Season 2018 – What May Be?
Greetings Tipsters,
Here it comes, the blockbusting bounce, long into the forward line. And back out again.
“Ease this one through. Blistering start.” Game’s been running 3 minutes and that’s all the commentary I can stand. Now I can hear the crickets outside, the tyres swishing on the wet streets, I’m wearing a jumper for the first time since last football season so I guess some sort of anticipatory prognostication is in order.
Last season was uncommonly even, the worst team not as bad as days of yore, the best team not as good. Is this the new normal? It used to be dead easy to write off half a dozen teams well in advance of Round 1, and not that long ago. Much is less definite now.
So, based on clubs odds of making the finals, we begin with:
No Chance:
Brisbane – signs of improvement last year, didn’t lose a dozen highly rated players.
Gold Coast – don’t play a home game until winter, debut season from hell for a coach.
North – just not good enough, been rebuilding since turn of the century.
Outside Chance:
Carlton – a work in progess, not doing it too badly.
Collingwood – likely to be inconsistent, tease with a few unexpected wins.
Fremantle – not enough goalkickers.
Hawthorn – it’s Hawthorn, maybe they’re a fair chance.
St Kilda – the eternal rebuild.
Fair Chance:
Essendon – made finals last year, topped up with a few good players.
Footscray – won a flag eighteen months ago but not a dynasty or anything like it.
Melbourne – everyone else says so.
West Coast – just because.
Good Chance:
Adelaide – topped the ladder last year.
Geelong – always about.
GWS – a very good team, if no longer the list everyone drools over.
Port – so you’d think, but what if all those new players don’t gel?
Richmond – Premiers, reasonably young list.
Sydney – always about.
Gee, that didn’t take long, it’s only halftime. Pleasantly peaceful evening, esp cos there’s no Richmond fans about.
There was a ‘Glossary of Stats’ on the ‘AFL’ website a little while ago, must have been at least fifty of them. Champion Data record vast reams of stats on all manner of impossibly obscure indices and sell them to the clubs. The sport is driven by details that the average mug is mostly ignorant of. So we mutter and groan when something incomprehensible happens but console ourselves in the knowledge that the coach and his squadrons of assistants and analysts must have something figured out cos they know how to use figures of ‘one on one contest target’ and ‘ineffective ground kick’ while we yell “ya bloody goose!”
I like the sound of ‘Hit Out Shark’, that movie would almost write itself.
Cheers Tipsters
P&C, A Stop Privatisation Of Footy Production.
Brought to you with the assistance of silence (my CD and record players are out of action.)
About Earl O'Neill
Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.
“Without music, life would be a mistake” – Nietzsche.
Hope the stereo gets well soon. Your Monaros are my pick for the flag. My Eagles are closer to the spoon.