Multicultural AFL Football TV & Radio Show - Round 5

Multicultural AFL TV Show
Presenters: Habir Singh Kang, Vanessa Gatica and Gabriel D'Angelo with Fiv Antoniou (Executive Producer)

The Multicultural AFL Football TV & Radio Show 

- Round 5

By Fiv Antoniou

17/04/2019

Round 4 produced some ludicrous results becoming another tipsters nightmare. However, yours truly is one tip up on the leading Age and Fox Footy tipsters, so I am at least faring better than the rest of the experts on 17!

There are six teams on the ladder with 3 wins each enjoying top position on points although separated by percentage. Geelong, GWS Giants, West Coast, Brisbane, St. Kilda and the Gold Coast Suns all share the lead, but one has that feeling that some of the lead contenders will drop out sooner or later. Speculating further, it is possible that Clubs on one win or no wins after 4 rounds still have a chance of making the eight at the end of the home and away season. The unpredictable trend this season will continue to bamboozle experts and supporters alike.

Last week’s many tight games that could have gone either way during the last 5 minutes of play were influenced by crucial umpire decisions of not awarding obvious frees and letting play continue in front of vociferous crowds. The AFL continues to back the interpretation of the rules by individual umpires when, in reality, the AFL should be looking at hard non-compromising free kick decisions based on the literal rules, even if it does disrupt the flow of play. The ‘prior opportunity’ interpretation is a lame duck and last weekend I observed too many incorrect disposal incidents that umpires simply just missed, or turned a blind eye to in pursuit of not interrupting the flow of play in ‘red time’.

The Easter round promises 5 consecutive days of Football commencing on Thursday night with the clash from the Gabba where the Brisbane Lions take on Collingwood. Statistics show that Brisbane this year has a great record at home including thrashing last year’s premiers just 4 weeks ago. The Magpies, on the other hand, have not travelled interstate yet this year and are an unknown quantity out of their home State. Brisbane looks set to make it 4 wins, but not without a titanic struggle - For the margin tragics, Lions by 24 points!

Good Friday features two games. North Melbourne take on Essendon at Marvel Stadium. This is going to be a tough game and there will be not much separating these two sides except for the fact that Essendon had an emphatic win against the Brisbane Lions last week and North Melbourne enjoyed a come-from-behind victory against the Crows. I am still not convinced that Essendon has the cattle to be consistent enough, so I am predicting the ‘Roos to prevail.

Saturday’s three games kicks off with the GWS Giants hosting Fremantle in Canberra. I don’t think that the Freo Dockers will upset the Giants on their alternate stomping ground in the nation’s capital. In the other game the Sydney Swans, who really can’t win a game at home but have great success on the road, will do enough to beat the injury-depleted Richmond Tigers at Marvel Stadium. In the big one from the MCG on Easter Saturday, Melbourne faces off against the in-form Saints. The style of play and tenacity of the Saints will take on a desperate Melbourne trying to consolidate from their first win last week. This is shaping up to be a blockbuster and there will be very little in it, but St. Kilda so far this year have won two incredibly hard fought close games and lost a close thriller in Perth. The Sainters have turned the corner for now and look more likely to defeat the Melbourne Demons than not.

On Sunday from Marvel, the Western Bulldogs go head to head with Carlton. Both sides suffered defeats last week and both went down by narrow margins. It's anyone’s game as there is no consistent form to any team except that Carlton has the dubious form of  4 losses in a row so far this year. However, the Blues are just about to get Kreuzer, Fasolo, Kennedy, and Phillips back into the side. On paper, the Blues may look ordinary but statistically, they have a better percentage than teams just above them on the ladder. Carlton has a lot to prove and will just about scratch out a win.

The Adelaide Crows at home will put an end to the Gold Coast Suns incredible run of three wins from the tightest of finishes and a very narrow loss. The Crows in front of a home crowd are always 3 or 4 goals better than their form suggests and I expect  no different this time around from Adelaide  Oval.

Easter Monday’s fixture between the Hawks and the Cats from the MCG would have packed the Stadium four years ago. Nowadays the AFL would be happy if they got a crowd of 50,000 through the turnstiles. The Cats are on the rise and the Hawks are on a rapid descent. Geelong will be out to bounce back from their 4 point defeat last week and will win comfortably, but you never know. The historic rivalry between these two sides may just make this game memorable too.

Well that’s it from me this week. Wishing all our NEMBC members and readers, Happy Easter holidays, drive safe and enjoy the footy – see you next week!

Round 5: I am picking: Brisbane, North Melbourne, West Coast Eagles, GWS Giants, St. Kilda, Sydney, Adelaide, Carlton and Geelong. (Progressive tip score: 17)

To listen or download visit the NEMBC website, or on NEMBC Soundcloud. The Multicultural AFL Footy Show is also available in English all around Australia on the Community Radio Network. The AFL News is available in Arabic, Dinka, Hindi, Greek, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish languages. You can view the Multicultural AFL Football TV Show -C31 Melbourne & Geelong on Thursdays at 7:30 pm, C44 Adelaide Friday 6:00 pm, on Aurora–Foxtel at 11:30 am Saturdays and on YouTube. For all enquiries please email: operations@nembc.org.au