Collingwood are Box-Office:
Has there been a better football side to watch over the past 25 years than the current Collingwood side? I don’t think so.
Their ability to turn defence into offence in the blink of an eye has every fan glued to the television if they’re not already at the ground. Nick Daicos has rocketed into Brownlow contention after two games, the Pies want the ball in his hands as much as possible and its easy to see why.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see them average 60 thousand attendees per game this year.
Does Jack Ginnivan return to this side with the impact Bobby Hill has had?
Fremantle are in trouble:
Two rounds in and two wins would have been expected for Fremantle at the start of the year. It seems once again that the Dockers achilles-heel is their forward line. Their ruck/forward duo of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy can’t take a contested mark inside their 50 and the only time they looked dangerous on the weekend was when 32 year-old Michael Walters was around the ball.
To be fair on their forwards though, Tony Lockett and Wayne Carey would struggle to mark the ball in this forward line with how slow they move from half back.
Coaches have worked out how to stop Fremantle’s game and things need to change things up NOW for the Dockers, otherwise the season will be wasted before it barely begun.
Hawks have cut their list WAY too thin:
It was the talking point over the off-season as to how Hawthorn would play having traded away many of their experienced pillars of the club. It’s clear to see they’re in for a few years of hurt, but it’s the way they’ve been beaten in the opening rounds that has disappointed many involved with the club. Without Mitch Lewis they don’t look capable of kicking a winning score.
The Round 3 matchup against North Melbourne is going to be more important than what many thought it would be when originally scheduled at the start of the year.
Who would have predicted Clarko’s Kangaroos having the chance to start the season 3-0?!
The Blues big men stand up when needed:
Carlton passed a huge early test if they’re going to make finals, defeating the reigning premiers Geelong in a great game on Thursday night. When the game was there to be won, Charlie Curnow stood up and showed the competition why he is one of the best players in the game, finishing with 5 goals and 9 score involvements from his 11 possessions.
When the game was there to be saved in the final 2 minutes, Harry McKay stood up to take several contested marks to ensure the Blues would not suffer another heartbreaking defeat.
Will Setterfield could be the recruit of the year:
In a trade period that had plenty of stars moving clubs, Will Setterfield was traded from a stacked Carlton midfield for a future fourth round pick, most likely to be in the 60’s.
In the short time he’s been at the Bombers, Setterfield has averaged 26.5 possessions and 7.5 tackles. Standing at 192cm and weighing 90kg, the Bombers have finally found an excellent big-bodied midfielder to help to Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel and Zach Merrett around the ground.
Forget last week, Brisbane are still a top 4 side:
After last weeks demolition by Port Adelaide, many questions were raised throughout the week about the Lions and if their Pre-Season hype was deserved.
This week however, Brisbane looked like a completely different side, dominating the clearances 60-32, an area in which they were extremely poor in during Round 1. Former Captain, Dayne Zorko’s move to the forward line was excellent as he racked up 22 disposals and 2 goals after missing the first week due to injury. Will Ashcroft looked composed as anyone else on the ground, finishing with 31 possessions with 15 of those being contested.
No Buddy, no problems for the Swans:
With Swans superstar Buddy Franklin missing due to suspension, it gave the Sydney faithful a chance to see how their forward line is likely to shape up next year and beyond.
Joel Amartey could have had 6 goals to his name by half time, dominating in the air early on, whilst Franklin’s heir-apparent Logan McDonald finished with a career high 5 goals. Yes, I know it was against the Hawks, but it was the way that both of these young men played that was impressed most.
McDonald had just as much impact up the ground as what he did inside 50, clearly working on his tank over the off-season, his work rate was second to none on the weekend.
Saints ascend, Bulldogs roll over:
It’s easy to see the immediate impact the Ross Lyon gameplan has on the young and exciting St Kilda side. Their ability to pressure sides into making silly mistakes and then catch them out on the quick rebound is a game-style that will hold up against the competitions best. Regardless of who is in the side, all players have bought in and unlike the Saints of previous years they have the ability to stop momentum.
The Bulldogs on the other hand, look to be in strife. They were comprehensively beaten in nearly every stat on the weekend and things need to change ASAP. Their next 4 games are Brisbane, Richmond, Port in Adelaide and Fremantle in Perth. If they continue this form, there is more than a chance that this talented side will be 0-6.
