AFL PREVIEW – ROUND 3
I complain about this every year but honestly, in
this day and age with the technology we have
available why would not one of the three
telecasters put the Melbourne versus Western
Bulldogs into Perth live and why would we get the
West Coast game on BOTH Foxtel and 10??
Commercial free on Foxtel was great for those
with pay TV. And then we still have to be up
until midnight on the Friday night watching what
turned out to be the close game of the weekend
between Brisbane and Collingwood because of a
three hour delayed telecast!! It's absurd, as
were the umpiring decisions in the last quarter
of the game which provided the Lions with two
goals they would never have got and enabled them
to steal the game from the Pies! I tell you, it's
almost 1.00 am before the heart has stopped
pumping hard to allow a person to get to sleep
after a game like that. I know, shhhh, that's the
sound of nobody caring what you think!
Good tipping preview last week with a handsome 7
although when you looked at most tipping comps
there was a fair spattering of 8's in them as
well so a score under 6 means you haven't got a
clue. Granted the games were relatively easy to
pick but who would have thought the margins would
be so insane? The game previously mentioned and
the Hawthorn versus Dockers match had reasonable
margins but 99, 76, 68, 95, 40 and 41 in the
other games does not bode for an even season.
There might even be tipping score total records
broken if the games are as easy as that to pick!
There are some better matched (on paper) games
this week in the rivalry round to give us a
challenge and I have taken a $500,000 mortgage
out on the home to wager on a Geelong win against
the Demons at a dividend of a $1.01! Good luck.
Western Bulldogs V St Kilda at the Telstra Dome Friday night
Like last week, this should be a close game with
both teams having won their opening matches for
the season. The Bullies were very good against
the Crows and didn't have to be against the
Demons last week which was the same for the
Saints with a tough one against the Swans to
start with and an easier task against the Blues
last week. What is the rivalry between these
teams? Dunno, maybe because the Western Oval and
Moorabbin were two of the worst suburban grounds
to get to way back in the days when Sam Kekovich
took 80 metres of footy ground to do U turn when
now he's telling us to turn a ewe on a barbecue?
Both teams brag 300 gamers in Johnson and Harvey
and potent forward lines although the height in
the Saints forwards may prove a problem for the
Bulldogs. I'm hankering for the Saints to
continue providing their supporters with hope after the pre-season premiership.
St Kilda by 10
North Melbourne V Hawthorn at Telstra Saturday arvo
Last year we were taken to task if we referred to
the Kangaroos as North Melbourne and now, after a
much publicised fall out with the AFL and a
refusal to transfer to the Gold Coast there is no
way the Shinboners want the 'Melbourne' out of
their name as a true indication of their origins.
Having watched both teams play I reckon it might
be a good game. The rivalry? Well, maybe the
teams are still in dispute about both having
vertical striping on their jumpers back in the
days when players from both teams sported so many
mullets you'd think it was a family get together!
Another game at Telstra so you can't pick a home
team or worry about the weather affecting the
game so I'm leaning towards the Hawks who have
done little wrong so far whereas I don't think
North should have lost that first game against
the Bombers in a sign that might be a little weakness.
Hawthorn by 28
West Coast V Fremantle at Subiaco Saturday arvo
This was the only blemish in my selections last
week although I was critical of the Eagle style
of play against Brisbane with their incessant
handball and should have seen that as being a
major negative factor in their very bad loss to
the Adelaide Crows. When you handle the ball that
many times you need to be so accurate or if
occasionally missing the target you at least have
a Judd or Cousins to mop up. If West Coast play
that same brand against the Dockers this week I
have no doubt that Fremantle have the quality of
players to exert pressure on the ball handler
enough to create error and win the game. Amen.
Fremantle by 9
Brisbane Lions V Sydney at Gabba Saturday night
Did you know that the Lions have 8 players whose
names start with a 'J'? Jamie, Jared, Jed, Joel,
Joel, Jonathon, Josh and Justin. Jeez!!! Rivalry
here is simply that these two teams are north of
Melbourne and for this weekend for the AFL best
out of sight out of mind. I have tipped the Swans
to drop down the ladder even further this year
but I'm having a rethink. I do rate them as a
better team than Brisbane which is still building
experience but again, they are difficult to play
at the Gabba and Sydney won't find it easy,
unless of course the umpires can pick a few free
kicks out of nowhere for Brisbane again to ensure
they either win or don't lose by much. Who knows?
Sydney by 31
Essendon V Carlton at MCG Saturday night
Still on that 'J' thing, the Bombers have a few –
Jason, Jason, Jason, Jay and Jobe – which must
make it interesting when players call each other
at training and in games. "Jason, kick it here!"
"Huh? I haven't got the ball mate!"
" No not you, the other Jason!"
"You idiot! I'm resting on the bench mate."
"Well who's that with ball?"
"That's Jay Nash, we call him Jase for short!"
You get the idea. I'm letting my mind wander and
it's too small to be out on its own!! Both teams
have 80,000 members between them and they all
should turn up because there's a chance that
Carlton might open its season's account or
Essendon will reverse their effort of last week
against the Cats. Either way, a battle of the
cellar dwellers and I refuse to pick Carlton on principal.
Essendon by 15
Geelong V Melbourne at Skilled Stadium Sunday
Bailey thinks that the Demons can win!! He must
have eaten an extra bowl of stupid before saying
that. Tipsters, this is the sort of game that
nobody will pick Melbourne and if you're a few
points off the pace near the end of the season
it's still a brave / ridiculous pick to make up a
point on the leaders. But, 3rd round in if you're
a couple of points off the pace you would not take a chance – so don't!
Geelong by 88
Richmond V Collingwood at MCG Sunday
I don't think the Richmond Collingwood rivalry is
anywhere as big as Collingwood and Carlton, or
Collingwood and Essendon or Collingwood
and....and....and well....the whole AFL really.
This is the game where the competition rivalry is
amongst the supporters to see who wears the most
beanies and which of those have them on back to
front. Should be a good game if the weather has
calmed a bit from the past two days that
Melbourne has experienced. A 100kmh wind
whistling through the MCG stands and across the
ground would make it a spectacle – not! The Pies
would be really seething after losing that game
last week and Jeff Gieschen would have instructed
his umpires that in the case of close decisions
give 'em to the Woods because I don't want Mick
bangin' on my house door at all hours bawlin' and
whingin' about umpiring standards and rule
interpretations. On that basis I reckon the Pies will win.
Collingwood by 19
Adelaide V Port Adelaide at AAMI Sunday arvo
Port have yet to open their account and Adelaide
gave the Eagles a whoppin' last week. Mind you
the Power were subject to a spanking themselves
from the Swans so you wouldn't reckon confidence
was high in the camp. It's time Port Adelaide
opened their account and no better time than at
home in front of 40,000 Crow supporters. It
should actually be a close game but we've said
that about a few matches that have blown out
embarrassingly for the loser. Gotta go for an
upset which won't hurt too much at this stage of the tipping season.
Port Adelaide by 23
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