AFL

confirmed yesterday that 75,000 will be allowed into the MCG from this Thursdsy when Carlton host Collingwood.

 

Just been to my first game of the season where the Western Bulldogs have absolutely slaughtered North Melbourne, 167-39.
Not sure what the rules were with regards to the cap on attendance but it looked fairly full in places.

 

Well, the brilliant news is that the Western Bulldogs are in the Grand Final. The bad news is because of Covid in Victoria the game is being held not at the traditional MCG but a few thousand kilometres west in Perth. There they will play arguably the best team this year, the Demons, making it an all Melbourne final.

You watching it from the comfort of your Rockingham home, @Delilah?

 

Never got to Margaret River when we were over that side of Australia but we did go to a friend's house in Rockingham. I think the Moore family from Alderney in the channel islands still live there.

'mon the Bulldogs. (Can't see it, mind)

 

I had a feeling we'd lose but that scoreline did us a huge injustice. As you say, ebb and flow until the Demons took it to the next level. We were actually up by 19 points but from early in the third there was only one team in it. I'd have liked to see Josh Bruce playing but injuries are part of the (brutal) game. The Dogs are a young team so they may be there or thereabouts for the next couple of years if they can keep the big players. As for the Dee's, they look monstrous..

 

The only thing I don't like about the set up is the top four teams get a second chance. Instead of the top eight teams in the league going into a seeded playoff situation, top plays third and second plays fourth in the first week of the knock-outs. The teams who win get a bye and a home fixture the next time they play and the losers get another chance against lower teams. It's shite that is..

 

Well, the new season started last week and the opening game, as tradition has it, was played out between last year's Grand finalists, Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs, which ended in a bit of a blow out with the Demons winning by, well, a lot.
And nothing much has changed, because the Bulldogs rolled over and had their collective tummies rubbed while the Demons scored goal after goal. It's week two now, the Doggies have already lost, again, and there's a bloke called Lance Franklin who just last night scored his 1,000th goal for the Sydney Swans, an achievement that probably won't happen again due to all the rule changes.

I'll tell what's nice about this sport. The whole of Australia loves it, especially here in Victoria, and today I was in town and there were sets of supporters from six different teams either on their way or coming back from a game and not a rozzer in sight. It's lovely to see.

@Delilah, you reckon the Demons will do it again? they looked very strong last week. Mind you, so did Carlton this week.. I'm not bitter..

 

Local derby at the Optus this weekend, @Delilah. You going? I’m going to head down to the Marvel tomorrow night to see Buddy hit a few towards his tally of 2,000 goals.

Maybe not..

 

Going to my first AFL game at the MCG this afternoon to watch Richmond absolutely thrash the West Coast Eagles. Looking for a close game obviously but I just can't see it. The eagles have been poor this year and Richmond have got their mojo back..

 

You watching the QF’s @Delilah? It seems like Richmond were robbed on Friday night as goal line technology would have shown that the almost last kick of the game would have won it for the Tigers.
And then last years champions lose at home to Sydney but they do have that (ridiculous) second chance thing.

Currently watching Collingwood and this years ladder champions, Geelong, fight it out at a packed MCG. The Cats are getting the ‘chokers’ tag of late and judging by the first quarter it looks justified..
My team the Western Bulldogs kick off against Fremantle in a couple of hours in WA. We’ve got no chance..

 

Looks like it could finally be Geelong's year after choking in the play offs for the last few years, last night's destruction of Brisbane (They won by 71 points) was brutal to say the least and now they meet the winner of Sydney Swans or Collingwood in next week's Grand Final..

 

Serious stuff, and typically buried by most media outlets because it's Grand final weekend and everything goes on to the back burner to simmer until the close season.
As for the game, it's going to be a bloodbath. Sydney wlll have to play out of their skins to be in with any sort of chance. Geelong by 35.

 

Well, that was a bloodsbath (sic). Geelong were expected to win but they tormented the Swans for the whole game, running out winners by 81 points. They ended the season by winning 16 games in a row and will be the team to beat next season that’s for sure..