Rain Dampens AFL Gather Round Despite High-Profile Hype and Schmoozing
All the sport's heavy hitters were in Adelaide this week, leaking, lurking, and indulging in long lunches, before some excellent football finally broke out. Gather Round began with lavish lunches, intriguing matchups, and a South Australian premier who lobbied for it, nurtured it, and now very much owns it. Politically, culturally, and geographically, South Australia remains an excellent fit for the event. However, it often feels like the footy industry is on one big sales pitch for the week, and this year's version didn't quite reach the heights of the previous three editions.
Weather Woes and Mismatches Mar the Weekend
A significant factor was the atrocious weather, which was relentless at times. With two mismatches earlier on Sunday, Gather Round was crying out for a decent match to close things out. Heading into half-time, the Port Adelaide-St Kilda game was trundling along, the rain was pouring down, and it loomed as the sort of contest Ross Lyon would put to sleep and the rest of us would never speak of again.
But Jason Horne-Francis was like a man possessed in the third term, storming out the front of stoppages, leaping over packs, and giving every indication he intended to win the game off his own boot. Low slung and with the ideal centre of gravity for the modern footballer, he was perfectly suited to the sloppy conditions. His team had the worst of the whistle, however, and they shot themselves in the foot with several unforgivable turnovers.
St Kilda's Stout Defense and Standout Performances
St Kilda had a dire record at Adelaide Oval, and they've been very wobbly in second halves this year. But they defended stoutly, with Callum Wilkie and Jack Silvagni both having fine games. Silvagni is a footballer who's squeezed every drop of ability out of himself. He's slow, not overly tall for a defender, and at Carlton, he rucked, plugged holes, and busted his gut every week. He endured horrendous injuries and saw his brother sent to prison, but he delivered one of the best games of his career on Sunday night.
High-Profile Hype and Political Maneuvering
All the sport's heavy hitters were in Adelaide this week, with Peter Malinauskas front and centre, kissing babies, kicking checksides, charming the birds from the trees, and snookering any other states seeking their slice of the gathering pie. At times, it seemed entry to these events was conditional on spruiking the magnificence of "Mali." Eddie McGuire, probably the only man in Australia who can work a room better, was typically restrained in this regard. "Everybody that comes over wants to meet the premier, they want to shake his hand, they want to do business with him," he told the Adelaide Advertiser. "It's like John Travolta on the dancefloor – it's happening all around him."
But the rain did dampen the quality of play and the atmosphere at many of the nine games. Despite this, there was still some excellent football across the weekend. Essendon deserve enormous credit for bucking prevailing opinion and towelling up the boom side Melbourne. Particular credit goes to coach Brad Scott for devising a game plan that disarmed Melbourne and denied them the ball.
Standout Players and Intriguing Clashes
Sydney, too, deserve plaudits for navigating the tight squeeze at Norwood Oval and out-tackling the oddly passive Gold Coast. This game showcased some of the highest-rated and paid players in the sport, but none shone brighter than Isaac Heeney, who turned in the best individual performance of the round.
The most intriguing game, though far from the prettiest, was Collingwood's clash with Fremantle on Friday night. A few hours before the opening bounce, as the rain tumbled sideways, Fox Footy's Will Faulkner tweeted a picture of Josh Treacy warming up barefoot, bouncing a tennis ball in the puddles. In the opening minutes, he attacked the already wet ball at full speed and collected it cleanly at his toes. With the game in the balance two hours later, and his teammates scheming to get him behind the ball, he hurtled backwards and hauled down the match-saving mark as Jamie Elliott primed for another mark of the year.
It was a strange game with a muted atmosphere. Against Brisbane a week earlier, the Pies were disorganised and bereft of class. In Adelaide, Scott Pendlebury brought the organisation, Nick Daicos brought the class, the rain and wind brought the game back to bare basics, and Collingwood brought ferocious pressure. But every time the ball escaped into open air, which was rarely, Fremantle looked by far the superior team. In the rooms afterwards, the Dockers sang their battle hymn at triple speed, Barenaked Ladies style, and a concussed Sean Darcy was in no fit state to keep pace. By Sunday night, after four days of football, rain, and frivolity, many visitors to Adelaide were just as unsteady.
