Australian-rules-football-afl-chatting-tipping-and-news

[Thechook]

9 hours ago, Will27 said:

Another interesting round coming up gang.

 

Can Collingwood keep the momentum up tomorrow night against the Bulldogs?

Will Essendon bring it again against GWS at Spotless?

GWS have to win their home games to make the finals.

 

Brisbane would have to be a sneaky chance at home against Sydney I think.

 

West Coast up against their bogey side Hawthorn in Melbourne.

The Hawks have lost their last 2 and WC are due to drop one.

 

Melbourne have been beating up the lower sides and this will be a test.

A good time to get Adelaide with a lot of injuries.

 

Freo are pretty hard to beat at home but Norf are in good nick.

I can see an upset brewing here.

 

All the breast guys.

 

 

 

And the saints to upset the Tigers,  will be there to see it live.

[ripstanley]

12 hours ago, farmerjo said:

The pie man turned defender Madjak Daw is set for his 1st game at Optus stadium.

And in celebration,you guessed it,it's 2 dollar pies for the day.

Only Madjak and his mum could bring this to a game.

I had Billy Hartung and Ryan Clarke scheduled to help Mrs Daw but Brad Scott is taking some convincing.

 

 

His first game at Optus oval will be in the stands selling pies. Now I know why he has been "rested"

[Will27]

11 hours ago, Thechook said:

And the saints to upset the Tigers,  will be there to see it live.

One can only hope Chooks.

[Will27]

A huge blow for the Swans with Callum Mills out for the year.

 

Gun Swan's season over after freak injury

 

www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-24/swans-massive-blow-young-guns-season-over

[farmerjo]

10 hours ago, ripstanley said:

His first game at Optus oval will be in the stands selling pies. Now I know why he has been "rested"

I read that just after i wrote the original post.

Must be to do with all this duty of care with Dockers having one of the smaller attacks.

Still would have been good to see him line up on Ballantyne.☺️

[Will27]

Well gang, it's all over for another week.

 

Only 8 games this week as Port and GC have the bye.

 

Excellent tipping by both ripstanley and Ozzydom who both

tipped 7, with Ozzydom getting the Cadbury's for being closest to the margin with 8 points.

 

Ripstanley has closed within 1 of Grant Smith who leads on 65.

 

Until next time...…………..

[Will27]

Oops, double post.

 

TV playing silly buggers.

Edited May 27, 2018 by Will27

[farmerjo]

Shame on the The West newspaper saying umpire howler cost The Dockers win.

Join in the chorus.? and sing it one and all.

 

[Will27]

The Tackle: Mark Robinson looks at the highlights and lowlights of Round 10

 

IT WAS a big weekend for several teams.

West Coast remained a game clear on top of the ladder, Melbourne cemented its place in the top two and North Melbourne surged to fifth.

 

The Eagles, Demons, Magpies and Mitch Robinson are in the good books while the Dogs, Cats and Giants have some soul searching to do.

 

 

WHAT I LIKE

 

1. THE TRAVELLING COASTERS

Only four trips to Melbourne this year for three wins (Western Bulldogs, Carlton and Hawthorn) and Collingwood to come at the MCG in Round 17. If that’s the test for any non-Victorian team, then the Eagles are travelling just fine. They beat Hawthorn, not with a burst of goals as they do at home, but with a four-quarter slog against a team which regrouped after the loss to Brisbane last week. In the box seat for a home final and if they win, another home final, and if they win, a spot in the Grand Final. It sounds simple, and we have four months before we get there, but that Magpies game looms as significant.

 

2. ANDREW GAFF

Equal season-high 35 disposals and underscored his enormous value as an uncontested ball winner and a stoppage-ball winner (seven). Who knows if he will re-sign with the Eagles, but if he does decide to leave, he will join Gold Coast’s Tommy Lynch as the two most sought after free agents at the end of the season. What’s the 25-year-old worth? 800k? He’s a beautiful footballer, all poise and class, who should have 12 clubs chasing his services, with St Kilda at the top of the heap.

 

3. RUTHLESS MELBOURNE

It’s a brand it has been aspiring to and for one day only in Alice Springs it all came together. The 91-point win showed what Melbourne is capable of when a) it blitzes the opposition and the ball and b) the opposition is not up for the fight. This was a caning on all levels and resulted in a fifth successive win. No surprise there was step up in contested ball differential - it was 162-119 - with Jack Viney back in the team, Clayton Oliver doing his thing and Angus Brayshaw having a career-best game. Former coach Paul Roos always said Brayshaw would be a star and we’re seeing why.

 

4. DO WE BELIEVE IN COLLINGWOOD YET?

Not totally, but the confidence is growing. You can only beat the teams you are playing and Collingwood’s major challenges will come. On Friday night it was beaten up by pressure early and turned the pressure on its head in the second half to beat the Bulldogs who have won just four matches against 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th placed teams. Collingwood has beaten Adelaide and pushed Richmond for three quarters and its other wins have come against 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th placed teams. Can’t wait for Rounds 16-20 when they play Essendon, West Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney.

 

5. A LOT TO LIKE AT THE PIES

In 20 games the Pies have reshaped their back half with Jack Crisp, Tom Langdon and Matthew Scharenberg joining Lynden Dunn, Jeremy Howe and a floater and it’s been a success. Crisp has become a prolific ball-winner and Scharenberg’s calmness and decision-making is sound for an inexperienced senior player. The other player flourishing is Phillips whose recognition and reputation is quickly growing. He should be a priority for after-match interviews as well, having blitzed it on Friday night.

 

6. JOSH CADDY

I didn’t think Caddy has this sort of football in him, mainly because he was originally slated as a midfielder where he didn’t win enough ball. It’s his role as a second key forward where he has flourished. He still gets a run in the Tigers midfield, but was needed as a key forward when Jack Riewoldt was concussed against the Saints. Kicked a career-high six goals to bring his tally to 23 for the season, which is ranked No.1 in the mid-forward bracket.

 

7. MITCH ROBINSON

Most times when players are listed as departing Carlton, Mitch Robinson’s name is overlooked. You know the drill, it goes Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs, Jarrod Garlett, Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Jarrad Waite, Bryce Gibbs, Shaun Grigg and even the trade of Josh Kennedy for Chris Judd is now lamented to add weight to the argument. It is Robinson, though, who the Blues would love to have support Patrick Cripps and Ed Curnow in the midfield. He was unbelievable against the hard-nut Swans, finishing with 35 disposals and a career-high 26 contested possessions and 13 clearances. Don’t know if there’s a more kamikaze-style player in the competition.

 

8. DYSON HEPPELL

The captain was enormous, as were his teammates, on the back of serious heat put on the opposition. That has been Essendon’s trademark these past couple of weeks. The Bombers lost to Carlton because they were inaccurate front of goal, but their pressure factor has been 203, 208 and 211 in those three games when the AFL average is 182. Their post clearance pressure factor has been 184, 191, 198 when the AFL average is 166. Heppell was worn the criticism and responded and played probably his best game of the year against the Giants. He had 28 disposals, team-high 14 contested possessions, game-high 12 clearances and a critical stat, a game-high 626m gained.

 

9. GUTSY KANGAROOS

We look for legitimacy by the week and North Melbourne over the past four weeks have beaten Sydney, GWS, Fremantle and pushed Richmond to 10 points. That’s legitimate. Make no mistake, beating the Dockers away is a significant victory. So much to like about North. Kayne Turner’s toughness, Shaun Atley’s clean hands in the slop, Jarrad Waites brilliance, Jamie Macmillan at the back, Jack Ziebell at the front and Ben Jacobs was solid on Nat Fyfe. On the road, in the wet, ran away with it in the final quarter ... this was massive for the Kangaroos.

 

10. WET WEATHER CHAMP

He’s damn good in the dry as well, Josh Kennedy, but when the rain appeared at the Gabba pre-game on Saturday night, it was the kind of conditions which you knew Kennedy would thrive in. It was a battle, and there were many heroic efforts from Sydney and Brisbane players, namely Kennedy, Mitch Robinson and Dayne Beams. Kennedy is a marvel. He had 34 disposals and 23 contested disposals in the Swans win, although the two best players on the ground arguably were the two Lions players. Beams was amazing after a traumatic week.

 

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

 

1. WESTERN BULLDOGS

It was painful to watch that second half and even more painful when you consider the records being made. The Bulldogs’ scoring has been a major problem, underlined by their miserable four points in the second half on Friday night. It was their third lowest score in a second half and their lowest score in a second half since Round 10, 1968. Amazingly, they had 21 inside-50s in the second half, which begs the question — again — what has happened to this team? Never thought this would be said of a Luke Beveridge team, but that was soft football after a solid 60 minutes.

 

2. GEELONG: BORING OR BATTLE-HARDENED?

It was a frustrating game against Carlton, and Geelong has become a frustrating team to watch in recent weeks. Slow-ish ball movement, diligent defence and numbers at the contest has zapped its scoring power. Geelong’s past six scores are 84, 69, 93, 66, 50, 73, averaging just 72.5 points in those six matches. That said, they lost to Sydney and Essendon and managed to keep Port Adelaide to 50 points, GWS 32, Collingwood 45 and Carlton to 45 on Saturday night. They are strangling teams defensively, but in doing so are strangling themselves offensively. They are ranked 15th for generating a score once inside-50 and their combined average match score since Round 5 is 131 points per game, the lowest in the competition.

 

3. FRUSTRATING SAINTS

St Kilda was in this game for so long and led Richmond during the third quarter. But, again, is not getting bang for buck. Had 440 disposals, which was 75 more than the Tigers and had 80 more uncontested possessions. Also had six players with 27-plus disposals as opposed to Richmond’s one. It was Jade Gresham or bust in the forward 50m, although there were sighs of relief when Tim Membrey finally hit the scoreboard after missing his first shot at goal, again slicing the ball to the right which has come a real issue. Gresham kicked six goals and was involved in nine of their 17 scores.

 

4. WHERE DOES IT LEAVE RICHO?

There’s that word again — frustrated. The unflattering numbers of one win and a draw from 10 matches would suggest the team is a shambles. It isn’t. The players are playing for the coach and each other and despite the mounting losses, all indications from senior club officials are that Richardson will be coaching in 2019. Starting to think Rory Sloane is on the move — he hasn’t signed as it’s nearing the halfway point of the season. A hard nut like Sloane in the Saints midfield would help ease problems. As would finding another consistent goalkicker.

 

5. WHERE HAS THAT BEEN, CARLTON?

Blues coach Brendon Bolton said bring on Geelong in the post-match after the Melbourne shellacking. It was a bold and optimistic comment, but one which his players lived up to. Far from the greatest spectacle, the Blues could’ve pinched it if not for inaccurate kicking for goal. Clearly, the effort was 100 per cent. But they kicked five goals from 20 shots at goal and created 15 shots at goal from Geelong’s turnovers. But could only kick three goals. That’s the effort Carlton fans want, win or lose.

 

6. ESAVA RATUGOLEA

Talk about disappointing. The emergence of Ratugolea has been one of the stories of the season. Horrible scenes at the Cattery when he was carted off the ground on a stretcher with fears he had broken bones in his leg. Patrick Dangerfield said the injury may not be as bad as first feared and that Ratugolea’s season might not be over. Not huge numbers, but he is huge in the structure, playing second key forward to Tom Hawkins and relief ruckman to Zac Smith or Rhys Stanley depending on which one is the flavour of the week for coach Chris Scott. Injuries this season, some collision, mostly soft tissue, is a real issue across the league.

 

7. GWS.

Heath Shaw, Callan Ward, Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield were among the chief ball-winners - GWS had 30 more disposals than Essendon - but when the game had to be won in the final quarter the leaders couldn’t get the team to respond. It’s not helped by a dysfunctional forward line. Just three goals after half-time and eight all up from 56 entries is not a team destined to play finals football. Put it this way, they are equal on points with Essendon who were a basket case for six weeks and play Adelaide in Adelaide next week. That’s a September game in June.

 

8. ADELAIDE

Eventually the empire was going to crumble with so many injuries, but 91 points was embarrassing. Beaten up at the contest, run off their feet on the outside, lost the clearances and smashed at inside-50s, 62-38. The kids didn’t handle the heat and the leaders - Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs, Josh Jenkins, Bryce Gibbs and Tom Lynch - didn’t like it either. It’s not the end of the world for the Crows, but they must beat GWS and then get to the break, get players back, and reset for the second half. Still, it was the kind of defeat to inflict demons when they pay the Demons again in Round 19.

 

9. DON’T FRET ABOUT RIOLI

Willie Rioli won’t and shouldn’t be suspended for tapping the bum of umpire Razor Ray Chamberlain, but won’t be surprised if he gets a fine. Rioli’s action wasn’t malicious or careless, it was an acknowledgment to Chamberlain that he had made a mistake and Chamberlain had made the right decision. It doesn’t need a fine, that’s the sort of the activity Chamberlain is also guilty of towards players.

 

10. FIGHTS AT ETIHAD

There’s an issue at AFL games and it involves violence in the crowd, this time at Etihad Stadium at the end of the Collingwood-Bulldogs match on Friday night. It would seem ratbags are everywhere, in the crowd and in the posh seats in the Medallion Club. Stadium chief executive Michael Green was on the front foot and said if any of the men involved were Medallion Club members, they would be banned for life. One man has been arrested and hopefully more are to come.

 

[Will27]

10 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Shame on the The West newspaper saying umpire howler cost The Dockers win.

Join in the chorus.? and sing it one and all.

 

Just a local rag trying to get some extra readers.

 

Having said that, it was a terrible non-decision at a crucial time.

Norf deserved the win though. Should have put the game to bed

in the first quarter.

 

I'm glad your boys are up and about FJ.

Enjoy the ride mate.

[Ron19]

Looked to me like two umpires at different ends of the ground varied on what should be allowed

and what shouldn't be allowed. 

[Ron19]

[GrantSmith]

Holding on by the skin of me teeth in both Tipping and Fantasy this week...

 

Think Melbourne need to be drug tested... Something's not right down there...

[sceadugenga]

Yes, very strange but I never begrudged the tipping loss though. ?

[farmerjo]

A quick wrap of round 10 fantasy.

This week saw FJ get a percentage booster against Numbnuts 1836-694

Delightful Dees handed Rip a a good touch up 1875-1403

And game of the round saw Chooks on the losing end this time in a tight one against Grannys Apples 1866-1831

The ladder is GA,FJ,DD,CCS,RIP and Numbnuts.

Next week we have FJ V RIP,NN V CCS and match of the round DD's V GA's

Good luck to all.

 

 

[Will27]

Nearly spat the Coco Pops out this morning when I read this.

 

"AFL executive in charge of fixturing, Travis Auld, said the Blues' four Friday night games was a quirk of this season but the match was important to Sydney for their Marngrook game.

 

That's not a quirk, it's a <deleted> up.

 

AFL fans have the Friday night Blues .... again

 

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-fans-have-the-friday-night-blues-again-20180529-p4zi51.html

[Radar501]

Dear Mr Schwab.   Each Friday night game is telecast on channel 7 free-to-air.   You are also free-to-choose not to watch , and I don't give a toss that you won't be tuning in.

 

As for me, I will be glued to the telly from the first bounce with a bowl of coco pops in hand.

 

I also take this opportunity to remind you that about this round last year when Carlton played Sydney, the mighty Blues won handsomely  15.7 (97) to 11.12 (78)

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by Radar501

[ripstanley]

On 5/30/2018 at 11:42 AM, Radar501 said:

Dear Mr Schwab.   Each Friday night game is telecast on channel 7 free-to-air.   You are also free-to-choose not to watch , and I don't give a toss that you won't be tuning in.

 

As for me, I will be glued to the telly from the first bounce with a bowl of coco pops in hand.

 

I also take this opportunity to remind you that about this round last year when Carlton played Sydney, the mighty Blues won handsomely  15.7 (97) to 11.12 (78)

 

At that time of day I thought it would be a very cold 6 pack of your favourite beer.

[Thechook]

For god sake what is it with another Carlton Friday night game.  Not even going to bother tuning in.  The AFL need to stop taking payments for rostering of games and I'm sure free to station will be pissed with ratings drops.   Why do Carlton have 6 Friday night games and been billed as the premium side in the comp.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Thechook

[AlexRRR]

Do not know why the AFL choose friday night games long before the season starts, if they must every club should get equal rights...dont think WCE or Freo are shown much of course strugglers dont even rate.

[Will27]

This week we had 5 who picked 8.

Grannysapples and Ozzdom both had the closest margin with 6.

Great tipping guys.

 

Ron19 had a good round and has moved up to 3rd whilst Grant Smith bounced back after last

week and has increased his lead to 3.

 

I thought I picked Richmond but obviously didn't?

[sceadugenga]

You can have them next week mate.....

[AlexRRR]

Today was a first in Fantasy football for me...i had one player who scored -3.......yes minus 3.....total score of -3....-3...-3....god its hard to believe....

[Ron19]

[GrantSmith]

13 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

Today was a first in Fantasy football for me...i had one player who scored -3.......yes minus 3.....total score of -3....-3...-3....god its hard to believe....

Probably cost you the win as well given old mate averages about 70 a game... but I'll take the chocolates if it's all the same ?

[GrantSmith]

Just a tip for those playing fantasy... This week starts the annual migration season... Scores will come from the best 18 in your sides and you also have an additional trade up your sleeve...

[ripstanley]

15 hours ago, AlexRRR said:

Today was a first in Fantasy football for me...i had one player who scored -3.......yes minus 3.....total score of -3....-3...-3....god its hard to believe....

I thought I was going bad with a score of 5 for one player.

[GrantSmith]

33 minutes ago, ripstanley said:

I thought I was going bad with a score of 5 for one player.

Yeah I had a player break his leg in the first quarter last week, was giving me a strong contribution of 0 at the time too ?

[AlexRRR]

4 hours ago, GrantSmith said:

Just a tip for those playing fantasy... This week starts the annual migration season... Scores will come from the best 18 in your sides and you also have an additional trade up your sleeve...

How many can we trade up or we in hibernation until the bye over?

Edited June 4, 2018 by AlexRRR

[ripstanley]

15 minutes ago, AlexRRR said:

How many can we trade up or we in hibernation until the bye over?

As Grant posted you get an additional trade during the bye rounds. That makes 3 per round during the byes. We are still playing during the bye rounds.