AFL
Niall SeewangJake MichaelsMatt Walsh 5y

AFL W2W4, Round 11: Could Sunday be the final straw for another coach?

AFL

With one coach gone before the bye weeks, could Sunday's clash between the Blues and Bombers be the final straw for another club? Meanwhile Tex needs to pull his finger out and the Hawks have to break a mini hoodoo.

Here's What To Watch For in Round 11.

Could another coach get the sack by Monday?

The first domino has fallen, and this weekend's clash between Essendon and Carlton could be the catalyst for the second major coaching move of the season.

Blues coach Brendon Bolton is under growing pressure with his team at 1-9 heading into Sunday's match, and a loss to an incredibly depleted Essendon side could be the final straw. 

Meanwhile, the Bombers have spluttered to 4-6 after injuries hit a number of prime movers, but a loss to the Blues will be enough to seal their fate for 2019 -- another year without finals. This would place coach John Worsfold under mounting pressure, too, despite telling the media on Tuesday that he doesn't understand why.

"Really, last year was my first year," Worsfold said. "It's pretty hard to count 2016 and 2017 as we had a totally different focus on reintegrating players back into the game. Last year was our first crack at it."

But Essendon fans are growing impatient, and considering the cattle which has come through the doors over the last two years, another defeat to lowly Carlton could have the jungle drums beating.

It's been nearly 15 years since a finals win for Essendon, while Brendon Bolton has only tasted success three times in the last year and a half. Whichever way this one falls, the blowtorch will only get hotter. 

Can 'Tex' hit back at his critics?

After copping a huge amount of criticism for a poor game against West Coast -- specifically, a half-hearted contest with Shanon Hurn that Nick Riewoldt labelled "unacceptable from a club captain" -- the stage is set for Taylor Walker to stand up as a leader and player when Adelaide takes on Melbourne in Darwin on Saturday night.

After allowing the Eagles to produce a stirring last-quarter fightback to steal the points at Adelaide Oval, the Crows fell to seventh on the ladder, equal with four other sides, meaning they must take advantage of the depleted Demons in the Top End.  

And Walker must lead the way. He's had his moments this year -- most notably an inspirational effort against St Kilda in Round 6 -- which shows he still has the ability to impact games like an experienced, 100kg-plus key forward should.

The Demons are also ripe for the picking after an insipid loss to the Giants at the MCG. The Dees have the third leakiest defence in the league and will be missing Jake Lever, Steven May, Michael Hibberd, Nev Jetta and Jordan Lewis from their back six, giving Walker a perfect opportunity to hit back at his critics on Saturday night.

If he doesn't, not only will it put the Crows' finals hopes in jeopardy but it might mean 'Tex' joins his high-profile teammates Josh Jenkins and Bryce Gibbs in the SANFL.

Can the Hawks turn the tables against the Lions?

Brisbane may have only won five games last year, but two of them were against Hawthorn.

This year, Chris Fagan's side is more talented, more experienced, more consistent and has already won more games. This weekend's clash against the Hawks should be a lock, right?

Well, not exactly, but Brisbane will certainly go in as favourites at the Gabba -- a venue they have won four times and lost just once at in 2019 -- in what is an old fashioned eight-point game with so much on the line for both clubs.

If the Lions get up, and improve to 7-4, they really start cement themselves in the top eight and put a gap on those below them. But if the Hawks leave Brisbane with the four points, they would join the Lions with a 6-5 record and throw the race for finals wide open.

The Lions ran the Hawks ragged in both games last year, particularly in Round 17 when they kicked the final six goals to run out 33 point winners. If they are allowed to move the ball quickly and switch the play so easily it spells danger for Hawthorn who will certainly struggle to contain them.

But if Alastair Clarkson really is the coaching genius everyone seems to think, then he should be able to find a way to stop them, just as he did against the high-flying Giants at the Melbourne Cricket Ground a few weeks back.

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