AFL PREVIEW – ROUND 2
Just a couple of hiccups to get the season's
previews under way last week. Nothing serious
apart from missing a whole game which was the
premiership replay! Just another late night to fix the situation.
Typical first round tipping with a few unexpected
results which, as it was the first round, can
hardly be classified as upsets. This tipping game
doesn't get easier especially trying to pick
winners on Thursday night. You have to read scads
of team write-ups to try and gauge the atmosphere
around a club. Do the rest of the Richmond
players get peed off to the extent they won't
have their head right about winning because the
skipper peed on an unfortunate selection of
property on the Saturday night and now won't play
in the game against the Kangaroos? Will the
Carlton players rethink their god-like admiration
of Judd and realise that no one man can win a
game of football? Do Collingwood supporters and
players really not mind losing to Brisbane
because the Lions coach is the last successful
Magpie premiership coach? Will the Bulldogs watch
the tape of the Hawks versus Demons game and not
even bother to turn up mentally for their game
against Melbourne because it will be a lay down
misere? We, as tipsters, are really not up to
answering these questions on a weekly selection
basis because there is a distinct lack of footy
atmosphere when you're sitting in front of a
computer trying to find reason for choice!! Let's
look at the second round games and see if we can,
after close observation of last week's matches,
improve on that effort. Good luck to all except
that know-nothing tipster who scored an 8 last
week in an expensive tipping competition I am in.
Brisbane V Collingwood at the Gabba Friday night
The Pies actually looked pretty good against the
Dorks last week and might even go into this game
as favourites. And in a similar showing the
Lions, after looking like they were going to be
the season easy beats at the end of the first
quarter against the Eagles, didn't finish too
badly either even pinching the lead at one stage
of the third quarter. In an effort to even up the
ladder resulting in more heartache for
Collingwood fans the tip is Brisbane at the
Gabba. While I wondered who in the Magpies side
would stop Tarrant and Pavlich kicking goals last
week for the Dockers (I must have been dreaming)
I am far more serious working out who they will
use to stop Jonathan Brown kicking them for the
Lions this week. Brown on Brown they say? Won't work I say.
Brisbane by 19
Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at MCG Saturday arvo
In a game that could have gone either way last
week (and I was tipping the Crows) the decision
this week may not be as hard nor will the game be
as close when the Demons come out to try and
resurrect a very shaky start to the season. They
will do a lot better against the Bullies but not
to the degree they can win the game. This is the
sort of selection we talk about next Sunday
morning trying to explain to other frustrated
tipsters that teams should be swabbed after
performing 150 point turnarounds. Maybe but I say maybe not!
Bulldogs by 42
Adelaide V West Coast at AAMI Stadium Saturday arvo
The Eagles have added a couple of new faces to
their team and based on last week's effort we can
presume the new guys know how to handball in
every conceivable situation, obviously an
important selection pre-requisite!! Stats showed
the Eagles had 14,329 handballs by the end of the
third quarter and one can only wonder whether
they have been exposed to too much Gaelic
football. Should be a great game for the stats
people and as the Crows are sort of handball
happy as well both teams will have recruited
wisely and have 4 extra statisticians counting
handballs throughout the game. He who handballs
least wins I say. Speaking of stats, they say the
Crows haven't beaten the Eagles in their last 5
meetings. Let's hope that is one stat we can add to.
West Coast by 11
St Kilda V Carlton at Telstra Dome Saturday night
Hands up all those tipsters who climbed onto the
Judd bandwagon and tipped them against the Tigers
with gay abandon? Mind you, the Tigers did win
the wooden spoon last year so why wouldn't you?
Honestly, all you had to do last season was pick
against Richmond and Carlton every week
regardless and you were going to do pretty well.
Might as well start the same system this season.
St Kilda by 51
Fremantle V Hawthorn at Subiaco Saturday night
Rumour has it that Freo will be rotating Pavlich
all day during this game but not through the
bench. He will be starting at full forward so
that he can keep the Dorks in the game to quarter
time, then to centre half forward so that the
Dockers don't completely lose touch on the
scoreboard, then to centre half back to restrict
the damage, then to full back to keep the loss
under 100 points. The following week he will be
assistant coach and by week four will be writing
the game up for the local newspaper so that
Fremantle get a fair go from the press. It's all
about Freo isn't it? Not this week though!
Hawthorn by 29
Sydney V Port Adelaide at the SCG Sunday
Okay, I wrote Sydney off this season as not being
serious contenders for the top 4 and I was
thinking that Port Adelaide would improve a touch
but still not win the flag. The scoreboard showed
the Power only lost by 9 points to the Cats last
week but there wasn't any stage that I thought
Geelong would lose. In what was a wonderfully
boring game to watch and in which only about 12
goals were kicked Sydney was just pipped by the
Saints by 3 points but trying to beat the Swans
at home will be a bit harder. It's early in the
season and teams can't afford to start with two
losses from two appearances. Both of these teams
are in the same boat so safest bet is stick with the home team.
Sydney by 19
Geelong V Essendon at Telstra Sunday
The Bombers managed a 75 point turn around in
their game against the Kangaroos last week but
this week they will be lucky to kick a total
score of 75. The Cats tired badly in the last
quarter against The Power but had the game
wrapped up a lot earlier. They will have learnt
from that but better not give the young Essendon
side too much leeway. I think Geelong will be too
good for Essendon and I didn't get a chance to
watch them for very long last week so I can't
gauge their potential. The loss of Lucas for the Bombers is a bad blow.
Geelong by 33
Richmond V Kangaroos at MCG Sunday arvo
The Kangaroos would have thought seriously about
pencilling in as a win that game against the
Bombers last week. I know I did damn it! Richmond
unexpectedly (for some) won their game last week
against the Blues. Will both teams, this week,
play to the form we expected from them in round
1? Hope so otherwise like Kane Johnston I'll be peed off!!
Kangaroos by 29
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