Round 8 of the 2025 AFL season is in the books. So, it's time to react ... or overreact.
Was Geelong wrong for not forming a guard of honour when milestone man Jack Crisp left the ground on Saturday night? Is Adelaide's backline getting enough love?
Let's get to this week's overreactions, where we judge a few major takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Opposition teams should be sticking around to clap off players in milestone games
On Saturday night, Jack Crisp broke one of footy's long-standing records by surpassing the late Jim Stynes' mark of playing 244 consecutive games. The durable utility even had the chance to win the game after the siren for the Pies, in what would have been a fairytale moment to cap such a momentous occasion. However, Crisp's long-range effort missed, and the Cats won, and while Crisp was rightly cheered off the ground by his family, teammates, and the Collingwood fans, the Cats players were notably absent, to the chagrin of some.
Verdict: Overreaction
This is a bizarre expectation, and while opposition teams sometimes help form a 'guard of honour' to see players off in milestone games, it should never be expected, nor criticised if it doesn't happen.
The players have the opportunity after the final siren to shake hands, have a chat, and congratulate the milestone man personally before they leave the field, which is a hell of a lot more than what you see in some sports on the other side of the world (looking at the NBA, and NFL).
Not to mention in this instance, Collingwood, the losing team, was looking to get off the ground quickly while Geelong's players were getting ready to acknowledge their fans. Patrick Dangerfield was literally being interviewed by broadcaster Fox Footy as if Crisp's acknowledgement wasn't happening.
It's nice when it happens, but opposition players aren't 'grubs' when they don't.
Adelaide's backline deserves a lot more love
Adelaide has been the biggest riser of the 2025 season to date, jumping from a bottom-four finish last year to just percentage out of the top four after eight rounds. Their attacking flair has rightly stolen the spotlight; they're the highest-scoring side in the competition, boasting a very potent forward mix with elite talls and pressure-minded smalls, along with the game-breaking talents of Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele. But while their scoring punch has made headlines, it's their backline that's quietly helping fuel this 2025 resurgence -- and it's time they got some recognition.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
The forward line will get its praise throughout the season and rightly so, but their back six has been just as important in their five wins so far. The knock on the Crows early has been their inability to stop teams from scoring, particularly across a four-game stretch where they conceded an average of 97 points. But after eight rounds, Adelaide sits sixth in the league for points conceded, with many teams leaking more -- a fair reflection of a group that's overall been solid, and potentially even better than that.
Their Round 8 win over Carlton was a statement. Mark Keane did some really positive things against two-time Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow, Jordan Butts came in and shut down Harry McKay, Josh Worrell continues his rise as a top-tier interceptor, and Max Michalanney looks like a future star. Rory Laird's shift into defence alongside the revitalised Wayne Milera has added a touch of class to their rebounding game, Brodie Smith showed he still has plenty to offer, and Mitch Hinge's return from suspension next week only strengthens their depth, a player who also flies under the radar.
As a team, Adelaide ranks first for scores from the defensive half, second for intercepts, and sixth for turning a defensive half chain into a score.
Don't get us wrong, the win against the Blues and Carlton's failure to score also has to do with the work up the field by the Adelaide midfield, but there's no doubting Matthew Nicks still has plenty to work with, and enough to help them return to September for the first time since 2017. They might just be better than we think.