Time For The AFL Sides To Make Their Move
Time For The AFL Sides To Make Their Move. Round 18 has begun, with Geelong taking the top spot after defeating Melbourne on Thursday night at GMHBA Stadium. Brisbane’s loss to Essendon has now opened up the top four, while Collingwood and Carlton are hot on Chris Fagan’s tail.
For both Gold Coast and Port Adelaide, their finals chances are still alive with a big win. Sun Noah Anderson of Richmond shot after the siren to beat Richmond and the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda face off in what is a crucial game for both teams, with a loss resulting in an extended break during the spring season.
1. Geelong has put together a strong winning streak after defeating the reigning premiers in round 17. The Cats are now atop of the AFL ladder and looking set to claim top spot with just four rounds to go in the finals race.
Saturday night’s game at the MCG is a difficult task for Carlton. They still have games against Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Gold Coast and West Coast left to play.
2. Melbourne lost to Geelong, causing them to drop from first heading into the finals. Clayton Oliver broke his thumb and could miss a few weeks, which makes Melbourne’s work pretty difficult right now.
Next fortnight, Collingwood (Optus Stadium), Brisbane (Gabba), Carlton and Fremantle are expected to deploy full on attack tactics in a desperate attempt to stay alive as the ladder tightens.
3. With an emphatic win over St. Kilda, Fremantle have climbed back into the top two calculations. They will face up against the Swans who are in dire need of a win, but look to continue their winning streak.
Justin Longmuir’s men have looked strong in their past few victories. They’ll probably have to play teams like Sydney, Richmond and Melbourne before rounding out the season with three wins at Etihad Stadium.
4. Brisbane. 44 points (11-5 – 124 per cent). With not many excuses as to why Brisbane lost to Essendon at the Gabba and potentially cost them a top four chance, the Lions were struck down with COVID-19 protocols, resulting in five players missing the round 17 clash.
With the Bombers now struggling and games against Gold Coast, Richmond and GWS this week, the Lions must win two of these fixtures to secure a double chance or face off in a finals series. If they are successful with this feat, they would need to win at least two of their remaining three games against Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne.
5. Carlton had a great win against West Coast, with Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow combining for 10 goals and six behinds.
Geelong is an intriguing opponent for the Navy Blues – as the team attempt to climb back up in the ladder. This clash will see how much of a drop off in expectations was caused by their game against Collingwood last weekend.
Carlton will start favourites in the GWS clash, Adelaide, Brisbane and Collingwood before we head into September. Their fate is in their hands. How far will they go?
6. Collingwood escaped another scare with a seven-point victory over North Melbourne. The Pies prevailed in their round six clash at the MCG and were pushed but ultimately came away with the four premiership points.
Now that top four seems likely, clashes with Adelaide, Essendon and Port Adelaide could help the Tiger’s chances of a double-chance. However, meetings with Sydney, Melbourne and Carlton make for potential finals match-ups that will be some indicator on how the teams will shape up before round 23.
7. Sydney have been blasting out of the blocks in 2019 with a convincing win against the Bulldogs. They will now take on Fremantle at Optus Stadium in an interesting matchup. Lose that, and their chances for a top four finish could be gone.
8. Richmond lost to Gold Coast on a goal after the siren. The Richmond player that won the match later named “Karmichael Hunt” with a victory in 2012 might be another loss for the Tigers. In their first game this season, they tied North Melbourne, but they are currently eighth in percentage and will try to separate themselves from those below them in their next match against North Melbourne.
Entering the finals, Richmond have only lost three games by a combined margin of 11 points over the past seven rounds. The team is seeing the positives despite losing games and should feel confident of success leading into Round 23 against Fremantle and Brisbane.
9. Despite its best efforts, St Kilda couldn’t defeat premiership favorite Fremantle and lost in disappointing fashion. The Saints have proven that their best is on par with most teams in the competition, but they lack consistency in performance.
The Western Bulldogs are the team in front of Brisbane, demonstrating how these games may influence their place in the top 8 and their desire for a return to finals. The Doggies should beat the Eagles, Hawks and Brisbane to secure a spot in September.
10. Western Bulldogs were embarrassed by the Sydney Swans and this could have cost them their season.
Luke Beveridge’s men have had a hard time finding their bite over the past weeks, who have struggled in organizing their forward line and backline. There is still more hope to make this season successful, as they put their minds together to fight off St Kilda, Melbourne, Geelong and Fremantle in the final month of the season.
The Blues need to win three out of the four games left if they are going to make finals. If they can do so it will come down to a key game against GWS and then a back-to-back victories over Hawthorn. A string of near perfect games is required from here on out.
11. Gold coast.
With a victory against Richmond in the match after the siren, Gold Coast with have their season alive. With six in the remaining eight rounds, and plenty of winnable games, Gold Coast will need to pull a rabbit out of a hat to make finals for the first time. If Gold Coast can win at least two of Brisbane, Geelong and Essendon, they’ll be within striking distance but will need to defeat another two from North Melbourne, West Coast, and Hawthorn.
12. Port Adelaide has confirmed it is still alive in the 2017 season after smacking GWS, their biggest rival, over the weekend.
This team has been doing very well, but with a miserable 0-5 start in the previous 22 games, their shot of winning a premiership is gone. The Power face the Demons, Cats and Magpies over the next three weeks which will be their last chance to get into the eight.
Ken Hinkley’s men then face Richmond, Essendon and Adelaide to round out the year. With some serious momentum they can make the finals again. It is still unlikely, but they have the cattle that made back-to-back preliminary finals. Expect them to cause some damage.