Round 16- Half Way Mark

 The final week of the bye rounds is here, and AFL Round 16 delivers some massive clashes with huge top-eight implications. We break down the biggest storylines heading into a crucial weekend of footy, including a potential match-of-the-year contender between Brisbane and Sydney, a blockbuster Adelaide Derby, and several contenders looking to solidify their premiership credentials. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome back to the friend. You're listening to the podcast girl while the game Runs and the Family. I'm Max and I'm here with my dad Mark, and every week we've done me into all things full. We'll be turning through the biggest moments when the game's just gone. Baking on the wings, bosses, and everything in between. Plus, we're looking here to a weekend matchup. Check out thoughts, predictions, and big danger along the way. Whether you're a diehard supporter, or just always go down and you're in the right place. Let's get into a podcast. Well, Dad, we're just over halfway through the season, aren't we?

SPEAKER_01 0:36

It's getting exciting, isn't it, Max?

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Starting to see who's the top four, who'll be in the wild card round.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Yeah. And we're sorry we didn't do a podcast last time. And I've just what I just want to mention, they're not in our sport, but the soccer roos will be playing on Friday against Paraguay in their last group stage match.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

What do we think people will be listening to our podcast or watching the soccer roos on Friday?

SPEAKER_02 1:02

I think we're gonna be watching the soccer roos.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

And guess what? Bit to celebrate. We've had 500 downloads of your podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Okay, let's into stories and styles. Where we break down the week that was, diving into the biggest moments.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Okay, Max, first game on Thursday was Fremantle and Geelong. That was a good game of footy, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Very good game. Geelong had the lead by nine points at halftime, and a free won by nine points.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

I think Fremantle were behind by about four goals. They kicked seven goals in a row, I think, at one time there. Start of the third quarter.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

Wow, that's very impressive.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Dockers look convincing. They look like the real deal, don't they?

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

And they won the game without Warfie time.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Oh, that's pretty impressive.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Or as some like to call it Dorky Time.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

And we and if you're not a Docker supporter, I'm sorry to be saying this. I don't want to be saying this as well. If you're a Docker supporter, book your tickets.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Tabali?

SPEAKER_02 2:15

No.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

I'm off to the grand final. Oh, sorry. I didn't think I thought you thought book the holidays to Bali because I won't make the grand final. Oh no. Oh, they look promising.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Then we had Gold Coast Hawthorne. Hawthorne came along with the win.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

The Hawks.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

It's a pretty good game, actually. McAndrew took a very big mark, but he dropped it.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

And they paid it. They paid it. Nick Watson was a star for the Hawks.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Gold Coast again struggled to beat a top team.

unknown 2:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

And then we've got GWS versus Carlton. Carlton, five wins in a row with their new coach, Josh Fraser. And Sam Walsh and Patrick Chris dominated the midfield. And GWS again's a struggle.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

I've got a really funny joke that I think m some of you might have seen. When Carlton went into the rooms to sing the song, I forgot his name, but one of the players got out the harmonica and played that the blues song on the harmonica.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Very cool, isn't it? All the boys got really loud and excited from it.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

Yeah. Then he threw it away when he was done like Baker Boy through the Didery doorway.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Then we had Adelaide and Melbourne. Adelaide won that match. It was actually a pretty close match. Adelaide. I think that they I don't really know.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

They played well, they're finding good form.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Yeah, Melbourne could have played better though.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

I think Melbourne got a few injuries out of that game too, unfortunately. But um but good for Adelaide to find a bit of form and beat Melbourne at home. It was a good win. Then we've got Collingwood and Port Adelaide, another close game, but Port Adelaide came away with I think three injuries. Sarva Raligalia popped a tendon in his knees, he's out for the year. And I think they had multiple other injuries throughout the game, so it wasn't a good game for all of Port Adelaide.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

No. And Isaac, I'll give you this. You finally won a game.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Well they won, but you know, I think they managed to beat a Port Adelaide team who were down a few players. So question marks still on Collingwood's form.

SPEAKER_02 4:41

If they had Estario Radigalia, they would have won.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Then we had Richmond North Melbourne. North Melbourne continued showing good signs.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Yeah, they played well against Richmond like they should have. Really now they're fighting for a position in that wild card round.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Yeah. They're looking pretty good, North Melbourne. I think at least half of the listeners thought Melbourne, I mean North Melbourne, were going to at least finish under 13th.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Well, yeah, but they've improved a bit, so let's see where they can go.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

And the last game was St Kilda Bulldogs, another game with high injuries. St Kilda had Rowan Marshall, I think, injured. Uh who else was that? A couple of others.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Um Tom DeCroney?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

No, yeah, Tom DeConey. Fractured rib, punctured lung. So they had came out of the game with some lots of injuries. But Bulldogs managed to find a win. Well, I still lost because they had all the injuries, I think. Doesn't help when you've got your best players on the bench.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Where we look up at the games ahead. The first game of this of this round will be Brisbane Sydney on Thursday night at GABA.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Grand final rematch.

SPEAKER_02 6:03

Of 2024.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

Yep, this game should be a good one.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Midfield battle between two elite engine rooms.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Potential finals preview, see who finishes third and fourth, who might get a home final, pre-elem final.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

And it's second versus like sixth or something. So if Bulldogs, if Brisbane, Bulldogs, I don't know why I said that. If Brisbane can win this, then they look actually like a very big real deal.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

It'll be a good game of footy. Alright, next game we've got Hawthorne GWS. Can GWS bounce back after that frustrating loss against the Carl against the Blues? And can Hawthorne continue their good form?

SPEAKER_02 6:49

Yeah, it was actually gonna be a good game. I don't know which team channel win actually. Gonna think about that before we put in our tips. Then we have Carlton versus the Eagles. Can the Eagles come back to win from their bye round? This could be a really good match. And by the way, talking about the Eagles, that was one of the reasons why we didn't do the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Yes. So can Blues make it six wins in a row?

SPEAKER_02 7:18

I think they can.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Eagles had a few back from injury. Derzma, Graham.

unknown 7:23

Yeah, or injured.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

So a couple of good ins. Our form hasn't been too bad.

unknown 7:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

So we'll see how we go at Martin.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

We beat GWS, which we should have, which we shouldn't have.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

No, that was a good play well against GWS. We probably should have beaten North. Should have beaten North Melbourne.

unknown 7:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Alright, then we've got Car Collingwood versus Richmond. This game, Collingwood should win. Richmond need to find a bit of form. Doesn't strike me as a very exciting game, but Collingwood just need to win this to stay in the hunt for finals.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

I think the most exciting game we've discussed so far, not because it's got my favourite team in there, it's Calm West Coast. That's gonna be a very exciting match. Now we've got Port Adelaide, Adelaide, aka the showdown. Some the same sort of overall rating teams. They're pretty both.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Adelaide have been winning games, Port Adelaide have been just losing games. Now they've had a few injuries as well coming into this game.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

So again, Adelaide need to continue to find form, continue to push for the highest spot on the top four.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Yeah, this is gonna be a game that might decise the rest of the season for Port Adelaide.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Well, the showdown's always exciting games.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

And we've got North Melbourne versus Essendon. Whoa, the battle of the rebuilds. Again, North Melbourne playing well, just need to continue to win, and Essendon got to try and put some solid pressure on the game for four quarters.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Now we've got Fremantle Gold Coast. Arguably the match of the round. Fremantle's premiership credentials face another major test. Gold Coast have a chance to prove it belongs among to prove it belongs o among the elite teams.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Gold Coast beat for her last time in the finals at Optus.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Can they do it again?

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Maybe. Okay, Dads, time for our tips. Brisbane or Sydney?

SPEAKER_01 9:34

I'll go Sydney.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

I'll go Sydney as well. Hawthorne or GWS.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Hawks for me.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

I'm gonna go Hawks as well. Carlton or West Coast.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

I'll go Eagles.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

You know what? I'm gonna go Collins. Collingwood versus Richmond.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

I'm gonna go Collingwood.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Collingwood. Well, Adelaide versus Adelaide.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

We'll go the Crows.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

I'm gonna go the Crows as well. North Melbourne Essendon.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

I'm gonna go North Melbourne.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

I'm gonna go the Kang of Remant or Gold Coast.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

I'll go the Dawkers.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

I'm gonna go the Dockers as well. Hey guys, that's it for this round. Goodbye.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Thanks for listening.

unknown 10:13

Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Go the Socceros.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah, go Soccerose.