For the past few years, I have subscribing to an email newletter that provides a preview of the upcoming AFL Round. This is one of hidden treasures out there and I am going to share it with my readers. I hope the author of the newsletter doesn't mind
THE 2005 AFL SEASON IS AWAY
The Wizard Cup has come and gone and West Coast lost to Blues But now it’s time for season proper, goodbye to cricket news.Change room smells of liniment, BO, sweat, Deep Heat The atmosphere when you’re at the game it just cannot be beat.Hard ball gets, effective kicks, depressed fractured cheeks, Handball stats, inside 50’s, we take it week to week.Coaches fuming, hungry players, some off the rookie list, Magpie jokes and Carlton dreams and players getting pi@@ed.Sheedy’s age and Hirdy’s courage and Lloydy’s prep for goal, The injured list, the Brownlow votes, Power’s flag on pole, Lethal Leigh and Rocket Eade, the Tigers now have Terry, An extended contract for Dockers coach has made him pretty merry.Whoosha has the Eagles ready for the fray But any team can win the match on any given day. Cold hot pies in the outer on a bleak day at the ‘G’. And the men in white still cop abuse when handin’ out a free The Telstra Dome with open roof (when closed it’s not the same) Construction at the MCG to prepare for Commonwealth games.
Ahh Footy season, footy season, we’ve got it bloody wrong When there’s 12 months in a year and the season’s 6 months long!
G’day football followers country wide! Crikey it’s great to be back with you talkin’, breathin’ and livin’ footy. Another season full of dreams for players, coaches and supporters is upon us and it has been refreshing to have a pure, scandal free start to the home and away rounds (unlike rugby again). I’m fully prepared for the AFL this year with Foxtel reconnected and broadband up and running so I can keep my finger on the pulse with the most up to date news and results. It’s a shame the AFL has to ignore ground roots footy and the game itself while it fights the good fight for us supporters against the television stations free to air and pay TV to ensure it gets a squillion dollars for the televising rights so the AFL can continue to prop up the weaker teams. I reckon just stop all TV coverage, force the supporters back to watching the games live at the ground (that’ll get the attention of the caterers at the grounds who seem to have some perverted sense of humour that encourages them to promote hungry queues longer than a Bernie Quinlan torp!) and bring back The Winners on the ABC (replayed on Fox). Even bring back Drew Morphett to host the show!! It would be ‘centimetre perfect’!
It’s pointless going into great depth about which team fared well at the draft, new recruits, old recruits, injury lists, coaching changes, club spa nights, end of season trips, pay increases, captain changes, uniform changes and even mentioning Eddie Maguire’s name. You, the astute football follower, barracker and sports afficionado know it all. And, none of it helps you when it comes to the all-important footy tipping, does it? How many of you have hung your head in shame and utter frustration when the admin secretary, a recently arrived immigrant from Ethiopia or Iraq, (or even worse a soccer loving Pom) picks the 8 correct one week and either wins the tipping comp or comes in 50 spots higher than you at the end of the year? A painful but common enough occurrence I tell you. No, this previewer will provide you with some daring selections and useless stats and arguments to back those tips. It’s then up to you to follow or….be damned.
Have a great 22 weeks and may your team win this weekend, unless it is playing mine
Brisbane V St Kilda Thursday night at the Gabba
Dare I say it so early in the season? A blockbuster game if you look at the form of these two teams last year. What can we expect with the tried and true formula adopted by the Lions under the experienced tutelage of Matthews up against the brash and sometimes left field innovations of Grant Thomas at the Saints? Reiwoldt gets the captaincy at the Saints and this boy will last in that position for the next 5 years, mark my words. There’s lots to like about Nick who is already heading the mark taking stats for the league at the tender age of 22 and can kick goals and think footy in everything he does. Brisbane are looking that bit older but there’s plenty of experience there and let’s not forget those 3 premierships and 5 grand final appearances. Great credentials. The game is at the Gabba and that has to be worth something but I reckon the Saints’ hunger for success might see them across the line in this game. They won the first 10 straight last year if I remember correctly which set them up for a great year. Can they go that one game better this season? Who knows but my money is on them for the first game anyway.
St Kilda by 33
Kangaroos V Carlton Saturday arvo at Telstra Dome
I can hear Blues fans celebrating the 2005 premiership already but Carlton supporters had better face the reality gap between Wizard Cup and the REAL thing. The pundits are tipping a Carlton revival that equates to them making the 8 but they, along with about 4 other teams, are still not quite there, albeit they have the best coach in the league thanks to some rare forward thinking by John Elliott. But Laidley has the Kangaroos performing reasonably well for an average team as well so the game should be pretty close played in the perfect conditions of the dome. The Bloos and Roos will be amongst the triers for the year, winning some and losing just as many which makes them vital selections for tipsters to get right. You have to pick one or the other team when they have the pulse going between their ears on the day. I can feel the beat already and it’s thumping out "Roos boom boom, Roos boom boom." I’m listening.
Kangaroos by 11
Fremantle V Port Adelaide Saturday night at Subiaco
Some wag that writes for the West Australian actually had the temerity to nominate this game as a ‘blockbuster’ which is a good indication of the parochialism rife in the West. BB’s remain the holy reserve of Vic based teams or maybe we can allow state derbies to be allocated the lower case ‘bb’, but only in local write ups. The Dorks have actually kept a much lower profile this year compared to last when they were almost short priced favourites for the premiership before a ball had even been bounced in anger!! And news of the Power? Here in the west we thought they’d joined the American NFL as news of them until a week ago was non-existent. There is a beat up in the news about Josh Carr facing his old team but I can’t see that being an issue until the end of the year when we should take a photograph of his long face as he watches Port play off in another premiership while the Dockers enjoy another early end of season trip. Pavlich at CHF is a good move but the Dockers need Farmer and Medhurst firing up forward to ensure they kick enough goals to win games. I’ve somehow wangled another invitation to the game and will watch this contest with great interest. I expect Fremantle to win this as they are still hard to beat at home, especially early in the season when it doesn’t matter. Freo still have major forward line problems unlike the Power but I sense a bit of post premiership let down in the Port Adelaide camp which might be translated into on-field performance. The Dockers hope so. A stupid tip I know but it’s early in the season.
Fremantle by 1
Melbourne V Essendon Saturday night at the MCG
It’s not this previewer’s desire to return memories to the Boxing Day tsunami but it is worth mentioning that there will be a minutes silence at the start of this game to remember the tragic loss of Melbourne’s Broadbridge, a competent footballer as I recall. There were some 200,000 lost in that tragedy, that’s the total of the past 2 grand final attendances a sobering thought. Okay, the Sheedy magic is looking as old as Merlin and the armoured ability of the Essendon Galahad Hird is starting to get a bit of tarnish. The Bombers don’t seem to quite have it across the ground and their younger players still need to take that step up. Conversely, the Dees’ younger brigade took giant leaps forward last year and they almost reached the big one in 2004 so the Melbourne brains trust will be looking at a slightly better result this season. The loss of Lloyd for the Bombers is a big one. Should be a great game to open the season at football’s headquarters and the added personal incentive for the Melbourne players will see them across the line in a convincing win.
Melbourne by 42
Sydney Swans V Hawthorn Sunday arvo at the SCG
The Swans performed amazing feats last year and have retaind their talent to ensure they make a mark on the season again in 2005. Goodes seems fitter and uninjured and the Swans still have a great spearhead in Big Bad Barry the club’s B&F winner last season. Although the Hawks have rid themselves of some seriously untalented players they also lost some experience so Hawthorn supporters can expect little joy this year as the team rebuilds. Hard to say how Alastair Clarkson will go at Hawthorn but a new coach at a club always brings about significant change and for the Hawks this will be good. There is no expectation at Hawthorn this year unlike last season when it was mooted by Schwabb that they would win the flag. Not this year baby, and not next. Sydney looks far too strong and played at the SCG they should win this after half time.
Sydney by 29
Richmond V Geelong Sunday arvo at the MCG
Psychological warfare this early in the season between the coaches will only lead to tears. Ottens may have switched camps for more money and the hope of playing in a more successful team but blokes in glass coaches shouldn’t kick stab passes. Tezza’s words have rebounded already with history showing that he was not against similar moves in his life, even when he quit coaching the Dogs. Although the Tigers finished way down the ladder losing their last 14 games it will be interesting to see how they perform with Wallace at the helm. Still a hard ask for them against the Cats who will welcome a fit King back into the team to say nothing of the advantage they have with Ottens as another good, big man. If Geelong can hold Richo (and Richo can hold his tongue and manners in check) they should overcome the Tigers. Wallace has covered himeslef by saying it’s a 5 year plan and folks, we’re in year one.
Geelong by 54
Adelaide V West Coast Eagles - Sunday arvo at AAMI Stadium
Watching the Eagles perform so well in pre-season was quite a surprise for their supporters as well who, starved for finals success, turned out in their thousands to see them over 4 weeks of Wizard Cup action. They do look cherry ripe with their basic skills already at mid season level. Adelaide on the other hand may still be in the rebuild stage with their aging midfield having to put themselves up against a mid field as good and younger. Gardiner in the forward line is a good move as long as the Eagles can afford to keep him there hoping Cox performs well in the ruck. Brownlow medallist Judd is looking pretty good as well and some of the younger guys have taken another step forward. A lot to like about West Coast. Don’t underestimate the Crows though. They still have some great talent and playing at home in front of that rabid supporter group is always worth a couple of extra goals. When was the last time West Coast won a game in Adelaide by the way? This is one of the harder games to pick.
West Coast Eagles by 19
Collingwood V Western Bulldogs Monday arvo at the MCG
Needless to say the Bullies can’t go any worse than last year. Their younger players were pretty well all blooded last season by necessity so that is a positive for Eades to build on. There’s that same sort of youth in the Collingwood side but you have to ask the question of the Pies: What’s so different in the team compared to 2002 and 2003? Lack of results some would say. Losing Josh Fraser is a real blow for the opening part of the season and the champ Buckley lacks match practice. This game is heading for a draw but one would hope (okay, I would hope) that Collingwood wil prevail in what should be a tight game. This is another toss of the coin so here’s the tip for tipsters. Most of you will pick the Bulldogs because you hate Collingwood. That will make the Doggies favourites so if you want to gain an early tipping point in the season, go Pies. (Works for me!)
Collingwood by 8
Good luck!
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