What is going on in Carlton? Carlton had 29 inside 50s in the first half and only scored a single goal, and that’s with Curnow and McKay up forward. It’s like having an all you can eat buffet and only eating the breadsticks. Is it the coach’s fault? I think so. They clearly have the talent, but not the system.
Welcome back to AFL from LA. I’m your host, Cindye. I need to give some props to Jack darling. Listen, I know he’s not living his best footy life at the moment, but he fractured his arm and he played the rest of the game. That’s some like next level shit. So, JD, I hope you heal well and we hope you get back to playing your best footie ever. So here are my hot takes for Round 9.
Carlton v Western Bulldogs
Blues have now lost four of their last five games. The only time they looked exciting is when they threw the game plan out the window and went fast. They kicked six goals in a row and the Bulldogs could do nothing about it. Cripps, once again, just completely disappeared against a good midfield. He had zero tackles, zero. He’s not running both ways. He’s not being accountable. Blues have Collingwood in Melbourne in the next three weeks, which could completely crush their finals hopes. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, could totally match it against Brisbane, Melbourne, the Pies. They have a real shot at top four.
Richmond v Geelong
The Tigers resorted to an ancient strategy called pressure. They forced Geelong to kick the worst I’ve seen all year. Their delivery to Tom Hawkins was absolute crap, and the Tigers scored 10 goals from turnovers. The Cats forward pressure with Rohan and Stengle out was non-existent. If you give a team like Richmond time and space to exit D50, they will slice right through you. Another thing that put Geelong under pressure was the umpiring. I hear you can never blame an umpire for a loss, but as an American, I really think you can. Cats were missing nine of their best 22 players, including Dangerfield and Cam Guthrie. I think the result might have been a bit different if they had those two beasts on the field. But I’m not writing off Geelong. With the number of players they have coming back, I still think they’re a contender for top four.
Sydney v Fremantle
For the first time this season, Freo looks like they have a forward line. Treacy, Amiss, and Jackson kicked seven goals between them and Lachie Schultz kicked four. How amazing is this guy, squeezes every ounce out of himself, competes, tackles, and gets the job done. Luke Jackson had his second great game in a row. And let’s talk about Treacy’s work up the ground, six marks, four tackles, and he’s played his best game that I’ve seen from him so far. But Sean Darcy is the beast who started it all. 9 clearances and 44 hit outs. If Freo can keep this up, they may be able to make a run at the finals. Swans, on the other hand, have lost their best three defenders, their home field advantage, and their edge. They’re gonna miss out on the top eight. Sorry, Bloods.
Adelaide v St. Kilda
The Crows jumped back into the eight. They kicked their highest score under Matty Nick’s, while the Saints suffered their biggest loss under Ross Lyon. Tex Walker kicked five goals and is aging like a fine Barossa Cabernet. He’s nearly unstoppable one-on-one. Luke Pedlar, not only is he a gun forward, but he’s a bull in the midfield. Plus, they had 12 individual goal scorers. And Adelaide’s ball movement is three dimensional. They can run and carry, they can hit short targets by foot, and they can go long down the line to reliable targets. Matty Nicks, he’s created a real winning system. Unlike the Saints, who have a good defense but struggle to kick a score. If you’re going to challenge for the flag, you have to be elite at both. I think Adelaide are.
Collingwood v GWS
I’m trying to find a weakness in Collingwood’s game. I just can’t. And they’re doing it all without their number one ruckman or a true key forward. How do they get so many players around the ball all the time? And whether they go down the line, run and carry, go through the corridor, run backwards, walk on their hands, never looks like they’re gonna turn the ball over. Nick Daicos gathered a lazy 41 disposals, while Jordan De Goey continued to dominate. Is De Goey the new Dusty? Let me know in the comments. My fellow American, Mason Cox, surely made his mother proud this Mother’s Day. 25 hit outs, 19 disposals, 9 marks, and 2 goals. Cox is approaching his 100th AFL game. I mean, what a story. GWS never stopped trying, but their skills just weren’t up to it. Feels as though the gap between their top five and their bottom five players is significant. If you’re not clean, you turn over the ball, and that’s deadly against a team like Collingwood. Collingwood have an away game against Carlton next week at the G. I don’t know how they’re gonna handle the travel. I’m guessing the Blues are not going to sleep much this week, while the Pies, they’re gonna be weighing up how late in the game to win it. One thing is absolutely certain after round 9, the Pies have one hand on the Premiership Cup, and I don’t know if Brisbane or the Dees can keep them from getting their second hand on it in September.