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Opinion
During an especially odd round by 2020 season I flopped in tips and saw my own team lose in a heartbreaker.
I can’t complain too much, though – I am typing these rankings with my new eight-week-old puppy on my lap, so I’m content.
Last week: 1
They remain top of the ladder, and – controversially, I’m predicting – I’m not dropping them from the top here. Every contender has had a damaging loss, and while this is the second such loss for Port (St Kilda being the first), Port have a superb slate of games to send them through to finals. Expect them to start favourites in them all.
Last week: 3
An absolutely brilliant win, and they’re flying at the moment. Like Port, they have a relatively easy slate of matches leading into finals, and you’d expect them to start favourites all but one, Richmond being the only somewhat challenging clash.
Last week: 2
Beating who they were widely expected to beat, the Eagles now have the longest active winning streak in the game. Not much else to report. Expect them to beat the Giants next week before jetting off to Interstate Hub 2.0.
Last week: 4
And that is how you bounce back from a horror loss last weekend. They took the Bombers to the sword, dominating the clash and earning a vital four points that has them better placed in a very difficult battle for the top four. Brisbane next week should be a great clash.
Last week: 5
Four points is four points, but the Tigers don’t have a whole lot to take out of their effort. I mentioned it in a comment on the live blog, but Tom Lynch is not a very likable footballer. Poor discipline from the talented forward, and not for the first time this year.
Last week: 6
Inaccurate? Yup. A little lethargic? Yup. Got the four points? Yes. But like Richmond’s clash, it wasn’t a great game and I don’t think they’ll be too pleased by their effort.
Last week: 14
I said I was underrating them last week and bumped the Dees up, but apparently I’m was still underrating them. They’ve won their last three and should be heading in as favourites against the Bulldogs next weekend. Outside of the Pies and GWS, they’re probably the best shout to sneak into the eight.
Last week: 7
Not sure which of them or Collingwood are the worst. They’re above the Pies because they’ve won three of their last five, but I can’t take them seriously as premiership contenders when they’re so far from guaranteed to even make finals.
Last week: 8
Horrendous. I’ve been trying to remain reasonably positive about the Pies for a while now, but Saturday’s loss was off such a magnitude it’s difficult to find a bright spot. They’ll start favourites against the Kangas next week, but Carlton and Brisbane after that will be difficult.
Last week: 10
There seemed to be a smidgen of a potential of an upset for much of the clash, but that gave way to a relatively heavy loss. They were coming off a four-day break compared with Richmond’s nine days, so I can forgive them losing momentum towards the end of the game.
Last week: 11
The good news: they secured a sorely needed victory. The dampener on that news: it was only against the Crows. The really bad news: the Dogs, struggling to gain proper momentum, have the competition’s three most in-form teams up next: Melbourne, Geelong, West Coast.
Last week: 13
The narrative I prefer is that the Blues won because for much of the game – and especially for the final term – they were the better team. They dominated the scoring after quarter-time, and while I despised the way the game ended, it’s difficult to argue the Blues weren’t ultimately deserving winners.
Last week: 9
Ninth was certainly too high for the Bombers given their form of late has been far from encouraging. Now unlikely to make the eight, Sunday’s encounter with St Kilda saw the game decided by half-time – literally given the margin was the same at that break and full-time.
Last week: 12
Fremantle have bigger issues than that free kick. Saturday’s narrow loss won’t be the be-all and end-all, but I’d love to see them learn how to be clinical when they have a burst of momentum. The Hawks clash before this saw them dominate for only a 16-point win, the Blues clash saw the team on the verge narrowly escaping of being overrun by a determined opposition. Not good enough.
Last week: 15
Ways I knew a suspiciously easy tipping round would be anything but: Sydney’s stunning win on Thursday night. Lovely, lovely win, but with Freo, Port, Melbourne and Carlton their next four clashes, I’m intrigued to see where another win can come from given I’d say they start underdogs in all four.
Last week: 17
A little bump in the ratings because, in what would have really decimated my tipping, they came close to knocking off a premiership threat. If they continue the reasonably encouraging form into next week, I’ll have them a good chance to knock off the sputtering Pies.
Last week: 16
The effort and endeavour were there, but not much else was. It wasn’t surprising that they lost to the Eagles given they were rank underdogs, but it underscores the position Clarkson’s Hawks find themselves in. Port Adelaide next week a difficult task, especially as they’ve now lost Sicily until this time next year.
Last week: 18
There appears to be only one constant this year: Adelaide are not very good. Perhaps it’s a little vindictive, but I kinda want to see a winless year purely for the phenomenon it’ll be.
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