AFL 2025, Round 22 Talking Points

Carlton has made its call on Michael Voss, but signing a rival coach could yet kickstart the renovation that’s required.

Plus Brisbane stares down the unthinkable, questions grow over Nick Daicos and a wild weekend proves some doubters wrong.

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The big issues from Round 12 of the 2025 AFL season analysed in foxfooty.com.au’s Talking Points!

KEN OATH? BLUES’ NEXT POTENTIAL MOVE IN VOSS ‘RENOVATION’

Carlton made its call on Michael Voss. Time will tell whether recommitting was right or wrong, but pertinently, with a definitive decision now made, the club can turn its attention to making moves to enhance the environment around the 50-year-old.

And while many of those moves will justifiably revolve around improving the list, luring a Port Adelaide stalwart to be Voss’ closest confidant has been the big manoeuvre floated.

Hall of Fame Legend Jason Dunstall predicts football department change at Carlton following the re-endorsement of Voss as boss.

“Only time will tell if it’s the right decision. What they did need to do was make a decision, one way or another,” Dunstall said on Fox Footy.

“Now, by keeping Voss into next season, I think it tends to indicate they’re going to make significant change around him within the football department, which I think they need to do.

“It needs a renovation, the football department. I think they need to reanalyse the list and where they think it’s actually at.

“And if players like (Tom) De Koning are to leave, I think it gives them a chance to make some significant progress in revitalising the list; doing some trades and making some changes and actually giving it a fresh look.

“Because you can’t just band-aid over the cracks and think that things will be OK next year; they won’t be. You have to make some significant change (and) progress.”

Voss hails Blues' never give up attitude | 12:35

The Blues have won just nine of their past 29 games, with five of those wins coming against West Coast and North Melbourne. They won’t partake in finals action this year after qualifying in the previous two seasons.

And while the belief is De Koning is a near-certainty to depart for St Kilda, the latest Blues player movement intrigue surrounds the call to be made by Jack Silvagni, who is thought to be holding off signing a four-year extension amid interest from numerous Victorian rivals including Collingwood and Essendon.

There have also been rumblings about Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay’s spots on the list, with incoming chief executive Graham Wright believed to be unshrinking in his desire to make change where necessary, but the club is adamant its star forward pairing isn’t going anywhere.

And while retaining the versatile Silvagni is high on the priority list — despite the Pies reportedly sitting as favourites — dual All-Australian and Fox Footy analyst Leigh Montagna pinpointed the Blues’ need for more endurance runners and precise ball-users.

“The game plan starts with the personnel on the list, and they need to change that,” Montagna said.

“They don’t have enough elite runners, they don’t have enough elite skill on their list. So, it’s very hard to have a modern game plan if you don’t have those players.

King scores 6 as Suns shine vs. Carlton | 02:21

“No doubt, they were missing some with injury and guys like Nic Newman, who’s an elite kick, Sam Walsh (not) being fully fit, Matt Cottrell, Elijah Hollands — guys that have some run and talent. Jagga Smith comes in (next year).

“If they can get a few more and change over their list, that’s what the plan is. Give Michael Voss a chance with a fit and healthy list and better players in there that can run and kick, and let’s see what he can do with the group next year.”

Outgoing Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley — with whom Voss spent 2015-2021 while serving as an assistant at the Power — has been linked to the Blues for a football department role, with current footy boss Brad Lloyd facing an uncertain future after seven years in the role.

Dunstall was asked on Fox Footy’s post-game coverage last Thursday whether someone such as Hinkley, who’d provide a wealth of experience and wisdom, should be targeted by the Blues to slot alongside Voss.

“Yeah, you need to find those people … if you want to change up the game plan, you’ve got to have the right people, the right strategisers in there that know which direction you need to head,” the Hawthorn icon said.

“They’ll do that in the off-season, and hopefully, they get the right people around Michael Voss, and Blues fans will have something to look forward to.”

MOTY?! King leaves commentary stunned | 00:42

‘SO MANY QUESTIONS’: ANOTHER BIZARRE LIONS SLIP UP... AND DIRE REALITY THAT ISN’T ‘UNREALISTIC’

The finals are oh so close for Brisbane, but on Saturday evening, they slipped up in a banana peel game on their own turf that could see them pay the ultimate price.

Now, it leaves them in a very tricky predicament with the toughest of runs home where they must beat one of Fremantle away, or Hawthorn at home — each of which will be playing for their own finals place.

The Lions’ two-point loss to the Swans looks better on paper than in reality. Outside of sporadic leads in the first and second term, Brisbane played second-fiddle to a much more slick Sydney outfit; who at one stage led by 32 points just after half time.

Three goals inside the final minute of the game brought the margin in significantly, and left Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live team with more questions than answers as to where Chris Fagan’s side sit.

“There is a world where it’s finals ramifications too for Brisbane. I think Chris Fagan will be scratching his head saying: ‘What have I actually got here at the moment?’” three-time Richmond premiership player Jack Riewoldt said.

“They came out and played so well against Collingwood, and then they serve this up again. (They were) lucky to be two points (away) in the end, they came charging home.

“So many questions to be answered. Of course, Lachie Neale not there today, and that was glaringly obvious that they miss him.”

Fagan filthy: "Want me to keep going?" | 09:36

The injury list at Springfield hasn’t been kind throughout 2025, and the absence of Neale that Riewoldt highlighted evidently hurt them through the middle of the ground and in contested ball — despite smoking the Swans at clearance.

Also on the sidelines for Brisbane sits Jack Payne (knee), Kai Lohmann (ankle), Noah Answerth (Achilles), Keidean Coleman (quad), Ryan Lester (concussion), Lincoln McCarthy (knee) and Conor McKenna (hamstring).

It’s an eye-opening injury list really, that puts their performances and depth into perspective. But unfortunately, it’s not an excuse that will spare them the brutal reality that comes with making the top eight this year.

“If they lose to Fremantle next week, they will have to beat Hawthorn in Round 24 to make it … I don’t think it’s that unrealistic. And none of us thought Brisbane would be in this conversation,” two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King added on Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live.

“We all had them entrenched (in the top eight) — maybe third, fourth or fifth — but no lower than that.

“There’s been no greater waste of time this year than the ladder predictor ... They’re still a good team Brisbane; I know they’re putting some strange performances (together) … who knows, we’re all guessing!”

Superstar Heeney leads Swans to upset | 02:11

Two wins to close out their 2025 home-and-away season likely sees them make the top four and secure a double chance. Lose one, they’ll be in a do-or-die elimination final in the first weekend of September. And two losses? That could spell disaster.

Remember, no AFL premier has even won a final the next year since Richmond in 2020. The Lions looked bound to end that bizarre streak... but now, who knows?

DOES SUPERSTAR PIE NEED A REST?

Collingwood have made no secret about the need to rest some of their veteran players throughout the course of the 2025 season, but is it time for one of their brightest young stars to have a week off?

After starting Thursday night’s clash against the Hawks on the interchange bench and appearing visibly sore throughout the affair, whether or not Nick Daicos needs a rest is the question that won’t go away from the Pies this week.

The superstar Pie was below his usual best against the Hawks, finding the footy just 24 times in the heavy defeat.

“Everyone starts on the bench in our team. No one’s bigger than an individual. He’s one of our leaders… It’s nothing major at all. Everyone takes a turn, Josh (Daicos) started on the bench last week, I actually think it was a pretty cool thing,” Collingwood coach Craig McRae said post-match.

Have Collingwood been found out? | 04:45

The Fox Footy expert panel discussed where to now for the Pies and their star player.

“He looked sore all the way through this contest. He didn’t start on the ground for the first time in two years,” Herald Sun report Jon Ralph told Fox Footy post-match.

Daicos was on light duties at training during the week and has been hampered by hip soreness throughout the year, according to Ralph.

His form has been good, though. In his five matches prior to the Hawks clash, Daicos had recorded 28 coaches votes, including two best on ground outings. But against the Hawks, he was clearly down.

“He was visibly grimacing, he was sore tonight,” Ralph added.

Daicos spent the early stages of the clash on the bench, receiving additional treatment from Collingwood staffers.

AFL icon Eddie Betts believed Daicos played his part, while Western Bulldogs champion Brad Johnson said he believes Daicos will be able to work through things and return to form.

“He came on and played his part, he just needed more followers and it’s going to be tough for Nick, he’s going to get tagged every single game,” Betts said.

“Part of the issue as well is what you do during the week if you are feeling sore,” Johnson began.

“It’s more the work you get in during the week and it would be minimal for someone like him.

“The football component, it’s just not there for him at the moment. He’s good enough to work through that, he’s just not getting the time on ground during the week that he would probably like because he is battling with soreness.”

McRae brutally honest about Pies | 10:46

So, does Daicos need a week off to reset ahead of a finals campaign?

“I don’t think so. I think they’ll manage it, his numbers are still good, he’s probably just lost a bit of that burst but he’s managing his body at the moment. He’s not just managing getting out there and playing with freedom,” Johnson said.

“He’s out there, but it’s not the Nick Daicos that we know and we love,” Ralph replied.

The Pies have a nine-day break before a huge clash against Adelaide next week that has major finals ramifications.

AFL legend Jason Dunstall also shared his thoughts, ultimately saying if all major parties were happy, he’d have “no problem” playing Daicos, even if he’s slightly underdone.

“He might have a bit of soreness there and if they’re comfortable that it’s not going to do any damage and he’s happy to manage his way through that, I’ve got no problem with him playing,” Dunstall said.

“I would rather a 75-80 per cent Nick Daicos than 100 per cent of just about anyone else. Because of how classy he is, what he does with the footy and the impact that he can have on a game.

“But, he didn’t get enough players standing up with him tonight. He can’t do it on his own.”

St Kilda champion Leigh Montagna was surprised by the call to start Daicos on the bench, wondering whether it hurt the Pies early doors.

“I was surprised that he started on the bench… even if you’re sore, I don’t know that it makes a difference if you come on at the five minute mark or start the game,” Montagna said.

“I think they missed a trick, Hawks came out of the blocks and kicked the first couple of goals.”

Hawthorn hammer Pies by 64 points! | 02:14

North Melbourne champion David King said he believes Daicos has been “impacted” over the past month.

“I just wonder whether you need to give him a rest. He didn’t train during the week, he does look like he’s been impacted over the previous four to five weeks,” King said.

“I know that there’s a Brownlow there to be won and all those sorts of things, but I just wonder, does it matter if he’s there next week.”

Dunstall replied: “It’s okay to sit there and say it might be better if he has a rest, if he wants to play and the medicos say that he’s okay to play and it’s not going to aggravate any injuries, I would find it impossible not to play him because he is such an important player and one of the best players in the competition.”

WEIRD WEEKEND A REMINDER NOT TO OVERREACT TO THE LADDER

Remember last week, when the AFL bottom nine were all awful, and equalisation was broken, and it was the worst season ever?

At least, that’s what you would’ve thought from listening to some of the carry-on. A year after one of the most even seasons in years, experts and pundits had plenty of complaints about the 2025 campaign.

And admittedly, it’s been a weird one. It’s been a nine-team finals race for ages. Geelong has 15 wins and a percentage of 140% and isn’t locked into the eight yet. The Giants might win the same number of games as they did last year and finish 9th instead of 4th.

But Round 22 showed the bottom sides, even with nothing to play for, can still challenge the top sides on their day.

Sydney, sitting 10th, downed reigning premiers Brisbane by two points on the road (and that margin flattered the Lions).

Cox: Swans 'Establishing' as 26' threat | 06:12

Then on Saturday night, 12th-placed Port Adelaide came ever so close to beating 4th-placed Fremantle, while 14th-placed Carlton was reasonably competitive against 6th-placed Gold Coast.

The drama continued on Sunday - a day which looked drama-less on paper - with 13th-placed Melbourne playing out one of the games of the year and barely beaten by the 9th-placed Western Bulldogs.

And we capped it all off with what would’ve been the greatest upset of the decade - 18th-placed West Coast leading 1st-placed Adelaide at halftime AND three-quarter-time before fading away late.

We were spoiled by the last few seasons. Numbers via This Week In Football show a staggering 19 per cent of games were decided by less than a kick in 2024, the most since 1928.

That came a year after 16.67 per cent of games were decided by less than a kick; the most since 1969. This year it’s just 10 per cent of games.

Average margins have increased, up to 33.63 points heading into Round 22. But that’s just back to 2017/18 levels, after average margins fell to around 30 points across the 2019-24 seasons (2020 excluded).

The modern peak of average margins was in 2011/12, reaching a high of 40.87 in GWS’ first season - which makes sense because expansion made the competition more uneven. The previous peak was in 1996, also a period of expansion.

Bulldogs defeat Dees to stay alive! | 01:49

So yes, this season is not as exciting as the last few. But the last few were historically close, so the comparison is a bit unfair.

It would’ve only taken a few results going the other way to have a more normal finals race, where 11 or 12 teams were in the mix with a month left. Instead the likes of Carlton, Melbourne, Port Adelaide and St Kilda - who are fine, if not finals-worthy teams - just dropped a few too many close ones and fell away earlier than usual.

That doesn’t even include Sydney, who were injury-ravaged until the bye, and once they got healthy looked like the team everyone expected them to be in 2025.

Things will likely be back to normal in 2026. We will not have another season where 14 wins can’t get you into the eight.

Sometimes you get an outlier year, and this is one of them.

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