Pressure, Pressure, Pressure. Richmond's mosquito fleet of small forwards have been applying manic pressure on opposition defences all year. And now the Tigers are one win away from their first Grand Final in 35 years. The Weekend Preview has joined the bandwagon.
I see it, but I don’t believe it! Re-living the 2005 Semi Final between Sydney and Geelong through the words of the players and coaches. And what does history tell us about Week 2 of the Finals when the Qualifying Finals losers play the Elimination Finals winners?
The SCG has been a place of heartbreak for the Bombers. And although it feels like the Swans are unbeatable based on their current form, there is hope for the Bombers if they can achieve one thing.
The 8 teams playing Finals represent the 8 best defences in the AFL. And if defence wins premierships, then who will we see in the Grand Final in 4 weeks time? As a bonus edition, The Weekend Preview assesses the strengths and weaknesses of all 8 finalists.
Geelong's record at Kardinia Park is remarkable. But why are they so good at home? Is it because the umpires are being overly influenced by a boisterous home crowd? The Weekend Preview investigates.
In the age of Free Agency and million-dollar a season contracts there is still room for some romanticism in the modern game. The Father-Son rule provides a link between the suburban era of the VFL/AFL and the ultra-professional sport we see today. But which teams have gained the most from the rule since the introdcution of the draft system?
Tackling as a form indicator is a contradictory premise, as the objective in football should be to get hands on the ball first. The Weekend Preview this weeks investigates whether tackle counts are a reliable form indicator.
Has the Number 1 pick in the National Draft historically been a safe choice? And where in the Draft have the best players been selected? This week The Weekend Preview answers those questions and looks back at the 2007 National Draft.
How much has Collingwood’s kicking woes cost them in 2017? And how reliant have the Crows been on accurate goal kicking? This week The Weekend Preview investigates the impact of accurate/inaccurate goal kicking on the make-up of the AFL Ladder.
What happens when the worst defence in the AFL plays the worst attack in the AFL? This week The Weekend Preview attempts to predict a final score.
Is there a formula to win a premiership? Is investing in the draft the only path to success? Is the AFL doomed to an era of success by GWS? Sydney are proof that there is more than one way to build a successful team and they would enjoy nothing more than spoiling the Giants party.
Has the competition worked out the Bulldogs or are they just struggling with form and motivation? One tactic that has proven very effective is the hard tagging of Jason Johannisen. But how critical is Jason Johannisen to the success of the Bulldogs? This week the Weekend Preview tries to answer this question using a metric that is fast becoming one of the most popular match statistics - Metres Gained.
The Paul Roos Cup is this week’s match of the round, with the two form teams of the competition facing each other under Friday Night lights. Paul Roos is of course both the architect of the Sydney Swans drought breaking 2005 premiership side and dare we say it the 2017 Demons premiership team?
Richmond appear to invent new ways of losing in heartbreaking fashion each week. But have we all been a little too harsh on the Tigers? There is reason for the Tigers to be positive and for a start there is arguably one team worse than the Tigers in close games.
With the changing landscape of the ruck rules in 2017 due the no third-man up rule, the questionable importance of the specialist tap ruckman has been a hot topic again. But perhaps they are being under-valued, and their place in the game is safer than we realise.
The dawn of a new decade promised new horizons for the Australian game – but some things stayed the same. Melbourne and Collingwood continued to sit above the rest of the football world, as titanic, arrogant and seemingly indomitable as Gog and Magog in the Royal Arcade.
Inspired by the Bulldogs, the handball is back in vogue. However, it was Geelong and Adelaide 8 years ago who were the original trendsetters.
So who are the real flat track bullies? And why can’t West Coast win in Melbourne?
St Kilda is on track to make finals for the first time since 2011. And this weekend they come up against a resurgent Sydney at Etihad Stadium, with potentially a place in the top 4 beckoning. But the home ground advantage for the Saints may not be an advantage at all against the Swans this week.
The great Geelong and Essendon teams have always been synonymous with exciting attacking football. And if there is one game between the two teams that has symbolised this philosophy to attacking football, it would be the Ablett-Salmon shootout of 1993.
