It is the best time of year for many sports fans. Between the months of August and October, many seasons are beginning whilst others are coming to a close or have recently ended. We take a look at what we have learned over the past 90 days in a variety of different sports;
AFL
NRL
A-League
EPL
La Liga
Serie A
NBA
NFL
NHL
MLB
AFL
- Free Agency has rocked the boat - With big names requesting trades, and many players with currency moving from lesser teams to those in premiership contention, big questions have been raised about free agency in the sport (we will explore this in a separate post in the near future).
- It's not a great time to be bad - I know that sounds ridiculous, it's never a great time to be bad. But this is unprecedented. In hindsight, the past ten years have been a pivotal period in the history of the AFL, as it has shaped the direction of many clubs in the industry. We have seen strong clubs emerge from the pack and continue to grow, while weaker clubs with smaller markets have made little progress. There is no doubt the equality gap is widening. Whether this is good or bad? well that is a discussion many of us will have for hours over the off season.
- The coaching circus continues - 3 coaches have been given their marching orders so far, all of which are very questionable decisions. Geelong great Cameron Ling brought up a great point that all should take notice of in club land. Sanderson's win loss record at Adelaide was better than Clarkson's at the Hawks at the same point in time. One coach was given time to build his project that has yielded three premierships. The other was shown the door. That is the difference between an average club and a great club.
NRL
- The Monkey is finally gone - South Sydney won their first premiership in 43 years, finally ridding the monkey on their back that has haunted them for almost half a century. They are in fantastic shape to repeat next year even with the loss of club legend Sam Burgess.
- Johnathan Thurston is an immortal already - Thurston won his 3rd Dally M this season, leading the Cowboys on an incredible winning streak that was cruelly ended in controversy once again against the Roosters in the finals. Arguably the greatest player of his generation, he will most certainly be given immortal status at the end of his illustrious career.
- Des Hasler just finds a way - Despite the Bulldogs sneaking into the top 8, they ground their way to the last day of the season, playing their best footy at the right time of the year. This is a common trait in Des Hasler coached sides.
- Beware the Tiger in 2015 - Jason Taylor has taken the helm in the off season and has already made some incredibly brutal decisions to ensure the Wests Tigers have a successful future. Many believe he is the right man for the job, and with the brightest young list in the game, Wests could be fighting for a top 4 spot next season.
A-League
- The league is in great shape - There are no terrible teams anymore in the A-league. Each can compete strongly at their best. Not only that, the brand of football that many clubs are playing has a continental edge to it. Possession based football that fans love to watch. The popularity and strength of the league continues to grow at a rapid rate.
- How good is David Villa? - It is absolutely astonishing to think that this guy was playing in a UEFA Champions League final in May and now he is in Melbourne and off to a great start in his first game with a wonderfully taken goal. He is still so close to the peak of his powers and is at at a level that has never been seen before in the A-League.
- Top 6 looking exciting - Perth and Wellington have recruited very shrewdly in the off season, opting for proven and creative talent to take their respective clubs forward. Both of which should finish in the top 6 this season. Victory look scary and should be finishing top 2. Adelaide continue to grow under super coach Josep Gombau, City finally have some backbone along with Mr Villa for 10 games. Brisbane are reigning champions and will not be going anywhere in a hurry despite the loss of Berisha. The Wanderers will be there or there abouts again as they look to continue the momentum of their incredible Asian Champions League campaign. It could be bad news for the other 3 NSW teams though, as all will have a lot of work to do to break into the top 6.
EPL
- All the talk is Chelsea, but is it justified? - Chelsea have got off to an impressive start in the EPL on the back of Fabregas and Diego Costa. They have had a good draw so far, so if either of these two go down when the big games start to flow, it will be interesting to see how they fair. They still prefer to "do a Stoke" against the big sides away from Stamford Bridge (as proven against Man City this season already). This tactic may ultimately decide the location of the title this year, whether it be for better or for worse.
- Di Maria is the best player in the league at the moment - What a signing, when Falcao hits his straps and United can sort out their shambles at the back, they will be dangerous. It is lucky for them that they have such a great keeper during these moments to keep them in games.
- Super Mario or Super Scapegoat? - Liverpool have started the season poorly with many saying that the club can not cope without Luis Suarez. This is an interesting view point, as approximately 10 signings were made in the summer that will push to play first team football regularly. All of which fit a profile that suits the Rodgers philosophy. Despite Balotelli's great performance in general link up play, his goal drought is being highlighted by all and is being blamed for the teams lack of cutting edge. With a whole new squad and players adjusting to the system, the team needs time despite the will of the fans. Remember, if Suarez had stayed he wouldn't have played a game yet this season.
- Fair play to the Saints - A great coaching appointment and some fantastic gems have been brought into St Mary's such as Pelle and Tadic. Despite the loss of their best four players and their manager, Southampton continue to roll on, playing some pretty stuff in the process.
La Liga
- Valencia and Sevilla back where they belong - It has been so refreshing to see the likes of Sevilla and Valencia get off to such impressive starts. These are clubs that need to be fighting at the top of the table for La Liga's middle end competition to strengthen.
- Ronaldo on another planet but nobody will stop Barca this Season - Ronaldo has scored 13 goals already this season and will almost certainly win another Ballon d'Or this year. But it has been Barca's balance between attack and defence that has been the highlight so far. In seven league games they have scored 19 goals and conceded 0. And guess what is only days away? the return of Luis Suarez. He will transform this team to a new level defensively and score for fun while he is at it. Nobody is stopping them this season.
- Atleti continue to compete - They may not be the prettiest team in the world, but Simeone's men know how to win a football match regardless of personnel. They were 60 seconds away from completing the most astonishing double last season and despite losing multiple key players, they will be fighting once again in the top 3.
Serie A
- The old lady up to her old tricks - Juve played out a classic, yet controversial match against Roma just before the international break. They won the game 3-2 after being awarded two penalties, one of which was outside the box. To be fair Bonucci's winner was a cracker, but once again as is all to common in Italy these days, after an incredible match, the focus is on skeptical refereeing decisions.
- A two team race to the finish - Napoli are struggling and Rafa is under pressure early on. Milan are still finding their feet under Inzaghi and Inter are no longer contenders in Serie A. This leaves Roma and Juventus to fight it out for the title.
NBA
- Teams can change overnight but culture doesn't - The last team to win a major title in Cleveland was the Cleveland Browns in 1964. The Cavs will be looking to bring a title back to their city for the first time in 50 years, but we have our doubts. Big signing Kevin Love also does not know what NBA success tastes like, being involved in a sub .500 team for the majority of his career. You can teach many things in sport, but winning is by far the hardest.
- Heat off to a slow start, but they will be alright - Pat Riley is the figurehead of the Miami Heat. Since Lebron's departure, Micky Arison and Riley have made some aggressive trades to ensure the Heat stay in title contention. They have got off to a slow start in pre season, but if Wade and Bosh stay on the court this season, there is no doubt they will be challenging for the East with their young brigade on the bench showing some clutch traits as a second unit, particularly Shabazz Napier and James Ennis.
- Dubs finally have a bench but like OKC and the Clips, it is make or break this season - The Bay Area finally has a bench that can do some damage. This along with Klay Thompson having something to prove and a healthy Steph Curry and Andrew Bogut could put the Warriors into contention status. They have been on the edge for a few seasons now very much like the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. All three clubs need to achieve something this year or the pretender tag will weigh heavily on them in the foreseeable future.
NFL
- The NFC looks tight as the Seahawks stutter - The NFC looks an open affair this season, with many teams contending for the NFC championship. Don't be surprised to see the 49'ers take it away. They were down two touchdowns against the Rams yesterday but put on a clinic to get the W. When their defence is on, they are almost impossible to stop because they can score in a hurry.
- It's your usual suspects in the AFC - Denver, Indiana, New England and Baltimore all look set to challenge. The Chargers are on a 5 game winning streak since they dropped their first game of the season, they too could prove stiff competition for the big guns.
NHL
- Three perfect Records in the East - The Devils, Islanders and Penguins all have perfect records in the East to start the season, while last years Stanley Cup Runner's up the Rangers are 1 and 3 to start. Montreal are off to a flier in the Atlantic division, but expect the Bruins and co to claw their way up the standings when they get going.
- The West throws up some interesting scenarios - The Blackhawks left their run extremely late last season and with undoubtable quality, will be looking to start brightly this season, already off to a 2-0 start. The San Jose Sharks had the majority of the post season to reflect on what might have been. After blowing a 3-0 lead in their best of 7 first round of the playoffs last season against eventual Stanley Cup Champions the LA Kings, they will be looking for revenge this season. They too have started perfectly with a 3-0 win loss record. The Ducks and the Kings will also be strong again.
MLB
- The year of the Joker - Talk about fairytales, the MLB World Series is looking likely to consist of the wild card teams from each conference. The Giants are up 2-1 against the Cardinals while Kansas City are up 3-0 against Baltimore. This would be an incredible achievement for both sides, having to beat the teams with the best records on the way to finale without home field advantage.
- The A's must be absolutely ropable - The Oakland Athletics were ahead 7-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning against Kansas City in their wild card game. It was over, they were in full control. All they needed to do was close out with a 4 run buffer to move onto the next round. Kansas scored three runs in the 8th, which meant Oakland still had a chance to shut out in the 9th after a bad 8th inning. They failed, Kansas got the run to take it into extra innings. The A's then finally broke the deadlock in the top of the 12th, scoring a run to take an 8-7 lead, giving them yet another chance to close out the match. Again, they failed, with Kansas hitting 2 runs in the bottom of the 12th to take the match and the wild card game.