Round 24 of the 2023 AFL season has played out and Nathan Buckley has put together his five takeaways in The Buck Stops Here.
Melbourne’s form, Errol Gulden, an underrated GWS duo, Port Adelaide and Lance Franklin’s farewell were on Buckley’s mind after Round 24 on SEN Breakfast.
Read his thoughts below:
Melbourne’s gritty win was full of merit
“I thought Melbourne’s win was full of merit.
“Out of the sides that had ‘nothing to play for’ - in that, they knew exactly what their circumstance was before they took the field - I thought they were exceptional with the way they went about it.”
READ MORE: “FULL OF MERIT”: MELBOURNE’S GRITTY WIN OVER SYDNEY BODES WELL FOR SEPTEMBER HOPES
Young Swan deserves praise for monster outing
“Errol Gulden, I just have to speak about this young fella.
“His performance was just exceptional, and he's just gone from strength to strength in a very short career to date.”
READ MORE: “EXCEPTIONAL TALENT”: BUCKLEY HEAPS PRAISE ON YOUNG SWAN AFTER MONSTER PERFORMANCE
GWS have their stars, but their high half-forwards are so critical
“Number three for me is the Giants and the thing that stands out most for me is their high forwards.
“Two weeks ago against Port Adelaide, Brent Daniels and Toby Bedford both had one-week suspensions and it had a significant impact in the way that GWS presented.
“Port Adelaide were able to run over the top of them, it was a rare flat game for GWS in what has been an exceptional back two-thirds of the season.
“These two players have been significant for them.
“Carlton fans don't need to get too wound up here … you came up against the side that this was elimination final for.
“I thought that the Blues were still pretty good. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
“But they beat a real good side did the Giants, they had to best them when Carlton were up and about and they were able to run away with it.
“No, Sam Taylor so that'll be an interesting one.
“The other (Tom) Green was great, 35 disposals in the middle.
“Daniels had 23 touches and 10 score involvements. Bedford had nine disposals and five score involvements.
“They get up and down the field. They run, they help their defensive unit.
“They run so hard to defend, but then they're the beginning of their offence as well and they get end to end.”
Port Adelaide will have to do it differently in September
“Point four for me is Port Adelaide and they will have to do it absolutely differently than the other seven teams in the finals.
“Out of the eight teams that are going in over the, in the last three months, we have the seven best teams defensively and then Port Adelaide.
“Port Adelaide is the 12th best defensive team in that three-month period.
“Giants are top three, Melbourne are top three and St Kilda are top three.
“Port Adelaide, they're going to have to do it off contest and offence rather than contest and defence.
“It's just going to be fascinating to see how they do it.
“Ken was pretty happy, it's been a great run for them. They've been banged up for a lot of the year and they might go into September, but he was pretty proud of his group throughout this year.
“Port goes up and plays Brisbane up at the Gabba. Brisbane have been undefeated this year at home even though Adelaide and St Kilda have run them close in the last couple of games.
“They need territory, so they need to win clearance and go forward, and they need to protect their back half by getting so much of the ball in the front half that they let their smalls go to work.
“They need to go to work in the front half because if Brisbane can control that or if any side against Port Adelaide can get their fair share of their own territory.
“Port Adelaide just haven't stood up (in those scenarios).”
It was great to see Lance Franklin have a proper send-off
“The last one for me is the Lance Franklin send-off.
“I loved it. I loved that he was prepared to come and do it and he was happy enough and grateful enough to do it.
“He's a very shy guy to give himself that time to say goodbye and to give everyone else the opportunity to say goodbye to him as well.
“It was great to see it. It was great to see his family involved.
“It’s a really hard thing to do to say goodbye and sometimes you want to ignore it, you want to forget about it.
“But the way that he was able to encapsulate it and voice, it spoke to the fact that there's a little bit of sadness, but there's a lot of pride in it and he should have, he's been such a huge figure in the game.
“There's been none bigger like as a modern-day champion who did it at two clubs, as he said, and the investment that the Sydney Swans made in him to go up there just paid off in spades.
“It was just great to see a full house at the SCG celebrating a champion of the game and a great role model for every young boy and girl out there.”