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Sunday afternoon will see Brisbane take on Melbourne at the ‘Gabba, North Melbourne take on Sydney at the Telstra Dome, and Hawthorn take on Richmond at the MCG. The last time the Lions met the Demons was in round fifteen of last year at the ‘Gabba, where they won by forty-four points. This year, there is a heavier and more pungent air of uncertainty around Melbourne’s future, having lost every game of the season to date. However, as is the nature of professional footy, anything can happen, and I think that the Lions, and Leigh Mathews, should be wary not to go into the match on Sunday assuming they will be four points heavier once it is over. Despite this, I think the Lions will win by twenty points.


The last time North Melbourne and Sydney met was in round six of last season at the Telstra Dome, when the Kangaroos were triumphant by sixteen points. This year, both teams are three wins from five, with the ‘for and against’ percentage putting Sydney at fourth and North Melbourne at sixth on the ladder. The Kangaroos are at home again, but I don’t think it will make much difference as both teams will be hungry for a win. I think Sydney will fall over the line by just under or over a goal.

The final game to be played on the weekend is between Hawthorn and Richmond. The last time these two met was at the MCG in round fifteen of last year, Richmond’s ‘revegetation’ year, and Hawthorn won by fifty three points. This year, Richmond has shown signs of improvement, winning two and drawing one game, putting them in the top eight, at eighth, on the ladder. However, Hawthorn is entering their sixth round undefeated, sharing the top spot on the ladder with Geelong. An upset would do the Tigers a world of good if they have hopes to finish the season in the eight; however, I think the Hawks are playing too well at the moment and will win by twenty points.

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Tonight, the Western Bulldogs take on the West Coast Eagles at the Telstra Dome. The last time they met was in round seventeen of last year, when Ben Cousins had returned after ‘overcoming’ his drug problems and Chris Judd was still a resident of the West and Captain of its eagles. They whitewashed the Bulldogs by a massive eighty seven points. This year, the Eagles are without Judd and Cousins and the cracks are forming. They have one win to their season and are fifteenth on the ladder, while the Bulldogs are at the other end of the ladder, at clean third, having won all but one of their games this season. The Bulldogs should win by about thirty points.

The other game to be played tonight is between Port Adelaide and St Kilda. The last time they met was in round five of last year, the year that Port finished second on the ladder and walked into the 2007 Grand Final against Geelong. Although Geelong was too good for them in the Final, Port managed to defeat the Saints in that early round of the season by fifty three points. This year, the Saints have won three, leaving them seventh on the ladder, while Port has only been victorious once, dropping them to thirteenth. It is a Port home-game, at AAMI Stadium, but the Saints are too strong this year and should win by about ten points.
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Tonight, Fremantle will take on the undefeated Geenlong at Subiaco. Fremantle has only won one game this season, beating their companions in the West, the Eagles, at Subiaco. The last time these two teams met was in round seventeen of last season, and the Cats overwhelmed the Dockers by sixty eight points. This year the Dockers have only won one game from five and sit fourteenth on the ladder, while the Cats are undefeated and are number one on the ladder. The Dockers have always been the team with the bodies to win games, but without the heart beats to keep them moving, and I think it would be far too chancy to call an upset with Geelong. Geelong should win by at least fifty points.

On Saturday afternoon, Carlton and Adelaide will go head to head at the MCG, a blues home game. The last time they met, Carlton went down to Adelaide by nineteen points in round nine of last season at the Telstra Dome. This year, both teams are doing well, Adelaide coming fifth on the ladder with three wins and two losses, Carlton coming eleventh with two wins and three losses. Carlton has won their last two games, against Collingwood and Melbourne, which might be an indication that they are ready to turn around their recent poor slump. Although I don’t think Carlton has developed enough to make the top eight this year I do believe that they are a strong chance for an upset against the Crows. I think the Blues will overcome the Crows by a small margin, perhaps one or two goals.

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This week’s footy kicks off on Friday afternoon with the Anzac Day test between Collingwood and Essendon. Last time they met was in round sixteen of last year when Collingwood dismantled the falling bombers by twenty nine points.

This season, both teams are struggling to make the impression that they once had on the game; both winning two games from five and falling just short of the top eight. However, I think their intensity levels will rise to meet the occasion and the fierce competition will spill into the overtime minutes of the fourth quarter


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Footy- those we love and loathe

April 23rd 2008 10:02
Footy is a passionate past time, for players and spectators, and it almost compels all involved in the game to develop a love for some players and teams and an extreme dislike for others. Some of mine are listed below.

Most loved team (s): Primarily, my love, passion and adoration lies with the Brisbane Lions. This love comes quite easily for someone who lives in Queensland because the Lions are the only team based in the Sunshine State. Therefore, for most people, AFL influence is Lions influence. I have been a member of the Club for five years now and attend most home games, waving my maroon, blue, and gold flag when they win; leaving early to "avoid traffic" when they lose. I count myself very lucky to have been alive during their golden era when they won three premierships in a row; I don't think I will be alive for them, or any other team, to do it again. All for one, one for all


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Back to reality

April 22nd 2008 09:41
The wonderful world of television is indeed a wonderful world; having provided us with distantly personal entertainment for over fifty years. However, it is not without its flaws. To make television a truly pleasurable experience the behind the scenes’ corporate heads controlling what we watch need to do two things: abolish reality television, and broadcast all eight AFL games a week on free to air television.

To me, the only thing worse than television shows dedicated to overweight people crying on the scales, or boring, unintelligent people trying to squeeze their overbearing personalities into a house filled with cameras, are those who sit on the couch watching, forever becoming duller, larger, and stupider. Those who argue that Corey Worthington should be ignored by the media were further enraged when he was allegedly offered a stint in the upcoming Big Brother series. I am of the view that he should definitely consider the offer: imagine a whole three months without his nauseating (un)intelligence weighing down our buoyant society; rich in literature, art, film and of course, footy. He needs to be with his people. It might be too much of me to ask of our major networks to eliminate reality television altogether because of the revenue it generates. Perhaps they could establish subordinate channels like they did when they introduced their high definition channels. Imagine, people would be able to sit in the indents of their couches absorbing all that ‘reality’ has to offer, all day


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Geelong have no-doubt proven that they are just as much the team to beat in 2008 as they were in 2007. They have convincingly won every game they have played this year, and twenty five of their last twenty six. Port Adelaide, struggling this year with only one win, defeating the lifeless West Coast Eagles on Sunday by fourteen points, were the last to overcome the Cats, by five points, in the late stages of last season. What the football world is waiting in anticipation for is the next team to stand up and to prove that a cat’s lives are limited.

I would only tip three teams in the competition to achieve the seemingly unachievable: Sydney, Hawthorn, and St Kilda. Sydney gave it their best on Saturday afternoon and was able to prevent the Cats from pouncing for most of the game. However, once Geelong found their comfort zone they started kicking goals out of every centre bounce, winning the game by a handy forty-two points. Hawthorn, who maintained their undefeated season by beating Brisbane by twelve points in a high scoring, Buddy/Bradshaw, fest on Saturday night, will have their chance in round seventeen. In recent years, St Kilda has entered every season as the ‘in form’ team to beat, but then seem to fold under the pressure and fall short of any final glory. Like Carlton, on paper the Saints are a team rich in talent and experience. However, the two teams struggle to put theory to practice and it might be a while before St Kilda is a strong enough unit to defeat the hungry cats


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AFL- expand or expunge?

April 17th 2008 10:44
Over the past 150 years, in which Australian Football and the Australian Football League (AFL) have been a part of Australia’s national identity, there have been many changes to the game and its community of followers. Now, the league, headed by CEO Andrew Dimetrio, looks to extend its grasp in the east by introducing two new teams into the competition: West Sydney and the Gold Coast. However, the questions regarding its practicability and probability of enhancing the game have quickly started to mount.

The AFL isn’t strange to introducing new clubs to the competition, officially launching the West Coast Eagles Football Club in 1986 and the Brisbane Lions Football Club in 1997. However, some may hold the opinion that the times have changed, the competition is too fierce to bring in a fresh line-up, and that the current Brisbane and Sydney teams focus enough AFL support in Queensland and New South Wales. Perhaps, the AFL Board is looking to other footy codes for reassurance: the Rugby League successfully introduced the Gold Coast Titans to their competition at the start of last year


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The Untouchables

April 16th 2008 11:55
In life there have always been and there will continue to be those people who possess those certain desired traits that compel the rest of us to follow their lead. In sport, these people earn the rank of untouchability by simply doing what they do, but doing it better than anyone else in their league, and perhaps in the history of their game. Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are by far the best example of this and have used their status to build personal micro-empires around their names and respective sporting abilities.

Australia’s home sung heroes, although on a smaller scale than the likes of Woods and Federer, are also financially and cognitively invested into for their grandeur. The gracefully flawless fielding abilities of Andrew Symonds were hired for almost one and a half million dollars for the upcoming Indian Premier League; Matt Giteau fetches a similar salary for his skill on the rugby field; and, Chris Judd’s move from the West Coast Eagles’ Football Club to the Carlton Football Club were encouraged by a hefty pay package


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The stifling scrutiny that the AFL, and seemingly the entire Australian Media Machine, has put Barry Hall under for his callous ‘king-hit’ attack on West Coast Eagle defender, Brent Staker, has sparked questions in the minds of warm blooded footy fans, and social commentators alike, regarding the responsibility of professional sports identities to maintain an acceptable level of behaviour both on and off the field, and whether such violence still has a place in ‘contact’ sports such as AFL.

Firstly, I should point out that I do not condone violence in a social context, and there are enough statistics and emotional examples to suggest that violence in clubs and pubs is not worth the bottle of bourbon that was consumed to fuel such behaviour. However, is there a different code of ethics and moral obligations that can be applied when the violence takes place in the competitive and emotional environment of professional football


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