AFL Weekly Preview Round Two 2007

 AFL SEASON 2007

PREVIEW ROUND 2

Hands up all those who thought I was kidding about just how hard it is to pick the winners in the first round. Yep, thought so. Most of you it seems and that was reflected by your lousy scores. Those that picked 5 or more know little about AFL footy or form and therefore should do well for the rest of the year in their tipping.

There were a couple of upsets such as the Bombers clubbing Adelaide in front of 45000 disbelieving Crows supporters and Port Adelaide leaving the Docker faithful in a purple haze after half time. Blues supporters shouldn’t get too excited as they were only playing Richmond and Collingwood supporters better get ready for an average year after that display against the Kangaroos. How about that grand final replay? It was exactly that – a replay of the game with the identical result and just a few players missing. Might I remind those non-Eagles supporters or lovers that the result they fought out against the Swans they did without Cousins, Fletcher, Embley, Cox and Hansen. Be afraid!! Freo supporters might have to be afraid as well as it looks like their team might under perform again this season.

And speaking of telecasts, which we weren’t, you would think that when a TV station gets a second crack at televising the games they can at least put right the dreadful habit of providing the Friday night game at 8.30pm in Perth. It needs to be a good game to keep you awake. It remains a blight on all TV stations and a disgrace to the concept of sport broadcasting. If Channel 7 want to hit us with Home and Away and Better Homes and Gardens or similar waffle then let Foxtel have the live coverage into the west. I have complained about this to the TV stations every year but……………….

A Dennis Cometti comment I picked up during the Bulldogs versus Geelong clash: a player put his hands into the back of his opponent and duly gave the free kick away and Dennis said the AFL are trying to keep pushes out of the game, both on and off the field. What a gem!

Okay, you might think there are a few tough games this week from which to pick a winner but I say baloney. This is going to be the most straight forward week of tipping you will ever experience so get it right.

Brisbane V St Kilda Friday Night at the Gabba

The Lions are sitting on top of the ladder and provided much joy to their supporters in Queensland but it will be short lived coming up against a better than expected Saints side who beat the Demons soundly last Friday night. Reiwoldt remains out of the St Kilda team and an unlucky Maguire is out for about 6 weeks as well. The Lions team is unchanged. These are two lucky teams who get to have Easter off unlike the rest who work all the way through to Easter Monday. You’ve heard the story of Daniel and the Lion? No? It doesn’t matter it as it has no relevance to the selection of St Kilda in this game.

St Kilda by 33

Richmond V Sydney at the MCG Saturday arvo

The Tigers, much like the Dockers, allowed a match winning lead to be frittered away against lesser opposition. Well, lesser in the minds of the footy experts but certainly not in the minds of the supporters, players and coaches of the “lesser” team. What does that all mean? Well, psychologically the Tigers will not be in a winning mood against a team as good as the Swans who should be in a murderous mood after another one point hiding by their nemesis the Eagles. Although Sydney don’t travel too well they have played often enough at the MCG of late to consider it their second home ground. The Swans have an evenness across the ground that will exploit the Richmond overuse of the football. They had about 100 more possessions than Carlton last week and were therefore twice as ineffective. You keep giving a team like Sydney the opportunity to pounce on inept handballs and inaccurate foot passing and you will have an annihilation. So be it.

Sydney by 42

West Coast V Collingwood at Subiaco Saturday evening

I was lucky enough to know a guy who knew a guy who knows Brian Burke and was able to get tickets to this game. Well, I might not think “lucky” after the match because it will be a cold day in hell should the Pies get even close to the Eagles in this game. Hot weather, a river trip, a few injudicious drinks, a swim and a spa and some dubious entertainment won’t help the cause and that’s just the buck’s do I’m going to on the day of the game. Maybe we should invite the Collingwood players to see whether they can get excited enough to win the game, nay, get close. Both Benny Cousins and I will be in rehabilitation after the game which the Eagles will win. Maybe if they drop Judd as well as keep the others out Collingwood could…..nah……ya gotta be on drugs to tip a Pies win!!!

West Coast by 66

Geelong V Carlton at Telstra Saturday night

The Blues love Telstra stadium the venue of their last premiership win in the nab cup. Geelong might find it to their liking as well seeing they will register their first win of the season there this night. For tipsters these games are relatively easy. Like I said pick the 5 games the Blues will win this season and tip against them in all the others. You will be right most of the time even though you were wrong last week. Complicated tipping systems like that take time to settle.

Geelong by 29

Port Adelaide V Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium Sunday Arvo

The argument is that the Kangaroos always do well at AAMI. But let me tell you, that is a rumour that has stuck around from the days when Carey was playing for the Roos and is not that relevant today. Well, it won’t be relevant in this game because the Power, in front of their 40,000 one eyed supporters, will be merciless. Tredrea may be back, depends on how his easter egg hunt went in the morning. Have you ever been on one of those hunts and an egg is forgotten and about 3 easters later you come across this “thing” in faded foil that resembles a hardened piece of kangaroo droppings and if left another year it may evolve into something even more sinister, like a Wayne Carey looking for a footy team to coach or a TV station for which he can commentate? No? Pity.

Port Adelaide by 78

Essendon V Fremantle at Telstra Dome Sunday afternoon

The hype here in the west is not whether the Dockers can win but whether Solomon is going to get whacked or get called nasty names because he changed teams. It would be good to see Solomon be a whackee rather than a whacker as was his wont in the past but I doubt that there will be any lasting impact on the game and hence the result. How many games has Freo won at Telstra? How many games has Freo won against the Bombers on any ground? Can anyone in their right mind select the Dorks against the Bombers after the exhibition given by both these teams in their respective games last week? No.

Essendon by 27

Western Bulldogs V Adelaide Crows at MCG Sunday late afternoon

This match is one of the tougher ones to pick this week as I don’t reckon the Crows will be as easy to beat as the Bulldogs might hope. I don’t think anyone can quite work out what happened to Adelaide last week but the final margin was certainly not flattering and leaves us poor tipsters in a quandary as to just how good, or how bad, the Crows really are. In my humble opinion their style of play does not match that of the Bullies who tend to run and run and attack all day so negating smothering tactics against them which are oft employed by sides with strong defences such as the Crows and doesn’t work as well and usually results in the defensive team chasing score all day. And you thought I knew nothing about the game! From what I have just outlined you have probably guessed what the tip is?

Western Bulldogs by 23

Hawthorn V Melbourne at the MCG Monday

Which team looked the worse last week? Hands up! I think it might have been Hawthorn by a whisker or in their case a feather. Could the Demons play as poorly again this week? Guys like Robertson, Yze and Davey contributed little and White was bested by old man Clarke last week against the Saints and they really mucked about with the ball. The Dees have the whole of the Victorian population on their backs as it is generally thought that they are the best of the Victorian teams. Not on that performance. And where to the Hawks? They have been worse than middle of the road for a few seasons now so the only direction is up in their minds. It could be Hawthorn and the Kangaroos fighting the Blues for the wooden spoon this year. Anyway, regarding the team to tip you have to give Melbourne another chance. OK.