JB: It's hard to make a case considering they should be being beaten quite easily when you judge a game statistically, but you'd also be a naive fool to not at least give them a chance after a season chock-full of both denying and creating history. The 2005-2007 Sydney-West Coast rivalry eclipses that of any other state versus state rivalry in AFL history. Hard to believe as it may be, the Cats haven't won in the first week of September since 2016.
His set shot drifts wide but drops right in the lap of Brody Mihocek, who stabs it home from close range. The final rounds of the season generally present us with some thankless viewing tasks and to be frank, both Melbourne and GWS gave their faithful with forgettable performances on the weekend. Both of these sides were put to the sword last week, but it was Port who came out worse for wear. Jordan De Goey claims a clearance and manages to deflect the ball towards Jack Crisp, who pivots off his right foot before curling a splendid effort through the posts with his left for his first major of the afternoon. I'm sure only diehard Croweaters and Neil Kerley would disagree with me on that one. So, in honour of this high-stakes clash, here is a sample of the most anticipated matches of the 21st century. A record crowd of 54, 444 saw Michael Gardiner convert with a minute left to give the Saints the win. Geelong have kicked the last four and have taken the lead for the first time since kicking a behind in the first minute of the game. The forwards battle will be huge this week, and Orazio Fantasia's match up against Alex Rance should provide plenty of excitement. The Bulldogs dropped out of the top eight following their defeat at the hands of Greater Western Sydney and a loss here would make qualifying for the AFL Finals a very difficult task. Pies set for high-stakes afl clash simulator. The Crows are touted as Adelaide Oval specialists and that actually isn't the case – they have won just four of their six games as home favourites and are a middling 3-3 against the line. Collingwood face either Fremantle of the Bulldogs in semi-final next week.
Each team announcing their grand final line-up only when the players are rolled out on the boats? Even though they have been through a perceived form slump, West Coast have still won seven of their past eight games and remain a genuine chance of finishing in the top four. He composes himself and drills through his third of the night, much to the delight of Cats faithfuls. The Crows have given it everything they've got in recent weeks as they and end the season on a high note. Carlton were extremely poor against the Brisbane Lions and haven't won a game of football in two months, but there are reasons to be optimistic this weekend. It all kicks off at the MCG with what should be an absolute corker between the Cats and the Pies. Rewind to this unforgettable Friday night where no one saw what was coming. Crows stay in top-four hunt after sneaking past Cats in a thriller. Fortunately, there's still enough time for the Bulldogs to leapfrog Melbourne and return to the top of the table, but this week's clash against a fiery Hawthorn side looks far from a given. The Saints are still a big chance at playing finals, but it feels like they're doing everything in their power to miss out entirely. If the Magpies win, they finish in the top-four and could, if the Bulldogs beat Hawthorn, knock the Blues out of the eight. A greater certainty is hard to conceive.
The Dons have plenty of injury issues to overcome, but there was no excuse for last week's mental lapse against the Bulldogs in what was supposed to be the biggest game of the round. Pies set for high-stakes afl clash game. Sunday August 18, 3:20pm, Sydney Showground. I don't care about flashy lights and improved pregame or half time entertainment via a night or twilight slot, just give me two and a half hours of bruising footy with the sun beaming down on the 'G. Ever since the Grand Final, West Coast has saved some of its best performance for the MCG, which makes the line the safest play.
Where's that shaking my head emoji... MW: Call me a grump, but I've never been swept up in the parade hype, even as a kid. Now sitting ninth on the ladder, Geelong not only need to win out, they need other results to go their way. A full match report will follow and we will have all the fallout from another brilliant night of finals footy covered. Why mess with tradition?
Strap yourselves in, this could be an absolute beauty. Rewind to a wildly seesawing affair between the struggling Tigers and eventual premiers. Come on guys, you know I'm strictly a forget about the sizzle, it's all about the sausage type! But moments after dropping a sitter, Magpies forward Will Hoskin-Elliott marked and kicked a clutch goal after the half-time siren to give his team a one-point lead at the main break. Blues, Pies set for high-stakes AFL clash | | Inverell, NSW. For the first time in their short history, the Power had the chance to win the minor premiership, but would have to go through a prime Brisbane outfit to do so. In stark contrast, the Bulldogs continued to provide some of the most thrilling football of the last month against Brisbane.
Tip: Back the Crows 1-39 @ $2. The baby Brisbane side gave the Magpies a scare however, trailing by only a handful of points at half time. Heartbreak for Collingwood as Geelong clinch LAST-GASP victory in epic qualifying final at MCG. The Hawks were solid against North Melbourne, but they are still a tough team to trust from a betting perspective. The Pies are back in front. Sydney really should be able to get the job done in this clash, but their current price looks just about right and I am happy to stay out of this game from a betting perspective. The Tigers really were poor against Geelong and this will be a real test of their mental toughness as they lost to Fremantle in heartbreaking fashion 12 months ago. Back to back losses to Adelaide and Brisbane has left Michael Voss' side on the brink of the eight, and there's even more to worry about off the field with superstar skipper Patrick Cripps in some trouble with the tribunal following last week's bump on Callum Ah Chee.
The problem for the Demons is that they are still an unconvincing side as favourites and they have won just four of their past eight games as the punter's elect, while they are 3-5 against the line. Another year of 'failure' could also mean players look for greener pastures elsewhere... Jarryd Barca: I would have to say it's Brisbane simply because of their past results at this stage of the year. Hawthorn's ability to gracefully move the ball by foot against Geelong last week was impressive. The Lions could give the Cats somewhat of a scare in this clash and I am keen to back the underdogs with a start of 58. Rewind to a hostile Crows crowd at Football Park looking to overwhelm Mick Malthouse's young Magpies. Hawthorn bounced back from their defeat at the hands of Melbourne to record a comfortable win over North Melbourne and they should now be able to hold on to the minor premiership. It's damaged the integrity of the premiership in my view, penalising top four teams who win a qualifying final then end up playing just one game in 27-odd days by preliminary final time. 5 points, but teams in the AFL are 5-2 when giving away a start of this magnitude and the Giants will be out to make a statement this weekend. Should the Dogs lose though, they might find themselves out of finals contention for good.
Greater Western Sydney's rousing win over the Cats in Geelong last week has left them in firm control of their finals destiny from here on out, while the Tigers still have a pulse thanks to a blowout win over North Melbourne. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says it's "sad" Heritier Lumumba feels the way he does about his time with the Magpies and has denied hearing the former backman being nicknamed "Chimp" by his teammates. "We're pretty determined to see this thing through, we're really excited about what's coming up and all our energy's just focused on that at the moment, " he said. As for the Suns, they were flat out embarrassed by the reigning premiers at home. One of the key agenda items is set to be whether Buckley is awarded a contract extension. The Demons had their chances during last week's 17-point loss to Collingwood, but the same old story – wayward goalkicking – cost the Dees a chance. The Cats stream forward but can't find the finishing touch, before Scott Pendlebury keeps a cool head to avert the danger for Collingwood.
If Chris Scott's top two starts play, we might see a similar story unfold. The fate of several clubs will be decided this week as we enter the second-last round before the finals. Two cheap wins over the Suns and Dees count for very little, especially this time of year. The jury is still out on whether Brisbane is a genuine premiership contender, but they did look good in their blowout win over Freo last week thanks to a huge four-goal game from Joe Daniher. Adelaide: Marinoff, Ponter, Hatchard, Thompson, Gould, Martin. Winning at the Adelaide Oval is tough at the best of times, particularly against a Crows team that has applied tremendous pressure in recent weeks. 5 does look a tad excessive for a game involving Essendon. I/C [39] Zach Guthrie, [8] Jake Kolodjashnij, [29] Cameron Guthrie, [30] Tom Atkins.
With Richmond up next, this might be the last chance for the Bulldogs to taste victory in 2018, and if they can ride this great form into Etihad, they should make it three on the trot. The Brisbane Lions famously beat Geelong after the siren in 2013, but they have lost the past four games played between the two sides and that does not look like it will change this weekend. The Pies' 125 uncontested possessions in the first half is their equal fourth-highest tally in a first half in 2022, and their largest tally since Round 9. Jordan De Goey has a second and the Magpies are back in front! Statistically, they have been smashed by the likes of Melbourne and Carlton, and although they won both games, I just cannot see it continuing when the pressure is ratcheted up in September. Geelong would get their revenge in the grand final, however, thanks to some last-minute Paul Chapman magic.
Carlton is desperately clinging for life inside the eight as they head into Saturday's game against Melbourne without skipper Patrick Cripps, followed by another huge Sunday afternoon game between the Swans and the red-hot Pies. The Pies have enjoyed the better of the possession and have camped themselves in Geelong's half, continuing to create opportunities by forcing turnovers. Likewise, North has been equally poor going 3-10 as the underdog during the same time frame. There are now only two rounds left in the 2017 AFL regular season and there is still a great deal on the line. This game holds nothing for the winner other than bragging rights, but that will mean a lot to either club. Tip: Geelong to Win @ $2. With Jarryd Roughead playing his final game, there should be added motivation for the Hawks to put on a show. Some tough love doubtlessly awaited them upon their return to the sheds. The injury to Alex Johnson last week has probably given the Swans added incentive to make the finals, but Jeremy Cameron's two goal bag last week sets us up for a big battle between himself and Buddy Franklin. "Hopefully in those last couple of minutes (if it's close), if we get to that particular stage, I'll back ourselves in. In this instance, Sydney caved both physically and on the scoreboard.
To their credit, North but up another good fight against the Swans last week before things got a little ugly in the fourth quarter. "It's a bit sad in many ways that 'H' feels that way about his experiences in the game. Collingwood made the early running, kicking the first three goals for a 19-point lead late in the first quarter. The Lions were able to return to winning form against Carlton last weekend, but they face a completely different level of challenge against Geelong and it should come as no surprise that they are giving away such a big start.
He regathers the footy, slips and manages to handball it to Max Holmes.