Two teams out in straight sets and two sides with miracle runs keep on keeping on in the AFL finals.
There’s a lot to like about this finals series and as always we’ve put together a terrific five-leg multi of hindsight that we like to call 5 Lessons Learned.
(1) Lloyd Christmas was right
…there was still a chance.
During the bye rounds, after Round 12 of this season, both Carlton and GWS were 14th and 15th respectively.
One only needs to go back to June 6th when the Blues fans were calling talkback radio and flooding the comments sections demanding Michael Voss’s head, the Blues were a solid $6 to make the top eight and got out to $11 on the 28th of June while Carlton was on the bye having an old fashioned bonding session on Ed Curnow’s farm.
When it comes to the flag the Blues were $81 for the premiership on June 5th and went even further out to $151 on June 18th, anyone who was game enough to get on would be daring to dream right now.
As for the orange team, GWS got out to $26 for the top eight back on June 16th and for two weeks from June 5th the big big sound was at big big odds for the flag at $251.
Much has been said about the amazing turnaround from both clubs to reach a preliminary final, and those odds are a big part of their story.
(2) Blame the Misses
The Dees have suffered back-to-back straight sets exits from the finals and they have no one else but themselves to blame.
Melbourne has all of the off-season to think about what went wrong, not to mention the fact the Demons booted 5.10 in the second half with their last five shots being behind when the game was theirs for the taking.
Their 2023 finals campaign now tallies up to two losses by a total of nine points for a total of 16 goals kicked and 28 behinds.
Some goal-kicking practice wouldn’t go astray during the pre-season.
(3) Perhaps Port isn’t Kenough.
The Power may have re-signed Ken Hinkley for two more seasons, but a straight sets exit and no still no premierships in the 11 years he’s had the top job at Alberton will get the Port Adelaide supporters calling into FiveAA and demanding Kochie shows Ken the door.
GWS and the orange tsunami dominated the Power on Saturday night and while Port looked like clawing their way back into the game in the last quarter, the Giants managed to push the margin out to 27 points putting the result beyond doubt.
The orange team also dominated the Power in the first half where it mattered such as clearances and uncontested disposals.
While a coach sacking is unlikely, the Power better be up there in season 2024 or Port will tear themselves apart.
(4) Why not anyone?
The beauty of the preliminary-final weekend is that you can mount a justifiable case for any side.
Collingwood may be $1.53 favorites at the time of publishing, they’ve been the best team all year and can manage to win from any situation, but GWS ($2.50) live and breathe anyone, anywhere, anytime and are arguably the most in-form team of the competition.
They’ve upset the Magpies in a Prelim at a packed MCG before, and the way they are playing the orange team could beat anyone on their day.
Friday night should be epic.
And what about the Blues?
The feel-good Cinderella story this September is taking their fans on quite the emotional roller coaster but they’ve somehow found a way to make the trip to the Gabba on Saturday night.
Brisbane seems unbeatable on their home ground but Carlton ironically coached by Michael Voss could be the one to break the Lions hearts and make a miracle run to an unexpected Grand Final for the first time since 1999.
This time next week, we’ll have a Grand Final.
Be it Collingwood v Brisbane, GWS v Brisbane, Collingwood v Carlton or GWS v Carlton it could be truly an amazing last Saturday in September. Bring on the weekend.
(5) RIP Ron Barassi
Much has already been said and written about the passing Ronald Dale Barassi.
The man was Australian Rules Football.
Even the fictitious line that divides the footy codes in Australia is known as the Barassi line.
There have been many stories and clips shared about the great man, but I couldn’t help but include his famous ad for Name a Game video from the early 1990s that summed up everything about Ronald Dale’s personality.
Anyone who watched footy videos back in the 90’s will know the cries of NOT JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS. NOT JUST THE LAST QUARTER, BUT 100 MINUTES OF TOP FOOTBALL ACTION.
RIP Ronald Dale
And remember, football brings out the best in a person.