AFL Game Day - R7, 2025

[GVGjr]

Lets keep all the non Bulldog discussions for round 7 games to this thread.
Once again there are some terrific match-ups.

Thursday
Melbourne vs Richmond (Playing for the curfew cup)

Friday - Anzac Day
Collingwood vs Essendon
Fremantle vs Adelaide

Saturday
St Kilda vs Brisbane
Port vs North Melbourne

Sunday
Gold Coast vs Sydney
Carlton vs Geelong
Hawthorn vs West Cost.

[Bornadog]

Carlton v Geelong the most interesting game for me.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Carlton v Geelong the most interesting game for me.

Carlton were three shades of awful and were lucky to run into WC and NM when they did. It has likely given them a bit of swagger back, if they wan't to make anything of this year they need to make a big showing here- not necessarily win, but match Geelong for most of the game.

I suspect they are going to get a huge reality check and they will be back in the furnace come Monday. They then head to AO to take on Adelaide.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I can't help but comment on Charlie Spargo and the great family's allegiance to Footscray FC.
Bob and Ricky Spargo lived a few doors down from us in ( brewers) Droop St, in the fire station with a second story of flats for the fireman, like commission flats and a brass pole to slide down.
I was fascinated from the age of four and was scared as hell of that pole, from the second story.
The Banker, my older brother Tim, a WOOFER and I loved the footy.
Ricky Spargo would come out of the flats and we'd kick the footy like friends.
Bob came out once and I remember he was older, not child like but really nice.
You can't forget such memories and links to Footscray FC.
I wish Charlie well.
Our family was also social with the Spurling family, young I saw them as old I now declare "urbane", a social and charming family next to the park entrance now the uni.
Whitten Oval is on Spurling reserve and Robert played for us.

[Eastdog]

Melbourne were really good that 3rd quarter getting on top through the middle and have put the Tigers to the sword now.

The Tigers very good in that first half but as we have seen in games they find it hard to maintain it full game which is natural for a young side.

[Eastdog]

Carlton v Geelong the most interesting game for me.

Big test for Carlton. They have been lucky to play North and West Coast. They would want a good showing and to match them to be any chance.

[jeemak]

Uuurrrggghhh, what a shit game. I got dragged along by a couple of mates and it was the pits. Happy to have left at three quarter time.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Melbourne were really good that 3rd quarter getting on top through the middle and have put the Tigers to the sword now.

The Tigers very good in that first half but as we have seen in games they find it hard to maintain it full game which is natural for a young side.

Credit where it is due, knocking off Freo was a pretty great effort. I don't pay much attention to that result tonight, the Tigers are a team that you just need to keep at arms length (let them get closer and they get a bit of swagger on).

I think the Dees fan away again and will be bottom 4-6, but I do worry they get their shit together enough with a good run just in time for us.

[jazzadogs]

This is not really specific to round 7, but doesn't need its own thread. You know you've said something dumb when it's made Jeff Kennett defend a Labor premier...

Jeff Kennett has sided with Jacinta Allan in the unfolding stoush with AFL coach Damien Hardwick over her strong criticism of playing Noah Balta before his sentencing over a serious assault.
In an extraordinary intervention in the row between the Premier and the premiership coach, the former Victorian Liberal leader and Hawthorn Football Club president launched a strong defence of Ms Allan.

Mr Kennett said he was “troubled” by Hardwick’s broadside at Ms Allan over her comments about Balta playing last weekend, branding the current Suns and former Richmond coach as “totally incorrect”.

“Jacinta Allan’s comments I think reflected the views of the vast majority of Victorians and were totally in order, and Damien Hardwick, I recognise his right to issue comment, but I think he is totally incorrect in what he said,” Mr Kennett told The Australian.

“Premier Allan was correct in making her comments and Damien Hardwick, he has a right to voice his opinion, but is therefore entitled to be held to account.

“If he thinks that sort of behaviour does not justify leaders in our community condemning it, then I think his value system is wrong, however great his friendship is with Balta.

“And that is coming from me, who very rarely, if ever, has sided with Jacinta.”

The Hardwick-Allan row – a rare eruption of tensions between a Victorian political leader and an AFL coach – was triggered by Richmond’s decision to play Balta, whom Hardwick coached to a premiership with the Tigers in 2020, against the Suns last weekend.

Balta had served a four-week, club-imposed ban after pleading guilty to assaulting a man in the NSW border town of Mulwala in December, but he was not sentenced in court until Tuesday.

A NSW magistrate fined Balta $3000, imposed an 18-month community corrections order, a three-month 10pm to 6am curfew and an interstate travel ban, meaning he will miss multiple AFL games.

When asked at a press conference last week about the decision to select Balta, Ms Allan demanded to know how the AFL and Richmond would explain to children that Balta was playing before his sentencing for what she called a “sickening attack” and added: “What sort of message does this send to kids about what’s right and what’s wrong? I think that’s really a question for the AFL and Richmond need to answer.”

After the Suns lost to Richmond by 11 points on Saturday, Hardwick blasted Ms Allan, saying: “We’ve got a premier that put her nose in somebody else’s business, she should just concentrate on getting the state running well.”

He doubled down on his criticism of the Premier at a press conference on Wednesday, questioning her ability to fix the youth crime wave plaguing Victoria.

“It’s more just I want (Ms Allan) to be tough on crime,” he said.

“Noah got his fair whack, he made a really poor decision. He understood that, and he knows that. What we need to do in society is be harsh on crime. I still stand by that, I always will. It’s accountability and its responsibility. I’m really hard on crime, and that’s exactly what I want our premiers, and our political parties, to do.

“Less talk, more action … Magistrates, premiers, less talking, less chest-beating, more getting to work and getting it done.”

Responding to Mr Kennett’s comments, Gold Coast Suns chief executive Mark Evans said: “Jeff’s entitled to his views and to make comment. We won’t be commenting further.”

Mr Kennett said Hardwick’s doubling down of his criticism of Ms Allan had motivated him to offer the Labor Premier public support. He said he was surprised the AFL had not backed her.

“I have been troubled since Damien Hardwick made his comments – give him his right, he can make his comments – but I have been troubled by them,” he said.

“And because he has now doubled down on them, I’m doubly troubled, because as much as I have very little in common with the current government, and in particular their law and order policies, the reality is, when Jacinta was asked the question, of course she was going to say what most Victorians would have thought.

“That was totally unacceptable behaviour by Noah, and also that whether you agree or not with her politics, she has been saying for a long time that she’s against crime and all these sorts of things.

“So what she said is consistent with what she has been verbalising, even though the actions of her government have not addressed the real problems. What was she going to say? No comment, or this is up to the AFL … Of course not.”

Mr Kennett said he believed most Victorians were appalled by Balta’s assault and the “AFL, coaches and players were not above common decency and should be held to account when they cross the line”.

“Any physical assault on anyone is unacceptable; we are trying to educate our children at school to behave better, so the footage of that (attack) was frightening, absolutely frightening, and unacceptable by any standards, and there has to be consequences,” he said.

“We’re all bound by the same rules of decency and behaviour, and if you break those rules, there are consequences.”

Mr Kennett described Balta, a Richmond defender, as the “luckiest man alive”, saying he should be grateful the victim was not more seriously injured and he was not serving a prison sentence.

“Had the victim had his neck broken, or worse, Noah wouldn’t be playing football for the rest of his life,” he said.

[jeemak]

I like how Hardwick who used to beat up on smaller opponents in his playing days within the safety of a football field is a tough on crime hard man as well.

Everyone wants everyone to be tough on crime. Nobody wants to pay for it though..........just be tough!

[Bornadog]

Honestly we are heading for last touch football which will ruin the fabric of the game. The insufficient intent rule is stuffed

[Eastdog]

Pies looked to be right on top but the Bombers in the last 15 minutes or so have got right back into it.

[jazzadogs]

I like how Hardwick who used to beat up on smaller opponents in his playing days within the safety of a football field is a tough on crime hard man as well.

Everyone wants everyone to be tough on crime. Nobody wants to pay for it though..........just be tough!

Be tough on crime...but not like that!!!

[Bornadog]

Pies looked to be right on top but the Bombers in the last 15 minutes or so have got right back into it.

Could be a close finish

[Eastdog]

Could be a close finish

Like last year which ended in a draw. 3rd quarter aka premiership quarter now will be big. Will it be close at 3qtr time or will either the Pies or Bombers get the game on their terms going into the final term.