We may be down to just eight games of AFL this weekend, but that’s still more than enough to keep us busy and there are some hard choices to make when tipping this week.
Geelong and the Bulldogs both have plenty to lose when push comes to shove on Friday night. You’d think if Geelong were capable of quickly snapping out of their recent bad form that they would have done it already – Bulldogs for me.
St Kilda and Sydney have both hit some great form over the last few weeks, making their match on Saturday a cracker. I’ll back in the Saints.
With injuries mounting GWS are vulnerable, and though Richmond have lost three in a row they’ve but in good effort along the way most of the time. I reckon the Tigers can pull it off.
What’s a par margin for Adelaide after two bad losses when they go to play Brisbane? They’ll want to make amends and we could be in for a triple-figures smashing.
Collingwood and Hawthorn is as difficult a match to tip as we get all week, neither side consistently displaying their best footy. With Hawthorn losing several key players to injury I’ll go Collingwood.
West Coast and Essendon play a simillar brand of footy, and at the moment West Coast do it better, even if they are on the road.
North Melbourne have a fifteen-game winning streak over Melbourne, the longest current streak in the AFL. Can the Dees break it on Sunday? As a Roos fan I hope not, but suspect they will. Except liberal use of the phrase “Roo Hoodoo”.
Fremantle at home should get over the line against Carlton, but if the match was being played in Melbourne things would be a lot more interesting.
GWS rescued me from a third wrong Lock of the Week in a row last week – thank you Stevie J. The Crows are it for me this week.
Maddy Friend
Bulldogs, Sydney, GWS, Adelaide, Collingwood, West Coast, Melbourne, Fremantle
Geelong versus the Bulldogs will be a great game, with the Cats playing their first of three consecutive matches at the redeveloped Skilled Stadium.
The Cats will be out to make a statement after their recent losses, but I think the Bulldogs will get the job done, especially if they welcome back Mitch Wallis and Tory Dickson as has been foreshadowed.
Sydney are finding their mojo again, and I expect them to take it up to the Saints. Buddy Franklin likes playing the Saints, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets off the leash again. I’m tipping the Swans in a close one.
GWS should account for Richmond at Spotless, while I expect Adelaide to bounce back in a big way against a hapless Brisbane.
Hawthorn’s recent injury woes open the door for Collingwood – it should be a close one, and I’m tipping the Pies, just – I think their midfield strength will get them over the line.
West Coast should account for a resurgent Essendon in a close match, while I’d expect Melbourne to beat North, but it really depends which Melbourne team shows up.
In the final game, Fremantle should beat Carlton at home, but I expect the Blues to give a decent account of themselves.
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Cameron Rose
Bulldogs, Sydney, Richmond, Adelaide, Collingwood, West Coast, Melbourne, Fremantle
Friday night football delivers a pearler – either Geelong loses four in a row or the reigning premier Dogs lose their third game in four rounds and in all probability fall out of the eight. I’m banking on the Dogs to get it done.
Sydney are back in town, up against a St Kilda outfit with their sights firmly on finals, and a high up finish at that. Swans to keep going, for mine.
GWS are gettable, and I might just bank on my Tigers to pull off the upset at Spotless Stadium that Collingwood couldn’t. Adelaide to get back on the winners list against Brisbane. Collingwood seem to be going two losses and then a win so far this season, and I’ll bank on that trend to continue with victory over Hawthorn.
On Sunday, West Coast comfortably over Essendon, even though it’s at Etihad. Melbourne to beat North. Fremantle to continue on their way against Carlton in Perth, but it won’t be a snack for them given the Blues beat them there last year.
| Round 9 | Josh Elliott | Maddy Friend | Tim Lane | Cam Rose | The Crowd |
| GEE vs WB | WB | WB | WB | WB | WB |
| STK vs SYD | STK | SYD | SYD | SYD | STK |
| GWS vs RIC | RIC | GWS | GWS | RIC | GWS |
| BRI vs ADE | ADE | ADE | ADE | ADE | ADE |
| COL vs HAW | COL | COL | COL | COL | COL |
| ESS vs WCE | WCE | WCE | WCE | WCE | WCE |
| MEL vs NM | MEL | MEL | NM | MEL | MEL |
| FRE vs CAR | FRE | FRE | FRE | FRE | FRE |
| Last week | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Total | 40 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 45 |
hal
Guest
I know the Hawks have injuries but I feel they are a more unified team than the Pies. Collingwood are not a high scoring team, and I feel Hawthorn have better avenues to goal.
Dan, Concord,
Guest
Hal- why do you think the Hawks will win?
pieman
Guest
If you want a sure tip....collingwood will have another "honorable" loss another loss which will deafen us for the silence from little eddie and Nathan.
Steve J
Roar Guru
It's good to see SCOS get a decent run again, definitely should have been selected ahead of Dawson. Imagine he'll get Taberner (which would be a win for the Blues, but Tabs has got a tank to run all day) or McCarthy, which will be very entertaining to watch. Expect him to be warmly received back at Freo, a bit of a fan favourite just for his loyalty and effort ... that and he whacked an Eagle!
Macca
Guest
Dalgety - seems I did give you far too much credit if you think somehow I am "misframing" by focusing on Freo's scoring power when that is the central tenant to my point - I think the blues are a real chance against Freo because Freo are the 16th lowest scoring team, to support this I point to the fact that the blues 3 wins have all come against the 3 lowest scoring teams they have played - pretty simple really and as I said almost too obvious. As for the rest, an impression is very different to an assumption, your actions influence an impression, and if you weren't taking personal offence you would have taken the many chances to "walk right past" a pretty an objection statement instead of reaching for the defibrillators.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Hang on to Hipwood - he's going to be a jet!
Steve J
Roar Guru
As long as Fyfe doesn't break his leg and Johno doesn't stuff his hammy like lat year then I am quietly confident that Freo, with Hill the elder back in, will get the job done over your boys. It's going to be a wet one at Subi on Sunday and Freo have got he big bodies around the ball in Fyfe, Blakely, Mundy and Sandi to do the work in close. Will be an interesting game for McCarthy, he is due to explode with a bag any day now
tibor nagy (big four sticks)
Guest
Melbourne are front runners
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
I love you Macca, I mean you’ve fit in so many chapters from your playbook in this small little space: Ad hominem (“personal offence/bias” lines); Quibbling (impression/assumption…gold); Misframing (shifting to Freo’s scoring power, instead of your dud stat); Flogging a dead parrot (walked right past a chance to move it on and instead doubled down and tried to breath life into a flaccid lifeless nag of an argument); And maybe a slight bit of self-refereeing to finish off on (with your “more credit” guff). :D
Paul D
Roar Guru
If he turns out to be your Tom Boyd I take it all back rusty - I don't know either. The facilities are the biggest problem I think, they really are rubbish, 1990's era stuff when every other club is in multi-million dollar built for purpose complexes. fix that and then I think we can stop the bleeding
Don Freo
Guest
Alex was another Freo player out injured most of the year. When he was fit, he played.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
After all of this bickering this'll probably be the week where Freo begins to score freely, and heavily, aye... Well, I can always hope ;)
rusty
Roar Rookie
Melbourne will smash North.
rusty
Roar Rookie
It's not right PaulD but I don't know what the answer is.
Lroy
Guest
Yes, they always worry me the Bombers, there's nothing worse than losing to them... well except for that mob down the road... My best mate (who now lives in NSW) never fails to call me when they get up, bastard sings that damn song over the phone...''see the bombers fly up...etc..'' Ive heard it so many times I actually know all the words.. ;-)
JK Legend
Guest
I have my West Coast scarf on the ready for the final siren on Sunday when the mighty Eagles trounce the dons - go West Coast !!
Macca
Guest
Cat - a couple of things - some teams it doesn't matter, they have the ability to score heavily and therefore aren't impacted by their opponents ability to score as much, other teams have an ability to restrict any side to a manageable score - it's a matter of degrees. At this stage in their development the blues have a good defensive structure but due to age and experience still have lapses that a dangerous forward unit can expose - the less dangerous the forward unit the less likely they will be exposed. Secondly - the point is relevant because we are talking about a specific game - Carlton V Fremantle and what will impact that result specifically - Fremantles lack of scoring power plays very directly to that. Third - the blues are the lowest scoring team in the comp and yet have racked up 3 wins - so there are at least 3 teams who weren't better off playing a low scoring side.
Cat
Roar Guru
The real question is there any team that isn't better off playing an opponent who struggles to score? Obviously no. Makes the whole conversation kind of pointless.
Rick
Guest
'WCE - to finally have a win in Melbourne" - didn't they beat North Melbourne at Etihad, first round ?
Slane
Guest
On the plus side Schache looks to be coming to Tigerland.