Americans Watching The Footy

...wait, name who what? Believe it or not, we don't spend all that much time talking about the AFL's various Lachies in this episode. In terms of individual players, there's Angus, Sam, Rhys, and of course, a Josh ahead of his curtain call. In a round with 8 teams in the top 10 playing others in the same boat, every list change is magnified going in, and every strategic expectation will be reckone...

It's our 50th episode! ...and before you listen, the title may seem as confusing as all the potential ladder scenarios still in play. Only three teams have even clinched a spot in the 8, and there's still plenty to hash out at the top! Melbourne restated their claim for a home qualifier against a downward-trending Fremantle side that has some real questions in the forward half. Meanwhile, first-pl...

Whereas Round 19 didn't have many standout matchups on paper, Round 20 certainly does! Freo and Melbourne on Friday night is sure to play a major role in the top 4 race, while Saturday features the "Eddie's a Wanker" game between Collingwood and Port, Sydney Derby XXIV, and a big rematch between the Cats and Dogs. Sunday is headlined by Richmond and Brisbane at the 'G, and some downward trend for...

...Trust us, the quote makes more sense once you've listened to the first bit of the episode. What a round! We knew we were in for a crazy one when Round 19 began with Richmond and Fremantle's draw, but we didn't know then just how ridiculous it would end up being. At least six of the teams who began the round in finals position played in a game that had some real substance and ladder-shifting pot...

This preview may be a shorter one, but that's because we cut to the chase and talked about the footy ahead of us! With five rounds to go and eight games potentially impacting the finals race, there's a lot to get into. Richmond and Fremantle open the round with key offensive outs on each side, but it's a must for both to get back on track. The Swans can help their top 4 case on Saturday afternoon,...

Why did Ethan call this an "EA Games: Challenge Everything" round? Well, it made us rethink what we thought of many teams and of the finals race! Take the Bulldogs bouncing back with a big win over the Saints, then receiving help from North to potentially revive their chance at the 8. Or how about the Swans, figuring out how to work through Freo's full-court press of a defense? Not to mention Melb...

Alternate titles: "Do Not Touch That Ball," and "Quit Your Job." It's goodbye to Thursday night footy for the year in all likelihood, but hello to Round 18 with a potential eliminator between the Dogs and Saints. The Pies and Lions look to regain form Saturday afternoon; then the Leigh Adams "era" begins for North, and a ridiculous (and ridiculously poorly scheduled) double fixture closes out the...

Exhale, everybody. Took us a while to get our heads around this past round, because it started with a bang as the Cats took the top spot on the ladder, and it only got more hectic from there. While Friday's lone game wasn't close, a couple on Saturday more than made up for that. North actually did something, and Gold Coast... did more than something. Multiple teams in the 8 solidified their positi...

WHO DID THIS?! Um... we did, because we're back to preview a round that begins with the second 2nd v 1st Thursday nighter in three weeks! Hard to top a primetime game at the Cattery, but a couple rematches from earlier in the season highlight the weekend fixtures — the Swans look to avenge their Round 3 defeat to the Dogs, while St Kilda look to sweep Fremantle after taking their Round 2 clash in...

In just a little more than a few words, we provide our takes on a fairly zany round of footy, which we took in halfway across the United States from each other. From the Bay Area, Benjamin exudes encouragement for multiple losing sides from the weekend, with his Eagles and the Suns particularly highlighted. However, there's much less (if any) of that positivity provided for surprise defeats like C...

At whatever time the regular crowd of listeners shuffle in, we provide our thoughts on another full nine-game slate. While lacking in big-time matchups compared to the previous week, Round 16 has multiple games with major implications for movers and shakers throughout the race for September. The Lions and Bulldogs jumpstart the round on Thursday, with Brisbane regaining a couple important midfield...

Oh, nine-game rounds, how we missed you. What an off-the-wall weekend of footy we had, with matchups featuring teams close to each other on the ladder yielding big statements on progress and finals mettle. The Dees reminded everyone of what they can be, while the Dogs didn't start hot but sure did end that way. West Coast showed that last round's promising signs weren't for naught, but Carlton sho...

With no offense to Tom McDonald, who was likely thrilled with his Dees as he watched from the sideline, we examine a number of surprising list changes in the remaining eight games. Plenty of finals-caliber matchups may be shaped by these ins and outs!

We're back to the full 9-game slate, and what a slate it is! Every team in the top 8 is playing another in finals position, and that begins with the top 2 in Melbourne and Brisbane facing off under the lights at the 'G, each with important pieces out. The Friday doubleheader features the Bulldogs looking to play smarter and defend better against Sam Mitchell's Hawks, and a somehow really compellin...

Between a saga in Bali, American cultural references aplenty, and the six games of Round 14, there's a lot to get into here. The first rematch of the season didn't disappoint, as Richmond evened the score with Carlton thanks to a big second quarter. The Blues were one of many teams in the current 8 to disappoint. The Saints fell flat against Essendon of all teams, but we left that came more impres...

If you're looking for big names in round 14, turn to the Thursday night rematch between Richmond and Carlton — the Tigers are sans Dusty but with Tom Lynch once again. St Kilda are banged up but should be more than ready for Essendon on Friday, but looking toward Saturday, Port have been forced into a number of changes before a do-or-die clash with the Swans. Our two teams play each other as the E...

You'd expect to see a real mix of ladder positions when a third of the league has their byes, but all of the top three have Round 14 off. That means we've got all sorts of contender talk between Brisbane, Melbourne, and Flagmantle. Collingwood are just in the eight as of now and have looked really good these past few weeks, while fellow new-coach team Hawthorn aren't necessarily in line for Septem...

Three of the six games this round stood out, but first, we have a discussion on drugs, which are bad, m'kay? In all seriousness, the Bailey Smith news makes for a good jumping-off point for dialogue on mental health and substance abuse. Amazingly, that story emerged mid-round, after Richmond outplayed Port and after Essendon let themselves down in their 150th anniversary game against Carlton. The...

The middle of the three bye rounds begins with one of our favorite matchups in Richmond taking on Port, which will hopefully live up to their tilts the past couple years. When the Bombers host the Blues on Friday, we'll see how different Carlton looks in the back sans Jacob Weitering. Saturday will see Fremantle and Hawthorn squaring off in Perth in a game that could end up sneakily being a strate...

Why is this progress report longer than the previous one? The answer is this simple: both our favorite teams, the Eagles (Benjamin) and the Cats (Ethan), are off this round, and we dive headfirst jnto relaying our analysis of the clubs we watch most closely. Also on their bye and profiled here are the developing Crows, the might-finally-be-something Suns, the recently surging Swans, and a Bulldogs...

For our episode to be this long despite there only being six games this past round means that there was still as much intrigue as any weekend this season — and that's even with a couple blah games in there. The Crows held on despite the Eagles outworking them in the second half, and the Suns and Roos switched directions after the first quarter, but it's the other four matches that dominated our di...

Hot on the heels of Jai Culley being selected first by West Coast in the midseason draft, Gryan Miers looks to continue his hot form as Geelong visits Marvel to play the Bulldogs. The Adelaide–West Coast game could be a car crash of epic proportions whether or not rain plays a factor, and in Darwin, Gold Coast looks to build off their dominating win last weekend when North comes to town. The rest...

We didn't want to gloss over the six teams taking the first byes of the season — Carlton, Essendon, GWS, Port, Richmond, and St Kilda — so in a shorter episode, we highlighted each of them. We discuss surprising performers both good and bad, individual and collective, and we make injuries and schedules part of our evaluating framework.

You rank things to gain clout, so we're ranking two things in this episode. Firstly, we're looking at this year's Sir Doug Nicholls Round jumpers, and then we dive into the club songs, which helped us fall in love with Australian rules football a couple years ago. Enjoy!

We say a lot about all nine games, plus these descriptions have been long-winded lately, so let's keep this shorter: after weeks without a down-to-the-wire, we had just that two of the highest-profile games in the round. The other marquee matchup turned in the first quarter, though the effects of that turn were only really seen after halftime. Also featured in Round 11 — good coaching and adjustme...