The 2017 Kepler Wessels Cup – Round 2

Greetings Tipsters

 

That aint the ladder most folks would have expected after two rounds.  Port, Richmond, Hawthorn, Sydney, f’rinstance.  The Eight, generally.

 

The Schoolies and the Funky Purps are already done.  And dusted.  I watched the Monaros v Schoolies match, aside from a patch when the boys from the beach kicked 5 straight, it was a training run for the westies.  I aint gonna rate ‘em for a flag too soon cos they’ve traded away all the talented backups.  Two or three serious injuries, the chances are cruelled.  They’ve never won away against a serious contender.  Not to say it won’t happen, but they aint the lay down misere many have predicted.

 

Mayblooms and Bloods, two wins behind the Eight at zip and two.  Much was made of that stat when Collingwood lost on Thurseve.  I had an inkling last year that Sydney might have blown their last best chance for a flag for some while but they continue to regenerate the list – three debutants on the weekend and seven players with 40-odd games between them.

 

I’m not so sanguine about the happy team from Hawthorn.  The core of the championship team is aging or gone.  Twice they’ve got out to an early lead then been overrun by seven or eight goals.  The close matches they won last year won’t be won this year.  If I was a betting man I wouldn’t put money on them to make the finals, but I might punt on Sydney – who this week have their lowest ladder ranking of the century.

 

Doubt I’d punt on any other 0-2 team to make the finals.  Check the percentages.  Nine teams have at least 121.4, nine have no more than 87.9.  That’s a lot of ground to make up  Which teams get to play the Schoolies or the Purps twice?  Last year the Eight was pretty much set early, Round Four or so, that mayn’t be the pattern this year but we’ll have a better idea of how things are panning out in a few weeks time.

 

Predictions and prognostications, they are fun, aint they?  It’s a Wacky Eight, full of teams we’ve gotten used to writing off.  Melbourne, f’rinstance.  Great start to the year, then, oops, Lewis and Hogan out for an idiotic few.  Maybe they’ll dig deep and overcome Geelong, a team that isn’t as good as it should be.  Richmond face a test somewhat more stern than the last two matches, but a test for the Wiggles too, who had a lousy record away from home last year.

 

Footscray get the percentage booster and hasn’t Trav been a revelation?  Everyone wondered if he’d fit in, but he’s doing fine so far, playing in a team brimming with confidence and skills.  Get on the lead, take the mark, kick the goal.  As opposed to run around, wonder where the ball will fall, go to a contest against three.  Boyd had a breakout match in the Big ‘Un, it’ll help him to have Trav anchoring the forward line.

 

Essendon could be three-zip and top four by Suneve, but the real action is at the Adelaide Oval on Satnite.  Has there been a Showdown pitting First against Second?  It’s a Port home game too – are they still playing that horrible INXS song?  You just get a feeling, as Bruce is wont to say, that the Crows are the better all-round team, but Port have left the blocks in great form and will be brimful of vim, vigour and a bit of the ol’ vinegar.

 

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  It used to be that the heavy grounds of winter would sort out the serious contenders from the pretenders but that’s not the defining aspect it used to be.  Still, with the usual power clubs flagging, it could get interesting.  Very interesting.

 

Cheers, Tipsters

 

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