It's hard for us to trust our eyes and realize that just two rounds remain in the home-and-away season! Six teams have clinched places in the top eight, bu everything outside the top spot is likely still up for grabs. It's clear that just winning won't be enough, and that percentage will matter in the fight for the double chance.. That's easier said than done, especially with Melbourne playing Carlton and Sydney hosting Collingwood. Looking lower down the ladder, the Bulldogs have a shot at taking advantage of favorable scheduling to sneak into September, while Richmond will surely need to battle against Hawthorn, and St Kilda face an uphill climb against Brisbane. Beyond the finals race, though, all nine games of the round have something going for them. From Western Derby 55 to Ben Cunnington's AFL return and potential referenda on multiple head coaches, you won't want to miss a second of Round 22, even if your team no longer has the premiership cup in their sights.

For whom were the vibes excellent, and why? That's the central question to unlocking the secrets of Round 21. The vibes certainly favored eleven-game win streaks, with two striped teams reaching that point — one in a much more entertaining and gripping fashion than the other. We also got plenty of Flagmantle vibes with another Freo win in Victoria, as well as vibes of persistence for multiple clubs near the bottom finals spots. And of course, the end of the round had vibes of celebration and thanks for one Josh J. Kennedy as he bowed out with a flourish. Hear our thoughts on those happenings, the rest of the footy week's events, and a certain montage in our 52nd episode.

...wait, name who what? Believe it or not, we don't spend all that much time talking about the AFL's various Lachies in this episode. In terms of individual players, there's Angus, Sam, Rhys, and of course, a Josh ahead of his curtain call. In a round with 8 teams in the top 10 playing others in the same boat, every list change is magnified going in, and every strategic expectation will be reckoned against what we see on the oval this weekend. Highlights include Melbourne and Collingwood to begin the round on Friday night, the Dogs and Dockers under the roof on Saturday, and what Benjamin has dubbed the Michael Voss Cup between Brisbane and Carlton in the middle of the Sunday slate.

Whereas Round 19 didn't have many standout matchups on paper, Round 20 certainly does! Freo and Melbourne on Friday night is sure to play a major role in the top 4 race, while Saturday features the "Eddie's a Wanker" game between Collingwood and Port, Sydney Derby XXIV, and a big rematch between the Cats and Dogs. Sunday is headlined by Richmond and Brisbane at the 'G, and some downward trend for either of those teams has to give. The thing is, last round was made great by unassuming fixtures, so maybe the Eddie Betts Cup or the Coast Clash will surprise us! Who knows what the Hawks can do as they face their first real test in a few weeks with St Kilda... or maybe even Essendon and COVID-reckoned North can provide major entertainment? Stranger things have happened...

...Trust us, the quote makes more sense once you've listened to the first bit of the episode. What a round! We knew we were in for a crazy one when Round 19 began with Richmond and Fremantle's draw, but we didn't know then just how ridiculous it would end up being. At least six of the teams who began the round in finals position played in a game that had some real substance and ladder-shifting potential, and much of that potential was realized. Were those late changing winds more comebacks or letdowns? And emerging from the round, who looks good for the shorter term, and for the next couple months? We try our best to answer all that and more in this recap.

This preview may be a shorter one, but that's because we cut to the chase and talked about the footy ahead of us! With five rounds to go and eight games potentially impacting the finals race, there's a lot to get into. Richmond and Fremantle open the round with key offensive outs on each side, but it's a must for both to get back on track. The Swans can help their top 4 case on Saturday afternoon, while Port and Geelong get the stage to themselves, and the night ends with QClash 23 going against Grand Final rematch, part two. Sunday will see one winning streak of at least three games end when Collingwood and Essendon meet again, but Carlton and GWS begin before that, and the Saints get going on the (and against) West Coast to close out the round.

Why did Ethan call this an "EA Games: Challenge Everything" round? Well, it made us rethink what we thought of many teams and of the finals race! Take the Bulldogs bouncing back with a big win over the Saints, then receiving help from North to potentially revive their chance at the 8. Or how about the Swans, figuring out how to work through Freo's full-court press of a defense? Not to mention Melbourne being less rigid with their structure, Essendon performing as a complete team once again, and more! This interstate episode — with Benjamin recording from Oregon — may be our most thorough yet.

Alternate titles: "Do Not Touch That Ball," and "Quit Your Job."

It's goodbye to Thursday night footy for the year in all likelihood, but hello to Round 18 with a potential eliminator between the Dogs and Saints. The Pies and Lions look to regain form Saturday afternoon; then the Leigh Adams "era" begins for North, and a ridiculous (and ridiculously poorly scheduled) double fixture closes out the Saturday slate. Sunday has a clash all about Sam Mitchell, the return of footy to Alice Springs, and a game that's suddenly become really fascinating and important finishing up the round as Essendon hosts Gold Coast.

Exhale, everybody. Took us a while to get our heads around this past round, because it started with a bang as the Cats took the top spot on the ladder, and it only got more hectic from there. While Friday's lone game wasn't close, a couple on Saturday more than made up for that. North actually did something, and Gold Coast... did more than something. Multiple teams in the 8 solidified their positions, but on Sunday the Lions' top 4 case took a hit. The round ended with one of the strangest scoring-trend games you'll ever see, and because the Eagles were the focal team, Benjamin gets to bite into that.