Yes Finals is upon us, my favourite time of the year by far! And with some games on the weekend it has in fact shaped the finals a little differently than I thought, of what we all thought for that matter. Here are the games in case you were wondering:
1. First Elimination Final: Adelaide vs Essendon (AAMI Stadium) Friday 4th September 7:45pm Adelaide Time 8:15pm on the Eastern States.
2. Second Qualifying Final: Geelong vs Western Bulldogs (MCG) Saturday 5th September 2:30pm AEST.
3. Second Elimination Final: Brisbane vs Carlton (GABBA) Saturday 5th September 7:30pm AEST.
4. First Qualifying Final: St Kilda vs Collingwood (MCG) Sunday 6th September 2:40pm AEST.
So there you have it. It will be hard to tip this week I reckon. But it does shape up to be a great finals series. Whoever wins the premiership is gonna deserve it I reckon.
Monday, August 31, 2009
After the weekend.
With a blink of an eye, the 2009 home and away season is now officially ended and for eight clubs it's mad monday, for the other eight the quest for finals is ahead. There are some really good games ahead which will take interesting shape but I will look into those a little later.
To Friday night and West Coast hosted Richmond at Subiaco. And after not a bad start from Richmond, West Coast then took over and ran away winners by 80 points. It was a disappointing end to Richmond's season who said farewell to Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan. What will the future for these two players? Only time will tell. On the otherhand West Coast finished off the year rather well and could be one of the teams to watch going into 2010.
To Saturday and Geelong hosted Fremantle at Skilled Stadium. Geelong controlled the game pretty much which was what was expected to win by a comfortable 40 points. To me Fremantle have got a bit to learn about playing in Victoria, but with the list they have they will eventually kick into gear. They do have a good starting block at home, if they win more away then anythings possible for Freo. Geelong have still got room for improvement if they are to go far in September.
To the MCG and Hawthorn hosted Essendon in what was going to be the game that decided who takes 8th spot. And what a game! Hawthorn started with a blaze of glory and I thought that they could take out 8th spot plus some momentum going into September. But it wasn't to be. A game changing bump from Matthew Lloyd on Brad Sewell which sparked a massive blue kick started the Bombers into gear who went on to win by 17 points. Brad Sewell was left with a damaged jaw and the Hawks fuming at him saying that he has a tendancy to line people up. What? He is one of the softest players around, to me he needed to do something, maybe not to that extreme in order to prove that he's not! He will go for that. If Franklin can get two weeks after appeal for something that I still consider line ball then he will definately get more! Otherwise Hawthorn will genuinely have something to complain about! After all they are a hard at it side they should have been expecting something like that was coming to them! To me Lloyd did something that could have gone two ways. Either Hawthorn would have come out and thumped Essendon or it would have ignited Essendon, it turned out to be the latter.
To Saturday Twighlight. I know sounds funny doesn't it? Carlton hosted Adelaide at Etihad Stadium. This was another game that I was looking forward to as it would decide who takes fifth spot and book a home final. Carlton came out and started well before they ran out of steam and Adelaide completely dominated and won by a massive 72 points. It's something that the Blues did not need going into the finals an honorable loss would add character, but if they can rebound next week then anything can happen. Adelaide on the otherhand has got a home final and momentum going into the first week of the finals.
To Saturday Night and Sydney hosted Brisbane at the SCG. This game had everything, well just about but it offered more than what I thought. Sydney were out to farewell three of their champions, Michael O'Lauchlan, Jarrad Crouch and Leo Barry. Brisbane was wanting momentum going into the finals as they hadn't had the best record against Sydney. This time it was Brisbane taking the points and booking a home final by 8 points.
Over to a rain logged AAMI Stadium and Port Adelaide hosted North Melbourne. Both teams were wanting pride going into 2010 and Port were hoping to send off two of their champions in Brendan Lade and Peter Burgoyne. It was pretty much low scoring, goals were at a premium and it took a 50 metre penalty against Nathan Krakeour for North to pinch the game by 4 points. Both teams will need to regroup and refocus in order to set themself up for 2010, it will be interesting to see what happens there.
To Sunday and Melbourne hosted St Kilda at the MCG. Melbourne started well and you thought that maybe just maybe there could be an upset but it was St Kilda who proved that they should be premiership favourites and won by 47 points. Melbourne could be reasonably pleased with their effort but there is a lot of improvements to do if they are going to press forward towards 2010 including top draft picks.
To Etihad Stadium and Collingwood hosted Western Bulldogs in a clash that could shape the remainder of the eight. It was a good game because both teams took turns dominating and for a while. Then in the last quarter the Dogs took charge and ended up winning by 24 points going past the 22 points that they needed in order to sew up 3rd Spot. So that now shapes up the eight and here it is:
1. St Kilda 20-0-2 156% 80
2. Geelong 18-0-4 127% 72
3. Bulldogs 15-0-7 123% 60
4. Magpies 15-0-7 122% 60
5. Adelaide 14-0-8 118% 56
6. Brisbane 13-1-8 107% 54
7. Carlton 13-0-9 110% 52
8. Essendon 10-1-11 98% 42
9. Hawthorn 9-0-13 93% 36
10. Power 9-0-13 89% 36
11. Eagles 8-0-14 93% 32
12. Sydney 8-0-14 93% 32
13. Kangaroos 7-1-14 83% 30
14. Fremantle 6-0-16 77% 24
15. Richmond 5-1-16 74% 22
16. Melbourne 4-0-18 75% 16
To Friday night and West Coast hosted Richmond at Subiaco. And after not a bad start from Richmond, West Coast then took over and ran away winners by 80 points. It was a disappointing end to Richmond's season who said farewell to Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan. What will the future for these two players? Only time will tell. On the otherhand West Coast finished off the year rather well and could be one of the teams to watch going into 2010.
To Saturday and Geelong hosted Fremantle at Skilled Stadium. Geelong controlled the game pretty much which was what was expected to win by a comfortable 40 points. To me Fremantle have got a bit to learn about playing in Victoria, but with the list they have they will eventually kick into gear. They do have a good starting block at home, if they win more away then anythings possible for Freo. Geelong have still got room for improvement if they are to go far in September.
To the MCG and Hawthorn hosted Essendon in what was going to be the game that decided who takes 8th spot. And what a game! Hawthorn started with a blaze of glory and I thought that they could take out 8th spot plus some momentum going into September. But it wasn't to be. A game changing bump from Matthew Lloyd on Brad Sewell which sparked a massive blue kick started the Bombers into gear who went on to win by 17 points. Brad Sewell was left with a damaged jaw and the Hawks fuming at him saying that he has a tendancy to line people up. What? He is one of the softest players around, to me he needed to do something, maybe not to that extreme in order to prove that he's not! He will go for that. If Franklin can get two weeks after appeal for something that I still consider line ball then he will definately get more! Otherwise Hawthorn will genuinely have something to complain about! After all they are a hard at it side they should have been expecting something like that was coming to them! To me Lloyd did something that could have gone two ways. Either Hawthorn would have come out and thumped Essendon or it would have ignited Essendon, it turned out to be the latter.
To Saturday Twighlight. I know sounds funny doesn't it? Carlton hosted Adelaide at Etihad Stadium. This was another game that I was looking forward to as it would decide who takes fifth spot and book a home final. Carlton came out and started well before they ran out of steam and Adelaide completely dominated and won by a massive 72 points. It's something that the Blues did not need going into the finals an honorable loss would add character, but if they can rebound next week then anything can happen. Adelaide on the otherhand has got a home final and momentum going into the first week of the finals.
To Saturday Night and Sydney hosted Brisbane at the SCG. This game had everything, well just about but it offered more than what I thought. Sydney were out to farewell three of their champions, Michael O'Lauchlan, Jarrad Crouch and Leo Barry. Brisbane was wanting momentum going into the finals as they hadn't had the best record against Sydney. This time it was Brisbane taking the points and booking a home final by 8 points.
Over to a rain logged AAMI Stadium and Port Adelaide hosted North Melbourne. Both teams were wanting pride going into 2010 and Port were hoping to send off two of their champions in Brendan Lade and Peter Burgoyne. It was pretty much low scoring, goals were at a premium and it took a 50 metre penalty against Nathan Krakeour for North to pinch the game by 4 points. Both teams will need to regroup and refocus in order to set themself up for 2010, it will be interesting to see what happens there.
To Sunday and Melbourne hosted St Kilda at the MCG. Melbourne started well and you thought that maybe just maybe there could be an upset but it was St Kilda who proved that they should be premiership favourites and won by 47 points. Melbourne could be reasonably pleased with their effort but there is a lot of improvements to do if they are going to press forward towards 2010 including top draft picks.
To Etihad Stadium and Collingwood hosted Western Bulldogs in a clash that could shape the remainder of the eight. It was a good game because both teams took turns dominating and for a while. Then in the last quarter the Dogs took charge and ended up winning by 24 points going past the 22 points that they needed in order to sew up 3rd Spot. So that now shapes up the eight and here it is:
1. St Kilda 20-0-2 156% 80
2. Geelong 18-0-4 127% 72
3. Bulldogs 15-0-7 123% 60
4. Magpies 15-0-7 122% 60
5. Adelaide 14-0-8 118% 56
6. Brisbane 13-1-8 107% 54
7. Carlton 13-0-9 110% 52
8. Essendon 10-1-11 98% 42
9. Hawthorn 9-0-13 93% 36
10. Power 9-0-13 89% 36
11. Eagles 8-0-14 93% 32
12. Sydney 8-0-14 93% 32
13. Kangaroos 7-1-14 83% 30
14. Fremantle 6-0-16 77% 24
15. Richmond 5-1-16 74% 22
16. Melbourne 4-0-18 75% 16
Friday, August 28, 2009
Round 22 preview
Ok this is officially scary! We are at round 22! And to my tips this week.
West Coast vs Richmond (Subiaco) Friday Night.
Really this game has no bearing on finals or anything but rather pride. Both teams will want to show something to give to supporters going into 2010. Will any of these teams be massive improvers for 2010 or will it be same old same old for both clubs? After the season has been done and dusted then I will look into 2010 for these two teams. In this game though I will say that West Coast will win by 25 points.
Geelong vs Fremantle (Skilled Stadium) Saturday.
To me this is a game that will indicate whether Geelong are at all serious about their prospects going into the finals. The Cats have a massive task when it comes to September and the likelihood of going far for me doesn't appear to be great. For Fremantle it would be for pride. Their record in Victoria has been shithouse and would need to play out of their skins like last week to have a chance. On the otherhand their list has got some potential and will be something to consider going into the 2010 season. In this game though the interstate horrors will continue for the Dockers and the Cats will win by 47 points.
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) Saturday.
This game is a mini elimination final! The finals have come early, not just in this game but in other games in round 22! There are some question marks in this game that will be answered no doubt in due course. First of all. Will Lance Franklin's absence mean the difference between the two sides or will Hawthorn step up to the plate and win? Will Essendon be all guns blazing after a disappointing game last week in the west? Who will the the X factor in this game? It was a tough one to tip but after much deciding I am going to tip Essendon by 13 points.
Carlton vs Adelaide (Etihad) Saturday.
Another mini final. Both teams are sitting 5th and 6th on the ladder and the winner will have a home final. A lot to play for in this game! Both teams are matched good and have players that have the potential to bust the game apart. Take Murphy, Fevola and Gibbs for Carlton all players have done well this year and have complimented Chris Judd in that midfield. On the otherhand there is Knights who to me has been a massive improver this year as well as Kurt Tippett, then there are the younger players like Otten and Dangerfield. There are exciting times ahead for both teams. In this case Carlton will win by 5 points and deserve fifth spot.
Sydney vs Brisbane (SCG) Saturday Night.
I didn't know who to tip in this case as there were so many factors that could lead either way. First of all there are three greats for Sydney who are hanging up the boots and deserve a great send off. Brisbane will be looking at being a threat come September and have a lot to play for there. Being at the SCG has given the Swans a bit of an advantage. And Sydney have had the wool over the eyes of Brisbane since 2004 only losing one of those games which I find staggering. Will this hoodoo be broken? I think it will, I am going for Brisbane to win by 14 points.
Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne (AAMI Stadium) Saturday Night.
Port have a slimmer of hope of getting into the 8 but need to beat North Melbourne by over 100 points which I find highly unlikely. North Melbourne will be looking at backing up the upset of the year over St Kilda to finish off the year strong. Regardless of making the eight, Port will want to do the same. I think Port will win for retirees Peter Burgoyne and Brendan Lade by 35 points.
Melbourne vs St Kilda (MCG) Sunday.
I nearly wrote in their Etihad Stadium as St Kilda have played a lot of games there and this is the first at the MCG this year. They are playing Melbourne and they will win but it would be interesting to see how they play and occupy the space of the MCG. They have done well on bigger grounds interstate so I don't think that they will have a problem. As someone said to me, in their premiership year, Geelong only played a couple of games before finals at the MCG, so maybe the same will happen for the Saints. Anyway if Melbourne gets within 40 points I think they will be doing good and St Kilda will win this game by 48 points.
Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
Hmm another I'm not sure about. Cast back to earlier on and the Pies held on to win by 1 point. Recent form has Collingwood ahead in this one but the Dogs will have some real confidence after beating Geelong by 14 points last week. If the Dogs get their running game happening then they are in with a real shot here, on the other hand if Collingwood dominate in the midfield then they will win. Hard choice but I am tipping Collingwood based upon form to win by 29 points.
West Coast vs Richmond (Subiaco) Friday Night.
Really this game has no bearing on finals or anything but rather pride. Both teams will want to show something to give to supporters going into 2010. Will any of these teams be massive improvers for 2010 or will it be same old same old for both clubs? After the season has been done and dusted then I will look into 2010 for these two teams. In this game though I will say that West Coast will win by 25 points.
Geelong vs Fremantle (Skilled Stadium) Saturday.
To me this is a game that will indicate whether Geelong are at all serious about their prospects going into the finals. The Cats have a massive task when it comes to September and the likelihood of going far for me doesn't appear to be great. For Fremantle it would be for pride. Their record in Victoria has been shithouse and would need to play out of their skins like last week to have a chance. On the otherhand their list has got some potential and will be something to consider going into the 2010 season. In this game though the interstate horrors will continue for the Dockers and the Cats will win by 47 points.
Hawthorn vs Essendon (MCG) Saturday.
This game is a mini elimination final! The finals have come early, not just in this game but in other games in round 22! There are some question marks in this game that will be answered no doubt in due course. First of all. Will Lance Franklin's absence mean the difference between the two sides or will Hawthorn step up to the plate and win? Will Essendon be all guns blazing after a disappointing game last week in the west? Who will the the X factor in this game? It was a tough one to tip but after much deciding I am going to tip Essendon by 13 points.
Carlton vs Adelaide (Etihad) Saturday.
Another mini final. Both teams are sitting 5th and 6th on the ladder and the winner will have a home final. A lot to play for in this game! Both teams are matched good and have players that have the potential to bust the game apart. Take Murphy, Fevola and Gibbs for Carlton all players have done well this year and have complimented Chris Judd in that midfield. On the otherhand there is Knights who to me has been a massive improver this year as well as Kurt Tippett, then there are the younger players like Otten and Dangerfield. There are exciting times ahead for both teams. In this case Carlton will win by 5 points and deserve fifth spot.
Sydney vs Brisbane (SCG) Saturday Night.
I didn't know who to tip in this case as there were so many factors that could lead either way. First of all there are three greats for Sydney who are hanging up the boots and deserve a great send off. Brisbane will be looking at being a threat come September and have a lot to play for there. Being at the SCG has given the Swans a bit of an advantage. And Sydney have had the wool over the eyes of Brisbane since 2004 only losing one of those games which I find staggering. Will this hoodoo be broken? I think it will, I am going for Brisbane to win by 14 points.
Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne (AAMI Stadium) Saturday Night.
Port have a slimmer of hope of getting into the 8 but need to beat North Melbourne by over 100 points which I find highly unlikely. North Melbourne will be looking at backing up the upset of the year over St Kilda to finish off the year strong. Regardless of making the eight, Port will want to do the same. I think Port will win for retirees Peter Burgoyne and Brendan Lade by 35 points.
Melbourne vs St Kilda (MCG) Sunday.
I nearly wrote in their Etihad Stadium as St Kilda have played a lot of games there and this is the first at the MCG this year. They are playing Melbourne and they will win but it would be interesting to see how they play and occupy the space of the MCG. They have done well on bigger grounds interstate so I don't think that they will have a problem. As someone said to me, in their premiership year, Geelong only played a couple of games before finals at the MCG, so maybe the same will happen for the Saints. Anyway if Melbourne gets within 40 points I think they will be doing good and St Kilda will win this game by 48 points.
Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
Hmm another I'm not sure about. Cast back to earlier on and the Pies held on to win by 1 point. Recent form has Collingwood ahead in this one but the Dogs will have some real confidence after beating Geelong by 14 points last week. If the Dogs get their running game happening then they are in with a real shot here, on the other hand if Collingwood dominate in the midfield then they will win. Hard choice but I am tipping Collingwood based upon form to win by 29 points.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thought of the week
Well well well. The Richmond coaching job has finally been decided and good luck to Damien Hartwick. Basically peoples I told ya that that would happen. The writing was on the wall, and the wall had Damien's name written all over it! The question is: What can he do at Richmond to lift that club from a bottom four team to a finals contender? I personally think that there is a lot that needs to be done at Richmond in order for them to improve. Basically for a start, it's all good and well getting a new coach one that in my opinion will help separate men from the boys but there is a lot that needs to be done off the field in order for them to move forward. It's been a mixed bag the last several years and really the Tigers haven't been the same team since 80-81 with the exception of a few finals appearances.
What needs to happen now is a reshuffling of the board. A new CEO was needed. The president and CEO need to be on the EXACT same page before working out the shit that is needed off the field, most importantly getting things settled with the board is important as a minimum. Then there is the carry over of that into the players, getting things settled in their minds. Then there is list management. There are some tough decisions that needs to be made regarding the current list. Which senior players need to be there and which ones are not required before working out which other players (mainly in the 20-25 bracket) that is not pulling their weight and either work with them give them an altermatum or get rid of them. There are some tallent in the club but realistically there is not enough of it at this stage to really get excited about but I believe that that will come in time. Do you get rid of Richo or do you keep him? I personally think he has got another year to offer, after that I'm not too sure. Heaven forbid if they get rid of Richo! He is the Richmond football club!
As I mentioned before, Richmond have had a varied time when it comes to where they finish on the ladder. Last year they finished the dreaded 9th and this year are towards the bottom of the ladder, the year before near bottom of the ladder and in 2006 they finished 9th again ahead of Geelong. In that case they should finish 9th shouldn't they next year? I think that a lot of Tigers supporters will be happy with that considering where they are now and I think under the new coach they will be around the 9th or 10th position next year if they get any further than that then they should be proud of themselves. We'll see what happens I suppose.
Another thought that I had is that the debate regarding Lance Franklin appealing the original one match ban and then getting two as a result for being found guilty. I'm not really too sure what to make of it to be honest. In real time it didn't look all that bad but the tribunal people had to consider some things in all of this. For a start. Could he have tackled Ben Cousins or avoided contact? I reckon no to both. Also Ben Cousins was knocked Out and didn't return for the rest of the game and may miss this week so that is a major part of it. If he walked away that would have lessened the blow of the demerit point system. Also the fact is that he had carry over points that contributed to him getting one week in the first place. The seriousness of concussion combined with his carry over points in my book means that one match maybe was sufficient. But on the otherhand the seriousness of the bump means that there is going to rules put into place to outrule it and take away the physicalness of the game which is crap if you ask me. Go back to the start of the year, and Nick Maxwell appealed and got off for his bump if you ask me that was more serious than Franklins. If that's the case then Lance should be successful in the appeal when he goes to the appeal board. You have got to be fair about these things, to me the Nick Maxwell incident served as a prescendent which didn't start there but had been introduced this year afterwards. If Nick Maxwell got off then maybe Franklin should have. You see how this is difficult don't you? Maybe Franklin should have taken one week and gotten on with things.
Footy's an interesting game the players create the interest!
What needs to happen now is a reshuffling of the board. A new CEO was needed. The president and CEO need to be on the EXACT same page before working out the shit that is needed off the field, most importantly getting things settled with the board is important as a minimum. Then there is the carry over of that into the players, getting things settled in their minds. Then there is list management. There are some tough decisions that needs to be made regarding the current list. Which senior players need to be there and which ones are not required before working out which other players (mainly in the 20-25 bracket) that is not pulling their weight and either work with them give them an altermatum or get rid of them. There are some tallent in the club but realistically there is not enough of it at this stage to really get excited about but I believe that that will come in time. Do you get rid of Richo or do you keep him? I personally think he has got another year to offer, after that I'm not too sure. Heaven forbid if they get rid of Richo! He is the Richmond football club!
As I mentioned before, Richmond have had a varied time when it comes to where they finish on the ladder. Last year they finished the dreaded 9th and this year are towards the bottom of the ladder, the year before near bottom of the ladder and in 2006 they finished 9th again ahead of Geelong. In that case they should finish 9th shouldn't they next year? I think that a lot of Tigers supporters will be happy with that considering where they are now and I think under the new coach they will be around the 9th or 10th position next year if they get any further than that then they should be proud of themselves. We'll see what happens I suppose.
Another thought that I had is that the debate regarding Lance Franklin appealing the original one match ban and then getting two as a result for being found guilty. I'm not really too sure what to make of it to be honest. In real time it didn't look all that bad but the tribunal people had to consider some things in all of this. For a start. Could he have tackled Ben Cousins or avoided contact? I reckon no to both. Also Ben Cousins was knocked Out and didn't return for the rest of the game and may miss this week so that is a major part of it. If he walked away that would have lessened the blow of the demerit point system. Also the fact is that he had carry over points that contributed to him getting one week in the first place. The seriousness of concussion combined with his carry over points in my book means that one match maybe was sufficient. But on the otherhand the seriousness of the bump means that there is going to rules put into place to outrule it and take away the physicalness of the game which is crap if you ask me. Go back to the start of the year, and Nick Maxwell appealed and got off for his bump if you ask me that was more serious than Franklins. If that's the case then Lance should be successful in the appeal when he goes to the appeal board. You have got to be fair about these things, to me the Nick Maxwell incident served as a prescendent which didn't start there but had been introduced this year afterwards. If Nick Maxwell got off then maybe Franklin should have. You see how this is difficult don't you? Maybe Franklin should have taken one week and gotten on with things.
Footy's an interesting game the players create the interest!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My theory on the Richmond coaching job
Ok there is a lot of speculation regarding who will pick up the Richmond coaching role. To me I think that Damien Hartwick will get the job and I will tell you why.
Think to the North Melbourne job for a sec. North wanted Nathan Buckley, they made no secret on it, they wanted him real bad! He however accepted a predecessor job at Collingwood making him the next coach at Collingwood. So, North thought right we will get one of their assistants and they chose Brad Scott to be their next coach, ironically enough from Collingwood.
So that leaves the Richmond job up for grabs. A few years ago Essendon nabbed former Richmond great Matthew Knights over Damien Hartwick who to me at the time was so ready to coach. After he was overlooked for that position and also the North Melbourne gig I thought that that had opened the door for him to go to Richmond. Just think about it, Essendon got Matthew Knights formally Richmond player and Damien Hartwick to go to Richmond, a former Essendon player. You can see the irony in that can't you if that were to happen.
Just like Brad Scott's appointment there will be an irony in the Richmond job. Who know's they could surprise me and go for Ken Hinkley the other choice and who will make a great coach someday.
Think to the North Melbourne job for a sec. North wanted Nathan Buckley, they made no secret on it, they wanted him real bad! He however accepted a predecessor job at Collingwood making him the next coach at Collingwood. So, North thought right we will get one of their assistants and they chose Brad Scott to be their next coach, ironically enough from Collingwood.
So that leaves the Richmond job up for grabs. A few years ago Essendon nabbed former Richmond great Matthew Knights over Damien Hartwick who to me at the time was so ready to coach. After he was overlooked for that position and also the North Melbourne gig I thought that that had opened the door for him to go to Richmond. Just think about it, Essendon got Matthew Knights formally Richmond player and Damien Hartwick to go to Richmond, a former Essendon player. You can see the irony in that can't you if that were to happen.
Just like Brad Scott's appointment there will be an irony in the Richmond job. Who know's they could surprise me and go for Ken Hinkley the other choice and who will make a great coach someday.
Interesting times ahead
I must have to say painfully congratulations to the England side for winning the ashes. I know what you're saying WHO CARES....right! Like it was for the ashes being painful knowing that after a while in that last test that we couldn't win it, it was like me for last years Grand Final. But like all good sportsmans (and womens) we have to congratulate the winner!
But!!!! There are some things that I would have to say about this other sport. Maybe the Poms deserved to win the last test but that's where it stops! I personally think they are a bunch of cheats where karma should have come and bite them on the arse! Take you back to the first test in Cardiff where in my book they wasted time bringing out the Physio when there was nothing wrong with them, I mean even the English commentators said that there was a way in which to take up time and not to. I know what you're saying. We should have got that last wicket and then we would have, but to me the bit that disappoints me was the fact that they deliberately wasted time and made it painfully obvious that blind freddy could have seen it! If it was the fact that that didn't happen but we didn't get the wicket then well that's the end of that! People can argue with me til they're black and blue they still cheated! The Poms are going to say that we are whingers that we lost the ashes well if that's the case then aren't we direct desendents of the English, that must mean we inherited something from our forefathers.
Getting back to footy! I never really took any notice of this because as a Geelong supporter I was too disappointed after last year's Grand Final to care. Basically at first I would congratulate Hawthorn on winning the premiership but then there was a could of things that came out of that game as apposed to other grand finals that we have lost. Our kicking was our enemy and to be honest that was what I thought was one of the main deciding factors in the Grand Final. That and a couple of flukish goals from Stuart (marshmallow) Dew that sealed the deal. But taking that all aside. How would it have gone if we kicked straight or that they didn't rush all those points (11 I think) then Hawthorn would have been in big trouble MR! To me they fluked the game. That and the fact that the deliberate rushed behinds come into it, if it was today then they would have had goals kicked against them! In a way Hawthorn cheated but mainly got lucky. Lucky the fact that Geelong didn't kick straight or that the rushed behind rule wasnt enforced a year earlier! Let's just hope that England get slaughtered in the return ashes series!!!!!!!!!!
But!!!! There are some things that I would have to say about this other sport. Maybe the Poms deserved to win the last test but that's where it stops! I personally think they are a bunch of cheats where karma should have come and bite them on the arse! Take you back to the first test in Cardiff where in my book they wasted time bringing out the Physio when there was nothing wrong with them, I mean even the English commentators said that there was a way in which to take up time and not to. I know what you're saying. We should have got that last wicket and then we would have, but to me the bit that disappoints me was the fact that they deliberately wasted time and made it painfully obvious that blind freddy could have seen it! If it was the fact that that didn't happen but we didn't get the wicket then well that's the end of that! People can argue with me til they're black and blue they still cheated! The Poms are going to say that we are whingers that we lost the ashes well if that's the case then aren't we direct desendents of the English, that must mean we inherited something from our forefathers.
Getting back to footy! I never really took any notice of this because as a Geelong supporter I was too disappointed after last year's Grand Final to care. Basically at first I would congratulate Hawthorn on winning the premiership but then there was a could of things that came out of that game as apposed to other grand finals that we have lost. Our kicking was our enemy and to be honest that was what I thought was one of the main deciding factors in the Grand Final. That and a couple of flukish goals from Stuart (marshmallow) Dew that sealed the deal. But taking that all aside. How would it have gone if we kicked straight or that they didn't rush all those points (11 I think) then Hawthorn would have been in big trouble MR! To me they fluked the game. That and the fact that the deliberate rushed behinds come into it, if it was today then they would have had goals kicked against them! In a way Hawthorn cheated but mainly got lucky. Lucky the fact that Geelong didn't kick straight or that the rushed behind rule wasnt enforced a year earlier! Let's just hope that England get slaughtered in the return ashes series!!!!!!!!!!
After the weekend.
Ok ok ok round 21, it's been and gone who would have thought.
To Friday Night and Western Bulldogs hosted Geelong at Etihad Stadium. When Geelong came out and kicked the first goal or two I thought that it was going to be Geelong's night. But then out came the doggies that we know, fast paced and full of life and in the third quarter when the cats were down by over 30 points I thought they were totally gone and the Dogs were going to run away big winners. But to Geelong's credit, they came back and at three quarter time were ahead by 2 points and I thought that this was going to be a good finish to the game regardless of the result. But it was the Dogs night and they held on to win by 14 points. A couple of questions were raised from this game. Would the Dogs sustain this type of pressure and be a threat come finals time? And. How will the Cat's go with this lack of form going into the finals? Only time will tell I suppose.
To Saturday. Carlton hosted Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. I wanted to see how the young players of each team, in particular Melbourne would go under the pressure of a rising Carlton team who for the first time since 2001 will play finals. At first Melbourne did play well and forced Carlton to make mistakes who were uncharacteristic of them of late. But Carlton came out and turned it on in the second half showing why they should be in the finals and won by 57 points. Melbourne have a lot to learn if they are going to move forward next year and it will be interesting to see which way they recruit and build from here.
Over to AAMI Stadium and Adelaide hosted West Coast. This game had the potential to be a hard fort game that can go anyway. But Adelaide totally dominated from start to finish to win by 74 points. West Coast had three wins on the trot and has brought some much needed confidence going into next year where they could be a growing threat for the finals. Adelaide on the otherhand will either finish 5th or 6th and if they host a final they will be a strong contender in the finals. The Carlton vs Adelaide game will be a good one next week and will decide who finishes 5th and 6th.
To Saturday Night and Brisbane hosted Port Adelaide at the Gabba. The way that Port had been playing away this game should be a facinating one to watch. Port came out and kicked ten goals straight in the first quarter to lead by over 40 points and I thought wow it's going to take something pretty special here for the Lions to even get back in the game the way the Power is playing. It wasn't until after half time that Brisbane really started to come back and not only did they get back into the game they got in the lead and won by 15 points. To me what got me about his game is the way that Port didn't finish off the game. They had the potential to do something and they didn't have enough steam. To Brisbane's full credit though they turned a game that could have got ugly to them sitting pretty after the game. Well done Michael Voss you have got these boys into the finals! How far can you go? Only time will tell.
To the MCG at Richmond hosted Hawthorn at the MCG. This was Hawthorn's last chance to be in contention with getting into the finals, they lose and there is no hope! Richmond showed some bite early but the Hawks came out and dominated on their way to a 42 point win. It wasn't convincing but at least it gives them some sore of chance going into the last round.
To Sunday and St Kilda hosted North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. After last weeks disappointing 2 point loss to Essendon, the Saints would want to put that behind them and have a good win. Well that's what they thought. North came out and kicked the first five goals and it was de ja vu to when they played early in the year, I was waiting for the saints to kick into gear and come back and win this one. They did come back but some stubbon football from North came out and they won in a thriller by 5 points handing St Kilda their second straight loss. It's amazing with regards to the fact that they appointed a new coach North Melbourne and they won for the caretaker, how thoughtful. People are now making statements like "Are St kilda getting a little wabbly" my answer to that is that they will be right this is going to make them stronger. After all look at who they still have in the side, that's more than what Geelong or any other team have got.
To the MCG and Collingwood hosted Sydney. For a brief second in the second quarter this game was close but realistically Collingwood were always going to win this game and they did by 41 points. Collingwood have a good starting block to win the flag this year, and I think they will play St Kilda. I can tell you if that was the Grand Final then the AFL will be rubbing their hands together!
To the last game of the round and Fremantle hosted Essendon at Subiaco. A win to Essendon here can cement a place in the eight and shut Port Adelaide and Hawthorn out. By Essendon's standards after their big win last week, this week they didn't have any of that and Fremantle totally dominated the game and won by 54 points. That leaves Hawthorn and Port Adelaide in the race for the finals although I personally think that Hawthorn has got the best chance out of the two. Next week we have Essendon and Hawthorn at the G on Saturday afternoon for the right to play in the finals. I will dicect the eight next week with the probabilities before the round 22 games to see what most likely would be the ladder.
To Friday Night and Western Bulldogs hosted Geelong at Etihad Stadium. When Geelong came out and kicked the first goal or two I thought that it was going to be Geelong's night. But then out came the doggies that we know, fast paced and full of life and in the third quarter when the cats were down by over 30 points I thought they were totally gone and the Dogs were going to run away big winners. But to Geelong's credit, they came back and at three quarter time were ahead by 2 points and I thought that this was going to be a good finish to the game regardless of the result. But it was the Dogs night and they held on to win by 14 points. A couple of questions were raised from this game. Would the Dogs sustain this type of pressure and be a threat come finals time? And. How will the Cat's go with this lack of form going into the finals? Only time will tell I suppose.
To Saturday. Carlton hosted Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. I wanted to see how the young players of each team, in particular Melbourne would go under the pressure of a rising Carlton team who for the first time since 2001 will play finals. At first Melbourne did play well and forced Carlton to make mistakes who were uncharacteristic of them of late. But Carlton came out and turned it on in the second half showing why they should be in the finals and won by 57 points. Melbourne have a lot to learn if they are going to move forward next year and it will be interesting to see which way they recruit and build from here.
Over to AAMI Stadium and Adelaide hosted West Coast. This game had the potential to be a hard fort game that can go anyway. But Adelaide totally dominated from start to finish to win by 74 points. West Coast had three wins on the trot and has brought some much needed confidence going into next year where they could be a growing threat for the finals. Adelaide on the otherhand will either finish 5th or 6th and if they host a final they will be a strong contender in the finals. The Carlton vs Adelaide game will be a good one next week and will decide who finishes 5th and 6th.
To Saturday Night and Brisbane hosted Port Adelaide at the Gabba. The way that Port had been playing away this game should be a facinating one to watch. Port came out and kicked ten goals straight in the first quarter to lead by over 40 points and I thought wow it's going to take something pretty special here for the Lions to even get back in the game the way the Power is playing. It wasn't until after half time that Brisbane really started to come back and not only did they get back into the game they got in the lead and won by 15 points. To me what got me about his game is the way that Port didn't finish off the game. They had the potential to do something and they didn't have enough steam. To Brisbane's full credit though they turned a game that could have got ugly to them sitting pretty after the game. Well done Michael Voss you have got these boys into the finals! How far can you go? Only time will tell.
To the MCG at Richmond hosted Hawthorn at the MCG. This was Hawthorn's last chance to be in contention with getting into the finals, they lose and there is no hope! Richmond showed some bite early but the Hawks came out and dominated on their way to a 42 point win. It wasn't convincing but at least it gives them some sore of chance going into the last round.
To Sunday and St Kilda hosted North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. After last weeks disappointing 2 point loss to Essendon, the Saints would want to put that behind them and have a good win. Well that's what they thought. North came out and kicked the first five goals and it was de ja vu to when they played early in the year, I was waiting for the saints to kick into gear and come back and win this one. They did come back but some stubbon football from North came out and they won in a thriller by 5 points handing St Kilda their second straight loss. It's amazing with regards to the fact that they appointed a new coach North Melbourne and they won for the caretaker, how thoughtful. People are now making statements like "Are St kilda getting a little wabbly" my answer to that is that they will be right this is going to make them stronger. After all look at who they still have in the side, that's more than what Geelong or any other team have got.
To the MCG and Collingwood hosted Sydney. For a brief second in the second quarter this game was close but realistically Collingwood were always going to win this game and they did by 41 points. Collingwood have a good starting block to win the flag this year, and I think they will play St Kilda. I can tell you if that was the Grand Final then the AFL will be rubbing their hands together!
To the last game of the round and Fremantle hosted Essendon at Subiaco. A win to Essendon here can cement a place in the eight and shut Port Adelaide and Hawthorn out. By Essendon's standards after their big win last week, this week they didn't have any of that and Fremantle totally dominated the game and won by 54 points. That leaves Hawthorn and Port Adelaide in the race for the finals although I personally think that Hawthorn has got the best chance out of the two. Next week we have Essendon and Hawthorn at the G on Saturday afternoon for the right to play in the finals. I will dicect the eight next week with the probabilities before the round 22 games to see what most likely would be the ladder.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Round 21 preview
Round 21 is upon us and well things are going to get interesting as things shape up for the finals.
Western Bulldogs vs Geelong (Etihad) Friday Night.
Well this game shapes up to be a beauty. Both teams match up pretty well and both play Etihad really well regardless of both teams recent form. Last time these two teams played the Cats won by 2 points after Brad Johnson had a chance to win the game after the siren but missed. Make no mistake, if the same thing happened I don't think this time he would miss the shot. I still think it would be another close game and I'm not 100 percent sure of my tip this week but I am going to give the Cats another go and they will win by 4 points.
Carlton vs Melbourne (Etihad) Saturday.
This game at the MCG would be interesting, but given it's at Etihad this would definately give the Blues an advantage as Melbourne don't play this ground as well. It would be interesting to see how the Demons go after a good win last week. But Carlton are in the best form at the moment and could be a possibility to trouble some teams come September. In this case the Blues will win by 69 points.
Adelaide vs West Coast (AAMI) Saturday.
Both teams have come into form. Adelaide will play finals and West Coast have a slight chance if everything goes their way. West Coast have won three in a row and this momentum will help them in this game. Adelaide travelled to Melbourne and won against the Hawks. To me I believe Adelaide will win this game but not after a good challenge from the Eagles and will win by 15 points.
Brisbane vs Port Adelaide (Gabba) Saturday Night.
Believe you me I was struggling with who I would tip in this game. Do I go for the upset or do I go with the flow? You never know with Port Adelaide which team will come out to play, they could cause an upset. Brisbane however lost their last game at home last week against the Dogs and I don't think that they lose this one they will win by 26 points.
Richmond vs Hawthorn (MCG) Saturday Night.
This is the absolute last chance for Hawthorn! Lose against the Tigers and their season is gone, no chance of making finals! They have to win this game, it is after all very winable. Richmond on the otherhand have Mr Miracle in Graham Polak coming back from that horrific injury when a tram hit him and will play his first game back since then. I am going to give them one last chance the Hawks, don't win this they are Hacks and don't deserve to play finals. But I think they will win and the old Hawthorn will come out and win by 32 points.
St Kilda vs North Melbourne (Etihad) Sunday.
Really this was one of the easiest tips for the round. St Kilda lost and lost by 2 points that proves to me that they would bounce back and win this game. North will challenge but not enough and the Saints will win by 70 points.
Collingwood vs Sydney (MCG) Sunday.
This shapes up to be a good game. Collingwood have had the wool over the eyes of Sydney for the last couple of years or so. Sydney regardless of whether they have won or not have played well and they could upset the Pies here. I personally don't think that that will happen and the Pies will win by 45 points.
Fremantle vs Essendon (Subiaco) Sunday.
Had to think about this game, so many factors could decide it. Essendon came off the upset of the year and Fremantle were crap against Melbourne. Being at Subiaco will help Freo.....to play a bit better anyway. The main question is how the Bombers would go after a win like they had last week and the injuries how that will effect them. I personally think that Essendon since they lost last time they played at Subiaco will win this one because they need to to stay in the finals run and will win by 8 points.
Well that's my tips let's see how I do!
Catch ya!
Western Bulldogs vs Geelong (Etihad) Friday Night.
Well this game shapes up to be a beauty. Both teams match up pretty well and both play Etihad really well regardless of both teams recent form. Last time these two teams played the Cats won by 2 points after Brad Johnson had a chance to win the game after the siren but missed. Make no mistake, if the same thing happened I don't think this time he would miss the shot. I still think it would be another close game and I'm not 100 percent sure of my tip this week but I am going to give the Cats another go and they will win by 4 points.
Carlton vs Melbourne (Etihad) Saturday.
This game at the MCG would be interesting, but given it's at Etihad this would definately give the Blues an advantage as Melbourne don't play this ground as well. It would be interesting to see how the Demons go after a good win last week. But Carlton are in the best form at the moment and could be a possibility to trouble some teams come September. In this case the Blues will win by 69 points.
Adelaide vs West Coast (AAMI) Saturday.
Both teams have come into form. Adelaide will play finals and West Coast have a slight chance if everything goes their way. West Coast have won three in a row and this momentum will help them in this game. Adelaide travelled to Melbourne and won against the Hawks. To me I believe Adelaide will win this game but not after a good challenge from the Eagles and will win by 15 points.
Brisbane vs Port Adelaide (Gabba) Saturday Night.
Believe you me I was struggling with who I would tip in this game. Do I go for the upset or do I go with the flow? You never know with Port Adelaide which team will come out to play, they could cause an upset. Brisbane however lost their last game at home last week against the Dogs and I don't think that they lose this one they will win by 26 points.
Richmond vs Hawthorn (MCG) Saturday Night.
This is the absolute last chance for Hawthorn! Lose against the Tigers and their season is gone, no chance of making finals! They have to win this game, it is after all very winable. Richmond on the otherhand have Mr Miracle in Graham Polak coming back from that horrific injury when a tram hit him and will play his first game back since then. I am going to give them one last chance the Hawks, don't win this they are Hacks and don't deserve to play finals. But I think they will win and the old Hawthorn will come out and win by 32 points.
St Kilda vs North Melbourne (Etihad) Sunday.
Really this was one of the easiest tips for the round. St Kilda lost and lost by 2 points that proves to me that they would bounce back and win this game. North will challenge but not enough and the Saints will win by 70 points.
Collingwood vs Sydney (MCG) Sunday.
This shapes up to be a good game. Collingwood have had the wool over the eyes of Sydney for the last couple of years or so. Sydney regardless of whether they have won or not have played well and they could upset the Pies here. I personally don't think that that will happen and the Pies will win by 45 points.
Fremantle vs Essendon (Subiaco) Sunday.
Had to think about this game, so many factors could decide it. Essendon came off the upset of the year and Fremantle were crap against Melbourne. Being at Subiaco will help Freo.....to play a bit better anyway. The main question is how the Bombers would go after a win like they had last week and the injuries how that will effect them. I personally think that Essendon since they lost last time they played at Subiaco will win this one because they need to to stay in the finals run and will win by 8 points.
Well that's my tips let's see how I do!
Catch ya!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Finally they have decided
There has been a lot of speculation with regarding the two coaching vacancies at North Melbourne and Richmond who would get these two jobs.
At Richmond they are still deciding. Either they have a very complex system that they have to adhere by or they a just too picky. Why are they taking so long?
With North Melbourne the media and other figures have jumped on them to make a decision when in fact Richmond seem to have more time by the media. Maybe that's because the head hunchos at North have hinted that they may make a decision soon regarding the top job. They made their decision to go with Brad Scott former assistant coach at Collingwood. Is this the best choice for them? Really you never know, you've just got to take a chance.
Damien Hartwick had been linked with the North Melbourne coaching job and to me would make a really good coach. That's really the second time he's been linked with a team then not get the job. Maybe he is going to Richmond after all? Or maybe he isn't the right pick for any club and that there would be another position that could become available that he would be perfect for, like.....oh I don't know.....Port Adelaide? Who knows why North have gone for Brad Scott over Damien, but there must be a really good reason why that's the case. I can tell you that there are a lot of North supporters who are happy with the decision so maybe they know something I don't know.
To the Richmond job, who's going to get that? There are a couple of names that had been linked with the final stage and I will be so glad once that's over! Names that I like include Damien Hartwick, Ken Hinkley and Jade Rawlings. Those three will make good coaches but who they will coach remains a mystery. I will say this though. If Ken Hinkley misses out on the Richmond job, then he is my tip to be the next Geelong coach when Bomber finishes up. Maybe they should follow Collingwood and Sydney's lead with appointing the next coach now. Saves this painful process that clubs have to go through.
At Richmond they are still deciding. Either they have a very complex system that they have to adhere by or they a just too picky. Why are they taking so long?
With North Melbourne the media and other figures have jumped on them to make a decision when in fact Richmond seem to have more time by the media. Maybe that's because the head hunchos at North have hinted that they may make a decision soon regarding the top job. They made their decision to go with Brad Scott former assistant coach at Collingwood. Is this the best choice for them? Really you never know, you've just got to take a chance.
Damien Hartwick had been linked with the North Melbourne coaching job and to me would make a really good coach. That's really the second time he's been linked with a team then not get the job. Maybe he is going to Richmond after all? Or maybe he isn't the right pick for any club and that there would be another position that could become available that he would be perfect for, like.....oh I don't know.....Port Adelaide? Who knows why North have gone for Brad Scott over Damien, but there must be a really good reason why that's the case. I can tell you that there are a lot of North supporters who are happy with the decision so maybe they know something I don't know.
To the Richmond job, who's going to get that? There are a couple of names that had been linked with the final stage and I will be so glad once that's over! Names that I like include Damien Hartwick, Ken Hinkley and Jade Rawlings. Those three will make good coaches but who they will coach remains a mystery. I will say this though. If Ken Hinkley misses out on the Richmond job, then he is my tip to be the next Geelong coach when Bomber finishes up. Maybe they should follow Collingwood and Sydney's lead with appointing the next coach now. Saves this painful process that clubs have to go through.
After the weekend.
Wow what a weekend of footy. As we are getting down to the pointy end of the season, things are starting to take shape in the top (and bottom) eight.
Friday night saw Hawthorn host Adelaide at the MCG. And after a fast start from Hawthorn, you thought that maybe there was some bite left in the Hawks and that finals could be a possibility. But the second quarter from the crows saw them come right back and from then on control the game, even though there was a late surge from the Hawks the Crows still ran away winners by 27 points.
On Saturday afternoon at the G saw Richmond host Collingwood. Weeeeelllllll. Didn't they bring back the biff! Make no mistake these two sides HATE eachother! There was a lot of feeling and yes, a good old fashioned Barney to top it off! I don't know about you but I reckon that the umpires and the AFL have tried to stamp out this because it's bad for the game, you know what I think HELL NO! Let em go for it! But if they injure someone then they have to wear the concequences! It does create an entertainment value that I like, but after a while you do have to go back to playing football and basically Richmond forgot how to play footy and Collingwood did and they won by 93 points.
Over at Subiaco West Coast hosted North Melbourne. Some weeks ago this would have been set up for a great game but the way that West Coast have been playing over the past couple of weeks you would have thought that they would control this game. At the start North showed some spirit and you thought maybe just maybe they could get a much valuable win. But it wasn't to be, West Coast told hold of the home ground advantage, winning by 38 points.
To Saturday Night. Up at the Gabba saw Brisbane host Western Bulldogs. On paper this was evenly matched and could go in any direction really. The Dogs came out firing after last weeks embarrassing loss to West Coast in Melbourne and controlled the game all the way through, even a late charge couldn't win them the game and they won by 18 points. Perhaps the disappointing factor is that there was a lady in the crowd that threw beer at Brad Johnson after the game, that was a Lions supporter obviously. The lady has since appologised and says she is remorseful of what happened and has written to the Dogs and to Brad Johnson saying that it was a spur of the moment thing, a mind lapse. At least some people are remorseful.
To ANZ Stadium. And Sydney hosted Geelong. This was a good game all round really. Geelong did play well but Sydney has found some form which could hold em well in 2010. After Geelong started well, Sydney came back. It really was the tone of the night. The Cats would get out to lead, the swans would come back before Geelong held them off by 5 points. Even 250 games celebrated by one of the best players I have seen Adam Goodes couldn't get them over the line, he was mightly disappointed. All I have to say is Well Done Adam on 250 Awesome games!!!
To Sunday. This was a good day for footy. The quality of footy was there. At the MCG Melbourne hosted Fremantle on a cold wet day in Melbourne. At first the game was relatively close, which is what I really expected. But then Melbourne came out and played some beautiful football (yes I did say Melbourne and Beautiful) and they ran away with the win by 63 points. I know I was shocked! That would give the Demons much needed confidence for the rest of the year and into next regardless if they win the two remaining games or not.
To AAMI Stadium and Port Adelaide hosted Carlton. A couple of questions for me I thought of before this game occured. One. Was there going to be a bit of feeling that came out of this game? Answer is yes! Which Port Adelaide team was going to show up? And was the comments by Chad and co going to backfire? The Answer to all these questions is yes and bad. The bad Port came out to play and Carlton took full advantage of that and went on to win by 54 points. Carlton have turned a corner with their football big time with massive improvements all around this year and regardless of what happens they can be proud of the year they've had.
Ok and last but not least the game of the round by far! Essendon hosted St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. What a game! The Saints started off well and you thought that they were going to have a good day. Then Essendon dominated getting out to a 42 point lead in the third quarter. But St Kilda have proven that they play Etihad Stadium well and being a smaller ground, they came back and got within a goal with a couple of minutes to go. From there it was an arm wrestle and when Nick Reiwoldt marked 40 metres out on a 45 degree angle Bomber supporters had their hearts in their mouths, but he missed and the Bombers won by 2 points. Great win for Essendon! But are they counting the costs with some of their stars getting injured? Is this the loss that St Kilda needed? That question will be answered in time.
Well what a round of footy! Round 21 will be here shortly. I will have more later.
Catch ya!
Friday night saw Hawthorn host Adelaide at the MCG. And after a fast start from Hawthorn, you thought that maybe there was some bite left in the Hawks and that finals could be a possibility. But the second quarter from the crows saw them come right back and from then on control the game, even though there was a late surge from the Hawks the Crows still ran away winners by 27 points.
On Saturday afternoon at the G saw Richmond host Collingwood. Weeeeelllllll. Didn't they bring back the biff! Make no mistake these two sides HATE eachother! There was a lot of feeling and yes, a good old fashioned Barney to top it off! I don't know about you but I reckon that the umpires and the AFL have tried to stamp out this because it's bad for the game, you know what I think HELL NO! Let em go for it! But if they injure someone then they have to wear the concequences! It does create an entertainment value that I like, but after a while you do have to go back to playing football and basically Richmond forgot how to play footy and Collingwood did and they won by 93 points.
Over at Subiaco West Coast hosted North Melbourne. Some weeks ago this would have been set up for a great game but the way that West Coast have been playing over the past couple of weeks you would have thought that they would control this game. At the start North showed some spirit and you thought maybe just maybe they could get a much valuable win. But it wasn't to be, West Coast told hold of the home ground advantage, winning by 38 points.
To Saturday Night. Up at the Gabba saw Brisbane host Western Bulldogs. On paper this was evenly matched and could go in any direction really. The Dogs came out firing after last weeks embarrassing loss to West Coast in Melbourne and controlled the game all the way through, even a late charge couldn't win them the game and they won by 18 points. Perhaps the disappointing factor is that there was a lady in the crowd that threw beer at Brad Johnson after the game, that was a Lions supporter obviously. The lady has since appologised and says she is remorseful of what happened and has written to the Dogs and to Brad Johnson saying that it was a spur of the moment thing, a mind lapse. At least some people are remorseful.
To ANZ Stadium. And Sydney hosted Geelong. This was a good game all round really. Geelong did play well but Sydney has found some form which could hold em well in 2010. After Geelong started well, Sydney came back. It really was the tone of the night. The Cats would get out to lead, the swans would come back before Geelong held them off by 5 points. Even 250 games celebrated by one of the best players I have seen Adam Goodes couldn't get them over the line, he was mightly disappointed. All I have to say is Well Done Adam on 250 Awesome games!!!
To Sunday. This was a good day for footy. The quality of footy was there. At the MCG Melbourne hosted Fremantle on a cold wet day in Melbourne. At first the game was relatively close, which is what I really expected. But then Melbourne came out and played some beautiful football (yes I did say Melbourne and Beautiful) and they ran away with the win by 63 points. I know I was shocked! That would give the Demons much needed confidence for the rest of the year and into next regardless if they win the two remaining games or not.
To AAMI Stadium and Port Adelaide hosted Carlton. A couple of questions for me I thought of before this game occured. One. Was there going to be a bit of feeling that came out of this game? Answer is yes! Which Port Adelaide team was going to show up? And was the comments by Chad and co going to backfire? The Answer to all these questions is yes and bad. The bad Port came out to play and Carlton took full advantage of that and went on to win by 54 points. Carlton have turned a corner with their football big time with massive improvements all around this year and regardless of what happens they can be proud of the year they've had.
Ok and last but not least the game of the round by far! Essendon hosted St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. What a game! The Saints started off well and you thought that they were going to have a good day. Then Essendon dominated getting out to a 42 point lead in the third quarter. But St Kilda have proven that they play Etihad Stadium well and being a smaller ground, they came back and got within a goal with a couple of minutes to go. From there it was an arm wrestle and when Nick Reiwoldt marked 40 metres out on a 45 degree angle Bomber supporters had their hearts in their mouths, but he missed and the Bombers won by 2 points. Great win for Essendon! But are they counting the costs with some of their stars getting injured? Is this the loss that St Kilda needed? That question will be answered in time.
Well what a round of footy! Round 21 will be here shortly. I will have more later.
Catch ya!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Round 20 Preview
Ok this is getting scary. Round 20 already who would have thought!
Hawthorn vs Adelaide (MCG) Friday Night.
This was a tough one to read at the start of the week. Hawthorn being inpredictable this year could very well win this. However Adelaide are definately going to be in the mix for the finals and maybe make an impact in September. But I do look at Omens and I do have a feeling about the Hawks this week especially, previous weeks have been up and down. I am going to tip Hawthorn to win by 45 points, I believe they will have a night out tonight.
Richmond vs Collingwood (MCG) Saturday.
These two teams just about always play some beauties. Collingwood are in good form having played a great game last week in Adelaide versus the Crows. Richmond lost a game that a lot of people pencilled in to win. I am going to tip Collingwood to win easily by 64 points. Sorry Richmond fans but the way the pies are playing and the way the Tigers are playing there's that much of a gap between the two.
West Coast vs North Melbourne (Subiaco) Saturday.
Believe it or not this game was a hard one to tip. North showed something last week that they hadn't for a little while and if they carry that through this week then they will have a good game. However West Coast are going for three in a row, proving that the tanking rumours have been snuffed out big time! The key is going to be in the midfield and which ruck combo will in fact take charge that will win this game. West Coast are going in with an inexperienced, but tallented Natinui whilst North have a player in all australian form Hamish McIntosh. To me I think for West Coast the forwards will be the difference and just edge out North winning by 13 points.
Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs (Gabba) Saturday night.
With Both teams coming off tight games last week, it's going to be interesting to see who's legs are going to hold up and win this game. Brisbane came off a draw which when you looked at the game no one really deserved to win based upon performance and the Dogs didn't deserve and didn't win against the Eagles. To me since the Bulldogs should have won last week and performance let them down, they will be itching to make immense and will win by 20 points.
Sydney vs Geelong (ANZ) Saturday Night.
Another tough game to tip. Geelong basically had a shocker last week with or without injuries that game was a write off and I agree with Mark Thompson that you can't blame injuries for that performance. On the otherhand Sydney came off a much needed win against Richmond in a great performance that would have seen them beat anyone for that matter. Structurally both teams are in a way evenly matched maybe the Cats just ahead. No doubt last weeks' performance would have done some damage. At the moment I am not ready to venture back to tipping the Cats until they can bring together a consistent performance because of late they hadn't done that. On the otherhand Sydney have strung together consistent performances regardless of the result and that's why I'm tipping the Swans to win by 19 points.
Melbourne vs Fremantle (MCG) Sunday.
Boy did I wrestle with this one. Melbourne in a way have gone backwards after making some inroads this year, Fremantle have lifted their performances. Melbourne beat the Dockers last time they played at the G and the Dockers are shockers in Melbourne. Very even game because of these factors. I am going to tip Fremantle to break the hoodoo in Victoria in the very last chance I give them if they don't then I am not going to tip them again in Victoria. THAT'S IT NO MORE CHANCES! Dockers by 5 points.
Port Adelaide vs Carlton (AAMI) Sunday.
Hmm. A lot of fire before the game has begun with Chad Cornes taking a swipe at the Blues saying that they hate them. Ah common Chad that's a bit childish isn't it?! Grow up! Port have been inconsistent this year whilst the Blues have come into some form. Hard game to tip maybe. I think however because Chad Cornes has taken a swipe before the game rather than doing his best on the field that's going to leave the Power unplugged and the Blues will win by 16 points.
Essendon vs St Kilda (Etihad) Sunday.
Well. St Kilda have proven something last week, they have depth. I still think it's in the top three performances of this year as well as the Geelong game and maybe on of the Adelaide games. Essendon have some players coming back whilst St Kilda have all their guns coming back. Essendon need to try something different otherwise they run the risk of this game getting ugly. I think they will do well but St Kilda will have too much firepower and I don't think I will go away from them again this year they will win by 44 points.
Well that's my tips. Hope I get more than last week. I personally think it will be a better round than last week.
Catch Ya!
Hawthorn vs Adelaide (MCG) Friday Night.
This was a tough one to read at the start of the week. Hawthorn being inpredictable this year could very well win this. However Adelaide are definately going to be in the mix for the finals and maybe make an impact in September. But I do look at Omens and I do have a feeling about the Hawks this week especially, previous weeks have been up and down. I am going to tip Hawthorn to win by 45 points, I believe they will have a night out tonight.
Richmond vs Collingwood (MCG) Saturday.
These two teams just about always play some beauties. Collingwood are in good form having played a great game last week in Adelaide versus the Crows. Richmond lost a game that a lot of people pencilled in to win. I am going to tip Collingwood to win easily by 64 points. Sorry Richmond fans but the way the pies are playing and the way the Tigers are playing there's that much of a gap between the two.
West Coast vs North Melbourne (Subiaco) Saturday.
Believe it or not this game was a hard one to tip. North showed something last week that they hadn't for a little while and if they carry that through this week then they will have a good game. However West Coast are going for three in a row, proving that the tanking rumours have been snuffed out big time! The key is going to be in the midfield and which ruck combo will in fact take charge that will win this game. West Coast are going in with an inexperienced, but tallented Natinui whilst North have a player in all australian form Hamish McIntosh. To me I think for West Coast the forwards will be the difference and just edge out North winning by 13 points.
Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs (Gabba) Saturday night.
With Both teams coming off tight games last week, it's going to be interesting to see who's legs are going to hold up and win this game. Brisbane came off a draw which when you looked at the game no one really deserved to win based upon performance and the Dogs didn't deserve and didn't win against the Eagles. To me since the Bulldogs should have won last week and performance let them down, they will be itching to make immense and will win by 20 points.
Sydney vs Geelong (ANZ) Saturday Night.
Another tough game to tip. Geelong basically had a shocker last week with or without injuries that game was a write off and I agree with Mark Thompson that you can't blame injuries for that performance. On the otherhand Sydney came off a much needed win against Richmond in a great performance that would have seen them beat anyone for that matter. Structurally both teams are in a way evenly matched maybe the Cats just ahead. No doubt last weeks' performance would have done some damage. At the moment I am not ready to venture back to tipping the Cats until they can bring together a consistent performance because of late they hadn't done that. On the otherhand Sydney have strung together consistent performances regardless of the result and that's why I'm tipping the Swans to win by 19 points.
Melbourne vs Fremantle (MCG) Sunday.
Boy did I wrestle with this one. Melbourne in a way have gone backwards after making some inroads this year, Fremantle have lifted their performances. Melbourne beat the Dockers last time they played at the G and the Dockers are shockers in Melbourne. Very even game because of these factors. I am going to tip Fremantle to break the hoodoo in Victoria in the very last chance I give them if they don't then I am not going to tip them again in Victoria. THAT'S IT NO MORE CHANCES! Dockers by 5 points.
Port Adelaide vs Carlton (AAMI) Sunday.
Hmm. A lot of fire before the game has begun with Chad Cornes taking a swipe at the Blues saying that they hate them. Ah common Chad that's a bit childish isn't it?! Grow up! Port have been inconsistent this year whilst the Blues have come into some form. Hard game to tip maybe. I think however because Chad Cornes has taken a swipe before the game rather than doing his best on the field that's going to leave the Power unplugged and the Blues will win by 16 points.
Essendon vs St Kilda (Etihad) Sunday.
Well. St Kilda have proven something last week, they have depth. I still think it's in the top three performances of this year as well as the Geelong game and maybe on of the Adelaide games. Essendon have some players coming back whilst St Kilda have all their guns coming back. Essendon need to try something different otherwise they run the risk of this game getting ugly. I think they will do well but St Kilda will have too much firepower and I don't think I will go away from them again this year they will win by 44 points.
Well that's my tips. Hope I get more than last week. I personally think it will be a better round than last week.
Catch Ya!
Monday, August 10, 2009
After the weekend.
Ok yes as I've mentioned before, this footy year is going waaay too fast. Soon I'm gonna have nothing to talk about the rate its going. Nah I find that hard to believe but you know what I mean. Ok to last weeks games in a round that proved difficult for tippers.
And to Friday Night. This was the first upset of the round. Looking at it on paper it was always going to be realitively close. Early on in the game Geelong came out and kicked the first two goals of the game and you thought that that would be the tone of the game. But it wasn't to be Carlton came back and backed up the "They know we're coming"slogan exploiting the fact that the cats had players out and dropping like flies to eventual run away winners by 35 points. Full credit to Carlton really with the amount of players Geelong had going out of the game, they should have won by that margin, anything less wouldn't be something that they could be proud of. Geelong have a big three weeks to prove that they can seriously go far in September. Carlton on the otherhand really have made the finals, it would take something serious to go wrong for the blues not to make the finals.
To Saturday afternoon. There was upset number two.West Coast was hosted by Western Bulldogs. West Coast put in a performance that no one well really expected them to do. At one stage the Eagles were 47 points up in the second quarter and you thought that this could be embarrassing for the Dogs. But to their credit they came back and made it a real game. Late in the last quarter the lead changed hands a couple of times before the Eagles hang on to win by only 5 points.
At Aurora Stadium Hawthorn hosted a very depleated St Kilda. This game was the Hawks very best chance to beat St Kilda for the first time this year and to be still in the finals race. I thought that Hawthorn were going to put in a really good performance and I would say other people had faith in them as a lot of money was put on them before the game. To St Kilda's full credit and their unknown players like Jack Steven and McQualter who really have carried the known players, in my book they deserve more credit and I can know say that the Saints have depth. Reminds me of another team. The saints won by 25 points in one of their best performances of the year. Why do we need to go through finals etc? Let's just hand St Kilda the premiership now! It's inevitable!
To Saturday Night. At the MCG Essendon hosted Brisbane. A bit of money went on the Lions but it was fairly even at the start of the game. Essendon started well before Brisbane came back and got in front. And it was fairly even for most of the game. The last quarter to me was the best. Essendon getting out to a lead in the last quarter then lost it at the hands of the Lions before the Bombers got out to a lead and you honestly thought that they would win by a goal but a mark to Daniel Bradshaw and goal bottled the game up. The game ending up in a draw. Realistically I hate draws but they happen sometimes and no I don't believe we should play extra time!
Over to AAMI Stadium, the battle for the top four. Adelaide hosted Collingwood. This game going in to tip for me was fairly even as Collingwood has had the wool over Adelaides eyes apart from early on in their year. Both teams had times when they did control the game but overall Collingwood did in the end winning by 21 points. I originally had Collingwood finishing third on the ladder and to me they would be dangerous with that second chance. Don't ride of Adelaide they are my interstate pick and would be in with a show this Friday Night against Hawthorn at the G.
To Sunday. North Melbourne hosted Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. And finally a tip goes the way of tippers. Melbourne were out to prove that they weren't tanking and North Melbourne were searching for their first win for caretaker coach Darren Crocker. It was North who lead all the way in the game, winning by 62 points. It would be interesting to see where these two teams go from here especially in 2010.
At the MCG Richmond hosted Sydney. There was two milestones in the game Michael O'lauchlan 300 games for Sydney and Ben Cousins 250 for Richmond and previously West Coast. There was slightly more people that had tipped Richmond to win this game which to me surprised me considering that they had come off two wins and a draw basically three close games in a row and the fact that Mickie O was playing his 300th Game and Sydney were due for a win. It was Sydney who did take the honours by 55 points.
In the last game of the round, Fremantle hosted Port Adelaide at Subiaco. This game sorta baffled me as to who I would go for because these two teams have been inconsistent all year. Fremantle have been blooding young players something that they had been criticised in the past for not doing. Port have always had potential to do something but really haven't taken the next step. In this game it was Fremantle getting a much needed win against a very inconsistent Port Adelaide by 42 points.
Well Round 19 was a hard round to tip I got 3. Most people I know didn't do too much better, how did you do?
Catch Ya!
And to Friday Night. This was the first upset of the round. Looking at it on paper it was always going to be realitively close. Early on in the game Geelong came out and kicked the first two goals of the game and you thought that that would be the tone of the game. But it wasn't to be Carlton came back and backed up the "They know we're coming"slogan exploiting the fact that the cats had players out and dropping like flies to eventual run away winners by 35 points. Full credit to Carlton really with the amount of players Geelong had going out of the game, they should have won by that margin, anything less wouldn't be something that they could be proud of. Geelong have a big three weeks to prove that they can seriously go far in September. Carlton on the otherhand really have made the finals, it would take something serious to go wrong for the blues not to make the finals.
To Saturday afternoon. There was upset number two.West Coast was hosted by Western Bulldogs. West Coast put in a performance that no one well really expected them to do. At one stage the Eagles were 47 points up in the second quarter and you thought that this could be embarrassing for the Dogs. But to their credit they came back and made it a real game. Late in the last quarter the lead changed hands a couple of times before the Eagles hang on to win by only 5 points.
At Aurora Stadium Hawthorn hosted a very depleated St Kilda. This game was the Hawks very best chance to beat St Kilda for the first time this year and to be still in the finals race. I thought that Hawthorn were going to put in a really good performance and I would say other people had faith in them as a lot of money was put on them before the game. To St Kilda's full credit and their unknown players like Jack Steven and McQualter who really have carried the known players, in my book they deserve more credit and I can know say that the Saints have depth. Reminds me of another team. The saints won by 25 points in one of their best performances of the year. Why do we need to go through finals etc? Let's just hand St Kilda the premiership now! It's inevitable!
To Saturday Night. At the MCG Essendon hosted Brisbane. A bit of money went on the Lions but it was fairly even at the start of the game. Essendon started well before Brisbane came back and got in front. And it was fairly even for most of the game. The last quarter to me was the best. Essendon getting out to a lead in the last quarter then lost it at the hands of the Lions before the Bombers got out to a lead and you honestly thought that they would win by a goal but a mark to Daniel Bradshaw and goal bottled the game up. The game ending up in a draw. Realistically I hate draws but they happen sometimes and no I don't believe we should play extra time!
Over to AAMI Stadium, the battle for the top four. Adelaide hosted Collingwood. This game going in to tip for me was fairly even as Collingwood has had the wool over Adelaides eyes apart from early on in their year. Both teams had times when they did control the game but overall Collingwood did in the end winning by 21 points. I originally had Collingwood finishing third on the ladder and to me they would be dangerous with that second chance. Don't ride of Adelaide they are my interstate pick and would be in with a show this Friday Night against Hawthorn at the G.
To Sunday. North Melbourne hosted Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. And finally a tip goes the way of tippers. Melbourne were out to prove that they weren't tanking and North Melbourne were searching for their first win for caretaker coach Darren Crocker. It was North who lead all the way in the game, winning by 62 points. It would be interesting to see where these two teams go from here especially in 2010.
At the MCG Richmond hosted Sydney. There was two milestones in the game Michael O'lauchlan 300 games for Sydney and Ben Cousins 250 for Richmond and previously West Coast. There was slightly more people that had tipped Richmond to win this game which to me surprised me considering that they had come off two wins and a draw basically three close games in a row and the fact that Mickie O was playing his 300th Game and Sydney were due for a win. It was Sydney who did take the honours by 55 points.
In the last game of the round, Fremantle hosted Port Adelaide at Subiaco. This game sorta baffled me as to who I would go for because these two teams have been inconsistent all year. Fremantle have been blooding young players something that they had been criticised in the past for not doing. Port have always had potential to do something but really haven't taken the next step. In this game it was Fremantle getting a much needed win against a very inconsistent Port Adelaide by 42 points.
Well Round 19 was a hard round to tip I got 3. Most people I know didn't do too much better, how did you do?
Catch Ya!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Preview for round 19
Well Friday comes around pretty quickly, just wish the weekend could slow down sometimes. But anyway here are my tips for round 19.
Carlton vs Geelong (MCG) Friday night.
Friday night games for me are always interesting, I have had an interesting mix of hit and misses when it comes to the tipping side of things. I think that tonights game has a lot of potential to be a close game. You look at the players that are both in and out for both clubs and who has the potential to take the game on. You just don't know with these two sides. To me Carlton have lifted this year whilst Geelong are not quite the side that they have been the last two years. Having said that previous form means didly squat, it's what happens on the day that counts. The midfield battle is going to be a beauty, it's going to be won there. And the stars that are in for both teams, ah my mouth is watering at the prospect! After careful consideration I still think the Cats will win by 12 points but a good arm wrestle.
Western Bulldogs vs West Coast (Etihad) Saturday.
This is the one I call the battle of the West's (ha ha geddit?). Western Bulldogs had a good but a not quite there win against Fremantle and would be looking at getting some much needed momentum leading into the finals. On the otherhand West Coast who people were acussing of tanking are coming off a much needed win and will be looking at gaining some confidence leading into 2010. In this case though the home town advantage would give the Dogs the edge and they will win by 23 points.
Hawthorn vs St Kilda (Aurora Stadium) Saturday.
Hmm I have been looking forward to this game for weeks, I really have. St Kilda who are undefeated have some big names missing from their lineup the likes of Riewoldt, Hayes, Montagna, Baker and Goddard which will depleat their lineup. The Hawks on the otherhand will have some handy inclusions. Hawthorn, they haven't been playing the best and St Kilda are on the top of the ladder. Who do you go for? Believe you me this was one of the toughest games of the round to pick and it almost gave me a headache before I said to myself "Common girlie just pick a side" and I'm hoping I made the right decision, but really is there anyway of knowing, that is unless you can see into the future! After much deliberating and careful consideration I have decided to pick a depleated St Kilda side based upon form to win by 2 points. They will do enough to win and even if they don't it would be better for them then if they go through the year with at least one loss.
Essendon vs Brisbane (MCG) Saturday night.
Yet another hard choice. Brisbane welcome back Bradshaw and others while Essendon have some big names out. Essendon had a big chance to win last week while Brisbane do need to win to keep in contention with the top four. The matchups just like in all games are going to be crutial and it would be interesting to see who goes to Brown and Bradshaw and if these two are contained then Essendon could be in for a big showing. But a lot of people are confident in the fact that Brisbane have the upper hand, I don't necessarily think so. I believe that the backs up against the wall Essendon will come out and have the will to win this game and win by 7 points.
Adelaide vs Collingwood (AAMI Stadium) Saturday Night.
Man another had game to pick. Collingwood have a really good record at AAMI Stadium against Adelaide including one last September. Adelaide are one of the in form sides of the year and came within a wisker of the Cats last week and could beat a lot of sides with persistence. Collingwood too have had a good year. When you do look at the ins and outs things are matched up well. To me though Adelaide will be fired up to win this game after just losing last week and will win by 18 points.
North Melbourne vs Melbourne (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
Hmm another intesting game. North's kicking kicked them out of the game against the Blues last Friday Night. On the otherhand Melbourne should have won against Richmond in a game everyone (but me) has said that Melbourne tanked. If this game was at the G then I would say that Melbourne had a really good chance of winning the game, however North play Etihad better and will win by 33 points.
Richmond vs Sydney (MCG) Sunday.
This game is Michael O'Lauchlin's 300th Game. What a champion of the game! His service to the game is unbelieveable and he has won a premiership which a lot of champions of the game miss out on. What a career! Is that going to be enough to spur the Swans onward to victory? Or will the Richmond winning (yes I did say winning) ways continue? Sydney's interstate record of late hasn't been the best that is a major question in itself but another question is whether Richmond will sustain this momentum. This will be a good game I reckon. I am going to pick the Swans to win for Micky O by 11 points.
Fremantle vs Port Adelaide (Subiaco) Sunday.
You never know which way this game's going to go. Which teams will come out to play for both clubs? A good Fremantle will beat anyone at home, a bad one will let any side run all over them. Port on the otherhand had a much needed win against Hawthorn and like Freo can be really bad as well as really good. TO me though, Port will win this game by 8 points.
Well that's my tips for the week. Let's see how I go.
Catch ya!
Carlton vs Geelong (MCG) Friday night.
Friday night games for me are always interesting, I have had an interesting mix of hit and misses when it comes to the tipping side of things. I think that tonights game has a lot of potential to be a close game. You look at the players that are both in and out for both clubs and who has the potential to take the game on. You just don't know with these two sides. To me Carlton have lifted this year whilst Geelong are not quite the side that they have been the last two years. Having said that previous form means didly squat, it's what happens on the day that counts. The midfield battle is going to be a beauty, it's going to be won there. And the stars that are in for both teams, ah my mouth is watering at the prospect! After careful consideration I still think the Cats will win by 12 points but a good arm wrestle.
Western Bulldogs vs West Coast (Etihad) Saturday.
This is the one I call the battle of the West's (ha ha geddit?). Western Bulldogs had a good but a not quite there win against Fremantle and would be looking at getting some much needed momentum leading into the finals. On the otherhand West Coast who people were acussing of tanking are coming off a much needed win and will be looking at gaining some confidence leading into 2010. In this case though the home town advantage would give the Dogs the edge and they will win by 23 points.
Hawthorn vs St Kilda (Aurora Stadium) Saturday.
Hmm I have been looking forward to this game for weeks, I really have. St Kilda who are undefeated have some big names missing from their lineup the likes of Riewoldt, Hayes, Montagna, Baker and Goddard which will depleat their lineup. The Hawks on the otherhand will have some handy inclusions. Hawthorn, they haven't been playing the best and St Kilda are on the top of the ladder. Who do you go for? Believe you me this was one of the toughest games of the round to pick and it almost gave me a headache before I said to myself "Common girlie just pick a side" and I'm hoping I made the right decision, but really is there anyway of knowing, that is unless you can see into the future! After much deliberating and careful consideration I have decided to pick a depleated St Kilda side based upon form to win by 2 points. They will do enough to win and even if they don't it would be better for them then if they go through the year with at least one loss.
Essendon vs Brisbane (MCG) Saturday night.
Yet another hard choice. Brisbane welcome back Bradshaw and others while Essendon have some big names out. Essendon had a big chance to win last week while Brisbane do need to win to keep in contention with the top four. The matchups just like in all games are going to be crutial and it would be interesting to see who goes to Brown and Bradshaw and if these two are contained then Essendon could be in for a big showing. But a lot of people are confident in the fact that Brisbane have the upper hand, I don't necessarily think so. I believe that the backs up against the wall Essendon will come out and have the will to win this game and win by 7 points.
Adelaide vs Collingwood (AAMI Stadium) Saturday Night.
Man another had game to pick. Collingwood have a really good record at AAMI Stadium against Adelaide including one last September. Adelaide are one of the in form sides of the year and came within a wisker of the Cats last week and could beat a lot of sides with persistence. Collingwood too have had a good year. When you do look at the ins and outs things are matched up well. To me though Adelaide will be fired up to win this game after just losing last week and will win by 18 points.
North Melbourne vs Melbourne (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
Hmm another intesting game. North's kicking kicked them out of the game against the Blues last Friday Night. On the otherhand Melbourne should have won against Richmond in a game everyone (but me) has said that Melbourne tanked. If this game was at the G then I would say that Melbourne had a really good chance of winning the game, however North play Etihad better and will win by 33 points.
Richmond vs Sydney (MCG) Sunday.
This game is Michael O'Lauchlin's 300th Game. What a champion of the game! His service to the game is unbelieveable and he has won a premiership which a lot of champions of the game miss out on. What a career! Is that going to be enough to spur the Swans onward to victory? Or will the Richmond winning (yes I did say winning) ways continue? Sydney's interstate record of late hasn't been the best that is a major question in itself but another question is whether Richmond will sustain this momentum. This will be a good game I reckon. I am going to pick the Swans to win for Micky O by 11 points.
Fremantle vs Port Adelaide (Subiaco) Sunday.
You never know which way this game's going to go. Which teams will come out to play for both clubs? A good Fremantle will beat anyone at home, a bad one will let any side run all over them. Port on the otherhand had a much needed win against Hawthorn and like Freo can be really bad as well as really good. TO me though, Port will win this game by 8 points.
Well that's my tips for the week. Let's see how I go.
Catch ya!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thought of the week
Actually it is three thoughts really.
First of all. I am sick to death of the whole Tanking issue! Get over it people! People are going to argue with me til they're black and blue but I am so sure that Melbourne did not tank on the weekend! I personally think they are at the moment naturally bad! Sorry Melbourne fans but they are! There is a big difference between a natural bad performance and tanking. The way that Melbourne played on the weekend was not bad (maybe from Richmond yes!) and that wasn't the problem, but the couple of mistakes that was hi lighted meant that of course they had to be tanking. If that's the case then everyone must be tanking! Please people come on!
Second of all. I would like to hi light a couple of lucky results. With regards to the Geelong and Adelaide game, that was a good tight contest and maybe the right result happened. But there was a couple of games that I would have to say were a bit dodgy. The Sydney and St Kilda game was a fantastic game and I did mention that I will have to see the footage regarding Leigh Montagna. Well I did see it and I would have to agree with others that St Kilda were lucky not to get a free kick against them. Would it in fact influence the game? Maybe maybe not but it would have given Sydney a chance to win the game, but most likely it would have been a drawn game and therefore the Saints would still be undefeated but wouldn't have won all the games like they have now. To me at least a free kick should have been paid and who knows what the rest of the game would have done, to me the Saints were lucky really. The Second game was the game that is in question is the Melbourne and Richmond game. With four seconds to go the ball wasn't even kicked to Jordan McMahon and to me the ball was in the air when the siren went. The umpire paid it and well the rest was history. Really Melbourne should have won, and what about if they had? All I can say is that we won't be talking about the whole tanking issue won't we?!
Just getting onto the tanking issue. To me there is a way in which to stamp this out, stop the priority pick rule as it stands. The AFL need to look at a different system in order to ensure that tanking doesn't become an issue. To me you need to reward teams that win, and I'm not talking about up the top of the ladder but you need to encourage teams on the bottom of the ladder to win. This is what I think:
1. You can put in a draft like the one in the NBA. The bottom teams go into a lottery after the bottom three teams get picks 1,2, and 3. The rest of the picks are determined by a lottery. I have toyed with this idea while it's ok, it would need a bit of work for it to be successfull.
2. Scrap Priority picks in general and whatever order you finish on the ladder determines your draft picks, much more fair way of doing things.
3. If there are going to be priority picks make it to reward teams. For one thing if a team finishes last, second and third last then they have got to win more games the next year than the previous year (regardless of their position) to get a priority pick. Yes this will have it's downfall especially if teams deliberately have a bad year then go all out the following year. To me that will work only if teams are down towards the bottom end of the ladder for more than one year in a row. To me you need to reward winning not losing.
What do you think? Email me carefactor0@live.com.au.
Catch ya!
First of all. I am sick to death of the whole Tanking issue! Get over it people! People are going to argue with me til they're black and blue but I am so sure that Melbourne did not tank on the weekend! I personally think they are at the moment naturally bad! Sorry Melbourne fans but they are! There is a big difference between a natural bad performance and tanking. The way that Melbourne played on the weekend was not bad (maybe from Richmond yes!) and that wasn't the problem, but the couple of mistakes that was hi lighted meant that of course they had to be tanking. If that's the case then everyone must be tanking! Please people come on!
Second of all. I would like to hi light a couple of lucky results. With regards to the Geelong and Adelaide game, that was a good tight contest and maybe the right result happened. But there was a couple of games that I would have to say were a bit dodgy. The Sydney and St Kilda game was a fantastic game and I did mention that I will have to see the footage regarding Leigh Montagna. Well I did see it and I would have to agree with others that St Kilda were lucky not to get a free kick against them. Would it in fact influence the game? Maybe maybe not but it would have given Sydney a chance to win the game, but most likely it would have been a drawn game and therefore the Saints would still be undefeated but wouldn't have won all the games like they have now. To me at least a free kick should have been paid and who knows what the rest of the game would have done, to me the Saints were lucky really. The Second game was the game that is in question is the Melbourne and Richmond game. With four seconds to go the ball wasn't even kicked to Jordan McMahon and to me the ball was in the air when the siren went. The umpire paid it and well the rest was history. Really Melbourne should have won, and what about if they had? All I can say is that we won't be talking about the whole tanking issue won't we?!
Just getting onto the tanking issue. To me there is a way in which to stamp this out, stop the priority pick rule as it stands. The AFL need to look at a different system in order to ensure that tanking doesn't become an issue. To me you need to reward teams that win, and I'm not talking about up the top of the ladder but you need to encourage teams on the bottom of the ladder to win. This is what I think:
1. You can put in a draft like the one in the NBA. The bottom teams go into a lottery after the bottom three teams get picks 1,2, and 3. The rest of the picks are determined by a lottery. I have toyed with this idea while it's ok, it would need a bit of work for it to be successfull.
2. Scrap Priority picks in general and whatever order you finish on the ladder determines your draft picks, much more fair way of doing things.
3. If there are going to be priority picks make it to reward teams. For one thing if a team finishes last, second and third last then they have got to win more games the next year than the previous year (regardless of their position) to get a priority pick. Yes this will have it's downfall especially if teams deliberately have a bad year then go all out the following year. To me that will work only if teams are down towards the bottom end of the ladder for more than one year in a row. To me you need to reward winning not losing.
What do you think? Email me carefactor0@live.com.au.
Catch ya!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
After the weekend.
Round 18 has been and gone this year has gone so quickly!
Friday night saw North Melbourne host Carlton at Etihad Stadium in what was Adam Simpson's last game for the Roos. The pressure of this game was up and it wasn't really a high scoring game which to be honest I kind of expected. Carlton went on to win by 10 points. Really if North had kicked straight in that last quarter then they would have had a convincing win over the Blues but because of that the result went the other way. It wasn't the way that Adam Simpson should have been sent off but really I thought it was a fantastic effort by him to get up for the game considering he tore his calf in the last training before the game. What a champion of the game!
To Saturday. Western Bulldogs hosted Fremantle at Etihad Stadium and to be honest I thought that the Dogs were going to beat Freo in a convincing style (in otherwords thump em!) but to the Dockers credit they held off it being an embarrassing result as it could have been, the Dogs winning by 31 points. Brad Johnson broke the games record for the Dogs being 342 and it was a nice way of him being sent off for that! Although it was a bitter sweet day for Lindsay Gilbee who's father passed away the night before from Luekemia and he still played and did quite well considering what he had to go through. My respect for the man went up bigtime for what he had to go through. They had a win for him too!! Well done.
In the other game. Geelong hosted Adelaide at Skilled Stadium. This was one of three thrillers in the round. Geelong started well but Adelaide came back and in the last quarter got in front. But it was a Geelong side lead by Paul Chapman (who I reckon should be next captain) who kicked 6 goals straight held on to win by 2 points. I have to give full credit to Adelaide they are my pick of the interstate clubs to go far in September. It makes it two close games in two weeks and three this year for the Cats. No more please!
To Saturday Night. Sydney hosted St Kilda at the SCG. This to me was the game of the round. It was close all the way through. Sydney kept on coming at the Saints and got in front from an awesome tap from Adam Goodes to Jesse White who kicked a goal and there was a possibility that there could have been an upset on the cards. But the persistence from the Saints proved why they are the best at the moment and they got back equal before a quick kick and point from Leigh Montagna won them the game. Now I have found out (I haven't yet seen the replay) that aparantly Leigh pushed Keiran Jack to the ground before kicking the point and therefore should have been a free kick. I will have to watch the footage again. I will let you know what I think.
At the MCG this saw Collingwood host Brisbane in Simon Blacks 250th Game. At the start of the game the Lions came out with the hunger to win and Brown kicking goals left right and centre and you thought that maybe there could have been an upset. But it wasnt to be the Pies coming out and playing good football to win by 40 points.
To Sunday. And Melbourne hosted Richmond at the MCG. From start to finish this was right up there with the Sydney/St Kilda game as game of the round. Both teams had time in front and Richmond got out to a bit of a lead in the fourth quarter and I thought that that was the game. But Melbourne came back and got in front from a Ricky Pettard goal. Then a new Tiger attitude came and a kick to Jordan McMahon with 4 seconds to go (well actually it was in the air when the siren went, but the ump paid the mark and that's that) meant that he had to kick it in order for Richmond to win. And he did and boy did he need to do that! Still what a game and like Geelong Richond have played in two close games in a row!
To AAMI Stadium. And Port Adelaide hosted Hawthorn. This was kind of a see-sawing affair that eventually saw Port Adelaide to go out to a lead and stay there winning by 18 points. Well. What's going to happen to Hawthorn? They are now 10th on the ladder with four rounds to go! Can they make finals? Really they have to win all games for the rest of the year to give them a real chance. They have St Kilda at Aurora Stadium, then Adelaide at the MCG, Richmond at the MCG, and Essendon at the MCG. Now they could win all those games but I don't think that they can and may have to rely on others winning/losing in order for them to get in and believe you me they do not want to do that.
To the last game of the round that saw West Coast hosted Essendon at Subiaco. This was a game that a lot of people (including myself) thought that Essendon would win. But from the start West Coast controlled the game running away to win the game by 27 points. Obviously being sick of the tanking claims! Really I don't think clubs are tanking, maybe bad, but definately not tanking!
Catch ya!
Friday night saw North Melbourne host Carlton at Etihad Stadium in what was Adam Simpson's last game for the Roos. The pressure of this game was up and it wasn't really a high scoring game which to be honest I kind of expected. Carlton went on to win by 10 points. Really if North had kicked straight in that last quarter then they would have had a convincing win over the Blues but because of that the result went the other way. It wasn't the way that Adam Simpson should have been sent off but really I thought it was a fantastic effort by him to get up for the game considering he tore his calf in the last training before the game. What a champion of the game!
To Saturday. Western Bulldogs hosted Fremantle at Etihad Stadium and to be honest I thought that the Dogs were going to beat Freo in a convincing style (in otherwords thump em!) but to the Dockers credit they held off it being an embarrassing result as it could have been, the Dogs winning by 31 points. Brad Johnson broke the games record for the Dogs being 342 and it was a nice way of him being sent off for that! Although it was a bitter sweet day for Lindsay Gilbee who's father passed away the night before from Luekemia and he still played and did quite well considering what he had to go through. My respect for the man went up bigtime for what he had to go through. They had a win for him too!! Well done.
In the other game. Geelong hosted Adelaide at Skilled Stadium. This was one of three thrillers in the round. Geelong started well but Adelaide came back and in the last quarter got in front. But it was a Geelong side lead by Paul Chapman (who I reckon should be next captain) who kicked 6 goals straight held on to win by 2 points. I have to give full credit to Adelaide they are my pick of the interstate clubs to go far in September. It makes it two close games in two weeks and three this year for the Cats. No more please!
To Saturday Night. Sydney hosted St Kilda at the SCG. This to me was the game of the round. It was close all the way through. Sydney kept on coming at the Saints and got in front from an awesome tap from Adam Goodes to Jesse White who kicked a goal and there was a possibility that there could have been an upset on the cards. But the persistence from the Saints proved why they are the best at the moment and they got back equal before a quick kick and point from Leigh Montagna won them the game. Now I have found out (I haven't yet seen the replay) that aparantly Leigh pushed Keiran Jack to the ground before kicking the point and therefore should have been a free kick. I will have to watch the footage again. I will let you know what I think.
At the MCG this saw Collingwood host Brisbane in Simon Blacks 250th Game. At the start of the game the Lions came out with the hunger to win and Brown kicking goals left right and centre and you thought that maybe there could have been an upset. But it wasnt to be the Pies coming out and playing good football to win by 40 points.
To Sunday. And Melbourne hosted Richmond at the MCG. From start to finish this was right up there with the Sydney/St Kilda game as game of the round. Both teams had time in front and Richmond got out to a bit of a lead in the fourth quarter and I thought that that was the game. But Melbourne came back and got in front from a Ricky Pettard goal. Then a new Tiger attitude came and a kick to Jordan McMahon with 4 seconds to go (well actually it was in the air when the siren went, but the ump paid the mark and that's that) meant that he had to kick it in order for Richmond to win. And he did and boy did he need to do that! Still what a game and like Geelong Richond have played in two close games in a row!
To AAMI Stadium. And Port Adelaide hosted Hawthorn. This was kind of a see-sawing affair that eventually saw Port Adelaide to go out to a lead and stay there winning by 18 points. Well. What's going to happen to Hawthorn? They are now 10th on the ladder with four rounds to go! Can they make finals? Really they have to win all games for the rest of the year to give them a real chance. They have St Kilda at Aurora Stadium, then Adelaide at the MCG, Richmond at the MCG, and Essendon at the MCG. Now they could win all those games but I don't think that they can and may have to rely on others winning/losing in order for them to get in and believe you me they do not want to do that.
To the last game of the round that saw West Coast hosted Essendon at Subiaco. This was a game that a lot of people (including myself) thought that Essendon would win. But from the start West Coast controlled the game running away to win the game by 27 points. Obviously being sick of the tanking claims! Really I don't think clubs are tanking, maybe bad, but definately not tanking!
Catch ya!
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