AFL 2023

[Zzzptm]

It's the midfield, they need it so the whole thing doesn't breakdown if Danger's not in.

My tipping was 3/9 this week, did not see Adelaide doing well vs the Lions, but there they are.

Season shaping up to be Collingwood's to lose at this point.

[Jack the Stripper]

They are playing like they did at the start of the season even when they did have a midfield. I have no doubt the midfield is a part of the problem and having so many inexperienced players in the team but a lot of it is system based too. Scott was totally outcoached on Saturday, GWS went in with a plan and executed it well. Our ball movement/defending ball movement is an issue and defending ground balls in our defensive 50 is a major issue as well. Our defenders are all at sea when the ball hits the ground inside D50. Very tough stretch of games coming up. I think the plan would be to at least be 9/8 at rd 17 and hopefully have all our players back to have a serious crack at winning it from outside the top 4.

I tipped 4 this week. Adelaide gave me the 4.

[Zzzptm]

I think hoping for a winning season is not impossible, but with strength showing in Freo and the Dons, getting into the top 8 is going to be dependent on Geelong getting their system together, for sure. They need to play a better brand of footy.

[Zzzptm]

Dees are reverting to the median, as well. They're doing damn all against Carlton, when they should be lighting up the boards. They've lost to mid-tier teams recently and I think they're lining up to get gutted by Collingwood next week.

[Jack the Stripper]

Dees are reverting to the median, as well. They're doing damn all against Carlton, when they should be lighting up the boards. They've lost to mid-tier teams recently and I think they're lining up to get gutted by Collingwood next week.

I don’t think they can win the premiership. It’s Collingwood's to lose. Just a matter of who they’ll play and getting it right on the day.

[Zzzptm]

That sound you hear is me this morning singing the Geelong fight song. Great win over the Bulldogs, fun match to watch, and nice to see that midfield getting sorted.

[Jack the Stripper]

Fantastic tough backs to the wall win. The sort of win that builds belief and confidence.
Hopefully the Cats can get on a roll from here. With Danger, Duncan, Holmes and Stanley to return after the bye week I’m suddenly feeling good about the Cats again. Their best form is still ahead of them where’s maybe a lot of the other clubs near the top of the ladder have peaked a bit early. Here’s hoping anyway.

[Zzzptm]

8 games this week, and I'm expecting the following...

Swans def Saints - St. Kilda just couldn't get it together of late, after such a promising start. Wait, I've been following footy for this my 3rd year and I *KNOW* I've already said that before!

Bulldogs def by Power - Port seems to be the one team that hasn't agreed to let Collingwood just have it this year.

Hawks def Lions - calling an upset here, thinking the Hawks get another W amid cries of "Gabba Merchants!"

Crows def Eagles - it's West Coast, y'all. These guys have made the strongest case for getting the Wooden Spoon this year.

Dockers def Tigers - Home game for Freo, and their brand of footy is convincing.

Roos vs Giants - SOMEONE has to win this game. Head says GWS, heart says Roos, especially after they really gave it everything against the Dons.

Blues def by Bombers - Essendon ascendant and Damo's advice "I'll never tip Carlton again" sounds good to me.

Demons def by Magpies - Carlton was pitiful in its last game and the Dees were barely better. Collingwood's driving a steamroller to the GF and the Dees right now will put up as much resistance to that drive as would a plastic grocery bag on the road.

So, in Geelong's bye week, I'm looking to cheer for the Roos.

[Zzzptm]

Well, that Swans-Saints game was awful. St. Kilda couldn't get it together, but the Swans couldn't get it together even more. How exactly did the Swans get to the GF last year?

[Jack the Stripper]

I did say before the season started there was a question mark over the swans and if a young side like them could bounce back mentally from such a demoralising GF loss last year.

I tipped the Saints but it was a very ordinary game. Most sides would’ve beaten either team tonight.

[Zzzptm]

They just don't seem to be able to get it together. At least Geelong's had the excuse about injuries of late. But, even then, the team found a way to win vs Western Bulldogs.

[Zzzptm]

Woke up to see that Collingwood lost ugly to Melbourne.

[Jack the Stripper]

So looks like we’ve lost Dangerfield again for 3-4 weeks. To give you and idea just how tough that guy is, he received a heavy knock in the back/kidney region early in the 2nd quarter and looked in some distress, takes a lot for him to show any pain so was kinda worrying at the time, but he soldiered on and played out the game despite being in obvious discomfort. He went to the hospital straight after the game in an ambulance and turned out he had cracked ribs and a collapsed lung.

[Zzzptm]

Yeah, I thought that the Cats hadn't gotten any big injuries in that game and then "Dangerfield Out with Collapsed Lung" shows up in the news... oh man, I hope he recovers fully and quickly.

In the meantime, I think the Cats may be best served by getting some younger players out there and exposed to the action. Make the second half of the season a bit of a tune-up so they can be up for a GF run next year.

[Jack the Stripper]

Dempsey starred in the VFL so he might come back in after some consistent form. Another that caught the eye was our mid season draftee Mitch Hardie. Had 21 disposals, 8 tackles and some goal assists in the VFL.

Dangerfield is saying he wants to play next week lmao. He had to drive the 8hrs back from Adelaide to Geelong as he was prevented from flying back with the team with the lung issue.