Footy’s ferocious beauty on display on Saturday of sublime standard

In a season where the standard of football has been criticised, credit should be given where it is due, with Saturday a standout that delivered superb quality

Port Adelaide forward Charlie Dixon marks strongly over Richmond’s Noah Balta.

The messages were flying as fast as they were thick on Friday night, which marked the halfway point of the AFL’s fast-tracked festival of the boot.

The first arrived at quarter-time in the clash between two finals contenders in the Giants and Essendon. The scoreboard read just two points apiece and the agitator let rip.

“Bone dry on the Gold Coast and yet it is 2-2 at quarter-time. What’s the excuse this time? #aflcrisis,” the message read.

It had the distinction of being accurate on a couple of fronts. The scoreline and the location.

4 behinds scored by both sides combined in the opening term of the #AFLDonsGiants game
Lowest opening quarter for a V/@AFL game since 1965 R01 GEEL v FOOTS

— Swamp (@sirswampthing) August 7, 2020

It was the lowest quarter-time score in 55 years and the first time in eight years where the opening term was goalless. But the conditions on the Gold Coast were slippery and worsened.

While far from a brilliant game, it did blossom into a decent match with a controversial ending that prompted despicable messages of a different kind to Giant Callan Ward via social media.

To call those directing death threats towards Ward, who received a contentious free kick in the final stages, thick would be generous.

The behaviour is cowardly, criminal and lacking any sort of perspective. So, too, is the behaviour of the troll who directed disgraceful racial abuse at the child of Kangaroo Aaron Hall.

But back to the agitator. The message demonstrated the problem of watching a game at random and casting an aspersion across the competition.

In a season where the standard of football has been criticised, credit should also be given where it is due, as Saturday showed.

A game in crisis? There have been some shockers in 2020, but the current 20-day festival of footy has provided several examples of just how breathtaking the game can be.

After a concerning period where clubs were unable to reach 100 points in the month after the season resumption, the mark has been surpassed a handful of times in recent weeks.

Saturday’s winners Port Adelaide and Brisbane both pushed that mark, falling narrowly short only through inaccuracy.

Expect more as a season that almost never was races towards completion with more fast-tracked football predicted to be fixtured for later in August and through September.

The clash between reigning premiers Richmond and the top-placed Port Adelaide, claimed by the Power by 21 points in an affirming win, was the antithesis of a code in peril.

The football played was aggressive and compelling. The balance between attack and defence was well-weighted.

In a dispiriting year, to have a crowd as engaged as the Power throng was at Adelaide Oval is a reminder of what Victorian fans are missing, but also what they have to look forward to. Fingers cross that occurs in 2021.

Port Adelaide broke away twice, only to be reeled in by a Richmond side missing captain Trent Cotchin, before bounding away again, to the thrall of their supporters.

Charlie Dixon is providing a nearly weekly demonstration on how compelling a power forward can be to watch, marking nearly everything within reach and crunching packs when not.

Dustin Martin continues to amaze, with the Tiger’s kicking and creativity superb in the midfield and also in attack.

Travis Boak and Robbie Gray are marvels, while Peter Ladhams is an encouraging rucking prospect.

The contender took it to the champion and ultimately prevailed, but the latter was far from bowed on a challenging day, with Jack Riewoldt finding a semblance of his best form.

Later on Saturday night Brisbane bounded away from the Bulldogs to win by 24 points in another high-scoring encounter.

Eric Hipwood was the star in attack for Brisbane with five goals, while Jack Macrae gathered 40 touches for the Bulldogs.

It was a strong rebound by Brisbane after the disappointment against Richmond on Tuesday night.

The past week has also seen an entertaining thriller between the Saints and Suns, while West Coast’s triumphed over Geelong in Perth in a game of the highest order.

Those matches have occurred under the rules that are debated weekly and said to be problematic.

When good teams, or those with talent and potential, are pitted against each other, there scarcely seems to be a problem.

A game in crisis? Only if the fan is viewing it through the lens of a glass half-empty.

Decent hanger from Marlion Pickett, this pic.twitter.com/KF0irbIc2k

— Ethan (@ethanmeldrum_) August 8, 2020