What The F-Arc Review

Tough Tigers crush Saints fantasyย 

At their home away from home, Richmond were off to a dominant start over St Kilda at Metricon Stadium. Things were beginning to look very ugly for this underdog Saints side, as the Tigers werenโ€™t looking to give up their chance of a second consecutive premiership.

The Saints looked to turn the game around in the second half, but soon enough Richmondโ€™s unsociable nature sprung to life. Trent Cotchin and Tom Lynch were both in hot water for separate events and it looked like Damien Hardwickโ€™s side were beginning to lose their cool.

However, in true Tigers fashion, the club rectified their mistakes and iced the match midway through the final term. At nearly full fitness, this Richmond side are looking scary good when firing, with Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards sharing best-on honours to take their side to a fourth successive preliminary final. For the rampaging Saints, it was an enjoyable ride that should give their fans plenty to be excited for in the coming years.ย 

Cats hand Magpies season-ending nightmareย 

To say this game was a slaughter would be an understatement. The Cats were red-hot early, pouncing on a napping Collingwood side to leave them with one goal at the first break.

Then came the second quarter, with Geelong booting five goals to the Magpies zilch. The teams must have agreed to a truce at half-time, with neither side booting a goal during the third quarter, but by the last break, the job was already done for Geelong.

The Magpies showed some fight in the last quarter, booting three quick goals out of the blocks, before the Cats decided to replicate. Patrick Dangerfield was Leigh Matthews-esque, playing forward and booting four goals while the rest of the Geelong midfielders dominated in the engine room.

The Magpies were kept to just 128 effective disposals for the entire match, while Geelong dominated the marks count 134-46. While they do the game justice, stats wonโ€™t be needed to prove just how one-sided this game was.

One to quickly forget for Collingwood fans as they quietly crawl back into their shells. For Geelong, this was the kind of performance that will rejuvenate the confidence theyโ€™ve lacked lately, setting up a preliminary final against the Lions this week.ย 

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Lower The Eyes

Port Adelaide vs Richmond

A mouth-watering matchup to decide who progresses into the leagueโ€™s showpiece next weekend. Flashback to round 11 where these two put on one of the matches of the year at Adelaide Oval, with neutral fans hoping for more of the same this time around.

The game was fast-paced and brutal as Port Adelaide prevailed by 21 points. The usually formidable Richmond defence had no answers for Charlie โ€˜chuckwagonโ€™ Dixon, as the spearhead ended the afternoon with six scoring shots.

Richmond wouldnโ€™t have faced a finals fixture in their last four years that would even remotely come close to what theyโ€™re in for this weekend, with 20-odd thousand Port Adelaide fans eagerly waiting for their arrival.

Port Adelaide have tossed just one game at home in 2020 and will look to continue their dominance at the Portress. The Tigers will welcome the jeers and boos, with the tough conditions and unwelcome atmosphere playing right into their hands. Expect four of the best quarters of footy for 2020, with one side getting over the line by a hair.ย 

Brisbane vs Geelong

In the penultimate match of the season, the Lions will welcome feline foes Geelong to their den, The Gabba. Brisbane have stood up this season, earning a home preliminary final and stamping their authority as premiership favourites.

After dealing with the Tigers with some comfort, the Lionsโ€™ confidence couldnโ€™t be higher, with the club now one win away from a grand final at their home ground. In their way is a Geelong side that is coming off one of the most dominant finals displays weโ€™ve seen in the past decade.

The Cats now enter a 10th preliminary final in the last 14 seasons, which sounds promising until you realise the club have only won four prelims in said-period. The Geelong side that mauled Collingwood was a different animal to the one that fell to Port Adelaide, so weโ€™ll have to wait and see which side shows up on Saturday.

Geelong got the chocolates in round nine, but the last time these two played off in Brisbane the Lions won in a thriller. More of the same this time around please and thank you. It must be said, weโ€™re going to be treated to some great football this weekend.