September 4, 2024 • 22 mins
Josh Jenkins takes you through all the drama of an action packed round 24 of the AFL season as the regular season draws to a close and we look towards this year’s finals series.
This week on The Field – AFL, JJ looks at the teams that have made finals and whether they’re likely to make a tilt at this year’s flag and we look at the teams who missed out on this year’s finals and where they’re poised to attack season 2025.
All this and more on The Field – AFL
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Today and welcome JJ here. Apologies for last week's hiatus.
We took the kids to Queenstown for a little bit
of a ski well, they went skiing and I stayed
back and baby sat the twins. But nevertheless it was
good fun. We did miss a bit of footy though,
so good to be back. Round twenty four is in
the books. The finals, the real season, as they say,
(00:35):
is locked and loaded. The others. It's team meetings, exit meetings,
clean out the locker, book your holidays, off you go.
And also speaking of exit meetings, I just want to
give a little bit of insight into how an exit
meeting takes place, what happens, what gets said, and what
that looks like for those who perhaps have never been
(00:57):
in an exit meeting, particularly in an AFL club. You
have been in one at your local workplace. But AFL
exit meetings are I guess, one part nonsense and chit
chat and one part seriousness where you focus on what
you need to do for next season.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But as I said, the finals are set.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We've got a Sydney Derby formerly Battle of the Bridge,
Battle for the Bridge, but I've been told that that's
not what they want to call it.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The Sydney Showdown. I know the Showdown is used in Adelaide,
but they don't own it. The Sydney Showdown is a
good one and that's a qualifying finals Sydney and the
Giants can't wait for that. The number one seeded Swanies,
the Little Brothers, the Giants on the other side of
the drawer in the top four bought Adelaide what all
when that was from them against Fremantle with close enough
(01:48):
to nothing to play for, they got the job done,
locked up second spot. They'll host the Cats. Of course,
we saw that contest way back when in twenty twenty one,
whether the Power got the job done over the wayward
and inaccurate Cats. Winner of that game, of course gets
a home pre lim in a fortnight's time, and then
(02:09):
the eliminators, and these are the interesting ones.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Carlton. Yeah, the Baggers are in.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Carlton are in, and they'll go back to bris Vegas
to face and tackle.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
The Lions now a quart a time.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
In last year's prelim final, Carlton fans were just starting
to fire up ticket tech and look for a Grand
Final ticket, but unfortunately the Lions rallied and in the
end stomped on the Blues, so we'll get that as
a big time clash and an elimination final between Carlton
and the Lions, and then maybe the most exciting game
(02:44):
for neutral fans certainly, and they tell me this game
is all but sold out already. Hawthorne and the Dogs
at the MCG going to be unbelievable. The Dogs have
been terrible at times and unbelievable at other times. And
the Hawks are here despite starting the season at zip
and five. So Sydney versus the Giants, Fort v. Gelong,
(03:07):
Brisbane v. Carlton and Hawthorne v the Western Bulldogs. The
countdown is absolutely on for those who have been left behind.
And I'm talking about the reigning premier in Collingwood, Freemantle
who dropped four straight to mister Finals, Essendon who was
second on the AFL Ladder not that long ago, the
(03:29):
Saints who played Grinch quite well but left it all
till the bird had flown, the Gold Coast who was
still yet to play finals in their history. Melbourne who blimey,
what a situation that is, Adelaide, perhaps the disappointment of
the season West Coast who need a new coach North
(03:50):
Melbourne who grew a lot and then finished off dismally,
and Richmond who are now absolutely feeling the effects or
the after of a dynasty and the hangover from that,
and they win an unlikely wooden spoon, unlikely to some,
not unlikely to others. Now, a quick word on those
(04:11):
ten teams who were done before. Talk to you about
exit meetings and of course the Melbourne situation. We have
to talk about Christian Petrarca and what on earth is
going on at demon Land.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Collingwood will start there.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The coaches said a few times publicly now that the
group returned from the premiership fit to play but not
fit to perform, or at least he had a question
on it, and that's telling, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
So.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Certainly you'd expect the Pies to turn up in ripping shape.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
They are going to take all of their.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Thirty pluses and there's about nine of them in the
season twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Do you still believe they're in the window Pies.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Fans or have they made arguably the biggest mistake you
can make in footy, and that's going a year too long.
If you go one season too long with a they
can't get you there, you set yourself up for big
time failure and big time pain in the future. Fremantle
I mentioned they dropped four straight to fall through the cracks,
(05:09):
to absolutely fall through the trapdoor. They were more so
looking at a home qualifying final than missing the finals
all together a month ago. But after an excellent twenty
twenty two, it's now back to back seasons where the
results have not been pleasing to Freemantal fans and the
questions will be there in twenty twenty five. So they
(05:31):
re signed Justin long Muller to put these questions to bed. Well,
guess what They're in the exact same situation. He is
going into season twenty twenty five with an expiring contract
and a questionable game style and a questionable place in
in well as the coach of Fremantle. To put it bluntly,
(05:51):
because they didn't get it done Essendon eleventh in twenty
twenty three, eleventh in twenty twenty four. It's hard to
know what to make of this mob. Things have looked
so good and have felt so different, but ultimately you
are what your record says you are, and they are
again also Rams Sinkelda the Saints the end of season
(06:14):
six and four from their past ten, which is good
because six part of those six wins Sydney, Carlton and
the Cats, so three of those six wins sensational. But
it's a pity because everything before that was so hard
to watch, so hard to watch Ross, You've got to
release the shackles and let them boys play gold Coast.
(06:34):
The pressure mounted and continue to mount all season long.
Eventually it found them out. I do believe, and I've
said this on radio. I believe in Damian Hardwick's assessment
that eighty percent of a premiership team is.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
There and in place.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
But I still think twenty twenty six is when we'll
see the best version of the.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Gold Coast sons.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I haven't got that many aging stars Collins wits, but
apart from that, they are absolutely in the window from
about twenty twenty six, maybe even next year Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Everything's on the table for the Crows.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Any type of poor beginning to season twenty five and
the coach will be under a men scrutiny as simple
as that eleven wins last year and should have been
in the finals but ultimately weren't. Back to eight and
a half wins, so a significant decrease in wins, and
certainly the way they played was so so ugly So
(07:31):
Dowur in the first part of the season West Coast
Adam Simpson departs. Almost all candidates say yeah thanks, but
no thanks. So Jared Schofield's either the last man standing
or he was the one they wanted all along. Five
wins was about where I had them in fairness as well.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Two to go North Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
At the end of the day, for all the promise
and excitement, three wins from twenty three games is another
hopeless season. They've got six or seven genuine franchise type stars,
so and I might miss one or two, but Wardlow,
Sheezel Davies, Uniac Laky, Combon, maybe Cherry in the ruck,
(08:15):
maybe Zerha. So let's give him about seven guys who
can really catapult them forward. But they've definitely got twelve
to fifteen players who either not up to it in
terms of performing at an AFL standard each and every week,
or lucky to be on a list, to be honest,
Richmond two and twenty one tough season for them. They
(08:36):
did beat Sydney way back when. If you can believe
that Grimes goes, pick It goes. Dustin Martin of course
is gone, Liam Baker, Daniel Rioli, Jack Graham considering his options,
Shaye Bolton wants to leave, and now Tom Lynch's name
keeps coming up. It's hard to imagine things might get
worse for Richmond in twenty twenty five than they were
(08:57):
this year. But if all or most of those names
depart the club, then twenty twenty five could be an
absolute shocker. Now, I promise we'd move along to exit
meetings at AFL clubs. I'm sure you've heard the term
when a team finishes up, and most likely when the
teams who don't make the finals will finish up.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
At once.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
You know, we'll get the players in, we'll have a
few chats, we'll have their exit meetings, and off they'll go.
What actually happens in an exit meeting, what I can
tell you is a season is incredibly long.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's monotonous.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
It's a very rigorous process where you're fixated on day
by day, you fixated on your next opponent, your next game,
then reviewing that game for forty eight hours, recovering your body,
training in the middle part of the week, and then
preparing for the next game. You're never really ever thinking about, Okay,
what does it look like when the season ends, because
(09:51):
the only time you're really thinking about the season ending
is the hope of lifting the Premiership Cup. And when
you lift the Premiership Cup, who cares what the exit
meetings look like.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
So even when you know for.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Three or four weeks or five or six weeks that
your season's going to end at the end of the
regular season, you still don't really put that much time
into the exit strategy of the footy club. Now, let's
take Adelaide for example. Of course I played for them,
so it's probably the easiest example to use. They played
against Sydney on Saturday night. In Sydney, they would have
(10:24):
had a few quiet beers at the hotel. I doubt
they would have been allowed to leave the hotel on
that night. Only bad things can happen if they do.
They travel home Sunday. They would have got home around
lunchtime or just a bit after on Sunday. They would
have been told go home, do whatever you want Sunday afternoon,
go and see your family and friends and whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
But Monday morning, come in.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Don't be hungover because we've got some meetings and we've
got some discussions to have on the back of a
disappointing season, I might add, So Monday morning comes around,
your individual exit meetings are assigned. They're usually twenty minute blocks,
extend out significantly.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Sometimes you might only been there for ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And in those meetings from experience, you've got your positional coach,
so you know your forward coach. You might have, or
you would have the head of fitness or at least
someone from the fitness department. You probably have, depending on
your status in the club, the football manager, and maybe
you know or definitely the head coach, I should say,
(11:25):
And there may be one or two other people depending
on where you sit in the club, and I guess
depending on what they've got on.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Their plate at the time.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So I remember going in at different stages thinking lay low, smile, nod,
you wave goodbye, off you go, tell them you're going
to do everything you can to be super fit next year.
And then other times I remember going in and probably
at the back of better performed seasons, personally saying, you know,
I want to address this. This is my opportunity to say,
let's think about changing this let's think about changing that
(11:55):
and see what you get. So, generally speaking, the fitness
coach will will go first, I'll give you a detailed
run down on how much training you completed across the
preseason and the season. They will talk to you about games, mister,
injury or illness or whatever it may look like, and
then they'll talk about, you know, a snapshot into next season.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
What they'd like from you for next season.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Do they want you to lose some weight, do they
want you to get stronger, do they want you to
run more, to build your endurance, to build your power,
whatever it may be. And they'll tell you that they've
got a plan in place for you to do one
of those things or all of those things, and therefore
you've got to action that plan in the off season.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Then your positional.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Coach is probably the softest here or the softest voice.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
In the room.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They'll typically say it, I had a great time working
with you. We improved a lot, and we did this,
that and the other. For the positional coaches, you've often
got a really close personal relationship with them, so you
can understand why they are a bit of a softer
ear and certainly a softer voice and then the head
coach and the footy manager can sometimes be a bit
(13:06):
more forceful depending on how the seasons played itself out.
You know, the head coach might say we just we
need more in this space. We need to improve or
address this part of your game in the preseason. You've
got three or four months to do that and to
focus on that and to take that into next season.
If you want to go from being a good player
to a very good player, this is what you need
(13:27):
to do. Your fitness might not be up to it,
your mental attitude or aptitude or application might be up
to it, whatever it may be. Certainly the head coach
is a one who probably needs to drop the hammer
if it needs to be dropped. And then the footy
manager of the football boss and I had David Noble,
(13:47):
Brett Burton and then Simon Lloyd at Geelong. They'll talk about,
you know, what you can bring to the table from.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
A leadership perspective, or where you sit.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
In the in the club, your influence those types of
things as well. So it's a wide ranging conversation. You
certainly get your chance to have your say, but for
the most but you go in you listen to all
you're better off to nod, smile and walk out and
keep your head held high. But occasionally they can be
(14:17):
forth right. Certainly, you know, you hear about players who
go in and request the trade in that specific meeting.
I don't necessarily think that's the best way to go
about it. I think perhaps if you're going to request
a trade, you might, you know, you might want to
have some support with you, because you go into the
exit meeting on your own. No one goes in with you,
no management goes with you, no family or whatever goes
(14:39):
in with you.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So it's an interesting situation.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
And from that moment, you'll then have a team meeting
in the afternoon probably or maybe on the Tuesday, once
all the other exit meetings for players are completed, and
you will see all these stats on the season. This
is where we were good. This is where we were Paul,
this is where.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
We need to get better. This is what we're going
to focus on next year.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
We've got players leaving, coaches, leaving staff, leaving, whatever it
may be. We'll bring some new players in. So it's long,
it's lengthy. Certainly, don't advise doing it if you're hungover.
For young players or for any players who might be
considering it at this time of year. So that's what
an exit meeting looks like. I've had plenty of good ones,
plenty of annoying ones, plenty of useless ones.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
But certainly that's.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
How they play their selves out now Petraca, Christian Petruca,
I'm already looking forward. I'm locked in to do the
Afold Trade radio with a couple of the gurus. I
won't mention their names because I think they'd like to
do a bit of an announcement on all of that,
but I can't wait. Or did it last year with
Phil Davis and Damian Barrett, and it was busy enough
(15:45):
without being explosive. Well, this year's trade period feels explosive.
And some of the names that you've already read, you
know some big time players.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Christian Petrarca is at the head of that list. Now.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
In his situation and in Melbourne's situation, it just seems
like two parties who have got their backs up against
the wall and neither has been willing to take a
step forward and extend a hand in handshake or an
olive branch at all.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Now, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Petrarca clearly feels aggrieved about probably the medical situation. And
now I'm reading from a far I've got no contact
with Christian Petrarca or or his gang at all, but
it sounds like he's.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
A bit of grieved with that. He's a bit aggrieved
with some of the.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Cultural standards that have slipped at Melbourne, and Melbourne are
a bit annoyed about some of the things Christian does
that may not fit into that team first category. We
heard Adelaide talk about now nonsensically talk about team first,
and Joshua Slley, well, it feels similar with Christian Petrarca.
The only problem is Christian Petrarca is as good as
(16:53):
we've got in the competition.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Now. The branch Petrarca stuff is.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
The part that's exploded because it's the part that the
haters can latch onto the easiest and taint him about
the most. But it's also it's also one that's a
little bit left of center and a little bit new
for us. In the States, each individual athlete is their
own brand, and they don't consult the club if they
(17:20):
want to go and do a media appearance or they
want to go and do a paid appearance.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
They don't consult clubs.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
They just go and do it, whereas here it's a
consultation process. Generally the media organization will go through the
club to get to the player, or go through the
player agent who will ask the club and then the player.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So it's a completely different situation.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
But Petrarca and his partner, I believe, you know, run
their own commercial stuff without too much interference or too
much consultation, and I think some of that stuff is
what potentially has irked his teammates. And it's okay, well,
you know, you're injured, and we feel for you. We're
(18:00):
seeing all these videos pop up, and you look like
you're feeling pretty good about yourself, and you look like
you're feeling pretty happy, but you're not showing us a
lot of love. Now, this is where I think the
two parties have pushed themselves up against two brick walls
and refuse to come forward and meet in the middle.
So Christian feels how he feels, and he's the individual
(18:20):
against the mass or the masses and the club at
no point thought to communicate and say, hey, Christian, maybe
get it a bit more involved with the club, Maybe
get a bit more involved with the boys. Want to
stand you're up north and you're looking after yourself and
respect that, and we hope all is going wow, but
reach out to Max, reach out to some of the
(18:40):
young guys who might be playing their first game or
the fiftieth game, or whatever it may be. Now it
sounds like none of that sort of stuff has happened,
And it sounds like we're getting very very close to
or have already reached the point where he ain't coming
back and he don't want to go back. All the
reports about awkwardness at Whacky Wednesday and awkwardness at social
(19:01):
functions sounds like he ain't coming back. It sounds like
he's about done now. I can remember going to a
function where I knew I was leaving. My teammates probably
knew I was leaving, but I wasn't leaving the footy
club because I didn't like or get on with my teammates.
I was able to be at the function, and certainly
(19:22):
there are a couple of tables that I was dodging,
for sure, but I wasn't dodging my teammates. It sounds
like he's having to dodge his teammates and they are
dodging him deliberately and there are a few influential types
who aren't keen on his presence at the footy club.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So it's ugly. And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
If it continues to play on and play itself out,
make sure you tune into trade period because it's going.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
To be absolutely explosive.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Now before I get out of here, and apologies, it's
been a long one, but I did miss last week
All Australian. I've had a gout picking mine because it's
good fun. Congrats to those who got in the squad,
saw big bad. Wayne Kerry said the squad's useless. That
means nothing. Well for some people being named in an
All Australian squad will be their greatest ever individual accolade,
(20:09):
so it does mean something to some people, at least
that's my opinion. Now I'll read out my team from
the back line. Nick Blakey of the Swans, Jeremy McGovern
again and Dane Zorko. What a move to defense that
has been halfbacks Lockie Whitfield of the Giants, Harris Andrews
of Brisbane and Harry Sheesel on half back flank for
(20:32):
me across the middle Errol Goulden and Massimo de Ambrosio
on the wings. Congrats to Massimo if he does, indeed
does make the team. Nick Dekos in the middle half forwards,
Brent Daniels who just signed a big time deal to
stay at the Giants, Jeremy Cameron who exploded late in
the season to make the team, Chad Warner on a
half forward flank, Tyson Stengle in the pocket, Dylan Moore
(20:56):
in the other pocket, and Jesse Hogan, the Coleman medalist
at four forward in the rock.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Rowing Marshall for mine.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I know he didn't make the squad, but this is
my team. Marcus Bonton Pali and Patrick Crips on the bench.
Lockie Neil, the two time Brandlow medalist, Isaac Heeney.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Can you believe it?
Speaker 1 (21:12):
The season he's had he has not made the team.
Toby Green, go and check the numbers. He didn't make
the squad, Go and check the numbers. He makes it,
as does his teammate Tom M.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Green. So that's my team. I make no excuses for it.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Incredibly hard to fit the midfielders in, as Zach butters
and wanted to fit in. There are a few other
guys who wanted to fit in just simply couldn't get
it done.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
It's very very hard job.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
It's easy to slap, easy to whack, it easy to criticize,
but have it go at your own before you do.
All right, That's all she wrote. The regular season he's done.
The finals are here this time next week or perhaps
earlier in the week.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
A big preview. Sydney Carlton, Port.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Adelaide, Western Borlldogs, Geelong, Hawthorne, Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane.
They're the teams fighting it out for the flag in
two thousand and at twenty four, will all find out
who wins together. Thanks for watching, and make sure you
check out the NFL season preview as well. It's on
the same YouTube channel as this show. A bit of
a fantasy football preview and a season preview, a few
(22:12):
tips and a few predictions as well. Maybe make a
few bucks in the NFL because that season.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Starts real real soon. Thanks for watching, and I'm out.
Today and welcome JJ here. Apologies for last week's hiatus.
We took the kids to Queenstown for a little bit
of a ski well, they went skiing and I stayed
back and baby sat the twins. But nevertheless it was
good fun. We did miss a bit of footy though,
so good to be back. Round twenty four is in
the books. The finals, the real season, as they say,
(00:35):
is locked and loaded. The others. It's team meetings, exit meetings,
clean out the locker, book your holidays, off you go.
And also speaking of exit meetings, I just want to
give a little bit of insight into how an exit
meeting takes place, what happens, what gets said, and what
that looks like for those who perhaps have never been
(00:57):
in an exit meeting, particularly in an AFL club. You
have been in one at your local workplace. But AFL
exit meetings are I guess, one part nonsense and chit
chat and one part seriousness where you focus on what
you need to do for next season.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
But as I said, the finals are set.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
We've got a Sydney Derby formerly Battle of the Bridge,
Battle for the Bridge, but I've been told that that's
not what they want to call it.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Anymore.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The Sydney Showdown. I know the Showdown is used in Adelaide,
but they don't own it. The Sydney Showdown is a
good one and that's a qualifying finals Sydney and the
Giants can't wait for that. The number one seeded Swanies,
the Little Brothers, the Giants on the other side of
the drawer in the top four bought Adelaide what all
when that was from them against Fremantle with close enough
(01:48):
to nothing to play for, they got the job done,
locked up second spot. They'll host the Cats. Of course,
we saw that contest way back when in twenty twenty one,
whether the Power got the job done over the wayward
and inaccurate Cats. Winner of that game, of course gets
a home pre lim in a fortnight's time, and then
(02:09):
the eliminators, and these are the interesting ones.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Carlton. Yeah, the Baggers are in.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Carlton are in, and they'll go back to bris Vegas
to face and tackle.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
The Lions now a quart a time.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
In last year's prelim final, Carlton fans were just starting
to fire up ticket tech and look for a Grand
Final ticket, but unfortunately the Lions rallied and in the
end stomped on the Blues, so we'll get that as
a big time clash and an elimination final between Carlton
and the Lions, and then maybe the most exciting game
(02:44):
for neutral fans certainly, and they tell me this game
is all but sold out already. Hawthorne and the Dogs
at the MCG going to be unbelievable. The Dogs have
been terrible at times and unbelievable at other times. And
the Hawks are here despite starting the season at zip
and five. So Sydney versus the Giants, Fort v. Gelong,
(03:07):
Brisbane v. Carlton and Hawthorne v the Western Bulldogs. The
countdown is absolutely on for those who have been left behind.
And I'm talking about the reigning premier in Collingwood, Freemantle
who dropped four straight to mister Finals, Essendon who was
second on the AFL Ladder not that long ago, the
(03:29):
Saints who played Grinch quite well but left it all
till the bird had flown, the Gold Coast who was
still yet to play finals in their history. Melbourne who blimey,
what a situation that is, Adelaide, perhaps the disappointment of
the season West Coast who need a new coach North
(03:50):
Melbourne who grew a lot and then finished off dismally,
and Richmond who are now absolutely feeling the effects or
the after of a dynasty and the hangover from that,
and they win an unlikely wooden spoon, unlikely to some,
not unlikely to others. Now, a quick word on those
(04:11):
ten teams who were done before. Talk to you about
exit meetings and of course the Melbourne situation. We have
to talk about Christian Petrarca and what on earth is
going on at demon Land.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Collingwood will start there.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The coaches said a few times publicly now that the
group returned from the premiership fit to play but not
fit to perform, or at least he had a question
on it, and that's telling, I think.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
So.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Certainly you'd expect the Pies to turn up in ripping shape.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
They are going to take all of their.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Thirty pluses and there's about nine of them in the
season twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Do you still believe they're in the window Pies.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Fans or have they made arguably the biggest mistake you
can make in footy, and that's going a year too long.
If you go one season too long with a they
can't get you there, you set yourself up for big
time failure and big time pain in the future. Fremantle
I mentioned they dropped four straight to fall through the cracks,
(05:09):
to absolutely fall through the trapdoor. They were more so
looking at a home qualifying final than missing the finals
all together a month ago. But after an excellent twenty
twenty two, it's now back to back seasons where the
results have not been pleasing to Freemantal fans and the
questions will be there in twenty twenty five. So they
(05:31):
re signed Justin long Muller to put these questions to bed. Well,
guess what They're in the exact same situation. He is
going into season twenty twenty five with an expiring contract
and a questionable game style and a questionable place in
in well as the coach of Fremantle. To put it bluntly,
(05:51):
because they didn't get it done Essendon eleventh in twenty
twenty three, eleventh in twenty twenty four. It's hard to
know what to make of this mob. Things have looked
so good and have felt so different, but ultimately you
are what your record says you are, and they are
again also Rams Sinkelda the Saints the end of season
(06:14):
six and four from their past ten, which is good
because six part of those six wins Sydney, Carlton and
the Cats, so three of those six wins sensational. But
it's a pity because everything before that was so hard
to watch, so hard to watch Ross, You've got to
release the shackles and let them boys play gold Coast.
(06:34):
The pressure mounted and continue to mount all season long.
Eventually it found them out. I do believe, and I've
said this on radio. I believe in Damian Hardwick's assessment
that eighty percent of a premiership team is.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
There and in place.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
But I still think twenty twenty six is when we'll
see the best version of the.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Gold Coast sons.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I haven't got that many aging stars Collins wits, but
apart from that, they are absolutely in the window from
about twenty twenty six, maybe even next year Adelaide.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Everything's on the table for the Crows.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Any type of poor beginning to season twenty five and
the coach will be under a men scrutiny as simple
as that eleven wins last year and should have been
in the finals but ultimately weren't. Back to eight and
a half wins, so a significant decrease in wins, and
certainly the way they played was so so ugly So
(07:31):
Dowur in the first part of the season West Coast
Adam Simpson departs. Almost all candidates say yeah thanks, but
no thanks. So Jared Schofield's either the last man standing
or he was the one they wanted all along. Five
wins was about where I had them in fairness as well.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Two to go North Melbourne.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
At the end of the day, for all the promise
and excitement, three wins from twenty three games is another
hopeless season. They've got six or seven genuine franchise type stars,
so and I might miss one or two, but Wardlow,
Sheezel Davies, Uniac Laky, Combon, maybe Cherry in the ruck,
(08:15):
maybe Zerha. So let's give him about seven guys who
can really catapult them forward. But they've definitely got twelve
to fifteen players who either not up to it in
terms of performing at an AFL standard each and every week,
or lucky to be on a list, to be honest,
Richmond two and twenty one tough season for them. They
(08:36):
did beat Sydney way back when. If you can believe
that Grimes goes, pick It goes. Dustin Martin of course
is gone, Liam Baker, Daniel Rioli, Jack Graham considering his options,
Shaye Bolton wants to leave, and now Tom Lynch's name
keeps coming up. It's hard to imagine things might get
worse for Richmond in twenty twenty five than they were
(08:57):
this year. But if all or most of those names
depart the club, then twenty twenty five could be an
absolute shocker. Now, I promise we'd move along to exit
meetings at AFL clubs. I'm sure you've heard the term
when a team finishes up, and most likely when the
teams who don't make the finals will finish up.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
At once.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
You know, we'll get the players in, we'll have a
few chats, we'll have their exit meetings, and off they'll go.
What actually happens in an exit meeting, what I can
tell you is a season is incredibly long.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
It's monotonous.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
It's a very rigorous process where you're fixated on day
by day, you fixated on your next opponent, your next game,
then reviewing that game for forty eight hours, recovering your body,
training in the middle part of the week, and then
preparing for the next game. You're never really ever thinking about, Okay,
what does it look like when the season ends, because
(09:51):
the only time you're really thinking about the season ending
is the hope of lifting the Premiership Cup. And when
you lift the Premiership Cup, who cares what the exit
meetings look like.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
So even when you know for.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Three or four weeks or five or six weeks that
your season's going to end at the end of the
regular season, you still don't really put that much time
into the exit strategy of the footy club. Now, let's
take Adelaide for example. Of course I played for them,
so it's probably the easiest example to use. They played
against Sydney on Saturday night. In Sydney, they would have
(10:24):
had a few quiet beers at the hotel. I doubt
they would have been allowed to leave the hotel on
that night. Only bad things can happen if they do.
They travel home Sunday. They would have got home around
lunchtime or just a bit after on Sunday. They would
have been told go home, do whatever you want Sunday afternoon,
go and see your family and friends and whatever.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
But Monday morning, come in.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Don't be hungover because we've got some meetings and we've
got some discussions to have on the back of a
disappointing season, I might add, So Monday morning comes around,
your individual exit meetings are assigned. They're usually twenty minute blocks,
extend out significantly.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Sometimes you might only been there for ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
And in those meetings from experience, you've got your positional coach,
so you know your forward coach. You might have, or
you would have the head of fitness or at least
someone from the fitness department. You probably have, depending on
your status in the club, the football manager, and maybe
you know or definitely the head coach, I should say,
(11:25):
And there may be one or two other people depending
on where you sit in the club, and I guess
depending on what they've got on.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Their plate at the time.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So I remember going in at different stages thinking lay low, smile, nod,
you wave goodbye, off you go, tell them you're going
to do everything you can to be super fit next year.
And then other times I remember going in and probably
at the back of better performed seasons, personally saying, you know,
I want to address this. This is my opportunity to say,
let's think about changing this let's think about changing that
(11:55):
and see what you get. So, generally speaking, the fitness
coach will will go first, I'll give you a detailed
run down on how much training you completed across the
preseason and the season. They will talk to you about games, mister,
injury or illness or whatever it may look like, and
then they'll talk about, you know, a snapshot into next season.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
What they'd like from you for next season.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Do they want you to lose some weight, do they
want you to get stronger, do they want you to
run more, to build your endurance, to build your power,
whatever it may be. And they'll tell you that they've
got a plan in place for you to do one
of those things or all of those things, and therefore
you've got to action that plan in the off season.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Then your positional.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Coach is probably the softest here or the softest voice.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
In the room.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They'll typically say it, I had a great time working
with you. We improved a lot, and we did this,
that and the other. For the positional coaches, you've often
got a really close personal relationship with them, so you
can understand why they are a bit of a softer
ear and certainly a softer voice and then the head
coach and the footy manager can sometimes be a bit
(13:06):
more forceful depending on how the seasons played itself out.
You know, the head coach might say we just we
need more in this space. We need to improve or
address this part of your game in the preseason. You've
got three or four months to do that and to
focus on that and to take that into next season.
If you want to go from being a good player
to a very good player, this is what you need
(13:27):
to do. Your fitness might not be up to it,
your mental attitude or aptitude or application might be up
to it, whatever it may be. Certainly the head coach
is a one who probably needs to drop the hammer
if it needs to be dropped. And then the footy
manager of the football boss and I had David Noble,
(13:47):
Brett Burton and then Simon Lloyd at Geelong. They'll talk about,
you know, what you can bring to the table from.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
A leadership perspective, or where you sit.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
In the in the club, your influence those types of
things as well. So it's a wide ranging conversation. You
certainly get your chance to have your say, but for
the most but you go in you listen to all
you're better off to nod, smile and walk out and
keep your head held high. But occasionally they can be
(14:17):
forth right. Certainly, you know, you hear about players who
go in and request the trade in that specific meeting.
I don't necessarily think that's the best way to go
about it. I think perhaps if you're going to request
a trade, you might, you know, you might want to
have some support with you, because you go into the
exit meeting on your own. No one goes in with you,
no management goes with you, no family or whatever goes
(14:39):
in with you.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
So it's an interesting situation.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
And from that moment, you'll then have a team meeting
in the afternoon probably or maybe on the Tuesday, once
all the other exit meetings for players are completed, and
you will see all these stats on the season. This
is where we were good. This is where we were Paul,
this is where.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
We need to get better. This is what we're going
to focus on next year.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
We've got players leaving, coaches, leaving staff, leaving, whatever it
may be. We'll bring some new players in. So it's long,
it's lengthy. Certainly, don't advise doing it if you're hungover.
For young players or for any players who might be
considering it at this time of year. So that's what
an exit meeting looks like. I've had plenty of good ones,
plenty of annoying ones, plenty of useless ones.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
But certainly that's.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
How they play their selves out now Petraca, Christian Petruca,
I'm already looking forward. I'm locked in to do the
Afold Trade radio with a couple of the gurus. I
won't mention their names because I think they'd like to
do a bit of an announcement on all of that,
but I can't wait. Or did it last year with
Phil Davis and Damian Barrett, and it was busy enough
(15:45):
without being explosive. Well, this year's trade period feels explosive.
And some of the names that you've already read, you
know some big time players.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Christian Petrarca is at the head of that list. Now.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
In his situation and in Melbourne's situation, it just seems
like two parties who have got their backs up against
the wall and neither has been willing to take a
step forward and extend a hand in handshake or an
olive branch at all.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Now, you know.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Petrarca clearly feels aggrieved about probably the medical situation. And
now I'm reading from a far I've got no contact
with Christian Petrarca or or his gang at all, but
it sounds like he's.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
A bit of grieved with that. He's a bit aggrieved
with some of the.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Cultural standards that have slipped at Melbourne, and Melbourne are
a bit annoyed about some of the things Christian does
that may not fit into that team first category. We
heard Adelaide talk about now nonsensically talk about team first,
and Joshua Slley, well, it feels similar with Christian Petrarca.
The only problem is Christian Petrarca is as good as
(16:53):
we've got in the competition.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Now. The branch Petrarca stuff is.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
The part that's exploded because it's the part that the
haters can latch onto the easiest and taint him about
the most. But it's also it's also one that's a
little bit left of center and a little bit new
for us. In the States, each individual athlete is their
own brand, and they don't consult the club if they
(17:20):
want to go and do a media appearance or they
want to go and do a paid appearance.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
They don't consult clubs.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
They just go and do it, whereas here it's a
consultation process. Generally the media organization will go through the
club to get to the player, or go through the
player agent who will ask the club and then the player.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So it's a completely different situation.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
But Petrarca and his partner, I believe, you know, run
their own commercial stuff without too much interference or too
much consultation, and I think some of that stuff is
what potentially has irked his teammates. And it's okay, well,
you know, you're injured, and we feel for you. We're
(18:00):
seeing all these videos pop up, and you look like
you're feeling pretty good about yourself, and you look like
you're feeling pretty happy, but you're not showing us a
lot of love. Now, this is where I think the
two parties have pushed themselves up against two brick walls
and refuse to come forward and meet in the middle.
So Christian feels how he feels, and he's the individual
(18:20):
against the mass or the masses and the club at
no point thought to communicate and say, hey, Christian, maybe
get it a bit more involved with the club, Maybe
get a bit more involved with the boys. Want to
stand you're up north and you're looking after yourself and
respect that, and we hope all is going wow, but
reach out to Max, reach out to some of the
(18:40):
young guys who might be playing their first game or
the fiftieth game, or whatever it may be. Now it
sounds like none of that sort of stuff has happened,
And it sounds like we're getting very very close to
or have already reached the point where he ain't coming
back and he don't want to go back. All the
reports about awkwardness at Whacky Wednesday and awkwardness at social
(19:01):
functions sounds like he ain't coming back. It sounds like
he's about done now. I can remember going to a
function where I knew I was leaving. My teammates probably
knew I was leaving, but I wasn't leaving the footy
club because I didn't like or get on with my teammates.
I was able to be at the function, and certainly
(19:22):
there are a couple of tables that I was dodging,
for sure, but I wasn't dodging my teammates. It sounds
like he's having to dodge his teammates and they are
dodging him deliberately and there are a few influential types
who aren't keen on his presence at the footy club.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
So it's ugly. And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
If it continues to play on and play itself out,
make sure you tune into trade period because it's going.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
To be absolutely explosive.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Now before I get out of here, and apologies, it's
been a long one, but I did miss last week
All Australian. I've had a gout picking mine because it's
good fun. Congrats to those who got in the squad,
saw big bad. Wayne Kerry said the squad's useless. That
means nothing. Well for some people being named in an
All Australian squad will be their greatest ever individual accolade,
(20:09):
so it does mean something to some people, at least
that's my opinion. Now I'll read out my team from
the back line. Nick Blakey of the Swans, Jeremy McGovern
again and Dane Zorko. What a move to defense that
has been halfbacks Lockie Whitfield of the Giants, Harris Andrews
of Brisbane and Harry Sheesel on half back flank for
(20:32):
me across the middle Errol Goulden and Massimo de Ambrosio
on the wings. Congrats to Massimo if he does, indeed
does make the team. Nick Dekos in the middle half forwards,
Brent Daniels who just signed a big time deal to
stay at the Giants, Jeremy Cameron who exploded late in
the season to make the team, Chad Warner on a
half forward flank, Tyson Stengle in the pocket, Dylan Moore
(20:56):
in the other pocket, and Jesse Hogan, the Coleman medalist
at four forward in the rock.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
Rowing Marshall for mine.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
I know he didn't make the squad, but this is
my team. Marcus Bonton Pali and Patrick Crips on the bench.
Lockie Neil, the two time Brandlow medalist, Isaac Heeney.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Can you believe it?
Speaker 1 (21:12):
The season he's had he has not made the team.
Toby Green, go and check the numbers. He didn't make
the squad, Go and check the numbers. He makes it,
as does his teammate Tom M.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Green. So that's my team. I make no excuses for it.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Incredibly hard to fit the midfielders in, as Zach butters
and wanted to fit in. There are a few other
guys who wanted to fit in just simply couldn't get
it done.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
It's very very hard job.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
It's easy to slap, easy to whack, it easy to criticize,
but have it go at your own before you do.
All right, That's all she wrote. The regular season he's done.
The finals are here this time next week or perhaps
earlier in the week.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
A big preview. Sydney Carlton, Port.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Adelaide, Western Borlldogs, Geelong, Hawthorne, Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane.
They're the teams fighting it out for the flag in
two thousand and at twenty four, will all find out
who wins together. Thanks for watching, and make sure you
check out the NFL season preview as well. It's on
the same YouTube channel as this show. A bit of
a fantasy football preview and a season preview, a few
(22:12):
tips and a few predictions as well. Maybe make a
few bucks in the NFL because that season.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Starts real real soon. Thanks for watching, and I'm out.
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