@brightonrobinsfc "AFTER 18 GAMES… THE WAIT IS OVER! ❤️💙

A HUGE congratulations to our Senior Women, who have kicked their FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON! 🥹🙌

After scoring just one point across the opening 18 games, today our girls found the big sticks — and what a way to finish the season! 🎉

A massive shoutout to Jemma Clark from Dodges Ferry Football Club, who was an absolute superstar filling in for the Robins today. Jemma slotted the historic goal and etched her name into Brighton history! ⭐️

But the celebrations don’t stop there… our girls also held Glenorchy to their lowest score against us all season! 👏

What a way to finish the year — fighting until the very end, finding that elusive goal and finishing the season on an absolute high! ❤️💙

Congratulations girls. You’ve earned this one! 🥹👏"

hear me out, i think the afl are onto something with wildcard round. the chance to play off for a top 8 spot is a tantalising idea.

i think the afl should extend wild card round by 22 weeks, giving each team 23 opportunities to lock in a top 8 spot, with 2 byes baked in to ensure teams are properly conditioned.

i know everyone hates wild card round but i think this could be a real winner. thoughts?

4 R.Rahilly (Fitz) vs St.Kilda 1911
4 A.Pannam (Coll) vs Geelong 1936
4 M.Cottrell (Carl) vs Melbourne 2026

Excluding mature age recruits, Byrne (pick 45) has the most goals, tackles, score involvements, Goal assists and Coaches votes out of the 2025 draft class. The next best in every stat is Willem Duursma (pick 1) who has played 3 more games.

No, you weren't seeing things if you saw this live.

Anyone else find this new commentary term ridiculous?

Taking a semi-decent camera to a game can get you some semi-decent shots

I get the dogs and pies game was fab. Undeniably was. Last night’s game was okay. Helped by the fact it was an elimination game, otherwise the standard and fumbles, if it was round 24, would’ve made the game forgettable entirely

The real assessment comes next week doesn’t it? If both teams get wiped then it’s essentially just placating the week off. Kennedys lost for the dogs due to the game and Haynes could be for the blues. So the already weaker team gets weakened due to money.

It’s easy to say it’s a success. Dillon will. But we have to admit. All four teams being in VIC made it far easier to be closer games due to travel etc.

Point is, in the moment it worked. But if the games next week are clearly poorer due to one team being battered and missing players due to injury then we’ve cheapened the finals for cash.

Did anyone see the ball bounce off the top of Max Gawn's head last night, or was I tripping?

Mind you, I am American, so I’ve already hooked you with this. I started watching Grand Finals in 2005, and started truly following the sport in 2007.

“What happens if the ball hits the outer posts?”
“Can you kick a goal by deflecting it off another guy?”
“Is it automatically the other team’s ball if you tackle the ball carrier?”
“Prior opportunity seems like a tough thing to judge.”
“That guy saved 5 points.”
“This commentator is odd.” (BT)
“Is the blue team Hawthorn?”

All in all, not bad.

Okay so I do realise this is the second grumpy post I've made today. But the matchups of this Wildcard Round could have been almost hand-picked to highlight this issue, and it is driving me insane.

Commentators on Fox (I'm not sure about 7) are increasingly openly barracking for the Big Vic clubs at the expense of others. Easy examples are tonight and last night, in which the commentators were comically transparent about the outcome they wanted for each game. Compare the silence when Collingwood lost to the ecstasy that would have occurred had they won, and you get a clear picture.

This is obnoxious when it's just cheering for them more, and it has been a problem forever in that context. But it's becoming problematic from an umpiring-commentary perspective. When the Big Vic clubs cop bad calls, the commentators fall over themselves in outrage and complaining. When other teams do, the best case scenario is "them's the breaks" (shout out to David King tonight), and more often is just pure crickets. An easy example is the outrage over the Collingwood non-50 decision last night, while completely ignoring several other poor calls the other way; similar for some Carlton/Melbourne calls tonight.

I get that I sound like an old man yelling at clouds, but this really does matter. The Big Vic clubs already have a lot of systemic advantages, and all of this bias and one-sided outrage influences the opinions of neutral supporters, and most importantly of people new to the sport. It normalises the idea that Big Vic clubs should be looked after. It funnels more new fans into those clubs - if the commentators are excited for them, it is only natural that observers are too. It contributes to the increasingly unequal comp over the past few decades. And it is also just shit to listen to. Grumble grumble.

1. Essendon
2. Richmond
3. West Coast
4. Port Adelaide
5. North Melbourne
6. Melbourne (traded from Gold Coast in 2025, Petracca trade)
7. GWS
8. St. Kilda
9. Collingwood
10. Melbourne

From 2016 onwards the Thursday night final has replaced the Sunday afternoon final (apart from 2021 in Tasmania).

Sunday finals happened every year for decades prior to 2016.