titan_uranus

Depends on which season is the precedent. I believe 2015 is the only time this has happened - West Coast finished 2nd, Hawthorn finished 3rd. They played each other in the first final (WC won) and then again in the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, Hawthorn wore its home jumper but white shorts. West Coast wore its then-away jumper (royal blue). It's unknown territory I think. This tweet shows you that the AFL makes it up as they go along:

Great summary. King was trying to argue that Geelong walk away from that game pleased because our score from turnover was around their season average. It was a really flimsy argument which made little sense in the context of the game. I much preferred Montagna pulling up the footage suggesting we'd rolled our spare defender up into stoppages in the first half but reverted back in the second half. Hard to know if that was true given we only saw footage of two stoppages but if so, a really interesting insight into what we were thinking.

40 seconds left on the clock when Tomlinson took his shot last year. Also you've missed Round 4 this year in your summary. We were pretty good that day.

1443 points against is also, by a very long way, the fewest points we've conceded in a 22-game season. The previous best was 2018, which was 1749. Also, not including last year's shortened games, this is the first time we've gone through an entire H&A season without conceding 100 points since 1962.

With the win last night we have set a record for most wins by the MFC in a season with 17.

It's not, it's the two Elimination Finals. We're in Adelaide.

We'd be required to wear the clash strip if we become the "away" side vs Port, Brisbane, GWS or Essendon. But that can only happen vs Port in the prelim, if we lose to Brisbane and they beat Geelong. We'll obviously be the "home" side in the QF, and the SF if we lose, and the PF if we win the QF. If we make the GF, even if we lose the first final, I believe the rule is that we get to wear our home jumper because we were the higher ranked side.

It's not a terrible match-up. Smith did a number on Papley last year too. I'm not convinced he's a better option than Hibberd but equally it's not like Hibberd's been setting the world on fire. My principal concern with Smith is he still makes mistakes he shouldn't be making, largely through loose positioning, and which we've worked so hard to eradicate from our back-half. I just can't stomach the thought of him spoiling Lever or May in a final.

Don't agree with this for a few reasons. Firstly, I don't think we're good enough to win finals with just the Brown-Jackson combo. We tried the TMac-Jackson combo post-bye and it didn't work for us. We used it again vs West Coast (wet) and Adelaide (bottom.4 side). IMO we need two tall marking options alongside Jackson and Fritsch, not including them. Secondly, I don't think your analysis of TMac's form is reasonable. We've seen plenty of players this year struggle in their first game back from injury. Prior to his injury he hit the scoreboard in each of his four most recent games but whilst he didn't kick bags of goals, the games we played included Hawthorn (entire side was off) and the Dogs (it was wet). His best games have been big games against good opponents: 3 goals vs Port, 3 goals vs Brisbane, 3 goals vs the Dogs (the first time), 4 goals vs Sydney, 3 goals on ANZAC Eve. I don't think there's much merit to the argument he should, or even might, be dropped. Not after one game.

Smith had 6 disposals, 4 of which came from marks, along with 0 rebound 50s and 6 metres gained. If he was in the side to play any sort of rebounding/offensive role, he failed to do it. If, though, he was in the side to be a defender, that's fine, but my concern is balance-wise we don't need four mid/tall defenders playing a defensive role. We already have May, Lever and Petty. I don't think we also need Smith to be that sort of player. Leaves too much to too few. Either he is freed up to be more aggressive (in the Hunt/Hibberd mould), or we play Hibberd in his place.

An incredible round of football. Would have been the GOAT if Fremantle had won today and forced Essendon into a win-and-in situation, but not to be. Although for the Dogs it was 3rd they were hoping for, not 1st. Had we lost and they won, Geelong would have finished 1st, we would have finished 2nd, and they would have finished 3rd.

[Censored] Fremantle. Ruining all the fun for the rest of us. Now watch Essendon lose to Collingwood. A 10-12 finalist. I mean, 11-11 is bad enough. Meanwhile Richmond finished 12th!

It looks like Port v Geelong Friday in Adelaide, Sydney v GWS Saturday in Hobart, us v Brisbane Saturday night in Adelaide, and Dogs v Essendon Sunday, likely in Adelaide.

I actually reckon Geelong will beat Port next week. The Dogs are cooked and that's Port's most meaningful win for two months. I'm just not convinced that Port will bring it against top 4 quality in the heat of a final. There are only two ways we can face Sydney in the finals: We win our prelim and they win their EF vs GWS and then their SF vs Port/Geelong We lose our prelim, and meet them in the Grand Final I'm relatively relieved that we can't cop them in the SF if we lose to Brisbane. Having said that, we'll most likely cop Essendon if we lose to Brisbane. As I said, I think the Dogs are cooked and I reckon Essendon will beat them. I can't stand the fact that Essendon are even in the finals, let alone that by finishing 8th with a record no better than 11-11, they get the luck of playing the most out-of-form top 8 side.

It's so incredibly petty, but I love watching the Geelong players' reaction to Gawn's mark. Stanley tries to blame everyone else when he blatantly couldn't be arsed covering Gawn (or anyone else). Hawkins pulls his "oh crap" face. O'Connor asks his teammates the question. Rohan gets angry. Someone (might have been Rohan) yells "f*cking man up!" at his own teammates. So petty but so, so enjoyable.

Trac and May had poor first halves but I thought both of them lifted in the second half, May in particular, who had looked at sea a number of times under high balls. I agree re: Smith. He's much loved on here but I can't stand players going up when they shouldn't and whilst most of our list has fixed this part of their game over the last 3 years, Smith's first act last night was to spoil Petty and give Geelong a goal.

Randomly just getting all the feels for Steven May. He currently is third on the list of most games by current players who are yet to play in a final, with 168. Next week he gets to come off that list.

Rubbish. @Graeme Yeats' Mullet has helped but a number of his summaries are just unbelievably negative after arguably this club's greatest ever win.

Had 10 pressure acts tonight, same as Hawkins, more than TMac (8) and Cameron (5) so stacked up reasonably well in the tall forward stakes.

We had the top 3 players for pressure acts and 5 of the top 7: Viney 35 Oliver 34 Harmes 28 Dangerfield 24 Parfitt 24 Petracca 24 ANB 24

The reversal free on Dahlhaus.

I'm surprised there haven't been more "keep a lid on it, finals haven't started yet" posts by now.

I think it's near-certain we'll be playing on Saturday night next week. Presumably at the Adelaide Oval but not sure of venue yet. Saturday night makes sense - we get the extra day off (Geelong get the 6-day break into the Port game), and they can play 5 v 8 on the Sunday which means that winner, and the winner of Sydney v GWS on Saturday afternoon, gets a six-day break into the semis. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-finals-fixture-2021-afl-finals-2021-who-plays-who-schedule-bracket-dates-venues-times-tv-how-it-works/news-story/fdf43203d959093c4a6d440cce2785c1

Lol Chris Scott saying they were in control. They played 20 (albeit near-perfect) minutes of football and we controlled the rest of the game. But he's minimising the disappointment which I suppose is understandable.

It's too early to call because of the raw emotion. Fingers crossed no surprise injuries. Assuming we're all fit, I'd look at bringing Hibberd back for Smith (cost us early goals and provided no real oomph whereas Hibberd I think would). TMac stays. Doesn't get dropped after one game back. Structure is important and we need forward half options against Brisbane's tall defence.