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Sport Nation
Movers and Shakers: Healy on the teams heading north and south after Round 7
Gerard Healy • April 29th, 2025 11:55 am
Round 7, may well be at season's end, viewed as the week where those heading north started to move, and those heading south started to shake.
It was indeed the round of the movers and shakers.
The movers were clearly the Suns, Bulldogs, and in particular, Freo and Carlton.
The Suns smashed Sydney, with Bailey Humphrey, Daniel Rioli and Jarrod Witts leading the way.
They have all the bases covered for a flag assault in time - forwards, mids and defence with A-graders or soon-to-be A-graders on every line and should have their sights set on a prelim final in 2025, as a stepping stone perhaps.
But you know what? If you get there, anything can happen, as Damien Hardwick well knows with his experience with the Tigers in 2017.
So too Freo, who awoke from their lethargy the previous week to add an explosive reading on the ‘desparometer’ to their undoubted talent that was so lacking at the ‘G the previous week against Melbourne.
They too are in the Preliminary Final hunt, and you know what that means.
The Bulldogs, well, they've been one of the stories of the year given their injuries, but Saturday was perhaps a high point. Bevo has been on fire and so too the young mids that they've added in recent years. Kicking accurately helps.
Finally, the Blues turned it on as Daniel Hoyne, the smartest man in footy’s numbers, predicted they would. He's done it again, Hoyney. Their backline was superb, but their 18-contested marks to eight stood out as a significant factor.
Now, those calling for Vossy's head over the last two months should heed the words of the great Robert Walls last year.
“Shut up and let him coach,” said Wallsy.
Now, Robert's not been well for a long time, as we all know, but this win would have put a major smile on his face.
As for the Shakers, whose performances have shaken the foundations of their club and they're heading south on the ladder. There was no shaking down the thunder from the sky for Sydney on
Sunday.
Sunday.
Injuries are a valid reason why they've struggled in some of their performances.
As is their lamentable recent record with first-round picks at the draft, starting with Matthew Ling in 2017, that has robbed the club of depth.
But there was no excuse, repeat, no excuse for the sad effort in the second half after a brilliant first.
Turnovers by foot are killers in today's footy as we know. And the Swans have a number of blokes kicking the ball that would qualify them for a role as an assassin in ‘The Jackal’.
St Kilda, well, they're hard to read at present. Up one minute, down the next, but a lack of competitiveness and effort again exposed their lack of talent and experience.
The Giants, well, they've hit the skids, mainly in the middle, and the loss of Peatling, Perryman and Cumming last season has exposed their midfield depth as the regulars have lost form.
As I said last week, Toby Greene looks the obvious and perhaps only answer, along with the senior players and juniors for that matter, Finn Callaghan, getting back to the best that we've seen before.
Add new recruit Jake Stringer, who looks totally strung out.
It was a round of moving and shaking, and Adelaide is just one loss away from joining the Shakers, and the Demons just one win against a good side away from moving seriously north.
They should beat West Coast next week, then the challenge is on against the Hawks.
And one final point - the three weeks to Paul Curtis is further evidence that the silly matrix needs to be screwed up and thrown in the bin.
You can listen to Gerard Healy's editorial after Round 7 below.
