45HG

Welcome, Demonlanders, to the real round 1! My word, there are some cracking games set for this long weekend (not least the one occurring on the G on Sunday at the divine time of 1:10 - around about the time Jesus rock and rolled from his tomb). After last weeks predictions effort (picking the polar opposite results) I think I might ditch that part of the preview. Carlton v Richmond It's been said before about this game - before turning into a cash bonanza for those who stick with the Blues - but this promises to be a scorching encounter. A good old fashioned game of midfield v midfield. Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Carrazzo et al up against Cotchin, Delidio, Martin and friends. Personally, I really rate the Richmond midfield and think that Hardwick has successfully drilled into them the tough, workmanlike attitude teams need to be successful. Not only do I think that Richmond will match it in the middle, but around the rest of the ground I think the Tiges are a good thing. Their defenders have developed well but will need to watch Betts and Garlett and their forwards should be too good for anyone Carlton can match them with if the Tiges get on top in the middle. The problem for Richmond will be if the Blues get a run on. No one runs forward of the ball more often than the Blues - great when they're ahead, rubbish when headed. Tigers for me. Bulldogs v Brisbane The less said about this game (and the next two) the better I think. The Bulldogs aren't going anywhere fast in my view and Brisbane have quietly compiled a formidable midfield with goal-kicking mids and forwards. This promises to be a drubbing, possibly the biggest of the round. GWS v Sydney Battle of the who car... Bridge. Yawn. Gold Coast v St Kilda Could be a closer match than expected. Gold Coast endured a tough year, but I think have some real steel in their middle. Guys like Bennell and Swallow promise to be very hard to stop (the previous an absolute jet). I think Prestia will improve but, notably, it'll be interesting to watch how Ablett is played this year. I think GC will be very good in a handful of games this year and it'll just be a matter of which ones it'll be. St Kilda's fleet of small forwards is enough to make you sick (in more ways than one) and they still have a very slick midfield. Look for them to be too good for the Suns, but the Suns will be quite plucky. Saints under 40. Melbourne v Port Adelaide I don't even know what to say. So much will depend on the fitness of our players - but even that is a double-edged sword. If we go in with too many underdone, we could be found wanting immensely. This'll be especially so if we were to go in with an unfit Clark and Dawes. I don't think Dawes will play for the simple fact that with he and Clark not at 100% we run the risk of inside 50s not being converted. A lumbering Dawes will not help the cause. The midfield duel will be interesting. Ours has been much improved since the midseason break last year (often winning inside 50s only to lose the match) whilst theirs, with Boak, Ebert etc isn't as terrible as it was feared to have become two seasons ago. Schulz will be dangerous and there always seems to be a previously unknown player who bobs up for 3-4 so look for that to happen. On the whole, however, with our improved fitness, midfield workrate and hopefully a fit focal point up forward, we should be too good... North Melbourne v Collingwood In the mould of Richmond v Carlton for mine. This could be a scorching match. Swan, Pendlebury, Beams (superstars of the comp) etc up against Swallow, Bastinac, Wells and co. (honest triers who run all day and use the footy pretty well). Any team with Petrie is one to be careful of but I think Collingwood will have a little too much polish overall - their depth is amazing, by the way. Frustrating. Hawthorn v Geelong "You haven't beaten us since Beijing"... Cats fans seem to harp on about to Hawks fans. A bizarre reference - essentially they're saying "you haven't beaten us since October (when no football was played) 2008!" Of course, the last match played before Beijing saw the Hawks win the granny. But I digress from that banal mock. I just think Hawthorn will be too good, but then I've thought that in the last few contests between these two and they just, simply, find a way to lose. The Cats don't seem to be regressing as quickly as I'd have liked but I will, again, for some reason go with the Hawks again. Any team with Buddy is hard to deny. Game of the Round North Collingwood/Carlton Richmond Thrashing of the Round Brisbane Dogs Potential upset of the round Suns

Good to see Kane Williamson chalk up 6.1 - 4 - 5 - 2

I've seen ads for the Dogs and Roos, so that dispels the first option.

"I'm trading you to West Coast for pick 88 which we aren't going to use on anyone."

And desperately hoping for a win, at that.

Didn't know where to put this, so I'll put it here. Why do we not have any membership ads? It's starting to annoy me.

I wonder what the record crowd is for an Easter Sunday game at the G with an interstate team involved. (I suppose it'd have to involve Melbourne) Very, very low 20s. Possibly high teens. In fact, it could be so bad that we could be ahead in the last quarter and still be disappointed when the crowd flashes up. However, you make your bed you lie in it. We've been woeful for so long that we can't expect that many people to be looking forward to the game. Hopefully the team takes that opportunity away from people this year by playing spirited, determined, tough footy - forcing people to come and watch the mighty red and blue once more! Edit: I'll do my own research. Wow. Going back to 2000 (As far as I can get crowd figures) only once has a match been played on the G involving an interstate side on Easter Sunday. 2007 Rd 2 - Western Bulldogs v Adelaide (5:10 pm) 27,199 (both teams coming off finals campaigns) I'd also forgotten that we often got the Easter Monday game - against the Hawks or Cats (who now own it).

A win on this pitch with no Clarke could boost confidence. Not losing 4-0 is pretty big, too. But you're right, it won't change a great deal. Will the Haus play in the Ashes? Geez, if injuries go our way we could have a very strong bowling line up to take to England. I think we'll get fairly outplayed in England for the most (although, 2009 was much closer that it seemed IMO) but I think the return series here will be almost dead level - we need to find at least two quality bats in that time, however.

I ripping VFL player - Melbourne seem to produce a lot of them.

Well, it's probably clear that I should give up the predictions! Strange how similar the two games have been. Both sides had 21-0 starts and were steamrolled from then on. West Coast really missed Nic Nat. His combination with Cox is deadly, but without him that spark wasn't there. Lecras injured again is a shame for him - he's a good footballer to watch but just can't stay on the park (great news for us for Round 3, though!).

The last two balls are possibly the worst pair I've seen in Australian cricket. Mitchell Johnson throws at the keepers end when the batsman was in his crease, not looking for a run, the ball goes a meter of Wade's head for four. Pattinson bowls one a mile down legside, unlucky for Wade that it was called byes not wides.

Well, shows what I know! Didn't see a minute of the game in the end, but was thrilled to see Adelaide in front early on. Couldn't believe Essendon peppiness to fight back the way they did. I heard the Watson was very good - carrying on from his great season last year - and Essendons smalls were too dangerous. We'll need intensity at the contest, our midfield will have to lift and we'll need to stop their smalls from easy crumbing goals. I suppose I was confused by this line, which certainly seems to imply that you don't enjoy games not involving Melbourne but we could.

Let me get this straight, you watch 20 hours of sport you don't enjoy on a weekly basis? I think you need to re-think some things...

Folks, here we go! Footy starts tomorrow night and, whilst I don't like the staggered start to the year, it's presented two tasty matches with a few layers of intrigue to them. Firstly, tomorrow night in Adelaide. All eyes will be on the Bombers to see how they respond to a terrible couple of months. They started with a bolt last year but fell away - essentially that's how I see this game going. I think Essendon will be very competitive. They're a proud club and looked immense early last year. Adelaide's midfield, however, will be too powerful IMO and the likes of Dangermouse and Thompson will help Adelaide run over the top in front of their home fans. Walker could be anything this year. Adelaide by 21. West Coast versus Freo tosses up a couple of teams who would rate themselves for top four. One of them, I feel, will turn out to be more of a pretender. Freo, without Sandi, could be left short against the quality Eagles talls. Guys like Cox, Kennedy et al could be hard to stop but I think the biggest factor will be West Coast's press. They are immensely good at it and shut teams down regularly. This is what I think will get them over the line - they can be so hard to score against when in the right mood. West Coast by 37.

I'd rather not post my team - I won't use the "R" word, but...

No doubt about it, AB is a gun - my word Amla is a champion. Starc is a wonderful cricketer. He plays the game in a great spirit. Dangerous with the ball and shows wonderful application with the bat, whether he's trying to bat it out or play his shots. Pujara looks mighty impressive. Unlucky to be given out. It'll be interesting if Haddin plays (well) in the 4th...

Missed the draft feel like a kid who's woken up on Boxing Day (and doesn't enjoy cricket) after falling asleep on Christmas Eve. Anyone can spare a backman?

I was convinced that, upon opening this thread, I was to read that Clark had done his back.

I'm sorry but, due mainly to poor umpiring, that's not true.

Dhawan has also scored about 6000 first class runs as well.

Dhawan scores the fastest century on debut!

Starc one run short of a century. Vics 12 runs short of a final?

Haha knew it'd happen. Pushes for Clarke to move up for over a year. Bats three - gone first ball. Unlike Clarke to be so undone by spin - good bowling, poor batting, team imbalance distracting or a combination of them? Australia's No. 3 against spin: last 40 balls, 0 runs, five wickets Nasher!

Vic's 7/264

Godwin's Law essentially states that the probability of any Internet conversation mentioning Hitler approaches 1 the longer it goes. 186 is our Hitler.