Sep 16, 2024

AFL

The Monday Knee Jerk Reaction: AFL Finals Week Two

39 Comments

Footy is a passion, not some cold hearted, spread sheet dominated rational exercise. 

On a Monday, you want irrational reaction. You want emotion to trump reason.

What you really want is idiotic hysteria.

You've come to the right place.

Friday

Port Adelaide (75) v Hawthorn (72)

Oh no! Ken Hinkley talked to Jack Ginnivan!

I hope Jack is alright! How traumatic that must have been. A 57-year-old man talking to you from several metres away.

The Hawks better have some trauma counselling in place. It’s almost like there is a consequence to your actions.

You can’t chum the waters then complain when a shark arrives.

And in typical fashion the AFL fined the shark.

Seriously, what a load of nonsense. Jack dishes it out all the time, and I don’t even mind, but you can’t then turn around and be upset if it comes back your way.

But Ken is older!

So what?

Jack is 21, he’s not a child. I know we all pretend AFL footballers are infants, but at 21 you’re responsible for your actions.

It’s a bad look!

Was it? It seemed very entertaining to me.

James Sicily pretending to be the enforcer of morals, Sam Mitchell acting like he was shocked that Hinkley got emotional.

Sicily has done his fair share of stupid things, and I seem to remember Mitchell being part of the ‘unsociable Hawks’ and jabbing a fake needle at Essendon players.

And I vaguely remember Hawthorn having a recent multi-premiership coach who lashed out emotionally at people and walls all the time.

In comparison, Hinkley looked tame.

That moral high horse is looking awfully wobbly.

But it took away from Luke Breust’s 300 game!

Yeah, but the Hawks started all of this. You can’t start something then whinge when it doesn’t go your way.

If Jack hadn’t made that comment, nothing would have happened.

There’s one thing that annoys me about the modern era, it’s people who run around dishing it out to everyone, then act the victim if the slightest thing comes back there way 

If anything, it took away from just how good Port were.

They were on the receiving end of an 84-point belting last week, and eveone wondered how they would react.

Would they roll up into a little ball and cry like I did at my Year Ten formal? Or would they attack this game like someone who camped out all night to be first at the door for the Boxing Day sales?

Zak Butters set the tone, bouncing back from a week of criticism.

The Hawks though stood up, with Nick Watson bringing them back into the game in the third quarter.

Port fans then had to white knuckle the last quarter, as the Hawks put all the pressure on.

The Morals Sherif James Sicily even had a chance to win it but hit the post with a long-range set shot that would have put his team in front.

Luckily, he found a way to distract from that.

It was the win Hinkley needed. Port gets a shot at the Swans, while Hawthorn ends what was an astounding season on a sour note.

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Saturday

Greater Western Sydney (100) v Brisbane (105)

To quote the great Yogi Berra, “It's deja vu all over again.”

After losing in heartbreaking fashion last week, the Giants again found a spectacular way to not win a final.

Up by 44-points halfway through the third term, it was going to be almost impossible for the Giants not to win.

The biggest finals comeback was 47-points, but that was back in 1931. A 44-point comeback had occurred a bit more recently, in 1970.

To lose, the Giants would have to deliver a historically bad performance in the last quarter and a half.

It all seemed so unlikely.

But to their credit, they never gave up on the dream of losing, and they did it by giving up.

The Lions, who had looked as dangerous as a sponge, suddenly got their act together, it was a microcosm of their season, start badly, come home strong.

As every Lions fan knows, when you’re under enormous pressure, you rely on one man, Joe Daniher.

With the Lions running amok in the fourth quarter, and the Giants not running, the key forward stepped up to boot two goals in the last four minutes.

It was all so predictable.

The comeback was complete.

The Giants had done the equivalent of missing a putt when the ball was hanging halfway over the cup already.

As for Brisbane, they will celebrate, but against Geelong, they probably don’t want to give up a 44-point lead.

NATIONAL TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT!

I’m taking my show Sport: The Unauthorised History on tour.

Tickets are now on sale for the following shows.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

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Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth- SOLD OUT! Second Show about to be announced.

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

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Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

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Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra – Only a handful of tickets left.

https://comedyact.com.au/event/titus-oreily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/ 

Come along, it would be great to see you.

You can help support me in producing this ridiculous nonsense I churn out on a regular basis. Find out more here: https://titusoreily.com/support-titus

 

COMMENTS

David Wilkes

Sep 16, 2024

It was about disrespect to Breust and not what Ken said. Don't give a toss what he said but I do about the time he did to show RESPECT for the moment. He showed no EQ when he had plenty of opportunities later at his press conference.

I am sure Max Gawn would stand up for his teammates as he has had to endure all year including Oliver.

Seems to you that anything goes when Breust, a champion of 300 games is carried off the ground. Probably struggle with what it means because Melbourne the oldest club only has two of them. Neither won premierships either.

John Longmire and Tom Papley are just giggling in the background waiting to trounce Port.

Korean Jesus

Sep 16, 2024

Titus must've been relieved on Friday night when #hawkball was ended for the 2024 season...and then amused when the Hinkley-Ginnivan-Sicily-Mitchell lulz started up.

I know I was.

Rooboy

Sep 16, 2024

Brilliant, as always, sir! Sicily has always been an A-grade flog - this event just reminded everyone. AFL gestapo need to remember, banter = good, physical violence = bad. The end. My only concern, and I haven't heard others mention this either, is: you failed to mention that both finals were determined by some rubbish umpiring decisions. The well-worn path (that is fixable) of: deliberate out of bounds, head-ground contacts in tackles and the new wave of cheating that is attached, ducking into tackles, and player dissent. We all want to watch predictable umpiring.

TAKING ELSTERNWICK BY STORM

Sep 16, 2024

I can see it all now, the trajectory Jack Ginnivan's career will take.

He'll become better known for his off-the-field activities than his performances on match days. He'll be a marked man, and opposition defenders will be onto him like Chief Wiggum onto a pile of doughnuts. Opposition fans will hurl unusual amounts of abuse at him.

Time will pass. He'll become more trouble than he's worth and he'll gradually fade from view.

In years to come an occasional fan may ask his drinking mates, "Do you remember that Hawthorn player whose name started with G, and that rhymed with T, and that stood for Trouble? What was his name again? Gilligan? Something like that".

Mark Smith

Sep 16, 2024

All the talk over the brouhaha regarding a coach trying to be Oscar Wilde has overshadowed the disgraceful "insufficient intent" decision to give Joe his first goal in the last quarter. the GWS Blackman was pushed as he tapped the ball and yet the umpire ran in , made it all about himself and paid the free. Not one commentator had a problem with it. This is insidious and we re ll sheep - its like self serve check outs at supermarkets
Regards - Old Man shaking his fist at the clouds

Fat Side

Sep 16, 2024

Really don't care what Hinkley said to Ginnivan , though I thought it was childish, but I am astonished that, in a game where Port were playing for their season and finals credibility and Hinkley was pretty much coaching for his career, how did they need a minor player from the other team saying they would win as motivation?? Isn't every player from both teams supposed to have a winning mindset? And doesn't pretty much every theme song pronounce that they will beat all-comers and win the premiership?

G-Whiz

Sep 16, 2024

Yep/ spot on again Titus.

Scintillating football and some other stuff.

Don’t give out behaviour that you wouldn’t want ‘handed back to you.’
Never great when you ‘cry victim’ and pure dross when you fire off the social post. A bit rich coming from Mt. Wav.

Lions putting on the ‘comeback to own all comebacks’ for the near future…amazing.

Juicy prospects to come over the next two sets of seven.
My team @ Barkly Street decommissioned for another season, I’m banking Power -v- Lions.
Popcorn joy🍿🍿

Doug

Sep 16, 2024

Re Port v Hoks - Exactly. Ginnivan mouthed off, Sicily missed and Hinkley didn't.
Hinkley's comment was neither malicious nor nasty. He was smirking when he lifted his wings to Ginnivan. As for the Sicilian "standing up" for his team, if Hinkley was supposed to be old enough to know better, the same could be said of Sicily, who was clearly having a moment of self-flagellation after hitting the post. It was Sicily's reaction, and Hawthorn's defeat, that "spoiled" Breust's moment, not Hinkley's comment.
On TV, we had the anti-social past players Hodge, Lewis and Burgoyne all self-righteously clutching their pearls and moralising about standards. Had any team other than the Hoks been involved, they would have laughed it off.
Sam Mitchell's sanctimony was hypocrisy made manifest from a bloke who needled the Bombers.
The Hoks' problem was they were beaten after deluding themselves that Hokball was the sure path to the flag. The Hoks were drunk on their own bathwater, flavoured with all the media hyperbole about them. Collingwood sacked Ginnivan for failing to read the room and he's clearly still illiterate.
Speaking of hyperbole, the ABC on Saturday radio news was describing Hinkley's comments as a "tirade", confirming the collapse in the credibility of its reporting.
As for the AFL, perhaps it might pay a bit more attention to its boundary umpires' not noticing when the ball is out of bounds. Last week was just the latest example of a season-long failing. Also of note was that five of the Hoks' first seven goals came from free kicks.

Julian Donn

Sep 16, 2024

Well we can only hope that some of the Sydney players diss us online this week.
Seems to work really well.

Devo

Sep 16, 2024

One of your finest pieces ever! Agree with every word. The umpiring both on and off the field is at an all time low. The AFL should give itself an overly harsh sanction/penalty for bringing the game into disrepute.

Ken for PM!!!

the g train

Sep 16, 2024

Very controversial this week, Titus, but agree with everything you said. More or less.

But the Hinkley thing is a bit complex. And I have complete faith in The AFL correctly adjudicating. Mick Malthouse also criticised Hinkley by saying if you win, say nothing. Mick did approach an opposition huddle at 1/4 time in 2010 and said something very, very bad to an opposition player. But that was different as the game wasn't won yet.

"It was all so predictable" It's mind bending to realise that something that is impossible to happen is also completely predictable. GWS should also have listened to Guru Bob: "The game is never over until it's over. Remember the statement from the physicians who examined the victims of the 14th century bubonic plague: beware, they can still get up if they're good enough."

son of plugger

Sep 16, 2024

Sublime, Titus. Especially "they never gave up on the dream of losing, and they did it by giving up". There's something in that for everyone.

I hear ya, MARK SMITH. Look at the replay. It was the boundary umpire that motioned to the field umpire that it was "lack of intent". Disgraceful. A GWS supporter approached me this morning at work, knowing I was a StK fan. He asked how do you deal with such mind-numbing defeats? I told him to embrace the pain and misery, then move on very quickly. To the next disappointment.

After round 4 when Hawthorn were 0-5, I put $10 on them to win the GF. Just for a laugh. The payout would have been $billions. I was pretty upset with Sicily. I asked ChatGPT: Please answer yes or no: should Sicily have kicked the goal against Port Adelaide? The answer was YES. I am considering compensation from Sicily through the courts. ChatGPT knows even better than The AFL.

Jon

Sep 16, 2024

Hi Titus. Are you bringing your show to the centre of the known universe. Adelaide?

On the balance of probabilities

Sep 16, 2024

Port were the slightly better team in a cracking-paced game.

Early on the umps gave Port all the free kicks they wanted as the umps were appalling.
Soon after they gave the Hawks all the free kicks they wanted and the Hawks kicked goals. The umps were appalling.

Players 10/10. Umps 5/10.
Ken - not a good look and an overreaction to a fairly benign tweet.

Frank

Sep 16, 2024

It’s enough to make a bloke give up footy. Titus nails it. AFL umpires deciding by committee? This is as bad as its been, EVER! And what is the identifiable difference? First, a sheila running the AFL football department, and second a victim of Xavier's pedophile priests in charge of the whole debacle – I’m guessing he must have played 280 games for the Old Xavs because he loved the after the game shower experience!

#HOK'ing amazing

Sep 16, 2024

Did someone tell Ken what social media was?
Ginni said that he'd be at the SCG this Friday, so I expect to see him in the rooms after the game congratulating Brodie, while wearing a Swans scarf.

Mad Hamish

Sep 16, 2024

As far as the Hinkley thing goes there's a major difference between players doing things during the match and the head coach doing it after the match

and in all honesty if Hinkley was that affected by a player joking with a mate on social media he needs to get out of the job because he's cruising for a heart attack

and you'll find there was a lot of criticism of Clarkson for many of his outbursts

Jason Campbell

Sep 16, 2024

I cannot stand the Hawks Titus but that’s your worst call in an awful long time. You must dislike them even more than myself clearly but you’re a Demon fan so I get that. Hinkley’s hubris and antics were just plain embarrassing and indeed pathetic for a 60 year old man. His players are supposed to see him as a role model? He’s clearly lost the plot and unravelled under the pressure. Soon, thankfully he’ll be gone. A lot of kids look at that and you’re defending it. Not good enough.

Penguin

Sep 16, 2024

Well said Titus. Hinkley was understandably emotional. He’s had a rough year. It was a great performance by his team.

It was Sicily who escalated the situation. All he had to do was walk up to Hinkley, shake his hand and wish him luck against the Swans. Hinkley would have backed down and shaken his hand, and all the commentators, even the Hawks curmudgeons, would have praised Sicily for his sportsmanship. And Breust would’ve got his proper well deserved sendoff. Instead Sicily chose to up the aggression and off we went on some stupid down the rabbit hole self-righteous blame game. It was as much Sicily‘s fault as Hinkley’s. As for Mitchell, crocodile tears ended a great season and took the gloss off an excellent game.

Fifth Umpire

Sep 16, 2024

Really Titus ? 6 inches to the right and Ken’s much vaunted game plan was for nought and his career was over. I thought relief would have been a better reaction than something you’d expect from a bogan parent at an under 12s game.

Richard

Sep 16, 2024

Titus, really defending a tosser. Hinkley crying after a match, Hinkley should be sacked says his supports after a thrashing , Hinkley gloating after a win showing his maturity and now his supporters want to pay his fine

Orson Cartte

Sep 16, 2024

You forgot Yogi Berra's "It ain't over till it's over" quite apt for the GW

Andrew

Sep 16, 2024

That moral high horse wobbled on it's one good leg and came crashing down. Sheer bloody hubris by the Squawks!

Thank god all that fairytale hok-ball nonsense is over with and we can get back to the real business of finals footy!

Jack

Sep 16, 2024

You're off target regarding Hinkley. He was entirely justified in giving Ginnivan some lip, but the timing was so inappropriate. The golden rule in any sport is that you don't slag off at the other team when you've just beaten them. And especially when all players are gathering to honour the milestone game of a highly respected player. Hinkley should have waited until his press conference to deliver a cheeky thank you to Ginnivan for providing some extra motivation. I think he knows that too.

VTrain

Sep 16, 2024

The Poos and Wees were beaten at their own game and really didn’t like it. 20K for a bit of cheek and mimicking an aeroplane is setting a new standard of ludicrousness for the AFL.

Insufficient intent rule hater

Sep 16, 2024

I would have imposed the $20,000 fine on each of the umpires at both games. Too many mind-boggling confusing ridiculous silly game-changing free kicks to count. Plus that way the AFL would have raised extra money which they could use to train and employ some decent umpires.

W

Sep 16, 2024

Great report Titus. You hit the nail on the head. It’s clear who are the Hawks supporters and who are not. Fact is , a public comment put was out there by Ginnivan - which may have been a bit of fun but it was arrogant all the same, hawthorn supported it, and thought it was all good fun until it came back to bite them. Serial bully boy Sicily just reinforced what a hothead he is. He was the one who carried on, and it was he who kept it going. How anyone can say “you’re not flying Jack” is abuse, you need to perhaps drink a cup of cement & harden up. Again none of this would’ve occurred had Ginnivan not posted that smart arse comment in the first place and that seems to be getting lost in the rhetoric . It doesn’t register to some that Hinkley’s been under incredible pressure from not only the media, but armchair expert Port supporters in the last couple of years. He could’ve said a hell of a lot worse than “you’re not flying anywhere Jack”. The Hawks have been an amazing young team, but their cockiness was starting to grate and they & their supporters were of the belief all they had to do was turn up and they’d win. The irony of the whinging of Lewis, Burgoyne and of all People Hodge & Brereton was breathtakingly hypocritical. But not surprising considering they were all from Hawthorn. As for the fine, the AFL,have lost the plot.

Mosis Syndes

Sep 16, 2024

O'Reily, O'Reily, I thought you were about to blow a rectal valve! Do hope you didn't miss the guilt reflected on the Wizard's face ... Ginny had just asked him to make it all disappear!!

BIG JULES

Sep 16, 2024

It's a wonder that the Port supporters didn't throw their dentures at Sicily.

Sicily might have the last laugh, though, as the home of the Cosa Nostra.

JAYTEN

Sep 16, 2024

I've always enjoyed your round ups but you went on a rant this time. Do you really hate the Hawks this much?! I think they've been entertaining and it's inspirational with what they've achieved. Ginnivan sent a comment to a mate as banter, some journalist without a story trawled through socials and found a comment from a 20 yo he could blow up into something and make it out to be disrespecting PA. Really? And then a coach after a game which they won, decides it's all well and good to humilate a team that just had their dreams crushed. In front of a massive TV audience which he knew would be watching so it looks like Hinkley is a big hero now?? Not in my book. My opinion of PAFC coach and players has just changed dramatically. Have a crack later on in press conferences etc but not on the field. THAT is disrespectful. And also against AFL rules. And that is my rant.

Paul

Sep 16, 2024

Very well said Titus. I hate that kind of behaviour as well. It's like the bully and pest in Grade Four who has a go at everyone, and as soon as somebody stands up to him, he runs to the teacher, "Miss, Miss".

paul jones

Sep 16, 2024

Titus that was poor...I thought you find some fun in the whole Hinkley thing. You did not....you just got sucked into preaching and high morals as much as everyone else. Sad to read your words today...have a laugh mate!!

Doolyb

Sep 16, 2024

Yeah let's pile on a 20 year old, making a tongue in cheek comment to an ex-teammate, picked up by media hounds looking to blow something, anything up, all the while letting a elder statesman of the game, blame an unnecessary outburst on his club being disrespected by said 20 year old. Hmmm, maybe the club did that all by themselves by being absolutely flogged in a home final the week before. Port won, wasn't that the ultimate payback? No words were needed. Poor form by Ken Hinkley!

Bas

Sep 16, 2024

Kicking a team when they are down? Glad Hinkley was fined.

Arthur

Sep 17, 2024

Frank, you are an absolute flog!
Fifth Umpire, you nailed it with your comment “ I thought relief would have been a better reaction than something you’d expect from a bogan parent at an under 12s game.”
And BTW, none of the gutless press (except for Nathan Buckley) highlighted the fact that Hinkley started his taunt with “Jack, you f**king idiot”…would’ve got a reaction from me if I was his teammate!

Woody

Sep 17, 2024

Big confession there Titus - a year 10 formal indeed. What pretentious crap to have to suffer through, especially as you wouldn't have had a date. I wouldn't have attended in the first place, even if it was free admission, free grog and the chance of a quickie behind the bike shed

Me

Sep 17, 2024

So you’re saying it wasn’t a bad look - that you think any coach at any level should “address” players of the other team post game about something that didn’t happen on the field at all?

Let’s leave aside we don’t actually know what was said and how it was said unless some mic footage has been dropped but you think that’s good leadership for a coach to pull the focus from his teams victory because he was hurt by a throwaway on socials?

Mac Hawk

Sep 19, 2024

Titus' obsessive hatrred of Hawthorn left him ranting to the point where he lost completely his sense of humour.
Who the f do you think you arre Titus? Kane Cornes ?

Tarax Club

Sep 19, 2024

Titus you sure raised the hackles of some born again obscurantist sect members. Who until recently have been wandering bereft amongst the Middle East suburban wilderness. Trying to learn some humility and humbleness after a dramatic fall of empire some time back. Yes some have sought refuge in the media, popping up amongst the flotsam and jetsam as pious choirboys with some confected moral outrage. Others remain strangely evangelical with the diminished mothership. Butter wouldn’t in their mouths. Like a costume change at a cheap provincial pantomime, still philistines and blackards beneath. Thanks… Don (Scott)

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