AFL round 16 ‘expert’ tips

Stuck for words

I can’t find any interesting footy-related story or think of anything ‘witty’ to say as an intro this week … so let’s get straight into it. Here are Ray’s & Baldrick’s ‘expert’ tips:

Update: ‘Someone’ (I won’t say who) has just suggested to me that tonight’s game between Essendon (northern suburbs) & Footscray (western suburbs) should be called ‘The Swine Flu Cup’. I like it.

Update #2: FUNNIEST FOOTY QUOTE OF THE YEAR

I just heard this on ABC Radio: Melbourne coach Dean Bailey says Melbourne can’t afford to take Geelong lightly despite its recent form slump.

Absolute GOLD !

Ray says:

Essendon v Bulldogs : If I were behind in the year-to-date tipping I might have gone for Essendon, who have a habit of surprising in these ‘big’ games. But they already did that last week up in Sydney so, no, they won’t do it two weeks running.

Carlton v Sydney : Um, much the same goes here. Carlton are ’show ponies’ and are not ‘the real deal’. They’ve won their last two (against the ’stiff opposition’ of Freo & Richmond) so by rights they should lose this. But it’s against Sydney who are old, cactus and gone … and it’s in Melbourne, so it’s a gift for the little Blue boys. 

Geelong v Melbourne : There are two big questions here being: (1) Can Geelong, having ‘taken their own wheels off’ last week by conceding defeat to Brisbane before the game started, put the wheels back on the right way and get fired up? (2)  Can Melbourne find their way down the Geelong Road to Kitty Park? The answer to both questions is “NO” but that still equals a Geelong win, regardless of how much they don’t try.

Fremantle v Brisbane: Can Freo go one better this week and score no goals at all? I think they can.

Collingwood v Hawthorn : I don’t want there to be a winner (or even a draw) but I’ll go for the Pies to stop Hawthorn’s ‘run’ of one win in a row. Why? Well Hawthorn are not really serious about it this year and Collingwood are.

Pt Adelaide v West Coast : On form this should be West Coast all the way but (a) they don’t win away from Perth and (b) the ‘rule’ says, “when two interstate sides play …”. Besides, West Coast have no Cox.

Richmond v Nth Melbourne : Battle of the underpants underperformers - how the hell do you pick this one? I haven’t got a clue. Oh well, I think Jade Rawlings is a slightly better caretaker coach than North’s, er, whatshisname, Davy Crockett (?) BUT why would Richmond want to win this and give up a chance of ‘winning’ bottom spot and two priority draft picks? They’ll lay down for sure.

St Kilda v Adelaide : If the Saints are going to ‘drop one’ this is it. They wouldn’t do it on purpose (like Geelong did last week) and they’ve got nearly a full side in, but they’re a bit tired and the Crows are on fire. So why am I picking St Kilda? What a silly question. Btw, I’m going to the game (Medallion Club tickets !!!)

And Baldrick says:

Not excited at all by this round and progressively losing interest as it turns into a one horse race.

FOOTSCRAY v Essendon:
One looks at this on paper or on general form and you can’t go past the Dogs, so I won’t. Essendon still a couple of seasons away.

CARLTON v Sydney:
Never feel confident picking Carlton. Sydney will be very competitive and if O’Loughlin and his fellow Aboriginal come up with the goods, they will pinch this.

GEELONG v Melbourne:
I’ve loved watching the Dees experience success. And their supporters will head in the opposite direction of the ski fields to go and watch them give a fair contest. A couple of handy inclusions by the Pivotonians. Geelong is shattered by plummeting from second to second after their consecutive losses and made drastic changes clutching at straws to find that winning feeling again. Geelong should fall in despite its typical wayward kicking.

COLLINGWOOD v Hawthorn:
The absence of Fraser won’t prevent the scum from beating a slowly improving Hawks side.

BRISBANEv Fremantle:
I’m confident that Freo will more than double last week’s score. Brisbane, however, is going to win this quite easily.

WEST COAST v Pt.Adelaide:
Another nervous pick. No idea why I’m choosing them, possibly because I don’t care and I dislike the bogans more.

NTH.MELBOURNE v Richmond:
Not choosing on form, but an exacting scientific analysis suggests that North aren’t as bad as Richmond.

ST.KILDA v Adelaide:
Here is St.Kilda’s real danger match. Adelaide’s soaring confidence will make them very competitive and they will take it right up to the Saints but it is in Melbourne and the Saints despite not taking them seriously will do just enough to win. Riewoldt apparently had a quiet game last week, won’t happen again.