Breakout Giants star Lachie Ash told foxfooty.com.au last week<\/a> that last year\u2019s finals failure \u2014 where the Giants coughed up big leads against Sydney and eventual premier Brisbane \u2014 \u201creally hurt\u201d an that he hoped it\u2019d hold them in good stead if they return to the September stage. <\/p>\n\u201cI guess you\u2019ve got to get close and break your heart before you can succeed. Look at Brisbane, they were knocking on the door for four or five years then finally got over the line. Hopefully that\u2019s our story this year,\u201d Ash said.<\/p>\n
Montagna also suggested that finals heartbreak could\u2019ve helped shape and mature Kingsley\u2019s troops and make them better placed for a flag tilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really were hot at the end of last season and in those finals games. They just blew two fourth quarters against the Swan and Brisbane which has eaten them up and fueled them all pre-season and fueled them to get back there again this year. How much can they learn from those experiences?,\u201d the dual All-Australian added.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what we saw (against Sydney) in that third quarter, they might\u2019ve learned plenty. They might be a better product than this time 12 months ago. Who knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suns smash Lions in QLD derby | 02:06<\/p>\n
Dimma proud & heaps praise on Witts | 08:15<\/p>\n
Conversely, the Suns are embarking on their first ever finals campaign after 15 years of shortcomings, with Damien Hardwick\u2019s side finally making noise and a message to the rest of the competition. They\u2019ve arrived.<\/p>\n
The club might\u2019ve just made its biggest statement yet, dismantling \u2018big brother\u2019 Brisbane in the QClash by a record 66 points to stamp its finals credentials. <\/p>\n
It was a stunning response to last week\u2019s big loss to Adelaide, while things would have to go horribly wrong from here for Gold Coast to miss finals.<\/p>\n
They face Richmond (People First Stadium), Carlton (Marvel Stadium), GWS, Essendon (both People First Stadium) and Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) in their remaining home and away games. <\/p>\n
At last, Suns fans can be genuinely proud of of their club and have genuine optimism about what this side could achieve in the coming years under Hardwick, who sensationally said the club already had 80 per cent of its premiership list when he first took the helm at the end of 2023.<\/p>\n
Making finals was the first step forward in that journey to bigger things. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve sat back and watched and (Hardwick) started the whole conversation by saying 80 per cent of his premiership list was there. In 40 games time from that point, he has this team exactly where he hoped to,\u201d dual premiership Kangaroo David King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing achievement really, a club that has meandered for years has been corrected by one man. We should recognise what he\u2019s done.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they\u2019re just starting here. There\u2019s so much more for this group to achieve over the next couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you have to tick the first box \u2014 that\u2019s finals \u2014 and they did that today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt, who played under Hardwick during the Tigers golden era, highlighted how it was a big response from Gold Coast in the QClash after getting shown up when the two teams met earlier in the year. <\/p>\n
\u201c(Hardwick) would be going to town on the fact they got bashed by the Brisbane Lions in Round 8 in similar conditions. The Lions absolutely annihilated them all around the ball. It was an absolute flip of the coin today. They did exactly the same to the Lions,\u201d Riewoldt said. <\/p>\n
\u201cDamien Hardwick\u2019s mantra is: \u2018We don\u2019t lose to a team twice in a season\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018ARE FANS LOSING FAITH?\u2019 CONCERNS FOR ROOS DIRECTION<\/p>\n
When are North Melbourne fans going to start seeing genuine improvement from their side? <\/p>\n
The Roos have been stuck in what\u2019s felt like a never-ending rebuild, having finished bottom two on the ladder on each of the last five seasons. <\/p>\n
That looks likely yet again after a 101-point to Geelong in the biggest defeat of any side in 2025 and first by triple figures. <\/p>\n
We thought, or at least hoped, North had put such performances behind it and that the club was ready to make genuine inroads in year three under Alastair Clarkson. Trading away their 2025 first-round pick and adding veteran trio Luke Parker, Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel would also suggest as much. <\/p>\n
But the club finds itself in an all too familiar position as questions are sure to come on its direction and Clarkson after the three-time premiership coach was brought in to be the messiah.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think North Melbourne fans are losing faith in the direction?,\u201d chief Herald Sun reporter Jay Clark said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Alastair Clarkson\u2019s third year, they\u2019ve had six years of top picks. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt what point do we start to seriously question where this club is going?<\/p>\n
\u201cI know they drew with Brisbane mid-year. But surely fans thought these sorts of deplorable losses are behind them?<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been broken many times over. You wonder whether the team is going forward or backwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got to do a better job with the talent they have and the system they\u2019ve been working for three years. This is not a new thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roos direction: “Have you lost faith?” | 07:32<\/p>\n
The Roos had eight top 12 draft picks take the field against Geelong \u2014 nine including emergency Will Phillips \u2014 which was virtually a third of their team.<\/p>\n
Yes, they were missing important stars in Tristan Xerri and Nick Larkey against Geelong. But there\u2019s a nucleus at Arden Street that feels capable of more now, with talent on every line and a core of Harry Sheezel, Colby McKercher, George Wardlaw, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Cam Zurhaar, Paul Curtis, Charlie Comben, Xerri, Larkey and others. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s no longer a talent issue, even though it\u2019ll clearly still take reps with this group together to gel and ultimately improve. But how long can you keep wheeling out the \u2018the future is bright\u2019 line?<\/p>\n
\u201cI just get sick of the discussions that it will come next year or in another 20 games. The tomorrow will never come discussion,\u201d Kangaroos legend David King said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to see more now. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s unfair after two and a half years to start seeing a bit more defensively than what we\u2019re seeing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think if Alastair was honest with us, he\u2019d concede that. The Kangaroos fans are getting frustrated, because they\u2019ve been here for quite some time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe promises of, \u2018it will get better\u2019 are wearing a bit thin.\u201d<\/p>\n
While North has been stuck in a rut for several years, it\u2019s unfair to go beyond the Clarkson era when assessing the current situation. <\/p>\n
Still, the Roos are 10-44-1 under Clarkson, having finished 17th (three wins), 17th (three wins) and currently sitting 17th (four wins) respectively during his tenure. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s at least a small jump this year, but the club\u2019s defence remains a major issue, having conceded 100-plus points under Clarkson 40 times including on 10 occasions this year. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are lackadaisical errors … that is soul destroying as a player when that happens on the ground,\u201d Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt results in getting beaten by 100 points. I\u2019ve been there, this is where players look within. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is this happening again and again and again?\u201d<\/p>\n
BLUES \u2018DISILLUSION\u2019 AMID TRADE RUMBLINGS<\/p>\n
There is reportedly \u201cdisillusion\u201d within the Carlton playing group amid recent departure speculation involving spearhead forward Charlie Curnow and swingman Jack Silvagni, with restricted free agent Tom De Koning having been the well-documented subject of speculation for the majority of the year. <\/p>\n
At the start of the week, dual Coleman medallist Curnow was reported to have interest in a move to Gold Coast to escape the unforgiving and uncompromising Melbourne \u2018footy bubble\u2019. <\/p>\n
It was conjecture he moved to publicly shut down following the Blues\u2019 loss to Hawthorn on Thursday night. <\/p>\n
However, Nine journalist Sam McClure said the door was \u201ccertainly not shut\u201d on the possibility of Curnow departing Princes Park at season\u2019s end \u2014 despite being contracted through the 2029 season \u2014 and he says there\u2019s a scenario where things could become untidy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI see this situation getting a little bit messy, actually. It sounds like there\u2019s some disillusion in the playing group,\u201d McClure said on 3AW. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe door is certainly not shut on Charlie Curnow leaving \u2026 I think it\u2019s more likely he stays at Carlton, because I just don\u2019t think the Blues will do the deal. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut if the question is \u2018do you think Charlie Curnow is still trying to get out of Carlton?\u2019, my answer is yes. And Tom De Koning is going to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old hasn\u2019t had anywhere near the season he would\u2019ve come into the season hoping for, kicking 32 goals across 18 games; on track for his lowest tally since 2021, when he played just four games. His 1.8 goals per game this year is his lowest mark since 2019. <\/p>\n
Clearly, a key reason explaining Curnow\u2019s 2025 regression is the lacklustre form of Carlton as a whole \u2014 he definitely isn\u2019t benefitting from the Blues\u2019 forward entries, as Michael Voss\u2019 side is one of the worst-kicking units in the competition.<\/p>\n
Curnow: ‘I am not leaving this club!’ | 03:05<\/p>\n
And while a hypothetical fresh start on the Sunshine Coast is certainly food for thought, as McClure notes, a blockbuster trade shapes as near impossible to pull off, given the Blues\u2019 likely asking price. <\/p>\n
Gold Coast does currently wield three top-20 picks, though it is expected to stockpile capital in order to match early draft bids for club-tied prospects Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounds Silvagni\u2019s situation, with the forward-turned-defender thought to be firmly on Collingwood\u2019s radar as it seeks defensive depth for next year, with Jeremy Howe nearing retirement. <\/p>\n
The Blues have reportedly tabled a four-year deal to Silvagni to remain at the club his father played 312 games for, but the utility is holding off \u2014 and you can understand why he\u2019d consider a move to the flag-favourite arch-rivals \u2014 with McClure declaring the possibility is \u201cmoving closer to a reality\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it\u2019s a situation where, really, the wheels, sadly, are falling off again for this footy club at the end of a season a lot of fans would suggest it\u2019s been a wasted season,\u201d McClure continued. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got a coach who\u2019s under pressure, they\u2019ve got a head of footy who\u2019s under pressure. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got a list manager who\u2019s under pressure, and they\u2019ve got a chief executive who really has barely been able to get his feet under the desk in Graham Wright. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just wonder what is going to happen at this place in the next four to 12 weeks \u2014 because whatever it is, there needs to be significant change, not just in personnel, but in culture and attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes as incoming chief executive Graham Wright is expected to make sweeping personnel changes in the off-season \u2014 possibly involving dismissing senior coach Michael Voss and football boss Brad Lloyd \u2014 mostly revolving around revamping the list. <\/p>\n
Alex Cincotta, Billy Wilson, Brodie Kemp, Flynn Young, Francis Evans, Harry Charleson, Harry Lemmey, Jesse Motlop, Mitch McGovern, Nick Haynes, Orazio Fantasia, Rob Monahan and Will White are all uncontracted at Princes Park beyond this season \u2014 and given the stage of the season, their futures hang in the balance. <\/p>\n
But it remains to be seen whether the rudderless nature of Carlton\u2019s season will prompt a contracted name or two to seek exits in October.<\/p>\n
\u2018EPL\u2019 LIKE GAP BETWEEN \u2018HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS\u2019 NEVER BEEN WIDER<\/p>\n
The gap between the AFL\u2019s \u2018haves\u2019 and \u2018have nots\u2019 has never been wider than it is in 2025. <\/p>\n
That was laid bare across Round 20 with a series of one-sided results, with an average margin of over 57 points. <\/p>\n
That included wins by 101 points (Geelong over North Melbourne), 98 points (Adelaide over Port Adelaide), 93 points (Western Bulldogs over Essendon) and 66 points ( Gold Coast over Brisbane).<\/p>\n
Heck, for the Dons to have been belted by 93 points, yet having only suffered the third-biggest loss of the round, is some outcome. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why we\u2019re talking about the competition being like the EPL. The haves and the have-nots,\u201d Kangaroos legend David King declared on Fox Footy on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we\u2019re seeing it none more vividly than tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a key chunk of this season, there\u2019s largely been nine relevant teams. <\/p>\n
Sure, Sydney was mathematically a chance until its loss to GWS, and Port Adelaide and Carlton have been hanging around. <\/p>\n
But realistically, there\u2019s only been nine teams competing for a spot in the finals and thus the premiership cup for some time now. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s made for a series of one-sided results and fixtures where only a select few games genuinely matter. Hence the call for a a wildcard finals play-in to open up the competition, with greater stakes in more games to make fans more engaged across the season.<\/p>\n
As King alluded to, the status quo is reminiscent of the English Premier League model, where there\u2019s only a handful of teams fighting it out for the trophy every season. <\/p>\n
Of course, the AFL operates under a vastly different system to the EPL, which has private ownership and no salary cap, allowing rich billionaires to limitlessly spend to make their clubs better. <\/p>\n
Crows deliver 98-point drumming | 01:45<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t stop the debate around AFL equality and whether certain clubs perennially benefit on certain advantages, which has become a hot topic in 2025. <\/p>\n
So is the massive gap between the good teams and bad teams a one-off outcome for 2025? Or is a bigger issue being exposed?<\/p>\n
There will always be an element of bigger, richer clubs having an edge of sorts, but there\u2019s no real consistency to prove those teams are flat out favoured. <\/p>\n
Because yes, there\u2019s teams like North Melbourne and St Kilda who have been stuck in the doldrums for some time. But even the likes of Essendon and Carlton have struggled to recapture their powerhouse statuses on field for the best part of this century. <\/p>\n
Adelaide hadn\u2019t played finals since 2017, yet is suddenly in contention for the minor premiership, while we\u2019ve seen the best and worst of Brisbane over the last decade. <\/p>\n
The Suns and Giants were both given the same, maximum recourses to help with their inception. However, GWS has been the far greater success story to date.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile two of the biggest clubs in the league, Richmond and West Coast, are anchored in the bottom three after competing for flags only a few years ago.<\/p>\n
The only real consistency is that the best ran clubs with the gold standard of high performance, such as Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney and Collingwood, are the clubs regularly in flag contention or thereabouts. <\/p>\n
And if they do tumble down the ladder, it\u2019s generally not for long. <\/p>\n
Outside of that, the churn of the relevant teams is constantly mixing and matching, with four of the current top eight teams not playing finals last season, while it\u2019s been five years since a club has won consecutive flags. <\/p>\n
So yes, this idea of the \u2018haves\u2019 and \u2018have nots\u2019 largely just feels like a 2025 thing. <\/p>\n
Try and pick what the ladder will look like in 2026. The one sure thing is it\u2019ll probably look vastly different to right now. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s fears rival clubs could raid disgruntled Essendon stars after the club\u2019s injury crisis has \u201cput them 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