2008 FOOTY TIPPING
AFL PREVIEW – ROUND 4
Fellow tipsters, there are people in our tipping comps that have accrued over 20 points and we have completed only 3 rounds! Is this too easy or what? And just what is happening to us over the weekends when these games are being played? I suffered “face-slapping” moments while watching two of the games in the last round, that’s in addition to the suffering I experienced celebrating my son’s buck’s weekend. Face slapping moments can best be described as that monumental moment when you have been doing something that you would not normally do and the full realisation hits you so you smack yourself in the forehead or slap your face at the same time as the thought has raced through your brain saying: “What are you doing you idiot!” These moments can occur at various but very recognisable times in your life. For example you have finished watching Today Tonight and Home and Away comes on and you haven’t changed the channel and you are about 6 minutes into this entertaining show before your hand reacts to the thought and slaps you in the face and then you change the channel with a shake of your head. This reaction can come during a number of TV shows such as Gladiators, Survivor, The Bold and the Beautiful, Lost, you know what I mean. It can also come on you when you are having an argument with the wife or a know-it-all teenage offspring. So there I was watching Essendon play Carlton and I was barracking for the Bombers, quite openly, because, of course, I had tipped them. Slap!! It got worse, dear reader, on Sunday I was barracking for Port Adelaide for the same reason. Sheesh!! My face is a little bruised but I’m a much better person for the self flagellation.
Thanks to Tom Fotheringham last week who pointed out that I got the time difference between QLD and WA wrong in my preview, the difference was only 2 hours not three. Somebody else from a law firm in NSW also made a comment about the television coverage beamed into their state being an ordinary choice. I enjoy the feedback for no other reason than it indicates somebody is actually reading this twaddle!! Thanks. I save the comments readers send me in a file on my computer and if the file size is only 3 Kb after 5 years of doing this I try not to let that get me down.
What’s happening in the footy world? Crackers Keenan has pointed the bone at Terry Wallace so if he is right then Wallace will be the first coaching casualty of 2008, be that at year end or somewhere in the not too distant future. Akermanis got a bit testy again over an alleged cuddle from St Kilda’s Harvey, (he was testiculating which is waving your arms around and talking bollocks). There’s no truth in the rumour that West Coast are missing Cousins and Judd but then Carlton is??!! The AFL have decided to push for 32 teams with each team playing each other once then playing a selected 16 other teams making the season 48 weeks plus finals which means a complete year of footy. At last some sanity prevails. The games are a little more difficult this week so it is with great anticipation that I look forward to some of the tipping leaders scoring poorly.
Essendon V Western Bulldogs at the Telstra Dome Friday night
I underestimated the Bulldogs last week against the Saints although at the end of the first quarter I had pencilled in a tipping point with a Saints win as no doubt had the rest of us. West is out for the Bullies but Lloyd is out for the Bombers. With Lucas and Lloyd gone just who will be kicking the goals for Essendon, and don’t count last week’s game against Carlton in which neither team fielded a back line. You would have to go the Bulldogs in this one and at least get the weekend started with a win.
Western Bulldogs by 46
St Kilda V Geelong at Telstra Dome Saturday arvo
Gee, if only the Saints had won last week there would be a bit of cogitating over the decision in this game. Against Melbourne last week Geelong was far from convincing but obviously did enough to keep the Demons at bay. It’s hard to find a case for the Saints all of whose forwards were shut down last week. The Cats will be beaten this season but not this week.
Geelong by 24
Kangaroos V Melbourne at Gold Coast Stadium Saturday arvo
Fortunately for us tipsters Melbourne has been a blessing because even if you picked against them every week you would only be wrong about 4 times and that’s good odds in any man’s language. A tip for the Kangaroos in this game is not one of those 4 times.
Kangaroos by 39
Sydney V West Coast at Telstra Stadium Saturday night
As about 20 of us were watching the footy last week, Dockers versus Eagles, the commentator made the comment during one passage of play that Cox had gone deep? Amen to that we said. The big fella has been picked to play even after spending all day Sunday on crutches and experts saying he would be out for 10 weeks. Then I didn’t even see Priddis get injured and he’s out for a month which might make them retain Fletcher. In the meantime, that protected bunch of footballers in the harbour town have made a very good start to the season and if Roos keeps on about umpires we might even see Barry Hall get a free kick, heaven forbid. Unfortunately for the Eagles the Olympic torch relay is not scheduled to be carried around Telstra stadium during the game taking from West Coast the opportunity to utilise 1267 Chinese security guards help them win the game. This makes it an easy decision.
Sydney by 29
Port Adelaide V Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium Saturday night
The Power let me down last week allowing the Crows to win by a measly goal after Port had injured the equivalent of the Adelaide interchange bench. Last year’s grand final bridesmaid has started the season ignominiously with a zip three record. It won’t last and after this week they should at least be level with the Lions.
Port Adelaide by 35
Hawthorn V Adelaide at Aurora Stadium Sunday
Definitely the match of the round and as it is being played in Tasmania a capacity crowd of 12289 will be there to watch it. Penguin plays Launceston in the lead up match making it a double header and thus aptly suitable for our Tasmanian brothers (and sisters?!). Buddy Franklin is getting more press than Princess Di’s recent murder investigation so we hope he can live up to the reputation preceding him. All those injured Crows have made miraculous recoveries and seem certain to play in this game. The last thing Nathan Bassett remembers about the game last week after he was crunched by Thomas is somebody asking him: Why don’t you slip into something a little more comfortable – like a coma? But, not so lucky is Jordan Lewis who was reported and suspended for his love tap to the tummy of a Kangaroos player. Just the simple fact that it is being played in Tassie is enough to make me favour the Hawks who are looking seriously good so far this year.
Hawthorn by 13
Carlton V Collingwood at MCG Sunday
You know that comment I made about Melbourne? Ditto for Carlton. You will not do badly picking against them every week. The Pies on the other hand are looking rather fabulous and here’s hoping that they can continue on their merry way with another big win to celebrate Scotty Burns’ 250th game. I have plagiarised a write up of some of the Carlton players to help you make your tipping decision. Judd is severely hampered by a long term groin injury, he has lost his explosive pace, he can’t kick over 40 metres, is unable to turn freely and can only play 60% of the game. Still clearly the best player on the Carlton list. Marc Murphy is a highly talented youngster who is widely regarded as the worst decision maker in the game after turning down the chance to go to Brisbane under the father and son rule. The story goes that when the Carlton Manager was woken by a call in the middle of the night and told that one of his players had been videotaped urinating on a nightclub window he knelt by the side of his bed and prayed it was Cain Ackland! Aisake O’hailpin has learnt everything he knows about footy from his Irishman brother Setanta. In other words he thinks the MCG can fly because it has two wings!! Enough.
Collingwood by 31
Fremantle V Richmond at Subiaco Sunday arvo
The Fremantle brainstrust spent the first two weeks of the season blamestorming, sitting around in a group trying to work out who was responsible. It was obviously their CEO Cameron Schwab who, once told, decided to leave the club. Okay!! With that sorted out the Dorks put the Eagles to the sword last week and are looking at severely damaging any false aspirations the Tigers might have of lifting themselves from the bottom section of the ladder. Forecast is for a hot day in Perth for this game, too hot for Richmond anyway. McPharlin should look after Richo but who will look after Pavlich? It’s been 7 years since the Tigers won at Subiaco. Make it 8.
Fremantle by 27
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