Round 9 preview

This is a bit of a different way of doing things but I still am giving you my tips.

• Collingwood vs Geelong (MCG) Friday night. I am tipping Collingwood by 3 points. I wanted to tip a draw as I really couldn't decide on this game. I ruled with my head rather than my heart but I wouldn't be surprised who would win this game. Looking forward to watching this game.
• North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) Saturday Afternoon. I am tipping the Dogs by 31 points. I feel as if they have more man power at this stage to take this game but when North get players back then they will have more of a run then.
• Sydney vs Fremantle (SCG) Saturday afternoon. The Dockers haven't won at the SCG and that's why I am tipping them in an upset by 8 points. They have broken one hoodoo this year and this is going to be the time that they are going to beat the Swans at the SCG.
• Essendon vs Richmond (MCG) Saturday Night. Essendon should win this one by 44 points. Richmond did play with more intent but with Dream time at the G being showcased, the Bombers will want to impress more.
• Melbourne vs Port Adelaide (TIO) Saturday Night. Port Adelaide to win by 38 points. Melbourne will play better but Port have played in Darwin and Melbourne haven't so that's why they will win.
• Adelaide vs Brisbane (AAMI) Sunday. Adelaide will win by 10 points. I feel as if with whatever the Crows have been through and the homeground advantage they will take this game. Brisbane need the win as well but the Crows will prevail.
• Carlton vs Hawthorn (Etihad Stadium) Sunday. Carlton to win this by 22 points. Hawthorn do need this game but Carlton are playing better footy at the moment and will win this game.
• West Coast vs St Kilda (Subiaco) Sunday. West Coast to win by 13 points. West Coast have played better footy as of late than St Kilda so that's why I reckon they will win. St Kilda should rock the boat a bit but won't overtake the Eagles at home.

So a few tips against the grain let's see how I go.

More to follow....

Ok let me at em!!

Umpires!!! Need I say anymore? No probably not but I am going to anyway...

This week just gone was Umpire appreciation round. Um since when???? People say we should appreciate the umpires for all they do for the game, ok I have so many problems with that on so many levels!

I must admit it will be a tough gig being an umpire, that would be for sure. But there are so many positions out there that will be much tougher. Realistically people who work long hours are the ones that I appreciate the most. Doctors, nurses, some police officers (and I say some, excluding one in particular but that's a different matter all together), Firemen and women and most importantly the volunteers. The volunteers on many levels of the game are the ones that should be appreciated and not the umpires.

Umpires get paid to do what they do. They have got it good. Hey I would get abuse hurled at me if I was getting paid that much. I got less at one job and still got abuse hurled at me. In a way I am pretty immune to it so for these umpires to not want abuse hurled at them well boo hoo! Get used to it it comes with the territory you goonbags!

Umpires need to earn the right to be appreciated. There have been to many times when they have made many blunders, and I mean many. I applauded the AFL (yes don't get used to it) when they dropped Scott McLaren for that rushed behind incident. Whether it was rushed or not is not the point here but the fact that the AFL had some balls (which I was wondering whether they owned any) to say that bad decisions will not be condoned. The AFL needs to do this more to make sure that the right decisions are made. You can't get them all right I must admit that but surely the most obvious ones need to be picked up and if you have umpires constantly making mistakes, then you can truly understand how for me "Umpire appreciation" week is an absolute joke.

The AFL needs to constantly review decisions made because at the end of the day, the reason why umpires are getting abused at is not because it's fun for supporters but because they suck at making decisions! If you don't want to be booed at or cop abuse from footballers, then do the job that you get paid for. Hmm maybe I should be an umpire? I would do a better job that some of these bozos!

An appology

For not getting my tips across to you, ran out of time. I will do better this week I promise!! Here are my tips with how I went, kind of a two for one thing.

• Collingwood by 36 points. I tipped Collingwood to win by 14 points. Collingwood look impressive and now we are looking at Friday night where they play the Cats at the MCG in a top of the ladder clash.
• Western Bulldogs by 38 points. I had Sydney to win by 6 points. A bit out there. Disappointed with the Swans in this game really thought they would win. The Dogs were impressive with Barry Hall turning it up against his old side.
• West Coast by 29 points. More of a surprise than anything. I had Melbourne to win by 21 points. So the game was a complete turnaround.
• Geelong by 81 points. Another surprise in a way. I had Geelong to win by 16 points. More surprised with the margin but I was impressed with how the Cats played. If Collingwood wasn't playing as good as they have been then you would say that the Cats are premiership favourites but the Pies are for me.
• North Melbourne by 9 points. I had North to win by 3 points, so I wasn't too far out. North were impressive but the last quarter when the Crows got into the game and just lost I know if I was a North Supporter I would be disappointed with that fact.
• Hawthorn by 3 points. I had Hawthorn by 34 points. Richmond played well and to me should have won the game if it hadn't been for some idiotic umpires. See the next post I will tell you what I think. Hawthorn were disappointing even though they won.
• Carlton by 26 points. I tipped Carlton to win by 22 points. Not too far out. Carlton have been playing well over the past month. How far can they go?
• Essendon by 12 points. I tipped St Kilda by 1 point. I thought it was going to be close and to the Bombers credit they outplayed the Saints.

Well 5 out of 8 seemed to be the norm. Let's see how I go next week

More to follow...

Getting there...

Alright my tips were ok but they could have been better. Ah well there is always next week.

• Western Bulldogs by 4 points. Melbourne played well and probably should have won the game if it hadn't been for a gay umpire...oh nah he was wearing pink so very close. Also a couple of 50/50 decisions that could of gone the Dees way. But a well deserving win to Western Bulldogs who did what was done to them a week before.
• Port Adelaide by 3 points. What a game! This game wasn't boring at all and at one stage I thought Essendon were going to win. But what a goal from Daniel Motlop! It stole the game for the Power.
• West Coast by 8 points. An up and down game by the sounds of things and Hawthorn could have challenged the Eagles more. Having said that the Eagles really should have put Hawthorn away. Handy win for the Eagles and the Hawks have a lot of work to do to even make finals.
• Collingwood by 66 points. The Pies are looking good and made North look inferior. Do they deserve to premiership favourites? In my opinion they should be up there.
• Fremantle by 13 points. Very good win by the Dockers considering they hadn't won at the Gabba. The Lions challenged them but they held onto win.
• Geelong by 67 points. Surprised the Cats won by over ten goals considering the Swans are on top of the Ladder and have always played well at Skilled Stadium. Shows how good the Cats are down there.
• Adelaide by 50 points. Richmond challenged the Crows for three quarters and I thought we could have an upset but the Crows responded and kicked away to a 50 point win. Was impressed with the Tigers who are closer to a win now I think.
• Carlton by 61 points. Great effort by the Blues who put pressure on the Saints from go to wo and the result speaks for itself. Are the Saints lost without Riewoldt or was that just a bad performance? Or was it just that Carlton were just too good on the night? I think it was a bit of all really.

Well that's all for this round. NEXT!

Round 7 Preview

Here we go. Round 7 already? Who would have thought. And now let's look at these in a little more focus:

Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs (MCG) Friday Night.
Rather interesting prospect this game. Both teams last round lost games that people thought they would win. If this game was at Etihad Stadium then the Dogs would have the advantage but being at the MCG it sways things back in the Dees favour. In this case though, because of how both teams are going this year, that being a mixed bag start to the year, it's kind of hard to guage what's going to happen in this game. If Melbourne can us the space of the MCG then that's the key here. The Dogs will have to play like they do at Etihad Stadium to really dominate this game. I just feel that the Dogs have more leg speed regardless of the fact that this game is at the MCG or not. Dogs to win by 26 points.

Essendon vs Port Adelaide (Etihad Stadium) Saturday.
Hmm. Another tough game to tip. Both teams have had an up and down year and have come off wins last week. Being at Etihad Stadium it means that this is not real advantage to either side. After all, the Bombers lost to Fremantle by 44 points there, so anything can happen. Port on the otherhand can play well away from home but can also be too inconsistent. Who do you tip? Essendon had a very good win against Hawthorn and that's the way they should play if they are going to dominate Port, otherwise Port will dominate them. I do believe a home ground advantage will give Essendon a light edge and they will win by 9 points.

West Coast vs Hawthorn (Subiaco) Saturday.
Oww. All the sudden this game is ultra important, with both teams only having one win, the loser will be in a tough spot for the rest of the year. Being at Subiaco means the Eagles will have an advantage there. However the Hawks do need a win and should have put in a better effort last week, so they will be eager to play way better footy. Man who do you pick? After a lot of thinking I do believe that because of what pressure the Hawks have been in through the week and with the re-signing of Franklin, Roughead and Mitchell they will win by 12 points.

Collingwood vs North Melbourne (MCG) Saturday Night.
Clearly, the Pies are playing the best footy out of these two teams at the moment, but don't underestimate North Melbourne. The Pies at the moment will be right up there in the premiership race. Their win against Carlton was mightyly impressive. It's the same with North Melbourne they are doing well considering not a lot of people predicted them to do so. So that's where this game is not as people think an easy one to tip. North Melbourne will play well but Collingwood will kick away and win by 46 points but not after it being tight early.

Brisbane vs Fremantle (Gabba) Saturday Night.
Looking forward to watching this game. Brisbane have done ok but are yet to really kick into geat. Fremantle on the otherhand look really good and have more consistency in their game. This game is at the Gabba where the Lions are consistent and considering they didn't disgrace themselves last week against Sydney. Fremantle are playing more fast paced exciting games and could really take this game on at the Gabba. So there is a bit of dilemma on who to tip there. I am in this case going for a semi upset and tip Fremantle by 4 points. The loss will kick Brisbane into gear.

Geelong vs Sydney (Skilled Stadium) Sunday.
The Swans go into this game being on top of the ladder with winning five in a row. The Cats are going into this game with not as good record but with a rather impressive 108 point win over Richmond. Geelong have an awesome record at Skilled Stadium but they are up against a quality opposition in the Sydney Swans. I am excited about going to the Cattery to watch this one and could there be an upset here? I am liking the Swans style of play. They have added players to their list that really compliments the previous list. Geelong have strengths in particular with Ablett and Scarlett coming back into the side. Who do you tip? The main difference here will be the home ground advantage and that's why the Cats will win by 33 points. But this is a danger game for both sides.

Adelaide vs Richmond (AAMI Stadium) Sunday.
The battle of 15th vs 16th. This game last year would have had Adelaide as being sure favourites. This time however means that one team will be winless after this round and that there is no front runner. I belive that Richmond will want to play with more effort and intent after last week's shocking performance against Geelong. Adelaide need to win as well as they are surprisingly bad at the moment, they have more pride than the performances that they have been displaying. I am tipping the Crows by 2 points in a nail bitter but Richmond will be more closer to a win.

St Kilda vs Carlton (Etihad Stadium) Monday Night.
This was another tough game to tip. St Kilda played a rather interesting style of footy last week which saw them pip the Dogs at the post by 3 points. Carlton on the otherhand played ok but still got blown away at the hands (and feet)of Collingwood. So you can see a dilemma here. St Kilda have no Riewoldt who was the main difference last time these two teams met last year. I don't believe however that Riewoldt is the St Kilda Footy Club and that they will win enough games without him. This will be a more fast paced gameand if the Blues play this way then they will dictate terms. If St Kilda play the way they did last week then they will win. I however think that St Kilda will win this one in a tight one by 18 points.

Well that's my tips for round 7. Let's see how I go.

More to follow....

I must admit...

This tipping thing is hard to do. Well here are the results from round 6.

• St Kilda by 3 points. This was such a low scoring game which got people saying just what a tough and boring game. But anything with a dramatic finish I call exciting don't know about you guys.
• North Melbourne by 26 points. Melbourne were flat and North were good, could have been better if they kicked straight. But having said that a much needed win for North.
• Port Adelaide by 23 points. Adelaide can buy a win at the moment, but they do play Richmond who don't have a win either and unless it's a draw one team will have a win.
• Essendon by 43 points. Essendon were good considering how they performed on ANZAC Day. Hawthorn have a lot of work to do if they are going to keep themselves away from the bottom of the ladder.
• Sydney by 20 points. Good game. The intensity was up and each team ran a lot created play but Sydney with their home ground advantage had just that advantage.
• Geelong by 108 points. Geelong were awesome even without Ablett and others and Richmond's season is getting worse and worse.
• Collingwood by 53 points. Collingwood looks really good best they have been for a while and could be a good challenger in September. Carlton were not disgraced and they were just up against a better opposition.
• Fremantle by 38 points.In the Western Derby this was a tight game until Fremantle blew it away.

Well that's round 6 done and dusted, round 7 is yet to come!

More to follow...

Round 6 Preview

Round 5 was such a terrible round for tipping, let's hope we can do better this week:

Western Bulldogs vs St Kilda (Etihad Stadium) Friday Night.
Now, this is a tough one to tip. So many factors that could sway this game either way. The Dogs for mine are playing well but haven't set the world on fire. To me their best is yet to come! St Kilda lost to Port Adelaide in a real tough contest, the second game without Nick Riewoldt and will be eager to make ammends. The track of Etihad Stadium shouldn't favour any one team as both teams have played well on this track. St Kilda will want to beat the Dogs after they upstaged the Saints in the NAB Cup Grand Final. After the disappointing loss last week I believe that St Kilda will win this by 11 points.

North Melbourne vs Melbourne (Etihad Stadium) Saturday.
Another tough game to pick. North came off an impressive win against Hawthorn, Melbourne have come off three wins in a row. So all the sudden this game goes down as a possible match of the round. Given this game is away from the MCG and it is the first game for Melbourne away from the MCG, this could work in North Melbourne's favour. It's hard to believe that Melbourne have more wins than the likes of Hawthorn, but they have been playing better footy. The team that moves the ball quick on Etihad Stadium will win this game. In this occassion the smaller ground could work in Melbourne's favour. Should be a good game, Dees by 19 points.

Adelaide vs Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium) Saturday.
Ah the showdown! If you thought that Carlton and Collingwood hated eachouther, then think again! Just like the ANZAC Day Clash it doesn't matter where each team is on the ladder, they want to win this one the most! There has been some bruising encounters over the years since Port came into the competition. This year Port Adelaide have definately been the better team because Adelaide well...um...haven't won a game yet. They are going to have to find something special from within in order to beat Port Adelaide who had a gutsy win against St Kilda. So based upon form I am going for Port Adelaide to win by 20 points.

Essendon vs Hawthorn (MCG) Saturday Night.
The matchup that all Hawthorn supporters have been waiting for! We all remember round 22 last year don't we? When the velvet sledgehammer (Matthew Lloyd for all who don't know) went through Brad Sewell causing a broken jaw and a massive brawl. The anger that came out of that game no doubt will still be there to this day. I wonder how that will go featuring in the game? These things you really have to consider when deciding who to tip, after all Essendon stopped the Hawks getting into the finals last year. This year though both teams only have one win and that will be another motivating factor. Because of the type of side that Hawthorn is, that's why I'm tipping them by 28 points because...well they have to!

Sydney vs Brisbane (SCG) Saturday Night.
Another good matchup. Sydney being on top of the ladder have been a real surprise packet. Brisbane have done well but had a surpise loss to Melbourne, which means that they will be hungry to make ammends. Sydney would want to continue their good form and this game at home will definately give them an edge. Will Jonathan Brown bouce back after having a couple of down weeks? And how will Daniel Bradshaw go against his old side? Time will tell. In this case I think that Brisbane will turn around last week's disappointment and upset the Swans by 5 points.

Geelong vs Richmond (Skilled Stadium) Sunday.
The Cats are coming off a rare loss to Carlton and I know that that will spur the Cats to want to well. The Tigers on the otherhand need a win, simple as that. They haven't been playing well considering that last week was a much better effort over in the west. Richmond do have to do better by applying pressure to have a real chance here. The Cats will have to play so much better to prove to the footy well that they still have got it. In this case though, I believe that the Cats will definately bounce back to win this one by 55 points.

Carlton vs Collingwood (MCG) Sunday.
Such a great rivalry between these two teams! It extends from home and away to Grand Finals and regardless these two teams don't like eachother! Carlton are coming off an impressive win against the Cats and Collingwood likewise against the Bombers. To me the questions of whose midfield would fire the best, these two teams have really good midfields as was displayed on the weekend. Either end can hold up for both sides, it's the midfield that is the key. At this stage I believe that Collingwood have a bit more firepower and they will win by 33 points.

West Coast vs Fremantle (Subiaco) Sunday.
Ah the derby! As well as some of the other games this weekend, this game produces so much rivalry and feeling. Fremantle are definately playing the best footy out of the two teams. West Coast need a win and they have some handy inclusions which will help. This game have some good matchups over the ground. I reckon that this game will be a close one and Fremantle will win by 2 points.

Well that's my tips for ya we'll see how we go!

More to follow...

I think I will go back to my normal format...

And this week I think I will do a proper preview. Watch this space. Anyway...

On the weekend we had some upsets that's for sure! A real nightmare for tipping. So here are the results:

• Western Bulldogs by 49 points. Bit of a predictable one adding to the woes of Adelaide and a much needed win needs to be against Port Adelaide this week.
• Sydney by 52 points. This game was pretty much what I expected. Sydney do look good so far and are on top of the ladder as a result.
• Melbourne by 50 points. This result surprised me due to the amount. Realistically if Melbourne for me were going to win then it would only be just due to the calebre of the Brisbane team. 3 in a row from Melbourne could have been four, not bad.
• Port Adelaide by 10 points. Such a tough game and low scoring game that saw the home team prevail. Another upset.
• Collingwood by 65 points. This one went with the grain. Collingwood putting in a solid performance from the start. This has people saying that they can win the flag.Hmm they are almost there but are not quite for my liking but do have one of the best balanced teams for a while.
• North Melbourne by 12 points. The Roos played so well considering what Hawthorn threw at them. Hawthorn were down from the start losing Brent Renouf (their only ruckman) before the game. Gee I wouldn't want to be a ruckman at Hawthorn.
• Fremantle by 39 points. Went with the grain. People were expecting Freo to thump the tigers by over ten goals at home but to Richmond's credit they were not disappointing. They do have the Cats next week Richmond at Skilled, could they cause an upset? Hmm.
• Carlton by 36 points. Probably one of the biggest upsets of the round in a way. Carlton played well, Geelong didn't and won as a result.

SO as you can see there were some upsets in this round. How will next week go?

More to follow...

Round 5 Preview

Ok my tips are a little with the grain compared to last week. Last week was a rather terrible week getting 5 tips, ah well that's my worst for 2010 so far. Here is this week's tips.

• Western Bulldogs by 39 points.
• Sydney by 26 points.
• Brisbane by 9 points
• St Kilda by 6 points
• Collingwood by 33 points
• Hawthorn by 17 points
• Fremantle by 62 points
• Geelong by 13 points

More to follow...

Not the best tipping...

Ah well you're allowed to have a bad week! Here are the results.

• West Coast by 23 points. Nick Natinui what a star!
• Sydney by 40 points. Sydney are hitting their straps now.
• Carlton by 48 points. Adelaide are in trouble got the Dogs this week. Carlton were much better than last week.
• Collingwood by 74 points. Great performance putting away a depleated Hawthorn.
• Brisbane by 22 points. Good arm wrestle.
• Melbourne by 55 points. Either Melbourne have massively improved or Richmond have gotten worse I think it's both.
• Geelong by 95 points. Unveiling the flag in style!!
• St Kilda by 15 points. Both teams had a crack! Great Game

Well that's a short wrap up more next time

More to follow...

Here are my tips..

A little late than normal but I've had a lot on so here you go...

• West Coast vs Essendon (Subiaco)= Essendon by 1 point
• North Melbourne vs Sydney (Etihad Stadium)= Sydney by 24 points.
• Adelaide vs Carlton (AAMI)= Adelaide by 14 points.
• Collingwood vs Hawthorn (MCG)= Collingwood by 21 points.
• Brisbane vs Western Bulldogs (Gabba)= Brisbane by 8 points.
• Richmond vs Melbourne (MCG)- Richmond by 13 points.
• Geelong vs Port Adelaide (SS)= Geelong by 19 points.
• St Kilda vs Fremantle (Etihad)= St Kilda by 29 points.

Sorry for the late tips and for the lack of lead up more next time.

More to follow...

After the weekend.

Wow what an interesting round...that's for sure!

Friday Night saw an interesting game for many reasons. For one thing St Kilda won by 28 points and really Collingwood could have won if they kicked straight. Hmm maybe they should try kicking crooked and it might go straight for a change. Another bad thing happened from St Kilda's point of view where Nick Riewoldt done his hamstring and will be out for over 10 weeks not 100 percent sure yet. The most controversial thing was the "Who said what" conversation at the game. It was claimed by St Kilda players that Mick Malthouse called one of their players a "***ing racist" work out who it was for those living under a plant. Later Mick denied any conversation sparking controversy. The people involved were fined and that's the end of that.

Saturday saw North Melbourne host West Coast at Etihad Stadium. It was a rather see sawing game which eventually saw North win by 25 points and Brent Harvey getting 44 possessions after getting 5 the previous week and the Roos losing by 104 points. West Coast are now 0-3 at the start of the year and host Essendon on Friday Night. Hmm interesting game.

Saturday arvo also saw Port Adelaide host Brisbane at AAMI Stadium. Port were never in the game as Brisbane controlled the game with Brown kicking 5, Fev with 3 and Sherman kicking 4 going on to win by 25 points.

Saturday Night saw Sydney host Richmond at the SCG. Hmm Richmond were never in the game Sydney were in control and look good winning by 55 points. To make matters worse for the Tigers there were some players later suspended by the club for "over doing it" after the game, you work out the blanks.

Saturday Night also saw Carlton host Essendon at the MCG. This was the weirdest game of the round for me on so many different levels. The game was not the best in terms of excitement and the umpiring was well crap and rediculous. Oh yeah and Essendon won by 20 points in a low scoring game.

Sunday saw Melbourne host Adelaide at the MCG. If you thought that Saturday Night was low scoring well then this took the cake! It was a hard an tough game with some rather testy conditions which eventually saw the Demons win by 16 points. Great to see the Demons win a game after narrowly losing to Collingwood the week before. Adelaide on the otherhand were 0-3 after three rounds and have Carlton at home this week.

A great match up was the Western Bulldogs hosting Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium. By all accounts I heard that this was a tough game that saw the Dogs win by 16 points. Franklin got suspended for one match for his bump and there were injuries and concussions that's how tough the game was.

For me match of the round was Fremantle hosting Geelong at Subiaco. It was a see sawing game and both teams had the lead in different stages of the game before Fremantle edged ahead and winning by 7 points in a sort of upset. Fremantle winning the first three games of the year, the first time for absolute ages. Geelong missing players will get those next week while Fremantle meet St Kilda at Etihad in a top of the table clash.

Well 6 out of 8, not bad. Let's see how I go next week.

More to follow...

Round 3 Preview

Friday rocks around pretty quickly sometimes doesn't it? Or maybe it's because we had a shorter week, who knows. Well. Welcome to the first proper round of 2010! And here are my tips:

St Kilda vs Collingwood (Etihad Stadium) Friday Night.
This is one that I stopped to think about for a little while before making my tip, but not too long! The enticer of Luke Ball playing his first proper game against his old club makes me think of whether to tip the Pies or not. Would the occasion be too much or would he kick into gear after getting a canning in the media for not doing much in the first two weeks? Then you look at St Kilda's awesome play last week, destroying the Roos by 104 points in such an awesome display of footy. PS St Kilda are my pick for the flag in 2010 by the way. Collingwood will have to play awesome footy tonight, better than they did against the Dogs in order to win this game because I still think St Kilda have got the goods. If the Pies come out like they did last week then it will really serve it up to the Saints who will run with the game and end up destroying the Pies like they did the Roos. Yeah I know..Two totally different teams really but the Saints have the capacity to do so. In this case I think that the Pies will have a crack but will lose away in the last quarter and I'm going to pick St Kilda to win by 36 points.

North Melbourne vs West Coast (Etihad Stadium) Saturday.
Ok (scratches head) who do you go for in this game? This is one of the tough games for the round. Both are winless. One's coming off a narrow loss, the other a thumping. In recent experience it says that this game is going to be a tough and close encounter. West Coast haven't travelled well to Melbourne of recent times, North are going through a blooding process with their youth. Usually for me when a team gets a thumping they play really well the next week on the otherhand a team who is unlucky to lose usually wins the next week. So you can see my dilemma. Do you go for home ground advantage? Or do you go for a team that people have tipped to be the biggest improvers but haven't done anything yet. For me I have gone for potential and have picked West Coast to win by 11 points.

Port Adelaide vs Brisbane (AAMI Stadium) Saturday.
Man these tips aren't getting any easier are they? On so many levels this one is a hard one to tip. Both teams are undefeated. Port are coming off a lucky win, Port are at home. Brisbane are in good form in particular Jonathan Brown. If Port can stop J Brown then they will have a lot of power (no pun intended) on the rebound up forward but if Brown continues his good form then he will be hard to beat and so will Brisbane. To me this will be a tight game with heaps of stopages and to me will give Brisbane the edge and they will win by 2 points.

Sydney vs Richmond (SCG) Saturday Night.
Didn't have to think too much about this one. Although Richmond do have the capacity to win when no one expects them to so it is set up for them in that regards. But the way that the Swans played last week means they are going to prove me wrong as I had them at the bottom end of the ladder but they are on the way up. They have some great recruits in McGlynn (why Hawthorn got rid of him I'll never know), Kennedy, Bradshaw and Mumford plus the youth means a bright future for the Swans. On the otherhand Richmond have a lot of improving to do which will take time. So Tigers fans ride it out because Hardwick is the best coach he will bring the best out in time. OH I should get back to the game! Swans will win by 49 points.

Carlton vs Essendon (MCG) Saturday Night.
So many interesting variables. These two teams really play well against eachother, they bring out the best that's for sure. The last time that they met wasn't close but the other encounters over the past 3 or 4 years have been. I am looking forward to this one to see which team comes off the disappointing loses the best. Carlton going down to Brisbane by 19 and Essendon in embarrassment to Fremantle by 44 points. Both coaches are proud people and they won't want to lose so that's going to make it a great game. Carlton have better form than Essendon and people are going to tip them for that. But in this case because Essendon are coming off a bad loss I am going to tip them just in an upset to win by 6 points.

Melbourne vs Adelaide (MCG) Sunday.
Now this one is a tough game. Melbourne just missing out on the win by 1 point I know would sting. Adelaide on the otherhand lost a game that really was pencilled in for them but didn't capitalise on that opportunity at home and have two loses on the board as a result in 2010. If Melbourne can come out and play the way that they did last week then they will win. But on the otherhand if Adelaide can find some fire power then they will have no problems in winning. Hard one to pick for me. But my gut says Melbourne to win by 16 points.

Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
Another tough game to pick. Western Bulldogs slaughtered the Tigers last week in an impressive performance compared to round 1. Hawthorn took it right up to Geelong which was to be expected. I liked Hawthorns game but they lost too much puff towards the end of the game. Dogs play Etihad well and if this game was played at the MCG then Hawthorn will definately have an advantage. In this case it's going to be a fast game with not as much stoppages and I reckon that Western Bulldogs will win by 4 points.

Fremantle vs Geelong (Subiaco) Sunday.
Who would have thought that both teams would be undefeated after round 2? Fremantle's form has been awesome and that form got them a win in Melbourne something that they hadn't done for about 5 years. Geelong have come off a couple of hard fought games. The home ground advantage will be valuable for the Dockers and they could cause another upset here. Geelong have a few injuries which means that they have to do some swapping around. There are going to be some great match ups here which I am excited to watch. I do believe that the Cats will get up here and win by 26 points but it will be hard and tough.

Let's see how I go

More to follow....

Interesting round

Well that was one word used to describe the round. It didn't exactly go with the grain that's for sure. And there was nearly another upset as well which would have been a valuable game for that team to get. Here's what went down:

Easter Thursday saw Brisbane host Carlton. It was very similar to the last couple of encounters really. Carlton played well but really couldn't finish off the game, that and a man by the name of Jonathan Brown had something to do with it, kicking 7 goals on the way to a 19 point win. It really did tell Carlton that they either needed to be shutting down Brown or they needed a forward which they didn't have both. Carlton will get better at closing those games but Brisbane do look good at this point.

Saturday arvo saw Collingwood host Melbourne at the MCG. Wow what a game! I seriously thought that this would be a blow out, me and the rest of the AFL public. But Melbourne's pressure was really good and they kept at Collingwood. It was a real arm wrestle which saw the lead change so many times. But it was heart break for Melbourne who fell short after Ricky Pettard, who mind you had a good game couldn't take a mark in the forward square to have a shot to win the game. So therefore Collingwood won by 1 point. Can't take anything away from Melbourne they were gallant in defeat but I know if I were them I would much rather lose by 20 plus points than to lose by 1.

Saturday Night saw St Kilda host North Melbourne. Well this was a blowout! St Kilda winning by 104 points. This has caused anger by North fans who were so discusted by the performance that their side dished out! Especially captain Brent Harvey who had a poor game and him getting reported which added insult to injury. St Kilda were flawless on the field which meant that they got the result that they deserved, but North Melbourne was not in the game all night which would have been the bit that disappointed many fans. There is next week.
Over in the West. West Coast hosted Port Adelaide at Subiaco. It was a close encounter but wasn't a stand out game really for me. It was a physical contest with Shannon Hurn getting reported for his head high bump which meant Stewart had to leave the field on a stretcher. It was an arm wrestle but by mistakes of the Eagles meant that Port Adelaide upset West Coast to win by 3 points.

Sunday arvo saw Adelaide host Sydney at AAMI Stadium. The Swans didn't have a happy record at AAMI so that's where a bit of money went the Crows way. But in the game, the Crows weren't in it all day and the Swans ran away winners by 43 points. After just losing to the Saints in round 1 the Swans do look to be hitting their straps.

Sunday also saw Essendon host Fremantle at Etihad Stadium. Well well well this was a major upset. Fremantle have played well in the first two rounds and even more impressive this week. Fremantle ran away winners by 44 points for their first win in Melbourne for...well....um.....does anyone remember?:

In the twightlight game (and I'm not talking about the movie here) Richmond hosted the Western Bulldogs at the MCG. And to plan (to the delight of the tippers and not the tigers fans) the Dogs ran away winners by 72 points.

Easter Monday. Wellll what a game! Hawthorn hosted Geelong at the MCG. At first Hawthorn came out with their A game, then I think shifted to B and C in the 2nd half. But Hawthorn kicked away to a commanding lead and I thought here we go the Hawks have this. But there was a different gear shifted by the Cats and just like the last couple of encounters this game was close! And by some great pressure Geelong won by 9 points. What a game and what an interesting round!!

More to follow...

Round 2 Preview

And what a round we have this week! And this is what I think:

Brisbane vs Carlton (Gabba) Thursday Night.
Easter Thursday has lined up a beauty! Brendon Fevola up against his old side! Brown and Fevola versus Carlton should be an interesting clash. The main thing that I reckon will be a deciding factor will be stopping Brown and Fevola from marking the ball because that's where they will get the most scoring power from. Brown and Fevola took 15 out of 20 marks inside 50 last week, and that was the deciding factor. When deciding on who to tip in this game that was the main thing I had to take into consideration and if Carlton are going to beat Brisbane then they will need to spoil the ball heaps. In this case I still think the Lions will have that edge just but Carlton will challenge and win by 12 points.

Collingwood vs Melbourne (MCG) Saturday.
Well. The Pies had a really good win against the Dogs last week and for the first time in a while genuinely impressed me. Whether they will go on to win the flag is another thing. Melbourne on the otherhand were not as impressive, they were not good at all. Their experienced players were lacking omph and let Hawthorn win well. Their young players in Scully and Trengrove are the ones that are going to be the future of the club in their movement forward. Realistically to me this was an easy tip to do if you can put it that way. Collingwood will win by 63 points.

St Kilda vs North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium) Saturday Night.
St Kilda got the win first up which was expected but they were challenged by the Swans. North started not good and finished off a lot better. North Melbourne was one of the few teams to beat the Saints but not by much. It will be interesting to see North with their second hitout under their new coach Scott. St Kilda have a lot to prove this year that they can still go further this year after just missing out last year. I do believe that in this case St Kilda will win and find some form by 24 points.

West Coast vs Port Adelaide (Subiaco) Saturday Night.
This is one of the matches of the round for me. Purely because both teams have tallented young players that will carry them well into the future. Being at Subiaco will give the Eagles some much needed home ground advantage but Port have been good over in Western Australia in previous times. West Coast had a tough game last week going to Brisbane for Round one but they did impress me and will take confidence going back home in order to play this game. The question would be whos engine room will be most effective as I think both are evenly matched. I am going to predict an upset and Port Adelaide will win by 4 points.

Adelaide vs Sydney (AAMI) Sunday.
Both teams lost first up, the Swans were a bit more gallant in defeat whereas Adelaide were lacking oomp! Having said that when a team is tipped to win the previous week and ends up playing poorly it's always good to get on board them the following week. Adelaide have handy inclusions but I like the look of Sydney in this occassion. I think that the home ground advantage will be the difference and Adelaide will win by 19 points.

Essendon vs Fremantle (Etihad) Sunday.
Before the game Matthew Lloyd will have a lap of honor. Is that going to spur the Bombers? It does generally have a good effect however not all the time. Fremantle had a magnificent win one which I was really impressed with. Essendon were really gallant in defeat and that will spur them on the fact that if they played their cards right they could have caused a major upset. The big question for me in this game is whether Fremantle can win away from home? Especially in Melbourne where they are not really good. Could they sursprise people for the second week in a row? I personally think not and Essendon will win this one by 28 points.

Richmond vs Western Bulldogs (MCG) Sunday.
Richmond were really lacking last week, turnovers, the usual song and dance caused the defeat. Western Bulldogs were outclassed by a Collingwood side looking to get to the Grand Final after just missing out last year. The big thing in this game would be if Richmond can iron out their turnovers then that will make them improve. If Richmond can come out with heart then they will have a chance. But I know that you will be dumb not to back the Dogs after last week's performance, they will be pumped for it! So having said that Western Bulldogs will win by 42 points.

Hawthorn vs Geelong (MCG) Monday.
Both teams were impressive last week. This was such a tough game to tip. Geelong were awesome with coming back and winning by 31 points in the last quarter. Whereas Hawthorn were great without some of their stars in Bateman, Rioli and Franklin. Hmm. Matchups are going to be important and especially in the engine room. Hawthorn have an awesome forwardline, Geelong have the ability to match them up. Whoever dominates the midfield will dominate the game. In this case it's the Cats to win by 13 points.

Well I got 8 last week, what can I do this week?

More to follow.....

I can't believe it!...

I finally got 8 right! It's just taken about four years but I finally got there! The first time I got 8 right since 2006! Ok enough about the bosting here is the results:

Thursday Night saw the Blues win comfortably by 56 points. Carlton had the Fevolaless forwardline but still showed that maybe they don't need him to win games. Well it's only Richmond and they haven't kicked into gear yet. That and the fact that the Blues didn't have Judd means that they can only improve.

Friday saw the Cats beat a spirited Essendon by 31 points. The Bombers had a lot of pluses but the experience and the class of Geelong meant that they ran away winners. Both teams have improvements to make going into round 2 which will be interesting to watch.

Saturday saw Hawthorn won against a disappointing Melbourne by 56 points which was always going to happen. Saturday saw Brisbane beat West Coast by 32 points but seeing the Eagles challenge. And Saints only hung on by 8 points to beat Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

Sunday saw Port Adelaide beat North Melbourne who had a late challenge and just fell short by 14 points. Collingwood upset the Western Bulldogs in an impressive performance by 36 points.And Fremantle impressed Adelaide by winning by 56 points.

So what a first up week in the AFL. Round 2's going to be a beauty. I will have more later on Thursday and also my ladder for 2010 as well.

More to follow....

Ok a little late than usual...

But these are my tips for the round 1 Clashes. I will have my ladder and preview later on.

Richmond vs Carlton (MCG) Thursday Night.
A lot of questions in this game that I'm sure will be answered in time. First of all. Will Richmond avenge last years losses to the Blues? Or will it be Carlton that will take this game out. Also what will come of the new recruits in each team? And will Carlton fill the gap left by Brendan Fevola's departure. All things that you will look to when trying to tip this game. I am excited about some of the Richmond youth plus the opportunities that now lie in the Carlton forward line. Who will step up? Looking at this game I believe that Richmond has a bit to go to get things in order than Carlton and Carlton will be too strong in this instance and will win by 32 points.

Geelong vs Essendon (MCG) Friday Night.
The reigning premiers have an uncertain game against the Bombers. Even though Essendon does have a bit to go to gain ground they still have recruited well and that will go a long way to their future. Geelong have their usual players in with the inclusion of Hunt who missed all of 09 and on Debut Mitch Duncan. At the MCG the Bombers like to compete here and it will be closer because of that. But in recent times Geelong have had the upper hand in the battle. I do believe that Geelong will be a tad rusty and Essendon will take full advantage of that. In this case though I do believe that the Cats will win but only just by 14 points.

Melbourne vs Hawthorn (MCG) Saturday Afternoon.
Interested in this game for a couple of reasons. For one the inclusion of the top two draft picks for Melbourne in Scully and Tengrove and hats off to Melbourne for playing them early.The other is the recruits of Hawthorn in Gibson and Burgoyne and the fact of where the Hawks sit as apposed to last years disappointing title defense. The experience in this game of Hawthorn will get the job done and they should win this by 46 points but don't count out a run from Melbourne.

Sydney vs St Kilda (ANZ) Saturday Night.
Tough in a way start to 2010 for St Kilda but they are a team that can rise to the occasion. Sydney have got some really good recruits and it will be interesting to see how they hold up. St Kilda will be burning after losing the Premiership and NAB cups and that's why they are my early prediction for the flag. This game was hard to tip as Sydney are at home and have a side in but so do St Kilda and they will be keen to make immense. I believe that the Saints will win by 3 points.

Brisbane vs West Coast (Gabba) Saturday Night.
Both teams have recruited well and that has been highly publicised so I won't go into that. The fact that this is at the Gabba will give the Lions advantage and it has been kind in the battles between these two teams. If West Coast can stop Brown and Fevola kicking goals then their midfield might just hold up and could give them the advantage they need. The opposite will happen if they don't. In this case I believe that Brisbane will hold up with challenges from the Eagles and will win by 26 points.

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne (AAMI) Sunday.
The battle for the two improvers in 2010 in my book. Port showed something in the NAB Cup more than North Melbourne but still there is improvement there. Port has got a good mix of youth and experienced players whereas North have got tallented kids who will prosper soon. Given that this game is at AAMI Stadium that will give Port the advantage that they need and will win by 38 points.

Western Bulldogs vs Collingwood (Etihad) Sunday.
One game that has got the footy world excited already. With the recruits and early season form of the Dogs it's set up for a beauty. People have said that this should have been the season opener but I don't purely so it keeps the interest in the round pumping. I do like that these two teams are playing eachother early on and especially because they played in Round 22 last year in a Dogs win. These teams will make an impact in 2010 where I'm not sure. In this case though I believe that Collingwood will upset the Western Bulldogs and win by 7 points.

Fremantle vs Adelaide (Subiaco) Sunday.
I'm looking forward to this game. Freo have a young side and Adelaide have players out. It's very even in my book. There are a lot of questions that I won't go into but it will steam the flow of the game. If Freo's midfield can dominate then that will be the key for them. Adelaide will have to move the ball quickly. But I believe that Fremantle with their home ground advantage will win by 19 points.

More to follow...

Woof Woof Woof....

Yes well done to the Western Bulldogs for winning the NAB Cup! First piece of silverware for 40 years well done! As a Cats supporter I know the feeling of winning that first piece of silverware and I believe for them it's a sign for things to come!

It started good for the Dogs before a challenge from the Saints and eventually the Dogs winning by 40 points. How ironic 40 points after a 40 year drought, it's happened before...

For one thing Geelong had the scoreline of 163 to 44 in the 07 Grand Final, 1963 was the last premiership and 44 years being the drought. Hawthorn in 08 89 was the Geelong score, that was the last time they played in the Grand Final. Interesting but it's funny how it's happened.

So now we are done with the Entree now it's time for the main course. I will have my 2010 season preview soon.

More to follow.....

NAB Cup preview

So this week is the biggie, well for now that is.....the NAB Cup Grand Final!

To me the Footy Season is like a 3 course meal. The NAB Cup is the Entréé. That being you are hungry wanting to get into the main season that any footy will do to kill a bit of the hunger. The main season is the main course fills you up, has a lot of flavours etc. The finals is the desert. A nice finish to the year with the Premiership (for those who get it) being the cherry on top.

This week is the Grand Final in that entréé, St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium Saturday night!

Both teams have impressed everyone over the pre-season. Both teams having not won too much silverware over the past 50 plus years but of late have impressed me. St Kilda having come so close last year against Geelong and the Dogs coming so close to getting into the Grand Final says to me that both teams are due for Premiership success. St Kilda are almost there, just need things going for them more than anything with a little different ingredients. For the Dogs they needed a key position forward, simple and they have that now with Barry Hall being at the club. There is not much now between these two teams.

So getting to this game. To me it's hard to be honest to pick out of these two teams. It will come down to this. Who wants to win more? St Kilda like Geelong will have the pain of the previous year burning within them to want to win this, for them, for their supporters and for pride. The Western Bulldogs will have the premiership drought of 40 plus years egging them on plus being oh so close to getting in their first Grand Final in many years after making the Preliminary Final two years running, ironically getting beaten by the team that loses the Grand Final. Hmm.

It's not so much sentiments here of who I want to win because both teams deserve to win this. They have shown so much already and whoever wins this will have a lot of confidence leading into the season proper. On the otherhand the other team will gain a lot of confidence.

To me and I have said this all week that St Kilda will win this by 8 points because of the hurt of last year. But the battles between these two teams during 2010 are going to be awesome!

More to follow....

Yay I got it right!!

Mind you there were only two games and well the games went totally to plan.

So the Dogs and Saints in the NAB Cup Grand Final....replay of last years Preliminary Final, should be interesting. Both teams haven't won much silverware of late so it will be good for either side!

Well I'll update you later in the week.

More to follow....

Maybe I'll have another go...

Cos there's only two games this week, hmm should have a chance to get something right. Anyway let's look at these two NAB Cup games:

Western Bulldogs vs Port Adelaide (Etihad) Friday Night.
This one will be a good game. I am impressed by how the two teams have been playing throughout the competition, probably slightly more impressed with Port considering where they were placed last year. The future for these two teams is bright. Western Bulldogs have a lot of people thinking that they have a window of opportunity to win the flag this year. I don't know but they are very very close and even with a Barry Hall showing early that he can kick some goals they still need things going in their favour if they are going to do it eg no injuries. Port on the other hand have the goods to definately improve in 2010. I am impressed with their young players more than their experienced campaigners and this is where the future lies with the Power. They will be a little off another premiership but one day I believe that they have the players that with the right experience and attitude no doubt will upset a few teams down the track. Going by this game I believe that both teams will want to win, simple as that. Western Bulldogs will want to because it will set up a chance for their first piece of silverware for 40 years and Port to give them confidence going into the new season. But if the Dogs can get the ball to Barry Hall (Hey that rhymes) then they will create problems for the Port Defence on the otherhand if Port can play quick footy then they will win. Tough game but the Dogs should win this one by 13 points.

St Kilda vs Fremantle (Etihad Stadium) Saturday Night.
With Riewoldt being given a rest (which to me is a sensible idea) the Saints are confident to leave a couple of stars out so the youngsters can shine, to me was a great move. Fremantle just won against the Roos last week for the first time in Melbourne which seemed like forever. Keep in mind this is the NAB Cup and it is early on in the year, but a win in Melbourne to Fremantle is a win in Melbourne and it will do them the world of good. St Kilda are coming off two hard fought 1 point wins and to me even though they won, they haven't shown the fire and play that got them through to the Grand Final last year. I don't think necessarily that they have lost confidence after last years Grand Final loss it's just them getting into gear for another good season. St Kilda I believe will win the premiership this year or the next at the latest because of the fact that I looked at Geelong last year after the disappointment of 08. People have said that their opportunity has gone but I do believe that they will have more opportunities in the future. Fremantle have a long way to go before they could even dream of winning a premiership. They have a tallented bunch of players that need a lot of game time in them before they can come together as a team. They should make improvements this year how far they go only time will tell. Getting to this game though it should be an entertaining one and Freo will fight but St Kilda even without their stars should win and win by 28 points.

More to follow....

Oakay I am giving up on this Nab Cup tipping!

Seriously man a few upsets in this competition. That is the beauty of what we are seeing here and how some teams have improved early in the season.

From Western Bulldogs flexing their muscles with Barry Hall in the side to St Kilda scrapped through against the swans. To Port showing what they do to Freo pipping North at the post winning in Melbourne.

So you can see how I am a little hestitant in my tips early in the season. Hmm.

More to follow.....

Round 2 of NAB Cup preview...

And I wonder if I will get more than two right this week? Hmm. Well with round 1 knocking out some favourites to take out the comp, this round should be interesting. Let's see what I think?

Hawthorn vs Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium) Friday Night.
Hmm got a coin anyone? The Hawks are coming off a thumping of Richmond whilst the Dogs slogged it out in the wet against Brisbane. Definately is a hard choice. It depends on who is in the sides. I would love it for a Gibson vs Hall duel, two players in different colours playing their first game for the sides. It would be good to see how the midfield matchup will do. I personally reckon they matchup well but the battle could be won in either end of the ground. It's a matter of who actually wants to win this game. The Hawks will have something to prove after being reigning premiers last year and then to miss out on the finals while the Dogs just missed out on playing in last years grand final. Hard choice but I would say that Hawthorn will win by 14 points.

West Coast vs Port Adelaide (Subiaco) Saturday.
West Coast impressed me against Essendon early on and it could be a much better year for the Eagles. Just with their young players and all it gives them a glimmer of hope in the near distant future. Port Adelaide did a job on Adelaide which was very impressive. Home advantage does play a big part in any game but Port Adelaide have played well of late at Subiaco. In this case I do believe that West Coast will win by 23 points.

St Kilda vs Sydney (Etihad Stadium) Saturday Night.
The Saints are coming off a one point tough win against Collingwood which turned out to be game of the round. Both teams in this instance impressed me and could be a real competition between these two teams in 2010. With Sydney it was a good start to 2010 considering they don't feature heavily in the NAB Cup and it would be interesting to see how the Swans go tomorrow night. I do like how the Swans have recruited and this is where the future of Sydney lies. In this game though I believe that St Kilda have more to prove and would want to win this more and will win by 45 points.

North Melbourne vs Fremantle (Etihad Stadium) Sunday.
This is going to be a good game, despite Fremantle's poor record in Melbourne both teams are playing well. Freo were coming off a guaranteed win against Melbourne whilst North Melbourne impressed everyone by beating the reigning premier. Ok well as they say it's only the NAB Cup but these two teams will by the early indicator improve in 2010. The youngsters of both teams are going to be an interesting factor and one which I will be interested in having a look at. In this case North will advance to the next round because they showed more grunt and will win by 56 points.

More to follow...

I've gotta get it closer sometime!!

Yep to start of 2010 even though it is the NAB Cup I have been a bit wayward in my tipping. For round 1 I got 4 out of 8 that's bad!! Need to improve this year!

Soon I will have more of a wrap up of the games more during the year than the NAB Cup.

Just looking at the games though. Friday Night was a great game early on in the year which was good to see. Saturday night with Sydney playing well surprised me a little bit and it left Carlton looking at their forwardline a little more now. Sunday surprised me even more with North Melbourne upsetting the reigning premier Geelong. I honestly thought that Geelong would win the first then go out in the second or third rounds, but well done North and can they be the biggest improvers for 2010? Then Freo did what I thought and won easily against Melbourne.

Next week is going to be interesting with the games and the competition is still alive!

More to follow...

Now let's get to the footy....

Well it's the NAB Cup but hey it's still footy isn't it? Here are my predictions for the second week of the competition which is going to prove some interesting games that's for sure:

St Kilda vs Collingwood (Etihad) Friday Night.
These two teams are going to tough it out at least twice during the home and away season and tonight there's a little taste to what's going to come. There are big things predicted already for the Saints and the Pies and well this is a first glance of them flexing their muscles by either bringing out the big guns or showing off their prized recruits. Should be an interesting one to watch. Eyes will be focused on the battle of Luke Ball going up against his old side, is there any love lossed there? Who will take this game seriously? I was surprised with Collingwood and where they finished last year in the NAB Cup but St Kilda also generally do well as well. Getting to the game it will be a hard slog early while both teams are adjusting to the start of the year. I do however believe that it won't be a real close game but not a blow out because both teams will have pride on the line. Having said that I do believe that St Kilda will win by 19 points because they will be hungry to win their first competitive game of the year after coming so close to winning the premiership last year.

Sydney vs Carlton (Blacktown) Saturday Night.
I love how the AFL wants to take these games to other points of the country. Blacktown is an interesting one but we'll see how it goes. These two teams have competitive games over the last couple of years. I am interested to see how both teams have recruited this year and whether they are going to give these players a run. I'm more interested in the Post Fevola era at Carlton and how Bradshaw will go in his new swan colours although he's not playing tomorrow night but we'll wait for the season proper for that. I have theories on the post Fevola era and how that's going to effect Carlton but I will have more on that later. Sydney will be strong at home and could win this one but I do believe that the Blues will have more to prove and win by 34 points.

Geelong vs North Melbourne (Etihad) Sunday.
Question is. How has the preseason effected the reigning premiers? From the shorten break to the off field controversy? Only time will tell. I personally don't think it will effect the Cats that much to be honest in fact it will make them wiser. North Melbourne I am interested in. Why? Because of how they've recruited. They are a mainly young side but do have a tallented bunch who in fact can win them a premiership one day. That showed last year with Jack Ziebell and a few others. With Cunnington amongst others this young list could turn into a powerhouse it's just going to take them a few years of game time but they will bear the fruit soon. Getting back to the game I do believe that Geelong would want to keep their winning going and will win this by 48 points but the contests will get much closer during 2010.

Fremantle vs Melbourne (Subiaco) Sunday.
This is a game I am interested in. 2009 saw these two teams struggle really, there is no sugar coating it. But with top picks from the draft in hand it's only a matter of time before these teams start climing the ladder. Melbourne with picks one and two Scully and Tengrove (Who I'm going to call Mulder and Scully lol or team X File) who are going to play and Fremantle have number 4 pick Morrabito who looks to be a future star. Fremantle have a good young list but need players on deck and a few wins in Melbourne or Victoria to press for a finals berth. Melbourne just need to keep playing their top recuits because they won't want to come last this year otherwise they are going to get nothing in the draft this year with the new Gold Coast team coming into the competition next year. Looking at this game though the home advantage will be enough for Fremantle to win by 5 points but look out for the Melbourne recruits.

More to follow.

What a start to the year we've had already....

Yeah and the year hasn't officially started yet. Interesting Huh?!

There has been off the field controversies already that has meant this year is going to get much better and more and more interesting. From Matthew Stokes allegedly traficking drugs and getting suspended from the club for 8 weeks to Andrew Lovett's alledged rape case which eventuated in his sacking from St Kilda. There has been other drunken nights of shame to throw in the mix.

Now I am not racist but when it comes down to it Stokes and Lovett are aboriginal which is really sad for the reputation of aboriginals. I have met a lot of aboriginals and they are awesome people and I feel sad that two high sports people have done this. I just hope that these two who have the seriousness of charges can get by whatever the outcome of these cases are and turn their careers around!

I wonder what else 2010 has to bring???

More to follow.

Ok a little off the mark

The first four games of the NAB cup indicate just how hard it is to tip with the NAB cup because to be honest I don't think a lot of teams care about winning it just as long as they come out of it without injuries. So far so good.

I tipped Essendon friday night and they looked good for the first part but West Coast did well didn't they? They came out after half time with intent and could very well improve this year. Port upset Adelaide although they did the same as West Coast because I reckon they have something to prove this year.

Hawthorn came out and flogged a helpless Richmond and there are a few players that were looking to put a disappointing 2009 aside. The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane game was really close and both teams look good even in a wet soaked Manuka Oval.

Give it time but this year would be interesting.

More to follow.

NAB Cup is here

Can you believe that the unofficial start to the footy season is starting tonight? No neither can I. But believe you me all that training for the start starts here. I am going to look at the NAB cup games and give my tips but for round one I will do the first four games then look at the other four next week. So here they are:

West Coast vs Essendon (Subiaco) Friday Night.
Interesting to see how these teams have recruited and who they have lost etc over the summer and how they will be effected for the 2010 season. West Coast have already been tipped to be the biggest improvers while Essendon have some building to do with Adam McPhee going to Fremantle plus Matthew Lloyd retiring last year. How will Jobe Watson go as captain. Interesting with the NAB cup upon us the stakes are different from the main season as to how many teams go all out. The team that wants to win the NAB Cup out of these two will win this game. But funny things have happened and I reckon in this case Essendon will win just by 11 points in a real tight game.

Adelaide vs Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium) Saturday.
Ah two arch rivals competing I love it! To me this game will have some sort of rivalry but not the spite of other showdowns. I will like to see how the recruits of Port will in fact go against a much improved from 09 lineup of Adelaide. These two teams will continue to have great games as including this game they are playing three times this year giving South Australian fans a real treat. However in this game I do believe the experience of Adelaide will be too strong and win by 24 points.

Hawthorn vs Richmond (Aurora Stadium) Saturday Night.
I am looking forward to this game to be honest. I am thinking that Hawthorn will be much improved from last year and I am interested in seeing who will be a shining light in 2010 for Richmond. How much young blood will be used is another thing and I'm hoping that both sides will do that this year. Aurora Stadium was a mixed bag for Hawthorn this year but can be powerhouse for them normally. Great for the Tassie fans to see a game down there earlier in the year. Richmond will have to go out here. I reckon that Hawthorn will win but Richmond will have a dip, Hawks by 20 points.

Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane (Manuka Oval) Sunday
Ok this is going to be a tough one to pick earlier. Both have recruited well in my book and will be looking at showcasing these recuits earlier. The Dogs have Barry Hall and some tallented youngsters who will be yapping around the ankles to get going. Brisbane have done well with obtaining Fevola, amongst others. Should be a good game. Western Bulldogs by 3 points.

Well that's all for NAB Cup part 1 of round 1 more next week.

The Footy season is just about upon us!

Yay! Next weekend the Nab Cup starts with West Coast vs Essendon at Subiaco on Friday Night. People have said to me that they aren't a fan of the NAB Cup or the pre-season cup because it does mean that players are prone to injuries. To me I like it (not love it) but it does give those who are footy starved over the pre-season a chance to get into the new season. That and the fact that you have a chance to see how players are fairing and in particular the young players in each side and also new recruits. I do recall last year in the NAB Cup Grand Final Josh Hunt went down with a knee injury and missed all of 2009 and in particular playing in their Premiership Side. But with Tom Harley retired he should just slot back into the lineup.

2010 is going to be an interesting year for footy. Will Geelong go back to back? Will St Kilda avenge the disappointment of losing the Grand Final? Who will be the biggest improvers? Which team or teams will be the biggest disappointment? These questions and more I will answer before the start of round 1 and also my predictions for the up and coming footy season.

Tipping is something I can never get right, I personally think the same for a lot of people. No matter how much you study the form guide you never get it right. Some people don't think about it til Friday some study up throughout the week, I personally do a bit of both. I do find that the people who don't know a lot about the game end up doing really well in the competitions, I'm still trying to find out why.

Supercoach or Fantasy AFL is a different thing all together. This is something that you need to have some sort of idea about otherwise you're not going to do well. I have completed a side and will in fact change it numerous times before round one but at the moment I am happy with it. Last year was my first year of doing Supercoach and I did learn some lessons which I will share with you in minute. I finished in the Preliminary Final and just missed out on going all the way but I thought it wasn't a bad effort considering it was my first year and all, now I wanna win it this year! Well that's the aim anyway. Alright here are some lessons I've learned:

1. Don't stack your side with the players that others will go with and that have the most dollar value. You can probably do that later if their value goes down. Not at first.
2. Select youth. Try to fit in draftees from 09 and rookies as well. But first do your homework, I find You tube is a great tool. I did well with Daniel Rich because I watched him throughout the year and was surprised that he was passed up and slipped through to number 7. Youth is great for the bench and especially if they are in teams that will give them a run.
3. Look for players that you know that are good but haven't proven themselves yet.
4. Look for players who have depleated in value through injuries or lack of form, they usually have a point to prove.
5. Try to include as many of the clubs as possible not just from those who you think will do well.

That's it for now I will have more soon which will include my ladder and tips.