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To finish 2023’s Finals Dossiers, it’s a look at a Port Adelaide side bouncing back after a disappointing 2022.

Over the last five years, no side has been better than Brisbane in the home and away season.

No team won more quarters in the home and away season or conceded fewer scoring shots per inside 50 than Melbourne.

Welcome to the fourth annual Shinboner Finals Dossiers. There’s no better place to start than the minor premiers.

The end of the home and away season provides a perfect chance to reflect on the last 24 rounds.

A win. It had been a long time. 154 days to be exact, if Google’s count is to be believed.

“Cunners needs some help setting up his social media.” “What?”

This week’s Notebook is perhaps the most video heavy of the entire year.

The main focus of the last four games is what North are setting up to do while in possession.

A fourth single-digit loss of the year for North Melbourne.

When Collingwood trail at three quarter time and hit the turbo button, it always makes for a fascinating final term.

I’ve been tossing this topic around in my head for most of the season, debating the right time to dive into Will Phillips’ progress.

A noteworthy weekend of football as the mid-table logjam showed few signs of abating.

The eagle eyed will notice today’s title is much the same as a fortnight ago against Adelaide, and for good reason.

Without question, Sunday was a day where North Melbourne’s midfielders were taken to the cleaners.

There are only two and a half games between fourth and 15th on the ladder, with eight rounds remaining. It makes nearly every game, every week, high stakes for at least one of the teams involved and it was no different over the weekend. Today’s Notebook covers three topics: the … Read more

At times on Saturday afternoon, I couldn’t help but think back to Round 9, 2020.

Resuming after a well-earned week off, there are nine games left for North Melbourne to collect valuable data

We’ve made it – we’re finally at the end of the bye rounds.

Originally this post was supposed to specifically focus on Butters, Rozee, and Horne-Francis.

This week’s Notebook is a three-topic post, touching on Port Adelaide v Geelong, checking in on Brisbane, and aborting a pre-planned theory…

It was a strange game in many respects, but today’s post will touch on two topics…

A fun round produced a big upset, a high stakes match and several trends continuing.

For the fourth week running, North Melbourne turned in a performance with promising signs before falling short of the ultimate prize.

As Fremantle prepare to resume after the bye, their season hopes look drastically different to a month ago.

After a promising three-week spell, it feels like the best time to open the mailbag for 2023.

For a round with only seven games, there was plenty packed into it.

Is it wrong to enjoy a one-goal loss that much?

When comparing top sides with ones on the lower rungs, some differences are obvious.

Next year my Supercoach side will be named 76th Interchange.

Approaching the halfway point of 2023, it feels like the right time to revisit some pre-season predictions and see what’s changed.

Explaining a key difference between good sides and … not so good sides: how to block exits.

For all the focus on Carlton’s ball movement this year, what has gone largely unmentioned is how it was hiding in plain sight last year.

That wasn’t exactly one for the scrapbook.

“I’ve got to say, it’s one of the great games I’ve ever seen if you weigh it all up.”

It was largely blowout city or thrilling finish in Round 7, with three topics picked out for this week’s Notebook.

Really, how much can you say about a game like that?

Ultimately it comes down to this: if your team has a flaw, playing St Kilda will expose it.

The player fortnightly focus is back for its next edition. This week it’s nearly a key defender trifecta…

At about this time of year there are a few teams I haven’t checked in on properly.

Right from the outset, it looked like a flat North Melbourne outfit on the Gold Coast.

Sometimes these match analysis pieces jump around from topic to topic, and sometimes they go in-depth on multiple topics.

At the moment, every North Melbourne game feels like information overload.

A month into the season feels like enough time for some trends to be established.

For the second year in a row, North Melbourne went into a game against Carlton missing their best two key defenders.

Parts of Collingwood’s game were excellent in 2022. Parts of Collingwood’s game were poor in 2022.

Heading into the season, what would have been more unexpected at the end of Round 3…

Unfortunately it might be time to reconsider those Grand Final tickets.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Fortnightly Focus, a post dedicated to highlighting individual players.

Two rounds in, and my tips are officially a complete nightmare. This week I got, ‘I don’t talk about it anymore’ tips correct.

It was the corresponding match last year when I first started thinking things were beyond repair.

When there’s a North Melbourne win like Saturday’s against West Coast, there tends to be plenty left on the cutting room floor.

Round 1 had some surprising results, standout performances, and arguably confirmation the league is indeed trending towards a more offensive-based product.

Isn’t it funny how two early season wins against West Coast can bring such contrasting reactions?

While everyone is making ladder predictions, I’m taking the easy way out and grouping teams into tiers.

Here are my five things I’m looking for from North Melbourne in 2023, with the usual disclaimer this goes beyond wins and losses.

Welcome to one of my favourite things to do every year, with this edition exclusive to $10 Patrons.

Today’s topics: Fremantle’s marking forwards, Port Adelaide’s disconnect, taking time to learn about Essendon and the improvement of GWS and Adelaide.

The final step of North Melbourne’s preseason meant one more chance to collect intel ahead of a winnable season opener.

Welcome to the second annual AFL continuity rankings; figuring out which teams carry over the most (and least) minutes from their 2022 side into 2023.

Today’s topics: competence from North Melbourne, Tom Mitchell at Collingwood, figuring out Brisbane’s back seven, and a handful of mini points.

*taps mic* Is this thing still on? We’re back for 2023, and there are changes from 2022.

We’re about to watch a live test case on the value of accumulating midfielders.

One of the most intriguing moves of trade period happened right at the end.

It’s ground zero for the playing list, but not the structure.

There’s an undoubted positive for the Western Bulldogs in acquiring Rory Lobb.

For most of trade period, this post sat partially finished, looking like a choose your own adventure book.

Two deadline day deals for Melbourne – one to improve their best 22 and another to fill key position depth.

Josh Dunkley instantly gives Brisbane’s midfield an extra contested dimension it’s lacked for the last few years.

Given my expectation is that Henry will start at VFL level unless there are injuries, we’re set for some ~discourse~.

The move by Brad Scott here may be to fill a gap in a preferred three-tall forward setup.

So … does Aaron Francis make the All Australian team in 2024 or 2025?

This … this is the post most likely to leave me wide open for derision.

Richmond have bet on the Giants duo as their midfield centrepieces for most of the decade.

After 11 years, 211 games, and 410 goals at Hawthorn, Jack Gunston is off to Brisbane.

The rich get richer.

Collingwood’s list refresh continues to roll along, welcoming Billy Frampton from Adelaide for a future third round pick.

Port Adelaide have made out like bandits, trading pick 8, their 2023 first round selection, and some loose change from the side of the couch…

The first player signing of the Brad Scott era is Will Setterfield, crossing from Carlton for a fourth-round pick shuffle.

For pick five and some late shuffling, Adelaide have secured Izak Rankine from the Gold Coast.

Toby Bedford’s trade to GWS shapes as one of the value deals of trade period.

By picking up Josh Corbett for a future fourth round pick, the Dockers have what basically amounts to a free swing.

Berry, betting on himself after four years spent largely at state level for Brisbane, makes his way to the Suns where they see him as a pressure forward.

North Melbourne’s draft assistance has been used, returning Fremantle’s Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker.

Gold Coast have given up pick 32 for Ben Long, and handed him a four-year deal.

Tinkering around the edges, St Kilda have prised Zaine Cordy away from the Western Bulldogs with a three-year deal.

A five-year deal sees Daniel McStay head to Collingwood as the centrepiece of their off-season list overhaul.

Liam Jones has returned to the club where his AFL career started.

For the price of a future third round pick, Blake Acres is the newest Blue.

The first official trade sees Bobby Hill head to Collingwood for a 2023 second round pick and a negligible switch of 2022 thirds (40 to Collingwood, 43 to GWS).

Heading west with a three-year deal in his pocket, Jayden Hunt is the newest Eagle.

Karl Amon is heading to Hawthorn on a four-year deal, in a great fit for player and club.

15 years of sustained, top-level success, culminating in both an unlikely and rightful premiership.

Finding a spot to start for beaten Grand Finalists is always a little tricky.

Leading into Saturday’s Grand Final, much of the chat about Geelong had centred on their ability to defend, particularly off turnover.

It’s a little awkward looking at Collingwood with a dispassionate, analytic lens after they provided one of the most feel-good seasons of all time.

Brisbane’s season can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

The long awaited step up came from Fremantle in 2022.

10-0 in the first 10 matches morphed into 6-8 over the last 14, and what looked like every chance of back-to-back Grand Finals instead became back-to-back finals losses.

It’s hard to shake the feeling that the Western Bulldogs’ 2022 was a case of the whole being less than their individual parts.