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Cometti: Form guide down the drain

There's an old axiom in football - form isn't like a tap.

You flirt with it at your peril.

Well, on the eve of the finals there have been a few cases that muddied the waters.

Firstly, nine days ago Hawthorn started their game against Geelong much like they'd spent the week eating bran muffins, only to turn a three-point half-time deficit into a four-point lead by three-quarter time.

It was as if the two bitter rivals had traded jumpers.

Then last Saturday more of the same.

After gifting Carlton a 30-point advantage by quarter-time. Essendon responded to a Mark Thompson tongue-lashing by going in at half-time up by 14 points.

A couple of hours later league leaders Sydney had conceded Richmond 33 points before they scored.

In each case, teams in games they were either supposed to win or which carried little reward had needed a five-goal deficit to get them interested.

For the record Hawthorn won, Essendon drew and the Buddy-less Swans lost by less than a kick.

Hardly conclusive, in fact downright confusing. But the most intriguing thing is that in each case it took a lengthy break (for that introspective good, hard look) before things radically changed.

I'm no psychologist but can we agree that form can sometimes look like a tap?

Richmond should be made to wear a proper away strip ... and one without a yellow stripe on the back. Pic: Getty Images

Nothing uniform about AFL ruling

Port Adelaide has every right to be outraged over the AFL's decision to have them play at home in their white away strip on Sunday.

It is a slap in the face for all clubs that have done the right thing.

Richmond's away strip is little more than a sleight of hand. Nothing much changes.

The AFL has egg on its face.

It almost appears caught up in the euphoria of the Tigers run to the finals and that they've chosen a side.

Several Melbourne clubs have bullied the competition for far too long on this issue.

And while I'm at it, the Tigers jumper is my favourite of all the uniforms in the AFL except for that yellow stripe on the back.

The AFL could do worse than intervene there too. To sell The Record listing the numbers of the Richmond players while they compete with white numbers on the yellow is laughable.

It looks to even the trained eye that somebody has broken an egg on their backs.