Final 8 is set in stone as it means the ultimate winner must beat the other 3 top 4 finishers as the true test of the supreme team for the season, although it does give a chance to a 5-8 smoky like the Dogs that had been coming good and reached the finals with their best players on the park at last. Sydney had that opportunity this season after losing their first 6 games through key player injury and their record after that with their players back was 15/2 at 158% until last week's demise. Sorry Swans but you have to win 4 finals in a row to hold that Cup.
Now for the usual Prelims and they often turn out more tense struggles than the GF. Giants and Cats fans have to hope their teams can jump their much rested (rusty?) opponents early and silence their crowds or they'll be in trouble if they can't, although there'll be some serious introspection about the end of season rest week if it's a Cats/GWS Grand Final.
For some of we Mad Monday fans it was watching the Matildas vs Brazil and another superstar in Sam Kerr alongside some very talented team-mates who don't care if you ram home a great goal against them in the first minute, as they're fast approaching the skills and flair of the men's game and they know it. But here's the rub with women's soccer that can match the men for great entertainment and be rewarded accordingly with crowd and TV following. Women's AFL will never match the men's game, nor strut the world stage and so their player remuneration will be reflected accordingly. Right now many young athletic schoolgirls will be donning soccer gear and dreaming of big bucks and stardom and who could blame them for that? My bet is women's AFL will always be the poor country cousin henceforth.
