AFL Round 17*

[Booney]

LIKELY ROUND 17 FIXTURE (All times AEST)

Thursday July 8
Port Adelaide v Melbourne, 7:40pm at Adelaide Oval

Friday July 9
Essendon v Adelaide Crows, 7:50pm at Marvel Stadium

Saturday July 10
Carlton v Geelong Cats, 1:45pm at the MCG
Hawthorn v Fremantle, 4:35pm at UTAS Stadium
Brisbane Lions v St Kilda, Gabba (pending government approval)*

Sunday July 11
GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns, 1:10pm at Mars Stadium
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans, 3:20pm at Marvel Stadium
Richmond v Collingwood, 4:40pm at the MCG

Monday July 12
West Coast Eagles v North Melbourne, night slot (potentially 8:10pm) at Optus Stadium

[locky801]

Thursday July 8
Port Adelaide v Melbourne, Port to keep Melbourne dropping down the list

Friday July 9
Essendon v Adelaide Crows, Essendon to kick 6 in a 1/4 will be enough to win

Saturday July 10
Carlton v Geelong Cats, Geelong to send Carlton back into their usual form
Hawthorn v Fremantle, Hawks to celebrate silks 401st with a win against an inaccurate Freo
Brisbane Lions v St Kilda, Brisbane, doesnt matter where it's played

Sunday July 11
GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns, Giants to win and stay in the 8
Western Bulldogs v Sydney Swans, Bulldogs but wouldnt be surprised with a Sydney win
Richmond v Collingwood, Richmond might get lucky

Monday July 12
West Coast Eagles v North Melbourne, Eagles, only because it's at Optus

[Rik E Boy]

Port v Melbourne an interesting game. For me it's an absolute must win game for Melbourne. Yes, the match is away from home but Port have more than their fair share of injuries and if the Demons are fair dinkum they should win the game. The way they have been playing this season is also well set up to counter Port's strength. While Port have improved and it's no longer Dixon or nothing, Dixon remains massively important and the defenders are still on song even though the Demons have dropped three of their last five.

A lot will depend on Melbourne using their brains for a change. They are too short up front and Viney is holding them back massively. He's added nothing since being brought back into the side and they are starting to struggling to win in the centre. Demons midfield was trash and if they get beaten in there again they won't kick a score and Port are a free scoring team, especially if they can get an early lead at home.

Sorry Porties but I'm picking you and my tipping is trash.

regards,

REB

[Lightning McQueen]

Port v Melbourne an interesting game. For me it's an absolute must win game for Melbourne. Yes, the match is away from home but Port have more than their fair share of injuries and if the Demons are fair dinkum they should win the game. The way they have been playing this season is also well set up to counter Port's strength. While Port have improved and it's no longer Dixon or nothing, Dixon remains massively important and the defenders are still on song even though the Demons have dropped three of their last five.

A lot will depend on Melbourne using their brains for a change. They are too short up front and Viney is holding them back massively. He's added nothing since being brought back into the side and they are starting to struggling to win in the centre. Demons midfield was trash and if they get beaten in there again they won't kick a score and Port are a free scoring team, especially if they can get an early lead at home.

Sorry Porties but I'm picking you and my tipping is trash.

regards,

REB

The Dee's play well against us over here.

[Booney]

Port v Melbourne an interesting game. For me it's an absolute must win game for Melbourne. Yes, the match is away from home but Port have more than their fair share of injuries and if the Demons are fair dinkum they should win the game. The way they have been playing this season is also well set up to counter Port's strength. While Port have improved and it's no longer Dixon or nothing, Dixon remains massively important and the defenders are still on song even though the Demons have dropped three of their last five.

A lot will depend on Melbourne using their brains for a change. They are too short up front and Viney is holding them back massively. He's added nothing since being brought back into the side and they are starting to struggling to win in the centre. Demons midfield was trash and if they get beaten in there again they won't kick a score and Port are a free scoring team, especially if they can get an early lead at home.

Sorry Porties but I'm picking you and my tipping is trash.

regards,

REB

Big game for both sides. Melbourne need to stop the slide or the top 4 spot they've worked to get could slip away quickly, Melbourne have Port this week away, in 3 weeks the Bulldogs, followed by West Coast away and finish with Geelong. Hawthorn, Gold Coast and Adelaide their other three. They could win them all, could drop 4 of them.

Port have the chance to take a scalp and work towards a top 4 spot with St Kilda, Collingwood, GWS, Adelaide and Carlton before finishing with the Bulldogs giving us a real shot at a top 4 finish. If we can knock of Melbourne, go to 12-4 with Butters, Duursma and Clurey back in the next week or two then Fantasia and Jones not far behind we can look at a top 4 finish.

Whichever side wins on Thursday looks forward with confidence, whichever side loses could miss the top 4. Huge game.

[Lightning McQueen]

Port have the chance to take a scalp and work towards a top 4 spot with St Kilda, Collingwood, GWS, Adelaide and Carlton before finishing with the Bulldogs giving us a real shot at a top 4 finish. If we can knock of Melbourne, go to 12-4 with Butters, Duursma and Clurey back in the next week or two then Fantasia and Jones not far behind we can look at a top 4 finish.

Whichever side wins on Thursday looks forward with confidence, whichever side loses could miss the top 4. Huge game.

A lot hinges on Boak's availability this week IMO, he may not be captain but he's our leader and barometer.

I'm excited about getting Butters, Duursma and Clurey back, I'd be more inclined to leave Fantasia out, I'm not sold that he's in our best 22 and apart from showing slight glimpses from time to time, he's not someone we need.

We have Rozee, Motlop, Georgiadis and SPP that play similar roles and play them with similar or more consistency, we have Mayes, Bergman and Frederick who we are putting time in to for development for similar roles, I was excited about Fanta coming here but he's been a disappointment.

I'd keep Jones in the SANFL for a couple of weeks too upon return, he too has fizzled out since bursting on to the scene, we need to find the right line between development and gifting games.

[Booney]

19 goals in 11 games for Fantasia, all but 2 a game, he's the cream on top of the pressure the others apply. I think he has a role to play.

[Bum Crack]

Melbourne will win quite convincingly. Port are no good against good teams. Plain and simple.

[Jim05]

19 goals in 11 games for Fantasia, all but 2 a game, he's the cream on top of the pressure the others apply. I think he has a role to play.

Trouble is keeping on the park.
Was originally a 1-2 week injury and that was weeks ago. Still hearing he is about 3 weeks away

[Jim05]

Dees are ordinary, Port by 5-6 goals

[Booney]

Melbourne will win quite convincingly. Port are no good against good teams. Plain and simple.

Down on troops against Bulldogs and Geelong, lost by 19 and 21, so hard to fully judge but the evidence suggests we're a bit off the top couple of sides.

Melbourne on the other hand are dead set pretenders who had everyone fooled a month ago.

Battle of the sides who will take 4th spot I reckon.

[Bum Crack]

Melbourne will win quite convincingly. Port are no good against good teams. Plain and simple.

Down on troops against Bulldogs and Geelong, lost by 19 and 21, so hard to fully judge but the evidence suggests we're a bit off the top couple of sides.

Melbourne on the other hand are dead set pretenders who had everyone fooled a month ago.

Battle of the sides who will take 4th spot I reckon.

What will that make Port when they lose Thursday night?

[Booney]

Melbourne will win quite convincingly. Port are no good against good teams. Plain and simple.

Down on troops against Bulldogs and Geelong, lost by 19 and 21, so hard to fully judge but the evidence suggests we're a bit off the top couple of sides.

Melbourne on the other hand are dead set pretenders who had everyone fooled a month ago.

Battle of the sides who will take 4th spot I reckon.

What will that make Port when they lose Thursday night?

Down on troops.

You've all got Port worked out as not good enough to beat the top sides, you haven't worked out Melbourne are the same just yet.

[Lightning McQueen]

19 goals in 11 games for Fantasia, all but 2 a game, he's the cream on top of the pressure the others apply. I think he has a role to play.

4 of them were against North in round 1 in a 52 point win, 3 were against the Saints in another drubbing, his combined 24 disposals in the 3 losses indicates to me that he's another down hill skier we have, I don't think we have room for any more if we want to be a serious threat against quality opposition as I'd have all the others I listed in front of him.

[Bum Crack]

Melbourne will win quite convincingly. Port are no good against good teams. Plain and simple.

Down on troops against Bulldogs and Geelong, lost by 19 and 21, so hard to fully judge but the evidence suggests we're a bit off the top couple of sides.

Melbourne on the other hand are dead set pretenders who had everyone fooled a month ago.

Battle of the sides who will take 4th spot I reckon.

What will that make Port when they lose Thursday night?

Down on troops.

You've all got Port worked out as not good enough to beat the top sides, you haven't worked out Melbourne are the same just yet.

Melbourne are doing ok. I'm not ragging on Port. They're just not good enough.

[Booney]

Agreed, we're not there with Brisbane, the Bulldogs and Geelong who I think are the three to beat in that order but anyone having Melbourne in there are kidding themselves.

[Lightning McQueen]

Agreed, we're not there with Brisbane, the Bulldogs and Geelong who I think are the three to beat in that order but anyone having Melbourne in there are kidding themselves.

It's a blessing in disguise that the Lions haven't had Neale for fair portions of the season.

[locky801]

Agreed, we're not there with Brisbane, the Bulldogs and Geelong who I think are the three to beat in that order but anyone having Melbourne in there are kidding themselves.

True but reality is you win Thursday night, results of some other games go your way, come Monday night your on top of the ladder

[Booney]

Agreed, we're not there with Brisbane, the Bulldogs and Geelong who I think are the three to beat in that order but anyone having Melbourne in there are kidding themselves.

True but reality is you win Thursday night, results of some other games go your way, come Monday night your on top of the ladder

Missing 4 or 5, not playing our best, I'm glad we've been written off.

[Bum Crack]

Agreed, we're not there with Brisbane, the Bulldogs and Geelong who I think are the three to beat in that order but anyone having Melbourne in there are kidding themselves.

True but reality is you win Thursday night, results of some other games go your way, come Monday night your on top of the ladder

Missing 4 or 5, not playing our best, I'm glad we've been written off.

Problem with Port, is they struggle to win at home against the good teams. Let's say you have say a 4 goal advantage on your home deck, you are still getting quite comprehensively beaten by the good teams when that is taken into account. How do you expect to be a flag contender when you can't beat decent teams on your home deck? I think Thursday night will prove my point precisely..