It’s the final week of the byes in huge acid tests for several clubs including key contenders.
But of course, there’s still one side head and shoulders above the rest.
Every club’s burning question ahead of Round 15, as well as the commentators for every Fox Footy game, in our ultimate weekly preview: The Blowtorch!
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Chief opens up on Lockett & 17-goal haul | 03:34
CARLTON v GEELONG
Friday June 21, 7:40pm at the MCG
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 7pm on Channel 504 with Garry Lyon, Jack Riewoldt, Nathan Buckley, Jordan Lewis, Cameron Mooney & Jon Ralph
Blues’ burning question: Do we get the same version as pre-bye?
Last year was of course a tale of two halves for Carlton, winning eight straight games after its bye to look a completely different team following the break (though it did technically begin its winning streak before the bye with a victory over Gold Coast). And so the Blues will hope they can emulate their form from the first half of the campaign, particularly in the weeks leading into their bye, and not do a reverse of last season ahead of a battle with a Geelong side that beat them eight weeks ago. Consistency has been a key theme for the Blues’ rise – both within games and week-to-week – so it’s a key acid test for Michael Voss’ side to show it very much belongs second on the ladder. A win would consolidate the No. 2 seed and importantly fend off a rival top four contender in Geelong, who could leapfrog the Blues in second place with a win. Such an important four points on the line.
Cats’ burning question: Just how important is Dangerfield?
Geelong will be boosted by the return of Patrick Dangerfield on Friday night in a reprieve Chris Scott will be very thankful for after multiple hamstring setbacks to the star skipper. Dangerfield has played in just four games this season for the 8-5 Cats for four wins – meaning they’re 4-5 without him and not even a .500 team (to steal a US sports term). Some players bring more than what they tangibly bring on the field and simply make their team better, with Dangerfield clearly one of those, but he’s also such a vital cog to a relatively inexperienced midfield. You sense if Geelong is going to be a legit premiership threat this year, it needs Dangerfield up and firing, plus he compliments and makes his fellow on-ballers better. He’ll get a big test first up against Carlton’s star-studded midfield in the ideal time for the 34-year-old to return. The Cats have other reinforcements coming back too in Zach Tuohy and Ollie Henry.
‘Did you win the wrong Brownlow? Yep’ | 01:14
PORT ADELAIDE v BRISBANE LIONS
Saturday June 22, 1:45pm at Adelaide Oval
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 1.30pm Anthony Hudson, Kelli Underwood, Dermott Brereton, Mark Ricciuto, Cameron Mooney & David Zita
Power’s burning question: Is there ‘too much sameness?’
Demons great Garry Lyon floated the very question on Fox Footy’s On the Couch. For in stats shown on the program, Port in 2024 is again ranked elite in clearance differential (No. 3) time in forward half (No. 3) and corridor use (No. 1) in a virtually identical profile since 2019 – a period of which its won two finals. The Power are clearly again prioritising a game plan revolved around winning clearance and locking the ball in their forward half, and while they’ve clearly built a strong base doing that, has Ken Hinkley’s side become a bit too predictable? It begged former Magpies coach Nathan Buckley to question where the “development and growth” is coming from and whether they’re getting enough “bang for buck” inside 50, plus if they can defend full ground transition. Buckley and Lyon highlighted how other clubs have evolved and changed their style of play including Collingwood (scoring from forward half instead of back half), Essendon (both back half team to a front half teams) and Carlton (a clearance side to a transition side). “This has been their style of a long, long time now. Not much changes over a long period of time … you know what’s coming, then you’ve just got to try and beat them at it. You can’t do that all the time, but they’ve got some work to do,” Lyon said of the Power.
Lions’ burning question: Do they need to show ‘more grit?’
While the footy word is largely raving about Brisbane as the sleeping giant in the premiership race – despite currently sitting a game outside the finals – club great Jonathan Brown wants to see his former side display more “grit.” It comes after the Lions dominated the Saints in key periods last Friday night at the Gabba – including kicking seven goals in the first quarter – but continuously let Ross Lyon’s side back in the game, with St Kilda getting within seven points at one stage in the fourth quarter. Brown believes if Brisbane is to really restore its prospects as a premiership contender, it needs to show more killer instinct in such opportunities to demoralise an opponent. “I was a little bit disappointed in Brisbane after quarter time (against St Kilda). They should’ve put the foot on the throat and blown St Kilda away. If they’re to be a genuine chance if they get into finals, I think the Lions need a bit more grit,” Brown said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
Night of nights at 2024 AFL Hall of Fame | 02:08
GWS GIANTS v SYDNEY SWANS
Saturday June 22, 4.35pm at ENGIE Stadium
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 4.30pm with Mark Howard, Garry Lyon, Nick Dal Santo, Alastair Lynch & David Zita
Giants’ burning question: Have they unlocked a secret weapon?
The Giants have historically gone on runs in the second half of the year as they’ll look to build off last week’s win over Port Adelaide and eye the biggest of scalps against cross-town rival Sydney. And GWS might have just unlocked a secret weapon by the name of Toby Bedford that can lock down on one of the Swans’ superstar midfielders. Bedford was among the latest players deployed as a tagger and for great effect, limiting Zak Butters to a season-low 17 disposals as the Giants utility earned a perfect 10 coaches votes. It’s a pick your poison when it comes to choosing who to try and nullify between Chad Warner, Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney, but shutting down one could go a long way to taking down this Swans juggernaut. AFL greats sung Bedford’s praises for effectively nullifying Butters last week in a huge feather in his cap. “The nuance was Toby Bedford, walked into to the middle of the ground and went up to Zak Butters and said: ‘You copped it last week, you’re going to cop it again this week.’ There was none of this hiding him off half forward and bringing him on. He started on him and finished him off in the end,” Demons great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
Swans’ burning question: Do they pose the ‘biggest challenge’ in the AFL?
It’s hard to put the Swans under the blowtorch with how dominant they’ve been in 2024, sitting three games and healthy percentage clear at the top of the table. The only real question right now is can anyone stop what they’re doing – their power in the middle of the ground in particular. Despite slow starts against Geelong and Adelaide over the last fortnight, Sydney kicked into gear in an extreme way to go on dominant in-game runs to blowout the scoreboard. We know how good the midfield quartet of Brodie Grundy, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney and Errol Gulden is travelling. And Kangaroos legend David King believes the Swans’ power from the centre bounce is the “biggest challenge in footy right now” given the star-factor quality in there. “Not just the initial centre bounce, but immediately post centre bounce. Who’s got Heeney? Who’s got Warner? Who’s got Gulden? Who’s got the ruckman? Wait until Mills and Parker get back and they’re at full tilt. Wait until Papley goes in again. We saw five goals in five minutes against Geelong and six goals in 12 minutes against the Crows and the games were flipped on their head. It’s all horse power, John Longmire has these guys absolutely flying, and if you don’t have an answer for this, you’re an also ran in 2024,” King said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.
“I haven’t spoken to him [Stengle]” | 03:35
MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE
Saturday June 22, 7.30pm at the MCG
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 7.15pm with Sarah Jones, Jack Riewoldt, Eddie Betts, Brad Johnson & David Zita
Demons’ burning question: How do they respond with backs against the wall?
Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get much worse for Melbourne, it’ll be without Christian Petracca for the rest of the season due to serious internal injuries. With or without Petracca, the bye presented the perfect opportunity for the Demons to reset after dropping four of their past five games going into the break. With the chips down and their backs against the wall, we’ll learn plenty about this Melbourne group, who’s been widely written off, and if it’s indeed the end of a run of contending or not. For as things stand, Simon Goodwin’s 11th-placed side won’t even be playing finals. A game against North would’ve appeared to be a present a chance to rebound and confidence booster a few weeks ago, but the Roos are coming off perhaps their best performance in years in nearly upsetting reigning Collingwood and their first win of 2024 before that. But if the Dees are to get back into the race this season, they simply have to win this game.
Kangaroos’ burning question: Do they have their own Petracca and Oliver to lead them back up the ladder?
Melbourne landing star midfield duo Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in successive drafts in 2014 and 2015 was such a key part of their rise, with the pair going on to play key roles in leading the club to a famous drought-breaking flag triumph. And North Melbourne might just have its own version with top 2022 draftees Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw, according to Demons legend Garry Lyon. The pair both starred in last week’s heartbreaking loss to reigning premier Collingwood in a performance the Roos would’ve taken serious confidence out of. Wardlaw, who finished with 30 disposals, 10 score involvements and one goal, was particularly red hot in the first half in maybe his best AFL game yet, while Sheezel had 18 touches and two goal to continue his brilliant second season. So, after spending so many years down the ladder and loading up with talent, have the Roos finally acquired the necessary elite-level youth to build around and ultimately charge them back up the ladder? “You can’t not be excited with what you saw. For a long time, it’s been ‘hold the line’, they’ve taken the kids and taken the pain. I think Wardlaw and Sheezel are their Oliver and Petracca … this bloke (Wardlaw) is like a hound dog; he hunts the ball and player like Oliver. All this talk about Harley Reid and Sam Darcy (getting suspended), mockery of the (Rising Star) award. Even if they were eligible, he’s in this award up to his eyeballs,” Lyon said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
Police arrest saved Swan’s career | 02:47
ESSENDON v WEST COAST EAGLES
Sunday June 23, 1pm from Marvel Stadium
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 12.30pm with Dwayne Russell, Jordan Lewis, Brad Johnson, Ben Dixon & Jon Ralph
Bombers’ burning question: Can they avoid a repeat of last year’s post-bye collapse?
It’s the portion of the season that doomed Essendon’s 2023 finals assault. The Bombers were 8-5 coming out of last year’s bye before slumping to a demoralising 3-7 finish to the season to miss the cut. Is a similar fate awaiting Brad Scott’s brigade in ‘24, or have they strengthened mentally in addition to their improved on-field profile? Well, their fixture is certainly among the most favourable to close the home-and-away campaign. Incredibly, Essendon is only scheduled to leave Melbourne once in the final 10 weeks — a Round 24 trip to Brisbane. Including Sunday’s clash with the Eagles, its next nine games will take place at either the MCG or Marvel Stadium — headlined by a five-match stretch of extremely winnable fixtures against Melbourne (MCG; Round 18), Adelaide (Marvel Stadium; Round 19), St Kilda (Marvel Stadium; Round 20), Fremantle (MCG; Round 21) and Gold Coast (Marvel Stadium; Round 22). Provided they topple West Coast, the Dons will have notched nine-and-a-half wins — needing just four more to achieve the magical number 13 that guarantees them a September spot.
Eagles’ burning question: Will returning co-captain play straight away? Should he?
In a considerable boost for the Eagles, Oscar Allen is set to return to the footy field this weekend — and signs suggest he’ll be inserted straight back into Adam Simpson’s 23. Would it be the right call? The argument can easily be made that Allen shouldn’t hop on a plane to Melbourne to suit up for a probable loss against the Bombers. Wouldn’t the more sensible option be for him to play in the WAFL Eagles’ clash with South Fremantle this Saturday, before bringing him back for West Coast’s Round 16 home match against Hawthorn? We’ll find out Simpson’s final call when the Eagles’ Sunday side is finalised on Friday afternoon, but the towering spearhead says he’s all set. “It’s been a tough 13-14 weeks, so I’m just looking forward to playing footy at some level … I think I’m ready to go,” Allen said on Tuesday. “The rehab staff put together a really succinct program and we’ve done everything we can so when I’m available to play I’m ready to go — I obviously have that confidence in myself … You don’t put your hand up to play if you’re not sure that you can get out the rest of the season, so I’m ready to go and ready to play for the rest of the year.” Whenever Allen does return, though, his partnership with burgeoning talisman Jake Waterman will be worth watching throughout the final 10 weeks of the season.
‘I s*** myself to be honest’ | 01:55
FREMANTLE v GOLD COAST SUNS
Sunday June 23, 4pm from Optus Stadium
How to watch on Fox Footy: Channel 504 from 4pm with Adam Papalia, Gerard Healy, Will Schofield, Kath Loughnan & Jon Ralph followed by Bounce and First Crack
Dockers’ burning question: After Bont-led disaster, how will they handle sizzling Suns?
In an unforeseen result, the Dockers were obliterated by the Western Bulldogs last Saturday, spurred by an enormous Marcus Bontempelli performance. Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir rued what unfolded under the roof. “The way we played was really frustrating. We didn’t execute the way we wanted to, and I think (Marcus Bontempelli) getting off the leash was a sign of us not valuing the right things in the game,” Longmuir told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday night. “It was a pretty honest review (on Monday).” The space afforded to Bontempelli at stoppages last Saturday was concerning, particularly as Longmuir’s brigade now prepares to combat Gold Coast’s three-headed monster of Touk Miller, Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell. “Some of the clips where (Bontempelli) is on his own — that we reviewed (on Monday) — are unacceptable, whether we’re tagging him or not,” Longmuir added. “I think we’ve had a really strong defensive brand across the season, (but) for whatever reason, that slipped on the weekend, and some roles around handling Bontempelli slipped.” The Dockers can’t afford to slip this Sunday in their defensive roles on Miller, Anderson and Rowell, or it’ll likely be back-to-back losses for the purple haze.
Suns’ burning question: Are they capable of rectifying their jeopardising road woes?
The Suns’ biggest concern remains its inability to win games away from home — they are 0-6 in away matches this season, with all seven of their wins coming at either People First Stadium or Darwin’s TIO Stadium. To say it’s a concern would be an understatement, particularly as Damien Hardwick’s side attempts to secure the club’s maiden finals berth. Over its 10 remaining fixtures, the Suns have just four left at People First Stadium, and they come against tough opposition in Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. That perfect home record is going to be put to the test. As for their away dates, they still have to travel to Perth once more after this Sunday, to Melbourne three more times, and Sydney once. For a team that simply hasn’t won away from familiar surroundings in 2024, it’s hard to envisage success in those matches — but they’ll need to eke out wins if they’re to stage a genuine September assault, and it starts at Optus Stadium against the Dockers.
Adelaide, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs have the bye