Just over a month of footy is in the books and the pressure is already mounting for a few coaches on the chopping block.
It’s another big week for two of Melbourne’s biggest clubs, starting with Carlton stepping out on Good Friday to face North, and Essendon facing another stiff challenge on Easter Sunday against a well-rested Bulldogs outfit looking to maintain a Top 4 spot on the ladder.
The five-day feast of footy culminates with the traditional Easter Monday game between long-time foes Hawthorn and Geelong, a game that should tell us plenty about the finals credentials of both outfits.
The Lions head home to the Gabba with a bit of their mojo back after picking up their first win of the season last week in a hard-fought game against St Kilda. The four points came at a cost though with Darcy Gardiner suffering a shoulder injury, which comes at an inopportune time with Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe back in the fold for Collingwood in the defensive half. We’re yet to really see the back to back Premiers click into gear, although that had to be expected with several new faces like Sam Draper and Oscar Allen stepping into the side. That said, we saw the Lions showcase their usual killer instinct late in the final term against the Saints, which is more than can be said for a Collingwood side that has yet to crack 90 points through three games. On a big stage in front of a packed house, the Lions make it three in a row against their old rivals.
Big game with potentially enormous consequences. Another second half meltdown last week against Melbourne has Michael Voss almost out the door at Princes Park, and it’s fair to say anything less than a close loss might be the final nail in the coffin. North silenced a handful of its critics last week with a win over the Bombers, and while it was a tough game to watch at times, there are promising signs with the future with Zane Duursma and Cooper Trembath both coming to life in front of goal. After doing a number on Zach Merrett last week, it will be interesting to see whether Finn O’Sullivan is given the job on Patrick Cripps, although it’s fair to say the Blues’ skipper is a fair way off the mark in terms of playing his best footy. Losing key ruckman Tristan Xerri is an enormous blow for the Roos, but you’d imagine Alastair Clarkson would be rallying the troops behind closed doors with Carlton already falling in a heap. We’ve seen North stumble at this hurdle many times in the past, so now we get a good indication as to whether they are truly ready to take the next step in this long-winded rebuild.
The Crows head back to Adelaide Oval with everything to prove following a pair of close losses to the Dogs and Cats. Controversial umpiring decisions aside, this hasn’t been the start to the season many envisioned for Adelaide after securing the Minor Premiership last year, while the other side of the coin sees Fremantle looking to prove themselves away from home on the back of two comfortable wins home victories against Melbourne and Richmond. Getting the ball cleanly inside 50 has been a huge issue for the Crows through the first month of the season, which is more than you can say for a Fremantle outfit averaging close to 15 goals a game. Freo’s fourth quarter capitulation in Geelong three weeks ago will be front and centre for many heading into this stiff road test, but we saw last week that they really only need to play two solid quarters of footy to put up big points with so many attacking weapons up forward. Setting up shop in South Australia for the next two weeks ahead of Gather Round, Freo should relish the underdog role here with more question marks popping up around the Crows each week.
This could be another ugly Saturday afternoon game between two sides that appear destined for a bottom four finish. Port started fast last week against West Coast but failed to match the Eagles’ intensity in the second half, with many questioning whether it’s time to officially declare a state of rebuild as Zak Butters looks destined to head elsewhere. Likewise, the Tigers put up a fight in the opening term against Fremantle but were ultimately smashed in the inside 50 count, also managing only nine hit outs to Fremantle’s 57. The Power have made a meal of the Tigers winning five in a row dating back to 2023, but I’m confident if West Coast were set defensively during that first term, we’d really be struggling to draw positives away from that game. The Tigers have shown fight in spurts here and there and represent some good value as outsiders back at the ‘G.
Somewhat of an interesting game with the Eagles stringing together two in a row and the Swans coming off the bye. West Coast fans must be pleased with last week’s win over the Power, spearheaded by a huge second half from Harley Reid and Jake Waterman, to go with another classy afternoon from Elliot Yeo. The future suddenly looks bright for the long-suffering bottom dwellers, but rest assured this is a much sterner test against a Swans outfit looking to atone for blowing a three-goal lead against Hawthorn a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, the loss of Errol Gulden (much like last year) makes Sydney vulnerable, although there’s no shortage of depth to cover. Like Brisbane, the Swans have shown a killer blow to pile on points in a hurry, but the jury remains out on two wins against lowly Carlton and the wounded Lions. Two wins over North and Port hardly stack up either if you’re West Coast, but playing with confidence at home, it’s easy to entertain the Eagles with a five-goal head start.
If the season stopped now, the Dees would be in the Wild Card picture, which is more than most Melbourne fans could have hoped for two months ago. Another rousing second half led by Kozzie Pickett saw the Dees roll over the Blues last week, and it’s fair to say Steven King will be asking for more of the same against a well-rested Suns outfit that hasn’t missed a beat. Through three games, Gold Coast has put Geelong, West Coast and Richmond away with relative ease, although this is their first real test with Cristian Petracca ruled out for 4-6 weeks. Even so, the last two meetings between these two have been blowouts in favour of the Suns, and with the Demons averaging nearly 15 goals a game to opponents (sixth most in the league) it could be a big night for Ben King and company.
Have the Bombers reached rock bottom yet? There was some signs of life in last week’s 12-point loss to North, but as we’ve seen over the last week, even Brad Scott is out of answers. A well-rested Bulldogs side is up next and this one has all the makings of a lopsided blowout. Zach Merrett’s measly 10 touches last week have come under the microscope, and aside from individual efforts from Nate Caddy and Issac Kako, there’s very little to feel good about at the Hangar. Of all 18 teams, the Dogs have looked the most complete outfit through the first month of footy, averaging the second-most goals and ranking second in clearances per-game. We’re yet to really see Sam Darcy rack up a bag of goals, and as Tom Rockliff said on this week’s AFL Unopopular Opinions podcast, this might be the week where the Dons get 100 put on them.
Big watch here on the Hawks as they return from a lengthy break of almost three weeks. We last saw Sam Mitchell’s side ravage understrength Sydney with a big fourth quarter, led by the usual cast of Jai Newcombe, Mabior Chol and Dylan Moore. It was the first time all season we’ve seen the Hawks play with their usual attacking edge – a welcome sign as they head into what is always a spirited Easter Monday clash with rivals Geelong. The Cats, on the other hand, have left plenty to be desired despite winning back-to-back games over Freo and Adelaide. With an aging list, points have proven hard to come by (12th in the competition), but Geelong’s pressure remains as ferocious as ever with Chris Scott’s side sitting second in tackles. All in all, only a few goals ever separate these two teams and given both are yet to really click into gear, a bet each way is how I’m playing this one.