Multicultural AFL Football Show - Round 21 - 8 August 2019
The Multicultural AFL Football TV and Radio Show –
Round 21
By Fiv Antoniou 7/8/2019
NEMBC Live
matchday broadcast this week in HINDI: Essendon v. Western Bulldogs from
Marvel Stadium, Saturday 7:15 pm EST on 3ZZZ Digital on-line.
Welcome to the business end of
the AFL season with finals coming up in less than a month. Last weekend’s
matches produced a three-way tie up the top and the Gold Coast Suns look likely to get the
wooden spoon. Any position in between is up for grabs in and out of the 8.
Port Adelaide at home host the Sydney Swans. The
Power annihilated the Essendon Bombers last week and will definitely carry that
confident attitude into the game especially in front of their home crowd.
Sydney always play better away from home and almost sneaked off with the points
against the Giants last outing. It’s going to be a tough battle but I feel that Port Adelaide have
a chance of breaking into the 8 and they will not let go, taking it up to the Swans
at every opportunity. The Power to prevail for their second victory in a row
and will hang on precariously to their eighth spot. In contrast, Brisbane play the Gold
Coast at the Gabba. Big opportunity for the Lions to stack their percentage
against the weakest opposition in the AFL. Nothing short of wanton destruction
will satisfy Brisbane and leapfrogging the other two at the top in the process
as well.
Round 20 kicked off last Friday night from Marvel Stadium with North Melbourne hammering the Hawks by 22 points ending their quest for a finals berth. Essendon, home at Marvel on Saturday went down dismally to Port Adelaide seriously affecting their position, with so many teams knocking on the door trying to get into the 8. The Sydney derby saw the Giants without their star forward Jeremy Cameron defeat Sydney by 2 points – It was another tight one for GWS who only won by a solitary point a week before but it’s keeping them in the mix for a top 4 spot.
A huge disappointment in the West, however, for the visiting Cats who lost by 34 points to a resurgent Fremantle. It will be interesting to see how the Cats are going to bounce back before the finals begin and if indeed they finish in the top 4.
In the other games, a rampaging Richmond defeated Melbourne by 33 points, Adelaide after an even game cruised past the Saints in the last quarter to win by 22 points, Collingwood flogged the cellar dweller Suns while the West Coast Eagles defeated an injury depleted Carlton by 4 goals and the Brisbane Lions continue to impress the footy world by claiming the scalp of the Western Bulldogs and joining the three way tie at the top of the AFL ladder.
So that brings
the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership season to the last three rounds of the home and
away competition. Round 21 which takes off on Friday evening from the Giants home
ground in Western Sydney taking on Hawthorn. The Giants have scraped home in
their last two games and look like they may have to win ugly again without the
services of Jeremy Cameron. I think that the wind has been taken out of
Hawthorn’s sails with last week’s defeat effectively eliminating their slim
hope of finals action in September. The Giants have to improve to stay up with
a chance at the top 4 and the hope of hosting a home final. Losing for the
Giants is not an option, not at home and not in front of their fans –GWS by 28
points!
The MCG
gets busy on Saturday with the traditional clash of rivals, Melbourne v.
Collingwood. Collingwood put in a good performance against Gold Coast last
week, but the Melbourne Demons are made of sterner stuff than the Suns and may
trouble the Magpies early in the game. I feel that Collingwood is at a place
where they will do anything to consolidate their position in the 8 and will
carve out a win at any cost even with Mason Cox out of the picture. Don’t write
the Magpies off yet!
All the way down the Princes Highway at Kardinia Park
or GMHBA Stadium, it’s still the Cattery, home of Geelong who take on North
Melbourne for the first time in years without brother Brad at the helm of the Roos!
The ‘Shinboners’ will stretch the Cats which aren’t playing their best footy these
days and it’s worrying the club as well as their supporters. Geelong must conjure
up a win to stay on top, it’s as simple as that, or they will slip away!
Meanwhile, at Marvel Stadium, Essendon come out to play the Western Bulldogs. This is a tough one to pick, but I will go with my gut feeling that not everything at Bomber land is well. Joe Daniher was seen talking to the Swans CEO, McDonald-Tipungwuti is yet to sign a new contract and with injuries to Orazio Fantasia, Matt Guelfi and Adam Saad, one has to wonder. The Bulldogs have more than a mathematical chance of making the 8 which will make the Dogs very dangerous to confront and although Essendon is in seventh place, a loss this week may find them dumped from the finals. The Bulldogs will be more desperate and have fitter players overall, more than enough to secure a much-needed victory.
Sunday’s 3 games may all be extremely close affairs, starting with the Saints
taking on the Dockers from Marvel Stadium. “Ratts” has St. Kilda percolating
and last week’s loss to the Crows was an
unfortunate glitch. Fremantle had to win against the Cats last week to keep
their slim finals hopes alive, but the effort has taken a lot out of the team
with injuries. The long trip to Marvel may not help their cause either -
St. Kilda to win this one for Brett Ratten!
Richmond and Carlton from the MCG will be a tough game all-round
for both sides. Last time these two
sides met in the first round, the Tigers were more than 44 points in front at
the end of the first quarter only for Carlton to come back at them and at one
stage almost draw level. The Blues are a different side now as they have taken
some important scalps lately and specialise in coming back from oblivion to win
matches. The Tigers have more to gain than the Blues this week, but if Richmond
leaves their A-Game at home, they will lose!
Over in Perth, the West Coast Eagles take on the Adelaide Crows which
have their own internal troubles with Josh Jenkins, but there is also something
not quite right with the Club. It may be close for at least two quarters of footy, but the Eagles’ talent
will put an end to Adelaide’s finals campaign.
Catch you next week with more comment and tips.
Round 21, I am
picking: Giants, Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Brisbane, Bulldogs, Geelong, St.
Kilda, Richmond and West Coast Eagles (Progressive tip score: 113) Leading
AFL tipster(s) from the AGE have 108 and from Foxtel 105.
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