As always leading into a grand final there’s a bit of drama around who will play this year we have Stevie J and his knee can the superstar prove his fitness in time and with Collingwood can the all Australian canter half back Ben Reid and big ruckman Darren Jolly do enough to take part in the big one we will know the answer come Saturday afternoon and I say bring it on.

James Bartel has fast become a favourite for this years Norm Smith which has almost had more bets on it than the actual result

2011 Grand Final Geelong vs. Collingwood
Geelong 1-39 points @$2.40

Who would have thought that the Cats would go into this year’s Grand Final as favourites. Well that’s exactly what’s happened and in my opinion its justified. The Cats are in a lot better form than the reigning premier after a great win against Hawthorn in the qualifying final and then having a week off easily beat a rundown West Coast outfit to make it into their 4^th Grand Final in 5 years.

While Collingwood just did enough in their respective qualifying final against West Coast which earned them a week off also then in the Prelim against Hawthorn the pies were dead and buried until they last quarter when the Hawks ran out of legs and the Pies due to a Luke Ball goal landed in their 3^rd Grand Final in 2 years, but at what cost? The Pies Hawks clash was a tough and brutal affair which left the Pies wounded. While the Cats with all due respect to West Coast had a training drill in their Prelim final. But in all honesty in a Grand Final anything can happen which was proven last year when we had a draw.

I think the Cats will win because of their lead up into the Grand Final. Geelong has looked awesome in their finals campaign so far and knows what it takes to win it all and that’s what they will do. Chris Scott has handled the pressure beautify and will make a bit of history on Saturday winning a flag in his rookie year as coach. While Mick Malthouse won’t get the ending he deserves but he will still go down as one of the best coaches our game has ever seen. Cats in a close one.

Jimmy Bartel to win the Norm Smith Medal @$9.00

It was a little hard to pick against the current Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan but as I think Geelong will win I thought I would go for their Brownlow Medallist in Jimmy Bartel. We all know that Bartel is a class act and can perform in big games so he seems like a pretty good choice. I must admit that picking the Norm Smith Medallist can be pretty hard and that sometime my pick and the umpires pick has been a little different but hey anything can happen.

If the big J Pod kicks a bag he’s a chance of winning as is Cloke if he does the same.  With rain forecast for the match this swings the hammer in Bartels favour.  Jimmy is just as good in the wet as he is when it’s dry. If I was to choose a roughie it would have to be Andrew Krakouer who is an amazing $41 to win the medal. Krakouer is an amazing talent who with his silky skills can turn it on in the wet and is more than capable of kicking multiple goals.

I hope everyone out there in football land enjoys the game and that you back a winner. Also I would like to thank everyone who has read these articles throughout the year, thanks for your support and feedback.

Nic Naitanui has had a good final series so far & can he lift again to continue the fairy tale story of the season from Wooden Spoon to a Grand Final for the West Coast Eagles?

Collingwood vs. Hawthorn
Collingwood 1-39 points @$2.20

What a game this is shaping up to be with the Hawks finding some form after defeating a gallant Sydney last week in the Semi finals and Collingwood nice and Fresh after a week off.

The week off couldn’t have come at a better time for the reigning premier as they just did enough in the qualifying final against West Coast and looked a little out of sorts. The week off would have given Collingwood time to refocus and get their stuff together for this massive game. And with Daisy Thomas and Ben Reid back will definitely help the pies cause for making consecutive grand final appearances.

The Hawks have done things the hard way after losing to Geelong in their qualifying final 2 weeks ago. But after a win last week against the Swannies Hawthorn is only one game away from the biggest game of the year. The Hawks go into Friday night’s game unchanged with Buddy Franklin recovering well after his brilliant 4 goals last week with a dodgy knee and spending sometime in hospital this week with a stomach bug. The preparation leading into the prelim final for Hawthorn hasn’t been ideal but neither had the Hawks season. Hawthorn has thru out the season suffered injuries to key players but has always found a way to win, which is what good teams do. Can the Hawks win Friday night, of course they can, will they win I don’t think so.

Collingwood are that good and can go up a gear whenever they need to. I’m thinking this will be close but when push comes to shove the Pies will do what they do best and that’s win.

Geelong vs. West Coast
Geelong 1-39 points @$2.20

At the start of the season who would have thought that the West Coast Eagles would be one game away from a grand final. Well that exactly what’s happened.

The Eagles turnaround has been terrific I doubt anyone out there in the football world would have had the Eagles in the top 8 let alone the top 4. But unfortunately for the West Coast I can’t see their fairy tail season continuing. After last week’s semi final win against Carlton which was one of the best games of footy that you will ever see, I think the Cats will be too strong. Last week’s game for the Eagles would have physically taken its toll because it was the good old fashioned tough, one on one footy that we all love. Even though the Eagles are named unchanged it wouldn’t surprise me to see a late change or two.

Geelong would have been watching last week’s semi final with a smile after seeing how sore all the players were after the game. Geelong preparation has been perfect, a great win against Hawthorn in the qualifying final a week of last week and now playing an interstate team at the MCG for a change to play in another grand final. Geelong are set and ready to go and even though I believe this game will also be close but when the game is there to be won players like Stevie J, Paul Chapman, Joel Selwood and Jimmy Bartel will stand up and lead their team to victory.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Friday 23/9/11

Ross Lyon and Fremantle dropped a bombshell last night when the news broke that Lyon would leave the Saints to become the new coach of the Dockers, Fremantle in what was equally as shocking sacked their coach Mark Harvey to make way for Lyon. It just goes to show that you really can’t trust anyone anymore in today’s football. Both coaches had a year to run on their contracts and as far as the Saints were concerned were very close to resigning Ross Lyon for a further 3 years.

Nic Naitanui looks to be the difference in the clash over in WA. His great final against Collingwood has lead to claims that he will be the best player in the AFL in 2-3 years

But as we all know money talks and leaving a club for money doesn’t end with the players, coaches and officials are also subject to that. Spare a thought for former Fremantle coach Mark Harvey who in my opinion has done a good job at Freo, and was harshly treated by the club.

Hawthorn vs. Sydney
Sydney 1-39 points @$3.30

Now let’s get down to business. I’ve tipped the Hawks to win the flag but after what happened last week, I’ve done a 360.

Hawthorn was out matched and outplayed last week against Geelong. And with superstar Buddy Franklin injuring his knee during the last term just added a bit of salt to the wound. Can Hawthorn win without Buddy of course they can, will they win tonight I don’t think so.

Sydney was very good last week in the do or die clash against the Saints. Lead by skipper Adam Goodes who is an absolute champion of the game and joins the 300 club will lead his team to victory once again. Both teams have finals experience which makes this game more interesting, Sydney’s recent poor form at the MCG is a concern but records are meant to be broken. With the pressure on the Hawks I think the Swans will get a win for their captain in game 300.

West Coast vs. Carlton
West Coast 1-39 points @$2.20

This game is set to be a blockbuster. Who is under more pressure, is it West Coast to avoid going out in straight sets or is it Carlton can they win a final on the road?

You gotta love games like this. Both teams have great midfields and love to run and carry the ball and play free flowing footy. The difference between the clubs is the forward line. The Eagles have more scoring power that the Blues. With a forward line that boasts Josh Kennedy, Quinten Lynch, Mark LeCras and Jack Darling is always hard to stop. Not to mention the X factor Nic Naitanui this man is a freak and can do things on the football field that no one else can, not only is he a man mountain he’s fast, agile and boy can he jump I don’t think Carlton have a match up for Nic Nat.

The fact the game is in Perth is a slight advantage for West Coast but its finals footy so anything can happen. I’m really looking forward to this game and to see West Coast advance and continue their remarkable season.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Friday 16-9-11

I am tipping an upset and expect to see Watson and his team bundle out Judd and Carlton out of the finals in the first week for the third year in a row.

Heroes are made and legends are born in September, who will step up this year to live out their destiny, will it be Joel Selwood from Geelong, can Buddy lead the Hawks to the promised land once again like he did on 08, can Scott Pendlebury weave his magic for the reigning premiers or can Dean Cox and West Coast do the unthinkable and win it all after being the worse team in the competition just last year, how will St. Kilda and Nick Riewoldt respond after last year’s grand finals misery, can Adam Goodes lead his team from Sydney to another premiership, how will Chris Judd and Carlton respond to the pressure of never winning a final under coach Brett Ratten and finally how will Jobe Watson and the Bombers handle the added pressure of finals football all will be reviled this weekend and I can’t wait to see it!

Geelong vs. Hawthorn
Hawthorn 1-39 points @$2.75

This game is set to be an absolute blockbuster and the game I’m most looking forward to seeing.  The Cats will no doubt be full of confidence after surprisingly thrashing Collingwood by 96 points last week.  The way Geelong moved the ball from defence to attack was simply awesome to watch, but it was quite clear that as soon as the game was out of reach, Collingwood throwed in the towel.

Hawthorn will go into this game with all their superstars fresh after being rested last week.  Even though the Hawks haven’t beaten Geelong since the 08 grand final I believe they are due to beat them and Friday will be the night. I have tipped Hawthorn to win it all, so to do that they must beat Geelong this Friday night.

Collingwood vs. West Coast
Collingwood 1-39 points @$2.25

This game has a lot of potential of being very interesting. Collingwood will go in as favourites as they should and I do think they will win but I wouldn’t completely write off West Coast.

The Eagles have been the surprise packet of season 2011. After receiving the wooden spoon last year and now to be competing in a qualifying final is amazing and a credit to John Worsfold and his men.  The Eagles have finals experience with veteran players Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Andrew Embly and skipper Darren Glass but in saying that Collingwood have to respond after last week’s embarrassing loss.

The Pies are too good to lose two weeks in a row especially to an interstate team.  I’m expecting this to be another close game with the reigning premier getting the win.

St. Kilda vs. Sydney
St. Kilda 1-39 points @$2.05

Well to be honest I’m tipping the Saints because this game is being played in Melbourne. If this game was in Sydney I would be picking the Swans.  These teams are very evenly matched and have had similar form thru out the year.  This game will also be close and whoever wins the most clearances will win the game.  When push comes to shove I think that the experience that St.Kilda have will be the difference.  Also I think that the Saints with Stevie Milne in red hot form will be able to do enough to kick a winning score where as the Swans will be to reliant on their Super star Adam Goodes.

Carlton vs. Essendon
Essendon 1-39 points @$3.60

The traditional rivals are set to square of once again in September.  And this time I’m tipping the Bombers to cause the biggest upset of the round and send Brett Ratten and Carlton out of the finals.

Carlton will be under extreme pressure and expectation to win a final, something they haven’t done under their current coach. While the Bombers weren’t really expected to make finals in James Hirds first year as coach. The Dons will be fresh after a bye in round 24 and will welcome back the veteran fullback Dusty Fletcher and classy on baller Heath Hocking.  Carlton will be without ruckman Matthew Kreuzer who injured his foot during the Blues round 24 loss to the Saints. Carlton have the talent to be a top 4 team, but this year they failed to do that and that could cost them because they face a Bombers team ready and rearing to go to test themself on the biggest of stages.

"3 Votes C Judd" - This is almost a certainity but I have my money on him to bring home the Charlie yet again...

The top 4 is set with Collingwood finishing top, Geelong 2nd, the Hawks in 3rd, West Coast will finish 4th which is an amazing effort, Carlton will be 5th which is some sort of a disappointment considering where they were during the season, now Sydney and St. Kilda will finish either 6th or 7th that will be determined after their respective games this week and in another surprise Essendon will play finals footy in James Hirds first year as coach. We all know that Collingwood are the hot favourites to win back to back flags but as we have seen in the past anything can happen on that last Saturday in September, or the first Saturday in October as we will have this year!

Hawthorn to win the flag @$5.00

With the top and bottom 8 pretty much all stitched up I thought this week id do things a little bit different this week with my bet tips. As I said in the opening, Collingwood are hot favourites to win the flag with odds of $1.77 which is deservedly so considering the reigning premier has only lost one game in their title defence but when I see Hawthorn sitting pretty in 3rd position I really think they can repeat their 2008 heroics and win it all. The reasons why you ask, I shall tell you. The Hawks only a couple of years ago won the premiership and a lot of the players who played in that game are still running around in a Hawthorn Guernsey today. Finals experience is massive and the Hawks certainly have that.

To win it all you also need your superstar players to stand up and be accounted for and the Hawks definitely have that. Buddy Franklin is an absolute freak of the game and is set to win his second Coleman medal this year kicking 71 goals. Buddys partner in crime Cyril Rioli is no slouch either the little master has kicked 26 goals this year and most definitely has a touch of silk about the way he goes about his business. Factor in the midfield of 08 premiership Captain and ball magnet Sam Mitchell, Brad Swell, Chance Bateman, Shaun Burgoyne who has been to the big dance and won with Port Adelaide in 04 and the 08 North Smith Medallist and club captain Luke Hodge, the Hawks can match it with pies. Now there’s no hiding that Hawthorn defence is their weakest link in the chain.

With big Joshy Gibson pretty much the only key defender, but Hawthorn play so well as a team they can all work together and stop the opposition team from scoring. The Hawks are prime with the good mix of youth and experience and experience in the coach’s box. The flag is theirs for the taking.

Chris Judd for the Brownlow Medal @$1.66

Now you guys know I’m not a betting man but I’m pretty sure that these would be the shortest odds ever for a player to win the medal at footys night of nights. But you can’t doubt the fact that the Carlton superstar has had another stellar season.

The Blues captain is averaging 27.3 disposals, 2.9 marks, 6.8 clearances, 6.4 tackles in his 21 games this year which is just sensational. Juddy has kicked 13 goals also which is low but still a contribution to his team. Chris Judd is easily one of the best players of the modern era; he already has 2 Brownlow Medals to his name to prove that point. It’s pretty hard to make the argument why he won’t win, Judd ticks all the right boxes, he plays in the midfield, he stands out on the field, he rarely gets reported, he has polled well in the past and the umpires seem to have a bit of a man crush on the superstar.

Also with Judd playing for a winning team would seem to help his cause. It will be interesting to see how well Garry Ablett polls who in my opinion is the competition to Juddy. Ablett is averaging more disposals with 29.6 and had kicked more goals with 18 but has played 19 games to Judds 21. And as we all know the Gold Coast is sitting 2nd to bottom on the table as where Carlton is playing finals. Ablett has carried his team all year and has done a damn good job at it but with Judd playing 2 more games will probably be enough to secure the Medal for an astounding 3rd time.

Adam Goodes, Matthew Boyd and Judds team mate Marc Murphy are dark horses to win but with another great season under his belt, C Judd 3 votes will be something we hear a bit of on Brownlow Medal night.

Travis Cloke is a man mountain & my money is on him to kick the most goals for the round

West Coast and Carlton are in contention for the valued 4^th spot and a double chance. And we have three teams St. Kilda, Sydney and Essendon all equal with 10 wins. And just one game out of the top 8 is North Melbourne and Fremantle.  Who will have their chance at glory come September only time will tell, but one thing we do know is that the last two weeks of the regular season will be very interesting.

St. Kilda vs. North Melbourne
North Melbourne 1-39 points @$2.70

This game on Saturday night is defiantly the most important game of the round and probably the most important game for both clubs this season.  For North the situation is simple loose and kiss finals goodbye while the saints must win one of their last 2 games to make the finals.  The Kangaroos are full of confidence after a 98 point thrashing of the hopeless Dockers last week and must keep their momentum going if they want to keep their finals hopes alive. With players like Drew Petrie, Todd Goldstein and Andrew Swallow having career best seasons and with the gutsy skipper Boomer Harvey leading by example the Roos are a red hot chance of causing what some people would call an upset win against the Saints.

I said that the Kangas would be full of confidence I can’t say the same about the Saints. St. Kilda are at another cross roads this season, once again they have too many key players out of form, we all know how much of a gun Brendan Goddard is but he has been up and down all year, Nick Riewoldt has struggled with form and now with an injury cloud over his knee that was hurt in last week’s disappointing loss to the Swans.

I really think its North’s time to shine and stake their claim to play with the big boys in September, while the Saints year started off bad with all the off field dramas and it hasn’t gotten much better and things could potentially get a lot worse for Ross Lyons men if they miss the big dance.

Travis Cloke to be the leading goal kicker for the round @$6.00

We all know that Collingwood are September bound once again and will most probably be the minor premier and their opponent this week Fremantle, shouldn’t pose any threat for the magpies.

The Dockers have a had a horror year with injuries, and this week is no exception with their captain Matty Pavlich out along with Antoni Grover,  David Mundy, Hayden Ballantyne, Adam McPhee , Alex Silvagni and Jayden Pitt. That is a massive amount of outs. And this makes Clokes chances of kicking a lot of goals more likely. Travis Cloke is hard to stop on the best of days with a full strength back line. Luke McPharlin is a reliable defender but where is the help going to come from.

To stop Cloke kicking goals you have to stop the ball getting to him what makes this job harder for Freo is that their two main ball getters are you guessed it out injured.  The Dockers must win to stay in the finals hunt but when you are playing the best team going around it’s easier said than done. Collingwood should win and win well and Travis Cloke shouldn’t have any trouble adding to his 58 goals this season.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Thursday 25/8/11

Taylor Walker has been in blistering form since been allowed back to the senior side following Neil Craigs sacking.

Finals are just around the corner and I can’t believe there is only 3 games left of the regular season. Let’s hope I can keep up my good form and pick another 2 winners this week.

West Coast vs. Essendon
West Coast over 39 points @$2.60

As I mentioned in the opening, finals are just 3 games away and these two teams are destined to be taking part in September action. Where will these team finish on the other hand is still unknown. The Eagles could finish as high as 4th while the Bombers look likely to finish either 6th or 7th.

It has been a tremendous season for both clubs considering the situation they were in last year. West Coast reached the lowest of the lows by claiming the unwanted wooden spoon while the Bombers had their own on field struggles as well as off field dramas sacking Coach Matthew Nights during the season. It’s a testament to both clubs to be able to turn things around so quickly.

Now as we focus our attention to this Saturday afternoon I believe that on their home turf West Coast will be to strong. Not taking anything away from the Bombers but the Eagles have been very hard to beat at home this year. Throw in the fact that Essendon has key position players Tayte Pears and Michael Hurley out of action makes things a lot harder for the Dons. There is no shame losing to West Coast in Perth and I really think that Essendon will bounce back with the remaining 2 games before finals. But West Coast has more on the line with a top 4 spot up for grabs if they win and Carlton loose. The experience of big Dean Cox, Darren Glass and Andrew Embley will be enough to guide the Eagles to a big victory and a potential top 4 spot.

Gold Coast vs. Adelaide
Adelaide over 39 points @$2.15

Now as the finals are fast approaching these 2 teams are focusing on season 2012 with the chances of playing finals as likely as pigs are of flying. The Suns have been ok in their first AFL season considering the amount of young kids they have in their team week in and week out. The Crows on the other hand have been very disappointing and inconsistent and ultimately sacking long time coach Neil Craig. Things have looked very different for the Crows under caretaker coach Mark Bickley, who in my opinion will be the new coach in season 2012.

Bickley has made a few little changes and all of a sudden there is enthusiasm and confidence back in the playing group which in a young team is super important. Key forward Taylor ‘Tex’ Walker has kicked 11 goals in 3 games after being recalled by Bickley and against young opposition Walker should add to that tally this Saturday. The crows goal kicking has been given another boost with Kurt Tippet making his return from a hamstring injury.

We all have no doubt that in a few years time the Gold Coast will be one of if not the best team in the AFL but for the time being the young and inexperienced Suns will have to learn some tough football lessons which in the long run will make them a better unit. The crows should win and win well over in the Gold coast, the only bad thing about this game is that yours truly has a date with the golf course Saturday afternoon and won’t be able to see the game but hey there’s always the radio isn’t there.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Friday 19/8/11

Can Chris Judd lead his team to a win over an injury deplated Fremantle? Kick2Kick's expert tipster thinks so

Round 20 was good for a number of reasons one of those is that yours truly got both of his tips correct with Essendon beating the Swans by the narrowest of Margins after Adam Goodes missing a shot on goal after the siren and Port Adelaide were never going to be troubled as the lowest scoring team after kicking a record low 21 points for the game. Now let’s hope I can keep my momentum going into the all important round 22.

Lance Franklin to be the leading goal kicker for the round @ $3.00

As the race for the Coleman Medal heats up once again Hawthorn spearhead Lance Buddy Franklin is right up there in contention. Buddy is currently tied with Tigers ace jumpin Jack Riewoldt for the top prize both on 54 goals for season 2011. Buddy in my opinion should win the Coleman Medal for the second time in his much celebrated career and after round 21, Franklin should be the sole leader in the Coleman Medal race.

The Hawks this week face cellar dwellers Port Adelaide who is no doubt the worst team in the competition.  The power this week welcome back key defenders Alipate Carlie and Troy Chaplin but honestly I don’t see this stopping Buddy from  having a day out. The Hawks big man has proven time and time again that he is more that capable of kicking multiple goals on the game’s best defenders and when in form the man is a joy to watch.  As a key forward wouldn’t you love to get the ball kicked to you lace out from midfielders like Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, and Brad Sewell.  Buddy and the Hawks are getting ready for the big dance in September and will have no trouble despatching of Port Adelaide in the process, and with the form that the Power has been in this season a superstar forward like Buddy will be licking his lips in anticipation of the potential bag of goals that one could kick this Saturday afternoon.

Fremantle vs. Carlton

Carlton 1-39 points @ $2.15

As I mentioned earlier we are approaching the business end of the season, and this game in particular has a lot of implications for the finals and is a massive game for both clubs. Fremantle must win to keep their finals hopes alive and their opponent Carlton must win to keep their top 4 chances alive. You just have to love a game where so much is on the line.

And in a big game where there is so much on the line the cream will rise to the top, and there’s no better cream to have in your arsenal than Chris Judd.  We all know that Juddy is one of the best players in the business but when Carlton also have Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs  and the under rated Cade Simpson in their line up things don’t look good for the injury riddled Dockers. Carlton has a lot of experience playing in big games and this is another element that swings the pendulum in their direction. Fremantle are a couple of years away from being where Carlton is right now.  With the class and experience that the Blues have they should win this game. To make things even more interesting the Dockers most important player Aaron Sandilands makes his long awaited return from injury. Could these swing things in favour of Freo? Can Carlton win in Perth?  Which player will stand up when the game is there to be won? All these questions will be answered this Saturday afternoon. I’m tipping Carlton but I do think this will be a close game.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Friday 12/8/11

The Melbourne footy club on and off the field is in trouble.  How can a team in modern footy loose by 30 goals that’s incredible. And off the field the Dees need to start the long process of finding a new senior coach. Footy aside there is a much bigger issue that needs far more attention and that is the health of club president Jim Stynes.  I’ve heard on the news tonight that the Melbourne legend is back in hospital and in a wheelchair. We all know that Jim is fighter and that’s all hope he can continue his brave battle and continue to lead the club he loves. Our thoughts are with you Jim and your family, let’s hope the Dees respond this week and give something back to their president, who has given the club so much.

Essendon and Sydney do battle in a classic 8 point game were the result will have major ramifications on the final 8

Essendon vs. Sydney

Essendon 1-39 points @$2.55

Liam Jurrah is back into the Melbourne side on the back of his new book however I very much doubt it will make any difference as they come against Geelong down at the Cattery.

This Crows supporter will be happy to see Scott Burns return home to become the news Crows coach or the former dual premiership ruckman Shaun Rehn. Rehn does some media work in Adelaide and has footy smarts written all over him, I will admit he’s a bit of a roughie for the top job but has experience in coaching and has made it clear that he is interested in the job.

Now I’ve got all the Adelaide stuff out of the way, let’s talk about my tips. I was right in tipping the Hawks by over points; Hawthorn easily beat the Demons by 54 points. But I was wrong when it come to the Carlton Essendon game, I tipped the blues to win but not by a whopping 74 points. This round like I say every round people, keep your fingers crossed that I’ve got some winners for you.

Western Bulldogs vs. West Coast
West Coast 1-39 points @$2.30

The West Coast juggernought just keeps rolling on and when you look at their opponent for round 19 I can’t see it slowing down. West Coast has clearly been the surprise story this year. To be last year’s recipient of the wooden spoon and for now to be half a game out of 4^th spot is nothing less than phenomenal. Not to mention that the Eagles have only lost once in the last 8 rounds is insane.

The Doggies on the other hand aren’t travelling so well, losing their last 2 games against North Melbourne and last week going down to Sydney. At the start of the season a lot of footy ‘experts’ were tipping the Doggies to win the Premiership this season and now at round 19 face the very real prospect of missing the finals. These teams have had a complete turnaround in form since last year and now West Coast are a roughie to take the holy grail back to Perth and the Doggies might be looking for a new coach next year. WOW so much can change in 19 weeks of footy.

The key for West Coast is big Cox and Nick Nat these two man mountains have proven week in week out that if a team can have a ruckman who can also play forward you increase your chance of winning. Even though Nick Nat is being rested this week, the Eagles should be to strong against the Doggies who will be missing three of their star players in Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney, Lindsay Gilbee and Shaun Higgins.

Melbourne to be the lowest scoring team for the round @$5

I know these bet specials are hard to pick. But when you consider that Melbourne have to travel down the highway to play Geelong at sleepy hollow I think there is a fair chance that Melbourne wont trouble the scoreboard attendant at Skilled Stadium too often.

Geelong are doing what they have been doing over the last 5 years and that is win and win well and Melbourne are doing what they have done over the last 5 years and that is unfortunately for the Red and Blue supporters is loose. Now I know that is a bit harsh for Melbourne fans because quite frankly no one wins at Skilled Stadium anymore. The cats have won an incredible 26 games in a row at Skilled Stadium and for a Victorian team to still have a ‘home ground’ is big but to be so dominate at the home ground is more important. For example just say Brisbane had won 26 games in a row at the GABBA how intimidating would it be for opposition’s teams to make the trip up there and actually win. Geelong is doing what has to be done when playing on their own soil.

To make matters worse for Melbourne the Cats have their skipper Cameron Ling, Stevie J, Cam Mooney and big Brad Ottens coming back into the line up. This could possibly be a long afternoon at the footy for Demons fans an all too familiar situation for non Geelong fans at Skilled Stadium.

Odds taken from sportsbet.com.au Thursday 28/7/11