AFL Football Round 5 Review - Part 2
Quite ironically Shannon Grant kicked a goal in the dying minutes of the game that helped get The Kangaroos over the line against the Magpies on Saturday Night. The last time they met it was Grant who cost them the game when he missed from 20m out on the siren. I honestly thought the Kangaroos were out of this game and it was a gallant effort to come back and get the points. The big Magpie forwards were well held by Michael Firrito and Drew Petrie and were not allowed to get into the game at all. Adam Simpson was excellent in the middle for the Kangas along with his sidekick Brent Harvey who is certainly in some good form. Daniel Wells regained some great touch and was also excellent running through the midfield. Leigh Harding is an interesting one, not really known as a defender Dean Laidley has been playing him back of late and on Saturday Night was great in defense for the Kangaroos.
The Magpies will be extremely disappointed with the result and the football public are now saying that the Collingwood Football Club is overrated. Alan Didak was outstanding and his smart play was great to watch, little deft taps and knocks on into the path of his teammates would probably go unnoticed to most. Paul Medhurst is enjoying his best run of form in his career I reckon and he was the pick of the Collingwood forwards finishing with 5 goals while Josh Fraser chipped in with 4. Leon Davis is causing some concern for opposition coaches in the midfield and he has certainly improved his fitness and is able to run through there, his skill and speed was a highlight for the Pies.
Buddy is a Freak
Lance Franklin’s stock continue to rise each week that he plays and this week was no exception. Franklin was again unstoppable for the Hawks kickng 8 goals 6 and had a shoot out at the other end, not with Jonathon Brown but with Daniel Bradshaw who finished with 7 as the Hawks held on to win by 12 points.
Superstar Jonathon Brown was reported for a late hit on Sam Mitchell but you would think he would get off that one. Jarred Brennan and Daniel Merret rotated on Buddy but he was simply to good and Leigh Matthew labeled him as a “FREAK”. The Lions wasted some golden opportunities at goal in the final term and probably cost them the game. Daniel Bradshaw was outstanding for the Lions and is really causing trouble down in the forward half as Jonathon Brows still is getting the main defender and Bradshaw is loving it. Simon Black was again at his best with his silky movement and skills. While Power, Rischitelli and Johnstone were also good through the middle. Brown had a dirty night and couldn’t get near the footy, he actually started the game in the center square.
For The Hawks Franklin was clearly the best, Sam Mitchell and Shane Crawford were all class in the middle and Cyril Rioli was electafying up forward as well. The Hawk forward line of Frankling, Roughead, Williams and Rioli is becoming the most potent in AFL Football at the moment and is going to take some stopping.
While Lance Franklin is showing that he is a freak, the same can be said about Carlton’s Brendan Fevola. The big Fev had another day out this time against the winless Demons who’s season is all but over. Fev finished with 7 and Chris Judd 3 as the Blues won their second game in a row defeating the Demons by 33 points. Fevola has now kicked 22 goals in the last 3 games to move along side Franklin as the most influential forward in AFL Football at the moment. He was kicking them from everywehere, off the ground and outside 50. Chris Judd showed some of his characteristic form dashing from the middle kicking goals and racking up the touches at will, the Demons just didn’t have the cattle to go with him. Other Blues to impress were Mark Murphy, Jarred Waite and Brent Thornton.
The future of Demon Captain David Neitz will be put under the spot light this week after he sustained a shoulder injury and did not play the second half of the game. With Neitz off Russell Robertson was the sole forward and the Demons then struggled to have anyone to kick to across half forward. Brad Green finally stood up for the Demons kicking 4 goals and was best for his team. In a situation that summed up how the Demons are traveling, Cameron Bruce normally good by foot was running into an open goal and kicked from about 30m out on a 45 degree and and shanked the kick at it ended up out on the full! Mind you he did do a good job in stopping Nick Stevens. With Neitz maybe out for a couple the Demons will need to try and get another forward to stand up and give them a target up there so Robertson can play up across half forward as a target. More problems ahead for the winless Demons who sit at 0-5 and not looking like winning a game any time soon.
Buddy Love!! Everyone loves Buddy!!
Its amazing what one player can do to a club? One club now is slow and struggling and the other is now playing like a team on the rise.
Collingwood are over rated, many tipped them as the 2nd best team last year. I see Malthouse has managed to deflect most attention of his poor teams form onto the umpire who cannot bounce the ball. Would hate to play poker against him…
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Buddy is nothing special! I am sick of everyone calling him a freak when he does nothing but stand in the forward line and let the ball hit his hands! what about the back flankers and the centre men who feed it to him? The Australian public should be ashamed of themselves, Yes buddy is good but Hawthorn’s Premiership Is NOT BECAUSE OF HIM! we forget the Bateman’s and the Crawford’s it’s very dissapointing.