The Footy Lowdown

This week, we’re shaking things up and bringing back a format many of you have asked for: a dive into the league’s big stories, followed by a club-by-club breakdown. The first episode each week will focus on the round’s losers, while the midweek follow-up will spotlight the winners, plus my votes and the team of the week.In this episode, we recap a wild round of AFL action, from Brisbane’s commanding win over the Pies to a nail-biter between North and Carlton, and Freo holding on against the Crows. We unpack standout performances, emerging stars, and shocking fades, while also exploring the deeper stories behind the games—from the league’s latest concussion protocols to clubs grappling with injuries, suspensions, and roster pressures.Along the way, Ash gives his take on controversial incidents, rising young talent, and the clubs still trying to find their rhythm early in the season. There’s plenty of footy analysis, a little bit of old-school ranting, and even some local footy love thrown in. This episode has all the insights you need to make sense of the AFL’s current chaos—and what it might mean moving forward.Buckle up—it’s a round worth talking about.

Today’s episode winds the clock all the way back — before supercoaches, salary caps or stadium lights — to the chaotic frontier years when Australian football was still being stitched together on muddy paddocks. And right at the heart of that origin story sits an unlikely giant: the Melbourne University Football Club.We trace the club’s beginnings in 1859, when a handful of students unknowingly helped shape a code that barely resembles what we watch today. From obscure early matches and forgotten rivalries to trophies, recesses and reinventions, Uni’s journey twists through the wild, unregulated decades of 19th-century football and into the birth of the VFL itself.Then comes the rise, the struggle, the exodus — and the stunning afterlife. From amateur dominance to wartime heartbreak, from Test cricketers to future AFL powerbrokers, from early women’s football dynasties to the modern Blues and Blacks, the club’s legacy turns out to be far bigger — and far stranger — than its brief VFL stint ever suggested.It’s a story full of surprises, vanished clubs, eccentric rules, academic oddities, unbelievable losing streaks, and the kind of characters you couldn’t invent.And the best part?Even after more than 160 years, some of the most fascinating twists are still hiding in the margins.Dive in to uncover how a team built on books, boots and stubborn ideals ended up leaving fingerprints all over the game as we know it — long after their time in the big league was done.

G’day Lions fans — Ash is back and this week delivers just about everything except a quiet moment. From Fitzroy nostalgia to Marvel mayhem to a much-needed win, there’s plenty to unpack without spoiling a thing.We kick things off at Fitzroy Bowls Club for the first Historical Society night of the year. There’s jumper drama, colour-clash conspiracies, and a return of a beloved Fitzroy design.Then it’s off to Marvel Stadium for a strangely timed matchup that somehow becomes our first win of the year.Expect talk of momentum swings, midfield muscle, surprise tags, unexpected role changes, a forward line that finally clicks — and a backline held together by tape, hope and a Swiss Army knife of a teammate. There’s also a cameo from the MRO, who, for once, behaves like a rational being.We head to the VFL too, with debuts, comebacks, late surges and a few standout performers worth circling for the future.After that, it’s Media Watch, Ticks, Crosses, and Ash’s favourite segment of the year so far: the Bin and the Basket — featuring a suspension saga, a quiet masterclass in professionalism, and a few media takes that probably should’ve stayed in the drafts.Plus:• The best Lions in each line,• A joke at Collingwood’s expense,• Ash’s Pod of the Week, and• A special Top Five sent in by a listener.And to close it out, a look ahead to a huge Thursday night clash — a must-win game, national TV, and a few selection questions looming large.It’s all Lions, all passion, all chaos… and absolutely no balance whatsoever.Hit play and dive in.