‘Born to play finals’: The players who shone in the first week of September

This week on the Real Footy podcast, Michael Gleeson, Caroline Wilson and Jake Niall look back at the first week of finals, from the deafening crowds on Thursday and Friday night to the kids and unsung players who starred on the big stage.

The panel also looks ahead to the semi-finals. Are Melbourne’s issues fixable? Will Brodie Grundy come back to face the Blues? In a game featuring two bruising midfields, will the Blues be able to run out the game? How important will Harry McKay’s absence be and should Carlton replace him with a small forward this week?

Port Adelaide were well and truly beaten by the Lions in Brisbane; the hosts’ forward line in particular was brilliant. Have the first week’s results essentially left Collingwood and Brisbane as the favourites to make the grand final? And given GWS’ good pace and defence, and their ability to win at hostile venues, are they likely to beat Port at Adelaide Oval this weekend?

St Kilda may have lost their elimination final against GWS, but they still get an A for the season. But how will they handle things going forward? Which players are in their long-term future? And what trade should they walk away from if it becomes too costly?

Plus, debate over the Brayden Maynard smother and whether it merits a suspension, whether it’s time the league introduced a sin bin or a send-off rule, Adam Kingsley’s excellent debut season at GWS and whether Mark Thompson is the right person to present the Jock McHale Medal on grand final day.