AFL Round 19 Preview
Richmond v Collingwood
The Tip: Collingwood by 30 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Josh Fraser
Chance For An Upset: The Tigers nearly had Collingwood last time they played, so it could be closer than some expect.
Richmond
They win if....they put J Bowden at half forward like they did earlier in his career, that might mean Polak on Rocca and Riewoldt against Cloke.
The Good News: Connors deserves his spot in the team, it should be questioned as to why he wasn't in the team earlier in the season.
The Bad News: Even with one hand, Deledio would be one of their best players, but if his hand is still sore maybe they should give him a bit more time to recover.
Collingwood
They win if....their experienced and stronger bodies in the middle control the football.
The Good News: Buckley might only be a week away.
The Bad News: Clarke is having a rest, not a bad idea as some in sports think there is a "rookie wall" that affects players in their first year, but the fans will miss the excitement he generates.
Hawthorn v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 21 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jason Roe
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn might be expected to win this game, but with Brown and the rest of Brisbane's forwards on fire they might keep their streak going.
Hawthorn
They win if....one of their ruckmen is able to defeat Charman, Campbell has the hardness to compete with him while Taylor has an edge in height.
The Good News: Boyle, Franklin and Roughead have become a great combination of talls in the forward line.
The Bad News: They are winning, signing their young players to new contracts, there isn't a lot of bad news there although some fans could be disappointed that they haven't seen Mr Kennedy Version 3.0 playing for the Hawks.
Brisbane
They win if....they can figure out who should play on Franklin, Merrett on Roughead should be fun to watch and maybe against Franklin Roe gets a go.
The Good News: They have never lost when their Leuenberger with the lot has been in the side.
The Bad News: McGrath is out, but the blow is lessened with Chris Johnson back.
Port Adelaide v Carlton
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are a chance, if Fevola and Fisher kick a lot of goals, but their supply may be limited with the Power owning the middle thanks to Lade.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Ebert and Westhoff take apart a Carlton back line that struggles against marking players.
The Good News: Chad Cornes has to get the title as the AFL's most versatile player, he is like MacGyver as he can fix anything, Cornes might go forward in this game with Tredrea out again.
The Bad News: They did miss Brogan last week, Lade has a new tag-team partner for this round with Deluca playing.
Carlton
They win if....Ackland has a big game against one of his former teams, he has been playing a lot better since the coaching change.
The Good News: Hampson is an emergency, they need to get him into a few games after taking him so high in the last AFL draft.
The Bad News: Gibbs and Boak can have a chat and compare how many times they have heard that Joel Selwood should have been drafted before them.
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne can compete in the middle as White is better than what the Bulldogs have in the ruck, but they will need a bit more than they usually get at both ends of the ground so it will be up to someone like Robertson to win the game.
Melbourne
They win if....Newton is used more than Neitz when they go forward, that could unbalance the Bulldogs in the back if Neitz takes Harris away from the action.
The Good News: Sheedy could be their next coach.
The Bad News: It seems to be the end for Miller at Melbourne, but plenty of other teams will want him if that does happen.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they use the game-plan from the last quarter against the Saints for this game, not what they did in the other three quarters.
The Good News: Akermanis must surely be worth what they are paying him, the Bulldogs' sponsors would have seen their names on the front pages of the papers as well as on the national news broadcasts.
The Bad News: Too many players look to kick backwards.
Sydney v St Kilda
The Tip: Sydney by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Peter Everitt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints should make this a closer contest than some expect, but with Barry back in the back half it means the Swans should be able to contain the Saints' tall forward line.
Sydney
They win if....Everitt and Jolly use their height and experience advantage to dominate in the ruck.
The Good News: Buchanan and Schneider have really excelled since returning to the side.
The Bad News: The opposition coach knows a bit more about the Swans than other coaches.
St Kilda
They win if....their defenders run hard all game, to get back in front of Hall and to also get the ball quickly to Riewoldt down the other end.
The Good News: Riewoldt and Jones are named next to each other in the team lineup, it is like watching Big and Little Enos from Smokey and the Bandit.
The Bad News: The backup ruck spot needs addressing, they will try Rix again for this game.
Kangaroos v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: This should be one of the best matches for the round, if the Kangaroos are going to do anything in September they will need to win this game with home ground advantage.
Kangaroos
They win if....they unsettle the Eagles' stars in the middle, all they need to do is look at the video from last week to see how to go about it.
The Good News: Archer returns, he will be playing the role of Dean Solomon this week.
The Bad News: The Kangaroos won't want to lose this game as next week provides an even tougher opponent.
West Coast
They win if....when the two teams last met it was all about Dean Cox, if he has another big game it should get them another win.
The Good News: They won't have to deal with a couple of angry brothers this week.
The Bad News: A TV channel decided earlier in the week that they needed to bleep out the name of their brawny midfielder, a bit ironic because earlier in the season they were bleeping out that player's speech.
Geelong v Adelaide
The Tip: Geelong by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Cameron Mooney
Chance For An Upset: It is Geelong at Geelong, few teams can even get close to them now when they have home city advantage.
Geelong
They win if....they are patient if the Crows play a very defensive game with a lot of players behind the play.
The Good News: The Cats are bringing in three impressive players, Chapman, Enright and Ottens.
The Bad News: They could be trying three ruckmen for this game, it won't matter for this week but it is probably unworkable in September.
Adelaide
They win if....they try something different, maybe put Burton in the ruck, at least that would make it difficult for the big Geelong ruckmen aroudn the ground.
The Good News: Ricciuto is still there, some people put captain plus announcement together and came up with retirement.
The Bad News: A lot of injuries and now club suspensions, the Crows need to be allowed to have a larger list of players.
Fremantle v Essendon
The Tip: Fremantle by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Solomon
Chance For An Upset: Not a lot of people think Essendon can do it but they have the big ruckmen, forwards and defenders who can dominate a game. Fremantle showed last week that they can be a force, but they also lost a lot of games this year when they were supposed to win.
Fremantle
They win if....they get close to the intensity that they played with last round.
The Good News: The video was looked at but no suspensions resulted from last round.
The Bad News: While they can still make the finals, they left their run a bit late as they have to win all their remaining games to have a chance.
Essendon
They win if....they get McPharlin out of the action, use his opponent to drag him away which could mean Lucas or even Gumbleton becomes the focal point of their forward structure.
The Good News:
The Bad News: Harvey versus Sheedy, not just for this game but possibly for a coaching spot next season. Harvey might have the advantage here as he knows plenty of Sheedy's tricks.
The Tip: Collingwood by 30 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Josh Fraser
Chance For An Upset: The Tigers nearly had Collingwood last time they played, so it could be closer than some expect.
Richmond
They win if....they put J Bowden at half forward like they did earlier in his career, that might mean Polak on Rocca and Riewoldt against Cloke.
The Good News: Connors deserves his spot in the team, it should be questioned as to why he wasn't in the team earlier in the season.
The Bad News: Even with one hand, Deledio would be one of their best players, but if his hand is still sore maybe they should give him a bit more time to recover.
Collingwood
They win if....their experienced and stronger bodies in the middle control the football.
The Good News: Buckley might only be a week away.
The Bad News: Clarke is having a rest, not a bad idea as some in sports think there is a "rookie wall" that affects players in their first year, but the fans will miss the excitement he generates.
Hawthorn v Brisbane
The Tip: Brisbane by 21 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Jason Roe
Chance For An Upset: Hawthorn might be expected to win this game, but with Brown and the rest of Brisbane's forwards on fire they might keep their streak going.
Hawthorn
They win if....one of their ruckmen is able to defeat Charman, Campbell has the hardness to compete with him while Taylor has an edge in height.
The Good News: Boyle, Franklin and Roughead have become a great combination of talls in the forward line.
The Bad News: They are winning, signing their young players to new contracts, there isn't a lot of bad news there although some fans could be disappointed that they haven't seen Mr Kennedy Version 3.0 playing for the Hawks.
Brisbane
They win if....they can figure out who should play on Franklin, Merrett on Roughead should be fun to watch and maybe against Franklin Roe gets a go.
The Good News: They have never lost when their Leuenberger with the lot has been in the side.
The Bad News: McGrath is out, but the blow is lessened with Chris Johnson back.
Port Adelaide v Carlton
The Tip: Port Adelaide by 55 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Kane Cornes
Chance For An Upset: Carlton are a chance, if Fevola and Fisher kick a lot of goals, but their supply may be limited with the Power owning the middle thanks to Lade.
Port Adelaide
They win if....Ebert and Westhoff take apart a Carlton back line that struggles against marking players.
The Good News: Chad Cornes has to get the title as the AFL's most versatile player, he is like MacGyver as he can fix anything, Cornes might go forward in this game with Tredrea out again.
The Bad News: They did miss Brogan last week, Lade has a new tag-team partner for this round with Deluca playing.
Carlton
They win if....Ackland has a big game against one of his former teams, he has been playing a lot better since the coaching change.
The Good News: Hampson is an emergency, they need to get him into a few games after taking him so high in the last AFL draft.
The Bad News: Gibbs and Boak can have a chat and compare how many times they have heard that Joel Selwood should have been drafted before them.
Melbourne v Western Bulldogs
The Tip: Western Bulldogs by 44 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Scott West
Chance For An Upset: Melbourne can compete in the middle as White is better than what the Bulldogs have in the ruck, but they will need a bit more than they usually get at both ends of the ground so it will be up to someone like Robertson to win the game.
Melbourne
They win if....Newton is used more than Neitz when they go forward, that could unbalance the Bulldogs in the back if Neitz takes Harris away from the action.
The Good News: Sheedy could be their next coach.
The Bad News: It seems to be the end for Miller at Melbourne, but plenty of other teams will want him if that does happen.
Western Bulldogs
They win if....they use the game-plan from the last quarter against the Saints for this game, not what they did in the other three quarters.
The Good News: Akermanis must surely be worth what they are paying him, the Bulldogs' sponsors would have seen their names on the front pages of the papers as well as on the national news broadcasts.
The Bad News: Too many players look to kick backwards.
Sydney v St Kilda
The Tip: Sydney by 15 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Peter Everitt
Chance For An Upset: The Saints should make this a closer contest than some expect, but with Barry back in the back half it means the Swans should be able to contain the Saints' tall forward line.
Sydney
They win if....Everitt and Jolly use their height and experience advantage to dominate in the ruck.
The Good News: Buchanan and Schneider have really excelled since returning to the side.
The Bad News: The opposition coach knows a bit more about the Swans than other coaches.
St Kilda
They win if....their defenders run hard all game, to get back in front of Hall and to also get the ball quickly to Riewoldt down the other end.
The Good News: Riewoldt and Jones are named next to each other in the team lineup, it is like watching Big and Little Enos from Smokey and the Bandit.
The Bad News: The backup ruck spot needs addressing, they will try Rix again for this game.
Kangaroos v West Coast
The Tip: West Coast by 2 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Cox
Chance For An Upset: This should be one of the best matches for the round, if the Kangaroos are going to do anything in September they will need to win this game with home ground advantage.
Kangaroos
They win if....they unsettle the Eagles' stars in the middle, all they need to do is look at the video from last week to see how to go about it.
The Good News: Archer returns, he will be playing the role of Dean Solomon this week.
The Bad News: The Kangaroos won't want to lose this game as next week provides an even tougher opponent.
West Coast
They win if....when the two teams last met it was all about Dean Cox, if he has another big game it should get them another win.
The Good News: They won't have to deal with a couple of angry brothers this week.
The Bad News: A TV channel decided earlier in the week that they needed to bleep out the name of their brawny midfielder, a bit ironic because earlier in the season they were bleeping out that player's speech.
Geelong v Adelaide
The Tip: Geelong by 33 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Cameron Mooney
Chance For An Upset: It is Geelong at Geelong, few teams can even get close to them now when they have home city advantage.
Geelong
They win if....they are patient if the Crows play a very defensive game with a lot of players behind the play.
The Good News: The Cats are bringing in three impressive players, Chapman, Enright and Ottens.
The Bad News: They could be trying three ruckmen for this game, it won't matter for this week but it is probably unworkable in September.
Adelaide
They win if....they try something different, maybe put Burton in the ruck, at least that would make it difficult for the big Geelong ruckmen aroudn the ground.
The Good News: Ricciuto is still there, some people put captain plus announcement together and came up with retirement.
The Bad News: A lot of injuries and now club suspensions, the Crows need to be allowed to have a larger list of players.
Fremantle v Essendon
The Tip: Fremantle by 22 points
Best-On-Ground Guess: Dean Solomon
Chance For An Upset: Not a lot of people think Essendon can do it but they have the big ruckmen, forwards and defenders who can dominate a game. Fremantle showed last week that they can be a force, but they also lost a lot of games this year when they were supposed to win.
Fremantle
They win if....they get close to the intensity that they played with last round.
The Good News: The video was looked at but no suspensions resulted from last round.
The Bad News: While they can still make the finals, they left their run a bit late as they have to win all their remaining games to have a chance.
Essendon
They win if....they get McPharlin out of the action, use his opponent to drag him away which could mean Lucas or even Gumbleton becomes the focal point of their forward structure.
The Good News:
The Bad News: Harvey versus Sheedy, not just for this game but possibly for a coaching spot next season. Harvey might have the advantage here as he knows plenty of Sheedy's tricks.
