The Multicultural AFL Football TV and Radio Show – Round 23
L-R: Vanessa Gatica, Akec Makur Chuot, Habir Singh Kang & Gabriel D'Angelo
The
Multicultural AFL Football TV and Radio Show – Round 23
By Fiv
Antoniou
21/8/2019
Round 22 kicked off last Friday night from the MCG with another dismal Demon display - well done to the young Swans taking the win. Carlton beat the Saints by 10 points in David Teague’s first game as permanent coach of the Blues. Brisbane is on top of the ladder, one game clear, after their come from behind one-point victory over the Cats. The Magpies are definitely on the way back after thrashing Adelaide, while North Melbourne destroyed the Power. In the other games, Fremantle at home lost their chance for the eight to Essendon. The Bulldogs decimated the Giants big time and the Hawks had a nice walk in the park at the Suns’ expense.
What I thought was a game worthy of a Grand Final preview was the
Richmond v. West Coast Eagles match from the MCG on a wet Sunday afternoon.
Somewhere in the early part of the second quarter the Tigers were about 5 goals
down, but somehow came back to win by a goal. A super effort and one that has
rung the bells of several finals contenders that the Tigers are a genuine chance for the flag and will not go away.
In other news
the AFL retirees list just keeps getting longer and longer. Last week Hawthorn
star and multi-premiership player, Jarryd Roughead, Fremantle’s giant ruckman
Aaron Sandilands and the Sydney Swans former captain, Jarrad McVeigh all announced their retirement from AFL Footy. Carlton and Collingwood
great “Daisy” Thomas, Brett Deledio Richmond and the Giants, Michael
Rischitelli the Lions and Suns, Jordan Lewis from Hawthorn and Melbourne,
David Myers, Essendon, and Kieren Jack
from the Swans also retired - Even before I finished this paragraph another coach
hit the dust, Ross Lyon just got the sack as coach of Fremantle. How pathetic
of the Dockers Footy Club, they couldn’t hold their nerve until the end of the
season!
Anyway onwards
to the very last home and away round of the 2019 AFL Premiership season which
gets underway on Friday night from the MCG where the Magpies play the Bombers,
in a game where winning means a lot to both sides. Collingwood has drifted past the
bad times and is now coming back with a vengeance. Over the last three weeks,
Essendon has been erratic, losing badly and winning ugly, so I don’t make much
of that except to say that the Bombers are not quite right and I don’t think
they are ready for the finals. Collingwood by 48 points.Saturday, it’s
Sydney playing St Kilda at the SCG. Sydney at their home ground do not play as well
as they do away. How much either side values the victory will determine the ultimate winner. Being the very last game of the year I am going for St.
Kilda because of Brett Ratten, their coach. If they want him to stay, the
Saints will have to win this one.
North
Melbourne face off against the Demons in Hobart. After last week’s sterling performance
by Ben Brown kicking a bag of 10, I think he will be up to kicking a few more goals
this week for North and taking home his Coleman Medal. Every Roos player will
be looking for Ben in the forward line, giving him ample opportunity to win the
AFL’s goal scoring competition.
The Cats host Carlton at Geelong this
weekend. Normally with so much at stake and with a top 4 position up for grabs,
it would be easy to pick a winner - Geelong. As history has it, the Cats have always
struggled against the Blues a number of times over the last few years. Now it’s
a different Blues side under their new coach and may give the Cats a
run for their money! Geelong to defeat Carlton but only because of their home ground
advantage!
In Saturday’s remaining
games, the GWS Giants travel to the Gold Coast to take on the Suns. This is it
Giants! No excuses left – It’s your chance to haul in a massive percentage boost
and score a win at any cost because another loss this time around and the
Giants will be toast!
The West Coast Eagles at
home are in for a hard game as Hawthorn still has a mathematical chance of
advancing into the final 8. Again I am picking the home side for just that
reason, it’s being played at Optus
Stadium in Perth and one, the Eagles can’t afford to lose and two, they need to
win to carry momentum into their finals campaign.
So, on to Sunday and
with one result all the mathematics and aspiring finals contenders are completely
out of the picture as only the Bulldogs
can qualify for eighth position with a
win when they go head to head
with the Adelaide Crows from Mars Stadium in Ballarat. I expect the Bulldogs to
have the desire to take their place in the finals and will play fearless footy for
a deserving victory.
The most interesting
game of the round will come from the MCG, where the Richmond Tigers take on the
Brisbane Lions. This may even be a prelude to the grand final. The Lions are
having a stellar year and have almost beaten all comers. Last time they lost
was against the Blues in round 12, since then they have been unbeatable. Over
the last 10 weeks, Richmond has also come alive and like Brisbane, they are an
in-form side. Both sides defeated their top 4 opponents last week by narrow
margins. Depending on the weather and/or injuries, the Tigers at home will win,
but it will be very close and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions happen to beat
the Tigers. Either way, Brisbane will still finish on top.
Port Adelaide take on
Fremantle for the title of ‘pretender’. Like pin the tail on the Donkey, any side
can win, but Adelaide Oval and a change of coach at Fremantle, I will have to
go with the Power!
Catch you next week for the first of the finals blogs.
Round 23, I am picking: Collingwood, St. Kilda,
North Melbourne, Geelong,
GWS Giants, West
Coast Eagles, Bulldogs, Richmond and Port Adelaide.
(Progressive tip
score: 129) Leading AFL tipster(s) from
the AGE have 123 and from Foxtel 118.
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