Our AFL experts tackle some of the burning questions after Round 23, including how Dayne Zorko should be punished for his awful sledge to Harrison Petty, if the Blues' season has been a pass or fail, and more.
How hard should Brisbane come down on Dayne Zorko?
Rohan Connolly: I feel like the Lions are almost obliged to strip him of the captaincy after this embarrassing episode. You can't have as an officially-sanctioned leader someone prepared to cross the bounds of decency simply for a mental edge. We haven't for a long time now tolerated racial or homophobic abuse, not sure whether a grotesque sledge about a family member should come under a specific category, but it's just about decency, isn't it?
Jake Michaels: I think it's pretty clear, if the rumours are true, he can't remain captain of this side. I've always liked Zorko as a player but what he allegedly said to Harrison Petty is just downright pathetic and understandably hurtful. It's a shocking look to have the leader of an AFL side demonstrating this sort of behaviour, and a simple apology does nothing for me to rectify the situation. I'd be pretty surprised if was skipper of the Lions next year.
Matt Walsh: The Lions have grossly misread the room on the Zorko sledge and subsequent handling. Clubs are (rightly) 'zero-tolerance' and 'disgusted' when nameless and faceless troll on social media abuses players, but go hiding when a high-profile player -- who is the skipper of his club -- does similar. If the reported 'I hope your mother dies' sledge is correct (and Brisbane would have come out to correct it if it was not), this is a very low bar we're setting for vile sledges on the footy field. The fact he is a club captain only ensures that bar will remain low. We need to do better.
Jarryd Barca: There's a line you don't cross when it comes to friendly banter or on-field sledging, and if the reports are true and Zorko has done just that with what was said, then surely he has to rescind his captaincy. Leaders don't do that, they lead by example with tough and fair football actions, not by being discourteous and lippy. Is that what Brisbane wants to stand for? It is important here though to remember Harrison Petty and the Demons don't want it investigated further. What we absolutely need to see is Zorko be genuinely remorseful -- whether we believe him or not -- and for the Melbourne defender to be okay. We need to trust the clubs even if we feel like we need to do more, because otherwise we're playing with fire and will be causing more harm than good. Does Zorko deserve punishment? Yep, but it's hard to pinpoint what that is further than taking the captaincy off him.
Should Geelong be allowed to play home finals at GMHBA Stadium?
RC: Once upon a time, I would have said no for the obvious reason that as many people as possible should be accommodated at one of the biggest games of the year. But the genie has been out of the bottle for a long time now with finals at small capacity venues like Giants Stadium. And the AFL let the Cats play Fremantle at GMHBA in 2013. Picking and choosing whom they can and can't host dependent on the opposition's drawing power is yet another compromise to integrity in the most important games. That's wrong. So yes, they should be allowed.
JM: Is it their home ground? Yes. Should they play finals there? Obviously. I'm no Cats fan but I can understand why they're often frustrated with the fact all home finals are moved to Melbourne. It's unfair the AFL forces Geelong to move away from GMHBA Stadium in September in a bid to maximize ticket sales. In my mind, Geelong should absolutely by allowed to play finals at home.
MW: Yes, even against other Victorian clubs, and that's regardless of if the joint it under reconstruction or not. Let's not forget if Gold Coast or GWS makes and hosts a final, it's at stadiums that hold 27,500 and 24,000 people respectively. Currently, GMHBA can (allegedly) hold 26,000 (Geelong's highest attendance at the ground has been 22,106 this season), which is enough for a final. There's precedent as Rohan say, as well. If not now, when the renovations are complete and the capacity is 40,000, they must be allowed to host finals.
JB: In general I believe they should, they've absolutely earned the right to host a final at GMHBA this season, but given it's under construction which wipes out thousands of seats, surely we can understand this game against the Pies being played at the MCG? I know it isn't knew, and they've copped this 'unfair' service before, but I think it's time we make home ground advantages are real thing, not just 'home state' advantages. But, they can't have their cake and eat it too - you want finals at GMHBA, Geelong? No more hosting the big clubs at the 'G during the home and away season.
What letter grade do you give the Blues this season and why?
RC: It's a B- for me. I'm sure others will be more harsh, but I reckon they went a long way towards setting themselves up for the future this year, against a backdrop of continual injury to key players. They stopped leaking like a sieve, ranked sixth for fewest points conceded compared to a dismal 17th last season. On differentials, Carlton went from 13th for disposals in 2021 to first, contested possession from 15th to second and uncontested ball 13th versus second. It was 16th to second for clearances and 17th for tackles last year to sixth. Those are major shifts over a significant period. I think all they need next year is a little more luck.
JM: I hate sitting on the fence, but I'm going a C. Look, many expected the Blues to finish around the middle of the ladder, and that's exactly what they did - so a C seems fair, especially as it was Michael Voss' first year in charge. It's a little unfair to alter expectations and pass marks after the first month of footy. With that said, Carlton beginning the season 8-2 and failing to play in September is pretty disappointing. The good news for the the Blues is that the core of the list is young, exciting and only improving. Expect big things in 2023.
MW: Let's be honest here and count the mistakes made by Carlton players in the final three minutes of both the Melbourne and Collingwood games (ignoring the games they dropped to St Kilda, Adelaide, Gold Coast earlier in the year. There are at least eight basic, crucial skill errors which ultimately cost the Blues finals. Against Melbourne, Melksham wins a three-on-one in the square for a goal, Owies misses Saad trying to ice it, no one corridor-side at the fall of the ball after Saad pumps it forward, Newnes dropped mark in defensive 50, Newnes fails to stay goalside of Pickett. Against Collingwood, Curnow rushes snap shot, Durdin fails to hit Fisher, Durdin turns it over, transition defence fails on final Elliott goal. The players, in that time, failed to execute, and thus the Blues spent every round of footy in the top eight, except. F from me.
JB: This is a really difficult question because I think everyone clearly understands they were more than good enough to play finals and even win in a game in September, so not featuring in the top eight is absolutely a fail given the quality I think this group possesses. But gee whiz they took some monstrous strides which will hold them in good stead for next season; they have one of the best spines in the league, an unending depth of midfield options, and incredible ceiling when they're at their best, but a defence that was learning on the fly. It's a B - it wasn't all good, but it's not as bad as some think.
Essendon's list good enough for an incoming coach to succeed?
RC: Depends how you define success. If it's limping into finals again, potentially. But this club needs to aspire to a lot more, and I think the list is a long way short of premiership quality. It lacks at least one, perhaps two quality key forwards, at least a couple of bigger-bodied midfielders, and arguably two key position defenders. And in my view, the club's cultural baggage holds it back on the field also, with alarmingly forgiving standards and a desperate lack of genuine leadership. Those can't be fixed by talent alone. But the attempt to do so has to start somewhere, I guess.
JM: It's certainly no worse than North Melbourne, and one could argue the Giants, particularly if they're set for an off-season player exodus. There's talent in the midfield with Zach Merrett., Darcy Parish, and even Dylan Shiel who really stepped up after a poor start to the season. You'd also expect natural improvement from some of the kids, such as Sam Draper, Nic Martin and Harrison Jones. But is this side capable of challenging for finals next year? I don't think so.
MW: The thing with Essendon's list is that young talent is there, but will take time to develop. Harry Jones, Nic Martin. Sam Draper, even Zach Reid have looked like best 22 locks for future years, while Darcy Parish, and Zach Merrett are still only 25 and 26. What the Bombers need to do is find a coach quickly, PR pump the hell of what the coach is going to do, and attract some mature and young talent. Might be a rough year or two for the Dons, but look at what the Pies managed to do this year after finishing 17th in 2021...
JB: I think it is, we've seen clubs turn things around in one offseason and I firmly believe - depending on the club's offseason and talent acquired - that the Bombers will have the cattle to do the same. The next coach will be inheriting a list that beat premiership contenders Brisbane and Sydney in their final stretch of games. They lost some stinkers and at times looked like an uninterested group who had nothing to play for, but they need belief and stability both on and off the field, a more stringent defensive system and a hard-edge factor about them. We're overreacting, this is doubtlessly fixable.