Odd Couple: Will Power v Dees test determine top four?
LUNCH is on the line as our Odd Couple, Chris “Bone” McDermott and Michelangelo “Rooch’ Rucci, look at the big issues in the AFL, including the prize on the line in Friday night’s blockbuster and where the Crows are at during bye week.
Michelangelo Rucci
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OUR Odd Couple, Chris “Bone” McDermott and Michelangelo “Rooch’ Rucci look at the big issues in the AFL, including the prize on the line in Friday night’s blockbuster and where the Crows are at during bye week.
1. Port Adelaide and Melbourne on the big stage on Friday night at Adelaide Oval. Is this the real test of each team’s top-four claims?
BONE: Absolutely. There are four teams playing for one spot in the top four: Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood and the Power. Richmond, West Coast and Sydney are a lock for the other three spots. I’ll put lunch on this call. The winner of Friday night’s game between Port Adelaide and Melbourne finishes fourth — and Rooch, you know where I like to go for a long lunch!
ROOCH: Yes Christopher, but the wine selection is very ordinary there. The winner of this game stays in the race for a top-four finish with Geelong. This is the big one for Port Adelaide that still has another five games to play to Adelaide Oval after the Demons clash. While the “Bash Brothers” Ollie Wines and Sam Powell-Pepper are holding up the Power’s contested ball numbers, anything is possible. And it might be time to look at Jack Watts on a wing.
2. Crows have the weekend off — where are they?
BONE: Looking in from the outside, they’ve lost their brand. They don’t appear to know what they stand for or what they want to stand for. It might sound like fluff, but as a player it is real and it’s valuable. It’s all about leadership and if there is a disconnect between players, coaches, fans and club, you have a problem and if you don’t take your fans with you on the journey, you’ll have an even bigger problem.
ROOCH: But Christopher, they fly as one! But where are they flying to? Certainly not the Gold Coast after all the questions that have been left by the team’s pre-season camp. There will be many of great holiday offers at Mt Hotham now that the Melbourne fans appear to have other things to do in September. The Crows are certainly in crisis. No denying this now. And they have many questions to answer has to how this collapse from a grand finalists last season to also-ran this year happened … and it is not all about injuries.
3. Is four field umpires going to work?
BONE: Depends what the objective is Rooch. Don’t ask will four umpires work, but why four should work? What’s the point? If it is just to pay more free kicks then the answer is no. If it is guaranteed to make the game better, the answer is yes. But none of this of has been thrashed out yet. From what I have seen, the answer is no. Less is always best.
ROOCH: Surely Christopher it is about having more eyes seeing the game from different angle to pay the free kicks that are there. Positioning an umpire permanently inside-50 will be a delight to the front-leading forwards who have been held, blocked and nudged under the ball. Of course, the big question is: How do four umpires come up with the same interpretations, in particular with the very grey holding-the-ball rule.
4. Which of the Sydney-West Coast and Geelong-Richmond games gave us a preview of the grand final?
BONE: Both. If I’m picking my two grand final teams right now, I’m choosing Sydney and Richmond. The West Coast without key forward Jack Darling at his best is nowhere near as dangerous as when the Eagles have the Darling-Josh Kennedy partnership testing defences. And Geelong look a little bruised to me. That leaves the Swans and the Tigers. Sydney is going along nicely and Richmond is on autopilot. Damien Hardwick has the Tigers in a very good place and Mrs Hardwick has Damien in a very good place. They look the two to beat.
ROOCH: Richmond is holding up. Sydney is building up. Geelong has many gaps in its line-up. West Coast will have a dream run at home in Perth, but the Eagles can look one-dimensional too. So your choice seems very reasonable Christopher. Let’s hope the best grand final match-up is not in a preliminary final, however.
5. Has Fremantle coach Ross Lyon proved he can indeed rebuild teams?
ROOCH: Those who mocked “Ross the Boss” as he cleared away the old wood at Fremantle to start a rebuild might have some apologies to offer soon. There have been some interesting choices along the way — in particular with Harley Bennell — but Lyon is clearly showing he can work a list from scratch. The decisions on what to claim in the third draft in this rebuild will be fascinating. So will the moves by Victorian-based clubs to test Lyon’s interest in a return to Melbourne.
BONE: He has proved he can ride a rollercoaster. Few teams have dealt with as many issues on field and off field like Fremantle this year and the Dockers are playing some of their best football. Not bad for a team that doesn’t have a goalscorer inside the AFL’s top-40. Michael Walters is Fremantle’s leading goalkicker with 14 — and every team (bar Carlton) has a more productive forward bar Carlton. That says something about what the Dockers do have. Now shall we talk about off field?
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