Matt PoyntingAFL Round 13 Previews
June 18th 2008 11:20
AFL Previews
Friday/7:40pm/Telstra Dome
ST KILDA vs. FREMANTLE
One of these two sides belted their top 8 opponents last week…guess who?
If you guessed St Kilda – you’re dead wrong.
Fremantle did not look like they were going to lose their match against North and are surprisingly shaping up as serious contenders to win this match. You may have noticed Chris Tarrant’s sudden patch of form but it’s Matthew Pavlich’s rise to the top 4 of the Coleman ladder that has surprised everyone. But why are Fremantle still 14th?
It can’t be their defence, they have conceded just as many points as other teams. They are kicking goals. But the reason for their floundering on the bottom of the ladder is due to their inconsistency throughout the 4 quarters of a game. From round 6 to round 10, Fremantle supporters and opponents have seen 5 consecutive 4th quarter fade outs. This was ended last week when they fought hard to fend off the Kangaroos for the entire game and managed a big result. The Saints on the other hand will rue their missed opportunity against the Swans last week and have proven to be in much the same situation as Fremantle, having lost out in many a 2nd half. With Nick Riewoldt finding a bit of form in the last couple of weeks, the Saints’ forward line finally seems worthy of challenging for the top 8. They need a win here, however, to stay in touch.
Tip: Saints by 10
Saturday/2:10pm/MCG
HAWTHORN vs. NORTH MELBOURNE
North Melbourne were unceremoniously hurled out of the top 8 last week with a woeful performance against Fremantle. This means that they need to pull out all stops to regain that position that Carlton snatched at the weekend. To do this, they will need to stem the flow in to the forward line where Lance Franklin will await the ball, and inevitably the goal. Franklin is free to play this week after dashing his Brownlow hopes after accepting an early guilty plea. Many agreed that Franklin would have been suspended for at least a week after his dangerous bump against Adelaide, so it is no doubt Alistair Clarkson will be relieved at the prospect of having his franchise player back. The Hawks played reasonably well against an Adelaide outfit determined to push for top 4 and will hope to return to their blockbusting form this week. They will have to target Brent Harvey, who remains the Roos’ top player. Nathan Thompson is also a big threat. The Kangaroos were shocking last week and if they can recover, they may gain some confidence for next week but the ‘Shinboners’ won’t even get close here.
Tip: Hawks by 67
Saturday/2:40pm/AAMI Stadium
PORT ADELAIDE vs. RICHMOND
Port Adelaide are one of the hardest teams to tip this year. Mark Williams looks exhausted after trying desperately to recover his side. Another capitulation last week, this time at the hands of Geelong, has the Power looking nothing like the runners-up of last season. They have what many would call a relatively easy match against Richmond and, while AAMI Stadium is a daunting venue for many teams, Port Adelaide have struggled winning only 1 from 5 there this year. Richmond secured a decent win over Melbourne last week but will need a big effort here to overcome the Power and edge closer to that top 8 spot. How can they do it? Well, the Power are generally solid all over the field, but if we look at their past appearances, consistency again becomes a problem with Port Adelaide. No one will forget their 48 point capitulation against Brisbane earlier in the year. This has been evident throughout the season for Mark William’s lads and they must stay alert and charged throughout the entire 4 quarters to win. Richmond will again miss Jake King, Will Thursfield and Kane Johnson – three very valuable defenders/midfielders. This means they will look again to captain courageous Nathan Brown to lead them up the field where Matthew Richardson will boot a couple this week. One must tip Port here though at home.
Tip: Port Adelaide by 19
Saturday/5:40pm/Subiaco
WEST COAST EAGLES vs. GEELONG
West Coast played arguably their worst game last week when they allowed Essendon to slip by and cause an upset. Most would say that West Coast easily should have won but the Bombers, who are a much maligned team this season after winning a mere 3 games, put in a decent performance against their rivals from the West. This fact strikes fear deep into the hearts of West Coast fans as they approach this game against competition leaders Geelong. The Cats have been superb in recent weeks, recovering from their shock loss to win by 13 in a tight tussle and then 59 last week. They could not have hoped for a better team to face as they strive to pull away from the looming Hawthorn on the ladder. All signs point to Geelong winning this enormous mismatch.
Tip: Geelong by 76
Saturday/7:10pm/Gabba
BRISBANE vs. ADELAIDE
Both sides are playing brilliant footy at the moment with the exception of last week when the Hawks just edged out Adelaide in the final minutes and Brisbane copping a thumping at the hands of Scott Welsh, Adam Cooney and the Western Bulldogs. Adelaide will have the upper hand coming into this game momentum-wise after a solid performance against the Hawks. Both sides are sitting comfortably in the 8 and cannot drop out. Simons Goodwin and Black of Adelaide and Brisbane respectively, are in scintillating form at the moment and could provide their opponents with a good deal of trouble come Saturday night. Nigel Lappin may miss again this week while Daniel Bradshaw is also due for a test.
The Gabba will be hard to overcome for the Crows, but I’m tipping them to get up here.
Tip: Crows by 11
Sunday/1:10pm/Manuka Oval
MELBOURNE vs. SYDNEY
Surprisingly, Melbourne have the home game at Manuka in the nation’s capital, possibly adding fuel to the relocation fire that is burning within the 150-year-old club.
Talks continued today with a few murmurs arising over moving the club north. Will this impact on their game on Sunday? To be honest, it won’t matter. Melbourne should lose this quite easily. Although they have put in some very good efforts over the past couple of weeks, Sydney are now officially a ‘top 4 side’ after defeating St Kilda heavily over the weekend. Ryan O’Keefe will be the one to watch, while Adam Goodes continues to improve on his quiet start to the season with solid performances linking with Brett Kirk. Barry Hall was welcomed back last week and had a decent game with 2 goals to settle back into footy.
Melbourne will struggle to match the Swans dominance in every corner of the field but must focus on the rucks if they are to compete.
Tip: Sydney by 46
Sunday/2:10pm/MCG
CARLTON vs. ESSENDON
Two teams that caused upsets here square off in a bit of a mismatch. Carlton snuck into the top 8 with a thumping 30 point win over a disappointing Magpies outfit and can drop out as quickly as they entered it with a loss here. Brett Ratten won’t want that to happen and will grasp this opportunity with both hands. His Blues haven’t been in the top 8 this far into a season since 2001. They should win here and remain 8th after this weekend. Fevola will be one to watch and Nick Stevens also as a dynamic midfielder. Also of note in this game, Dustin Fletcher and his father Ken will break the record for games by a father-son combination set by Sergio and Steven Silvagni. Fletcher will play his 288th which, combined with his father’s 264, sets the record at 552 games for one club.
Unfortunately, I doubt it will be as happy an occasion for Fletcher as he would hope.
Tip: Carlton by 16
Sunday/4:40pm/Telstra Dome
COLLINGWOOD vs. WESTERN BULLDOGS
Collingwood have always had trouble against the Bulldogs. Even in a winning season, they struggle to beat them and most times lose. To add to that, they are playing in a very unfamiliar timeslot in an unfamiliar setting. Also, the Pies will miss Travis Cloke and Anthony Rocca, forcing them to use out of form Josh Fraser or Chris Bryan as forward marking options.
Everything points in the Bulldogs favour. They have been in scintillating form of recent and toppled the surging Brisbane Lions last week in a colossal effort. Adam Cooney seems unstoppable and Jason Akermanis will be a big threat in the forward line along with the returned Scott Welsh – who kicked 5 last week. If the Dogs can overcome the “Hot favourite curse”, they will make it two losses in a row for the Pies.
And a big loss it will be too.
Tip: Bulldogs by 45
Friday/7:40pm/Telstra Dome
ST KILDA vs. FREMANTLE
One of these two sides belted their top 8 opponents last week…guess who?
If you guessed St Kilda – you’re dead wrong.
Fremantle did not look like they were going to lose their match against North and are surprisingly shaping up as serious contenders to win this match. You may have noticed Chris Tarrant’s sudden patch of form but it’s Matthew Pavlich’s rise to the top 4 of the Coleman ladder that has surprised everyone. But why are Fremantle still 14th?
It can’t be their defence, they have conceded just as many points as other teams. They are kicking goals. But the reason for their floundering on the bottom of the ladder is due to their inconsistency throughout the 4 quarters of a game. From round 6 to round 10, Fremantle supporters and opponents have seen 5 consecutive 4th quarter fade outs. This was ended last week when they fought hard to fend off the Kangaroos for the entire game and managed a big result. The Saints on the other hand will rue their missed opportunity against the Swans last week and have proven to be in much the same situation as Fremantle, having lost out in many a 2nd half. With Nick Riewoldt finding a bit of form in the last couple of weeks, the Saints’ forward line finally seems worthy of challenging for the top 8. They need a win here, however, to stay in touch.
Saturday/2:10pm/MCG
HAWTHORN vs. NORTH MELBOURNE
North Melbourne were unceremoniously hurled out of the top 8 last week with a woeful performance against Fremantle. This means that they need to pull out all stops to regain that position that Carlton snatched at the weekend. To do this, they will need to stem the flow in to the forward line where Lance Franklin will await the ball, and inevitably the goal. Franklin is free to play this week after dashing his Brownlow hopes after accepting an early guilty plea. Many agreed that Franklin would have been suspended for at least a week after his dangerous bump against Adelaide, so it is no doubt Alistair Clarkson will be relieved at the prospect of having his franchise player back. The Hawks played reasonably well against an Adelaide outfit determined to push for top 4 and will hope to return to their blockbusting form this week. They will have to target Brent Harvey, who remains the Roos’ top player. Nathan Thompson is also a big threat. The Kangaroos were shocking last week and if they can recover, they may gain some confidence for next week but the ‘Shinboners’ won’t even get close here.
Saturday/2:40pm/AAMI Stadium
PORT ADELAIDE vs. RICHMOND
Port Adelaide are one of the hardest teams to tip this year. Mark Williams looks exhausted after trying desperately to recover his side. Another capitulation last week, this time at the hands of Geelong, has the Power looking nothing like the runners-up of last season. They have what many would call a relatively easy match against Richmond and, while AAMI Stadium is a daunting venue for many teams, Port Adelaide have struggled winning only 1 from 5 there this year. Richmond secured a decent win over Melbourne last week but will need a big effort here to overcome the Power and edge closer to that top 8 spot. How can they do it? Well, the Power are generally solid all over the field, but if we look at their past appearances, consistency again becomes a problem with Port Adelaide. No one will forget their 48 point capitulation against Brisbane earlier in the year. This has been evident throughout the season for Mark William’s lads and they must stay alert and charged throughout the entire 4 quarters to win. Richmond will again miss Jake King, Will Thursfield and Kane Johnson – three very valuable defenders/midfielders. This means they will look again to captain courageous Nathan Brown to lead them up the field where Matthew Richardson will boot a couple this week. One must tip Port here though at home.
Tip: Port Adelaide by 19
Saturday/5:40pm/Subiaco
WEST COAST EAGLES vs. GEELONG
West Coast played arguably their worst game last week when they allowed Essendon to slip by and cause an upset. Most would say that West Coast easily should have won but the Bombers, who are a much maligned team this season after winning a mere 3 games, put in a decent performance against their rivals from the West. This fact strikes fear deep into the hearts of West Coast fans as they approach this game against competition leaders Geelong. The Cats have been superb in recent weeks, recovering from their shock loss to win by 13 in a tight tussle and then 59 last week. They could not have hoped for a better team to face as they strive to pull away from the looming Hawthorn on the ladder. All signs point to Geelong winning this enormous mismatch.
Tip: Geelong by 76
Saturday/7:10pm/Gabba
BRISBANE vs. ADELAIDE
Both sides are playing brilliant footy at the moment with the exception of last week when the Hawks just edged out Adelaide in the final minutes and Brisbane copping a thumping at the hands of Scott Welsh, Adam Cooney and the Western Bulldogs. Adelaide will have the upper hand coming into this game momentum-wise after a solid performance against the Hawks. Both sides are sitting comfortably in the 8 and cannot drop out. Simons Goodwin and Black of Adelaide and Brisbane respectively, are in scintillating form at the moment and could provide their opponents with a good deal of trouble come Saturday night. Nigel Lappin may miss again this week while Daniel Bradshaw is also due for a test.
The Gabba will be hard to overcome for the Crows, but I’m tipping them to get up here.
Tip: Crows by 11
Sunday/1:10pm/Manuka Oval
MELBOURNE vs. SYDNEY
Surprisingly, Melbourne have the home game at Manuka in the nation’s capital, possibly adding fuel to the relocation fire that is burning within the 150-year-old club.
Talks continued today with a few murmurs arising over moving the club north. Will this impact on their game on Sunday? To be honest, it won’t matter. Melbourne should lose this quite easily. Although they have put in some very good efforts over the past couple of weeks, Sydney are now officially a ‘top 4 side’ after defeating St Kilda heavily over the weekend. Ryan O’Keefe will be the one to watch, while Adam Goodes continues to improve on his quiet start to the season with solid performances linking with Brett Kirk. Barry Hall was welcomed back last week and had a decent game with 2 goals to settle back into footy.
Melbourne will struggle to match the Swans dominance in every corner of the field but must focus on the rucks if they are to compete.
Tip: Sydney by 46
Sunday/2:10pm/MCG
CARLTON vs. ESSENDON
Two teams that caused upsets here square off in a bit of a mismatch. Carlton snuck into the top 8 with a thumping 30 point win over a disappointing Magpies outfit and can drop out as quickly as they entered it with a loss here. Brett Ratten won’t want that to happen and will grasp this opportunity with both hands. His Blues haven’t been in the top 8 this far into a season since 2001. They should win here and remain 8th after this weekend. Fevola will be one to watch and Nick Stevens also as a dynamic midfielder. Also of note in this game, Dustin Fletcher and his father Ken will break the record for games by a father-son combination set by Sergio and Steven Silvagni. Fletcher will play his 288th which, combined with his father’s 264, sets the record at 552 games for one club.
Unfortunately, I doubt it will be as happy an occasion for Fletcher as he would hope.
Tip: Carlton by 16
Sunday/4:40pm/Telstra Dome
COLLINGWOOD vs. WESTERN BULLDOGS
Collingwood have always had trouble against the Bulldogs. Even in a winning season, they struggle to beat them and most times lose. To add to that, they are playing in a very unfamiliar timeslot in an unfamiliar setting. Also, the Pies will miss Travis Cloke and Anthony Rocca, forcing them to use out of form Josh Fraser or Chris Bryan as forward marking options.
Everything points in the Bulldogs favour. They have been in scintillating form of recent and toppled the surging Brisbane Lions last week in a colossal effort. Adam Cooney seems unstoppable and Jason Akermanis will be a big threat in the forward line along with the returned Scott Welsh – who kicked 5 last week. If the Dogs can overcome the “Hot favourite curse”, they will make it two losses in a row for the Pies.
And a big loss it will be too.
Tip: Bulldogs by 45
| 82 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
