AFL 2026

@mariner4life said in AFL 2026:

My favourite quote of the year so far is "there is no drug quite like a Carlton preseason". As usual, for some reason, expectations are high at the Blues. Unbeaten preseason, got rid of the locker room cancer Curnow (ignore he was one of the games best players a year ago), Vossy, against all odds, has learned to coach. Baggers are Flaggers! Curnow and De Konig are actually big outs, Silvagni as well. Spoon.

You've put a bit of mayo on there. I don't think expectations are high at all. Even the most optimistic fans are tipping a 6th-7th place finish.

I actually think the Curnow trade will be good for both sides. Swans get something they've been missing since Buddy in his prime (7-8 years ago), and the Blues get to retool smaller, faster and younger without a complete rebuild.

De Koenig will be missed. Silvagni too but he barely played the last three years.

My tip is 11th-13th but all fans want is a few green shoots, a full season of Jagga Smith then pick up Cody Walker and build to the future.

message boards and SEN callers beg to differ. It's on Barb, start booking yourself a hotel for the last weekend of September.

You live in Queensland, what SEN callers are you hearing?

all of them because AFL nuffies are my favourite entertainment

i do love with AFL....fucking anything can happen.....and so the wild speculation always has a small chance of coming true

also, it's a semi-satirical post on a sports forum, for a sport that like 5 us even passingly care about, so perhaps just take it a little lighter.

Yes hard to convey tone, I wasn't being serious. My tickets aren't booked for September but my Jagga Smith Brownlow Medalist 2026 tattoo has certainly drawn a few interesting comments.

now i have seen the bet is Walsh Brownlow Smith rising star double apparently. Get on!

Add Harry McKay to win the Coleman and I'm suddenly back in the Sydney property market!

flood of Blue money will keep the price down.

Sad news in the AFL world with the passing of the great Dennis Cometti. Dearly missed in the box, one of the best commentators in any sport i have heard.

@mariner4life said in AFL 2026:

Dennis Cometti

Absolute f'n legend!

ok i have had my fix of watching Carlton suffer their ritual first round heartbreaking loss, can we fire them from prime time for the rest of the season?

what's that? no? they will play on Thursday or Friday night 6 more times before round 12?? Fuck me dead.

at half time i thought i was pretty right about Carlton but had wildly over-estimated Sydney. Then that third quarter happened and Sydney look top 4 and Vossy became roaring favourite for first coach sacked (if he wasn't already).

Sydney won't have it that easy often this year, and relying on Amartey up front is not going to get you far. But a 10 goal win when you only kick two in the first half is a pretty good start to the season.

Also, and it's my own fault for watching on Ch7, but by christ the commentary sucked. During the 2nd half bloodbath it was all about what Carlton can do to come back next week instead of excitement of the home team flogging fuck through them.

Then in the post match in an effort ot create a sweet narrative, they had the audacity to compary Curnow's debut to Buddy Fucking Franklin. Get the fuck out of here

i think the reality check...the moment i knew this wouldnt be the norm...that it said more about the blues than us....was when grundy kicks a goal from the forward pocket.....i assume he was trying to sub off and the ball landing in his lap

So the Suns are going to be a problem

Geelong flogged. Suns really good, Petracca looks happy and lethal. Still get to ad Matt Rowell to that midfield. Oof

Lions lose R1 in a cracking game, Bulldogs win a close one against a good side. unheard of. Lions also lose 3 to suspension which doesn't make for a fun trip to Sydney.

Collingwood beat St Kilda in a scrappy one in front of a huge Sunday night crowd.

my sadness at Carlton getting a win is tempered by the fact that it was Tom lynch that cost the Tigers the victory.

@mariner4life said in AFL 2026:

my sadness at Carlton getting a win is tempered by the fact that it was Tom lynch that cost the Tigers the victory.

Apparently a million dollar player. Can't fucking kick straight.

they can't still be paying him that surely?

They aren't really paying anyone else, bar Taranto. But yeah was pretty ridiculous.

Carlton veer violently from playing decent footy (1st half) to some of the worst you've ever seen. Vossy's half time talks must really be something.

i reckon the only difference was Carlton jumped Richmond at the start because they at least had a game under their belts

They jumped Sydney as well last week, though. And they were a good first half team last year.

and the Bloods keep marching on !

comprehensively beating the reigning champs....although...another game where we effectively had one outstanding quarter and then coasted

think it was 2024 where we did the same, made the final on the back of one outstanding quarter a game...and then got embarrassed

Sydney and the Bulldogs are very good. Gold Coast too, who basically took the 2nd half off yesterday against a reserve grade side.
As for the rest? Hawthorn bounced back, but GWS regressed. Geelong got a win after trailing at home for ages. Collingwood lost this week. Could be pretty even through the middle of the comp this year.

Essendon still suck. Carlton still suck. North got a big win. St Kilda have spent all teh money to start even worse than usual.

Tough start for the Lions. Get the two early season form teams, and get a bunch of guys suspended. Not too fussed really, very early days.

Yeah that's it, so early on. Ultimately, though, we know what the comp is.

Good teams: Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Geelong
Decent teams: Bulldogs, Freo, Adelaide, Hawthorn
OK teams: Collingwood, GWS
Bad teams: Melbourne, St Kilda, Carlton, Richmond, North, Port
Really bad teams: Essendon
West Coast: West Coast

flicked between both codes last night, should have stuck with the AFL. Quality game, teh running and pressure were elite for round 3 (2). The first quarter was ridiculous, but even at the death Hawthorn just never let any Sydney player have any time to generate a decent forward 50 entry.

Curnow had opportunities but he's just not good enough to be the man.

Good win for Hawthorn, both teams will go deep in to September.

damn it

Yeah! Freo!

@African-Monkey

Freo are having an All Blacks type moment.
They have a player on a $1m plus deal, who is not getting the job done, but getting the start.
And they have another player who is getting it done, in the reserves; but on the minimum.
Pro sports!

@mohikamo said in AFL 2026:

@African-Monkey

Freo are having an All Blacks type moment.
They have a player on a $1m plus deal, who is not getting the job done, but getting the start.
And they have another player who is getting it done, in the reserves; but on the minimum.
Pro sports!

Lol, I know next to nothing about the game. I rely on this thread and guys at work to tell me what's happening. I have a long way to go.

Got myself a Freo season ticket though, and found last nights game quite entertaining. It's a lot easier to watch when you have a team to follow.

The Eagles got up too, a good weekend for the sides from the West!

@African-Monkey said in AFL 2026:

Got myself a Freo season ticket

A Freo season ticket!!!
Fuuuuuuuuuck . . . you just put yourself up for the infliction of a large amount of mental torture.

what a fucked week for tipping

@mohikamo said in AFL 2026:

@African-Monkey said in AFL 2026:

Got myself a Freo season ticket

A Freo season ticket!!!
Fuuuuuuuuuck . . . you just put yourself up for the infliction of a large amount of mental torture.

So I keep getting told lol. They're less successful, cheaper to follow, and have a smaller fanbase, hence why I chose them haha.

appallingly scheduled round of football. With the teams on the bye, all interest in the round was over by Friday night (after a belter of a game).

West Coast beating North was funny, especially because now Essengton have the longest active winless streak.

@African-Monkey said in AFL 2026:

So I keep getting told lol. They're less successful, cheaper to follow, and have a smaller fanbase, hence why I chose them haha.

Freo fans are definitely "nice" fans.
And therein lies part of the problem, they are way too "huggy" for cut-throat, elite pro sport.
When they lose a big game the players get a pat on the back and a "bad-luck."
Eagles fans get f'n nasty; and if they are gettin a floggin (lots of those lately, so good) there is no one in the stadium by the final siren.
Eagles will win another premiership before the Dockers get their first (if ever).

The Darcy/Cox thing is classic.
Eagles would have already made that change.
Dockers will be "nice" about it, and give Darcy every possible chance to run into some form.

I went to the latest Carlton meltdown on Sunday. As predictable result as you could imagine. Blues fans up and about early but you could see, despite repeated skill and decision errors from the Dees they looked better after quarter time. The 2nd half was a car crash and watching Carlton fans stream out with 10 to go was hilarious.

Big crowd at the G on a sunny sunday drinking Carlton Draughts is a pretty sweet live sport experience

As usual, Easter monday is the game of the year. Doesn't matter what shape these two teams are in leading up to any game, they always deliver an absolute belter. The last 10 minutes alone will be hard to top all year.
Elsewhere the Lions hammered the Pies, who appear to be Naicos or nothing
North continued Carlton's miserable season
The Dockers beat the Crows in Adelaide, and last year's minor premiers are struggling early,
Sydney beat West Coast like red headed step children
Melbourne obviously got a lot out of last Sunday as they upset the Suns
The Dons either showed a bit of fight, or the Dogs knocked off early. Either way it was still a 6-goal loss.