Kick to Kick

Here is our AFL Grand Final preview for the 2025 season. We'll start with our traditional Grand Final Quiz, followed by a discussion on the Demons' new coach and the Merrett trade. Then, we'll dive into the history of the Norm Smith Medal before breaking down the big game itself!

References

Norm Smith Medal info thanks to Dan Eddy - https://www.daneddybooks.com/blog/y6f1hk3j8n6axr7zksbi43a49qo54r

• https://afltables.com/afl/af...

2 weeks to go, and here we are talking about the final 4. We discuss a few things around this, are Geelong, Hawthorn, Collingwood and Brisbane the big 4? Is the AFL fair? Is equalisation working?? We talk about the history between these match ups and then we chat Brownlow Medal quickly. 

References

• https://afltables.com/afl/afl_index.html
• Old Herald Sun articles
• Old Age articles
• Trove
• Inside Football

The Kick to Kick...

We'll briefly recap last weekend's games before diving straight into the upcoming matches. First, we'll revisit history by looking at all four of the previous finals meetings between the Hawks and the Crows. Then, we turn our attention to the Lions vs. Suns, a first-time finals matchup. While it's a new rivalry on the finals stage, we'll still delve into the history of each expansion team's second-ever final. On top of all that, we...

As finals week kicks off, let's take a trip down memory lane. We'll explore the inaugural finals appearance for each of the competing teams—a journey that for some began in 1897 and for others took 30+ years (looking at you, Hawthorn). We also dive into the history of previous finals matchups between this week's contenders, discuss the latest All-Australian team, and reflect on the original team from 1991.

References

• https:/...

Welcome to the final full round of the 2025 season! We have a lot to unpack, including a first-time matchup between the Swans and Eagles.

In other games, we'll dive into the Blues' long-awaited first victory over the Same Olds, a 1908 clash where the Cats broke a 12-game losing streak, and how the Crows capped off their inaugural season in style. We'll also revisit the Power's revenge game against the Suns after a shock loss in 201...

Round 23 is almost upon us. Craig Bradley leads the Blues to a great win at Football Park, while the 'Same Olds' get the better of the Saints at Junction Oval. In the Expansion Cup, the Suns are able to exact some revenge over the Giants. The Kangaroos and Hawks finally get wins over their opponents, and the Eagles and Dogs play a shootout in Perth.

References

• https://afltables.com/afl/afl_index.html
• Old Herald Sun articles
• ...

With just three weeks left until finals time, let's dive into some key historical moments from past games this week. The Hawks and Pies famously fought a long battle, while Geelong and Essendon went head-to-head in a classic 'ding-dong battle'. We also remember Wayne Schwass making his debut for the Swans, the Gold Coast Suns getting a rude shock in their first-ever game, and a huge boilover as Freo stunned Adelaide.

References

Round 21 is ahead of us, and we will be reliving their first encounter or first win against their opponents, with the Dogs and Giants game expected to come down to the last minute. The Swans will aim to achieve a rare feat at Windy Hill, while both the Hawks and Demons will be looking to extract some revenge. The Tigers are hoping to finally end their stay in Cairns with a maiden win, Collingwood will be looking to hold on at the D...

Looking ahead to Round 20, it seems like we have a "Rivalry Round" of sorts. This gives us a great chance to talk about the Dockers' first Derby win, the Lions getting revenge over the Suns, the Crows' comeback in the Showdown, and the Giants upsetting the Buddy welcome party. On top of that, we also have the Hawks finally beating the Blues and a remarkably spiteful match between the Cats and Shinboners.

References

With the finals fast approaching, there's still plenty to discuss, including several first-time matchups this season. We're looking forward to James Hird versus Kevin Sheedy in their inaugural coaching clash as the Bombers visit Western Sydney. A Kangaroo (and Bulldog) legend will play his final match, while the Demons celebrate cracking a ton for the first time in the VFL. The Tigers are set for revenge, the Saints have finally be...

As we approach the pointy end of the season, here are our Round 18 previews and historical insights: The Lions and Blues will battle it out on the Queen's Birthday, while the Magpies aim to make their inaugural visit against the Suns a memorable one. Graham Cornes is impressed by the Crows, and Stevie J suits up for the Giants against his former team, the Cats, for the very first time. The Dockers typically struggle at Waverley, th...

We're finally out of the bye rounds and into the back half of the season! We're starting to delve deeper into second matchups, shifting our focus to different periods of the game. But don't worry, there are still some original clashes to discuss, including the Bombers' massive record-breaking win over the Suns, the start of an epic series of encounters between the Power and the Lions, and the Saints' historic first win against Hawt...

With just one more week of bye rounds to go, here's a look at the upcoming matches:

Port Adelaide will face an injury-depleted Carlton. Meanwhile, the Swans are set to travel to Melbourne to take on the Western Bulldogs. We also remember Gold Coast's historic first win at the MCG, which came against Melbourne.

In other key matchups, the Kangaroos will be looking for their first win of the season against the Hawks. And, inspired by ...

We are getting deep into the bye rounds now, and we are seeing more and more double-up games. We chat about the Giants' first-ever win and listen to them sing their song. The Pies have trouble getting their flag to unfurl, and in the double-up games, we hear about the Bombers' first time against the Dockers. The Port v Swans game sees some big names debut, and the Cats finally beat the Lions after many attempts.

References

http...

No Charlie with us tonight as we preview the coming round and remember the first time these two teams met. Also in Round 14, we have our first double-up game, with the Blues playing the Eagles again. We talk about the Adelaide Crows' big statement win over the Hawks in their first ever game. I talk about Daniel Merrett's starring role against the Giants, the Saints having a very nice day out against Footscray, the end of Neil Balme...

The first winter round is here, and we are looking at the first matchup for the Round 13 games. This includes Gary Ablett taking on his old team, a historical win for Hawthorn, and the merged Bears and Lions playing their first game against new coach Malcolm Blight’s Crows. The Swans and Tigers play a corker; it's a dark day for Port Adelaide, and as a bonus, we relive the Dockers' very first win!

References

https://afltables.com...

Here we are at the bye rounds, and we're going to look back at their first meeting. Coventry does his best to get the Pies over the line, Pav has a memorable day in his 250th game. Forgotten Tiger Daniel Connors saves the day for Richmond, Capper is back in Sydney. The Cats and Eagles play a nail-biter, and as a bonus, we look at the Bears' first game upset, as well as the first VFL draw.

References

https://afltables.com/afl/afl_...

On this week's episode, we look at the coming Round 11 matchups and recall the first time these teams played each other. This includes the polite meeting between the Cats and Bulldogs; our old favorite captains, the Tigers; Satanta making his GWS debut against the Blues; Port playing another home game; the Sydney Swans making a glitzy debut in Sydney; and the Saints taking on the Suns for the first time.

References

https://afltab...

Here we are looking at the Round 10 matchups, remembering the first time these teams met. We discuss the Suns' troubles getting down to Tassie, the Power's breakthrough to register their first win. The Bombers got revenge on the Dogs, while a Tiger was clobbered. The Pies and Blues had great wins, and Pav had a day out for the Dockers.

References

https://afltables.com/afl/afl_index.html

Old Herald Sun articles

Trove

Inside Footba...