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AFL Preview Round 18 Season 2006

Last Week: 6 from 8 – Total 89/136 (65.4%)

Not too bad with the tips last week. On Saturday night I was on top of the world with 5 from 5 then looked at my tips for Sunday and had doubts about the Melbourne game. I had gained a couple of points on the tipping competition leader but noticed he had picked the Kangaroos and Melbourne. Well, without mercilessly self flagellating about it we all know what happened. A dark Sunday that was almost bleakly black as Carlton piled on the goals against the Dockers in the last quarter in what was looking like an Eagles style come-from-behind victory. So the Dorks held up, just, under pressure, while the Cats were bounced on by the Kangaroos and put back into their bag. “Here kitty, kitty.” Result? One from three on Sunday.

Well tipsters, we are at the gnarly end of the season with just the 5 games to go. As usual I have entered umpteen Trips to the AFL Grand Final competitions and no doubt, as usual, I will be watching on the TV along with all of my footy mates. After a few ales we will hotly discuss and wonder why we were born a generation too soon and as a result have sadly missed out on the minimum wage of about $200,000 for an average AFL footballer. In our dotage we conduct tipping competitions and pontificate on the current state of the game. Anyway….this week there are a few opportunities to catch up a point or two on the leaders so if you’re 5 points down don’t despair. Your goal is to gain a point a week. How many upsets do you think we can have at this stage of the season? Dunno, but I’ve put $100 on Essendon top repeat history at a generous price of $3.75. Good luck.

AFL Round 17

by Tim Murphy 

At the MCG:

Collingwood  5.4   11.9   13.14   16.17.113
Hawthorn     0.1    3.1    6.2     11.2.68

 “Another Friday night stinker!” volunteered commentator Commetti at half-time. The AFL and their partners Channel Nine haven’t organized the high-profile broadcast slot very well this year, one-sided blowouts or games between lower-ladder strugglers featuring often. The former here, the Magpoise disposing of the Hawks early before dropping down a gear in the second half. A few team changes for the Pies, Shane Wakelin (hamstring), Dale Thomas (shoulder) and the mercifully dropped Chad Morrison replaced by Williamstown’s own Jason Cloke, Leon Davis and Nick Maxwell, the last back from injury. Nathan Buckley played his 250th game for the Poise (270 overall) amid much hype he’s

Last Week: 3 from 8 – Total 83/128 (64.8%)

What a disaster last week tipsters. If you followed my tips that is. Mind you, if you’re a Freo or Collingwood supporter you probably did well and if you picked up the HUGE tip about the Carlton versus Essendon game being a draw then you would be a prince among peasants in the office competition! The problem with tipping footy is not only the frustration with the end result but when there’s merely a kick in it for 3 of the games, as there was, you can go from lollies to boogers in the time it takes to deliver a behind the play low blow to an opposition player. With 6 matches to go and 4 points behind the leader there is still a chance although methinks that the best chance just went begging last week. Having said that and then looking at the games this week there are three that will be difficult to pick and of course there is always the upset looming on the horizon.

AFL Weekly Review

by Tim Murphy

This was heritage round with a 1980s theme. Unfortunately the theme didn’t extend off the field, so we could pay $10 to get in and buy beer in cans at $2 a go.

At Football Park:

Adelaide         4.3   7.6   14.7   19.10.124

North Melbourne  1.3   4.4    6.8    7.10.52

Big crowd in to celebrate a significant milestone - Drew Petrie’s 100^th game. Oh, and Camry skipper Mark Ricciuto played his 300^th. The papers were full o’tributes to ‘Roo’ including Ash Porter’s hagiography in ‘The Age’, which omitted any mention of Ricciuto’s judiciously-applied thuggery. No elbows-to-heads or Ramsgate Hotel car-parks at all. Ricciuto is a terrific player though, who’s won everything the game has to offer and here became the quickest to 300 games - only 13 seasons. Just a premiership as captain to go, this year maybe.