best footy since 2017.
With the two teams from SA sitting in the eight and firming their place for September action, could we see a Showdown final…or Grand Final?
The two sides have met in a final before, back in 2005 when the Crows demolished Port by 83 points in a semi-final at Football Park.
Hopefully, we might get something a bit more competitive if they were to meet this September, and there’s every chance it could happen the way results are swinging.
Could you imagine a Crows v Port Grand Final at the MCG? Wouldn’t that be a sight to behold?
Port Adelaide is $4 to make the Grand Final, and Adelaide $13 in our futures market.
(4) Geelong can be beaten in Geelong
Playing Geelong at Kardinia Park is, without a doubt, the hardest road trip in football and has been since 2007.
However, for GWS, the orange team has no fear when it comes to a trip to the Cattery.
Saturday’s win in skipper Toby Greene’s 200th game was the Giants’ third win on the trot at Alphabet Stadium.
No other team holds this record, 10 clubs haven’t won at Geelong in over 15 years (and one hasn’t played there for 24 years – Collingwood Round 15, 1999)
The Giants have a better record in Geelong than what they have in Canberra.
Do they have the magic formula to really burst the Cats’ bubble?
Geelong has had a bit of a form slump in recent weeks and if they start losing at home, they might be getting some much overdue long service leave from September action this year.
(5) Tim Taranto is one of the best in the League
A failed public servant turned shock jock said that the gun Richmond recruit said he wasn’t in the top 150 players in the game and was heavily criticized for that woeful hot take, and rightly so.
Taranto’s performance on the weekend proved he’ll be playing a vital role in the post-Hardwick Richmond era.
The former Giant managed 33 disposals, seven clearances, and four goals in the Tigers 10-point loss to the Power on the weekend.
So far in season 2023, Taranto is averaging 30.8 disposals and has kicked nine goals for the season.
Punters love him, Supercoach players rely on him and the Tiger Army is delighted to have him.