PREVIEW ROUND 19
(Last week 5 from 8 total 88 from 144 = 61.1%)
The coaching merry go round featured strongly all week in AFL news (particularly when it was discovered that Terry Daniher had nominated his twin brother Neale to look for a coaching position instead of him) only to be displaced by the Akermanis statement about performance enhancing drugs use by a West Coast player whose name shall not be mentioned for fear of legal retribution. The problem is that Akers was believed so much that the drug testers descended on the Eagles headquarters here in Perth like a group of politicians on a holiday from parliamentary sittings. Who knows what the truth is and it’s not likely we’ll find out unless we administer sodium pentothal and that would be illegal drug use huh?
A draw last week in the opening game of the round didn’t help the cause of the struggling tipster and then an Eagles fade out in the last game of the round sort of left most of us around that 5 mark. I thought I had it with the tip of Adelaide to beat Port but mislead you all on the Brisbane game which I thought would be draw. Four rounds to go and although some of the games will be tight matches are there enough chances in upsets to give us the required extra 5 to 7 points to cause the tipping competition boilover? Nope but don’t stop trying.
Time this week leaves me with none to chew the fat over these games so I’m tossing a coin.
Richmond V Collingwood at MCG Friday Night
If the Pies lose this I will sing the Richmond theme song all week in the shower and write a glowing poem about Richo.
Collingwood by 38
Hawthorn V Brisbane Lions at MCG Saturday arvo
Certainly shapes as one of the matches of the round. Hawthorn coming off a big win against the Bombers last week and ditto for the Lions against the high flying Kangaroos. If you need a couple of points then picking a draw here wouldn’t be stupid. It’s just that the odds of a draw are high, the odds of a third draw for the season are even higher and the odds of a draw in consecutive weeks of AFL footy is right off the scale. It should be close.
Hawthorn by 6
Port Adelaide V Carlton at AAMI Stadium Saturday
You could do worse than tip the Power to kick the sweep for the weekend. I will.
Port Adelaide by 69
Melbourne V Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome Saturday Night
It’s obvious the Demon players don’t want Mark Riley as their coach. It’s obvious the Demons can’t wait for the end of the season, pretty much like their supporters every year since 1957. The Bullies won’t need performance enhancing drugs to win this one.
Western Bulldogs by 44
Sydney V St Kilda at Telstra Stadium Saturday night
Another good game with the Swans giving the Saints a bit of a chance by scheduling the game at Telstra stadium. I picked the Saints last week and I was right, no, I was wrong, well, I was both. Not this week guys. The Swans continue their march to the grand final.
Sydney by 29
Kangaroos V West Coast Eagles at Telstra Dome Sunday
West Coast blew a golden opportunity to sit level with the Kangaroos on premiership points and take second place on the ladder but somehow let the Dorks under their skin and lost the game and some serious cred. The Kangas need to arrest the possibility of a slide with a win against the current premiers. Played at the ‘G’ I would give them a chance but at Telstra, where the Eagles have such a poor record and it’s brave to tip them, nope.
West Coast by 25
Geelong V Adelaide at Skilled Stadium Sunday
The Crows just won’t give up will they? They should - even after such a great effort last week to give me that tipping point. I think the Cats will extend their ladder position by another four premiership points. But they won’t find it easy even though we are all hanging out to pick that game which we know Geelong will lose before the end of the season.
Geelong by 33
Fremantle V Essendon at Subiaco Sunday
Let’s face it Freo supporters – if your team played like they did last week all year round they’d be in the top eight. Well, maybe because they’d still have Connolly as coach and that wasn’t working real well. The Dork players coughed up a few dollars for some of their dirty tactics last week and they had better get ready to fork out again because they are up against a tough lot of cookies in the Bombers trying to give their beloved Sheeds a great send off. Neither of these teams will make the finals but if by chance one team snuck in my bet would be Fremantle!!
Fremantle by 22
Article last changed on Friday, August 10, 2007 - 7:07 PM EDT