AFL PREVIEW – ROUND 8
Preview tipping: 43 from 56 = 76.8%
So how many of you football lovers sat and
watched the Big V play the Dream Team (shortened
to the DT's???) on Saturday night? It was a good
match for those that love the purer aspects of
the game in which there was minimum pressure but
a nice display of skills. Fortunately the game
was not one-sided which would have seen many of
us turn over and watch something else and the
closeness of the scores right to the end was able
to maintain the interest of the majority of
viewers as well as the 70,000 spectators that
turned up at the MCG. Not as intense as state of
origin but a good concept for the 150th
anniversary of the greatest game on this planet.
As much as I'd love to see what the AFL have in
store for us for the bicentennial I'm afraid I
will be otherwise disposed around that year of 2058.
So, back to the real stuff this weekend. Does
that game last week replace our middle of the
season break? I think it does. There wasn't a lot
of footy news from the clubs being tossed about
in the papers as the press concentrated on trying
to revive state of origin, cover injuries to
picked Dream Team and Big V players and inform us
as to who was in and who was out and how proud
all the players were of being picked to play for
one team or the other – as they should. Go back a
week and look at these previews and be in awe of
an inspired selection of Melbourne beating the
Dockers, which did look in serious doubt at the
half way mark when the Dorks were ahead by 51
points. Less inspired and consequently aweless
was the selection of Collingwood to down the high
flying Hawks. You have to take the good with the
bad and if you were strictly following these
previews your score of 43 at an accuracy of over
76% ain't all that bad!! See if we can continue
the wild ride of great selections this week
tipsters as we head into the second third of the season. Good luck.
St Kilda V Collingwood at Telstra Friday Night
Saints fans, the loss of Nick is a big one while
conversely the return of Rocca makes this a
double whammy for you. Also missing in the Saints
line-up are Baker, Clarke and Maguire while the
Pies lose Josh thanks to the Dream Team injury.
The Saints have struggled since their nab cup
victory and have not looked all that convincing.
Milne loves the dome for his style of football so
the Magpies better have someone worthwhile on
him. Collingwood have been unlucky in a couple
but seem to have what it takes to make the eight.
Should be a good game and my support for the Pies
has cost me dearly in the tipping this season.
But, gotta be brave and hope they can weather the
storm and make it a 50% win loss ratio up to round 8 of the season.
Collingwood by 19
Hawthorn V Port Adelaide at Aurora in Tassie Saturday arvo
One of the more interesting games of the round
with Hawthorn undefeated and the Power on a surge
(pardon the pun). I wonder if Tredrea looks at
Buddy and thinks: "If only….?" As tipsters we
know that at some stage during the season
Hawthorn will be beaten but until they do it's
hard to find a case for opposition teams. Port
has made no changes to their side while the Hawks
bring in Bateman for the hamstrung Hodge. It is a
sort of Hawthorn home game and if it's cold and
wet then I'll go the home team and if it's cold
and fine I'll still go for the Hawks. Either way
it will be a cold reception for Choco's Power.
Hawthorn by 33
Richmond V Geelong at MCG Saturday arvo
The Tigers haven't looked all that bad so far
this season apart from that game against
Collingwood (thought I would revive that Magpie
success). I would put them about a tad weaker
than middle of the road but with plenty of spirit
and a good chance of winning at least 8 – 9 games
in 2008. Their record of 2 wins and a draw from 7
is probably just under what Terry wanted. Geelong
on the other hand are 7 zip and while Stokes has
bee suspended he has been more than adequately
replaced by Gary Ablett in the Cat line up.
Again, like Hawthorn, the Cats will lose a game
this season but until they do you can't tip
against them. Watch this space for the game I
pick as a Geelong loss. This isn't it.
Geelong by 42
Carlton V Brisbane Lions at the Telstra Dome Saturday night
One week Fev's wetting his shoes from splash back
the next he's installing stainless steel urinals
in his own home but all that aside you gotta
admit the guy has a bit of talent, especially
when the ball is delivered well to him. He has
hands with a vice like grip then can kick a ball
pretty well. I believe his girlfriend is not that
bad looking either. But who's delivering the ball
to him this week? Not the Big V players although
Juddy is amongst those that will. Here's another
difficult game to pick but with it being played
at the Dome, under cover, dry conditions I favour
Brisbane and Jonathon Brown okay?
Brisbane by 22
Kangaroos V West Coast at Gold Coast Saturday night
Cast your mind back tipsters a mere 12 months and
tell me whether you would have the temerity to
pick the Kangaroos in this fixture considering
how well the Eagles were playing then. If a week
is a long time in footy then what about a year?
Can anybody out there tell me exactly what is
wrong with this Eagles team? They have enough
talent but their execution of simple skills is
mind boggling. This week we see the return of
Priddis, Seaby and Staker while out go Jones and
Waters to mention two of the better players.
Unless Cousins appears unannounced and Juddy
drops in for a quarter West Coast cannot win this
game unless we see a complete form reversal. West
Coast supporters seem to be waiting for just that
and it's possible that it will happen – in a game
or two during the season. The Kangaroos get the
opportunity to get a close look at just what they
knocked back as the future Gold Coast team this week….idiots!
Kangaroos by 44
Adelaide V Melbourne at AAMI Sunday
Apart from the fact that the Demons made me look
like a legend of tipping last week they, as a
team, have nothing further to add to the season
in the way of surprises until they meet the Eagles. Sorry.
Adelaide by 67
Sydney V Essendon at ANZ Stadium Sunday
Malceski's knee injury is of far more importance
in this game than any other result in ALL other
games, believe me. Our sport is plagued with
these devastating anterior cruciate and posterior
ligament injuries and it would be great if
technology and medicine could put away these
season ending accidents and have players back in
weeks like they do with other footy injuries.
Many players will be looking at just how this
amazing operation might succeed and change the
whole concept of serious knee injury. However, in
the context of this game even if Nick goes down
like the proverbial bag clutching his knee in the
first 10 minutes it won't change the result for the Bombers.
Sydney by 71
Fremantle V Western Bulldogs at Subiaco Sunday Arvo
I am finding it difficult to write this game up
without making some reference to that second
greatest comeback in history by a footy team that
Melbourne performed last week (and that's over
150 years folks) and by neglecting that stat
trying to make a case for the Dockers to come
anywhere near the Bulldogs in this match.
Remember, that miracle comeback wasn't performed
by one of the great teams of the 2008 season like
Geelong or Hawthorn, it was Melbourne that
conjured up the turnaround!! Yep, the team that
sits on the bottom of the ladder and who, at the
time, had zip wins to its credit and were the
easy beats of the competition. Now I said that a
week is a long time in footy and two weeks is an
eternity, especially if you live in Freo and are
a dyed in the wool Dork supporter, and there are
a few of them about I tell you. The Fremantle
team has had to put up with what I would lightly
term as 'bad press' and are just as likely to
come out this Sunday and give the Bulldogs a bit
of stick. I have a feeling that the game will be
a lot closer than Bulldog supporters will like
and it's even possible that the Dockers will turn
the tipping competition on its ear and win….then
the alarm clock will go off and it's time to wake
up. Seriously, I am tempted to tip the Dockers this week.
Western Bulldogs by 5
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