The Multicultural AFL Football TV and Radio Show – Round 22
The
Multicultural AFL Football TV and Radio Show – Round 22
By Fiv Antoniou 14/8/2019
Round 21
kicked off last Friday night from the Nation’s freezer, Canberra, with sub-zero
temperatures and for the first time in the AFL’s history it snowed during the game.
The most exciting thing was the snow falling on a poor performance by the
Giants. What was more exciting, was the TV image of kids eating ice-cream while
the snow was falling, but it didn’t bother Hawthorn as they demolished the
Giants by 56 points.
The rest of the games went the favourites’
way, except for the “under 11’s performance” by an Essendon side who could only
muster 2 goals in 111 minutes of footy and losing to the Bulldogs by 104 points.
Think that was bad - Take a look at North Melbourne’s embarrassing final score against
the Cats: 1-8-14 points. One word for the Bombers and Roos: Pathetic!
In other games, Collingwood won by 17 over the dismal Demons, Port
Adelaide almost doubled the Swans score, while the Brisbane Lions gained a much
needed percentage boost against the ‘wooden spooner’ Gold Coast Suns, to be on
top of the AFL Ladder.
True to my predictions last week, Sunday’s games were close. St. Kilda
just managed to beat Fremantle in the last 30 seconds of the game at Marvel
Stadium. Richmond defeated the Blues by 28 points in the wet, while West Coast
in Perth struggled to beat the Crows.
This means that a number of teams are still in the running for the
bottom 2 spots in the 8, so next week’s games are crucial for Essendon on 44
points with a seriously depleted percentage lying 7th on the ladder, Port
Adelaide 40 currently in 8th, but with an infinitely superior percentage than
the Bombers, Adelaide 40 in 9th, just a slim 1.5 percent behind the Power and the
Bulldogs 40 in 10th spot only 4.5
percent behind Adelaide.
This week a number of AFL players have called it quits, retiring from
the game, Hawthorn star and multi-premiership player, Jarryd Roughead, Fremantle’s 211cm giant ruckman, Aaron Sandilands, and the Sydney Swans former long-time captain, Jarrad
McVeigh. Great players for their clubs and they will be missed. On a sadder
note, VFL / AFL legend and Geelong champion, Indigenous trailblazer Graham 'Polly' Farmer passed away at the age of 84, after suffering from Alzheimer's for more than a decade.
The penultimate home and away AFL round for this year opens with what I
will call a benign footy game from the MCG where Melbourne face-off with the
Sydney Swans. This may be the Demons last chance to flex some muscle in an
almost write-off year. It will not be easy as the Swans play much better away
from home and will worry Melbourne from the start. The Swans have a few
prominent players and can negate the Demons through the centre so I am picking
the Swans to win by 16 points in an unspectacular Friday night farce!
Saturday at the MCG is shaping up to be a thriller when Carlton takes on
St.Kilda in the battle of the interim coaches Brett Ratten (Saints) and David
Teague (Blues), who was named as
Carlton’s permanent coach today. St.
Kilda showed real grit last week in defeating Fremantle at Marvel Stadium. They
also beat Carlton there in round 10 by 13 points. This time around the arena is
not the Saint’s home ground and they are taking on a resurgent Carlton (without
Liam Jones and Charlie Curnow) and although the Blues are coming off a loss,
they were applauded by the Tigers coach, Damien Hardwick last week as being the
toughest side Richmond played against in the last 8 weeks. Saints fans you are
in for a huge disappointment as the Blues “Do it for David” steamroll your team
on the expanse of the MCG. Carlton’s ruck and mid-field, Matt Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps,
Marc Murphy, Sam Walsh with Levi Casboult or Jacob Weitering negating Josh
Bruce and Jack Steven, it will turn ugly for the Saints - Blues to win by a
healthy margin. Oh…and there is another thing Sainters, informed sources say Brad
Scott may be your new coach for 2020!
Another big match is in store from the Gabba when Brisbane host the Geelong
Cats. Both teams coming off big wins last week at home. Brisbane is near impossible
to beat at their home ground. In a tight and fiercely contested game, I think
Brisbane have enough to carry them over the line and keep them on top of the
Ladder.
In Adelaide, the Crows take on the Magpies. Both sides need a win. A loss
for either of them could mean disaster for their finals aspirations. If
Collingwood loses they can say goodbye to their double chance top 4 hopes and
if Adelaide loses they will not make the 8. It is as simple as that!
Collingwood is not going to fold easily and will win this one over a determined
Adelaide side. Port Adelaide, however, travels to Marvel Stadium to confront
North Melbourne. The Roos had the steam sucked out of them last week by the Cats.
I don’t think they have recovered enough to take on the Power, who are gunning
for a position in the 8 if they win well. Port Adelaide in a tough one over the
Roos.
Fremantle and Essendon from Optus Stadium in Perth will be a one-sided affair.
The Bombers have a lot of injuries and have been fielding a ‘B’ side for the last
few weeks. Their morale is low and the thrashing they received last week at the
hands of the Bulldogs will be hard to get over. Fremantle have a mathematical chance
at the 8 and will also want to give retiring Aaron Sandilands a big farewell by
belting the Bombers out of the park.
Sunday brings the AFL audience the first real test of potential
premiership sides Richmond and West Coast Eagles from the MCG. A big crowd is
expected from the Tiger faithful and many travelling from the wild wild West. I
would have to say that Richmond has come out of their mid-year slump with lots of
focus. They are the in-form top 4 team right now and will go into this game
with no option but to win and consolidate their position in the top 4. The
Eagles are also playing good footy, but not capitalising at home to thoroughly
destroy the Crows last week was not a good sign - Richmond at home to beat the Eagles.
The GWS Giants at home have a mammoth task in front of them on Sunday
when they take on the Bulldogs. After the Doggies demolition of the Bombers last
week, and the woeful performance of the Giants in the snow, clarity must
prevail. The Bulldogs have the momentum, the desire and a final 8 finish to let
this one go too easy. The Bulldogs to win!
Last game of the round comes from Marvel Stadium where Hawthorn host the
hapless Gold Coast Suns. What is there to say? This will be a gift victory to
Hawthorn and a great farewell to their retiring star Jarryd Roughead.
Catch you next week
for the final home and away round of 2019.
Round 22, I am picking: Sydney, Carlton, Brisbane, Collingwood, Port Adelaide,
Fremantle, Richmond, Western Bulldogs & Hawthorn (Progressive tip score: 121)
Leading AFL tipster(s) from the AGE have 115 and from Foxtel 111.
To listen or download our regular weekly
podcast, visit the NEMBC website, or NEMBC Soundcloud. The Multicultural AFL Footy Show is also
available in English all around Australia on the Community Radio
Network. The AFL News podcasts are
available in Arabic, Sudanese-Dinka, Hindi, Greek, Italian, Mandarin and
Spanish languages. You can view the Multicultural AFL Football TV Show on C31
Melbourne and Geelong on Thursdays at 7:30 pm, C44 Adelaide Friday 6:00 pm, on
Aurora–Foxtel at 11:30 am Saturdays and on YouTube.
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