Collingwood defeated Port Adelaide by 31 points
Collingwood’s Travis Cloke is looking like he is hitting some good form which is much needed as he holds the key to Collingwoods final chances.
Port Adelaide on the other hand, what has happened? Like we have mentioned before they are the most disappointing team and now you can add the worst coached team. At the end of the first and second quarters Port had the run of the game and were down about 10 points and with 2-3 minutes left, they wind the clock down 
Collingwoods run home: Sydney and Fremantle (away).
Adelaide defeated Essendon by 56 points
Adelaide has answered their goal kicking worries with some good games in Gill, Dangerfield and Moran etc. Goals win games, its amazing that Neil Craig and others forget this important detail. All of a sudden Adelaide are now a chance to scrap into the top four.
Essendon while have been flogged probably more this year than before with Sheedy as coach, I do prefer Knights as he has more ideas, a better game plan and more cut throat with his list unlike Sheedy who played favourites (Bradley, Johncock, Johnson x2 and Johns).
Adelaides run home: St Kilda (away) and Bulldogs.
Melbourne defeated West Coast by 34 points
In answer to our question last week, would West Coast tank, the answer is yes they tanked. While their forward line failed to function I do not think besides a quick good forward pocket (like Phil Matera) it needs much attention, they just need some pace and games into their young midfield (Voss will help hear).
Melbourne has a few stars in the making in Morton, Sylvia, Garland and Buckley which is the future of their club and if they pick up Watts (in the National Draft) to go alongside Newton, Wonaeamirri and Rivers they will have the forward line to build into a force.
Brisbane defeated Bulldogs by 11 points
Eade would be a worried man at the moment, while they have had a great season to end up 3rd they have struggled lately to stop key forwards having an impact, most experts (me included) has labbeled their forward line the problem, I am begining to see that their defense also needs attention. This is a worry as they will play Hawthorn and Geelong who have a star studded attack.
Brisbane would be happy with that win and not just because they are still in the race for the finals but the fact that Ryan Hooper kicked 3 goals and it was NOT just the twin B’s that kicked their goals. If you want to be successful in finals you need a spread of goal kickers (Why Carlton will not make the finals).
Bulldogs run home: Essendon and Adelaide (away).
Brisbanes run home: Carlton and Sydney (away).
Geelong defeated Sydney by 39 points
Geelong look good at the moment especially with a number of stars about to return and with Hawks and the Dogs struggling for form, I cannot seem to see who will challenge them? Kangaroos maybe?
Sydney are just making up the numbers, Goodes injury worries is not good. Although Sydney cannot afford to ‘bottom out’ for marketing reasons, they really need to as it will be the only way they can build again for another premiership.
Geelongs run home: Kangaroos and West Coast.
Sydneys run home: Collingwood (away) and Brisbane.
Richmond defeated Hawthorn by 29 points
Wow upset of the round with Richmond defeating Hawks, thing that gets me is that the Tigers can have good wins like this but then play poorly against Adelaide the week before. They need at fix this problem before they will be treated with any respect.
Wallace is right that they are a bit too Buddy focused but when you have kicked 90 odd goals in 20 games, I can understand why. Think their achilles heal is their defense, while goals win premierships you need a decent defense that can actually stop them especially when your forwards miss-fire.
Hawthorns run home: West Coast (away) and Carlton.
Kangaroos defeated Carlton by 51 points
According to news reports Kerr is looking likely to become a Blue, I would rather chase another forward to help Fevola as he cannot kick them alone to play finals. He had 6 goals but they continuously struggle to get anyone else to kick a bag. I rate Waite but he always seems to play loose in defense.
Kangaroos have now won 6 games in a row and now face Geelong in round 21. They were also one of the last three teams to defeat them. Fully deserve fourth spot and are still the most under rated team.
Kangaroos run home: Geelong (away) and Port.
St Kilda defeated Fremantle by 43 points
St Kilda hold onto 8th spot by four points over Brisbane and while Saints have had some good wins in the last month (Freo away and Hawthorn) they are still too inconsistent with losses against West Coast and Collingwood.
Kiwi born Campbell looks promising for Fremantle with 5 goals in two games. Maybe they should have saved a lot by playing him instead of waste of space Tarrent.
St Kildas run home: Adelaide and Essendon.
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
well didnt the eagles shock us all by winning a massive game last week, and then tanking big time against Melbourne??? how obvious is it that they are tanking now? i really hope they win the big wooden spoon now
i tell you if the AFL doesnt stand up and take some notice then teams will continue to get away with it.
Freo sux big time, kick them out of the AFL i say haha…or relocate them to west Sydney or even Tasmania seeing as they seem to have two game plans
Freo need to get rid of Pavlich, Port Adelaide need to get rid of Mark Williams, Wallace and Malthouse need to go and Akermanis needs to shut up and play some football instead of running his mouth.
the bulldogs have some big worries. not because of their lack of tall forwards, more their lack of hard work, team play, accuracy and form altogether. they need a good kick up the butt i say, but look out for Scotty West to make a return very soon
looking forward to it finally, maybe he can get them going.
Geelong back to back premiers this year unless the Dogs or Hawks can pull off a miracle, no one else will even come close.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Yes it does look very obvious that they tanked by beating the Bombers and then playing the way they did against Melbourne who aint world beaters at all. Melbourne does have a chance to rise above West Coast with possible wins against Port and Tigers but I doubt it as they would want the extra pick just as much as the Eagles do.
I did find it interesting that Williams (Ports coach) was discussing his next possible coaching job in Victoria while still contracted to coach Port next year
Bulldogs do seem to run out of puff at the moment and while West did pick up 27 odd possessions in a 130 odd point win, he looks to be carrying a few extra kilos.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Wow - you’re a tough man to please. We knock off the number two side in the competition, and you’re still getting stuck into us. The boys were very ordinary against Adelaide, but they deserve a bit of credit for bouncing back and outplaying the Hawks.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Yes they were very very good to knock off the Hawks who are indeed the 2nd best team in the competition but to play finals and be a genuine chance for a premiership you cannot afford to play yo-yo football. Why Freo will never win one and why until the Eagles won in Victoria they could not win one (2004 etc). You have to play consistent football away and home against top sides, sides around you and the lower sides.
I guess a good test would be how they go in their last two games…
btw thanks for your comments and look forward to more of them
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