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Whateley

The Full Means Test with Adam Simpson! | Round 9 (11.05.26)

11 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

1.01 - 7.339 Gerard Whateley

Waitley on SEN. The Monday Means Test with Adam Simpson to make sense of all that happened in Round 9.

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Chapter 2: What insights does Adam Simpson share about Round 9?

7.379 - 31.202 Unknown

Hello, Simmo. Morning, Gerard. You're looking pretty good. It's been a long weekend, trying to do both. 96 reunion this weekend, so it just reminded me. Simmo says, yeah. Yes, premierships and footy trips. There's so much going on, and you can have your Brown Lows, your best and fairest, your games record, your best clubman, and you don't have to win a premiership to be a good player.

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31.482 - 53.447 Unknown

But to be part of a flag anywhere, doesn't matter what level, it just is a reason to catch up. And there's some eras that catch up anyway who didn't have success. But when you do have a premiership in your back pocket, no matter what level you are, we are meeting at this pub, whatever. So we did that over the weekend. And it's been a little bit fractured over the years for obvious reasons.

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But for everyone to get together on Friday night, on Saturday, and a little bit on Sunday, just reminded me of round five, 1999, when you're playing a Friday night. And we used to catch up. in those sort of periods between, uh, between Friday and Monday. So yeah, it's been a long weekend.

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Um, probably didn't go as hard as we used to back in the day, but, um, great to see, um, friends and, uh, support staff and even the reserves won the flag too in, in 96, Gerard. So that doesn't happen too often. I had a few reserves players there and,

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Chapter 3: How do premierships influence player relationships?

84.018 - 101.882 Unknown

Yeah, it was just a good weekend, but you wouldn't want to do it. I don't know how the guys that win four or five flags catch up every year, second year. It'll wear you down. So it was a great weekend for that. And it just reminded me a little bit of why you play the game, because there's so much going on at AFL level, and it's so hard to win now, isn't it?

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So many teams and so many difficult ways you can't win. So to actually win one, you've got to treasure it. the stories get taller as the years go by? Well, there was a debate about who should have won the Norm Smith. So someone brought in a replica of Norm Smith and we all declared that Art shouldn't have won it. So then it was like a campaign of... Did you have to mount your own campaign?

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No, no, no. I had six possessions. I was 19. I was Peter Bell. I was, you know, Matthew Capuano. We were just the young pups. Just, you know, you sit in the corner, boys. And it felt a bit like they don't... on Friday, so, yep. Who made the most compelling case for the Norm Smith? Well, I think Corey McKernan secretly really, really wanted the recognition, which wasn't a surprise.

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Wayne Swash, I think Rocky sort of got up and said, hey, listen, it's not about... Norm Smith, you know, he got all serious. But it was Mick Martin, even though Lockett kicked three on him in the first quarter. So I don't know what he was talking about. But, yeah, it was just good memories. And anyone out there who's a North supporter, it was a centenary cup too. So it was a gold cup.

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So a little bit special and a really good day for Kangaroos fans.

173.368 - 174.669 Gerard Whateley

Premierships and footy trips.

174.79 - 176.952 Unknown

Absolutely. That's why we play. Lovely.

177.505 - 194.229 Gerard Whateley

All right, the big issue is Collingwood. You've had a pretty good read on them right throughout the year. Yeah. Their stone average, four and a half from nine, 99.9%. Mm-hmm. Talk to me about Collingwood.

194.249 - 212.04 Unknown

Well, I mean, you can take the weekend in isolation, but, you know, you are who you are at the moment. I think it's really difficult for teams to actually get out of their cycle or where they're really poor at. And we spoke a few weeks ago about, okay, let's look at our first six or seven weeks and where are we at? I haven't seen a change in some of their stats, I suppose.

Chapter 4: What is the current state of Collingwood's performance?

533.933 - 552.778 Unknown

I've lived this. I've definitely lived this. Maybe we'll get the band back together and we'll have a swing. And then you realize, oh, the band's, you know, they can't blow a trumpet. Yeah. We'll find out soon enough. And they've come off. The premiership was three years ago. So there is a certain point where you need to go, right, we need to go in this direction.

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553.179 - 556.145 Unknown

And I wonder if they're already started. It just doesn't look like it.

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557.168 - 573.129 Gerard Whateley

No, there's no evidence on the ground of that. It's... Shane Crawford said to me in tribute, he said it on Holy Thursday before they played, and the more every week you go, oh, this is exactly right. It can't be.

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574.93 - 592.566 Unknown

It can't have gone in with that attitude, surely. No, no, I think they've got belief in themselves. I think they truly believe. We tighten up, centre bounces, you know, we fix up this, this and this, and we're as good as any side in the competition. Our best is as good as anyone's. I've got no doubt that's what Fly's saying. But how do you get that out of this group?

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system, but also with your personnel is going to be the challenge, which every club has, but they're a little bit different with their profile.

Chapter 5: How does team connection affect performance in AFL?

600.435 - 606.381 Gerard Whateley

And PFI, Geelong have to sit here, just run the rule. Geelong played in a different way, didn't they?

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606.601 - 622.519 Unknown

Well, yeah. And I suppose if you're playing the pies, you start to think about, okay, let's go at them. Let's try and disrupt this team defence that relies on pressure and support. And let's just go through the front door, like I said before. So maybe your metres gain handball is the type of game you play against Collingwood. And

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622.499 - 639.539 Unknown

Hopefully, Colin, we get caught up in it and it's a ping pong game and eventually we'll disrupt you with some talent and some good forward, that sort of stuff. So, yeah, it looks like Chris plays a, this is how we beat this side this week, rather than we'll play our way and adapt. The other thing with Geelong, they've got, I reckon, three styles.

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Home, field position, get it in, supply, supply, supply, and just play. Kill you with a thousand cuts. You got your MCG. I think they bring a bit more speed in that run and gun game. There's a bit more space and they know how to play the G. And then when they go away, it's like, let's not bother. That's what it feels like. And they've only had two interstate games this year.

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660.876 - 681.126 Unknown

I just find that remarkable. One of them was opening round and the other one was two weeks ago against Port Adelaide. And they, yeah, bring your dance shoes, don't bring your footy boots. See what's going on that night after the game. So yeah, those three type of styles for Geelong. So I don't know. I'm not having them as PFI just yet.

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I know you might have slipped them in there, but I've got to watch on them a little bit. But they've never really let us down. The next two weeks are the ones. Brisbane and Brisbane and then Sydney. Yeah, that's a great audit. Yeah. And Chris seems to be a coach that says, we will play this way against this side, despite those three things I just said.

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Whereas most coaches say, we'll play our way and we'll adapt. I think he's going, we've got the pies, guys. Let's see if we can take this mob on. As opposed, we've got Sydney. We're not taking them on. We're going to beat them a different way. So the art of coaching.

714.219 - 728.933 Gerard Whateley

All right. The big issue, Collingwood, a bit of PFI on Geelong as a holding piece for the tasks that are ahead. You'll have your thoughts. The 40 Wings temper text is 0433 98 11 16. The difference is temper. We are in the Monday means test with Adam Simpson.

729.402 - 743.614 Unknown

Now, back to Waitley. I feel this year they've held on to some of the older players one too many years. Being a serious premiership contender, I don't think that's the case. And I think that this year we'll just have a tribute year.

Chapter 6: What strategies can teams use to improve contested possession?

1014.166 - 1036.516 Unknown

And I go, no, no, no, it's not that. It's the midfield and it's what's happening. So at halftime, the Hawks had 25 inside 50. 16 of them come from the corridor. And it's so hard to defend if it's shoulders out, going through the corridor. So I'm almost certain, I have to do a little bit of research, that they would have gone at halftime for a man. I said, listen... let's protect the corridor.

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1036.917 - 1054.553 Unknown

And whether that's by ball movement or by just switching on when you enter your own 50, you peel into the corridor, whatever they did, because the second half, the Hawks have three inside 50s through the corridor. And I thought, and then you don't even see Gunston. He kicks one goal. It was a turnover midfield and couldn't do much about it. So,

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when you're playing hawthorn you can do two things you can try and get your best defender on gunston or you can get it done up the ground and i thought they did a really good job of protecting the lane that gunston likes to live in he doesn't get the ball in the corridor but he cuts everywhere once he sees the balls coming through the middle so really good coaching craft i thought from from longy and unfortunately the hawks couldn't they couldn't get out of the trap like it's um they slowed the game down a little bit um

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1081.246 - 1090.882 Unknown

Freeman will get their speed off long down the line plays, which is a unique play as well. It's not a Sydney run and gun. They're almost 18th at, no, sorry, the mid-range at handball's met his game.

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Chapter 7: What are the implications of a five-year plan in football?

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And it's from those down the line crumbs where you straight line and then they'll switch the ball back to the top of the arc. So, yeah, I thought from a coaching point of view, and I'm all in on Freeman, as you know, and I just thought on the weekend that solidified their integrity in the top four.

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1107.47 - 1125.313 Gerard Whateley

So the best bits for Tobin Brothers Funerals, visit tobinbrothers.com.au, Tobin Brothers Funerals Celebrating Live. So in the box craft that you've described there is there's now a set of games for Fremantle. I'm a believer you learn when you learn, and they're learning their lessons early in the season. So there are four games now.

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1125.433 - 1149.136 Gerard Whateley

They're the two in Adelaide against the Crows and then Collingwood. There's the Bulldogs game away from home. And then there's high-end Hawthorne game credential tester. And you get these lessons early in the year and then transpose that to what it looks like in August and September. They are making giant strides in season, I feel.

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Is there a better leadership? team on field than Fremantle. Like Pierce is the one, he might not have done it on the weekend, but he must have had five in the last 10 close games they've played in. He's had a smother, a goal, intercept mark, a leave your man spoil. He just does the right things at the right time when it comes to leadership. Tracy's up the other end when he goes behind the play.

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And then you got Sorong in the middle. I think that their leadership, whatever development they've done at Fremantle to develop on-field leadership. And you look at that and then you look at, you do look at a team like Carlton and you go, right, where's that on-field leadership when it gets tough? I think Fremantle are the number one in the competition at controlling Their own destiny.

1187.969 - 1204.346 Unknown

When was the last time they lost a close game? I'm sure they have, but I can't remember one. Even last year. So they fall over against the Suns. I don't think they were quite ready, but I think from a leadership point of view, they've been a good spot for more than 10 weeks this year, Gerard. It's been a couple of years.

1204.767 - 1212.796 Gerard Whateley

And it's an endorsement. So to be able to make the adjustments within game is an endorsement of Justin Longmuir's progression as a coach?

1213.537 - 1231.094 Unknown

Absolutely. And he hasn't got a lot of rhetoric about him, has he? Other than that quarter time, guys, what was that sort of conversation? But for the most part, it's the ability to stay calm. That's a skill. So how do you stay in the moment? How do you stay present with a young list? He had the third youngest list last year.

1231.114 - 1246.948 Unknown

So it's not like these guys are veterans and they've just been there, done that. It's not a Pendlebury situation. This is a... You learn as you go situation, but they've learned a lot. So there's no excuses for this side. So as much as I like them, I don't think there's any wriggle room for not having success.

Chapter 8: How do injuries impact team dynamics and performance?

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I think the same thing happened last year, Gerard. I don't think – I think it was – I think there's a good little battle going between these two coaches. And I've said this before the game, they're evolving at the same rate. You know, three, four years ago, they were sitting bottom five in the ladder and they've both evolved on different sides of the country.

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1350.315 - 1368.513 Unknown

And when they meet each other, it feels like Freeman are slightly in front with big moments and, um, and no disrespect to Mitch, obviously a great coach, but the, the, the coach's box, I thought Longy had a good day, um, at halftime to make those adjustments. And then Hawthorne didn't sort of readjust and, um, That's the art of it all.

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And then you've got to have your personnel to be able to do that as well. So losing Baras, um, I'm calling Baras, by the way, I called him Baras for 12 years. I don't know what, I don't know when this changed to Baras. Um, losing him, you know, and Gunston looked a bit lame as well.

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1382.788 - 1393.74 Unknown

So, you know, there's some reasons there that it become difficult, but they had two inside, it was 20 inside 50s to two at one stage in the last quarter. So there's, there's something going on on field and he just couldn't fix it, Mitch, from the box.

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1393.957 - 1416.563 Gerard Whateley

Yep. All right. So a few of your thoughts. This is Brock. Travelled over as a mad Hawks fan. First experience at Optus. You could just feel the mood of the stadium shift about five minutes into the last. Then when Wharfie time came up and the place erupted, I just knew it was over. Although still eight points up, 53,000 versus 500. Never felt so small as a supporter in my life.

1416.623 - 1429.303 Gerard Whateley

Amazing experience. And Lee and Q, Wharfie time is one of the best things ever. seen in the AFL in years. It's a genuine advantage and should be celebrated. So innovative. Is it the Hell's Bells song?

1430.846 - 1431.307 Unknown

The Wolfie song?

1431.427 - 1431.628 Gerard Whateley

Yeah.

1431.888 - 1440.244 Unknown

Yeah. And it comes on at the same time every, or is it a moment where the- Do they pick a moment or they, well, it can't be played in general play, can it?

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