As the AFL was reminded again last weekend, to its significant chagrin, there is no such thing as a certainty in sport after a round that damaged reputations and decimated finals hopes. Not only did a goal review farce sink Adelaide and further dent the battered commodity known as the integrity of the competition, a string of shock results in the penultimate round has largely robbed the AFL of a fairytale lead-in to the finals series.
The suspense is not completely killed off as flag contenders jostle for position but the final round of the season is not the blockbuster envisaged earlier this month. Both the competition and broadcasters will be hoping the Western Bulldogs can rediscover their bark and bite against Geelong on Saturday to set the scene for a Sunday night special. A Bulldogs triumph would see them draw level on points with the eighth-placed Giants, which would then need to defeat Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Sunday night to qualify.
