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Cometti: Blues, Tigers left to go hungry

Cometti: Comfortably my worst yet ...

A bleak weekend for Michael Malthouse and Damien Hardwick. As coaches go they represent polar opposites with the media.

Mick has almost turned alienating the press into an art form.

As things stand his next smile is scheduled for December, while Hardwick with his disarming frankness, has become something of a media darling.

Yet this week both can expect a torrid time on the back of morale-sapping losses for two of the AFL's biggest clubs.

Seems to me Carlton and Richmond have the same problem. They're almost becalmed by the lack of young, exciting talent. I'm not talking about young, promising talent, I'm talking about guys in their second and third seasons coming in and making a real difference.

Prior to the season I copped quite a bit of flak for leaving these two clubs out of my eight (Richmond 10th and Carlton 13th) and although it's too early to say, 'I told you so' (a staple of this blog) it seems clear the recent drafts that sent so many young guns to the Gold Coast and Western Sydney are starting to bite. Like feasting pigs, the Suns and the Giants didn't leave too much behind.

The Blues and the Tigers seem to be relying on the same old faces. And injuries within that group now hurt more than ever.

Depth is currently the gold of the AFL.

- Congratulations to the Perth Wildcats, champions of the NBL. What a rout!

And what a remarkable double for coach Trevor Gleeson.

Last year he was a skills coach at AFL premiers Hawthorn.

Yes, you read that right.