AFL Opening Round Wrap - Hokball Continues & Giants squash Pies | AFL Today Show

Published Mar 9, 2025, 9:11 AM

AFL Opening Round Wrap - Hokball Continues & Giants squash Pies | AFL Today Show - Sunday March 9.

The AFL Today Show brought to you by TAB are here for all your Opening Round needs, with huge wrap ups of the first two games of the season as Hawthorn outclassed Sydney and GWS silenced the doubters to down Collingwood!

The panel full of banter chat about the weird TV scoreboards, Will Day's amazing performance, Giants depth, plus go through the SuperCoach wash and Best on Ground of the week!

Get around the AFL Today Show brought to you by TAB and panelists Alex Donnelly and Liam 'Stats Guy' McAllion as they talk out all things footy for the 2025 AFL season!

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:57 quick look
06:30 ladder check
07:40 premiership market
10:51 Sydney vs Hawthorn
26:03 GWS vs Collingwood 
36:04 Tipping Results
36:30 Full Credit 
37:29 Best On Ground Of The Week
39:27 Super Coach Wash
41:08 Outro

👨‍💻 AFL Today's Podcast Expert Panel:

Alex Donnelly
Liam 'Stats Guy' McAllion

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Tad where on you win some, you lose more. The Hollywood Hawks down the sliding Swans as our Fred is in full flow up in Queensland, while there is a big, big sound in the west of town as we hear Eddie Maguire complaining about Collingwood having to travel in the opening round, which good to IFLW today. I'm your host, Alex Donnelly for the opening round. Rap, it's really two games, so we'll get into it anyway. As said I am your host, I am joined by a man whose team did not lose this week. It's the stats guy, Lee Mcallian. Yeah, you like it. Technically, you're technically right. We didn't play so happy days.

I didn't have to watch Northulder. I'm very excited to watch North Melbourne next week. She's that intro you're Powart or something. You're writing stories now. I just want to beat Jered Whiteley on AFL three six years. Yes, all I'm trying to do this year is just be the better opening guy. We will also have better graphics than Fox Foody just sat pretty damn good.

He's great. Yeah, but as said, technically correct is the best kind of correct. As we also have learned. But we are brought to you by tad here on AFL W today and their AFL's missed by one. If your disposals like missus buy one, tab will still pay you out as a winner. Download the tab app today. What are you really gambling with?

All?

Right tonight? The games have just ended, well, her game today has just ended literally in the last fifteen minutes. So we'll wrap up both games from Sydney in opening round. Touch on some news super Coach Chat, have a look at some markets from TAB, best team of the Round, best player of the around, all that good stuff. We're just tweaking some little things this week. Obviously notable by his absence, who will usually be here every Sunday is Leo Malali. I just assume Lid's off shirts off.

Yeah, we haven't even heard from him since Friday after the Hawks have won. I think he's still is going to come into into the office one hundred percent in your face with his Hawks jersey, that's for sure.

That's all right. I copped an abusive not an abusive barrage, but just a barrage of text messages from our boss, the Overlord Adam over the weekend. Just about it. I did say to him Hawthorne would win. I was the only one on the show to have tipped Hawthorne. Yeah, but that was like I reckon, that was the reverse jinx. No, I'll get into it when we get in that game rap. But anyway, we need to take a quick looks. That's man, go for it.

All right, Yeah, quick look Pendal's obviously he's an all time great.

He wasn't great today though, but we'll touch on that.

He moves to fourth all time in AFL games, which is pretty cool. He's about I think he's four oh seven games, and then you've got obviously Boomer Harvey number one.

I love it.

I love I want a legend four point thirty two. Is there a chance that he can catch him?

He's not getting another what twenty five games this year?

He would have saying next season, Yeah, if he plays next season off today's evidence, No, today's evidence.

No, before today, because he was really he was still solid last year. I still thought this year would be his final.

Yeah, so I don't know if he's going to catch but still and that he's fourth. Actually, I'll touch on a few other things. Before he touched on it, I want an argument, and you will be fired up after this. This one is Charlie Curner is ruled out of round one, So Blues fans are going to be absolutely filthy with that because or is.

It it's smart because it's Richmond.

That is also I didn't even think about that because but Blues van's probably want to see Charlie Curoner kick twelve against Richmond. But I agree you're right, they don't even they shouldn't need Charlie Kerner. But it would be a very Blues thing.

As evidenced by a team who played well in the pre season against Richmond how they went today, I wouldn't be too concerned.

Yeah, fair and then the Blues as well, they'll be they'll be happy about this. At least Camparelli. He's going to debut. He looked good.

Lucas Cambrell.

There's two twins, but Lucas is the one's debut. I think the other one's injured, so that would have been cool if they both debuted.

But Nick Haynes is down to debut as well. Nick Haynes from g w Wes. He's now, oh yeah, I think about that. He's there now just three he's that's so weird to me. You're retired.

Yeah, he's going to debut. There's some other ones. We've got Peter Wright something.

Yeah, he's got a high A grade one ligament strain according to those that were watching him play yesterday, and I think Tom Morris reporter on as well. So that's not great for Essendon. Heading into round one.

He was pretty he was average average, but he's the best and fairest, top three, best and fairest player in the past.

He can kick forty fifty goals. Not great. He's got a great nickname. It's good nick seven.

Everything's worked with sure guy, Sure, I was going to get going with two men, Peter, I'll get back to all right.

Good. So what was the deal with a game that ended before six pm and a yellow footy going on today?

Light? I love that, you know, I watched the whole game and two you wrote down yellow footy that I couldn't even tell you.

It was a pink footy. I wouldn't even know. It's the first thing I noticed. It was sunny in Sydney today and they just throw up this yellow footy. It's like, ah, the Sean Ditch. It's awoke. Nonsense. I just reckon you turn on the TV and just go ah like it. There's always something little bit.

Yeah, do I find the random things would be annoyed about? Yes, like that's that's your gro to go to. Maybe we should have a segment. Actually I'm calling it now Alex's random thing that he saw this weekend and that that's.

A little second.

Okay, I did this week it was the footy. There we go, yellowfoot But I agree with you on this one for once. Why is there yellow footage?

I would understand if it was the game that started at three twenty pm in the middle of July. Of course, it's going to be dark by six o'clock. Yep, it's March. It's Daylight Savings in Sydney. It doesn't get dark till like seven thirty. That's very weird. Yeah, I love a yellow footy though a lot better than it. But it was so bright at the end of the game. They can need it anyway that I agree that is been weird. Yeah.

And then lastly this one is you're going to come up. People probably think that you've already come off the long run, but you're gonna come off the long run. And this check out our socials AFL today. Are you Ozzie Reels Today? On Facebook? Allect has done a video all about this the Fox footy scoreboard. So even the Channel seven score the scoreboards in general, no sport in the world is ever the social media is popping off about a scoreboard.

But they did about the Super Bowl, did they?

Yeah? I didn't see that. Yeah, NFL scoreboard, what the hell? So obviously, new season, new graphics. Every team's excited to run some stuff out. Firstly, Channel seven's is good, Yeah, solid. Just move it to the left of the screen. Don't put it in the middle.

Just move it to the left, correct, because what happens in the middle of the screen footy? Yeah, exactly, we just want to watch the watch it. You turn it on and you have to look past. Tell you what I missed.

That's guy the Channel ten in the top left ten core. You know who does the top left ten corner stats guy our belove at EPL, Yes they do. EPL has the cleanest looking scoreboard.

Yeah. I can't believe we're talking about yellow footies and scoreboards, but we are. But then it's also so Fox footage just basically takes up a third of a TV in the bottom half the graphics. Today, the Sunday ticket thing looked blurry. Yeah, I think their work experienced kid drew that one. So theory, the theory that I that has been passed on to me is that that Sunday ticket Friday Night or FNF as it was on Friday Night, is going to be sold to a sponsor. See might have a chemist away house or nab in there. That makes more sense, make more money. But then it's just like it's too big. And then the problem on Friday Night was I kept seeing silhouettes of Huddo, Jared Whiteley, Jason Dunstt, and Gary Line pop up every seventeen seconds. At films, you don't need to see their heads. You see if you pop it up, like when there's a throw in at some point in the quarter, just to remind everyone, or if they're just chuning in who the commentators are. But just once a quarter, it's fine, I get it. I felt like I saw it thirty times on Friday Night and it was just like, what are we doing? They just need Joel. I'll produce a Joe behind the camera to make a graphic. He's already overworked.

I'm not saying right now, in the in the late late late future, maybe because he is a beast of this. There's gonna be graphics that are coming up on our show.

That'd be easy if Jared Jared gets a voter, he gerald gets a voted and he's like no, yeah, no, He's like, no, I'm good man anyway. So importantly, stats guy, we need to do the ladder chair after two games. No, we really don't. But the most important thing out of this is of all the teams that have played, Collingwood is last. Yes, because of the percentage, right, yes, percentage of percentage importantly, essenon they're in the top eight. Well done, guys, you are eighth by not having played a game as alphabetical war.

Yeah.

And the best news possible stats would actually have.

A percentage, So they're fourth tea, so they're fourth to four, fourth, and I mean they're technically last sort of.

And then the best news ever North Melbourne thirteenth.

Yeah, the fact after the first round of football stats, goy, North Melbourne thirteenth, let's go, let's stop stop the count up? Would trajy and we don't turn up for the rest of the season.

State all right, let's take a look at the premiership market, of course, brought to you by TAB. So we were laughing during the week and talked about the shows and in the office about everyone's going to overreact after the Swans and Hawthorne game no matter what happensolutely Hawthorne announced your seven dollars premiership favor it's with TAB to win the Grand Final this year. Talk about an overreaction, Well.

They were second favorites I think around nine dollars, so it hasn't changed that much. But the fact that their favorites and people have obviously put more money on you.

I don't mind that as.

A premiership pick because they looked really good obviously, but the fact that their favorites very inexperienced and all that they might be right up their top four or things like that. But to win the premiership with this young team poor, that's that's a very tough ask.

Again, after one game and overreaction, the Sydney Swans are now fifteen dollars to win the AFEL Grand Final, like ten bucks last think about ten or twelve dollars.

Yes, so I think that it's about right if they have another grand find they're going to get Okay.

They fair Sorry after that, fine, that's what happens like stuff. But of the two teams that we saw play this weekend, would you rather take fifteen dollars about the Sydney Swans to win the Grand Final or eleven dollars Collingwood? Oh so Collingwood are still eleven dollars after just getting belted by sixty points and taking five goals.

I reckon that will change during the week I know you're trying to You're just trying to get some something out of Sydney.

Bree. Of those two teams, both of which lost, I put a gun to your head right now and say you need to have a bet. Well, I still think Collingwa could win the flag. It's one game. It's one game.

I know what you're saying. Yeah, in terms of if I'm going to put a lot of money, in terms of the in the terms of the overreactions.

But yeah, Sydney at fifteen dollars definitely an over reaction. Igre Yeah, of course, Prison's doing your favorite seven dollars with GWS next at eight dollars to Long ten Carlton somehow ten dollars. I just can't believe that I don't mind that I don't and then again the reaction. We go to the brown My Medal. Yes, Will Day is now into thirteen dollars to win the Brown My Medal, like dang me wrong. I thought it was very good and he's probably going to get three votes on Friday night.

Ye.

Nick Dakoss is now out to six dollars after playing one average game and he couldn't move, He couldn't be Honestly, he looked like me this morning. In fairness, I reckon I would have run a ten k quicker than him today. Yeah, I think I think everyone would have forty nine to fifty seven, just saying, oh, that's just saying that's very good. Wearing vapor flies too. Not a sponsor, Actually, can we get sponsored by Nike nikey please all your stuff. That's fine, it's great. But yeah, So Nick Dakos was four dollars this morning, now out to six dollars. Hopefully Jerald has the Nick daykos graphic. I asked him to do that, please, Gerald Patrick crips next to eleven Caleb's so wrong twelve Will Day thirteen and the heen Man beautiful looking he Man still I still be back.

In like the likes of Heeney Warner Sarong, who we mentioned at the start of the season, over will Day at the moment, you need more of a sample size for all Day because he's still a young guy.

He's never he still hasn't taken that leap to start. Obviously, Look what a good mats in one.

Game, but you need to do that for at least ten games in a season, like those type of games.

But that first half is one of the best. First half. It was ninety in disposals and three. It was like Keenie opening round last year.

Oh and then I had I think I saw a stat was Lockey Neil and Connor Rosie in the last couple of years they did that exact that line.

Oh really, Now he's done it as well, so he's in good company there. All right, let's get to the game wraps of the weekend. Of course, we're going to start Friday night at the SCG my beloved Sydney Swan's eleven ten seventy six down by the Hawthorne Hawks fourteen twelve and ninety six. This was good. Yeah, this was a good game of foot.

At least we had one good game of foota this week, and because obviously the second one will touch on, but the first half especially was like golfer goal. It was the lizard running through like he did that in the third course sorry third quarter, but like the fact, and then did you see the lizards in the crowd. Yeah, yeah, they there were these guys just as real neck lizards for people that want to search out of line. I love that the crowd was up and about. I had a few mates actually that were at the game. It was very very biastonwards as you want. They were fired up. And then it's the scg and start this season exactly so apparently apparently it was rocking and just awesome.

So good effort.

But yeah, the Hawks really really surprised me this one, like the fact that they dominated the last that last quarter they were awesome.

Yeah, so we'll go we'll sort of go through it. So Chad Warner kicks the first goal of the season. I think we need to talk about the first goal of the season, Chad Warner. Just in fantas. It felt like a who else but Chad Warner.

Actually, my best bet of the game with Tad was two plus for Chad Warner. Was three seventy five. I think got up so that I.

Winning money for the punters out there. Well done to the stats guy. But Hawthorne, I thought they moved the ball out of clearan. It's really easily. Will Day and Warple in that first half were just excellent and just the way that there was a couple of times it was just tapped down from me Warpole will Day, straight out of clear and straight into the forward line. Every time Hawthorne went forward, it felt like they were going to score. And then that sort of flipped a bit because then it was like every time the Swans went forward, they were going to score. But you're going at halftime, the Swans are twenty points down, yep. And then they get back into the game. They get to three points down three points and as Dean Cox said in his press conference post game, very disappointing to get into that position and then they let it slip. They had some opportunities, obviously it started running sideways towards the end of the third quarter, YEP, and they let it slip. But Hawthorne showed some composure. Sam Mitchell also moving the magnets around, showed the tactical versatility that the Hawks are going to have throughout the year.

Yeah, he's I don't like him that much because he thought he was like that Hawks team with Hodgy all those guys just on the field.

They just had a bit of white line fever, but it was obviously a gun player.

His tactics as a coach, and then I saw a little few little clips from their docker. The way he coaches, it's like it's like a family. He sort of gets into you and then brings you together. Then he's tactics. He's a really good coach and he's only been coaching a couple of years. So yeah, I really really like him as a coach, and I feel like Hawks fans are like, this is the man we need.

Like he's perfect for the Hawks. How good Lloyd Meek looking the rock? Lord Meek?

If he's he looks jazz, I think here, social media person bought him a piece in schol you know you can get it.

Be a lord. His technically lord My future mother and father in law. Oh there you go, Lords and ladies, they had the same thing.

I want to get that. So he's got a little bit of land. So he's technically Lord Meek. He was dominating Grundy.

He smashed him. Grundy similar last year. He just looks a bit off, you know. Grundy started the season like a house on fire and then faded. You want the opposite. I'm hoping it's a slow build into the season than he looks old.

Yeah, he did look a little bit old. Lloyd Meek, I feel like Meek still underrated. He dominated last year. People didn't really talk about him as much.

Top five in the camp, Gorne, Cherry, him big Oh no, he's better.

He's better than big O, Darcy, Cameron's really.

There's probably like it's probably like it's probably Gorne and Cherry the top two. Clearly it makes probably third. But then there's a group that's like Cameron Grundy at his best. But yeah, obviously Met's going to be in there as well. I've probably forgotten Bigger and there's probably someone I've if Sean Darcy's fit as well. We don't give enough love to the ruckman. I love the tool Boys. They just dopey and run around and they get good taps. In the clearing, he snuck forward and kicks a couple of goals. There was one time he's just left on his own in space and they just chipped it to him. It was just like as a swan finger, like what are we doing? I thought Will Day in the first half was just like just give him six votes, maybe five, because mek he deserved one. The umpires already locked in there Brown. Yeah. But then obviously Dean Cox made the move at halftime and Jason Jordan James Jordan not Jason gave him the clamps in the second half because you know, they had three touches in the third court because you text how good Will David probably touched it third.

Now I realized I was sending it earlier and I didn't send it through copy, but he Yeah, James Jordan was really good.

I think he needed to obviously go to him earlier.

And I think he needs to be used as a tagger because he wasn't very good at getting the ball in the second half last year as a tagger.

I think he had some games, but I think he could be really good as a tagger. Yeah, And he's just wanted to watch a supposed a few super coaches and everything, because he had like one hundred points basically at half time and he ended up with one forty eight what I mean, which is still great, but the second half tag, it's just got to he had two hundred. Yeah, well, Carla Amon was brilliant off half back, obviously stepping inside, zigging and zagging. Hey, look great that moved from him that when he moved from Port to harth and everyone's like, what are you doing? Within two years it's paid off.

Well, looks like he's just gotta find some consistency. But he is so when he's at his best is he's so quick he can hit a target. He sent them inside even in the last quarter in sort of like some of the clutch moments, every time they were going inside fifty or well, Calumn's got another suite. I was like, how the hell has he got twenty seven? Yeah, he doesn't get like more than twenty very often.

Yeah, when you looked at it, do you think Hawthorne have arguably the best back six in the game. When you think about it, Harass in battle looked phenomenal. You've got Cicily who's in there. Obviously Aimon's is able to transition out of there, and then there's a couple of blokes so you can sort of transition as well as small defenders that will back as well. Yeah.

The fact that you can transition Cicily, who's an Australian defender, and you don't really need him down there at all times means they are probably the best back line.

Because we're talking about this, we got you've also got Wetterlin imp down there as well. Yeah, good Screamshaw sort of floats around a little bit as well. So it's it's it's a bloody good defensive unit. Yeah. So it's good to see the Swan's learned from the Dean Cock. The John Long MYI era into the Dean Cox. Are of my gun. It's going to bomb it out of our defense fifty in hope for the best.

I was waiting for a bit of anger from it because there was you didn't play that bad, but the last last quarter it.

Was just bombed out. Hawks are just like here we go. We're just going to stand there in market. Every I wanted to give the Hawk deplaud it's because they were clearly the better and we need to be more even like last year at times we obviously weren't fully even with everything that we did, so obviously Lea is going to do that with Hawthorne's. Hawthorne are very good. But at the end of the day, so last year. Remember when at the start of the season Round zero last year, I said GW was absolutely unbeatable against Collingwood. Yes, and I was just so confident. And I had the same thing about the Hawks. You know, oh, are you trying to do the reverse GM. I thought Hawthorne would come into this game obviously had a long It's not by much. It's a couple of weeks, yep, but they had a longer run into this game. They are a team that's trying to charge up the ladder and prove all the knockers and everyone who's been talking rubbish about them in the off season, myself included going, oh, the Hollywood Hawks. But they simply wanted it more. They worked harder, they had more intempt, they had more in the tank as well.

I think the commentators they did, even people on the radio today I was driving back from the beach, they were like the fitness on this team. I think I know that every team works, they're all fit, but they just looked. They look fitter, they look faster, and I love that.

In Yes, well, they took twenty one in a set marks. The Swans hardly took any. They took more contested marks, more marks inside fifty. So that's you know, that's all the ticks for Hawthorne as well. Go to the Swan side of things. Chad Warner was brilliant.

If you didn't have water, that could have been like a worse lot worse I reckon. But yeah, he was really good because every time you got back into it. It was partly the lizard a bit in the third quarter, but it was Warner just getting your forward.

And he did have ten clearances, he had the most in the game. Yeah, Joela Marty and Tom mccarton.

I said that all last year your tall forwards. McCartin obviously was a defender. She took seven marks, kicked a goal.

Good for him, Marty, Joela Marty in some contest looks like he could be the best forward in the game and then seven seconds later looks like the weakest tool forward in the game. As a girl, he gets he's frustrating to watch as a neutral when when he first got into the scene, he was like a Marty party. Everyone's got the sides of a Marty party.

As a Marty party, that where's the party where I want just kick a couple of goals?

Cool? He kicked three three, but he's had a good night. Just just be better. But he's good. He's good, is very good. He's the guy that can kick fifty goals this year. I'm not going to be shocked. True, he's good, is very good. He's bad. Is the worst player on the field, which is unfortunately. He needs to minimize those games where he can be a ten or he could be a one. So he needs he needs to play a minimum of Ford to have a bad game. He needs to get his bad games from a one to a four. Yes, Like even that GW West game where he didn't have a touch in the semi final or qualifying fin last year, he still kicked the goal, still contributed, still did a bit. He still needs to get those You know he's taking three or four?

Male, Yes, because you guys need like just say you do bomb it out at times, guy mart.

It's usually Hayden MacLean but obviously still injured. Still far off from what I'm hearing. In a shock to know on Tyler Adams his hamstring. He's done, isn't he? I said this when he came across to this one's eighteen months ago, is like, why are we getting a guy who's near an off to thirty yep with hamstring issues yep. And he literally he gets injured every time he plays there, and he looks shattered. You feel bad for a great dude, Feel really bad for him about that My boy beef Sheldrick beef. There was a lot a hyperbrown beef. Damn it. Slow cooked beef is better than flash cooks that three times already, but it's not bad. We're going with the slow cooked beef here on this show. I thought Maddy Roberts was good handley when he came on as the sub. Yep, he is absolutely starting.

He was good.

But he just comes in for Adams, you think. And Peyton looked like he was going to get torn to Shred's early by good half forward. That should be in all Australian for Hawthorne, I'm completely based on his name right now. Dylan Moore, Dylanmore, Yes, Dylan Moore was going to kill him in the first ten minutes, but he worked in the game well. He was pretty good at the end. The Wizard became a Muggle. Look at all these little little things you're bringing out on this show today. Samuel J. Wicks, I don't know if that's his middle name. I'm just making that up. In his first ever game as small defender, taking over from Harry Cunningham, who is probably one of the more underrated lockdown small defenders in the league. No one ever talks about how good Harry Cunningham is, Like Charlie Cameron's had one good game on Harry Cunningham in three years, Like this guy is a leaite.

No I think who probably who decided Wicks to go back Propoxy, right, So that's a big I know you didn't win, and there was a few things he could have adjusted, but the fact that you've got that guy that can lock down a small forward that's.

Suing Charlie Cameron next week, there's.

Like I think they were talking about it as well. There's so many good small forwards in the cop right now.

You need a guy like that. So that's good. Well, yeah, because Cunningham has done that too. He's done. He did that to Brent Daniels last year, gave him a bath all three games. Toby Green a couple of times too when he did play on him, Charlie Cameron a few times. So to lose that kind of player, I was a bit worried. Wicks kept the Wizard to four touches, three free kicks against what are you doing? With no effective dispose of all? Wicks had eighteen and four score involvements. I thought on a night for Sydney where there wasn't a lot of highlights. Yeah, a big tick as a bloke who was on the outer looking in for many reasons. Yes, has putting name for it as someone who's Harry Connye is gonna have to fight to get back into that position. Yeah, true, but you could you hit both?

You don't reckon because Cone was really good, So yeah, that'd be weird. It might even be like a couple of weeks and see if Wicks can do it consistently. If still in Oh yeah, it's got the Liz frank that's right, what the Liz frank injury?

Injury?

Oh yeah, foot ankle. Did you see Jack in Evin with the book pre game.

Always Did you see that? I didn't know you read? There you go? Do you know that's a bit right? Do we not think this was him? Like he knew what he was doing walking onto the ground with a book before the first game.

There's a few NBA players that do that. They sit next to the court and they have a read.

I don't mind that. I mean, yeah, but it's not like you walk from your changing room over to the far side.

Was he just trying to, like for the media you're saying, yes, just trying to go, oh, look at me, I'm reading the book.

I don't know, but I don't care that much about that too much. I've got a big call about Hawthorne to end this. First of all, Hawthorne was fantastic. Deserve to win everything else he's got. They will not win the premiership with Marby Orchroll playing in their forward line. He looks like Tazan players like Jane talking yep, correct, what was with the doing? Jane? Jane would be good in the NFL. W Jane would be but honestly, what will what are you doing? Marby like he crashes contest, he hardly gets near it. If you take out Marby or and put Mitch Lewis in a game over that is a tongue is a fit Mitch fit Mitch Lewis, yes, Marby or Choll is not. This is like last year with McDonald, McLean and a Marty marbi Or troll. Is that? I agree? He has moments.

He's very similar to Marty's at times. You go, he's just set us up for three goals. He's kicked a couple of goals himself. But he's lazy and he's not going to be that forward pressure which the Hawks need as well. So I honestly don't mind that. That's a that's a good call.

Marbi Or had nine disposals, he did kick a goal, Yeah, but he wasn't impactful. I agree with that one, but wouldn't have noticed he didn't play.

Other than him, though you I can't say that. Almost everyone in their team had an impact. That's how good they're playing, except.

For the Wizard and Frosty, and he came on off. Frosty was Leo always says he's good, he's so bad. Frosty was thawing out. Yeah, what is the little that God produced? Gerald to laugh? That means it was a good one. How the fan base is feeling, Swan's fans are, for me, not completely unexpected. Okay, I think I still think we're gonna start zero on three Brisbane, haven't been able to train since Wednesday. So oh yeah the cyclone cyclone. Yeah, that looks so bad. Oh my god. So you tell me there's a chance we can beat Brisbane because they haven't been able to kick a footy for five bays.

That'll be fine. I think they'll be fine. But yeah, I was gonna say, I was gonna say something about since anyway.

Yeah, yeah, so yeah, I'm fine. I know some fans are a bit disgruntled. I'm cool.

Yeah. Actually that's what I'm gonna ask you. If you start all on three, can you still win the flag? Like?

Yes? Will they lose a bit of confidence?

No?

I think so. I was saying this in a group chat on Saturday morning when a few film my mates were and I was just like, I wouldn't be shocked after the buy because I think this one's team is very good. That's gonna slowly build in the season post by. I looked at their fixtures. This one can easily go eight, two, nine and one, ten and zero sounds like, oh you can't go ten and zeros like this ones literally went ten and zero after round four last year. Oh yeah true? Yeah, yeah, So you're still confident, all right? Yeah, it's only one game and you're not going to tip this ones to win the Grand Final. I think they are a top a definite top six, top four team. Yep, No, I agree with that.

And Hawks fans they're just like, yes, sick well Hawks fans. That's happy that the talk's been backed up because like I thought that game was like fifty to fifty. The fact that they like dominated the last quarter and like I know it was only twenty points, but it was like a pretty convincing win in the end.

Yep. They'll be up and about because they're like hotball wasn't just one. Yeah, it's still going. Hot Bowl is still rolling, so they'll be very very exciting. Let's get to Sunday at ENNG. But actually before we do that, we're going to take a short break. Stats man I jumped ahead on the run sheet. We're gonna take a short break to hear from our sponsors, and we back after this to wrap up the game and energy, which is GWS versus Collingwood. Because a nine game is going to be empy.

Missed by one on the AFL. With tab, you can stay in the game missed by one on any disposal's leg and tab will still pay you out as a winner tab where on.

Imagine what you could be buying instead. All right, let's get to today's game Sunday. If you're watching this on Monday, Ji Stadium, GWS fifteen fourteen defeated Collingwood six sixteen fifty two. Nice. Like beating Richmond in the preseason is in good form. No Stauts guy to take us through this. Oh my god, this game. I was so confident on the Pies. I think a lot of people were. You had so many injuries, you were everyone was. GWS had no Hogan, they had no stringer. Who else was missing?

Tom Green probably their best, their best midfielder, one of the best midfielders of all nearly died. Brigson nearly died. That everything was gone wrong for the Giants. The ninety percent of the crowd was Collingwood like, oh, it was just Mayhem over there. But the Giants just I think it was to do with their game plan. They started off really well. Sam Taylor got the opening goal of chuck this in there. He got the opening goal of the game, second goal of his career because he's got a fifty at the start of the game. And then he was just awesome. So second goal of his career. He was fired up, really good intercept marking. I think one stage he had five intercept marks in the first quarter and a half. They was saying he's on track for the record. I don't think he ended up getting the record, which is ten.

I think it's Tom stewartt But he was really good.

Bobby Hill looked really really good early, I thought Bobby Hill, I think he had four goals twice in the preseason, so I was like, oh, he's going to pop up for a few. He went missing in the second half, as did all of Collingwood. They literally kicked six goals.

Sixteen kick it through the big sticks, pies like, come on, they just couldn't They just couldn't hear a targeting him. They had at one point they had in the third quarter they had sixteen inside fifties for four behinds. Oh my god. Really and I've got Collingwood fans yelling off. We kicked maybe the most of those opportunities. We would have, you know, put more pressure on them, but the Giants have ended up blowing them away. Expected score is wild. Expected score is GWS eighty seven point seven. Yeah, Collingwood eighty five point two, so GWS still win, but at halftime it was like sixty.

To forty the other way AFO XG because's obviously different to some other sports.

Does that come into like inside fifties. No, No, that comes to where you're taking the set shot, from the degree of difficulty of it and all those things. Yeah.

So, but the Giants, I'm going to say this the whole time, and it was a crap game, like it was obviously almost fifty two points. You never want to see that in afold game, especially the second game of the season. But the Giants tactics, I really believe were really smart. They just all got back in the fence. The amazing tackling pressure that the Orange Tunami that they say they're all just cut tackling every single one of their players, the smallers, the bigs were just tackling, tackling, tackling.

They just looked really good. A bit of spice in this game, too, Yeah, there was. So they do what they literally do, not like each other.

They've had a lot of really close games. Decos usually fires up. We'll touch on him in a secon. He got Bedford, he got Bedford. Yeah, and then he got just every injury.

Toby, Yeah, TV, Uncle Toby whatever.

There was a lot of beef between the players, and then McCray and Kingsley were sort of going at each other having I would.

Like to see Craig McCrae step up to Kingsley and you go, what are you going to do? Mate?

Kingsley has the biggest arms of the business, and then Craig McCrae is probably about my side.

His name is fly for a reason because he's tiny, so so Kingsley would swat him. Yep. Oh, what is with the references in this? I'm all for Who would have thought my horse got beaten a lip in one hundred and fifty thousand dollars race today?

Not me?

Dad, jokes are color. Let's run. This's what happens when you get engaged. Down there we go. Hopefully your partners are watching it, Yeah, hopefully. Finn Callahan was great. He's probably keep the goal of the year in round zero, but in fair and it's just like the finals. Round zero doesn't count because it's not really part of the season. So you're saying goal that it doesn't count around you if it doesn't count the finals it doesn't count and rounds.

But yeah, I'm gonna I reckon we talk a little bit more on the pies because I'm just I'm really disappointed. I had the flag fag favorites. I think they're going to be really good. They just didn't have enough options up forward.

Memory looked really slow. I know that's his first game in a while.

No, they looked old. They literally looked old. Talking about old. Looked like he wasn't up with the pace of the game. There was just a few guys in the team side bottom wasn't amazing. He got a bit bit of the ball. The one thing I really liked was Josh Dacos half back.

He was he was really good.

He set him up a lot of the time. And then you got obviously Nick Dacos. He looked absolutely cooked. I literally brought every time person, I bring you my great side at the moment, Oh, we'll just get injured, Like is everyone's getting into the moment.

Plan a fascy artists and not having a full pre season like that's that's literally what that is. Because he wasn't running the whole way through preseason. You've still got that, and then you sort of also look at because we're talking We've talked about this with Collingwood. If they don't get it right this year, the fleet for them is incredibly bleak. Outside of Nick Dakos, you sort of go look that through their drafting from twenty twenty to this so in twenty twenty, So I'm going to quickly rate out to you their round one picks from twenty twenty onwards. Okay, so in twenty twenty they had Oli Henry no longer there, Finn mccrane, Reef mckinness. Okay, not great, No, not great at all. Obviously, Nick Dakosh he's all right, Yeah, he's worked out well.

Josh Carmichael, who ed Allen, Oh he'll be he can still be all right. But yes, Harry Demi demiata, Oh Demitia demite.

Sorry I can't spell. Yeah, he's not really. And then you look obviously they bought Hi John Noble in the mid season draft. They've brought in the Quinor in a mid season draft.

Yeah, so they're all chips in for this year obviously, because some of their recruiting hasn't been great, I'll give you that.

Well, no, they've just got they've just tanked all their draft picks. I know they've got a mcgwan, who's who's expected like a top five pick this year. Yep, they're a bit cooked after year. Mate, they've got no one young that's decent. And that was my thing preseason. I'm like, if these old dudes fall off a cliff, because you talked about this in the preseason where the older age list demographics have proven to be quite good. Yes, how many guys in that in the Geelong team two years ago, in the Brisbane team last year were actually over thirty in them? Yeah, we can, we can look into that, but it's like actually over Like if you're like twenty nine to thirty a bit different if you're thirty two to thirty three. That cliff comes really quickly, like it's the old leave the game before the game leaves you. And for a few of these Magpies players this year, it could happen. And people who aren't colling with believers, one of them being myself, Yes, I took that view going yeah, or your profile, yeah, doesn't look great. And then someone's like, oh, well, you know, maybe it's too hot in Sydney. It's been the hottest summer on record in Melbourne.

They're all like fit athletes. You can't say that they're all cramping. I know that's that happens in the first game of the season usually. The only thing I'll say is I think I'm not going to overreact because I still think King would be good for the first game of the season. Literally, wasn't the Richmond beat Sydney last year? And then they made the Grand fallow like things like that are going to happen.

After the Swan's lost Richmond, they went ten and z.

Exactly, So as if Coling fans are watching this, I still think they will be really good. They just needed to commit, kick their goals, not miss their easy chances. And they could have been in this game because GWS just ran away with it. The Pies just look cooked at the end. That's the only reason got to fifty two. It probably would have been about thirty or so. And then yeah, anyway, Hiant, but Giants did look really good. They looked so fast on the counter attack. Darcy Jones with his helmet, we need more helmets.

The chooze his head would have been warm. I know it's twenty six degrees. That's not easy. Yeah, But also like we talked about the GW West defense working so well. Aaron Cadman, if he kicked straight, this could have been different. So I couldn't kill or take a mark whatsoever. Finn Callahan was fantastic, had him in my multi cap, then he cost me. It's yeah, there's out of this. Like Toby Green was at his mercurial best. He was everywhere. Harry Himmelberg I thought, had a good game, and Wirfield good game. Not amazing, but it's like, yeah, you know, Josh Kelly did pop up with thirty six touches too.

We're talking about defense. I think what you're saying Hawks are the best defense. Giants looked really good as well, Like which is.

Really funny because like two weeks ago against Culton in their practice, this is their best defense. I was looking.

They were talking about on the radio as well that they just they're not the best preseason team Giants, so maybe they maybe they just wire up.

I know it's that, but it's like, you look so poor as when Hawthorne had played Western Bulldogs, you could tell that they were sort of messing around a few different things. Do you know against the Swans and can't they were trying. They just got blitzed. True, So I'm not you know, some teams maybe it's it's a bit of a different thing, also some load management things. But for Collingwood, who were that'll be fine. I reckon it's one game, yeah, no worry, Yeah, but you know you don't want to get dusted by sixty points in the first game.

That it just looked bad because even percentage wise, right, this is going to be a really close season. They dropped their heads in the last quarter and just got smashed.

So not good. So Coleen would play Port Adelaide on Saturday night at the g. Oh my god, can I just firstly complain just I want to get this out of the right nose. I've just noticed that I haven't really looked at round one scheduling.

Sure, Saturday night at the MCG seven thirty five, Colin will take on Port Adelaide.

Sure to be seventy eighty thousand, yep. Five minutes across town the Western Bulldogs play your beloved North Melbourne at seven thirty.

I feel like we should touch on that in the midweek show. But yes, there's the fact that there's two games in Melbourne at the same time. Is very dumb because a neutral fan could have gone to either of those games and get like especially North versus Bulldogs who don't have a big fan bases.

That's very dumb. But it's like, I know, you probably can't play Adelaide and since Kilda at the same time as Port Adelaidea playing, you can't. So and then you look, the game in the afternoon is Melbourne versus g WS. The Swan's wanted to play Brisbane at four fifteen, I mean could have played yeah, because that's the other game in Geelong are playing Frio at one twenty. Again, this could buy into my theory about it's ten am in Perth, so free I could still be half asleep for the first quarter. No, that could be well.

I hope that AFL players are up. They're up early, they're running around like you probably.

Anyway, let's get back to the GWS colling the game. What are we talking about? How the fan base is feeling out of GWS and GWS fan base is like where else? What choke job? Look at us there.

I'm going to talk about that again them again later. But the fact that they won No. One gave him a chance, so awesome effort collingwand fan base is from what I'm seeing online, Alight, it's okay, Dekos wasn't.

Fit de GOI. Houston's a massive Dan Houston.

But it's like, yeah, fifty points though it shouldn't have been fifty two points.

But I think not paying Collingwood fans are either burning it all down or they're like eternally optimistic. There's no really in between with Collingwood fans. I think that's all. And it's like, goddamn, why can't we kickstraight? It's also not even a round one. It's happening around. It doesn't count. Swans didn't lose then, oh yeah, actually yeah wait no it does count. All right, let's get to the tipping results from the weekend. No, I'm good. I only want to tip a winner. Hawthorne. This guy, Oh that's not good, is it?

Stats guys zero from two, Leo zero from two, Marcus zero for two. If we had nine games, I would have got at least seven. I reckon because I just would have got those two wrong. And I've got the other seat all this season off. Right now, I'm your tipping champion for two thousand on one.

All the rest of us went on to no good but that's okay. Yeah, good job me good. I'm so proud of me right now. Anyway, let's get to it, full credit. Best team of the round. Well, it's one of the two winners. You're going, I'll go the Giants. I'll start with them. I thought literally just was up what I touched on. Then the fact that they won backs against the wall, got a little stat foy. I don't have often too many stats, but we've got one for you. One for once.

They were missing one hundred and forty six goals from their side that they had last year. So Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer and Jake Riccardi all really solid forwards. They kicked one hundred and two points against the pie stool without three of their solid forwards. I wouldn't say Riccardis is a been in out, but one hundred and forty six goals to last year and they still got one hundred and two points because all their younger guys were stepping up and things like that.

So good effort. Yeah, Well, mine's obviously Hawthorne because they're the other team that won. I think we've talked them up enough. They're obviously Premiership favorites right now. I do like that stat from you, though, so I think I'm putting on the spot right now every Sunday. Yeah, you have stats, guys, Sunday Stats. I'm happy with that because then it's also like, because we do call you the stats guy, and if people are watching this for the first time, he doesn't bring stats. So if we have your segment once a week sounds good. Got to keep the people happy. Yep, that's all. That's all we want to do. All right, let's get to it. Best on ground of the weekend. It's clearly Sam Weeks right now, it's the other defender named Sam. It's Sam Taylor. Sam Taylor. Oh boy, he's good. I love Sam Taylor. He's honest. He looks like Superman as well. Top five favorite player in the non Swan's Division No Division top five. He's probably up there for me too. I don't mind. I feel the Giants players and like I was saying before, their defense is hold by him. And he's Josh Tracy being another one. Okay, yeah, big Josh Tracy guy. This big Josh Tracy guy.

Mind that.

And then yeah, Connor, Connor, I'd have to think about Connor is in there as well. That could be a segment. We just thinking about segments again, that's what we do. It's the pre production meeting as we go and who's your stats man?

Ah? Yeah, my best one around the week. I think it's pretty obvious. The best first half in a long time. Well day, twenty six disposals, three goals, nine clearances, six tackles.

What more do you want from me?

It was unbelievable. I thought that he was going to take a step. I didn't know he could take that big of a step. I didn't know he had like a three goal game in him from the midfield. I knew he had the clearances, I knew he had the pressure with the tackles, and I knew he could get around that. Twenty six disposed twenty five disposals plus. But for with tapping things like that, I'll be looking at a few bets in in the next couple of weeks. Okay, unless he gets tagged him, but maybe he'll be able to shake the disposals. Yeah, but he was absolutely awesome. He was best on ground, especially in that first half. He got tagged in the second half. But here is the reason that the Hawks were staying in it and then the reason they got that twenty point lead.

So let's go back to your big calls from the from the week end. On Thursday, Leo's got it miserably wrong. The Dekos brothers combin him for sixty five disposal two hundred fifty Super Coach points in fantas Leo goes chips in on these big course. So Ira, you said Cecily kicks for in a nail, but he went forward for one quarter, took four marks. I'll give you a half point. I'll take it. You've been very cind Marcus on behalf of Adam said Nick Dacos would get injured and come off. I don't know how Adam's now on behalf of Marcus, but credit to Adam, he's had a good weekend. He also tipped the winner as well, like on holdle tickets during the week So yeah, very good. Yeah, let's get to the super Coach wash from the weekend. Darcy Cameron, if you sort of struggling for some cash, I know Cherry's going to be the number one pick for most people. Darcy Cameron got a bunch of points there, like a lort of has one sixty four, one sixty four. Obviously who else we got up there? Callahan won forty four. Oh, that's very tender. So Finn Callahan's probably one that you need to look at. Maddy Roberts looks like a great option. Yeah, one twenty four.

I think Maddy Roberts got Obviously, you've got to bring in guys that have had a lower break even this week because you can bang in the points because the prices go up from these games, even though don't go to war score.

Yeah, so a couple of the rookies today. Leak got sixty four points and Connor Stone got sixty four points as well. Sheldrick got thirty two. He might be out of my team.

I think he because he'll probably be around that break even then was thirty and you'd rather bring someone else, saying prices.

And Ben Payton got sixty seven for this one. Oh that's good, so I can bring him in here. Oh I had him in already. And Perryman ninety three. If he sticks around that ninety average, I'll be happy for this season.

The biggest one is, though Dekos like, even if he plays next week or I'm not trusting him because.

If he doesn't play next week, that means he's going to get a building block of fitness into him. Yep. I know his break evans are going to be high, but you're not going to lose on him.

No, But I'm I have him in my team astin right now taking him ot. Yeah, I wouldn't have him in taking him out now because he looks so cooked.

All right, That is us done for today on IFL Today. If you enjoy today's episode, please make sure you subscribe to AFL Today on YouTube. Follow us on x, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for more footy content all season long. But make sure on YouTube you hit that subscribe button. So anytime we do anything basically there's a lot of videos that we do, it will come up on your feed. You'll get notified all that. Make sure you do all that as well. Please subscribe and start to all of our shows on every podcast app you can find. Of course, Cricket Today with the Boys is the Champions Trophy over yet the final is actually tonight between India and New Zealand. So the chamber for our brothers over there. Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan with the final being in Jubai makes sense of that.

Oh, it's the weirdest tournament ever and Australia and in the finals, so we don't have to care as much.

AFLW Today will be back later in the year. Of course, hold all tickets where a bunch of winners. We're tipped from the weekend by the boys and of course true Bloods for all of your Sydney Swan stuff. There is a bunch going on here, so make sure you get around us on all the socials because we have a lot coming your way. Spence Social Girl Spence is on her way to the F one this week as well. Yes, check out Sports Today, just Sports Today AU. I think on all the platforms ye want Sports Today show, if you want your F one content, check out that. We'll just chuck all the links.

We're actually doing an F one preview. I think that will go up on YouTube. I'll have to gratify, but there'll be lots of f on socials this week.

If you click on the description of the show on YouTube, I'm pretty sure stats guy does throw in the link for all of that stuff. Yeah, I think it goes in the Gerald Tonner. Thank you for Johnny Tonight. So that's going. Oh, thank you of course producer Gerald behind the camera doing a great job as always, and of course thank you to our sponsors. We are brought to you by tabs Missed by one AFL. If your disposals like missus by one, TAB will still pay you out a winner. Download the tab app today. What are you really gambling with? Of course coming up this week the midweek Madness leading into the opening round okay, round one of the AFFL. That's that's why I did it. A lot going on this week. Of course Thursday Night Footy is back as well, all nine games on ground. Everything ready to go. Of course, Marcus Leo and the stats guy will be back on Thursday night for the team show. That was a good watch, actually so good stuff on Thursday night. Boy. Thanks, We will see you on Wednesday for the midweek Madness. Catch you THENFL today because a Nights game is going to be eppy.

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