AFL PREVIEW ROUND 3
Well, after two rounds most of you, those that can read, will be on or about the 13 or 14 mark as the previews have been reasonably accurate. Not a bad start as there have been only 2 or 3 genuine upsets. Somebody was saying on a football show I watched that consistency in performance will only be shown by teams in about round 13 or 14. No wonder this tipping game is fraught with danger! Form of the Sydney Swans will be worth watching and the Eagles as well, both teams reversing their fortunes in round two albeit West Coast didn’t lose by a lot to Brisbane in round one.
Another week of footy and we have a bit of biffo at last but only trouble is that it’s not on the field. Not good publicity for the game? Not even good for normal life I say. Bock! Bock! Who’s there? Don’t ask stupid questions or I’ll smash ya! Then we have the You Tube video of a North Melbourne person or persons unknown who were trying to work out for us all the answer to the chicken and egg question which was answered by egg on the face of the North Melbourne folk! Puerile humour I know but some of these players are only kids. (Late news, Pratt and Simpson owned up.)
Two weeks in and it seems the players are finally waking up to ways and means in which to get back at the umpires – run into them! Rumour has it that all fines are being paid out of a pool made up of player donations. Give me the account number! Just kidding! Concentration levels of the players are so high that they just don’t get around to seeing a flash of orange or yellow or green or......whatever colour umpires decide to wear in a game these days that doesn’t clash with club strip. Port Adelaide decided their away strip was to be such that they could be mistaken for umpires from the good old days when they wore boring white every week. Murph said they looked like marchers in the Gay Pride parade. They certainly played like........well, you work it out.
Spent a couple of days on some gold mines, Lawlers and Jundee were two of them. I’ve decided that I wouldn’t mind going to Jundee for annual holidays. The wet mess with its million dollar water feature and wooden decking garden bar, food quality and the price for drinks makes it an all round winner. The mine is about 1200 kilometres north of Perth via Kalgoorlie and you get to go through the towns of Leinster and Wiluna, neither town real eye catchers. Most workers would be on about $100K salaries and they work on various rosters like 9 days on and 5 days off, 1 week on and 1 off or two weeks on and 1 off, all food is supplied and we are talking choice of 4 main courses and up to 3 desserts for the evening meal, breads, fillings and salads available for lunches and snacks, they pay $2.00 for a beer or as much as $3.00 for a Crown Lager! My red wine cost me $2.50 and for which I pay $7 in Perth although maybe there is a heavy discount for the plastic cup I received it in rather than a red wine glass. The wine was aptly named “Miles from Anywhere” and was a Margaret River red. A bottle of that one night and I was mentally miles from anywhere in the Texas desert – cactus! Sunday’s meal was made up of prawns, cold, seafood pasta, cold, crayfish mornay with scallops and prawns, hot, and chilli prawns, also hot and baked Snapper. Normal stuff like a roast and steaks were available for those that don’t eat seafood!! There is a Jundee football team that plays Wiluna once a year. I’ll let you know when the tickets to that game are available!
Based on some form changes last week there are some ticklish picks this round which will stretch over the Easter period. Good luck and hope you all have a happy and safe break.
Geelong V Collingwood Thursday Night MCG
This is sort of an early season blockbuster with the Cats looking like they are struggling even though sitting 2 from 2 while the Pies have just missed out with Adelaide and finally jolted themselves into some sort of form against the Demons to be one win and one loss. Ottens is a big out for the Cats but players like Johnston, Bartel and Ablett are in form. The Pies are still saying that Rocca is no certainty and if he does come in does Jack lose his spot at full forward? Mick usually gets the team up for big games like this but having said that what happened in the GF of the NAB cup? I guess the game wasn’t big enough for the Magpies, or, more likely, Collingwood love to be GF bridesmaids. It’s very difficult to tip against Geelong but this game could go either way. Play safe. Tell the Geelong supporters to watch their backs as well!!
Geelong by 10
St Kilda V West Coast Eagles at Telstra Dome Saturday
If you had tipped against the Eagles last season for every game you would have been joyously right 18 times and wrong just 4. The reason West Coast look different and are playing better so far this season? They had about 7 players out injured last year and these players are now back and with a game or two under their belts are starting to show the form that got them into finals consistently. Hurn, Priddis, Hunter, LaRosa, Kerr, Nicoski, Brown, the list goes on. While I haven’t picked them to actually make the finals they could still surprise. The Saints are playing controlled aggression footy and have logged two good wins against reasonable opposition. Ross Lyon did say that it would take time for St Kilda to play to the new plan and maybe he is making them do that better this season. Away from Subiaco, still a question mark over just how much the Eagles have improved but it’s hard to find a reason to move away from the Saints registering their third win in a row. So don’t.
St Kilda by 21
Carlton V Essendon Saturday Night MCG
The Carlton supporters are starting to jostle for finals tickets and we’re only into round 3. Don’t look at the Bombers to put any sort of calm into these Blues folk because this game will result in a 3 from 3 for Carlton I can assure you. Essendon beat Freo last week in a game based on the winner coming from the team who made the least turnovers, another contest the Bombers won! When you look at the Carlton midfield players it’s a real concern for the average teams. Judd, Gibbs and Murphy will gather about 80 – 90 possessions between them and probably kick or set up about 8 of the team’s goals. Fev at full foward just tops it off. While I might have a silent wish that they both play a winless draw I am fairly confident that the Bloos will dominate this game and if the weather is right they just might kick the sweep regardless of the length of Gadget’s arms.
Carlton by 49
Brisbane Lions V Sydney Saturday night Gabba
I know it’s a bit early to lock the Lions into a ladder position by season’s end but I’ll put my neck on the block and say 11th. Just below where I think the Sydney Swans will finish – 9th or 10th. Having now locked them into the ladder it makes it easy to pick your team if you use this game as one which will determine that final position. Did that make any sense? Will Barry Hall get over his groin problem? Who will hold Bradshaw and Brown? Who pulled the short straw to run into the umpire this week? Based on the first game I would be picking the Lions but after last week this is, again, going to be anybody’s 4 premiership points. Both teams have aggressive rucks, good running players, strength in front of goal and are well coached. Could be a draw. Another game that will go down to the wire I feel but the experience of Sydney might prevail.
Sydney by 5
Port Adelaide V Melbourne Sunday arvo AAMI
Both teams lost by about 50 points last week so there will be a lot to play for to get back a bit of pride. Unfortunately the Dees might find this one a bit tough at AAMI to notch up their first win of the season. Port play it a bit better at home and let’s hope the Power supporters outnumber the Melbourne supporters to watch them do it. Statistically, picking against the Demons each week will cause only minimum frustration. Gee I hope I get an easter egg to chew on while this game is on, it will give me something to look forward to!!
Port Adelaide by 38
North Melbourne V Hawthorn Sunday Telstra Dome
Will we see last year’s premiers start the season zip three? It’s a strong possibility as North is not chicken about beating the Hawks and showed reasonable form last week against the Doggies to almost pinch the game. Buddy might do a lot better against not so good opposition this week and he and Roughead need to kick more goals to put scoreboard pressure on their opponents. Did I really just write that? We tipsters keep picking Hawthorn waiting for the phoenix to rise so if we go out on a limb and do it again will we be rewarded? Will a member of the playing public throw a rubber chicken onto the ground to unnerve the Kangaroos. Will the real chicken get jealous? Will we get goal of the day played on You Tube – rubber chook and all? Lots of fowl jokes, sorry.
Hawthorn by 17
Fremantle V Adelaide Sunday arvo Subiaco
You gotta love that Thomas guy, former loudmouth coach at St Kilda, doing his stuff again. Imagine somebody saying that about him a few years ago. Oh yeah, they would have been right wouldn’t they? Thomas was an assistant coach in charge of a first rate football team. He undermined and got rid of the main man – Malcolm Blight. He’s starting to sound like Sammy Newman, heaven forbid. Harvey has enough on his plate just trying to coach the Dockers without the knockers. Freo is the team we love to make jokes about simply because they sometimes play funny. On particular days their error rate drops away and they win a game. Could this be that particular day against the bewildered Crows? You would have to think that the nasty business with Bock during the week will have some negative impact. The guy was their All Australian representative and is an important part of the team. Craig will have to be at his best to coach them out of this one and the players will also be thinking: Thank heavens, we’ve got an easy week to get over this incident, it’s only the Dorks! A lowering of mental concentration can be fatal. Beware of Fremantle under siege. Am I making a case for a turn around by Fremantle? Yep.
Fremantle by 12
Western Bulldogs v Richmond Monday Telstra Dome
The Bullies under Rocket Eade
Are playing great with skill and speed
Can they continue without a slip
And finish with a premiership?
The Tigers under their coach Terry
Have not found winning form so merry
When will their players reach their peak
And put an end to this losing streak?
Richo running far and wide
Brown, Tamblyn, Tuck all play with pride.
Johnno, Cooney, Hahn and Griffin,
A Bulldog force with nothin’missin’.
Can’t see a Tiger road to fame
I guess they lose another game!!
Western Bulldogs by 25
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