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!