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AFL SEASON 2007

PREVIEW ROUND 10


by John Loffler


(Last week 5 from 8 total 42 from 72 =57.8%)

Yep, Chris Judd got off the eye gouging charge. Was there ever a doubt? I was so annoyed at the Eagles allowing the Hawks to beat them so easily that I was prepared to face the tribunal and punch someone on the nose. I would have got off as well claiming extreme provocation. We tipsters who are a few points down are forced to take a few chances and I bet many of you were thinking this guy is crazy picking Melbourne last week but, hey, it almost paid off and Melbourne suffered another 1 point loss while my tipping fell another point behind. Carlton gave Adelaide a fright and my word, weren’t the Power competitive against Geelong? Not! The premiership word is echoing throughout sleepy hollow but be warned Geelong, look what that ‘P’ word does to the Dockers year in year out. There were a couple of unexpectedly close games last week and for a bit of luck going the other way a lousy 5 point tipping result could have easily been 7 or 8 and a shot at glory.

Not a lot of time this week, some of us have real jobs, so I’ll keep the preview short (thank you, thank you) but hopefully helpful, although that would be a marked change. It goes without saying now that there will be some tough selections to make this week again but should the results go your way it could mean a welcome shoot up the tipping competition ladder. Good Luck.


Collingwood V Fremantle at MCG Friday Night

It’s so nice to see the Pies up there with the best of them in a season that most pundits thought would not be a good one for Collingwood. They are playing tight and competitive football and seem to have the poise and desire to win many of the hard balls. Fremantle are flying over to Melbourne to win the game as they must if they want to keep in touch with the would-be finalists. The Dorks gave the Saints a nice touch up last week but this challenge is somewhat different as they come up against a form team in the competition playing in front of at least 60,000 of their faithful ready to give Chris Tarrant the usual Magpie congratulations reserved for those Collingwood players who have errantly left the fold. Now I doubt the supporters will set fire to floggers and waste paper behind the goals as happened when Des Tuddenham rolled up to the game at Victoria Park in Essendon colours in the early 1970’s after being with Collingwood for so many years that they had actually made him the captain, mainly because floggers are not allowed any more and the memories of most Collingwood supporters don’t go back that far. If Freo can play 4 hard quarters they are a chance but that has been a rare sight this season and it’s difficult to see the Dorks kicking a winning score against a reasonably tight Magpie defence that will again be without Clement. Being played at the MCG one has to look at the odds and stick with Collingwood. I’m predicting an avalanche of Collingwood goals in the first quarter, enough to set up a winning lead for the rest of the game.

Collingwood by 22


Melbourne V Adelaide at MCG Saturday Arvo

On form you wouldn’t be silly to pick the injury ridden Demons to win as they nearly beat the form team of the AFL last week while Adelaide had to put in a big second quarter to bring the Blues back to reality last week and then had to hold off another Carlton effort in the third quarter. Adelaide is winning but they have been far from impressive. Melbourne have equalled their dismal season start record of 1974 so tipsters are wary that Melbourne will win it’s just a question of when. This week against the Crows? No, maybe in about 3 week’s time against the Tigers giving the Demons and Daniher and the few remaining fans something to look forward to. On the positive side for Adelaide it will be nice to see Riccuito back playing.

Adelaide by 11


West Coast Eagles V Kangaroos at Subiaco Saturday Arvo

Who would have thought this was going to be the match of the round? The Kangaroos are going for 7 consecutive wins, a feat not equalled by any team so far this season. Supporters of their favourite team in the west better not take this easy because Laidley’s Lads are putting in the hard yards and playing some great football. Kerr is still out for West Coast and he was sorely missed last week and Cousins is still a few weeks away from returning to the Eagles nest. Cox has been playing well below his best due to injury and Embley will miss another one. However, the game is at Subiaco in front of all those Eagles supporters and teams are finding it as difficult as last year to knock the West Coast off at their home ground. This is a nice tipping opportunity to sneak a point but I have to stay with the odds.

West Coast by 13


Richmond V Brisbane Lions at Telstra Dome Saturday Night

The luckless Tigers almost downed the Bombers last week and the new hands in the back rule copped another caning as a result of Richo’s efforts in that last quarter to win the game. Essendon could be considered to be lucky but they were also very inaccurate in front of goals which kept the Tigers in the hunt anyway. At the Gabba the young Lions were taught a lesson in pressure football by the Magpies and they will go into this game reasonably confident that they can match the Tigers at Telstra dome and probably take the points. Jonathan Brown is definitely a match winner and the Lions have just that bit of extra talent around the ground that Richmond will find hard to match. Two young teams and they should have a real go and provide the spectators with an exciting brand of football. But, for us tipsters the safest pick is the way to go and even if the Tigers win, a distinct possibility, you won’t get picking against them wrong too often this season.

Brisbane Lions by 31


Sydney V Essendon at the SCG Saturday Night

Both teams are shooting for 3 wins on the trot so their form has been good but it’s difficult to compare an in form Essendon to an in form Sydney and then we have the added Swans advantage of the game being played at the SCG. Sheeds will need to give motivating talks before the game and at the end of each of the first 3 quarters to sting the Bombers into enough positive action to beat the Swans. Essendon have been a reasonably high scoring team this year but they might struggle against a mean Sydney defence. It’s time Barry Hall kicked a few goals as well. Have to stay with the home side but it won’t be easy.

Sydney by 16


Port Adelaide V Hawthorn at AAMI Sunday Arvo

Here’s the toughest game of the round to pick and it’s a matter of whether the Hawks can get themselves back onto an equivalent high they experienced last week against the reigning premiers and whether Port Adelaide can pull themselves together after a very disappointing effort against the Cats last week. The teams are basically even so it’s a matter of which team has its head right for the game. Can you imagine the Port supporters watching the Power lose two in a row at home? Funny that both these teams were picked to be in the bottom half of the ladder at season start but Hawthorn don’t look like thye will miss the finals while the Power have really been brought back to earth after the last two weeks. Could this be the first draw of the season? I’m picking Port to come back from the last two weeks and please the home crowd while Hawthorn continue their mental celebrations after their win last week.

Port Power by 42


Carlton V Western Bulldogs at MCG Sunday arvo

Nobody expected Carlton to win last week and they didn’t but many experts expected the Bulldogs to be far more competitive against the Swans than they were last week and they weren’t. The Bullies played great footy (and they had to) to beat the Magpies in a come from behind win a couple of weeks ago only to fall away to a shadow of themselves in that game against Sydney. If the weather is fine and dry, which it should be because climate change has given us dry weather football for the next 289 years making the designers of the Telstra Dome retractable roof shake their heads in dismay, then these two teams could put on a bit of a goal kicking exhibition – like Carlton against the Kangaroos in a game which the losing score was 130 points. But, I can’t – and won’t pick Carlton.

Western Bulldogs by 51


St Kilda V Geelong at Telstra Dome Sunday Arvo

One would think that this is the easiest game of the round to pick. The Cats are on fire and the Saints about to fire….somebody, anybody, a coach, a water boy, a runner, anyone just to make them feel good. Blame, good healthy blame, that’s what they need to fire them up. So, blithely we pick Geelong to win this game forgetting that the Saints have developed a pattern, well almost, of win one, lose one. But, there has been an occasion when they lost one then lost one. This will be another of those occasions.

Geelong by 63


 

Article last changed on Friday, June 01, 2007 - 4:36 PM EDT


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