[AFL-Review] Round 22

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AFL Review Rd 22

Fremantle 13.15.93 Defeated Carlton 13.9.87

The Blues led at the end of the 1^st quarter but Freo outran them over the next 3. The players the Dockers rested the week before all played big parts in the victory. Very close finish and the Fremantle win means they host the Hawks at home and Carlton plays away in Sydney. Of all the teams left in the bottom 4 Hawthorn would be the least preferred for Freo to play. When I first arrived in Tassie I had never seen so many personalised number plates supporting the Dockers until  I realised they had a whole series of normal plates starting with FD! Pav and Mundy played well for the Dockers and they really appreciated the return of Sandilands who dominated the ruck and clearances. Judd had 30 possessions but McPhee did a reasonable job on him. Murphy, Gibbs and Simpson played well for the Blues but they will be up against it playing the Swans at home next week as will Freo playing Hawthorn at Subiaco. Other teams in the top 4 will be barracking for the Dockers.

 

Geelong 16.16.112 Defeated West Coast

It took half a game for the Cats to get going and then Ablett got loose to kick 5 goals and rack up 33 possessions. West Coast did okay to keep the margin to less than 50 points. Kelly, Milburn and Chapman also played well for the Cats and even Cam Mooney kicked 4 goals in preparation for the finals. Wilson kicked 3 for the Eagles but the side was really outclassed in the second half and West Coast will hope that next season they are not so badly affected by injuries to key players. The Cats go into next week’s game against St Kilda with a win and  bit more confidence gained after their loss to Collingwood a few weeks ago.

 

Hawthorn 15.8.98 Defeated Collingwood 13.17.95

The result was a bit of an upset as the Hawks ended a 9 game winning streak by Collingwood when they kicked the last 4 goals of the game. The inaccuracy by the Magpies in front of goal remains a problem. As a reward for their great win Hawthorn gets to fly to Perth to play the Dockers. Josh Fraser finally got to play his 200^th game but it was not a memorable return. The Pies could not tie up the game when they were 19 points up half way through the last quarter and the efforts of Reid and Brown in the back line might be a cause for concern in the finals. Franklin kicked 6 for the Hawks and he was the main goal kicker. Beams had the chance to win the match for the Pies with a free kick in the last 10 seconds of the game but he missed. Alas, a common tale for Collingwood when kicking from set shots. The third quarter was a ripper with 12 goals kicked. Pies fans will hope they don’t meet Hawthorn in any of the finals.

 

Adelaide 9.11.65 Defeated St Kilda 5.7.37

This result was definitely an upset even though nothing really hinged on the game. The Crows continued their good form against the top teams after going down by only 3 points to Collingwood the week before. They smothered the Saints and came away in the last quarter for a very good win. Mad Monday for the Crows – a date with the Cats for St Kilda. It seems that the emotion of all those great  Adelaide players retiring did help the team. The Saints will need to regroup for next week’s match against the Cats. Walker for Adelaide was the leading goal kicker in the game. The usual crew of Hayes, Dal Santo, Montagna and Goddard for the Saints played well but they were not helped by a dysfunctional forward line with Kosi and Reiwoldt both down.

 

Western Bulldogs 17.5.107 Defeated Essendon 11.12.78

At times it looked like the Bulldogs were going to run away with the game but the Bombers hung in to go down by just 29 points. That reasonable showing by Essendon did not save Matthew Knights who was given his marching orders by the club today. Matt is unemployed and the Bulldogs face the Pies next week. Grant kicked 6 goals for the Western Bulldogs and Barry Hall kicked 4 which was not enough to steal the Coleman medal from Richmond’s Jack Reiwoldt. Jetta picked up 31 possessions for the Bombers and Cross and Murphy were both good for the Bullies. Okay, so who coaches Essendon next year? Does Hird come back out of the woodwork and re-nominate? Who is available? Choco Williams? He’s still tired after his recent finish at Port Adelaide. Bring Sheeds back. Anyway, whatever the supporters want the board will move to make it happen. Where does this leave Matty Knights’ career as a coach? He’s still under 40 years old. Mooroopna reserves in the Shepparton league maybe?

 

Sydney 16.10.106 Defeated Brisbane 10.8.68

The game was close up to half time then Sydney showed just how much better they were than the Lions by kicking 10 goals to 4 in the second half. Kieran Jack continues sensational form and he will finish with a few Brownlow votes I’m sure. Dennis-Lane led the Sydney goal scorers again. Brennan and Staker played well for the Lions and Malceski was back to good form alongside Jack for the Swans. Rumour has it that Brennan and Rischetelli might move from the Lions to the Gold Coast team and of course the whole Brisbane Lions team football department is under review. The Swans will need to be at their best to beat Carlton next week. Don’t think they will get it as easy as they did a few weeks ago.

 

Port Adelaide 18.14.122 Defeated Richmond 16.16.112

What a great game of football. Port kicked 10 goals to 2 in the second quarter and it looked like the Power by a huge margin but the Tigers found some inspiration in the second half and cut a 53 point half time deficit to just 3 points half way through the final quarter. Port steadied to win the game. Farewell to Cuz and congrats Matthew Primus as the new coach of Port.  Stewart kicked 4 for Port and Boak kicked 3 as did Morton and King for the Tigers. Richmond fans really took to Cousins who made a reasonable contribution to the game considering he was carrying a hamstring strain. Deledio and Morton also played well for the Tigers and Boak and Brogan were Port’s best. Port finished with 10 wins and it was just a bad patch in the early part of the season that might have cost them a place in the finals. It will be a surprise if Primus does not get the coaching job for Port, unless of course he is approached by Essendon.

 

North Melbourne 17.11.113 Defeated Melbourne 15.13.103

It was great watching two teams of young players going hell for leather at the ball. The game was played at cracking pace and at one stage in the last quarter it looked like Melbourne had North done. But like they did with the Eagles last week North did enough at the end to win. Only percentage kept them out of finals. It looks good for both sides next season and it was only percentage, but a lot of it, that kept North out of the finals this year. Don’t have a lot of stats on the game but Jurrah and Green kicked 5 each for the Dees  and Jones, in his last game for North, booted 3 as did that Harvey guy. Scully has made a grab for the NAB rising star award  with another strong game for Melbourne and of course their captain McDonald played his last game in a weekend of retirements. Let’s not forget umpire McBurney who also retired after about 1000 games umpiring in the AFL. He was certainly a character. Ask James Hird.

 

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[AFL-Preview] Round 22 - End of Season

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AFL Preview Round 22

 

Well here we are dear tipsters. The end of another season. This is it. The final preview. It has been a difficult season and most competition winners are well down on their final totals from previous seasons. Although this is not a good time to remind you – I told you so. Those middle range teams played with such inconsistent form from one week to another that it was almost impossible to pick good scores of 6 and above. Even looking at the experts who tip in the newspapers it was only a week ago that the majority broke 100 points. I blame myself for the previews that were sometimes written under duress and with not enough ‘inside’ information to enable you to tip with confidence. Last night I was aboard the Spirit of Tasmania on a secret mission to confirm the difference between those of us on the mainland compared to Tasmanians. I was under instructions to carry out my observations surreptitiously and without causing undue alarm. I was able to confirm that to live in Tassie you need two heads! Why? Because the scenery here is so spectacular you need 2 heads with 2 sets of eyes to be able to see it all! Okay, okay. Beautiful countryside here.

I watched the Ben Cousins special last night and can only hope that there is something more revealing in episode 2 that will make me agree with all the hyperbola that has accompanied the proposed screening of this program’. The guy is articulate, good looking, great physique and a very good footballer. Why would you take drugs?  I have only one question: How did he get away with not being detected for so many years?

On the subject of Football. Yes the same teams finished in the top 4 as last year and they seem to be at different levels of readiness for the finals. The grand final will be played between either St Kilda against Collingwood, St Kilda against Geelong, Geelong against Collingwood. But as they say the finals is like a whole new season and all 8 teams get the opportunity to have a crack.

Trust you all enjoyed the previews, as unhelpful as they were AND the reviews this season. May the best team win and that would be? Go Pies.

 

Fremantle V Carlton at Subiaco Friday Night

Well the Dockers will make the finals but due to injuries they are just a shadow of their early season self. This is a must win game for both teams to determine who plays where and who plays who. It’s so hard to pick Freo after last week but what the heck. The Dockers have made 10 changes to the team from last week but that was expected after a 116 point defeat! There has been a bit of argie bargie between the coaches as well with Ratten finally admitting that he might have done the same thing as Harvey given similar circumstances. The early glory of the Fremantle story has faded a bit as the season progressed and the Docker injuries really started to bite but with the team they have picked and with their record against the Blues, plus the fact that the game is in Perth may be just enough for them to win the game.

Fremantle by 11

 

Geelong V West Coast at Skilled on Saturday

This match could get ugly for West Coast. Not as bad as Freo last week against the Hawks but the margin will be in that range unless the Cats take it easy. Eagles players and coaches put their reputation on the line before mad Monday. Not a lot can be said about this game. The Pods copped his 2 weeks as forecast and Hunt surprisingly got a week as well but these exclusions didn’t really faze the Cats who replaced these two with two others from their bottomless pit of players.

Geelong by 100

 

Hawthorn V Collingwood at the MCG Saturday

This will give Hawthorn supporters a better idea of where their team sits in the big picture of a chance in the finals. The Pies will want to forget last week and Hawthorn is playing a better team than last week. Hawks might want this more but tipsters will stick with class. Speaking of class both teams lost their best left footers in Hodge for the Hawks and Didak for Collingwood. The Pies will want to go into the finals on a winning note and their kicking for goal is starting to give the fans the yips as well. Should be a good game.

Collingwood by 22

 

Adelaide V St Kilda at AAMI Saturday

The Crows will give a good account of themselves in a game that will see an emotional pre-match send off for some real stars – McLeod, Goodwin, Burton, Edwards and Hentschel. But all that emotion won’t help them beat the Saints. Kosi is hitting form and captain Nick is also looking rather formidable. Neither team has a lot to play for so maybe the closeness of the scores will provide the spectators with a bit of intensity.

St Kilda by 33

 

Western Bulldogs V Essendon at Etihad Saturday night

The Bombers cannot win this game even with a few outs for the Bullies with injuries. Knights will stay at Essendon. The Bombers just need some better players and those with injuries to come back next year. Coaches should not be picked by the supporters. Barry Hall to kick 7. Essendon has successfully res-signed a few of their players and that might provide a settling affect but tipsters will be looking for a complete form reversal to help them pick the Bombers to win. The question being asked now is just how far the Western Bulldogs can go this year with the injuries and form loss. They will play Collingwood in the first semi in two weeks’ time and will need to improve significantly.

Western Bulldogs by 44

 

Brisbane Lions V Sydney at the Gabba Saturday night

A feast of footy this Saturday with 5 games. Brisbane has found a bit of form but nowhere near as good as that of the Sydney Swans who are back to early season form and should win this one to ensure they are in the mix for a home final. It will be close. The Swans need to hold Brown and the Lions need to hold Goodes and lately Kieran Jack.

Sydney by 11

 

Richmond V Port Adelaide at Etihad Sunday

Last game for Ben Cousins who has overcome a hamstring strain and an opportunity for Power’s Primus to tighten his hold on the coaching job. Both teams are playing okay considering their ladder positions but the Tigers need to round off a reasonably good season with a win. Richmond has signed  Jack Riewoldt and Dustin Martin for a few years into the future and a win in this game is important for the Tigers. That might be enough incentive for them to win the game. The loss of young Ebert with a knee injury might affect Port more than they would like to say.

Richmond by 6

 

Melbourne V North Melbourne at MCG Sunday

North seems to be the best team outside the 8 and this is an opportunity for them to show us why. The Demons have fallen away a bit but this will be a close game won or lost in the last quarter. Jurrah has come down from the clouds after his wonderful mark last week and the Demon young guns are starting to look a little tired after a pretty good season. A few injury problems at North and the retirement of Jones will have a mixed affect so North will have to be right on their game to win. It will be interesting to see what motivation the players have in this game.

North Melbourne by 22

 

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[AFL-Review] Round 21

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Geelong 18.13.121 Defeated Carlton 12.7.79
The Blues tried hard all game but whenever the Cats applied a bit more pressure they were able to keep ahead. Carlton weren't shamed they were just in a lower class. 7 goals is a reasonable margin. Ablett was kept possessionless in the first quarter but showed he is a true champ by kicking 4 goals and getting a few touches particularly in the second half. The Pods is in trouble even if he apologised to Gibbs for nearly making him a paraplegic. Careless and will cost, might get away with 2 weeks. He still kicked 4 for the Cats and goals for the Blues came from Waite, Henderson and Robinson. The Blues need to win next week against Freo to avoid travelling for their first and only final appearance. Geelong will be there at the end.

St Kilda 17.13.115 Defeated Richmond 14.10.94
The Tigers took it right up to the Saints in this match but like Carlton and Geelong there is a significant difference in class. Reiwoldt kicked 7 and Reiwoldt kicked 3. The one that kicked more was in the team that lost the game. Richmond was competitive and that's about all a coach can ask. Dal Santo and Montagna had many possessions for the Saints and Goddard looked like he took the mark of the year. Well it was until the next day. St Kilda will be happy they did enough and Richmond ditto.

Hawthorn 24.11.155 Defeated Fremantle 5.9.39
The game was a farce and it shows that the statement that the Dockers think they have depth in their squad is a load of codswallop. Freo supporters will be hoping that their team can perform a little better against Carlton next week. Johnson was playing his 100th game for the Dockers after being banned for a few weeks when he was caught taking drugs. When he looked at the scoreboard at 3 quarter time he must have thought he'd had a sniff again! Freo had 1 goal to 3 quarter time and Johnson had kicked that one. Harvs and the Dockers management better have got this right in preparation for next week. Embarrassing. Buddy kicked 5 and Roughy kicked 4 as did Burgoyne. In fact Franklin's score and rushed behinds was enough to beat the Dorks.

Collingwood 6.18.54 Defeated Adelaide 7.9.51
This was the close game of the weekend and the kicking woes continue to dog the Pies in a game where they had 24 scoring shots to 16. Rushed was the major point scorer for Collingwood and the Crows can consider themselves unlucky. Collingwood wins the minor premiership but please don't stop now. It's their first in 33 years that 1st place finish. That year they drew with North in the grand final and lost the replay. Thompson and Johncock for the Crows had lots of possessions as did Pendlebury and Sidebottom for the Pies. Forget about goal kickers. The Magpies play Hawthorn next week and Adelaide plays somebody as well.

Sydney 17.12.114 Defeated Western Bulldogs 10.10.70
The Doggies kennel cough seems to be more a case of rabies although a bite from these dogs is not necessarily one to fear. The Swans did the right thing by Captain Kirk and the supporters and will play a part in the finals. The Bullies will either win the premiership or be out in 2. Bad news about Cooney whose season might be over with a torn hamstring and Brad Johnson might as well retire as he has injured his Achilles – that's long term. Dennis-Lane for the Swans was the highest scorer with 4 goals. Bolton and Jack played well again for Sydney and who knows what 4 letter curses emanated from Rocket's mouth after that effort. Maybe he was all cussed out after last week's effort. Julie Gillard is their number 1 supporter so maybe it was a sign of what was to happen at the elections that day.

Port Adelaide 17.10.112 Defeated Melbourne 11.17.83
The number of shots on goal is probably not a real indication of the game as Port had the measure of the Demons by the start of the 3rd quarter. The poor away record continues for the Dees and Primus puts another notch on his coaching belt. I mentioned earlier that Goddard's mark of the year lasted just a day because Melbourne's Jurrah took a real screamer in this game that might just win him the trophy. Port's Ebert did his knee – badly, and players like Cassisi with 29 touches and Schulz with 5 goals were the best for the Power. Melbourne was disappointing considering their season to date and Jurrah capped off his mark of the year with 4 goals and Cameron Bruce racked up 39 possessions. These two teams have been a nightmare to tip all year so nothing has changed.

Brisbane 14.11.95 Defeated Essendon 10.8.68
The return of Brown for his 200th was worth watching – he starred. Not a lot can be said for the Bombers whose final score flatters them.  Brown had 16 marks, 27 possessions and kicked 4.6, that was enough to have beaten Essendon by the end of the 3rd quarter when the Bombers had the same score. The result was a good one to take a bit of pressure off Voss but the opposite will apply to Knights as the tremors reach richter scale proportions. I know this is crazy but don't you think the players have something to do with poor performance? Essendon just don't have the cattle. QED.

North Melbourne 16.14.110 Defeated West Coast 14.10.94
The Eagles looked like they were going to win the game at one stage and their fans were hoping for a good end to the season. But as the game wore on North was just far too good and finished strongly so the West Coast fans got some consistency – another loss. Harvey for North played his 300th and he would have been a lot happier at the end of the 3rd quarter after a slow start saw them looking at a possible defeat. Wilson bobbed up with 4 for the Eagles and LeCras kicked his usual 2. Wright for North also kicked 4. Harvs was amongst North's best and the Eagles certainly look a lot better with Hurn back in the side. North will finish strongly but the Eagles need a lot of work and a lot of injured players back. West Coast has already sacked two coaches as part of their football review. More bloodshed to come there.

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[AFL-Preview] Round 21

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AFL Preview Round 21

Here we are tipsters, the second last round of the AFL season. The top 4 are pretty well set assuming there is a Bulldogs win this weekend. It’s a bit late I know but the preview gave you 8 winners last week and even the margins were in the ball park! Marvellous effort. While I was on teh train on teh way to the MCG last Friday night I suddenly realised that I had not put my tips in for the weekend with the 3 comps I am in. I also used to occasionally put $10 on my card selections with Sportsbet but didn’t do that either. Typifies the season. However I won the jackpot in the Hoo Memorial but had to share the $78 with 3 others. I invested the money immediately, not in stocks and bonds but by putting it towards next year’s tipping entry fees.

The Ben Cousins saga is drawing to a close so it will be interesting to see what the journos can find to fill that gap over the next 12 months. Of more interest is what will Cuz find to fill the gap?

The Brownlow medal is being handed to Dane Swan by most media experts based on data. He’s such a quiet, unassuming guy that maybe the umpires don’t notice him as much as Ablett or Judd. He certainly has the stats to take out the medal but last year he polled only 12 votes. One prediction is for sure at this year’s Brownlow – Fev won’t be invited!

 

Geelong V Carlton at Etihad Friday night

Last week the Cats won by 101 and Carlton won by 89. The difference in winning margins is 12 points and with the Bulldogs kennel cough now passed on to Geelong there might be the distinct possibility that the Blues will get that close. Maybe. Carlton have been boasting how they have beaten Geelong and St Kilda this year but it was all downhill after that. However, a return to form playing Richmond and Essendon will fill then with confidence and they will need it to take on the Cats who won by a landslide last week against The Bulldogs. Geelong seems to be building for the finals so it’s doubtful that the Blues will find them on an off day twice in a season.

 

Geelong by 12

 

St Kilda V Richmond at Etihad Saturday

The Saints are on the rampage and a young Tigers team will be run over, chewed up and spat out as the Saints go on to win this by a healthy margin. Bye Ben. Nick has really hit his straps over the past couple of weeks and was BOG for the Saints last week against North. It’s hard to see who in the backline for the Tigers can hold Riewoldt this week as well. He could kick 10 just like his cousin did a few weeks back against the Eagles. One of the Reiwoldts will star. Guess which one?

St Kilda by 88

 

Hawthorn V Fremantle at Aurora Tassie Saturday

The furtherest point from Fremantle in WA is the Aurora stadium in Tasmania. Lately the Dockers have not been travelling well. Lately the Dockers have not been playing well. This is a tough ask and maybe Freo is banking on beating Carlton next week because resting Pav and the fact that they might not have Sandilands back with his injured foot does not help. Rumour has it that the Dockers will leave even Pavlich out! It’s hard to make a positive case for Fremantle so I won’t bother.

Hawthorn by 21

 

Collingwood V Adelaide at MCG Saturday

If you wanted to disrupt a team at any time during a season ban one of your best players for the remaining two games because he wants to play elsewhere. Soooo professional. They will, not as a result of that action, but because they are an inferior team, looooose!!  The Pies are not resting players as they approach the finals so the interest remains whether Josh Fraser will get to play his 200^th. Will Mick persist with playing Medhurst to help get him used to the AFL pace or will Davis return? The Crows have given up on this season so they might blood some more youngsters. The Birdman Burton is no longer flying for them either. Adelaide will need towork hard to keep this from being a complete walkover.

Collingwood by 45

 

Sydney V Western Bulldogs at the SCG Saturday

The Swans are on a bit of a roll lately and there’s nothing to say that they can’t win this game. However, if it was the virus last week that caused the huge Bulldog loss, and, assuming they are all okay this week, they should win! Brad Johnson has been under scrutiny this week mainly due to Akermanis and his negative comments. I wish the guy would shut up really because his attacks on the Bullies reall smack of being a bad sport. This will be a close game based on form because one team needs a form reversal to overcome the form of the other team. And you all know how well we have tipped based on form this season?

Western Bulldogs by 29

 

Port Adelaide V Melbourne at AAMI Sunday

It’s a shame the Demons lost last week because they would have a greater incentive to win knowing they could play in a final. But they still should be good enough to beat Port who really fell over the line last week against the Eagles. The stats for the Dees winning at this ground and against this team are woeful. 10 years! Based on that history there is a good case for tipsters to lean towards the Power but honestly, did you see them play last week? Maybe the Eagles brought them down a bit in standard but there would have to be a significant improvement on that effort to be considered a chance against Melbourne. The Demons have reached new heights this season so maybe a win at AAMI against Port is another step up.

Melbourne by 30

 

Essendon V Brisbane Lions at Etihad Sunday

Both teams playing badly. Both coaches under siege. Neither team is going to make the finals. The game won’t even fill Etihad. Should be a draw but maybe the Bombers can put another 4 premiership points into the bag. They would have to play a lot better than they did last week against the Pies, a game in which they were woeful. Brown was injured last week so did not play his 200^th in front of a home crowd. Maybe they will hold him off until the last game of the year played at home to celebrate the occasion. Essendon beat the Saints during the year and Brisbane beat Collingwood. I’m going for the Bombers simply because it’s a home game for them but the result could go any way.

Essendon by 12

 

West Coast V North Melbourne at Subiaco Sunday

Well, with the wooden spoon dangling from the ceiling in the West Coast dressing room, the team cannot do any worse. North want to show that they were the true 9^th team so a loss would not help their pride. It’s a possibility that they will win this in a canter. For their captain Harvey, playing his 300^th, it would be a fitting tribute. I reckon the Eagles will give it a good go for their fans at home but they are playing awful football. Maybe North will be a bit down on their missing the finals so their desire will not be strong enough. We could get an upset. Nope.

North Melbourne by 51

 

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[AFL-Review] Round 20

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AFL Review Round 20

Collingwood 24.18.162 Defeated Essendon 10.4.64

The Magpie machine continued to steamroll mediocre opposition and even though the margin was 98 points inaccurate Collingwood kicking in the last quarter saved the Bombers from an even greater margin. Happy! Cloke had 5.1 up to the end of the 3^rd quarter and 5.5 at the end of the game. The 4 misses were set shots well within his capability. So the Collingwood goal kicking accuracy remains a problem for them heading into September. Swan played well as usual but Pendlebury and Blair were better. Jobe Watson had 28 possessions for the Bombers but only 2 of these were kicks? Will Josh Fraser get his 200^th game? Only if they rest Jolly who sustained a leg injury late in the game. Pressure will no doubt be back on Matthew Knights and his coaching position with the Bombers. A combined beating of 174 points in the last 2 weeks might take a bit of explaining. Conversely Eddie is trying to work out how to tell Bucks to hold off on coaching the Pies until 2020!

 

Carlton 23.18.156 Defeated Richmond 10.7.67

If you had fallen asleep at the MCG at the half way mark of the Friday night game then woken up at half time for this game you wouldn’t have missed a thing. You would probably just be asking yourself why the jumper colours were different to when you fell asleep! Rumour about this game was that it was going to be close. The Blues seemed to have woken from a footy nap over the past 2 weeks although they have played two of the weaker teams. Waite and Garlett kicked 4 for Carlton and Judd was at his best. Cousins was playing for his life and we will know the result of that during the week apparently and also when the viewing of his drug movie will be scheduled. More happening with the Tigers off field it seems. How good is Carlton? They play Geelong next week. Hmmm.

 

Sydney 14.12.96 Defeated Fremantle 13.9.87

There were 10 lead changes in this game it was only the successful Sydney kick on goal after the siren that made the margin 9 points. Freo must win 1 more game for a home final but it’s looking bleak. Swans will play finals, so will Fremantle but whether it’s a home final for the Dockers remains up in the air. Hannebery  for the Swans finished with 38 possessions  and he was ably assisted by Jack and Mumford, the latter dominating the final quarter that helped Sydney win this game.  Broughton and DeBoer played well for the Dorks but the question is where is Pavlich in these tight games? Fremantle will be lucky to win its 2 remaining games and with them a chance to play at home. Too many injuries.

 

Geelong 25.11.161 Defeated Western Bulldogs 9.6.60

The Bulldogs were crippled with a virus that spread through the players. Let’s hope so because this result would be putting them back 10 years. 4^th on the ladder beaten by over 100 points!! Insane! The Bulldogs kicked 1 point in the 2^nd quarter while Geelong kicked 10 goals! Just to push the Doggies snout into the muck the Cats added another 8 goals in the last quarter. Ablett was back to his best with 3 goals and a million touches and Johnson kicked 5 while Pods returned to the good books with 3. Giansiracusa tried hard for the Bulldogs. Rocket says don’t blame the virus but that’s a better option than saying they are a 100 point worse side than Geelong!

 

Port Adelaide 8.13.61 Defeated West Coast 8.12.60

The Eagles waited until the last quarter was almost over before levelling the scores. Some poor defence in the last minute cost West Coast  a point scrambled by Port’s  Rodan, enough to steal a win, pretty much the same as last week for the Eagles in their last gasp loss to Brisbane. It’s official! West Coast wins Wooden Spoon. It was almost a draw which would have been fitting. 16 goals total kicked in the entire game by both teams and at half time they had kicked 5! Cornes, Thomas and Cassisi picked up a lot of possessions between them and Rosa did okay for West Coast as did Cox who played his heart out in his 200^th to no avail. Strijk for the Eagles was their leading goalkicker with 3. Both these teams will be looking forward to the end of the season but next year is not looking a whole lot better.

 

Adelaide 15.14.104 Defeated Brisbane Lions 13.19.97

The game was close all day and even at the end of the 3^rd quarter the scores were level. The Crows fought out a courageous win seeing they lost 2 players early severely affecting their interchange rotations which was a hot topic for AFL rule change over the past week so Adelaide winning the game has actually put a spanner in the statistical manipulation and medical evidence against decreasing interchange moves! This was a no interest game like the Eagles and Port game. Neither team will be in the finals, not this year, not next year. Tippett kicked 5 goals for Adelaide and ditto for Clark of the Lions. Exciting because it was close.

 

Hawthorn 15.9.99 Defeated Melbourne 12.6.78

Another closely contested game this weekend and Melbourne gave their chances of a possible finals appearance their best shot but just fell short. The Demons lost this in the last quarter kicking a solitary goal to the Hawks’ 3. Unfortunate. Everyone will say that the president Kennett sting on his Hawks had effect but it was probably more damaging to the coaching staff rather than inspiring to the players. Loud mouth and a loud jacket! Franklin and Ellis kicked 3 for the Hawks and Buddy was Hawthorn’s best as well after Hodge copped a punch on the nose. Broken noses and broken legs this season are fairly commonplace as it seems Melbourne’s Davey broke his leg. Campbell Brown and Hodge can compare deviated septums in 20 years time. Bruce was the standout for the Dees and Jamar dominated ruck as can be expected since Hawthorn doesn’t have ruckmen. How far can the Hawks go from here?

 

St Kilda 17.13.115 Defeated North Melbourne 9.9.63

Any chance North had of making the finals was snuffed out with a big win by St Kilda led by Nick Reiwoldt who kicked 7.5 for the game. North were in this game only to quarter time. It was pretty well one way traffic after that. Goddard, Hayes and Gram had plenty of the ball to help Nick kick his bag of 7 and it was a creditable performance by Hansen for North who kicked 4. Brent Harvey was well held. He will have a better game next week against the Eagles for his 300^th. North coach Scott said: “We are 9^th for a reason.” That about sums it up.

 

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[AFL-Preview] Round 20

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AFL Preview Round 20
 
Well tipsters here we are at round 20 already. Where has the season gone? Just the 3 rounds to go and we are into finals and like last year the top 4 contains the same teams and that was something many of us predicted. Currently the AFL is looking at some possible rule changes with the most bizarre being the one about the ball hitting the post and going through and still be called a goal or a behind! Sacrilege! This rule is as good as when the ball hits the goal post and bounces back into play then the game continues. Talk of rule changes in this area has come about because of 3 errors in the one week by goal umpires two of which could have been avoided with better calls while the Waite goal would have been hard to call even with slow motion replays. Technology is available to refer to when in doubt so use it. Cricket has gone that way, even highly contentious LBW rulings by umpires.
Interchange frequency is another victim of possible rule change. "Make the game faster" the officials said a few years ago. "Slow it down" they say now. "Leave it alone" we all cry.
Ben Cousins is back in the news again and the jury seems to be out on whether showing his tape of his drug battles is a good thing or a bad thing. A good thing for Ben may have been to worry about that movie after he finished playing and perhaps to keep a lower profile for a few months or a year if possible.
The tipping continues to be difficult mainly because form has not been consistent. So again this week we face a few matches that have teams with Jeckyll and Hyde form playing each other. Tipping selections for these games are pure guess work.
 I will be attending the Collingwood versus Essendon game at the MCG and will be in the MCC members area! Wow!  I have now attended more games at the MCG in one season than I was able to manage over 40 years. With the Pies heading for a few finals the possibility of more visits is strong. Anybody with free tickets and passes – you know how to contact me. Good luck on your tips this week. Competition winning scores this year will struggle to make the 120 mark!
 
Essendon V Collingwood at the MCG Friday Night
The only problem the Pies might have winning this game is the emotional letdown after last week's game against Geelong. If Collingwood get over that then victory by over 10 goals should be achievable. Fletcher is out for the Bombers and the Pies have had to make a few changes as well with Medhurst in for Davis and there is a chance that Josh Fraser may play his 200th game at last. The Essendon fade out in the last quarter against Carlton last week would not fill Bomber fans with a great deal of confidence going into this match against the premiership favourites. Rightly so.
Collingwood by 60
 
Carlton V Richmond at the MCG Saturday
One would have to think that the Blues have a bit more going for them than the Tigers who put in a poor last quarter against Melbourne last week and if Carlton play a last quarter like they did against Essendon then you can expect a healthy margin. Reiwoldt might have better luck this week against a mediocre Carlton backline and he can hopefully kick a few goals to stay in touch with the Coleman Medal. LeCras might be more of a threat than Barry Hall in stealing the honours. We always thought it would be amazing to see a bottom of the ladder team supply the leading goal kicker but that was because of Reiwoldt playing for Richmond NOT because LeCras plays for West Coast! Judd, Bryce, Murphy and Simpson should get the better of Cousins, Deledio and Tuck and it's about time Betts got back into the goals to join Garlett who kicked 6 last week and won the Rising Star award as well.
Carlton by 44
 
Fremantle V Sydney at Subiaco Saturday
If ever Freo had to win a game then this is it. Unfortunately we can't be sure of which Sydney Swans team will turn up. The Sydney that likes to get beaten or the Swans winning team from last week.? Home town advantage might help but Fremantle is struggling. The Dockers also need Sandilands back in the side and it seems he has passed a fitness test and that might stop Sydney dominance at the stoppages. Freo should win this at home but with players like Tarrant, Barlow, Ballantyne, Crowley, Mayne and Silvagni all out injured that's a lot of holes to fill. Who will Fremantle place on Adam Goodes? I just can't see them winning this one. Pity.
Sydney by 11
 
Western Bulldogs V Geelong at Etihad Saturday
It is difficult to see the Cats losing two games in a row. The Bulldogs have been on a winning streak but almost lost to Adelaide in a real slugfest in dirty weather at AAMI. The tip was against Geelong last week but not this week. There is this huge virus sweeping through the Bulldog team and Cooney and Hudson have been omitted for that reason. Ling and Taylor are out for the Cats but with Wojcinski and Hunt coming back in you could hardly say they have been weakened.
Geelong by 21
 
Port Adelaide V West Coast Eagles at AAMI Saturday
Even though it is not in the interests of West Coast to win the game it's also hard to see that they can actually do that. Two of the bottom teams playing but there is a bit hanging on the game with the future of Primus and of course the future of some of the players. Some handy returns for the Eagles in Selwood, Shuey and Waters but the loss of Priddis and Brett Jones almost negates the returns. These are dark days for the West Coast Eagles believe me and such a proud club won't put up with this sort of season. What is the answer? An overhaul of the football department will no doubt be high on their agenda. Well they have had a lot of injuries to good players like their captain Glass and other players like Cox and Lynch have been out of form. Cox plays his 200th this weekend and it will be a sad day. Expect a close game but home ground advantage should be enough for the Power. The stats say that the Eagles haven't beaten the Power at AAMI since 1998!! Really? Don't mess with history.
Port Adelaide by 6
 
Brisbane Lions V Adelaide at the Gabba Sunday
Another difficult decision for tipping and although the Lions scraped home with the last kick of the day against West Coast they will probably find this harder against the Crows. When you see Simon Black's name as an interchange player you would be thinking the Lions are having a great season?? Hard to work that one out but........Jonathon Brown also plays his 200^th game but these milestone events for individual players rarely seem to finish on a happy note. Neither team has a lot to play for apart from pride so a draw would be fitting but unlikely. The Crows have a guy like Nathan Bock to cut Brown out of the game and that would be enough for them to win.
Adelaide Crows by 22
 
Hawthorn V Melbourne at the MCG Sunday
With Hawthorn losing their last couple of games their position in the 8 is now being threatened by a surging Melbourne and possibly North Melbourne. Although the Hawks' form is questionable tipsters have to be careful not to get too carried away with the Demons who have still a bit of a way to go before they can be confident to beat sides like Hawthorn. The fairytale ends. Hodge needs to put in a Brownlow game because his form has been down of late and Roughead is having a horror season so here's a chance to make amends. The love of the underdog wants a Melbourne win but I think this one is beyond them.
Hawthorn by 19
 
North Melbourne V St Kilda at Etihad Sunday
The Saints are starting to get back to a bit of awesome form particularly against the lower sides. North has been playing well in recent weeks but winning this game is really beyond them. The margin was 100 points last time they met and I guess you can say if that margin is similar then they don't really deserve to be in the finals anyway. I reckon Scotty would agree with that. I do.
St Kilda by 55
 
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[AFL-Review] Round 19

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Carlton 23.11.149 Defeated Essendon 9.19.73
A 10 goal last quarter by the Blues and 2 missed goals….by the goal umpires and it looks like Carlton play finals and the Bombers are back to hopeless. The reaction from the lads at Carlton was expected after their own coach labelled them soft….ish. Judd played a major part in getting the hard ball at the stoppages while the rest of the players stood on the fringe waiting for him to release the ball. It works a treat. Garlett, who had been missing for a few weeks was given enough room to kick 6 goals and Waite contributed 4 – well 5 really but the one he skidded off his instep was disallowed. Friday night seems to bring out the 'crazies' in the umpires who liberally applied inexplicable 50 metre penalties during the game. Stanton played okay in a losing Bomber side and as can be seen from the score line most of the Carlton players contributed to a big win.
 
North Melbourne 19.9.123 Defeated Fremantle 10.9.69
Fremantle had far too many good players missing, add to that they played away and North had a lot more to play for with wins to Sydney and Carlton denying them entry to the top 8 and the result was predictable. Brent Harvey played another great game – 3 votes for sure and considering his age and the lack of experience of players around him it's great to see his contribution. North had a 6 goal lead at the end of the 3rd quarter and it was really game over for Freo from that stage. Wright and Bastinac along with Harvey all booted 3 goals for the Kangaroos but it was a sad story for The Dockers whose injury list may be the reason they don't really get anywhere in the finals including the strong possibility of losing the right to have a final in Perth. Shame about that.
 
Sydney 19.15.129 Defeated Hawthorn 13.7.85
The Hawthorn coach was heard to say that his team had returned to that deep hole they were in early in the season. Sydney must have noticed that and decided to bury them deeper. Punters who like to have a bit on the Brownlow will be fretting a bit as Luke Hodge applied a careless tackle on Adam Goodes that will certainly go under the microsdopes of the tribunal. This was another game that was over at half time when the Swans led by 46 points! O'Keefe kicked 4 goals for Sydney and Franklin ditto for Hawthorn. The Hawks will be under some pressure to remain in the 8 should they drop 2 of their remaining 3 games which is a distinct possibility. Melbourne and North are knocking.
 
Collingwood 14.23.107 Defeated Geelong 12.13.85
A great game of footy but the Pies applied pressure often enough to bring about some unusual Geelong turnovers. Stats will show that Collingwood dominated this game in most areas and their scoreboard inaccuracy flattered the Cats. At one stage in the 2nd quarter the Pies had raced to a 28 point lead and it looked like a matter of how far for them. But the Cats hit back and not only bridged the gap but held a 1 point lead at half time compliments of a stupid 50 metre penalty. Inaccurate kicking looked like it was going to cost Collingwood dearly but they continued to put the Geelong ball players under the pump and at the 3 quarter time break they held a 13 point advantage. The Magpies never really let the Cats back into the game in the 4th quarter, increasing their lead and shutting down Geelong forward moves. It was pretty to watch. Another goal umpiring stuff up saw a clear goal kicked by Geelong's Burn disallowed. I guess that umpire will be waving flags at one end of the Ovens and Murray league 3rds game and the goal umpire that called Neagle's  clear goal for Essendon in the game against Carlton a behind will be at the other end. We have the technology – use it. We won't be calling up a replay of every goal kicked, just the real close ones and that's maybe 10 times a year. Anyway, Collingwood pressed their advantage in the final quarter and 37 shots on goal against 25 speaks for itself as a statistic. Stokes kicked 3 for the Cats as did Beames for the Pies.  Didak was brilliant and he was ably assisted by Pendlebury for Collingwood and Chapman and Ablett were among the best for Geelong. Is it too early to get excited?
 
Brisbane Lions 10.10.70 Defeated West Coast 9.11.65
One can imagine the papers in the west headlining the Jonathon Brown bump in the back to the West Coast player and it not being paid as a free kick. Subsequently Brown kicked the winning goal with 15 seconds remaining and relegated the Eagles to their first wooden spoon. Sad. The game was not great as a spectacle with heaps of turnovers but it was close and that in itself makes it exciting for the supporters. Both teams kicked just 1 goal in the last quarter so it was similar to a game of soccer – like a 1 all draw. Brown kicked 5 for the Lions which was pretty amazing considering the team kicked only 10 for the whole game. Eagles coach Worsfold spouted some positive garbage after the game but it's got to the stage that the only person listening to him is his missus – maybe. All teams go through lows and the only positive you can take from this as a West Coast supporter is that it cannot get any worse. Brisbane also has a long way to go before a finals appearance presents itself but both teams can at least look forward to the introduction of the Gold Coast Suns to vie for the Wooden Spoon next season.
 
St Kilda 23.13.151 Defeated Port Adelaide 8.9.57
A Saints victory was predicted but this was a thrashing that most of us didn't see coming considering the reasonable form shown by the Power over the previous weeks. While the game was not quite over by the end of the 1st quarter it was definitely over by half time. Whenever Milne kicks 4 goals for the Saints you know they have a healthy, winning score. Riewoldt also booted 4 for the Saints and between them it was almost enough to beat the Power. With a 94 point margin the Saints are back in the premiership betting and Port has a lot of work to do. Hayes and Goddard seemed to be the best for St Kilda while Boak tried hard for Port Adelaide.
 
Melbourne 16.13.109 Defeated Richmond 11.14.80
The game was close all day as expected but a 6 goal last quarter by the Demons sealed the result. Can the Dees make the finals? It's still possible. Dunne with 5 goals and Jurrah with 4 were the main contributors for the Demons and Ben Cousins is showing why the Tigers better make sure he is on their list next year. Riewoldt could manage just the 1 goal for Richmond so the fight for the Coleman medal remains alive. It will be interesting for the Demons to see if they can add a place in the finals to the other accomplishment of eliminating their debt this year.
 
Western Bulldogs 8.13.61 Defeated Adelaide 7.11.53
If ever the Bulldogs needed a reality check after their last few games, which they have in a canter, then this was it. An extremely defensive game and Adelaide was unlucky not to win as was the Bulldogs lucky to win. Almost a tipster's nightmare. Barry Hall did not manage a goal and the wet conditions did not make for pretty football.  Thompson and Symes played well for the Crows and Giansiracusa, Eagleton and Boyd tried hard all day for the Doggies. In a score line like that the major goal kickers don't rate a mention.
 
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AFL Preview Round 19

 So the season gets down to this. The big game at the MCG Saturday night is Geelong versus Collingwood to determine outright favouritism for the premiership. The Pies need to make a statement because the last couple of years they just haven't been up to the class of the Cats and the Saints. They crossed the first road with a win against St Kilda – convincingly. A close game is a good game and for the sake of the crowd let's hope that's what we all get.

I am avoiding chatting about tipping because with 4 rounds to go the 'ton' hasn't been cracked yet and it will be round 22 before that actually happens based on existing weekly scores. The tips offered last week were a bit out there and risky but those tips went the wrong way while the so called easier tipping matches turned out to be disastrous upsets! After Essendon beat the Saints last Friday night I was reduced to tears. Fortunately sitting in the Southern Stand to watch Collingwood maul Carlton did bring back a smile to the dial. Apart from that game there was not a lot of joy in a weekend that gave me 3 points.

Good to see the dissatisfaction of direct telecasts is shared here in Victoria as it is, nay, more passionately debated, than in the West. In the day and age of advanced communications we are still reduced to listening to the radio or opening the AFL Match Day website to get current, live scores. Television broadcast rights in the next 5 years from 2012 will be sold for over $1billion and we can only hope that from those negotiations we get direct telecasts of every game and the viewer can choose which game they want to watch and how much they want to pay if they have Foxtel or Austar. Some tricky games again this week, but it's been like that all year so no good whinging about it now. Good luck.

Essendon V Carlton at the MCG Friday Night

Both these teams have had some big questions asked about them over the past few weeks so it will be interesting to see whether the Blues can respond as well as Essendon did. No idea as to who will win. The way Ratten criticised his players after their insipid effort last week against Collingwood we can expect some early fireworks in the game with the Blues needing to show some aggression. It's doubtful a young Essendon side will back away so an early brawl will probably settle a few nerves. Unfortunately $25000 worth of AFL imposed fines for ugly brawls doesn't actually mean either team played strong, gutsy football. Carlton has to win to stay in the top 8 and the Bombers need to win to ensure they keep their finals' chances alive. Interesting scenario.
Draw

North Melbourne V Fremantle at Etihad Saturday
North has the habit this season of winning after a bad loss but Freo got their season a bit back on track with a big win against West Coast. The loss of Ballantyne for the Dockers might tip this game in North's way. The withdrawal of Sandilands will add to the Dockers' woes. Tarrant is out for the season. The injury list at Fremantle is really threatening any success they may have hoped for in the finals. Maintaining success is closely related to a low injury list. While a win to North won't get them into the top 8 it will put pressure on teams like Sydney and Carlton who both have tough games this weekend. Keeping in line with the upcoming elections it seems the Arden Street oval surface will be upgraded by the ALP?? Don't ask.
North Melbourne by 23

Sydney V Hawthorn at the SCG Saturday
A loss last week by the Hawks against a resurgent Port Adelaide will have done nothing for their confidence but the same goes for Sydney who were thrashed by Geelong. Both teams really need to win to consolidate top 8 positions. Should be close. The Hawks don't depend on Cyril Rioli to win games but his two week suspension has not come at a good time. If Hawthorn can hold Goodes to a mediocre game they can win as Sydney seem to have too many players playing below their best which is reflected in their poor second half of the season. Expect a tough, rough encounter as both teams need to win badly.
Hawthorn by 11

Geelong V Collingwood at the MCG Saturday night
Cancel all other activities and sit down and watch the two best teams in the competition this year slug it out in front of 90,000 at the 'G'. The Pies need to reverse the result from the last game to give them the credibility of a flag win this year. Tough ask.  Collingwood will have to maintain pressure football because you let Geelong off the leash for 10 minutes they are likely to put on 4 or 5 quick goals. The quality of their players all over the ground is far better than all other teams – the reason they're so good I guess. But you have to like Collingwood's style and commitment. They slacked off in the last quarter against Carlton, something they will not want to do against the Cats although it's impossible to think that they will be 73 points ahead at any stage of the game. Dane Swan and Gary Ablett. Ottens and Jolly. Chapman and Maxwell. O'Brien and Johnson. Bartel and Beames. And so on. Both teams field very good players. Should be a cracker!
Collingwood by 11

West Coast Eagles V Brisbane Lions at Subiaco Saturday night
With a direct telecast around the country of the blockbuster at the MCG the interest in this bottom of the ladder clash is negligible. The Eagles can get off the bottom with a win and Brisbane can ensure the Eagles stay on the bottom with a win. Yawn. Biggest news about this game seems to be the misspelling of Eagles player mCkenzie's name (sic) by the AFL and oops! he was supposed to be suspended. Worsfold has finally admitted that his job is finished if the Eagles don't improve next year and I guess with a year of less injuries they should do better next season if that eventuates. Maybe get Cousins back in the line up if he's out of contract at Richmond? Just a thought. The Lions will also undergo a microscopic inspection of their football performance this year but no blame is being laid at the feet of the coach Michael Voss. Who knows? Miserable seasons for both teams.
West Coast by 15

St Kilda V Port Adelaide at Etihad Sunday
The Saints are on an upper and the Power is on an upper. Somewhere in the middle there will be a result. Can Port really beat the Saints at home? It's certainly possible with the Port players performing much better under new coach Primus. The Saints managed without Reiwoldt for 3 months but it seems his return has now unbalanced the team and they have not been convincing since Nick came back. The Saints need to win to maintain a strong presence in the top 4 and Port will want a win to maintain that forward impetus of the past couple of weeks. The Saints should be too good but it won't be easy.
St Kilda by 29

Melbourne V Richmond at the MCG Sunday
This is an interesting game as the Demons and the Tigers have been the big improvers in the AFL this year. It seems the Dees have come on a bit better than the Tigers and incredibly a win here puts them right in contention to pinch a place in the finals. Interest remains with Jack Reiwoldt for Richmond and whether he can continue kicking goals and win the Coleman medal. He is level with Barry Hall on 65 but as a forward I would prefer delivery from the Bulldogs ball players than Richmond's. Ben Cousins has to put in another good performance to keep his name in lights for the 2011 Richmond team. Brad Greene is having a great time up forward for the Dees, a statement you couldn't make last year, or the year before, or the year before that, or….you get the idea. Colin Sylvia plays his 100th for Melbourne and he has been hot the past few weeks. I think Melbourne has a bit more to play for.
Melbourne by 20
 
Adelaide V Western Bulldogs at AAMI Sunday
The Bulldogs seem to have sorted out a lot of mid season problems and are playing some pretty slick football. The late rush by Adelaide has fallen on its sword and they have no hope of winning this game. Home ground advantage enables us to lower the margin accordingly from 10 goals. A strong backline might stop Barry Hall from kicking 5 but I think not. Barry will be on 70 at the close of the weekend's AFL round 19.
Western Bulldogs by 49
 
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[AFL-Review] Round 18

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Essendon 16.12.108 Defeated St Kilda 11.9.75
History repeats and it was general knowledge that the Bombers had some sort of hoodoo over the Saints, but, not many listened. And so it passed. The Saints are not looking like a hot premiership prospect at the moment with 2 losses and a draw from their past 3 games. And the knives sticking out of Matthew Knights' back from a couple of weeks ago are actually those trick magician knives where the blade pushes into the hilt. "It was just a joke Matty. All is forgiven!" Flaky Essendon supporters who should be doing something a little more constructive like intimidating members of the Essendon Lawn Bowls club so they will say yes to an extension of the Windy Hill ground to enable the Bombers to enter the 21st century with adequate training facilities. Monfries kicked 4 for the Bombers and Bachar Houli, the forgotten and much maligned Essendon half forward, kicked 2. The return of Fletcher to the Essendon backline was a major contributing factor for the Bomber win and the guy is 35 years old! Reiwoldt provided a bit across half forward for the Saints but they had a lot of players go missing.
 
Collingwood 15.15.105 Defeated Carlton 9.3.57
This was a very one-sided game thoroughly enjoyed by Collingwood supporters. At half time the Blues had kicked only 2 goals and the game was gone. The Pies led by 73 points at one stage and went into cruise control which allowed Carlton to kick 6 goals in the last. Carlton coach Brett Ratten stated that he was embarrassed by the effort of his guys and watching the game from the heights of the Southern stand at the MCG he was justified. Players did not attack the ball hard enough and constant fumbling and unsure ball handling allowed the Magpies to continually apply pressure and set up forward attacks at will. Poor goal front accuracy by Cloke for Collingwood who kicked 2.5 but took 12 marks kept the margin to under 10 goals at half time. Swan, Ball and Pendlebury dominated possessions around the ground and Didak and Davis were just brilliant up forward as well as around the ground. Judd copped a shoulder injury which didn't help Carlton's cause either. The Pies face Geelong next week, another BLOCKBUSTER, while the Blues will continue to fight for a finals berth.
 
Port Adelaide 13.14.92 Defeated Hawthorn 12.12.84
This was the second shock result of the weekend as Port stormed over Hawthorn in the last quarter. The result takes the pressure off the top 4 teams a bit but has now added pressure to the teams placed 5th to 13th. It seems Primus is making a difference at Port. The game was close all day with little separating the teams and it was just a last quarter goal kicked by Port's Stewart that sealed the result. Schultz, a Richmond reject, kicked 4 for the Power and Buddy put through 3 for the Hawks. The job Cornes did on Hodge was a contributing factor in Port Adelaide's win as the Brownlow favourite was kept to 18 possessions.  Mitchell and Renouf were best for Hawthorn and as well as Schultz and Cornes for Port Westhoff and Cassisi were prominent. The result has probably put paid to Hawthorn's top 4 aspirations but has kept a faint hope glowing for a finals spot for Port Adelaide – very faint.
 
Geelong 20.5.125 Defeated Sydney 9.18.72
The score line shows 27 shots for Sydney and 25 scoring shots for Geelong and still the Cats won by 53 but it was not inaccurate kicking for goal that cost the Swans the game. Just 4 goals down at half time the Swans succumbed to a Geelong onslaught that yielded them 8 goals to Sydney's 1 and from that point the game was really over. The Cats cruised in the last quarter which allowed the Swans to bridge the enormous gap that existed at the end of the 3rd quarter. Steve Johnson kicked 6 goals for Geelong  along with 25 possessions and Ablett had 29 touches for his 3 goals. Goodes again played a lone hand for the Swans around the ground and up forward with 3 goals. It doesn't get easier for Sydney next week against the Hawks while all eyes will be on the Collingwood clash with Geelong at the MCG next Saturday night.
 
Melbourne11.8.74 Defeated Brisbane 9.10.64
The Demons once again had a good start and allowed Brisbane back into the game in the 3rd quarter. Near the end of the game there was only 5 points in it as the Demons sealed the result with a late goal compliments of a 50 metre penalty against Rockliff of Brisbane in the last 2 minutes. 3 wins from the last 4 games has the Demons knocking on the door of the top 8 and let's face it, most of us had them on the bottom of the ladder again this year. Brisbane, after a really good start to the season is now in a fight with the Eagles for the wooden spoon having lost 12 of the last 13 games. The new, young blood at Melbourne are all learning, the old guns are all still firing, rejuvenated one would surmise, so it is looking good for them in the future. Hard to reconcile where Brisbane is headed but after winning 3 premierships in a row, well, who cares for a while?
 
Richmond 15.1.100 Defeated Adelaide 11.14.80
The Tigers continue to win games and put paid to the resurgence of Adelaide who at one stage looked like they would make the finals. Not so. Richmond came out in the 2nd half and kicked 10 goals to 4 to make sure of another victory. It was nice to see Ben Cousins play one of his best games for the Tigers ably assisted by Tuck who had 33 possessions. Reiwoldt has gone off the boil a bit but managed 2 goals but was well held by Rutten of the Crows. Neither team will make the finals but Richmond has a bit to work on for 2011 and the Crows will need a few better players to be competitive.
 
Western Bulldogs 22.11.143 Defeated North Melbourne 10.12.70
Into the 3rd quarter this was a reasonably close game. The Bulldogs went crazy in the last term and piled on 9 goals to kick the sweep for the second week in a row. North still has a mathematical chance of making the finals and the Bulldogs are in the top 4 to stay. Barry Hall continues his good form with 7 goals alongside Giansiracusa who kicked 5. Hall has given the Doggies a pretty good return this season considering most critics thought he was a risky recruit. Matthew Boyd racked up 40 touches for the Bulldogs and players like Cooney, Cross, Lake and Higgins all had big possession days. As usual North's Harvey played well with 27 possessions and 3 goals and Rawlings with 30 plus as well contributed. North has blown a couple of chances now to make the top 8 and time is running out. The Bulldogs are looking very good and the early season prediction of them making the GF now has some substance. Look out the other 3 teams in the finals campaign.
 
Fremantle 24.16.160 Defeated West Coast Eagles 13.7.85
The mighty Dockers kicked the sweep and one can only imagine the frenzy of the purple mist that will be present in the streets of Perth after that effort. The Fremantle score at half time was 13.8 which was 1 point better than the Eagles finished with. Amen. Freo's niggling little forward Ballantyne kicked 6 and Pavlich returned to some form and kicked 4. LeCras continued his goal kicking with 5 for West Coast and he sits tantalisingly 3rd for the Coleman medal as a small half forward. Wooden Spoon for West Coast and some finals glory for the Dockers. Heave Ho.
 
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[AFL-Preview] Round 18

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AFL Preview Rd 18
 
Just the 5 rounds to go tipsters and it seems we will have no change to the top 4 this year either as the same teams finish 1 to 4 like 2009. Hawthorn, after a disastrous season start, has settled into 5th position from which they will find it difficult, but not impossible, to win the flag. However, without a competent ruckman, the Hawks may struggle against the top 4 teams. Within those 5 remaining rounds it is possible to score 40 tipping points but as we have all discovered this season picking 8 winners in a weekend of AFL in 2010 is harder than finding a leak in the Labour Party ranks, harder than getting a MYKI transport card to work, harder than getting Mick Malthouse to admit the Pies are a chance to win the premiership  and harder than getting a West Coast Eagles supporter to smile!! Some of the form reversals by teams from one week to the next defy logic. Tipsters are having a dickens of a time deciding on games, not so much for the possible close ones but in the games that you would normally be able to pick a clear winner based on form. 5 correct last week was good, 4 correct was acceptable and anybody who scored 6 obviously knows very little about this great game or, like some of us, has resorted to guesswork!
 
 
Essendon V St Kilda at Etihad Friday night
The Bombers performed some sort of miracle last week against North Melbourne but in this game against the Saints it will be a miracle if they can manage 10 goals. Hopefully all those lamps heating the grass on Etihad will be removed so we get a free flowing match. Yes that was a cheap shot. Not a lot more can be said about this game. The Saints have to win to maintain credibility as a premiership favourite and Essendon needs to win for Knights to keep his job. The return of Hille will be a great plus but after so many weeks away from the game it might be a while before he is really up to an effective standard. Reiwoldt is coming along just fine and the Saints will have adapted to his presence on the forward line well before the finals are upon us.
St Kilda by 44
 
Collingwood V Carlton at the MCG Saturday
Surprisingly we have a Saturday afternoon football game at the MCG with traditional rivals. The Blues gave the Eagles a bit of a start last week and over ran them in the second half to win comfortably. Based on form it's hard to see Carlton knocking off a pretty hot Collingwood in front of 80,000 at the 'G' and the Pies would love a 6 goal start. Now Mick (Malthouse) said during the week that the significance of this game is not what it used to be as it was when we had suburban warfare. Having been part of many of those suburban battles I would have to disagree and say that the animosity between the two teams transcends any modernistic bent you want to put on it as a psychological weapon to lessen the importance of the game in the eyes of the players. People with blue scarves and people with black and white scarves hate each other when watching their teams play. Can't be any simpler than that.
Collingwood by 31
 
Port Adelaide V Hawthorn at AAMI Saturday
The unexpected win by the Power last week caught all tipsters by surprise but don't expect the same in this match against Hawthorn who will be a bit peeved about the draw last week. It's back to the usual stuff for Port supporters. The fact that the game is being played at AAMI helps us determine the margin but does not affect the overall result. Roughead and Franklin will kick enough between them to beat the Power. The game might be close for the first quarter.
Hawthorn by 39
 
Sydney V Geelong at SCG Saturday night
How bad was Sydney last week against Melbourne? Well even a form reversal will not be enough for them to beat this Geelong team. Ling will tag Goodes and outside that most of the Cats players are in a class above the Sydney players. Admittedly the Swans could not play as badly as they did last week but if they are having a confidence crisis then this is not the game that will help them overcome that. Form reversals have been the order of the season but it would take a wild streak of imagination to think that Sydney is good enough to beat Geelong!
Geelong by 42
 
Brisbane Lions V Melbourne at the Gabba Saturday night
It was written that it is still possible for the Demons to make the finals this year? Well here's their chance because Sydney play Geelong, North play Western Bulldogs and Carlton play Collingwood - all are games that can go their way to help their cause. Tipsters have been a bit quick to get on the Melbourne bandwagon and the Dees almost believe their own press. Brisbane at home? Expect an upset. Some serious soul searching by the Lions and a home crowd might be enough to upset Melbourne playing away from home again and we all know their away record. Put it this way, when you are over 10 points behind the leaders in a tipping comp you just need a 'whiff' of an upset to pick that way. Who knows?
Brisbane by 17
 
Richmond V Adelaide at the MCG Sunday
Both teams showed awful form last week so picking the winner of this game is almost impossible. The Crows and the Tigers have a couple of good forwards, average backlines, similarly talented on-ballers. Mark this down as the 3^rd draw of the season. And tipsters, draws attract 3 points in most tipping competitions and while it is agreed that it is a pie in the sky selection desperation commands risk. So you come 41^st in the tipping rather than 24^th!! Really?
Draw
 
Western Bulldogs V North Melbourne at Etihad Sunday
North Melbourne has no hope in this game. If they get within 10 goals of the Western Bulldogs they can count it as a reasonable day. The Bullies are on some sort of quest and this is not the time for lower teams to think they will have a chance. They don't have a chance so it's no good pencilling in North to give you that upset point in tipping.
Western Bulldogs by 66
 
Fremantle V West Coast at Subiaco Sunday
The western derby is upon us again and the hype is high for the Eagles because the Dockers are on a downward spiral. Problem is that the Eagles are already in the basement and can go no lower. Last week West Coast had a second half fade out but Freo faded out the whole game. This will be a close match and can go either way. Look out for an upset. Tarrant is back for the Dockers and it has been suggested that he will play on LeCras. Bad move. Selwood is a big loss for the Eagles but the main concern is the lethargy of Fremantle players who seem to be looking for the end of the season rather than looking towards playing finals. Up to Harvs to get his team motivated. It's a bit of a fairytale for Fremantle and over these last few games they better start living the dream!!
West Coast by 7
 
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Tipping - Keeping soccer fever alive!

Dear Footy List Subscriber,

With the Soccer World Cup having drawn to a close and celebrations in Spain slowly peetering out, it is time to look forward to the upcoming soccer season.

A soccer tipping competition is a great way to stay in touch with your tippers over the summer months when AFL, NRL and Super14 have come to an end for the year. Whilst a fair bit of attention turns to cricket, 'The World Game' is still the sport more people are involved in than any other.

We've sent you this email to let you know about the release of our Soccer 2010 editions.

We have released both an A-League edition and an English Premier League edition.

The 2010/11 English Premier League starts on Saturday 14th August and has a 38 round season ending in May 2011.

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[AFL-Review] Round 17

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St Kilda 14.3.87 Drew with Hawthorn 13.9.87
This was a titanic struggle and a great game of football almost ruined by two umpiring technicalities regarding interchange and runners. Another draw for the season providing little joy for tipsters. Buddy kicked 5 lazy goals for the Hawks while Kozy, Milne and Schneider all kicked 3 for the Saints. One wonders how much better a player Franklin would be if he just cut out the crap on the field at times. He gave away 200 metres in penalties and these were basically for stupidity. Still, after a cuddle from the coach he seemed to have got the message. There has been a bit of flak against Koszitsche over the past few weeks and when he kicked 3 goals in the first quarter it looked like he would answer the critics in the best possible way. But after the first quarter he was not as effective. Hayes and Goddard were good for the Saints and Hodge and Franklin seemed the best for Hawthorn. Watching a match a few weeks ago I thought Del Santo had his nose broken and it looked like he had it broken again during this game. Ditto Brown for the Hawks and added to a smashed lip on Gardiner the saying that the game was full of blood and guts seemed to hold true this night.
 
Collingwood 19.13.127 Defeated Richmond 6.9.45
The match went to script and showed us the difference between the top side and the almost bottom side. The Pies had a 7 goal lead at half time and continued on from there. Collingwood controlled the game and at times tended to be a bit cute but they could afford it. Dane Swan collected 37 possessions again as a stand out and he was ably supported by Didak, Pendlebury and Johnson playing his 200th. Cousins and Tuck collected over 20 touches each for the Tigers but it was difficult to see just how effective they were. Leon Davis got back into some sort of goal kicking mood with 4 but the Pies would be a better team with a proper full forward and one they would be prepared to stick with. Maybe when Cloke returns to the team next week their forward thrusts might yield better results. The Tigers have a long way to go so maybe by 2015 we might see them closer to a final appearance.
 
Geelong 19.13.127 Defeated Brisbane 9.10.64
Again the difference between the good sides and the rest is a chasm and perhaps the AFL should look at a mercy rule when a team is 10 goals down. Especially if the game is in Geelong because then spectators can hit that highway and be home at a reasonable time grabbing a bite of fish and chips on the way home. Ablett kicked 5 for the Cats and with Varcoe and Johnson who both booted 4 each that was enough to beat the Lions anyway. Jonathan Brown's 4 goals in that team total is a significant contribution. Selwood had 41 possessions for Geelong and rumour has it that he will win the club best and fairest ahead of Gary Ablett who was seen mouthing the words to the Gold Coast Sun's club song when resting on the bench in preparation for next season!
 
Essendon 18.14.122 Defeated North Melbourne 18.11.119
The fickle finger of fate pointed at North in this match during which they suffered some unexpected player changes due to injury. The heat came off the Essendon coach but results like these continue to frustrate knowledgeable tipsters. North lost Wells just before the game forcing them to get David Hale to get changed and be available even though Hale had already played a game for the VFL team that day!!?? This is AFL we are talking about here but North was forced to resort to school yard football tactics to field a full side? Neither backline functioned effectively in this game with both teams kicking 18 goals apiece. This was a disastrous result for tipsters.
 
Carlton 15.19.109 Defeated West Coast 11.17.83
How can a team allow a 52 point turnaround in a half of football when they have been dominating the first two quarters? Carlton must have been suffering jet lag up to half time after which they played a totally different game to win reasonably easily. The 12 goal hero, LeCras, from last week managed just 3 goals this week but it was the effective blanketing of the West Coast's Priddis by Ellard that probably made most of the difference. Betts and Garlett kicked 3 each for the Blues which was a turnaround from the previous two weeks during which they kicked none. Murphy and Simpson as well as Judd played well for Carlton while Rosa and Strijk, before he was carried off the field injured, were the main contributors for West Coast who would be pretty disappointed with that second half fade out. The Blues play Collingwood next week and the Eagles might have a chance against a fading Fremantle.
 
Western Bulldogs 24.14.158 Defeated Fremantle 12.4.76
One would think that the departure of Akermanis had a positive effect on the Bulldogs who kicked a season high score to obliterate top 4 pretenders Fremantle. The game was virtually over by the end of the first quarter but definitely by half time. Pav kicked 4 for the Dockers in a dirty day and Hall did likewise for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have ensured the top 4 will be the same as last year but Fremantle will need to be careful they don't drop their bundle completely. They will play finals but the intensity of the early season they showed has gone partly due to the loss of Barlow from the on ball group. It looks like the Western Bulldogs are ramping up as season finals approach so their timing is good.
 
Melbourne 22.10.142 Defeated Sydney 10.9.69
Notorious for slow starts the Demons came out and won this game in the 1st quarter. Those among you who have a reasonable explanation for such unpredictable form reversals please step forward. Melbourne played exceptionally well and it looked like the Swans had other things on their mind, maybe what to buy their departing coach Roos as a going away present at the end of the year. I reckon a tape of the 2005 grand final would be an okay prezzie. Green dominated up forward for the Demons kicking 5 goals and Goodes was the standout for the Swans kicking 4. Melbourne had a lot of good players on the day and with that scoreline it's obvious the whole team played well.
 
Port Adelaide 13.10.88 Defeated  Adelaide 9.15.69
Well what can you say? A totally ridiculous result based on what the end prize was for the Crows, to say nothing about the recent form of both teams. It is understood that not even Port supporters saw this one coming!! Had the Crows won this game they would have been knocking on the door of the 8 after a great few weeks of form, especially beating Geelong last week. Yep, they beat the Cats last week and maybe that's the reason they were flat today. But all they had to do was turn up and try a bit and they would have accounted for Port. Pearce, Cassissi and Cornes dominated for Port with Westhoff booting 4 for the Power. At time of writing no stats were available for the Crows. Maybe they turned their computers off at half time in disgust when it was obvious the bird had flown. Carlton, North and Swans can breathe a little easier after this surprise defeat of Adelaide.
 
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