AFL Grand Final Week

We’re up to the second half of the month of September and we all know what that means don’t we? That’s right, footy finals and to be more specific, AFL footy finals time.

The Grand Final combatants have been decided and Geelong are going to try to make it two in a row when they take on Hawthorn. I’m very pleased to point out that in our local tipping comp at the start of the season we were ask to nominate our two grand finalists and I picked them both. What I probably shouldn’t point out but will in the spirit of full disclosure is that the majority of tipsters also picked Geelong and Hawthorn as their Grand Finalists.

So after 22 rounds of AFL football this year plus 3 weeks of finals, we’ve reached the point that most people knew we’d be at half a year ago.

Each year you sort of get a feel for the teams that look as though they are building up to becoming forces in coming years. Hawthorn gave this impression way back when they were plumbing 12th – 14 places on the ladder. This year I reckon that team is Richmond. They were a little unlucky to miss the 8 and appear to have a team of young, talented footballers who are starting to display the ability they have only hinted at in previous years. It will all depend on how they fare during this year’s draft.

Apart from that little prediction I won’t do anything so crass as to give my own rating on each team’s performance during the year. All I will say is that I have enjoyed the way both Geelong and Hawthorn have gone about their games, both of them are highly entertaining teams that make the ground admission price more than worthwhile, which is more than I can say for some of the teams who made the final 8. The crowds during the final series reflected that, I think.

Tip for the grand final on Saturday is Geelong. (Surprise, surprise)

AFL Messing With Tradition

Here’s a question for the stodgy farts who run the AFL – why are you seemingly do everything in your power to spoil the enjoyment of the game for fans? Of course, I’m talking about the news today that they want to stomp on the tradition of fans running onto the ground to celebrate a 100-goal milestone.

Citing the bullshit excuse that player and fan safety is an issue, AFL spokesman Patrick Keane only succeeded in convincing the whole of Australia that the AFL are a bunch of surly stick in the muds who have fallen out of touch with what the fans want to see. If the AFL was truly concerned about fan safety they would’ve banned Cameron Ling’s ugly mug from ever being shown on the telly, scaring the kids half to death.

I would wager that a good chunk of the crowds coming to watch the last 3 Hawthorn and Carlton matches will be there to see Buddy Franklin and Brendan Fevola kick their 100th goal for the season. And if they’re not planning on actually running out onto the ground I’m sure they’re looking forward to the spectacle of seeing others celebrate the occasion in the time-honoured way.

This is just pathetic ass-covering on the part of the AFL, pure and simple. Let the fans celebrate the milestones ya miserable creeps.