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Issues within the west for the flailing Dockers, a Cats awakening in Geelong and St Kilda stay a sensation — however the most effective is but to return, with two midweek blockbusters set to headline spherical six.
Welcome to the AFL Spherical-Up, the place we digest the week that was.
Flatlining Freo method level of no return
No aspect has been extra disappointing by the primary six weeks of the 2023 season than Fremantle.
Oh for the times of mid-2022, when the emergence of Fremantle as a premiership risk was looming because the story of the season. When these exact same Dockers performed with dare and endeavour, taking the sport to the likes of Geelong and Melbourne away from Perth and finally overwhelming them.
There may be nothing overwhelming concerning the Dockers of 2023. To date they’ve been a sigh and a shrug, left behind by the likes of Adelaide, Essendon and St Kilda who look as if they’re enjoying a wholly totally different sport to Justin Longmuir’s males.
The stats give a sign of Freo’s tactical considerations — they’re center of the pack on nearly each metric, apart from being first for uncontested possessions, sixteenth for marks inside 50 and second for tackles inside 50.
They win the ball, transfer it at a glacial tempo, let the opposition’s defence get again in numbers to kill any contest then have interaction in a stoppage scrap and hope for the most effective. Footy is not performed like this anymore, not less than not by the nice groups.
However it’s greater than ways in the meanwhile. The Dockers have discovered themselves distracted by subplots, a few of their very own making and others not.
The scenario relating to Rory Lobb on Friday evening was embarrassing, and although Longmuir claimed it had no bearing on the consequence, the Bulldogs actually kicked a aim at one level when a bunch of Fremantle gamers had been off attempting to tough Lobb up, not concentrating on the play in any respect.
Just a few weeks in the past right here we talked about the Freo response within the Western Derby, when a win solely secured within the final 10 minutes of a recreation in opposition to a aspect with solely 16 match gamers left on the bottom was met with jubilant celebrations and backflips.
The times of Freo chasing symbolic victories needs to be lengthy behind them. It is a staff that has confirmed it has the expertise to be racking up actual wins within the right here and now.
With a tricky month left earlier than the bye, there’s a hazard their season might be toast by the midway level. What an amazing waste that may be.
Have your say about spherical six to date — and sit up for the large Melbourne-Richmond and Collingwood-Essendon clashes — from 10:30am.
We’re going stay shortly on this story. Submit a remark or tell us what you need to hear.
The Cats fly the flag ultimately
Is it attainable that this was Geelong’s plan all alongside?
To interact in a form of prolonged preseason for the primary 5 weeks, protected within the data absolutely the worst case state of affairs would have them 2-3 with wins over Hawthorn and West Coast, after which launch the season correctly again at Kardinia Park in opposition to Sydney in spherical six?
No, it isn’t attainable. That is not likely how these items work. However there is not any query this model of Geelong was by far essentially the most full, most fully-formed model we have seen all season.
It is nearly onerous to know what to learn into this recreation as a result of it was such a massacre. Sydney’s promising begin to the season has hit a roadblock, nevertheless it wasn’t simply the depleted again line that copped a reaming on Saturday evening.
Regardless of successful the clearance depend, the Swans had been brutalised across the ball to the purpose that they might hardly get their palms on it — their 284 disposals had been practically 70 fewer than their season common, and practically 80 fewer than the Cats on the evening.
Geelong’s domination of the contested ball and exact use of it by hand and foot had been very 2022-esque. Unbelievable video games from the likes of Max Holmes, Brad Shut and Gryan Miers put velocity on the ball ahead of centre whereas Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart stood up for his or her finest shows of the yr to date.
However the personification of Geelong’s re-emergence got here within the type of Tom Hawkins, who instantly regarded like he may transfer once more and feasted on the undermanned and undersized Swans defenders.
We nonetheless cannot totally know if Hawkins’ efficiency — like Geelong’s — was symbolic of a return to energy or only a good evening in opposition to a woeful opposition.
Both manner, because the 2022 premiership flag flew above a aspect instantly bearing some resemblance to the one which earned it, it felt very very like the Cats had been again.
Saints nonetheless marching on
One other week goes by, and nonetheless St Kilda sit atop the AFL ladder. Any suggestion it is a flash within the pan or symptom of some new-couch bounce could be put to relaxation.
Not for the primary time this season — actually, for the sixth — this St Kilda aspect suffocated their opponents like a type of obnoxiously massive rainforest snakes.
It is a mixture of construction, ways and unrelenting effort, all of which could be safely attributed to the work of Ross Lyon. Even essentially the most optimistic of Saints followers could not have predicted such a stark and rapid influence from their returning boss.
It is simple to neglect that the narrative across the Saints earlier than spherical one was nearly completely surrounding their damage listing, and the powerful hand that Lyon had been dealt. That absentee listing has solely grown, and but the Saints have solely gotten higher.
Hopes and expectations are being recalibrated week by week. What began as a yr of regular enchancment became a finals run, and by spherical six the highest 4 instantly looks like the intention.
It is not outrageous. The Saints are the most effective defensive staff within the league in the meanwhile, and have their finest attacking weapons nonetheless to return to the aspect. This story continues to be solely on the very starting.
Across the grounds
The type of Jeremy Finlayson for Port Adelaide proper now’s each important to his staff and fully outstanding given his circumstances. He and his household are value our biggest admiration.
Regardless of some fairly important criticism, the Hawks are a couple of minutes over a few weeks away from being 3-3. They’re both extremely good at tanking, or a younger aspect having a critical crack whereas studying on the fly.
Nonetheless looks like Brisbane are but to hit high gear, however their ahead line goes to be too sizzling to deal with for many groups even on a median day. They’re sitting fairly at 4-2.
Even in victory, the hits maintain coming for the Suns. A knee damage to Touk Miller is near the very last thing they want, even in a convincing and much-needed win over North.
Forward of a must-win recreation, Richmond most likely did not have to see Gawn, Lever and Hibberd as inclusions for Melbourne. Tigers will want one thing particular tonight to tug out of this funk.
Essendon’s ruck domination of the Demons was an enormous a part of their win final week, and the Pies stay brief in that space. If the Bombers are to tug off an Anzac Day win, Sam Draper might have to finish up with the medal round his neck on the finish of the day.
Within the clubhouse
Right here we take inventory of who’s main the race for the season’s particular person awards.
Harry Sheezel is banged up, and contemplating he took an injured thumb and corked thigh into North’s recreation in opposition to the Suns it is most likely no shock he endured the primary quiet certainly one of his profession.
In the intervening time, his closest rival for the Rising Star seems to be to be St Kilda’s Mitch Owens, who’s proving extremely influential on a weekly foundation. In our eyes, Owens sits forward of Will Ashcroft and solely marginally behind Sheezel at this level.
Mark of the week honours go to Marcus Bontempelli for his Friday evening pack seize. Harry Himmelberg’s seize in opposition to Hawthorn final week stays our MOTY chief.
And we have chosen to take Charlie Cameron at his phrase and imagine he meant his little deflecty-glance-kick aim in opposition to the Giants. It is our aim of the week consequently, and fairly presumably the brand new GOTY front-runner.
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