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2019 AFL season: Round 3 preview

Roar Guru
2nd April, 2019
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Roar Guru
2nd April, 2019
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Rivalries galore in Round 3 of the AFL, with up to five grand final rematches from yesteryear, rematches of the two preliminary finals from 2017 and this century’s most bizarre rivalry among the highlights.

There are up to five grand final rematches taking place this round, ranging from the infamous 1945 bloodbath between Carlton and South Melbourne to last year’s epic, in which the West Coast Eagles defied all before them to defeat Collingwood for its fourth flag.

For the second time, the two preliminary final match-ups from 2017 will take place in the same round, with the Adelaide Crows facing the Geelong Cats at the Oval and the GWS Giants hosting Richmond in Sydney (though in 2017, it was the Tigers that had the home ground advantage).

And while the bizarre rivalry that once existed between Fremantle and St Kilda has died down, their showdown at Optus Stadium to finish Round 3 will still be one to watch, to see whether Freo can bounce back at home or whether the Saints can make it three in a row to start a season for the first time since 2010.

Here is your preview to Round 3.

Adelaide Crows versus Geelong Cats
Round 3 kicks off with the first of the two preliminary final rematches from 2017, when the Adelaide Crows welcome the Geelong Cats to the Oval for what promises to be a genuine blockbuster.

It was in that year which the Crows demolished the Cats by ten goals to advance to its first grand final since 1998, before ultimately losing in the grand final to Richmond.

After a disappointing loss to Hawthorn in their season opener, the men from West Lakes got off the mark in impressive style last Friday night, defeating the Sydney Swans by 26 points at the SCG and registering their 13th win from 20 appearances at the iconic venue.

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The highlight was a 60-metre goal from Paul Seedsman on the quarter-time siren, which set the scene for the Crows to stay ahead for the remainder of the match after the Swans mounted their usual challenge in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the Cats have started the season strongly; after coming from behind to beat Collingwood in Round 1, they showed no mercy towards Melbourne in their first home game of the season, winning by 80 points to take top spot on the ladder.

The demolition of the Dees was highlighted by a first career goal for Jordan Clark, which was provided by Tom Hawkins, as well as a promising performance from Charlie Constable which saw him claim the AFL Rising Star nomination for Round 2.

Josh Jenkins

Josh Jenkins of the Crows celebrates after kicking a goal. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

As impressive as Chris Scott’s men were last week, facing the Crows, especially at the Oval, will be a tougher task altogether and while they will have their moments, I think the Crows should continue their good form and win their first match at home for the year.

Prediction: Adelaide Crows by 14 points.

Melbourne versus Essendon
Widely touted as potential improvers in 2019, both Melbourne and Essendon find themselves at the bottom of the ladder ahead of their only meeting this season on Friday night.

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It has been nearly two decades since the two sides met in the 2000 grand final, which the Bombers won by ten goals to put the icing on, without doubt, the most dominant season by any side in modern AFL history.

But those days of glory are well and truly behind both clubs, with the loser of this match set to be plunged into more scrutiny come next Monday morning.

The Bombers have copped it more than most despite only going down to St Kilda by eleven points at Marvel Stadium last Saturday night, another dismal first quarter in which they didn’t kick a goal proving to be their downfall.

This came following their 12-goal thrashing by the GWS Giants, in which they kicked only five goals and the efforts of several players, namely Zach Merrett, came under serious scrutiny.

On the other hand, Melbourne didn’t fare any better, going down to the Geelong Cats by 80 points and their poor percentage seeing them occupy last place on the ladder, with the Bombers above them.

If they are to break their duck this Friday night, they’ll have to do it without fullback Steven May, who will miss the game due to injury.

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It’ll be difficult to pick a winner with any real confidence; in fact, only once in the past decade has the starting favourite emerged victorious, and that was when Essendon won by 148 points early in the 2013 season.

It was after that match where the Melbourne players copped a gobful from not just their own supporters, but also that of the Bombers, as they exited the field.

Only two Melbourne players who played in that match – Nathan Jones and Jack Viney, both now the co-captains of the side – remain at the club today.

Coincidentally, Friday night will mark just one day short of six years since that match.

To the present, and I think the criticism that the Bombers have copped should drive them to a win at the MCG, where they have won three of their last four matches against the Dees, including that aforementioned 2013 match.

Prediction: Essendon by 18 points.

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Dyson Heppell

Dyson Heppell of the Bombers looks dejected after defeat (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Carlton versus Sydney Swans
Only the oldest VFL fans will probably remember the most brutal grand final in VFL/AFL history, when Carlton defeated South Melbourne by 28 points in what became known as “the Bloodbath”.

Played in wet and muddy conditions at Princes Park due to the MCG’s unavailability owing to the events of World War II, the match turned out to be a violent affair with up to ten players reported for varying offences, the worst of them seeing Ted Whitfield suspended for 21 matches for abusing two umpires.

To the present now, and crunch time arrives for Carlton and the Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with both sides without a win so far in season 2019.

Despite neither side having got off the mark, both sides have been competitive to a degree, with the Blues testing Richmond and Port Adelaide and the Swans doing likewise against the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide Crows.

Coach John Longmire said that while the effort was there against the Crows, they failed to execute at crucial times in the match, especially during the third quarter which they started just four points in arrears.

John Longmire

Swans head coach John Longmire (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

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A goalless third quarter would prove to be their downfall as they lost by 26 points, seeing them fall to 0-2 for the third time in the past six seasons.

But the cavalry could come for the red and whites, with former co-captain Kieren Jack and young forward Tom McCartin both a chance to return after missing the first two rounds due to injury.

Their inclusions would prove very handy for a side which has only scored 100 points once since their Round 14 bye last season, with much of the hard work being left to Lance Franklin, who needs six goals to overtake Matthew Lloyd (926) on the all-time goalkicking charts.

Carlton, on the other hand, gave Port Adelaide a run for their money at the Oval last Saturday night, but their youth and inexperience proved to be the telling story as they lost by just 16 points.

While they should approach the match against the Swans with some confidence, knowing that they did beat them at the MCG not very long ago, I have a feeling the criticism John Longmire’s side has copped in the past week or so should drive them to a win here.

Prediction: Sydney Swans by 20 points.

GWS Giants versus Richmond
With both sides at 1-all after two rounds, the twilight match at Giants Stadium looms as an important one for both the GWS Giants and Richmond.

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After thrashing Essendon by 12 goals in the opening round, the Giants were brought back down to earth last week, going down to reigning premiers the West Coast Eagles in Perth by 52 points.

Are the Giants genuine premiership contenders in 2019, or were they just made to look good against a dismal Essendon side in the opening round?

Well, we’ll just have to wait and see when they take on a severely weakened Richmond side at home this Saturday, a match which they’ll start favourites in.

On top of losing fullback Alex Rance for the season, the Tigers’ stocks took a massive blow in its loss to Collingwood last Thursday, with Jack Riewoldt to miss at least a month with a wrist injury and Dylan Grimes to sit out the match against the Giants due to suspension.

The loss of Grimes, as well as that of Bachar Houli, would be the last thing coach Damien Hardwick would want as he tries to find ways to shut down the Giants’ much-vaunted forward line led by Jeremy Cameron.

The corresponding match last year saw the Giants, who were missing Cameron due to suspension and Patton due to a knee injury from which he is due back later this season, conjure a two-point win which avenged their loss to the Tigers in the 2017 preliminary final.

At home, the Giants should bounce back, and bounce back hard.

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Prediction: GWS Giants by 30 points.

GWS Giants players run out of the tunnel.

GWS Giants players run out of the tunnel. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Brisbane Lions versus Port Adelaide
The third of four grand final rematches from yesteryear sees Port Adelaide make the tough trip to Brisbane to face a Lions side which many are touting as the biggest improvers of 2019.

It is 15 years since the two sides met in the 2004 decider, in which Port won by 40 points to claim their first flag and deny the Lions a four-peat.

Many will argue that, had the Lions not been forced to shift their home preliminary final against the Geelong Cats to the MCG, that they could have created history by matching the Pies’ record of four flags in a row.

So controversial was the rule that required the MCG to host one finals match every weekend, it was eventually scrapped at the end of that season, during a period in which non-Victorian teams dominated the competition.

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The Lions have made their best start to a season since 2010, backing up their momentous win over the Eagles with another come-from-behind win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, with Charlie Cameron among their best players on the ground.

If they are to make it three from three, they’ll have to overturn a poor record against the Power, having lost seven of their last eight meetings against them dating back to mid-2013 (though the one time they did win, was at the Gabba in Round 7, 2015).

Port’s win over Carlton at home last week was soured by the serious ankle injury suffered by Jack Watts, which has all but ruled him out for the season.

Prior to that, they were ultra impressive in defeating Melbourne on the road by 26 points, with Watts producing one of his best performances for the club since joining them at the start of the 2018 season.

While the Lions’ recent record against the Power may be poor, I can see them pulling off another impressive win this Saturday night.

Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 24 points.

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Collingwood versus West Coast Eagles
It’s the one match we’ve all been waiting for, and there will be some spice added when Collingwood and the West Coast Eagles go head to head at the MCG in the other Saturday night match of Round 3.

Not only is it the grand final rematch, the match will also mark the return of Eagles midfielder Andrew Gaff, who copped an eight-match suspension last August for his sickening off-the-ball whack to the face of Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw.

He and Nic Naitanui (injured) were forced to watch on from the stands as the Eagles pulled off the unlikeliest of premiership triumphs, beating the Pies by five points in a classic with Dom Sheed kicking the winning goal from the pocket with two minutes remaining.

It denied the Pies a record-equalling 16th premiership flag and there is no doubt the result would have stung the players during the off-season.

After both sides dropped their season openers, both have bounced back with a vengeance, with the Pies repeating last year’s preliminary final upset of Richmond with a 44-point win and the Eagles unfurling their premiership flag in front of their home fans before putting GWS to the sword by 52 points.

After missing the loss to the Lions in Brisbane with a foot injury, Eagles forward Josh Kennedy was quiet in his first match for the season, managing only one goal; a bigger output would be required from him if his side are to be victorious on Saturday night.

It will also remain to be seen what reception Gaff receives, especially at the MCG, in his first match back from suspension, while the Pies will have Mason Cox free to play after he beat a one-match suspension at the judiciary for his contentious bump on Tiger Dylan Grimes.

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The stakes will be high for either side, because the loser will risk dropping to 1-2 for the season.

Prediction: West Coast Eagles by 10 points.

Western Bulldogs versus Gold Coast Suns
The first match on Sunday sees the undefeated Western Bulldogs return to Marvel Stadium to host the Gold Coast Suns, who despite being tipped to severely struggle in 2019 are playing well and punching truly above their weight.

Whatever coach Luke Beveridge said at three-quarter-time last week must have sparked the Bulldogs into action as they kicked nine goals to one in the final quarter to overturn a 30-point deficit into a 19-point victory.

This means they have now beaten two of the most consistent sides of this decade, the Hawks and Sydney Swans, to begin their campaign.

While they should start favourites to make it three from three, which would make it their best start to a season since 2009, they’ll be wary of a Gold Coast Suns side which has performed admirably in the first two rounds.

Fears that they would suffer a winless season were extinguished in the most dramatic way possible, as Stuart Dew’s side overcame some woeful goalkicking to defeat Fremantle by three points at home, with David Swallow and Sam Collins standing up in the dying minutes.

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Tim English

Tim English of the Bulldogs (middle) celebrates a goal with Toby McLean (left) and Patrick Lipinski (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

This came after they’d suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, where they will return for their bout against the Western Bulldogs, in the opening round, which will come to suggest that the Suns may be much more competitive than many think.

It will remain to be seen whether they can keep up the good efforts for as long as possible, because after two rounds, the Bulldogs appear to be rediscovering the form that saw them claim the 2016 premiership.

Prediction: Western Bulldogs by 12 points.

Hawthorn versus North Melbourne
The old generation of Hawthorn and North Melbourne fans will well and truly remember the three grand finals the two sides contested in 1975, 1976 and 1978.

It was in the first of those deciders where North became the last of 12 teams to win the VFL flag, in their 51st year of existence, defeating the Hawks by 55 points, before the Hawks took the points in 1976 and 1978 by 30 and 18 points, respectively.

The 1976 decider remains best known because former Hawks captain Peter Crimmins was in hospital during the match, dying from cancer. After the Hawks’ victory, several teammates took the cup to his hospital room before he passed away aged 28.

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The modern-day Hawks will be keen to bounce back from their controversial loss to the Western Bulldogs when they host the Kangaroos at the MCG on Sunday.

Alastair Clarkson’s side appeared to be cruising towards the finish line when they led by five goals at three-quarter-time, only to concede nine goals, one of them in controversial fashion when James Sicily gave away a free kick late in the match, to lose by 19 points.

Ben Stratton of the Hawks breaks away from the defence

Ben Stratton has been named as Hawthorn’s new skipper. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

North Melbourne, on the other hand, remain winless after two matches but took the fight up to the Brisbane Lions at home last week, leading by 22 points before ultimately losing by 20 points.

They’ll have one reason to be confident that they can break their season duck against the Hawks this weekend, having beaten them by 28 points in the teams’ last meeting at Marvel Stadium in Round 5 last year.

But at the G, I think the Hawks should take the points.

Prediction: Hawthorn by 14 points.

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Fremantle versus St Kilda
Over the years, Fremantle and St Kilda have been involved in a bizarre rivalry of sorts, ranging from umpire Peter Carey’s mark in 1999 to the infamous coaching coup pulled off by the Dockers in 2011, whereby they landed Ross Lyon from the Saints.

This is what made matches between the two sides this century all the more intriguing to watch.

Among them was the infamous ‘Sirengate’ match of 2006, in which the Dockers won by one point in a match where the final siren could barely be heard, and the Round 4, 2012 match where Lyon was booed after leading his Dockers to a win over his old side, the Saints.

There was also one memorable moment in 2014 when Saints ruckman Billy Longer tangled with Docker Zac Clarke, telling him to “look at the scoreboard” as the Saints were on the verge of pulling off a massive upset over then then-top-four Fremantle team.

Sunday’s match-up at Optus Stadium promises to be less controversial, with the Saints looking to consolidate their undefeated start to the season when they face a Dockers side looking to bounce back after their upset loss to the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium.

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With their coach Alan Richardson under pressure after five underwhelming seasons at the helm, the Saints backed up their one-point win over the Suns with an impressive display against Essendon, withstanding a second half fightback from the Bombers to win by eleven.

Meantime, the Dockers were made to pay the price for underestimating the Suns, believing that after their big win over the Kangaroos in Round 1, they’d have it all too easy against a side many had tipped would suffer a winless season in 2019.

Ross Lyon Fremantle Dockers AFL 2017

Coach of the Dockers Ross Lyon. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Coach Lyon put the result down to the fact that the Suns were willing to work harder for longer, and this is something he would have addressed to his side during training this week.

If the first two rounds are anything to go by, then facing either Fremantle or West Coast at Optus Stadium will be footy’s toughest assignment this year, with North Melbourne and the GWS Giants having lost there by 82 and 52 points respectively.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Saints can buck the trend and make it three from three to start a season for the first time since 2010. But back at home, the Dockers should bounce back.

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Prediction: Fremantle by 11 points.

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