Port Adelaide v Collingwood

Port Adelaide have now slumped to their 7th consecutive loss as their season continues to take a spiraling nosedive, after such a promising start.

And now they face 3rd placed Collingwood who pumped a dismal Eagles team last week to the tune of 83 points.

Chad Cornes is out due to suspension but in comes Travis Boak which is a handy inclusion for the Power.

Darren Jolly absolutely dominated in the ruck for the Pies last week, in their win in the west and managed to bob up with 4 goals.

The addition of a quality, specialist Ruckman has definitely made the Magpies a more well rounded team, after so many years of using a tall forward to fill that role.

Collingwood’s thrashing of West Coast last round highlighted the fact that they have many avenues at goal when everything comes together.

Port Adelaide on the other hand are struggling to have just one key forward kick multiples week in, week out.

The only thing that may aid Port chances is the fact the game is on their home turf, but the Pies have been traveling well this year so far.

Collingwood by 62 points

Geelong v Hawthorn

This is looming a huge game with the Hawks regaining form ( 7 wins in a row ) and are now a real contender for finals football action after a slow start to the season.

Last week they overcame the Bulldogs in a nail-biting 3 point victory and now Hawthorn are set to rekindle their recent rivalry with Geelong in what is match of the round.

Geelong did enough last week to beat a young Kangas team by a healthy 35 points, in what really was a game for some players like Paul Chapman (37 possessions) and James Podsiadly (5 goals) to find a bit of form, in the lead up to this game.

Hawthorn’s resurgence has been mainly due to some big names ( Hodge, Franklin, Mitchell and Rioli ) playing out of their skins with match winning performances.

It will be a bit of a blow to the Hawk’s engine room this week with an injury to  Sam Mitchell (hand), but Hawthorn should be able to push the Cats to the limits.

This game should see Geelong turn it up a gear, and although Hawthorn may challenge the depth in the Cat’s midfield will just be too much to handle.

Geelong by 21 points

West Coast v Adelaide

The writing is on the wall for some of the players and maybe the coaching staff ,after another very disappointing performance in an 83 point hiding dished out by Collingwood.

John Worsfold is left with no other option but to blood anything that moves down at West Coast just to see what depth of talent if any, that the Eagles may have after a few years of ordinary drafting.

Adelaide meanwhile have won 2 games in a row by very healthy margins and have now injected their season with renewed vigour and possibly a chance of playing some finals football.

Kurt Tippett (6 goals), Patrick Dangerfield (4 goals), Taylor Walker (3 goals) ran riot last week for the Crows against a defensively poor Bombers unit.

And the midfield for the Crows is starting to work again which has to make you wonder why Adelaide were playing so ordinary at the start of the season bar injuries.

At the moment these two teams could not be at more polar opposites in form recently.

Adelaide should easily account for the Eagles.

Adelaide by 24 points

Brisbane v St Kilda

Brisbane have now lost 4 in a row with their latest loss coming from the hands of the Carlton Blues by a whopping 55 points.

The Lions just had no answers up forward and will be glad to have at least one of their key forwards ( Brendan Fevola ) back in the team to tackle a rampaging St Kilda outfit.

The Saints last week did enough to overcome Melbourne by 35 points and now face the Lions with the huge inclusion of Nick Riewoldt, returning from a serious hamstring injury sustained earlier in the season.

Questions have to be asked for the Brisbane team just how good are their second tier players and whether their recruiting strategy of picking up some unwated AFL players was worth it.

In the meantime they face 2nd placed Saints who just look to get stronger every match and now have their most important player back to continue their mrach towards September.

St Kilda by 35 points

Richmond v Fremantle

The Tigers recent form of 3 wins in a row has been overshadowed this week by the ongoing saga that is Ben ‘the human headline’ Cousins, who controversy aside willed be missed this weekend as he has been in okay form for Richmond lately.

Fremantle have their own problems with a number of key players Grover (hamstring), Fyfe (concussion), Barlow (leg), Tarrant (achilles) out due to injury.

It is a big blow to the Docker’s final chances of Michael Barlow missing for the rest of the season with a broken leg after a nasty collision with a team mate in last week’s win over Port.

Barlow has gone from having the most remarkable 1st season in AFL history, to being the most important ball winner for the Dockers in their midfield.

Just who will step up and fill this huge void left by him is anyone’s guess, but Fremantle definitely need someone to fill the big shoes left by Barlow‘s absence.

This is certainly a game Richmond are capable of winning but you can’t look past the fact that the Dockers sit in 4th place on the ladder for a reason.

Fremantle by 18 points

Sydney v North Melbourne

Sydney have really dropped off the pace with consecutive losses after last round going down to Richmond by 4 points, and Collingwood the round before that.

Where the Swans really struggle is in attack with very few goal kicking options and Daniel Bradshaw continually battling to be injury free on a weekly basis.

Sydney still have one of the best defenses in the game but need to be able to kick big scores when it counts.

North Melbourne are nipping at the heels of the Swans just sitting outside the 8 and can be forgiven for going down to league leaders Geelong last week.

The inclusion of Drew Petrie should bolster their stocks up forward and Robbie Tarrant brother of Chris, is set to make his debut for the Roos.

This game could go either way but if the Kangaroos can’t put some attacking pressure on the Swans, it will easily suit the defensive grind out that Sydney thrive at.

Sydney by 22 points

Melbourne v Essendon

After showing a lot of promise both the Demons and Bombers are treading water at the bottom half of the AFL ladder.

Melbourne did put up a fight last week against the Saints but were simply outclassed in all areas and will go into this match desperate for a taste of victory after to coming oh so close a few rounds back with a draw.

Essendon had a game to forget last weekend being on the receiving end of a 84 point hiding by Adelaide, and the Bombers now have lost their last 4 matches.

Injuries/illness to Dustin Fletcher and Tayte Pears will further weaken the structure defensively for the Bombers in this clash.

Melbourne have some key players returning ( Johnson, Sylvia, Ball, Jurrah, Maric ) and will be looking to beat Essendon at their own game with a hard running style suited to the MCG.

Melbourne by 7 points

Carlton v Western Bulldogs

The Blues have bounced back from 2 losses in a row to thrash a depleted Brisbane side by 55 points, but still need to do a lot more convincing for us to believe they are genuine.

Likewise the Bulldogs who mirror Carlton’s inconsistency and had another disappointing game in their 3 point loss to Hawthorn.

When Carlton are on their talented midfield of Chris Judd (29 possessions), Marc Murphy (26) and Bryce Gibbs can tear you apart and it is usually accompanied by some forward brillance from an Eddie Betts and Chris Yarran.

But when things aren’t going their way the Blues don’t seem prepared to do the hard stuff and grind out a victory against the grain.

The Western Bulldogs can also manage to look a million dollars one week and second rate the next.

Barry Hall had a quiet game but also a lot of their mid-fielders wasted disposals when they needed to be a lot sharper.

You have to wonder with these two teams and their Jekyll and Hyde impersonations, just how much of their weaknesses are mental as opposed to physical.

Western Bulldogs by 16 points

Your Round 15 Tips & Observations

So what are your tips & observations for round 15 of the 2010 AFL season? Do you agree with Johnnytruent?

If yes or no please post your tips and observations about the round in the comments section.

We will keep a running tally of the tips throughout the year, so make sure you get your tips in on time & you never know there could be a prize for the winner.

If you have not added your tips yet that is ok, please feel free to add them and what your ongoing tally is.