AFL round 15 ‘expert’ tips
Dumber than an octopus, we trudge on
The news from Germany that the fate of their World Cup soccer team was determined by an underwater blob with 8 testicles tentacles comes as no surprise to those of us who knew all along that any team with a diminutive, sharp-shooting striker and goal sneak named Schneider is a monty to take out the big prize anyway. Schneider the soccer player hails from Holland/Netherlands/Dutchville (call it what you will) and is my tip to kick the winning goal in Monday’s final as well as taking out the player of the series award. The other Schneider (who, by the way, looks more Dutch than the Dutch) is St Kilda’s secret weapon. I just hope that if the Saints make the GF again this year, he manages to kick straight. Enough waffle. Here are the ‘expert’ tips as forecast by the Melbourne Aquarium:
Ray (6) (73)
Pt Adelaide v Collingwood: Why is this non-event deserving of a Friday night billing? The only benefit is that the streets of both Melbourne & Adelaide will be moron-free zones for a few hours as the respectve fans remain glued to their TV sets. I won’t even bother watching it.
West Coast v Adelaide: What? Who cares? West Coast are going so bad I reckon they’d struggle to beat local O&M side Myrtleford, who haven’t won a game for 3 years. And Adelaide’s form has only been ‘good’ at home. Crows by a testicle.
Geelong v Hawthorn: My reasoning is simple: Hawthorn are on a roll and are highly motivated to prove they deserve to be considered a contender (they don’t). Whereas Geelong are still licking their wounds and damaged psyches from the realisation two weeks ago that, no matter what they do, they can’t beat St Kilda anyway so they might as well give up now.
Brisbane v St Kilda: It won’t be as easy as it looks on paper and the return of Riewoldt might actually upset the Saints’ rythmn for a quarter or two. But they should be able to put this game to bed by 3/4 time.
Richmond v Fremantle: It’s almost game of the year! What a pity that Barlow & Cousins won’t be going head-to-head. I think Richmond are still on a massive roll of confidence, whereas Freo must be feeling terribly deflated with the loss of Barlow.
Sydney v Nth Melbourne: The battle for 8th spot wil be determined by the home town advantage.
Melbourne v Essendon: The Dees are overdue while the Dons are over – full stop.
Carlton v Bulldogs: Come on Footscray, get your act together and beat this bunch of pretenders from the club that should have been kicked out of the AFL 10 years ago for cheating the system.
.
Baldrick (6) (73)
I figured my prattle last week made no difference. Geelong gone, Germany gone, I’m in a deeper rut than Danny from Droop Street. Now I’m putting the moz on Cadel. .
Collingwood
Geelong
Adelaide
St.Kilda
Richmond
Sydney
Essendon
Footscray
.
Greg (6) (75)
Sorry for the delay – I had to rethink after Choko got the chop – and whether Reiwolt would make a difference:
• Collingwood to beat Port Adelaide
• Geelong to beat Hawthorn
• Adelaide to beat West Coast Eagles
• St Kilda to beat Brisbane Lions
• Fremantle to beat Richmond
• North Malbourne to beat Sydney Swans
• Melbourne to beat Essendon
• Carlton to beat Western Bulldogs
.
Rox (6) (69)
My tips are
Collingwood
Geelong
Adelaide
St Kilda
Freo
Sydney
Essendon
Footerscray
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Choco gets the chop. Tonight is his last game coaching Pt Adelaide. It still won’t make me watch.
Choco better not be getting his contract paid out, as the SANFL just just bailed Port out to the tune of $5.5M.
More fool the SANFL.
Actually, its rather weird how the two Adelaide clubs fall under the control of both the SANFL AND the AFL. Two masters to serve.
Its a good system for the AFL, as the SANFL (i.e. the profitable Crows) who have bailed Port out, not the AFL itself as it does for most other clubs.
All Port and Crows profits go to the SANFL which support local SA football (i.e. the local club comp). Unfortunately, the AFL teams have open slather on this comp via the draft….
I can’t recall a lot of good draft picks from S.A. going to Vic clubs.
Bryce Gibbs, Adam Cooney, Clive Waterhouse (although he went to Freo) were all No.1 draft picks from the SANFL.
Exactly. They’re hasn’t been many top picks from SA.
My point is I think SA manages to retain the cream of its younger players (probably because they know them better). Much the same happens in WA. The Vic kids can’t be as easily hidden from the world. So I think it balances out.
This was just the No.1 draft picks. Pleanty of other SANFL players have been picked up in top pick.
For example, Jack Trengove, Phil Davis, Lewis Johnston, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brad Ebert, Shannon Hurn, Travis Varcoe, Ryan Griffen, Jordan Russell, Danny Meyer, Angus Monfries, Cameron Wood…….
Anyway, quite a few.
Jack Trengove, Phil Davis, Lewis Johnston, Ryan Schoenmakers, Brad Ebert, Shannon Hurn, Travis Varcoe, Ryan Griffen, Jordan Russell, Danny Meyer, Angus Monfries, Cameron Wood
JB, I have bolded those I would rate as good to very good players. Monfries is borderline. As for the rest ………
Have you found my tips yet Ray?
Yes Greg. Sorry, they’re up now. I see I’m the only one picking Hawthorn over Geelong. They’re a cert.
I thought the Pies were gone for sure last night. They sure gave Port a big start.
They just don’t know how to defend. Yes, Port had a great opportunity to do us all a favour. Don’t worry, Collingwood will not win the flag. They might get to the GF but they cannot win it.
Which leaves it open for a lay down misere, St.Kilda to win the flag.
We’ll see, Baldy.
Btw, my Hawthorn pick is looking good so far with the Hawks 7 pts up @ 1/2 time. Not sure if Geelong has the finishing power to come over the top. The 3rd quarter will tell – if Hawthorn are still in front @ 3/4 time you’re gone.
Hawthorn are missing golden opportunities to take a stranglehold on the game via poor kicking. This will be close.
Hawks by 6 pts @ 3/4 time but should be 4 or 5 goals up. This is anyone’s game now.
Crikey that was close. I thought my heart would stop.
Geelong. Just. Means very little.
It means a tipping point.
Do you think the Hawks are GF contenders?
No, they never were. I’m watching the last quarter now on TV delayed and my impression is, quite frankly, this was nowhere near the quality of game that St Kilda v Geelong was. Geelong got out of jail because Hawthorn blew their chances in the 3rd quarter and weren’t far enough ahead. It’s not a tipping point because Hawthorn are still 2nd rate, yet Geelong struggled to fend them off.
What you saw was a Hawthorn chock full of confidence throwing literally everything against an out of form Geelong who played very ordinary football. And despite that couldn’t beat them.
To be honest, don’t know why the two teams bothered when St.Kilda have got it all wrapped up.
What I saw was a Hawthorn side of individuals – each trying to win the game off their own boot instead of kicking to someone in better position – against an out-of-form Geelong who played reasonably good, but not top notch, footy.
And that’s why Geelong won – they’re more of a team. But we knew this.
And they both “bothered” because the Saints, as good as they are at the moment, are by no means a shoe-in for the flag.
Half time and the Saints look impotent.
If I had known that:
a) Goddard & Koschitzke were not playing.
b) Riewoldt is clearly not ready to come back and, even if he is, not playing him in position for more than 5 minutes is useless.
c) They are using umpires from the Brisbane F.C.
I would not have picked St Kilda to win.
If the Saints can pull this off now they’re truly the best.
… but then they have to face up to Collingwood next week with half the team rubbed out after the 3/4 time brawl.
They will only be fines Greg.
Beating this Brisbane side is not a measure of being a powerhouse side.
YELLOW AND BLACK
Wishful thinking, Greg. No suspensions there.
Baldrick, with the late outs (Goddard & Kosi) and Riewoldt only being half fit, I think the come-from-behind win was outstanding. No, it’s not “a measure of being a powerhouse side”, it’s a measure of a side that wins regardless of the circumstances.
Bring on Collingwood.
Orville, it was another great win by Richmond. And it gets me back on track @ 4/5.
Baldrick has 5/5 but he’s picked Essendon!
Rox & Greg are also 4/5.
Btw, Greg, it looks like Collingwood will be the ones missing players through suspension next week. Cloke is gone for sure. Anthony should go too, for a head high bump. And if the AFL is consistent (???) it will also suspend Dale Thomas for a punch that was worse than any of the minor ones that St Kilda’s Baker copped 9 weeks over against Geelong. Should be interesting to see what the AFL does. My guess is they will go light on you because they want Collingwood to have a chance.
All over for Essendon now. Sydney rolls North. Depending on what happens in the Carlton v Bulldogs game, we could have a three-way tie for the lead tonight. As it stands:
Ray: 6/7 (gone for Footscray)
Baldrick: 6/7 (Footscray)
Greg: 5/7 (Carlton)
Rox: 5/7 (Footscray)
Footscray 40 pts up early in the 3rd quarter. I’m calling it:
Ray: 7 (YTD = 80)
Baldrick: 7 (80)
Greg: 5 (80)
Rox: 6 (75)
Game on!