Bluey
29 May 2001, 18:31
AFLTips.Com Preview News
Round 9 - 27 May 2001
w: http://www.afltips.com/
e: adrian@afltips.com
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I still haven't updated the site with all of the past issues, but you can see it all at www.bigfooty.com in the Match Previews and Reviews board.
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INDEX
1) "Weekly Round-Up" - previews of all matches from our Regular
Contributors
2) Various info about AFLTips.Com
+----------+
1) Weekly Round-Up
from our Regular Contributors
http://www.afltips.com/people/
(E-mail adrian@afltips.com if you'd like to become a
contributor.)
**********
Kangaroos v. Carlton
Friday, 25 May 2001 - MCG 7:40 PM
Many people would agree with Damian Drum's comments about football being a 'dog eat dog horrible competition where no-one gives you a break' and none more so then the Kangaroos.
Here you have a team which has stumbled its way through the season but has made it to a respectable 3-5. They are playing for their 3rd win in a row and a real chance to get their season turned around. They have got through injuries and suspensions and players being desperately out of form.
Watching the second half of this game was seeing someone being slowly tortured in front of your eyes and when they are pleading for a fair go, everyone turns their back on them.
The game plan of the Roos saw them forge a 6 goal lead at half time and was built on the back of some inspired coaching and playing.
Leigh Colbert put the brakes on Anthony Koutfides, as Shannon Grant did to Scott Camporeale and Anthony Stevens did to Brett Ratten.
Spider Burton was winning the tap outs and David King and John Blakey were playing to their evergreen best.
The second half was a different story however as the Blues kicked 9 goals to 1. The midfield dynamos of Ratten, Bradley and Camporeale all stood up whilst Mansfield, Hulme and Whitnall all made handy contributions. In the process, Whitnall, becoming the fastest Blue to notch up 100 games.
Indeed, it may seem a lifetime ago or even longer then that the 17 year old made his debut in the game where Greg Williams touched the umpire and got suspended.
A lot has changed since then, not the least that the Kangaroos may miss out on the preliminary finals for the first time since 1993 or may miss the whole finals series altogether.
When they were the new kid on the block, it was their battles and ultimately their success over the Eagles which defined them and gave them their throne. Carey's battles with Jakovich were the highlight of the year. And now, the Kangaroos may be heading down the same path as their old adversaries.
That's football. That's life.
- David Wiseman
**********
Collingwood v. St Kilda
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - MCG 2:10 PM
There must be something in the water inside one of those MCG change rooms. In the space of a week three matches have swung from one extreme to the other immediately following half time at this ground.
After Adelaide's fight back win last week and Carlton's on Friday night, this time the gutsy Collingwood executed a remarkable 54 point turnaround in the second half against St Kilda. The Saints led by 36 points at the long break, but an hour later the 'Pies were celebrating their fifth win for the season, victorious by 18 points. If Max Hudghton was present we may well have seen waterworks.
The first half belonged to St Kilda who had more of the ball, more accurate goal kicking and generally more desperation than Collingwood. The inclusion of some handy players had injected The Saints with some winning options, whereas the Pies' level of intensity was almost automatically below par to keep in context with their opposition's match cred. If Collingwood are renowned for a couple of things today, less evidently is their tendency to under estimate the mid-strength.
The most omnipresent character trait of Collingwood is in their pride, passion and commitment to the game. They wear it on their sleeves. Such pride lends reason to the mere existence of any "Magpie Army". And when it comes to passion in football, no other club comes close. Qualities that formed the basis of a 10 goals to 2 second half, including 6.4 to 0.3 in the final quarter. Qualities that won them the match.
The St Kilda injury toll was also influential. Harvey lasted less than three quarters before the true rot set in - within a ten minute period of the last quarter Gehrig and Aussie Jones, two of the Saints' best and their life blood in defence, plus backup ruckman Capuano all collected game ending leg injuries. With cracks appearing in the stamina of Everitt and Thompson and the firming drought on Saints players, including those ruled out during the week, St Kilda had no answers for the rampaging Woodsmen.
The hugely improved Collingwood ruck set up led by Josh Fraser was too smart and strong, crumb gatherers O'Bree and Nick Davis were too quick and Collingwood's determination to win just too powerful.
Watch for the new ********-com "Everybody Loves Ryan" starring Ryan Lonie as a guy living fast, straight down the line and capable of surprising everybody. Arguably this year's Rising Star favourite ahead of St Kilda's Stephen Milne.
The Saints' last kick of the day came from their own Buzz Lightyear a.k.a. Aaron Hamill. After bombing the ball into their forward line it was easily, solidly marked there by his direct opponent Prestigiacomo and immediately dished off. A fitting summation of St Kilda on the day...a chance to be positive misspent when the chips are down, ultimately favouring Collingwood who not only wanted the win but were thoroughly deserving.
- matto
http://www.afltips.com/people/matto.html
**********
West Coast v. Western Bulldogs
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - Subiaco 5:40 PM (7:40 PM AEST)
Well this match shows exactly what happens when a team missing 10 regular players goes up against another league side that is close to full strength. This should have been a 12 goal thrashing and only inaccurate kicking and a hard working on ball squad saved the Eagles from a thrashing. What Ken Judge would have done for another two tall forwards to test the Bulldogs defence. Jakovich to centre half back and Cummings, Donnelly and/or McIntosh down forward to take a mark 40m from goal and this would have been a lot closer.
The Dogs were too tall for the Eagles and ruled the skies with the Eagles trying to tag the Dogs onballers and use their pace to force turnovers and chip the ball around with long bombs to Jakovich and Wirrpunda down forward. This didn't work with Jakovich outpointed by Ellis and Troy Wilson outpointed by Luke Penny. With Cox, Croft and Hunter as back ups the Bulldogs had a versatile side to cover any threat the Eagles forward line could muster. I think that Jakovich may be injured as he's certainly a better player than he showed. The loss of Banfield and Taylor determined that their was ever only going to be one winner in this match as any chance Ken Judge had to exploit the Dogs was gone.
Despite media reports I thought that Gardiner was not clearly beaten by Darcy but actually broke even and it was the lack of height in the Eagles team that cost it against the Dogs. Luke Penny has added some much needed height to the Bulldogs backline but is still learning the game whilst Mark Alvey, Matthew Robbins and Michell Hahn have added pace and aggression. These players have also shown that in future they will form a versatile rotational group with West, Eagleton, Smith, Johnson, Garlick and Brown and ably fill the void of the stalwarts in Liberatore, and Romero when they retire. The development of these players will only benefit the Dogs in the longer term.
- Amazonstud
**********
Adelaide v Fitzroy Bears
Brunswick Street North, Saturday Night, before it got rowdy.
ADELAIDE 6.4 9.8 16. 9 19.13 (127)
BRISBANE LIONS 7.2 10.8 15.10 18.14 (122)
Goals:
Adelaide: B Burton 4 B Beinke 3 T Vardy 2 B Hart 2 K Johnson 2 D Jarman 2 M Robran S Welsh A McLeod M Ricciuto.
Brisbane: A Lynch 4 N Lappin 4 C Keating 3 D Bradshaw 2 M Voss J Akermanis C Scott B McDonald B Scott.
Best:
Adelaide: T Edwards A McLeod B Burton S Goodwin D Jarman B Hart. Brisbane: S Black M Ashcroft N Lappin J Akermanis C Scott C Johnson.
Injuries:
Adelaide: Nil.
Brisbane: L Power (groin) M Voss (ankle).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: B Allen K Nicholls M Vozzo.
Official crowd: 24,122 at the Gabba.
Brisbane's long injury list reinforces the argument that whoever will challenge Essendon this year will be a case of the survival of the fittest. The Fitzroy Bears certainly won't be in the hunt if they drop games like this one.
The game was there for the taking all night, with the highlight for the Queenslanders being Lynch's 400th goal in League football. The ex-Fitzroy champion has been an inspiration to his teammates after suffering chronic fatigue syndrome.
We were a bit tired and emotional ourselves after me and Sources Close To The Melbourne Football Club decided to watch the game at the Tramways Hotel in North Fitzroy after the Fitzroy Reds had demolished Bentleigh.
Ashcroft did a good job on Ricciuto, and Lappin likewise on the enigmatic Jarman in the first half, but they have a new barmaid at the Tramways and we were distracted until early in the fourth quarter.
By then the see-sawing game had reached a furious pace with desperation, rather than finesse, being the hallmark of the play. Losing Voss probably didn't help the home side's chances either. There was some terrific stuff towards the end, Lappin kicked a great goal, and there was an outside chance from seventy metres out after the siren that would have won the game, but in the end the South Australians prevailed.
Nigel Smart has finally decided to play some footy, and with Edwards and McLeod getting involved the Croweaters have finally found some mettle. Burton is in good form, taking a great grab. They are really getting onto a roll now and should finish in the top eight - if they don't succumb to injuries.
At the Tramways everyone agreed that Brad Boyd was a top bloke and it was a shame he wasn't out there. But deep in their heart I think everyone knew that Leigh Matthew's side will need more than Brad Boyd if they are to salvage a season that looks like being a long and unpleasant one.
- Phil Doyle
http://www.afltips.com/people/phildoyle.html
**********
Essendon v. Hawthorn
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - Colonial Stadium 7:00 PM
Essendon 7.4 11.9 15.10 18.14 18.14 (122)
Hawthorn 4.1 4.4 7.7 8.9 8.9 (57)
Unfortunately, this game did not go anywhere close to expectations. The Hawks were on the back foot right from the start with Matthew Lloyd kicking 2 goals in the first few minutes of the game. The Bombers kicked the first 4 goals of the game and really showed why they are the best team in the competition. If the Hawks were ever going to match it with Essendon they needed to get a good start.
The Hawks seemed to be a bit over-awed by the occasion, making silly errors in judgment and bad skill errors. Crawford going down with both a knee and an ankle injury in the first quarter didn't help their cause. Neither did the fact that they went into the game without their best defender Hay and also Rawlings and Holland. Essendon did have more injuries, but they have far more depth than Hawthorn. Players such as McVeigh, Riolli and Peverill were sensational.
The Bombers were ferocious at the ball. They were also ferocious at the player. A gang-tackle of about 3 Essendon players on the one Hawks player sums up just how much they wanted it. There was also a bit of a melee that will come under scrutiny this week.
Best on ground was really a toss of the coin between Hird and Lloyd. Hird was great with 25 possessions and 6 marks. Meanwhile Lloyds 8 goals were an outstanding performance. The fact that 11 of Hird's possessions were in the last quarter went in Lloyd's favour. Barnes was great in the ruck, while Wellman held Barker to 1 goal.
For the Hawks this was, as their coach said a 'reality check'. They will be better for the experience though. Meanwhile, anyone who thought the Bombers wouldn't reach the same heights of last year might like to think again.
Goalkickers
Essendon: M.Lloyd 8, P.Barnard 2, M.McVeigh 2, D.Rioli 2, S.Lucas 1, C.McGrath 1, D.Peverill 1, J.Robran 1
Hawthorn: N.Thompson 3, J.Barker 1, G.Bowyer 1, T.Croad 1, B.Dixon 1, D.Harford 1
Best
Essendon: Lloyd, Hird, Wellman, McVeign, Rioli, Peverill, Barnes.
Hawthorn: Thompson, Bowyer, Harford, Johnson.
Crowd 50701
- HahnPremium8
http://www.afltips.com/people/hahnpremium8.html
**********
Port Adelaide v. Melbourne
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - Football Park 1:40 PM (2:10 PM AEST)
The true soul of Melbourne reveals itself during the winter months. Weekends are, naturally enough, the preserve of football. It is not only the game, but also the ritual of making your way to the match. Everyone has their own meeting points, their own pre-match habits, and I think that if some alien force inserted tracking devices into a football fan, they'd probably find that we all pretty much take exactly the same route to the game every week. For most of us, we seek to watch our own team. A few may go along with mates to see games not involving their club and plenty of us will catch at least one other game on the weekend. However, Melbourne's winter soul is not only football, but it is also about time spent on any one of the city's café strips, visiting galleries, rummaging around second hand shops, or reading a book under a rotunda in one of the many gardens. Which leads me to the question of why anyone would even think that I consider staying at home and watching Sydney versus Fremantle on TV and then ask me to write a report on it. I suppose it would be different if I got paid for this, but sadly, the only reward I get is a warm fuzzy feeling rather than cold hard cash. So I take on this task on editor's good faith and your faith that I'm writing about something I actually watched, but the fact is... well, when the cafe lattes are so good and the book I'm reading (the new James Ellroy novel) is so involving and it looks like I'm getting somewhere with the waitress at my favourite café... well, forgive me if I didn't spend my Sunday in front of the television. So, I'll happily admit that my care factor for Sydney versus Fremantle is pretty close to zero. If you want to know what happened during the match, pick up the newspaper or get the video. However, I do know the result and I will analyse it in the light of how it affect's each team's season.
The Swans won the game, thus snapping a five game losing streak. I have some doubts about the value of a win over Fremantle, but I took note that Geelong, who snapped their own losing streak against Fremantle last week, took some confidence from the result and had a mighty fine win against the Tigers. The Swans will need all the confidence they can get as they face the in-form Collingwood next week at Colonial Stadium, but in the whole scheme of things, well, four points is four points and this game will only be remembered as the answer to a trivia question, "Who were the opponents in Troy Luff's 150th match?" Actually, there might be a second trivia question too if the axes get brought out in the west. How about, "Who were the opponents in Damien Drum's last game as coach of the Fremantle Dockers?"
Now to the losers who, and this shouldn't surprise you, were Fremantle. They're a funny team. They have a midfield that is football's equivalent of a McLaren's F1 engine (sorry, but Essendon seem to have the Ferarri one), but unfortunately, they've stuck the damn thing in a Morris Minor. It runs well for a while, but it eventually explodes, sending the car parts all over the place (and the four points to their opponents), but somehow, the driver, Damien Drum, comes out battered and bruised, looking like death, but with the faintest of pulses.
The thing is that the Dockers are playing better football than what they did under Gerard Neesham, but there they sit, winless and in last place. I've figured out that the problem with Fremantle is that they expect one magic addition to the staff will be the catalyst for great things and fulfil the potential within their list. First it was Damien Drum that would do it. Then it was to be Rick Charlesworth and his tactical acumen. Next Peter Bell was to take them to the next stage. Now they're talking about poaching Terry Wallace, Rodney Eade, or Denis Pagan to try and get them to take the next step (oh, and don't forget another one or two highly placed draft picks). Hilariously, there was also talk that Fremantle would try and poach another midfielder in Simon Black to boost their on-field performance. I have no idea what Fremantle should do. But their fans should accept their fate and just be pessimists. Having written all that though, I see the Dockers have Richmond at Subiaco next week. Put a fiver on the Dockers for their first win of the year.
- TomFC
http://www.afltips.com/people/tomfc.html
**********
Geelong v. Richmond
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - Shell Stadium 2:10 PM
Still AWOL - anyone care to chip in with their take on the game?
**********
Sydney v. Fremantle
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - SCG 2:10 PM
The true soul of Melbourne reveals itself during the winter months. Weekends are, naturally enough, the preserve of football. It is not only the game, but also the ritual of making your way to the match. Everyone has their own meeting points, their own pre-match habits, and I think that if some alien force inserted tracking devices into a football fan, they'd probably find that we all pretty much take exactly the same route to the game every week. For most of us, we seek to watch our own team. A few may go along with mates to see games not involving their club and plenty of us will catch at least one other game on the weekend. However, Melbourne's winter soul is not only football, but it is also about time spent on any one of the city's café strips, visiting galleries, rummaging around second hand shops, or reading a book under a rotunda in one of the many gardens. Which leads me to the question of why anyone would even think that I consider staying at home and watching Sydney versus Fremantle on TV and then ask me to write a report on it.
I suppose it would be different if I got paid for this, but sadly, the only reward I get is a warm fuzzy feeling rather than cold hard cash. So I take on this task on editor's good faith and your faith that I'm writing about something I actually watched, but the fact is... well, when the cafe lattes are so good and the book I'm reading (the new James Ellroy novel) is so involving and it looks like I'm getting somewhere with the waitress at my favourite café... well, forgive me if I didn't spend my Sunday in front of the television.
So, I'll happily admit that my care factor for Sydney versus Fremantle is pretty close to zero. If you want to know what happened during the match, pick up the newspaper or get the video. However, I do know the result and I will analyse it in the light of how it affect's each team's season.
The Swans won the game, thus snapping a five game losing streak. I have some doubts about the value of a win over Fremantle, but I took note that Geelong, who snapped their own losing streak against Fremantle last week, took some confidence from the result and had a mighty fine win against the Tigers. The Swans will need all the confidence they can get as they face the in-form Collingwood next week at Colonial Stadium, but in the whole scheme of things, well, four points is four points and this game will only be remembered as the answer to a trivia question, "Who were the opponents in Troy Luff's 150th match?" Actually, there might be a second trivia question too if the axes get brought out in the west. How about, "Who were the opponents in Damien Drum's last game as coach of the Fremantle Dockers?"
Now to the losers who, and this shouldn't surprise you, were Fremantle. They're a funny team. They have a midfield that is football's equivalent of a McLaren's F1 engine (sorry, but Essendon seem to have the Ferarri one), but unfortunately, they've stuck the damn thing in a Morris Minor. It runs well for a while, but it eventually explodes, sending the car parts all over the place (and the four points to their opponents), but somehow, the driver, Damien Drum, comes out battered and bruised, looking like death, but with the faintest of pulses.
The thing is that the Dockers are playing better football than what they did under Gerard Neesham, but there they sit, winless and in last place. I've figured out that the problem with Fremantle is that they expect one magic addition to the staff will be the catalyst for great things and fulfil the potential within their list. First it was Damien Drum that would do it. Then it was to be Rick Charlesworth and his tactical acumen. Next Peter Bell was to take them to the next stage. Now they're talking about poaching Terry Wallace, Rodney Eade, or Denis Pagan to try and get them to take the next step (oh, and don't forget another one or two highly placed draft picks). Hilariously, there was also talk that Fremantle would try and poach another midfielder in Simon Black to boost their on-field performance. I have no idea what Fremantle should do. But their fans should accept their fate and just be pessimists. Having written all that though, I see the Dockers have Richmond at Subiaco next week. Put a fiver on the Dockers for their first win of the year.
- Shinboners
http://www.afltips.com/people/shinboners.html
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ENDS
************************************************************ *****
Round 9 - 27 May 2001
w: http://www.afltips.com/
e: adrian@afltips.com
* Brought to you in conjunction with BigFooty.com -
http://www.bigfooty.com/
Now with new message boards, personal messaging and more!
* Play the BigFooty Fantasy Footy game here -
http://footy.virtualsports.com.au/?partner_id=1
+----------+
I still haven't updated the site with all of the past issues, but you can see it all at www.bigfooty.com in the Match Previews and Reviews board.
+----------+
INDEX
1) "Weekly Round-Up" - previews of all matches from our Regular
Contributors
2) Various info about AFLTips.Com
+----------+
1) Weekly Round-Up
from our Regular Contributors
http://www.afltips.com/people/
(E-mail adrian@afltips.com if you'd like to become a
contributor.)
**********
Kangaroos v. Carlton
Friday, 25 May 2001 - MCG 7:40 PM
Many people would agree with Damian Drum's comments about football being a 'dog eat dog horrible competition where no-one gives you a break' and none more so then the Kangaroos.
Here you have a team which has stumbled its way through the season but has made it to a respectable 3-5. They are playing for their 3rd win in a row and a real chance to get their season turned around. They have got through injuries and suspensions and players being desperately out of form.
Watching the second half of this game was seeing someone being slowly tortured in front of your eyes and when they are pleading for a fair go, everyone turns their back on them.
The game plan of the Roos saw them forge a 6 goal lead at half time and was built on the back of some inspired coaching and playing.
Leigh Colbert put the brakes on Anthony Koutfides, as Shannon Grant did to Scott Camporeale and Anthony Stevens did to Brett Ratten.
Spider Burton was winning the tap outs and David King and John Blakey were playing to their evergreen best.
The second half was a different story however as the Blues kicked 9 goals to 1. The midfield dynamos of Ratten, Bradley and Camporeale all stood up whilst Mansfield, Hulme and Whitnall all made handy contributions. In the process, Whitnall, becoming the fastest Blue to notch up 100 games.
Indeed, it may seem a lifetime ago or even longer then that the 17 year old made his debut in the game where Greg Williams touched the umpire and got suspended.
A lot has changed since then, not the least that the Kangaroos may miss out on the preliminary finals for the first time since 1993 or may miss the whole finals series altogether.
When they were the new kid on the block, it was their battles and ultimately their success over the Eagles which defined them and gave them their throne. Carey's battles with Jakovich were the highlight of the year. And now, the Kangaroos may be heading down the same path as their old adversaries.
That's football. That's life.
- David Wiseman
**********
Collingwood v. St Kilda
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - MCG 2:10 PM
There must be something in the water inside one of those MCG change rooms. In the space of a week three matches have swung from one extreme to the other immediately following half time at this ground.
After Adelaide's fight back win last week and Carlton's on Friday night, this time the gutsy Collingwood executed a remarkable 54 point turnaround in the second half against St Kilda. The Saints led by 36 points at the long break, but an hour later the 'Pies were celebrating their fifth win for the season, victorious by 18 points. If Max Hudghton was present we may well have seen waterworks.
The first half belonged to St Kilda who had more of the ball, more accurate goal kicking and generally more desperation than Collingwood. The inclusion of some handy players had injected The Saints with some winning options, whereas the Pies' level of intensity was almost automatically below par to keep in context with their opposition's match cred. If Collingwood are renowned for a couple of things today, less evidently is their tendency to under estimate the mid-strength.
The most omnipresent character trait of Collingwood is in their pride, passion and commitment to the game. They wear it on their sleeves. Such pride lends reason to the mere existence of any "Magpie Army". And when it comes to passion in football, no other club comes close. Qualities that formed the basis of a 10 goals to 2 second half, including 6.4 to 0.3 in the final quarter. Qualities that won them the match.
The St Kilda injury toll was also influential. Harvey lasted less than three quarters before the true rot set in - within a ten minute period of the last quarter Gehrig and Aussie Jones, two of the Saints' best and their life blood in defence, plus backup ruckman Capuano all collected game ending leg injuries. With cracks appearing in the stamina of Everitt and Thompson and the firming drought on Saints players, including those ruled out during the week, St Kilda had no answers for the rampaging Woodsmen.
The hugely improved Collingwood ruck set up led by Josh Fraser was too smart and strong, crumb gatherers O'Bree and Nick Davis were too quick and Collingwood's determination to win just too powerful.
Watch for the new ********-com "Everybody Loves Ryan" starring Ryan Lonie as a guy living fast, straight down the line and capable of surprising everybody. Arguably this year's Rising Star favourite ahead of St Kilda's Stephen Milne.
The Saints' last kick of the day came from their own Buzz Lightyear a.k.a. Aaron Hamill. After bombing the ball into their forward line it was easily, solidly marked there by his direct opponent Prestigiacomo and immediately dished off. A fitting summation of St Kilda on the day...a chance to be positive misspent when the chips are down, ultimately favouring Collingwood who not only wanted the win but were thoroughly deserving.
- matto
http://www.afltips.com/people/matto.html
**********
West Coast v. Western Bulldogs
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - Subiaco 5:40 PM (7:40 PM AEST)
Well this match shows exactly what happens when a team missing 10 regular players goes up against another league side that is close to full strength. This should have been a 12 goal thrashing and only inaccurate kicking and a hard working on ball squad saved the Eagles from a thrashing. What Ken Judge would have done for another two tall forwards to test the Bulldogs defence. Jakovich to centre half back and Cummings, Donnelly and/or McIntosh down forward to take a mark 40m from goal and this would have been a lot closer.
The Dogs were too tall for the Eagles and ruled the skies with the Eagles trying to tag the Dogs onballers and use their pace to force turnovers and chip the ball around with long bombs to Jakovich and Wirrpunda down forward. This didn't work with Jakovich outpointed by Ellis and Troy Wilson outpointed by Luke Penny. With Cox, Croft and Hunter as back ups the Bulldogs had a versatile side to cover any threat the Eagles forward line could muster. I think that Jakovich may be injured as he's certainly a better player than he showed. The loss of Banfield and Taylor determined that their was ever only going to be one winner in this match as any chance Ken Judge had to exploit the Dogs was gone.
Despite media reports I thought that Gardiner was not clearly beaten by Darcy but actually broke even and it was the lack of height in the Eagles team that cost it against the Dogs. Luke Penny has added some much needed height to the Bulldogs backline but is still learning the game whilst Mark Alvey, Matthew Robbins and Michell Hahn have added pace and aggression. These players have also shown that in future they will form a versatile rotational group with West, Eagleton, Smith, Johnson, Garlick and Brown and ably fill the void of the stalwarts in Liberatore, and Romero when they retire. The development of these players will only benefit the Dogs in the longer term.
- Amazonstud
**********
Adelaide v Fitzroy Bears
Brunswick Street North, Saturday Night, before it got rowdy.
ADELAIDE 6.4 9.8 16. 9 19.13 (127)
BRISBANE LIONS 7.2 10.8 15.10 18.14 (122)
Goals:
Adelaide: B Burton 4 B Beinke 3 T Vardy 2 B Hart 2 K Johnson 2 D Jarman 2 M Robran S Welsh A McLeod M Ricciuto.
Brisbane: A Lynch 4 N Lappin 4 C Keating 3 D Bradshaw 2 M Voss J Akermanis C Scott B McDonald B Scott.
Best:
Adelaide: T Edwards A McLeod B Burton S Goodwin D Jarman B Hart. Brisbane: S Black M Ashcroft N Lappin J Akermanis C Scott C Johnson.
Injuries:
Adelaide: Nil.
Brisbane: L Power (groin) M Voss (ankle).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: B Allen K Nicholls M Vozzo.
Official crowd: 24,122 at the Gabba.
Brisbane's long injury list reinforces the argument that whoever will challenge Essendon this year will be a case of the survival of the fittest. The Fitzroy Bears certainly won't be in the hunt if they drop games like this one.
The game was there for the taking all night, with the highlight for the Queenslanders being Lynch's 400th goal in League football. The ex-Fitzroy champion has been an inspiration to his teammates after suffering chronic fatigue syndrome.
We were a bit tired and emotional ourselves after me and Sources Close To The Melbourne Football Club decided to watch the game at the Tramways Hotel in North Fitzroy after the Fitzroy Reds had demolished Bentleigh.
Ashcroft did a good job on Ricciuto, and Lappin likewise on the enigmatic Jarman in the first half, but they have a new barmaid at the Tramways and we were distracted until early in the fourth quarter.
By then the see-sawing game had reached a furious pace with desperation, rather than finesse, being the hallmark of the play. Losing Voss probably didn't help the home side's chances either. There was some terrific stuff towards the end, Lappin kicked a great goal, and there was an outside chance from seventy metres out after the siren that would have won the game, but in the end the South Australians prevailed.
Nigel Smart has finally decided to play some footy, and with Edwards and McLeod getting involved the Croweaters have finally found some mettle. Burton is in good form, taking a great grab. They are really getting onto a roll now and should finish in the top eight - if they don't succumb to injuries.
At the Tramways everyone agreed that Brad Boyd was a top bloke and it was a shame he wasn't out there. But deep in their heart I think everyone knew that Leigh Matthew's side will need more than Brad Boyd if they are to salvage a season that looks like being a long and unpleasant one.
- Phil Doyle
http://www.afltips.com/people/phildoyle.html
**********
Essendon v. Hawthorn
Saturday, 26 May 2001 - Colonial Stadium 7:00 PM
Essendon 7.4 11.9 15.10 18.14 18.14 (122)
Hawthorn 4.1 4.4 7.7 8.9 8.9 (57)
Unfortunately, this game did not go anywhere close to expectations. The Hawks were on the back foot right from the start with Matthew Lloyd kicking 2 goals in the first few minutes of the game. The Bombers kicked the first 4 goals of the game and really showed why they are the best team in the competition. If the Hawks were ever going to match it with Essendon they needed to get a good start.
The Hawks seemed to be a bit over-awed by the occasion, making silly errors in judgment and bad skill errors. Crawford going down with both a knee and an ankle injury in the first quarter didn't help their cause. Neither did the fact that they went into the game without their best defender Hay and also Rawlings and Holland. Essendon did have more injuries, but they have far more depth than Hawthorn. Players such as McVeigh, Riolli and Peverill were sensational.
The Bombers were ferocious at the ball. They were also ferocious at the player. A gang-tackle of about 3 Essendon players on the one Hawks player sums up just how much they wanted it. There was also a bit of a melee that will come under scrutiny this week.
Best on ground was really a toss of the coin between Hird and Lloyd. Hird was great with 25 possessions and 6 marks. Meanwhile Lloyds 8 goals were an outstanding performance. The fact that 11 of Hird's possessions were in the last quarter went in Lloyd's favour. Barnes was great in the ruck, while Wellman held Barker to 1 goal.
For the Hawks this was, as their coach said a 'reality check'. They will be better for the experience though. Meanwhile, anyone who thought the Bombers wouldn't reach the same heights of last year might like to think again.
Goalkickers
Essendon: M.Lloyd 8, P.Barnard 2, M.McVeigh 2, D.Rioli 2, S.Lucas 1, C.McGrath 1, D.Peverill 1, J.Robran 1
Hawthorn: N.Thompson 3, J.Barker 1, G.Bowyer 1, T.Croad 1, B.Dixon 1, D.Harford 1
Best
Essendon: Lloyd, Hird, Wellman, McVeign, Rioli, Peverill, Barnes.
Hawthorn: Thompson, Bowyer, Harford, Johnson.
Crowd 50701
- HahnPremium8
http://www.afltips.com/people/hahnpremium8.html
**********
Port Adelaide v. Melbourne
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - Football Park 1:40 PM (2:10 PM AEST)
The true soul of Melbourne reveals itself during the winter months. Weekends are, naturally enough, the preserve of football. It is not only the game, but also the ritual of making your way to the match. Everyone has their own meeting points, their own pre-match habits, and I think that if some alien force inserted tracking devices into a football fan, they'd probably find that we all pretty much take exactly the same route to the game every week. For most of us, we seek to watch our own team. A few may go along with mates to see games not involving their club and plenty of us will catch at least one other game on the weekend. However, Melbourne's winter soul is not only football, but it is also about time spent on any one of the city's café strips, visiting galleries, rummaging around second hand shops, or reading a book under a rotunda in one of the many gardens. Which leads me to the question of why anyone would even think that I consider staying at home and watching Sydney versus Fremantle on TV and then ask me to write a report on it. I suppose it would be different if I got paid for this, but sadly, the only reward I get is a warm fuzzy feeling rather than cold hard cash. So I take on this task on editor's good faith and your faith that I'm writing about something I actually watched, but the fact is... well, when the cafe lattes are so good and the book I'm reading (the new James Ellroy novel) is so involving and it looks like I'm getting somewhere with the waitress at my favourite café... well, forgive me if I didn't spend my Sunday in front of the television. So, I'll happily admit that my care factor for Sydney versus Fremantle is pretty close to zero. If you want to know what happened during the match, pick up the newspaper or get the video. However, I do know the result and I will analyse it in the light of how it affect's each team's season.
The Swans won the game, thus snapping a five game losing streak. I have some doubts about the value of a win over Fremantle, but I took note that Geelong, who snapped their own losing streak against Fremantle last week, took some confidence from the result and had a mighty fine win against the Tigers. The Swans will need all the confidence they can get as they face the in-form Collingwood next week at Colonial Stadium, but in the whole scheme of things, well, four points is four points and this game will only be remembered as the answer to a trivia question, "Who were the opponents in Troy Luff's 150th match?" Actually, there might be a second trivia question too if the axes get brought out in the west. How about, "Who were the opponents in Damien Drum's last game as coach of the Fremantle Dockers?"
Now to the losers who, and this shouldn't surprise you, were Fremantle. They're a funny team. They have a midfield that is football's equivalent of a McLaren's F1 engine (sorry, but Essendon seem to have the Ferarri one), but unfortunately, they've stuck the damn thing in a Morris Minor. It runs well for a while, but it eventually explodes, sending the car parts all over the place (and the four points to their opponents), but somehow, the driver, Damien Drum, comes out battered and bruised, looking like death, but with the faintest of pulses.
The thing is that the Dockers are playing better football than what they did under Gerard Neesham, but there they sit, winless and in last place. I've figured out that the problem with Fremantle is that they expect one magic addition to the staff will be the catalyst for great things and fulfil the potential within their list. First it was Damien Drum that would do it. Then it was to be Rick Charlesworth and his tactical acumen. Next Peter Bell was to take them to the next stage. Now they're talking about poaching Terry Wallace, Rodney Eade, or Denis Pagan to try and get them to take the next step (oh, and don't forget another one or two highly placed draft picks). Hilariously, there was also talk that Fremantle would try and poach another midfielder in Simon Black to boost their on-field performance. I have no idea what Fremantle should do. But their fans should accept their fate and just be pessimists. Having written all that though, I see the Dockers have Richmond at Subiaco next week. Put a fiver on the Dockers for their first win of the year.
- TomFC
http://www.afltips.com/people/tomfc.html
**********
Geelong v. Richmond
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - Shell Stadium 2:10 PM
Still AWOL - anyone care to chip in with their take on the game?
**********
Sydney v. Fremantle
Sunday, 27 May 2001 - SCG 2:10 PM
The true soul of Melbourne reveals itself during the winter months. Weekends are, naturally enough, the preserve of football. It is not only the game, but also the ritual of making your way to the match. Everyone has their own meeting points, their own pre-match habits, and I think that if some alien force inserted tracking devices into a football fan, they'd probably find that we all pretty much take exactly the same route to the game every week. For most of us, we seek to watch our own team. A few may go along with mates to see games not involving their club and plenty of us will catch at least one other game on the weekend. However, Melbourne's winter soul is not only football, but it is also about time spent on any one of the city's café strips, visiting galleries, rummaging around second hand shops, or reading a book under a rotunda in one of the many gardens. Which leads me to the question of why anyone would even think that I consider staying at home and watching Sydney versus Fremantle on TV and then ask me to write a report on it.
I suppose it would be different if I got paid for this, but sadly, the only reward I get is a warm fuzzy feeling rather than cold hard cash. So I take on this task on editor's good faith and your faith that I'm writing about something I actually watched, but the fact is... well, when the cafe lattes are so good and the book I'm reading (the new James Ellroy novel) is so involving and it looks like I'm getting somewhere with the waitress at my favourite café... well, forgive me if I didn't spend my Sunday in front of the television.
So, I'll happily admit that my care factor for Sydney versus Fremantle is pretty close to zero. If you want to know what happened during the match, pick up the newspaper or get the video. However, I do know the result and I will analyse it in the light of how it affect's each team's season.
The Swans won the game, thus snapping a five game losing streak. I have some doubts about the value of a win over Fremantle, but I took note that Geelong, who snapped their own losing streak against Fremantle last week, took some confidence from the result and had a mighty fine win against the Tigers. The Swans will need all the confidence they can get as they face the in-form Collingwood next week at Colonial Stadium, but in the whole scheme of things, well, four points is four points and this game will only be remembered as the answer to a trivia question, "Who were the opponents in Troy Luff's 150th match?" Actually, there might be a second trivia question too if the axes get brought out in the west. How about, "Who were the opponents in Damien Drum's last game as coach of the Fremantle Dockers?"
Now to the losers who, and this shouldn't surprise you, were Fremantle. They're a funny team. They have a midfield that is football's equivalent of a McLaren's F1 engine (sorry, but Essendon seem to have the Ferarri one), but unfortunately, they've stuck the damn thing in a Morris Minor. It runs well for a while, but it eventually explodes, sending the car parts all over the place (and the four points to their opponents), but somehow, the driver, Damien Drum, comes out battered and bruised, looking like death, but with the faintest of pulses.
The thing is that the Dockers are playing better football than what they did under Gerard Neesham, but there they sit, winless and in last place. I've figured out that the problem with Fremantle is that they expect one magic addition to the staff will be the catalyst for great things and fulfil the potential within their list. First it was Damien Drum that would do it. Then it was to be Rick Charlesworth and his tactical acumen. Next Peter Bell was to take them to the next stage. Now they're talking about poaching Terry Wallace, Rodney Eade, or Denis Pagan to try and get them to take the next step (oh, and don't forget another one or two highly placed draft picks). Hilariously, there was also talk that Fremantle would try and poach another midfielder in Simon Black to boost their on-field performance. I have no idea what Fremantle should do. But their fans should accept their fate and just be pessimists. Having written all that though, I see the Dockers have Richmond at Subiaco next week. Put a fiver on the Dockers for their first win of the year.
- Shinboners
http://www.afltips.com/people/shinboners.html
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