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The final 8 could be finalised this weekend if both Essendon & West Coast can get over the line. It'll be curtains for either Hawthorn or the Kangaroos even if both of those sides lose and it would also appear that St Kilda has left its run too late...
FRIDAY AUGUST 15
Collingwood vs Adelaide
MCG 7:45 PM AEST
Collingwood can look forward to another finals series, but time is running out for the side to show that they actually deserve to be taking part. The recent fine form of Hawthorn & St Kilda has turned up the critical heat on the Pies who can only boast 2 wins against impending finalists to this point in the season. One win was a scrappy grind against Freo on a cold and windy MCG and the other was against the Crows in Adelaide in what was the luckiest and most undeserving win I've seen in three decades of watching the sport. I don't expect them to win this one though, as Adelaide have had a premiership look about them of late and have the class, structure and hunger to roll a Magpie unit reeling from a bad defeat to Brisbane last time around. If the Pies lose here they will almost certainly lose the last two as well, effectively falling into the eight by default. Some concerns have been raised about a flu epidemic sweeping the Crows, but I'll stick tight with them here ... Crows by 18 pts
SATURDAY AUGUST 16
Carlton vs St Kilda
Optus Oval 2:10 PM AEST
The Saints won't be playing finals football this year, but it will be fun on tap for the faithful this Saturday as the team will surely enjoy its second win at Carlton in 40 years. Denis Pagan has gone public in saying that the challenge of getting the Blues competitive again is beyond anything he could have imagined in his wildest (bad) dreams. They're certainly the worst side in the comp and will probably claim a second successive wooden spoon. Conversely, St Kilda is a team on the scream and should have many years of finals football to look forward to it with the talent inherent in its young squad. I never thought I'd live to see a time when St Kilda had Carlton for talent and manpower all over the park, but these are odd times in which we live... Saints by 45 pts
Geelong vs West Coast
Shell Stadium 2:10 PM AEST
The Eagles are struggling and will have to wait at least another week to make certain of a finals berth. Touched up by the Saints a fortnight ago and outclassed comfortably by Adelaide at home, Worsfold's men are doing it hard through injuries to key players and the realisation that the side lacks key position strength and hard ball get capacity. Geelong has come in for heavy criticism in some quarters, but it has generally played solid football and is doing the best it can with the young list at its disposal and lack of quality talls. The Cats will have a sniff of a bleeding foe and should have the confidence and workrate at home to give the visitors a third consecutive loss. Providing the young cat midfielders are willing to play tight at close quarters, this will be theirs for the taking... Cats by 20 pts
Kangaroos vs Hawthorn
Telstra Dome 7:10 PM AEST
Hawthorn was fab for most of the game against Sydney last week and would be delighted with the burgeoning form of many of their younger players. The return of key talls puts the polish on the Hawks, but the most prominent aspects of the team's resurgence have been the tendency to play the corridor, coupled with the huge number of scoring options opening up for the club. By way of contrast, the once proud Roos are very much a side on the slide. The team has won just two of its last 7 games to watch its finals hopes all but wash away and the Roo tragics are unlikely to take much joy from this game. It is true that the Kangas have enjoyed two strong wins against the Hawks in their last two outings, but this Hawk side closely resembles the one that thumped the blue & whites earlier last season. Too tall, too strong, too talented... Hawks by 46 pts
Port Adelaide vs Melbourne
AAMI Stadium 7:40 PM ACST
I was driving through Melbourne listening to this corresponding fixture earlier this season, and could scarcely believe the way in which the Demons were outplaying the Power. Of course, that awe would have nothing on what I'd be feeling were the embattled Demons to repeat the dose this weekend. The word down south is that the Power's recent injury setbacks are easing and with a win here likely to secure the club another minor premiership, its almost impossible to countenance it slipping up. This is one season that can't end quick enough for the Demons. The club is a disaster area, having started the season with dreams of a top four finish, but set to finish it in a bottom four place. The club has had some injury woes surrounding its defence, but many clubs have fared worse, and it appears that Melbourne has merely been found wanting with the overall quality of its list. Daniher will surely be looking enviously across the paddock come Saturday evening and drooling at the thought of having some of the opposition's "fringe" players at his disposal... Power by 38 pts
SUNDAY AUGUST 17
Brisbane vs Sydney
The Gabba 1:10 PM
I've often likened the Swans to the Eagles this year, suggesting that both sides are fatally flawed and cannot hope to succeed in the intense heat of the finals cauldron. These similarities will become even more apparent this week as the Swans will mirror the Eagles in slumping to a third successive loss. The Sydney team was outgunned by a rampant Hawthorn last week, and while a concerted third quarter burst helped to flatter them on the scoreboard, the team was well beaten when it mattered across the park. At times the defence looked all at sea and the usual Swan run was conspicuously absent as the Hawks dominated the hard ball and stoppages, squeezing their free running counterparts out of the contest. Brisbane was a lot more impressive in taking a solitary quarter to blow away Collingwood and is not far way from being back to its worrying best. Bad news indeed for the Swans, who lack the posie and depth of talent to beat a revitalised Brisbane in Brisbane... Lions by 40 pts
Essendon vs Richmond
Melbourne Cricket Ground 2:10 PM AEST
Its hard to conceive of the fact that this Tigers outfit, undermanned and all, rolled over the Bombers with ruthless ease earlier in the season, restricting the red & blacks to five miserly goals for the entire afternoon. The Tigers were riding high in second spot after that game, but have only managed to rack-up 2 wins from the 12 matches since. The Essendon game marked the latest in a seemingly endless succession of false dawns for the long suffering Tiger faithful, who would take precious little comfort from the likelihood of the next false dawn being some time away (given the weakness of the club's list). Essendon has been good in recent times and will be obsessed with wrapping-up a finals spot here. The Bomber resurgence is largely smoke and mirrors, a fleeting last hurrah from a dwindling and ageing list pumped to the max on desperation and raw emotion. Four points is four points regardless of whether you're faking it or the real deal and the Tigers could but dream of perpetrating such an exquisite ruse... Bombers by 42 pts
Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs
Subiaco 3:40 PM AWST
Part of me is delighted to see the Freo side about to take part in finals action for the first time, whilst part of me is fearful that we are seeing the first rousings of a monster. The mix of likely midfield types and tall, talented mobile key position players on offer for the Perth side is little short of mouth watering. Its the sort of arsenal that the embattled Bulldogs, trailling all the other sides, and coming off a smacking from Essendon could only ever dream about. That being said, the Hounds do have a good record in Perth and will want to restore credibility by toughing this one out. If they're lucky they may catch the Dockers asleep at the wheel having all but sewn up a finals berth last week, but the use of the words Bulldogs and luck in the same sentence is something of an oxymoron.... Dockers by 34 pts
CyberKev
FRIDAY AUGUST 15
Collingwood vs Adelaide
MCG 7:45 PM AEST
Collingwood can look forward to another finals series, but time is running out for the side to show that they actually deserve to be taking part. The recent fine form of Hawthorn & St Kilda has turned up the critical heat on the Pies who can only boast 2 wins against impending finalists to this point in the season. One win was a scrappy grind against Freo on a cold and windy MCG and the other was against the Crows in Adelaide in what was the luckiest and most undeserving win I've seen in three decades of watching the sport. I don't expect them to win this one though, as Adelaide have had a premiership look about them of late and have the class, structure and hunger to roll a Magpie unit reeling from a bad defeat to Brisbane last time around. If the Pies lose here they will almost certainly lose the last two as well, effectively falling into the eight by default. Some concerns have been raised about a flu epidemic sweeping the Crows, but I'll stick tight with them here ... Crows by 18 pts
SATURDAY AUGUST 16
Carlton vs St Kilda
Optus Oval 2:10 PM AEST
The Saints won't be playing finals football this year, but it will be fun on tap for the faithful this Saturday as the team will surely enjoy its second win at Carlton in 40 years. Denis Pagan has gone public in saying that the challenge of getting the Blues competitive again is beyond anything he could have imagined in his wildest (bad) dreams. They're certainly the worst side in the comp and will probably claim a second successive wooden spoon. Conversely, St Kilda is a team on the scream and should have many years of finals football to look forward to it with the talent inherent in its young squad. I never thought I'd live to see a time when St Kilda had Carlton for talent and manpower all over the park, but these are odd times in which we live... Saints by 45 pts
Geelong vs West Coast
Shell Stadium 2:10 PM AEST
The Eagles are struggling and will have to wait at least another week to make certain of a finals berth. Touched up by the Saints a fortnight ago and outclassed comfortably by Adelaide at home, Worsfold's men are doing it hard through injuries to key players and the realisation that the side lacks key position strength and hard ball get capacity. Geelong has come in for heavy criticism in some quarters, but it has generally played solid football and is doing the best it can with the young list at its disposal and lack of quality talls. The Cats will have a sniff of a bleeding foe and should have the confidence and workrate at home to give the visitors a third consecutive loss. Providing the young cat midfielders are willing to play tight at close quarters, this will be theirs for the taking... Cats by 20 pts
Kangaroos vs Hawthorn
Telstra Dome 7:10 PM AEST
Hawthorn was fab for most of the game against Sydney last week and would be delighted with the burgeoning form of many of their younger players. The return of key talls puts the polish on the Hawks, but the most prominent aspects of the team's resurgence have been the tendency to play the corridor, coupled with the huge number of scoring options opening up for the club. By way of contrast, the once proud Roos are very much a side on the slide. The team has won just two of its last 7 games to watch its finals hopes all but wash away and the Roo tragics are unlikely to take much joy from this game. It is true that the Kangas have enjoyed two strong wins against the Hawks in their last two outings, but this Hawk side closely resembles the one that thumped the blue & whites earlier last season. Too tall, too strong, too talented... Hawks by 46 pts
Port Adelaide vs Melbourne
AAMI Stadium 7:40 PM ACST
I was driving through Melbourne listening to this corresponding fixture earlier this season, and could scarcely believe the way in which the Demons were outplaying the Power. Of course, that awe would have nothing on what I'd be feeling were the embattled Demons to repeat the dose this weekend. The word down south is that the Power's recent injury setbacks are easing and with a win here likely to secure the club another minor premiership, its almost impossible to countenance it slipping up. This is one season that can't end quick enough for the Demons. The club is a disaster area, having started the season with dreams of a top four finish, but set to finish it in a bottom four place. The club has had some injury woes surrounding its defence, but many clubs have fared worse, and it appears that Melbourne has merely been found wanting with the overall quality of its list. Daniher will surely be looking enviously across the paddock come Saturday evening and drooling at the thought of having some of the opposition's "fringe" players at his disposal... Power by 38 pts
SUNDAY AUGUST 17
Brisbane vs Sydney
The Gabba 1:10 PM
I've often likened the Swans to the Eagles this year, suggesting that both sides are fatally flawed and cannot hope to succeed in the intense heat of the finals cauldron. These similarities will become even more apparent this week as the Swans will mirror the Eagles in slumping to a third successive loss. The Sydney team was outgunned by a rampant Hawthorn last week, and while a concerted third quarter burst helped to flatter them on the scoreboard, the team was well beaten when it mattered across the park. At times the defence looked all at sea and the usual Swan run was conspicuously absent as the Hawks dominated the hard ball and stoppages, squeezing their free running counterparts out of the contest. Brisbane was a lot more impressive in taking a solitary quarter to blow away Collingwood and is not far way from being back to its worrying best. Bad news indeed for the Swans, who lack the posie and depth of talent to beat a revitalised Brisbane in Brisbane... Lions by 40 pts
Essendon vs Richmond
Melbourne Cricket Ground 2:10 PM AEST
Its hard to conceive of the fact that this Tigers outfit, undermanned and all, rolled over the Bombers with ruthless ease earlier in the season, restricting the red & blacks to five miserly goals for the entire afternoon. The Tigers were riding high in second spot after that game, but have only managed to rack-up 2 wins from the 12 matches since. The Essendon game marked the latest in a seemingly endless succession of false dawns for the long suffering Tiger faithful, who would take precious little comfort from the likelihood of the next false dawn being some time away (given the weakness of the club's list). Essendon has been good in recent times and will be obsessed with wrapping-up a finals spot here. The Bomber resurgence is largely smoke and mirrors, a fleeting last hurrah from a dwindling and ageing list pumped to the max on desperation and raw emotion. Four points is four points regardless of whether you're faking it or the real deal and the Tigers could but dream of perpetrating such an exquisite ruse... Bombers by 42 pts
Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs
Subiaco 3:40 PM AWST
Part of me is delighted to see the Freo side about to take part in finals action for the first time, whilst part of me is fearful that we are seeing the first rousings of a monster. The mix of likely midfield types and tall, talented mobile key position players on offer for the Perth side is little short of mouth watering. Its the sort of arsenal that the embattled Bulldogs, trailling all the other sides, and coming off a smacking from Essendon could only ever dream about. That being said, the Hounds do have a good record in Perth and will want to restore credibility by toughing this one out. If they're lucky they may catch the Dockers asleep at the wheel having all but sewn up a finals berth last week, but the use of the words Bulldogs and luck in the same sentence is something of an oxymoron.... Dockers by 34 pts
CyberKev