00:00:00
Speaker 1: Well, if you told me at the start of the season that Geelong, Hawthorne, Brisbane and Collingwood would be playing the preliminary finals this week, I would have said, yep, that's probably about right. Welcome back to the Code AFL Show Preliminary Finals weekend. Got Josh Barnes with me and Glenn McFarland on his Code AFL Show debut.

00:00:15
Speaker 2: We go here we go boys.

00:00:17
Speaker 3: It's a big week, so we brought in the great Man.

00:00:19
Speaker 2: Not sure about that. It's good to be in another preliminary final week anyway.

00:00:23
Speaker 1: It's good to have some journalistic credibility on the couch with us here. Are we sick of these teams playing off against each other in the second last week of the finals? They've been so involved this century?

00:00:36
Speaker 3: Are we the best three people to talk about that? As we're go into and you're going to put your Hawthorne hat on in a second, I'm going to put on my Geelong hat and Mackie, you've got a Collinwood.

00:00:44
Speaker 2: Over with Brisbane. Yeah.

00:00:47
Speaker 3: Have you do you remember something like this Maca in your time that these.

00:00:50
Speaker 2: Three of just feel like, yeah, absolutely, it's they are the teams if you look at it like there's been some other great teams this, you know, this century, but these four teams have been outstanding the way they continually, you know, other than a period there for the Brisbane Lions, it's been these They've been up there so many years, haven't they. And I think the beauty of this is they're great matchups. Like any of the any of the four teams left could have been playing against each other in a Grand Final and you'll be saying, how good is this? So I think, you know, there's genuine dislike and a little bit of fear. I think Barnesy little bit Geelong and Hawthorne, and you look at Collywood and Brisbane it's very much the same. You go back to the great battles of the two thousand and two, two thousand and three season and of course that amazing Grand Final in twenty twenty three. There's so much there ed I think it's was set for an absolute ripper on Friday night and then on Saturday as well.

00:01:43
Speaker 1: So I think at the start of the season this is a top four the few people would have had glancing into their crystal balls. But a month ago the team that everyone was most excited about was probably Adelaide, and how disappointing is it for them that they're not their first Minor Premier since nineteen eighty three to go out in straight sets. Was it a reversion to the norm that they lost both those games or they genuinely missed out on an opportunity do you feel.

00:02:04
Speaker 3: I think anytime you have two home finals and lose both, it's a nightmare situation and you can't afford to do that. There will be other chances. I mean Brisbane did that in COVID. They lost a couple of home finals that really sort of hurt them and your sort of thought at the time and a few years after that might be their golden chance and it's over. So it will probably come back around for Adelaide. But they know after the twenty seventeen Grand Final they thought they'd be back there year after year and it didn't happen. So anytime you have home finals and lose them, it's a disaster, particularly as a non Victorian team, So they can't be happy at all about how things panned out. They're going to hope, they're going to be trying to bring in players, but you never know who will be there next time. Taylor Walker may never play again, so it's a definite missed opportunity.

00:02:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, you've got to take your chances, don't you in that sense, and they didn't. They were really they were tight, like whether it was a choke, well, whether they were good enough is the other question, but they were really tight. They made so many uncharacteristic mistakes and Isaac the loss of Isaac rank can really hurt them. So it's going to be hard to get back up the top of that mountain again next year. It's no given that they're back in the top four next year, but they really do need to pick up a midfielder.

00:03:07
Speaker 3: And they shared almost nothing, really zero finals. So they were a team that we were loving the electric attack they had all year though with thirty four points, and they just didn't look like it.

00:03:15
Speaker 2: Well, didn't win it, didn't win a quarter. So if you go through eight quarters of a final without winning one, nobody's ever done. Believable the history of the league. No, it's just unbelievable when you think about it. And of course it was North Melbourne in nineteen eighty three. They finished on top and went out, but at least Awf Melbourne probably gave a bit of a yelp. I didn't think we got to yelp at all from the Crows.

00:03:34
Speaker 1: Well, maybe Christian Petraka would help him there if it sounding him out. It seems likely that they will come out of this trade period with a relatively big fear cashed up.

00:03:42
Speaker 2: They've got a bit of cash that left there with no Nazaiah, so they've got a bit of money.

00:03:46
Speaker 1: Well, we'll turn our attention to Geelong Hawthorne on Friday night. We probably should, and I want to. I want to this.

00:03:52
Speaker 2: There is out shaking already with nerves.

00:03:55
Speaker 1: From a Geelong perspective, there seems to be a genuine ast that Hawthorne have made this game. I think the Neutrals are either sick of this matchup or quite excited that it's happening again, because we usually get a close one, but Geelong is the favorites. Do seem the supporters seem a bit wary of Hawthorne.

00:04:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, it feels awful. As a Geelong supporter, outside of my professional obligations, I was backing for Adelaide personally quite hard last weekend, even though my wife is a Hawthorne supporter. My in laws of Hawthorne supporters, this is not a good week for me. I was actively backing for Adam. I just don't want to put myself through this situation. It's three hours where it just doesn't feel good. It feels like something's going to go wrong all the time. And throughout that can it curse sort of era and even beyond, Geelong still hasn't beaten Hawthorne in a knockout final since nineteen sixty three, and you can just sort of feel that pressure and weight on you. How do you feel you're a Hawks man?

00:04:46
Speaker 1: Well, I've sort of grown up with Hawthorne beating Geelong in the eight Grand Final the best day of my life and then and then five years of torture as they continually found ways to beat the Hawks and we might go through a few of thoys. Were you working at the eight Grand Final?

00:05:00
Speaker 2: I absolutely was working. I was pretty close to Shane Crawford. I was in fact writing his book at that time and the book got even better after that. So lucky enough to be in the Hawthorne rooms. And I just I think in that game, you think about the moments and I remember when Hawthorne woke up they you know it was a bright sunny day. They were a young team. They were really confident. Was killed the shark. Plako's killed the shark. And to be in the rooms after the game and I think you think back and you look back at you know, Stuart Due and what he was able to do in that you know third quarter which turned the whole game and Syrol reality it was an amazing performance because Geo long as you know, Barnsi were almost unbeatable that year.

00:05:36
Speaker 3: That was the best year of the three I guess for Gelong seven nine, and that was the best team they had. That was the best season they had. They only lost once for the entire year. In any other year they would have won the flag. But alas we don't have to relive it that much.

00:05:51
Speaker 1: Probably some mischances during the second quarter, one or two chances.

00:05:56
Speaker 2: Moon, mister Sitter, I think almost on half time.

00:05:59
Speaker 3: We have to go through all of it.

00:06:00
Speaker 2: Mac. It was good for cheting Crawford like Craft got to climb the post and that's what I'm talking about, so great moment in forty Yeah.

00:06:08
Speaker 1: And they didn't miss so often in the following five years, and even when they did miss it was was match winning points. Like Jimmy Bartel's in nine. But we'll turn out to Geelong this week and a bit of agitation maybe at the Cats at the moment. We saw a really unusual situation with Chris Scott unfold in at the end of the qualifying final that emerged from Mick Warner in our paper this week, and it seems that maybe it's been a long season and perhaps beginning to take a toll on the Cat's coach.

00:06:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's interesting how this story developed. Good reporting as always by Mick that it was I guess a confrontation before his press conference. Clearly nobody at Geelong sort of stepped in to stop the situation or diffuse it as they probably should have, and it definitely seemed to have got out of hand. It's not the only situation, obviously. Bailey Smith's aggression and abuse towards a Gelong Advertiser reporter and wind during the week last week was indefensible. Really, it was discussing behavior by him for a guy that we all applauded and defended before that incident for his honesty and bravery about his mental health battle, to then act like that towards a reporter who I hold an extremely high respect to someone who worked alongside her for a few years. It's just a disappointing and poor week for Geelong really, and then you just feel like there hasn't been enough from the AFL about this, Andrew to brush past it both incidents the week when asked about it. It's just ain't not good enough by the people involved, not good enough by Geelong and not good enough by the AFL.

00:07:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Something needed to be done. There needed to be some statement. There needed to be you know, potentially even a fine like what's it was just really poor behavior and what you need to do to stamp out poor behavior is get on top of it, and they didn't. They let an opportunity slip the AFL.

00:07:54
Speaker 1: And we'll look now at Collingwood and Brisbane on the sad day at the MCG as well. A lot of election rumblings around Jeremy how and Bobby hill Mack. You've been out there the last few days. Do you know which way they're leaning on?

00:08:05
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, boy. Bobby will start with Jeremy Howe. He got through training and some matches him on Friday and did really well, look good. And then butted up again today and was good, so I think he's good to go, ready to go. Of course, he's been subbed out four times the last four times he's played, so there's that little bit of nervousness there. But he actually looked good. He attacked the ball really well today. I think Bobby Hill's a bit more problematic. I think it's more unlikely than likely. I think that's the situation at the moment. Very lean. He seems to have lost a fair bit of condition in that sense and just hasn't got the yards in his legs. He's active, he's trying to be out there, you know, joking with mates and trying really hard to you know, to get under the nose of the coach. But at this stage I think that he's more unlikely to play. And does that leave the door a jar next week or are we in that situation. It's very hard to change winning team if they get through. And Bradymichek's the other one as well. Brady Mychik's been carrying that so issue he got through, they didn't have. It was a bit of a flush out session today, to be honest. It was very very limited what they do, so I think Bobby Hill won't play in my view from as it sits here on Tuesday, but I'm certain that Jeremy Howe will.

00:09:20
Speaker 3: Put on your Craig mccraheat maker, What are the changes who's coming out of how.

00:09:24
Speaker 2: That's the hardest bit, Barnsy, because I was trying to get on top of that today. Because you've got two players, there's two it's Row and Steel, or it's Will Parker. You think automatically it would be Parker. He lined up in defense today in the black jumper. We've seen that before, not often. It's sometimes is not the best indication. I would have thought Parker is probably the like for like, but he's a very good player, So it's either of those two. I'm just not sure which way they're leaning at the moment. You would think that Steele gives a more flexibility from playing in different roles than Parker does. Whether that helps him, we'll soon find out. Yeah, it's going to be.

00:09:59
Speaker 3: A heartbreak whoever does get chipped out for Jeremy how obviously, But I think you have to play judging by the numbers. When he plays fifty percent of a match, they're fourteen and one this season. Yeah, Collinwood and their defense is ten points better, So I think you have to pick him there. There's a bit of speculation and he's been out for too long or whatever. If he's past the fitness test, then you have to pick him.

00:10:19
Speaker 2: So they'll go again on Thursday. Thursday will be the big main training session was very light, as I said today, so well no more Thursday. But at this stage I think I've got no reason to think he wouldn't play Jeremy.

00:10:30
Speaker 1: How and on the other side of the coin, the Brisbane Cocats and Locke. Neil's trying to make a push to come back from that calf injury. It look really nasty in the qualifying final. He was devastated. But Josh, you've got news that he's trying a few left field options to try and get back.

00:10:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, we all know about the hyperback chamber. He's been open about that. But another thing I can present to you it is that he's got into red light therapy, which is a new one that I hadn't really heard of. I looked it up. Red light therapy is supposed to stimulate growth in your muscles, which would obviously help with recovery. So he's sticking that red light in whenever he can as well to stick it on the calf to get back. I think even here, realistically Lockie is thinking it's a very very long shot. I don't think Chris Fagan gives it must have a chance. But Callum Dick, our reporter in Queensland, said on Tuesday that Lockie was running before training, doing a little running session, So that's got to be a good sign. It's going to be a fascinating watch over the next I guess week if they win obviously this weekend. To get through it through of Grainny, we'll.

00:11:23
Speaker 2: Have to have another look. We're doing a bit of red light therapy right now.

00:11:26
Speaker 3: I don't know if it will help my lack of hair growth, but it's got to be helping something.

00:11:30
Speaker 1: I'm feeling very refreshed out here. But a few other left field injury things we've seen even this season, we had Nat Fife and Stephen Connielio sharing a few tips about their botox to fix a couple. I think it was a glue tissue that they were both dealing with, where Nat Fife had the mail on that and helped Connelio get back in time for the end of the season, So any others that spring to mind.

00:11:52
Speaker 3: The most famous one I think is the Max Frook and the Calf's blood treatment he received in two thousand and seven to get him back for his really wobbly hamstrings at the time. He went over to see them the famous doctor Hans in Germany got some injections of car blood into the muscle and somehow that worked and he got back and played pretty well and the Grainy won a flag. So it's definitely one of the most famous. Robert Harvey as well, make a couple of times on a planet Fashis, Yeah, famous, and it worked. It was pretty painful, but it worked. It was the only way to snap the planet Fascia. How to make it properly here, I think is the secret behind that. Sometimes it doesn't go well. Edwin know, Joe Grant got stung by a sting ray while doing recovery at the beach one time, so you got to be careful, I guess if you're trying to heal.

00:12:32
Speaker 1: Yourself, that's no good when that happens. Whatever they do in Qatar as well.

00:12:39
Speaker 2: Doctor End of the King, they like to go. There's been quite a few that have gone Jordan de Goowey last November was in Qatar and I think Josh Gibbs went quite a few of them do that. There's a you know. I think speaking to doctor Peter Larkins last week he said, you sit around. It's very casual. It's sit around by the pool and get a bit of massage treatment.

00:12:58
Speaker 3: But of pilate sounds pretty good. I reckon there at some stage it seems to work for someone. Didn't really work for the Essendon guys this year they all seem to fall over again. I remember in pre season mac Gwealthie was running up and down hills, which you don't see very often these days. Yes, because of his hamstring injury, and then he pinned it again two games back. So sometimes the hard work you can do doesn't really help.

00:13:19
Speaker 1: And now it's time for quick hands and Josh, as we go to air, you're about to go and try a custom designed Billy Franton pizza.

00:13:27
Speaker 3: Is that correct? Yeah? Somebody had to do it. I mean I really drew the short straw on this one. This is a hard hitting journalism you get So Freddy's Pizza Place on Chapel Street, Windsor, there is a fram tonally on the menu. You can't get it through. Uberitz said, you have to go there in person. Limited edition. Yeah, it's basically like a caprichosa, but with pancetta instead of ham and a bit of harder choke on there as well. Are you guys pro olives or anti olives on you? I'm an anti olive pro Billy Frand who says I'm massive on olives and that's on the pizza too, I'm anti olives. I think we're a good combination.

00:13:58
Speaker 2: Ed.

00:13:58
Speaker 1: I'm on team Billy with that one. Happy to collaborate with him on future pizza designs.

00:14:02
Speaker 3: Report back on a taste test.

00:14:03
Speaker 2: Maybe next week we'll do.

00:14:05
Speaker 1: And Mack, you've been doing some actual football journalism which is very helpful to the team. That You've been speaking to steal side Bottom this week.

00:14:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love speaking to Steele. He's absolute star. Is probably one of my favorite players of all time because he's just a decent guy as well. I really like Steel and he's actually forecast that we know he's got a contract for next year as well. He hasn't ruled out. I think he'll end up playing and he's fifty for king Gupnor I reckon, But he hasn't ruled out playing for Collingwood in twenty twenty seven, which would push him close to the four hundred barrier. And you think that Collingwood, you know, at the start of last year, didn't have a four hundred game player. Pendall's obviously got there later in the year maybe if they have two or to be awesome. But he's taken it. You know, he's taking it one season obviously at a time, but he wants to play on for as long as he possibly can. And the way he's going at the moment, you wouldn't be sure that he couldn't do it.

00:14:48
Speaker 3: Yeah, would you right now? For you had to take the over under did you get to four hundred?

00:14:54
Speaker 2: All I would say is depends on how Collingwood is traveling next year. We know that winning. If he can continue, I think he could. He's the sort of guy who could play forward. He's got uncanny goldcraft, So I reckon. What he's got left in him is that when the midfield side of it is gone, he can play sort of forward, pocket half forward. I've never seen a guy use the ball in a lot of ways. The round goal as good as still side bottom has well.

00:15:20
Speaker 3: We went to half forward in the front played at half forward, which Realy hasn't done all yet three including crucial times.

00:15:26
Speaker 2: Now he's a start.

00:15:27
Speaker 3: He can play almost anywhere before we move on ed. Everyone was talking about it last week, your Grand Final. Yes, it was a thriller. You've dragged yourself in from mad Monday, Shenanigans, all that sort of stuff for our recording. Talk us through it.

00:15:38
Speaker 1: It was one of the great arm wrestles. And I still haven't fully wound down from the final quarter either have been briefly briefly to dig up my Code sports polo top and ditch the premiership medal. It was hard to take it off, but yeah, Samerius Allegion. We had a six point lead three quarter time over the old Yarrad Cobras out of Kerry Ground, very swirly breeze. They probably had the is in the last quarter. I think they kicked six behind we kicked three. It was just an arm wrestle and performance completely goals. I took a couple of decent clerks at the end of the game and immediately churned the ball over both times, so I'd say broke even. Shout out to my direct opponent, Anthony Razzi. I think his name is kicked more than a quarter of the goals for the day. I'm going to say that I was only responsible for one of them. On review, it might end up being two or three. But he was fantastic and I think copped a nasty hit and might have wound up in hospital at the end of the game. So I hope you're doing it right, mate. It was an excellent performance. And yeah, the Samarious Legian boys just a special day.

00:16:38
Speaker 3: Are we talking? Leo Barry stole marks in the last quarter in the back pocket?

00:16:41
Speaker 2: No, no, I'm sort of.

00:16:42
Speaker 1: They jump off two steps, operate a lot of A lot of the coaches I speak to during the week wouldn't like me in their team. I suspect just the way the way I approached the contest. But that was fantastic, really special group of week.

00:16:55
Speaker 3: I don't apologize that. That's all I say.

00:16:57
Speaker 1: I need to shout out my fellow defend Josh Saloom, one of the best on ground Metal, bowed me out all season. He was fantastic. Hamish McMillan, a big fan of the cod AFL show, took a couple of massive grabs on the wing in the dying moments. But it was a special performance, wonderful, great job ed, Thank you very much. We can wrap it up on that. So we need to talk about once we've gone through go through the VAFA. That was the that was the key at the end of the Baffalo Division. I think Nathan Jones won a flag and give one so I won't see him next season. Unfortunately, he's off to to Premier.

00:17:27
Speaker 3: See so who's winning both games.

00:17:31
Speaker 2: I gotta put him in early, don't I that's good. I'll go Geelong just to keep the expert. No, I'm not the tipping expert. I'm starting to wobble late and I'll tip Collingwood. But it wouldn't surprise me to go the other way. I've got Hawks wrong all the way through this final series. I really like him.

00:17:45
Speaker 3: So yeah, Cat sand pies for me, but I don't feel great about it.

00:17:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, Geelong Collingwood, but yeah, just with Brisbane all year, I've I've struggled to tip the Lions and whenever I go against them, they tend to attend to down It's back. So let's see how that unfolds. Well, thank you for joining us for the CODEFL show. Thanks Maca, Thanks Bundy, it'ssure fantastic to have you and we'll see what unfolds in this week of preliminary finals. You can follow along all our coverage on The Herald Sun and Code Sports websites. Thank you very much