Duff's Four Thoughts [19/10/2026]

Mark Duffield (0:00)

Let's move on to four thoughts on sport to get us rolling this morning. So thought one on West Coast AFLW team, we'll be talking to AFL.com.au's Nathan Schmook later in the show about AFLW matters. But for Daisy Pierce, the 0-4 start to the season has caught up with them just when they thought they were catching the competition, who they'd given such a big head start to. They were outplayed and overwhelmed by a slick Geelong at the weekend. They have slid to 12th on the ladder in the race for 8th spot. They are a win and almost 30% below 8th place Fremantle now, with just two games remaining. They have too much to do with too little time to do it. Second thought is on the Dockers, who laboured over a win over St Kilda that puts them back in the 8th, but not playing the sort of footy that might keep their year alive in two weeks time. So the Saints had won just one game previous to this in this season. They had parted company with coach Nick Del Santo. The Dockers at home had to come from behind in the last quarter to get the four precious Premiership points.

It was an unexpected Hawthorne loss to the Giants that breathed life into this season, but this was hardly an emphatic win, and they have Geelong at GMHBA Stadium ahead of them this week. Thought three on the package. So Jake Stringer is said to be closing in on a deal with St Kilda, that would see him join his fourth AFL club. Now, this is amazing. This is a player who kicked 48 goals in 2026 He's 32 years old.

The goal haul in 2026 was the second biggest haul of his career, the biggest since he kicked 56 as a Western Bulldog 11 years ago.

And yet Stringer has struggled to find a home. It's even stranger when you consider that Stringer's last game against Adelaide resulted in a six goal haul for the veteran. And finally, thought for on another extraordinary thing, the fact that Scott Boland has never been able to command a permanent spot in the Australian test team. So 82 wickets in 19 tests. He comes in for Nathan Lyon on a green top for the second test against South Africa. He promptly knocks over two men at the top of the South African batting order before rain stopped play on day one of the test. Boland's strike rate is under 40 balls per wicket. That is better than Dennis Lilly's. It is better than Glenn McGrath.

Has there ever been a better part timer in Australian test cricket history? 487 736 736 That is your text line. 1312 55 is the Barra and Doday Open line. Get your thoughts and questions into us.

After the break, we'll be talking to FoxFootie's Will Faulkner. We'll be doing a wash up on trades. We'll be getting an update on the Brisbane coaching selection process. Made in WA for WA. This is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SEMWA.