Mark Ricciuto: Every dog has its day — just not sure if it’s a good one or bad one
THE Western Bulldogs bandwagon is attracting huge support from footy fans across the country but can the brash young pups match it with the Swans? Mark Ricciuto takes a look.
THIS year‘s finals series is the best I have ever seen.
The quality, the toughness and the skills have been brilliant and this week it might go to another level.
The minor premiers against the roughies, the Bondi billionaires against the battlers from the western suburbs ... it feels a bit like it’s the Swans against the rest of Australia.
Everybody is jumping on the Western Bulldogs bandwagon.
It has the makings of a thrilling Grand Final.
The Swans have physically beaten up the Crows and the Cats in the last fortnight.
They will try and do it again to the Dogs.
They are bigger and stronger than the Dogs, but are they tougher?
Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker, Dan Hannebery, Kieren Jack and Tom Mitchell have been unbelievable so far this September.
Throw in young gun Isaac Heeney and the Swans have taken the mantle of the best midfield in the competition — if they didn’t already have it.
The Swans’ first quarters in the past two weeks have been the best two quarters in the clubs’ finals history, both producing seven goals.
Good timing after they were made to look slow in their loss to Greater Western Sydney in week one.
I can see the Swans jumping out of the blocks again and leading the Dogs, perhaps even into the second half.
The Dogs, however, will not go down without a fight.
It feels like you can almost write the script; you feel like the Dogs will make another comeback.
They went to Perth in week one and knocked off the in-form West Coast after the Eagles had smashed the Crows.
Then they ended the Hawks’ dynasty so convincingly, upstaging them on the MCG.
Then they went to face GWS in Sydney with all of the Bulldogs fans in tow and came from behind again to knock out the red-hot Giants.
In each game, they have been big underdogs with the bookies, just the way they like it. They will be again this weekend. And like the last three weeks, they can win.
There is so much to look forward to on Saturday.
Here are some of my potential highlights:
BUDDY FRANKLIN
There is no better player in the competition to watch than big Buddy when he is on fire.
Most experts are saying he has never played better. He loves the big stage. It’s his fifth Grand Final. Good luck Dale Morris.
ISAAC HEENEY v LIAM PICKEN
The battle for Mr September is probably between these two and if I were Bulldogs coach Luke Beverage I would play his tough nut Picken on the young Swan superstar to limit his influence. If Jono Brown’s young cousin can stop Heeney then he will be a Western Bulldog favourite for life. Awesome.
GRAND FINAL STORIES
There’s always an individual story that catches the public’s imagination and both sides have players who fit the bill.
Clay Smith plays for the Dogs and wears No. 14, for those who don’t know him.
In his short career he has had three knee reconstructions; that’s enough to destroy most blokes. He worked his way back into the team after only two games in the reserves and until recently didn’t even have a contract for next year.
Then last Monday his good mate died in a car accident.
Playing while grieving is not easy and Smith yesterday attended the funeral as well. Performing in the same situation is even harder. He was best on ground last week with 26 disposals and kicked four goals. Unbelievable stuff.
Then there’s Tom Papley.
The Swans small forward who has swapped the job of a plumber to playing in a AFL Grand Final in one year. How does that happen?
Every club overlooked him in last year’s national draft but the Swans saw something and took a punt on him as a rookie.
He debuted in Round 1 and has never looked back, winning a rising star nomination in Round 5 and is playing sensational footy, kicking nine goals so far in the finals.
To top it off both of his grandfathers played for South Melbourne in the 1960s.
How cool is that?
PREMIERSHIP DROUGHT
The Dogs have not won a flag since 1954.
They have not even played in a Grand Final since 1961.
That’s 55 years, or 20,090 days. Now that’s a dry spell.
Less than two years ago they sacked their coach and lost their captain Ryan Griffen who wanted out.
They also traded out pick six and the skipper to get Tom Boyd on a $6 million six-year deal for a bloke who had played nine games and hardly had a kick.
Some say they lost respect and integrity with everything that happened back in October 2014. But look at them now and look at Boyd, who is blossoming.
It’s hard to believe the Dogs could be AFL Premiers. No matter what happens Saturday, they should be contenders for years to come.
There’s an old saying that every dog has its day. I’m just not sure whether that means it’s the dog’s turn to win, or whether his run this year has come to an end.
We’ll find out on Saturday.
Primus curse should not mark Teague, Shaw
Matthew Primus’s poor record after graduating from interim to senior coach at Port Adelaide has made other clubs wary of going down the same path. But Carlton’s David Teague and North Melbourne’s Rhyce Shaw deserve their chance.
Drug image continues to challenge AFL
NO longer does the AFL issue an annual report on its illicit drug testing. But the release of “white powder” videos of star players keeps the drug debate on the game’s public agenda