C
CyberKev
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The midway mark of the AFL season brings with it the "traditional" Queens Birthday matches. Most of the games look fairly straightforward, but looks are all too often deceiving at this level...
<table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td align=left bgcolor=#f7f0de colspan=2><span>FRIDAY JUNE 6</span></td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Kangaroosvs Richmond </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Telstra Dome<span>7:40 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
The Tigers will be desperately craving a win here so that they can get their fragile top four hopes back online. They're a better side than the Kangaroos, but then again, so are almost everyone. Laidley's boys remain in the eight and will be equally as keen to get up here in order to preserve this scenario. I expect the Tigers to win as I feel they have the edge in talent and can match the Kangaroos for workrate. Much interest will centre on how big Ottens performs in his first game back for the season, and there's also the little side matter of Jason McCartney's Roo return in the number 88 (for those Aussies who died in Bali) jumper. Expect the Kangaroos to break early, but to eventually be ground out of the game by the defensive steel of the ultra-honest Tigers. Tigers by 25 pts</td></tr> <tr> <td align=left bgcolor=#f7f0de colspan=2><span>SATURDAY JUNE 7</span></td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Hawthornvs Adelaide </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Melbourne Cricket Ground<span>2:10 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
Its getting harder and harder to find positives for the Hawks. Another week of reshuffling the deck chairs for a another game that is certain to end in ignominous defeat! Adelaide will welcome back Carey who will provide a boost up forward and despite the Crows not looking particularly flash of late, will waltz comfortably through this game on the back of a massive disparity in centre breaks. The Hawks will be happy to be playing at home, but they might as well be playing on the deck of an oilrig in the Aegean Sea because they are all washed-up with no place to flow! I should think that the hawk players would have been excruciatingly embarrassed by Gary Ayres going public and imploring his team not to get complacent about playing the easybeats, but I've long ago decided that the Hawk players are beyond shaming. Crows by 45 pts</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>St Kildavs Brisbane Lions </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Telstra Dome<span>7:10 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
Abig test here for the talented and ever improving Saints squad, but I fear that they will again struggle against top quality opposition. While the Saints have played well against minnows and did upset the Crows, they have been soundly defeated whenever else they have had to front-up against top sides this season. With the Lions keen to preserve a healthy six-point buffer at the top of the table it is hard to see the young Saints holding them. It will be a good learning experience for the raw Saint midfielders to run with the classy Brisbane contingent, but you do feel that things could get ugly if the Lions come to town switched-on. Lions by 60 pts</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Sydneyvs Essendon </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Telstra Stadium<span>7:20 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
Essendon had a fine win last week, but I still reckon that they're bloody ordinary! Sydney also had a fine win against Richmond, but I fear that the Swans are a side playing above themselves. The Bombers are clingin-on in the finals race purely on the strength of its shrinking core group of quality, experienced, stars. It is probable that the club is facing several seasons out of the eight, but they may still sneak-in this year IF they can keep players like Hird & Lloyd on the paddock. I'm tempted to tip the Bombers, but I was impressed by Sydney's capacity to outmuscle the aggressive Tigers with a depleted side. Its been a bad week in the news for the club, but they are a keen lot on the field and they should be able to do just enough. Swans by 8 pts</td></tr> <tr> <td align=left bgcolor=#f7f0de colspan=2><span>SUNDAY JUNE 8</span></td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Port Adelaidevs Fremantle </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>AAMI Stadium<span>1:10 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
Never thought I'd be saying this about this fixture, but this game has to be the most exciting of the round. I like the look of the Dockers. They're following the same build plan as Hawthorn of a few years ago, but they've accrued a sounder midfield and haven't endured the horror injury run the Hawks did with their talls. Port are back on track after a dodgy start and appear certainties for a spot in the final four. I sense that the Power has grown a little from the massive disappointments of their disastrous 2001 & 2002 finals campaigns and are ready to get to the big one this year. The Dockers will not fare as well, but they can well and truly expect to make their long awaited finals debut. The extra experience and composure of the Power stars will make the difference on the day, but the Dockers are very much a team on the scream. Power by 26 pts</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Geelongvs Carlton </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Telstra Dome<span>2:10 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
Geelong has endured a tough season to date, but you can expect it to leapfrog both Hawthorn & Carlton on the ladder when it rolls the Blues here. Carlton are as ordinary as the Michael is Long, and while Pagan will eventually get the side back in the mix, it will most likely be at least 2-3 years away. The side can stay competitive with other sides for indefinite periods, but is almost invariably overran when the opposition puts the hammer down. Geelong would be encouraged by recent form and deserves to add another scalp to its tender belt. The team is doing exceedingly well for 90% of a match, but it does tend to get hit hard during the 10% lapses, as Adelaide showed last week. That being said, there is a fair gap in talent between the Crows and the Blues... Cats by 30 pts</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>West Coastvs Western Bulldogs </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Subiaco<span>3:40 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
The Eagles will be nicely fired-up after having suffered an unexpected loss to the Bombers last week. This is bad news indeed for the ever embattled Bulldogs, who seemed to have the Roos at their mercy last week before letting the game slip them by. The Bulldogs haven't been belted since the humiliating thumping they received from the Dockers, but I suspect that they're going to relive that nightmare here. The Dogs have been playing similar football to the Cats, but their 10% downtime during a game has been significantly worse. I said a few weeks ago that a continuing sequence of honourable defeats would eventually rebound to bite the Dogs hard and I suspect we're going to see this view fulfilled from this weekend. Eagles by 68 pts</td></tr> <tr> <td align=left bgcolor=#f7f0de colspan=2><span>MONDAY JUNE 9</span></td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Melbournevs Collingwood </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Melbourne Cricket Ground<span>2:10 PM AEST</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
You'll have to pardon me for stifling a yawn, but there's nothing to get enthused about with this game. Melbourne are mediocre and will not get within a cold cooee of the finals this season. Collingwood is hardly a super side itself, but it shouldn't have too many problems winning here and slipping back into the lower tiers of the eight. If Melbourne has a day out then they can beat the Pies, who can only reach a certain level and are ever susceptible to sides running hot. The problem is that while Collingwood may only be able to play so well, they almost always do play at this level and routinely expose sides for lack of intensity. Collingwood does ask a lot of hot & cold forwards Tarrant & Rocca and while both were well held last week, this is the p-weak Melbourne defence we are talking about here. Magpies by 27 pts CyberKev
<table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td align=left bgcolor=#f7f0de colspan=2><span>FRIDAY JUNE 6</span></td></tr> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td align=left><span>Kangaroosvs Richmond </span></td> <tr bgcolor=#f7f0de> <td colspan=2>Telstra Dome<span>7:40 PM AEST</span></td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>
You'll have to pardon me for stifling a yawn, but there's nothing to get enthused about with this game. Melbourne are mediocre and will not get within a cold cooee of the finals this season. Collingwood is hardly a super side itself, but it shouldn't have too many problems winning here and slipping back into the lower tiers of the eight. If Melbourne has a day out then they can beat the Pies, who can only reach a certain level and are ever susceptible to sides running hot. The problem is that while Collingwood may only be able to play so well, they almost always do play at this level and routinely expose sides for lack of intensity. Collingwood does ask a lot of hot & cold forwards Tarrant & Rocca and while both were well held last week, this is the p-weak Melbourne defence we are talking about here. Magpies by 27 pts CyberKev
