Just a quick post while I wait to board my flight to Tokyo, This is what I feel will happen to the AFL sides in the next 2 weeks. Won’t be updating this site in that time and will be very sparingly on twitter, but still feel free to praise/hurl abuse!!
Adelaide: Richmond at the G – tight loss, Tiges at home too good plus poor record at G / then BYE
Brisbane: Smashed by Freo in Perth, won’t be good enough / host Geelong, Cats to win but yet to really smash a side (GWS & GC only turned it on in final qtr)
Carlton: 5+goal loss to Hawks Friday night at Etihad, not good enough for long enough / then BYE
Collingwood: 100point win over Melbourne if they feel like it Monday / 5+goal win over Bulldogs, perhaps more depending if the Dogs show character / then BYE (they may be just inside the 8 but feel Pies will come better as the season goes on)
Essendon: Real tight game v GC next week, can go either way, slight lean for Bombers at home under the roof in perfect conditions / then BYE
Fremantle: Host Lions and should win by plenty / Host North and should also win comfortably, although Kangasto put up a bit more fight than Lions. Potential top 2/3 side?
Geelong: BYE / Fly up to Brisbane and should win, would really like to see them flex their muscles more over 4 qtrs, won’t hurt them against lower sides but against the top teams will need their best all game to keep winning
Gold Coast: Essendon first up at Etihad, real tight game, close loss I feel / then BYE. (Best side out of the 8 right now)
GWS: Host Port, can they beat them again at home? Unlikely but will get within 5 goals I feel / then BYE
Hawthorn: Should outclass Carlton next Friday night, 5goal win with relative ease / Host West Coast at Etihad, can’t see them losing this one, again, outclass the Eagles.
Melbourne: Not a chance against Pies tomorrow, a win for them would be scoring 12goals against them / then BYE / face St Kilda at the G, who also aren’t going great, a massive IF here. Should Neeld lose his job before the game I’d say have a small go at the Dees, playing for emotion etc because Saints are about as lifeless too. Otherwise, Saints by 5goals
North Melbourne: BYE / Desperately need to sort out their mental issues during the week off, can’t keep losing games by small margins especially when ahead. Heading to Perth, don’t think they have any hope against the Dockers but need to show fight for a whole game
Port Adelaide: Travel to Skoda to face GWS, should win but no more than 5goals / Host Sydney, saw what they did yesterday to the crows, expect the same. (Really would like to see them at their best again, exciting team when on a roll)
Richmond: Host Adelaide at the G, should win, need confidence / Play the Bulldogs at Etihad, a game they should win too by 5goals on talent alone. (Can’t rely solely on talent, will fade out of contention if they can’t be physically tough and mentally good when the crunch is on)
St Kilda: Host West Coast today, could cause an upset, but unlikely / then BYE / Play the Dees, like I said, if Neeld goes, could see a lift from Melb, but Saints should just win
Sydney: BYE / Back to Adelaide where they demolished the Crows yesterday so convincingly, now to face Port next and expecting much of the same plus add Tippett. Don’t expect much out of him the first game or 2 back.
West Coast: Face St Kilda today, should just win, but there’s enough doubt here to suggest it will be tight. Hopefully the conditions help their wayward kicking / then BYE / Back to Etihad to face the Hawks on a Friday night, don’t think they’ll even go close
Western Bulldogs: Face the Magpies at the G, as much as they have improved in recent weeks, they still aren’t good enough to win that / Play Richmond in another game I don’t expect them to win, but if it goes close near the end of the game, Richmond are fragile, not as much as North but still not brilliant.
Best of luck over the next fortnight, this split roungd period could make or break a few sides, already think the Crows can write off 2013, Sydney are the real deal, and finally some improvement from the Giants who knows they may yet snatch a win this season!
@mugpuntaus
Filed under: AFL, Preview
