Finals footy is what we live for, and we were served up a mixed bag of results in week one, as the pathway to the AFL Grand Final became a little clearer.
With big beltings, enthralling contests, and close finishes, we’ve wrapped up the first week of finals in a piece we like to call 5 Lessons Learned – Week 1 Finals.
Once a pretender, always a pretender
It’s hard to know where to start with such a performance. Outplayed and outcoached on your home deck to open the Finals Series.
The Cats rampaged their way into a Preliminary Final, demolishing the Power by 84-points on Thursday night, in their most emphatic win of the year.
From the outset, it was clear the Cats were going to ambush the Power’s defensive stock by going quick by foot, which exposed the Power more and more each quarter.
It was as switched on as the Cats have been all year, and their general footy smarts were impactful outside the contest, limiting any low percentage contests forward of centre.
Sticking true to form, the Power dished up their worst efforts on the big stage, and as usual, Ken Hinkley was outcoached with ease, with no answers.
In his defence, his players played no defence, which was alarming with how many repeat entries the Geelong found uncontested, with a defender trailing behind a leading forward.
To rub salt in the wound, Zak Butters exited play at halftime with a rib injury, completely dejecting the Power midfield stock that couldn’t find any momentum all night.
The effort of Port Adelaide was most concerning, and while understandably neither side wants to add to the injury toll when the result is beyond doubt, it’s a result that can damage the long-term for the club as well.
Jeremy Cameron set the tone immediately with his goal of the year contender that will never be, but wow was it spectacular.
The first-final efforts of Shaun Mannagh and Jack Bowes were more than the difference, and the continual efforts from Max Holmes and Patrick Dangerfield added the extra touch.
It’s hard to see the Power beating an in-form Hawthorn, and the Cats will get to watch the next few weeks unfold before they know who they’re facing en route to the Grand Final.
Wizards of Waverley Place
Truly exhilarating and must-watch appointment viewing, the Hawks just did it their own way and rolled the Dogs to book a Semi Final appearance.
The most sensational part of it all was the impact the first-time finals players had on the game, with the likes of Calsher Dear and Nick Watson rising to the occasion with seven goals collectively.
The Dogs found some ascendency early with some cleaner looks inside 50 to start, but there was the sense the game was slipping away from them with the Hawks unable to capitalise inside 50 but getting things on their terms.
Much like their previous three months, the Hawks were clinical in transition, punishing the Dogs on turnovers in the corridor.
Every player in brown and gold seemed to have a big moment in the game, and it was Jai Newcombe’s performance that turned the tide in the second quarter and into the second half.
Jack Ginnivan got the crowd up and about with his fitting celebration, a small nod to the media.
Tactically the Dogs couldn’t handle the Hawks, and nothing seemed to change to get things back on their terms.
Where they are usually dominant in stoppage work, they just won, but around the ground, they were outrun and conceded on nearly every second inside 50 entry.
Now that they have the finals experience, it’s hard to see the Hawks being stopped by nerves or the occasion.
A mentally fragile Power stands in their way, and if they get through them, the Swans, who really were outplayed for the most part against the Giants, so they are certainly beatable.
Bloods Culture
They find a way no matter what, and yet again the Swans have rescued themselves from the haunting nature of losing to a crosstown rival, coming back against the odds to book a home Preliminary Final.
Facing a deficit as large as 28 points in the second quarter, and 20-points early into the fourth quarter.
It felt like most finals the sides have played in the past, with the Giants dominating contested footy and controlling the flow of the play.
Big-time moments from Jesse Hogan early in the piece set the Giants up for some first half dominance.
Tom Papley and Toby Greene exchanged in an old-fashioned rivalry biff, but from then on it was all Giants in the second quarter, with big efforts from Lachie Keeffe and Aaron Cadman.
The Swans midfield was restricted with their corridor movement, which left a hole in the offensive side of their game.
It wasn’t until the leadership of Isaac Heeney late in the second quarter helped to lift the Swans, slowly clawing back the margin, along with a spectacular mark worthy of mark of the year.
Veteran experience from Dane Rampe and Brodie Grundy helped settle the ship for the Swans, but the Giants kept responding, calling upon their clinical ability inside 50 to punish the Swans on loose ball scrimmages.
Goals from Tom Papley and Jake Lloyd to get the margin under single digits made it seem it was all happening until Cal Ward stood up late with a big goal with eight minutes left.
It was Heeney yet again with a massive 60 metre kick to level the scores, and before the Swans knew it, Joel Amartey, who had one of his quietest days, kicked the winning goal.
That Bloods culture does it time and time again, and now they find themselves one win away from their second Grand Final in three years.
The wrong side of history
There was always the hope of ‘what if’ for the Blues, and even with so many players returning, the reality is they were always too out of form to pull this off.
Late into the second quarter the scoreboard read 60-0 in favour of the Lions, which was no pretty sight for the navy blue faithful.
While we can talk about how poor the Blues were, credit should go to how well prepared the Lions were, who had to make amends for their Opening Round collapse.
It was a pressure game the Lions hadn’t reflected statistically the last few weeks, and it was placing the Blues under immediate threat from the first centre bounce.
The collective unit of forwards were all clicking for the Lions, and after a few early misses, Joe Daniher, Cam Rayner, and Kai Lohman got into a rhythm to extend the margin out to 30 points within minutes.
A lack of tactical nous from the Carlton coaching staff let Dayne Zorko and Lachie Neale dominate proceedings in the midfield, and there was little flow for the Blues.
Tom De Koning’s inclusion late into the second quarter changed the momentum of the game, but it was too little, too late.
For a slight second the Lions had lost momentum, seeing a 60-point lead chopped in half, but they took their moments in the second half to comfortably see it through.
The Blues were the first side in 50 years to go into quarter time scoreless in a Final and were almost the first team ever to do it going into half time, which was saved by their saviour, Patrick Cripps.
Seeing the Lions dominance does emphasise how big an opportunity they lost by missing top four, but the performance also shows they’re one of the biggest threats left.
The Giants in Sydney await the Lions next week, whilst the Blues ponder what went wrong after sitting second with nine weeks to go.
The rolling premiership favourite
It was certainly an underwhelming week of finals footy as punters in need of a close finish, but it has answered some questions about legitimate contenders.
The Swans and Cats are in prime positions to book a Grand Final spot, but there’s every argument neither will be favourite going into their Preliminary Final.
The Cats were super clinical against the Power, but almost to the point where their opposition wasn’t competitive, and arguably they played the weakest mental side they could’ve faced in the top eight.
Sydney was shut down for a majority of their contest against the Giants, and it was a very similar form line they brought into this game from the past few weeks, bailed out by a late Giants collapse.
It’s the two Elimination Final winners that will be licking their lips at the Preliminary Final matchups.
The Hawks are steamrolling anyone in their way and with a trip over to Adelaide against a side they were 41 points up against late in the third quarter, they’d be pretty comfortable getting the job done.
The Lions just took care of business to put things lightly, but they’re facing a tougher opponent in the Semi, heading to Sydney to face the Giants, a ground they haven’t lost at since 2018.
The winner of that game would set up a thrilling battle against the Cats at the MCG, and the Lions would have the Fitzroy crowd with them in Melbourne, which would help their odds.
GWS let an opportunity slip against the Swans, which could mentally haunt them, but also fuel them for the remainder of the campaign.
So, who’s the rolling favourite? Still the Swans. Finishing first always has its perks and they’ll have home-ground advantage for their Prelim, unlike the Cats, so no excuses to not make it to Grand Final Day.