Legs 11 of AFL tipping is here. There’s no looking back for our expert tipsters, and certainly not for Ryan Buckland, who drops another point on the leaders to sit six back.
Cameron Rose, along with the Roarers, had the best weeks of the tipsters, with seven out of nine. It’s a real shame he didn’t tip with his heart no his beloved Richmond, but enough of that…
This week the crucial games will determine where Port Adelaide are real contenders or not, Whether West Coast will put Essendon’s season to bed and North Melbourne.
The GWS vs Collingwood game is an absolute doozy, and will be crucial to determining both teams’ finals fates. It will also determine Cam Rose’s, who is the only one bucking the trend from the other experts, along with Melbourne against St Kilda.
Fancy yourself a good tipper? Make sure you cast your vote in The Crowd’s tips below, and help other Roarers out-tip the experts!
Ross Lyon is angry after losing. You wouldn’t like him when he loses. (Photo: Will Russell/AFL Media)
Cam Rose
Tips: Port Adelaide, Fremantle, West Coast, Sydney, Collingwood, Melbourne
Port v Geel: Both sides trounced their lower-middle class opposition last week, but neither can yet be trusted. The Power at home should have a few too many weapons against a Cats side that hasn’t been great when travelling. Port by 25 points.
Gold Coast v Fremantle: The Suns are going to win more games from this point on than they have before, but it’s not going to start this week. Fremantle by 58 points.
West Coast v Essendon: A Victorian side travelling to Perth for their last match before the bye, to throw everything at a heavily favoured opposition. Can the Bombers get the same result as the Tiges? Forgive me the gratuitous mention of Richmond’s famous victory. West Coast by 24 points.
North v Sydney: We’ve seen the Tigers and Port lose and then regain their mojo so far this season, and now it might be the Roos turn. Can they defeat another top four side for a second week in a row? The Swans are doing what has to be done and should be too professional. Sydney by 19 points.
Collingwood v GWS: 4th v 5th, a really good match-up this. The Pies are well coached and disciplined, while the Giants losses have all come against good sides away from home, which is what they face here. Collingwood by 21 points.
St Kilda v Melbourne: I just love matches between bottom sides; the hunger from both teams will be palpable. The Dees probably have the edge in structure but haven’t won at Etihad since Paul Roos was playing for Fitzroy. The Saints will bring run and a never-say-die attitude, but I don’t think it will be enough. Melbourne by 17 points.
Sean Lee
Tips: Port Adelaide, Fremantle, West Coast, Sydney, GWS, St Kilda
Port Adelaide to defeat Geelong: Were Geelong really that good last week? Or was it that Essendon were just so bad? Either way, it will be a harder contest this Friday night and Port, who are scrambling to get their season back on track, should take the points….just.
Fremantle to defeat Gold Coast Suns: The poor old Suns. It’s not just bad enough that they are facing the ladder leaders this week, but a ladder leader which is coming off its first loss of the season! Fair dinkum, it’s enough to drive the Suns to drink…eh, hang on….lets just say that I can’t see the Dockers losing two in a row.
West Coast to defeat Essendon: For years now Essendon have not travelled well. That alone, and their inability to score in the first half of matches, makes this one of the easier tipping decisions of the week. Maybe.
Sydney to defeat North Melbourne: The Kangas played great footy down in Tassie last week to triumph over a rampant Razor Ray, a non-tropical cyclone and an in-form West Coast outfit. Having said that, the season is building ominously for the Swannies. With five wins in a row since their consecutive losses to Freo and the Bulldogs back in rounds four and five, its business as usual for the Sydney boys.
GWS to defeat Collingwood: Toss of the coin this one. I honestly don’t know. Whoever wins gets a top four spot, so for that fact alone it should be a brilliant encounter. Will Cloke’s radar hold for another week? Can the mercurial Jamie Elliot be held? Will Collingwood’s defence be able to restrict the scoreboard influence of both Cameron and McCarthy? We won’t know until Sunday. GWS in a nail biter.
St. Kilda to defeat Melbourne: Melbourne are not the easy beats they used to be. Well, they are, but not quite to the same extent. St. Kilda, while not flash themselves, have provided their supporters with a few heartening moments this year, and Sunday’s game should be another of them.
Ryan Buckland
Tips: Port Adelaide, Fremantle, West Coast, Sydney, GWS, St Kilda
Six games this week. Six games the next. Six the week after. No overlaps in game time. Two Thursday games. It’s bye period time!
Does that mean I’ll come shooting back up the ladder, ala Richmond 2014? We’ll see. This round gives five potential pick up games – it’s projecting as a great round of footy. Let’s get into it!
Are Port Adelaide good? It’s one of this season’s biggest questions. A lastquarter blitz (remember those?) got them over the line against the Dogs last weekend, but before that the game was very even.
They were beaten by Melbourne for a half, and Richmond knocked them off at home the week before. The same could be said for Geelong. This is what Friday Night Football should be, Gil! Come back tomorrow for an extended take. If you can’t wait: Port Adelaide.
Let’s save some words here: Fremantle by many, many points.
A Saturday afternoon game in Perth? What madness is this? It’s a cracker too, I think, with West Coast’s winning streak coming to an end against a top eight contender and elemental shaman supported North Melbourne side.
Essendon, on the other hand, are stinking up the joint right now, despite a list that screams contender. Is it the coach? Is it confidence? Is it WADA? It doesn’t matter. West Coast should win this one, if only because Essendon aren’t projecting as a top eight side right now (heh).
What? Another tasty match up? Sydney come to grand old Melbourne town to take on the ‘Roos. I penned a piece on North Melbourne this week, centred on their defence and personnel. Sydney have two pretty decent forwards, and will probably give Scott Thompson, Lachie Henderson and Michael Firrito a bit of grief.
Sydney are pulling together a very tidy season, as we’ve come to expect, and North are battling to stay in touch. I think the Swans get the job done, but there’s certainly a universe where the ‘Roos offence kicks into gear and allows the, to get the job done.
A fourth solid game? Awesome. I wrote a few weeks back that this game could define both of Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney’s seasons; a genuine eight-point game.
Collingwood are in the top four, but have played a West Coast like draw that’s looking like its inflating their percentage by 20 points or so. The Giants, on the other hand, have beaten Hawthorn and Adelaide, but lost to the Dogs and just squeaked over the line against St Kilda.
I don’t buy this “you’re no good until you win at the ‘G” malarkey that’s been floating around in recent weeks – sounds like parochial jealously to me. And for that reason alone, I’m tipping the Giants.
Rounding out bye week one is a bottom table clash between Melbourne and the Saints. This one, again, projects as a close contest: Melbourne has the better defence, while St Kilda has the better offence.
I back in offence over defence as a rule, and will do so here. That will, potentially, take the Saints to a 4-7 record, which could very well be the same record Essendon as both clubs head to their bye. Indeed.
| Round 11 | Cam | Ryan | Sean | The Crowd |
| PA v GEE | PA | PA | PA | PA (81%) |
| GC v FRE | FRE | FRE | FRE | FRE (96%) |
| WC v ESS | WC | WC | WC | WC (94%) |
| NM v SYD | SYD | SYD | SYD | SYD (87%) |
| COL v GWS | COL | GWS | GWS | (57%) |
| STK v MEL | MEL | STK | STK | STK (60%) |
| LAST ROUND | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| OVERALL | 60 | 55 | 58 | 61 |
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Kane learned the hard way that you NEVER switch the footy off!
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