Others might not concur.
But we can certainly all agree the game, like some aspects of religion, is about passion, fanaticism, faith, commitment and sacrifice.
The meaning of life, in football, revolves around the perennial quest for football’s Holy Grail, the AFL premiership cup, to be handed to the winning club on Saturday, September 30, at football’s own cathedral – the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
This striking image, brilliantly conceived and created by AFL Record art director Sam Russell, depicts a phantom ‘Last Supper’ – of footy pies washed down by Coca-Cola and Powerade – attended by the captains of this year’s finalists.
From left to right are Bulldog Brad Johnson, Saint Luke Ball, Eagle Chris Judd, Swan Barry Hall, Crow Mark Ricciuto, Magpie Nathan Buckley, Demon David Neitz and Docker Peter Bell. Fittingly, Hall shares centre stage with the prized cup he and his mentor, Paul Roos, held aloft last year, while his envious counterparts – of whom, only Ricciuto and Bell have previously had their hands on the silverware – attempt to glean from Hall the wisdom and knowledge required to win it all.
West Coast, Adelaide, Fremantle and Sydney go into the weekend knowing a first-week stumble won’t mean the end of their premiership campaigns. Last year, Sydney managed to regroup after losing a thrilling qualifying final to West Coast in Perth, beating Geelong at home the following week and St Kilda in a preliminary final, before exacting revenge on the Eagles on Grand Final day.
In contrast, the four Victorian finalists, Collingwood, St Kilda, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, face cut-throat matches at the MCG this weekend, and if one of those clubs is to grab the cup, it must win four straight, including two on the road in weeks two and three.
Unfortunately, recent history suggests it might be hard for those in the bottom half of the eight to go all the way.
Since 2000, when the current finals system was adopted (first v fourth, second v third, fifth v eighth and sixth v eighth), only teams finishing in the top four have won the flag.
The team finishing on top has reached the Grand Final three times (Essendon in 2000-01 and Port Adelaide in 2004).
The second-placed team has made the Grand Final five times (the Brisbane Lions in 2001, 2002 and 2004, Collingwood in 2003 and West Coast last year); the club finishing third has played in three Grand Finals (Melbourne in 2000, the Lions in 2003 and Sydney last season), and the fourth best team after the home and away rounds has made the big one just once (the Magpies in 2002).
Hawthorn is the only team to finish in the bottom four to make significant progress in September since the new formula was put in place. The Hawks finished seventh at the end of the home and away games, but won their first two finals to advance to a preliminary final.
The battle between the Saints and the Demon is expected to kickstart the finals in a blaze of glory, with both showing they are capable of playing some spellbinding football.
The Saints’ late-season resurgence has breathed new life into the premiership race. After being on the brink of oblivion among a log-jam of clubs on six wins after 12 rounds, the boys from Moorabbin have won eight of their past 10 matches to peak at the right time. Their multi-pronged forward set-up comprising key targets Nick Riewoldt, Fraser Gehrig and Justin Koschitzke is as dangerous as any in the competition and will take a lot of stopping.
The Demons have been hamstrung by injuries but have enjoyed a solid season. After losing their first three matches, they won their next five and clung to third position from round 14-18. They defeated the Saints by 13 points at the MCG in their only clash this season in round 10.
The last time the Magpies and the Bulldogs clashed – in round nine, also at the MCG – the Pies triumphed by 34 points in a free-flowing encounter between what were then the two heaviest-scoring teams in the competition.
Much has changed since then, with Collingwood enduring a dramatic mid-season form slump that saw them slide from third to seventh after 18 rounds, before regaining composure and vital momentum to win its last three games and enter its first finals series since 2003.
The Bulldogs haven’t played in September since 2000, when current Richmond coach Terry Wallace was in charge and Scott Wynd was captain. The Dogs fancy their chances of running the Magpies off their legs with their superior pace, and are a dangerous proposition as there is a perception that they are a side on the rise and, as such, are under little pressure.
Although the Swans would accept nothing short of a strong campaign, they know they can do it but, significantly, aren’t expected to. An underdog with nothing to lose is one thing, but a champion team with a similar outlook is downright scary.
The Swans front up to their 2005 Grand Final opponents, this year’s minor premier West Coast, for another final in Perth on Saturday night. Their last three matches have been heart-stoppers decided by a kick, with the Eagles winning twice.
A new rivalry could be sparked when faltering Adelaide meets the hot-to-trot Fremantle at AAMI Stadium. While the Crows’ form has deteriorated since being regarded as an almost certain Grand Finalist mid-year, the Dockers are perhaps the hottest team in the AFL at present after winning their past nine matches.
