- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
While ten teams will enjoy a weekend off, six will come back from their own rest and tough it out on AFL fields across three states. There will be only three games this weekend, and the exciting thing is that all of those matches could go either way.
But before we preview the action, what did we learn from the first half of this split round?
Five things we learnt from the first half of Round 13:
1. Hawthorn’s Lance Franklin is fitter than ever and back to his best
2. Brisbane’s 2010 season is over
3. Richmond’s 2010 season is just beginning
4. Even at 32, North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey is still one of the most damaging players in the competition
5. Carlton will struggle to make finals without ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.
Round 13 Matches:
Sydney v Collingwood: Saturday- 7.10pm at ANZ Stadium (Sydney)
This mid-season match between these two teams has become a great tradition during an AFL season. But despite numerous close results and a few outstanding individual performances in the past, one team seems to have a clear advantage.
The Swans went on a four game losing streak earlier in the season but have been able to claw their way back up the ladder after winning their last two games against Essendon and Port Adelaide.
During that losing streak, Ryan O’Keefe had very little impact on those games. But not surprisingly, he has been one of the Swans’ best in their past two wins, along with Jude Bolton and Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes.
The Magpies were far from convincing during their traditional Queen’s Birthday match with Melbourne. Despite the fact they were able to still able to grab some points out of the game- two points for a draw- questions were raised about the form and attitude of a number of Collingwood players.
The club’s match committee must have noticed it as well with five players axed for this game, including Josh Fraser and Paul Medhurst, two automatic selections over the past few years.
Collingwood have won their last seven games against Sydney, both at home and away. But there is something different about the Swans this time around.
Their younger players- Daniel Hannebery, Kieran Jack and Heath Grundy- have really stood up this season, ruckman Shane Mumford is in All-Australian contention and they are having some luck with injuries. If Mumford can match it with Jolly in the ruck and the returning Daniel Bradshaw can fire, the Swans will go close.
Having said all that, this is the kind of game the Pies win. With their backs against the wall and the welcome return of Alan Didak, Luke Ball and Ben Johnson, Collingwood should win in a tight contest.
Adelaide v Melbourne: Sunday- 3.10pm at AAMI Stadium
If you had to predict who would win this game before the season began, you would’ve thought that the home team would win but by a considerable margin. What a difference 12 games can make!
It’s an understatement to say that the Crows have been disappointing this year.
With a balanced playing list and a few young players with plenty of potential-Kurt Tippett and Patrick Dangerfield- they really should be in finals contention. Instead they sit second from the bottom and with an ever-improving Richmond just below them. During the week, the high-flying Brett Burton announced that he would retire at season’s end.
With Burton, Simon Goodwin and Tyson Edwards all announcing their retirement, only time will tell if Andrew McLeod and Michael Doughty will do the same.
Melbourne on the other hand continue to impress despite just four wins and a draw for the season so far. While their younger players have shown plenty of enthusiasm and potential, it has been their older players like Brad Green, James McDonald, Mark Jamar and Brent Moloney who have stepped up as leaders of the club.
Their draw with Collingwood two weeks ago would’ve shattered the players and coaching staff, but they can certainly hold their heads high after such a gritty and determined performance.
But even though the Demons have played above themselves, you can’t ignore their poor record in Adelaide and the Crows’ recent form at their home ground.
Melbourne have lost their last 13 games at AAMI Stadium by an average of 56 points while the Crows’ three wins for this season have all come from the same venue.
Adelaide regain star midfielder Bernice Vince but they do lose key defender Nathan Bock to a groin injury. Melbourne are also still without Colin Sylvia and captain James McDonald.
If the Crows want to salvage anything positive out of this season they must have a good second half of the season.
And it should start on Sunday.
Adelaide, just.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.