Pies d Blues by 48. - Slaughter. Simple. Wow, I'm using slaughter a lot I think. Whats to say? Pies way too good for a classless Blues side.
Port d Hawks by 8. - Great win by the Power. Simply much better on the day and executed their plan to perfection. They ran a tired and disinterested looking Hawks team off their feet. Brilliant movement in numbers was relentless. Hawks are a better side than what they put out today. Looked out of sorts, and let a great opportunity slip.
Cats d Swans by 53. - It was periodic clinical Cats footy and at times the margin looked like it was going to be going well beyond 80 points. Essentially the game would be a real contest for 20 minutes, and then that Cats would go on a withering burst and kick 4 goals or so, and then it would go back to that contest. Whilst the margin suggests otherwise, the Swans weren't that outclassed. They had 2 more scoring shots, yet kicked 11 less goals. In accuracy cost them a lot.
Dees d Lions by 10. - Great win to the Dees. They controlled the game for the most part, but it became a fight when Brisnane started a comeback and managed to reduce the 31 point margin to 5. But the Dees steadied to win it by 10. Impressive effort away, and he Dees keep rolling along. The Lions yet again, have more soul searching to do.
Tigers d Crows by 20. - An ugly game in the first half opened up for the Tigers in the second with a 6 goal to 2 quarter that grabbed the lead after trailing by 19 at the main break. They managed to kick away 4 goals to 2 in the 4th to ensure the win. The Crows were dreadful, again, in front of the big sticks, and will be ruing a missed opportunity to keep touch with the 8.
Dogs d Roos by 78 - It was a game where the Dogs powered away to a solid lead, and though challenged in the second they virtually maintained it. The third was the turning point were running power and class finally put a decent gap between the sides with the Roos ultimately just not good enough.
Freo d West Coast by 75. Massive victory to humiliate their arch enemies. A 7 goal to 0 first quarter ended the game, but Freo, not content with just winning, flogged them. West Coast simply didn't give a whimper, and only when Tarrant go off did LeCras get off the leash to kick 5.
And the winners are:
1. Bombers - Impressive win against the team that are obviously their bunnies. That's 3 wins in a row against the Saints. David Hille makes an impressive return and proves his importance to the side and their structure. They ran hard and ran well and looked more like the side that showed patches at the start of the year. Its all a little too late as with 4 to go they are 2 games and % out of the 8.
2. Port - Huge win for their coach and for the club. They were on their knees just 3 weeks ago but suddenly are showing some resolve and fight and giving supporters something to look forward to. The team needs a lot of work though, there shouldn't be any illusions about that. But they showed some great signs.
3. Dees - Fantastic win away from home that somehow keeps there slim finals hopes alive. They are now a game and a half out side of the 8 and with teams above them failing to shore up their finals spots, anything is possible. They just have to keep winning and they could too, with Tiges, Hawks, Port and North to go. Its not the easiest run for a mid-ranked side, but its not the hardest either.
4. Tigers - a very solid win by the Tigers against a side revealed to be a pretender for the 8. It gives them a win off 15th and that little buffer could spare them the ignominy of the wooden spoon. Cousins was impressive and may have earned himself a new contract.
5. Freo - They needed to capitalise on other results, and did so emphatically. They are still in touch with the 4, and now are praying that the Dogs will slip up, and they don't.
6. Dogs - Solid win in the end and one that increases their % and solidifies their top 4 claims. Their form is coming good at the right time. However there are challenges ahead. A rebounding Adelaide in Adelaide with a last gasp for them to cling to any hope of September is up next. Now only 2 points from the Saints, who if they drop one and the Dogs form continues, will slip to 4th. Then come Cats, Swans at the SCG and lastly a revitalised Essendon. If they are the contenders we hoped at the start of the year the Cats should be their only concern.
7. Pies- Awesome display again. They are without doubt the form side, and did exactly what was expected of them. They've got the Cats next week in a battle for top spot. Gunna be a thriller!
8. Cats - A stock standard Cats display. Did what they had to to win, the margin was flattering. So now it is 1 v 2 next week to decide the top spot. Fingers crossed for a cracker.
9. Lions - They just aren't very good. The way they are going a win by the end of the season is unlikely and they should be getting guys into surgery as early as possible to get them into the preseason fit and healthy.
10. West Coast - sure they put in a shocker, but in context of the season it doesn't matter. It would have been nice to sneak the win and try to get off bottom, but I tend not to care to much about that, hence this rating. They seem to be like the Lions, shot, but at least they have youth all over the place (still need more KPPs tough).
11. Swans - They actually played ok. Ran well, kicked long but just missed badly. The loss, though expected was disappointing as they a win would have taken then above the Hawks and into home final territory and a game up from the struggling Blues. However the first point is perhaps moot because the Swans play the Hawks next week, and if looking at performance this weekend, and adding the SCG factor the Swans would have to be a big chance.
12. Blues - They showed nothing, because a last quarter burst to make their scoreline almost respectable means nothing. They are in big trouble and have a massive fight on their hands to finish top 8. Soul searching and talent searching required.
13. Hawks - Woeful display. Lost by 8, were leading by 18 in the third, and just looked to run out of puff. But there should be no excuses as they had there best 22 out there barring Brown. They were out played. A tough game against the Swans next week just got tougher. And I wonder if there is any coincidence that both the Hawks and Saints lost this week after a bruising draw last week.
14. Roos - It wasn't quite an opportunity gone as they were the underdogs, but the ramifications of the loss are significant. They just can't get a foothold into the 8 and they remain a 8 and considerable % out. But due to Adelaide's inability to grasp its chances, they remain 9th, and still a chance, but moves have to be made soon. 4 games to go include Freo, St kilda, West Coast and the Demons, in what could just turn out to be a battle for 8th.
15. Adelaide - They tried hard, but ultimately it seems that is what they will be in 2010, try-hards. Two bad consecutive defeats against less fancied opponents means that they have just about officially (if not mathematically) fallen out of a chance for the 8.
16. Saints - Mmmmwa. The sound of the Saints kissing top spot away. They should be stung by this horrid loss. They had finally worked out how to play with Reiwoldt out, and as soon as he comes in they are a draw and 2 losses. Its reminiscent of the Dogs when all they did was try to go to Hall earlier in the year. However they have a very soft run home (this was the 1st game of that run though) so they will stay in the top 4 barring a calamity of ridiculous proportions.
The top 4 is still alive with Freo getting a win, but the Doggies don't look like slipping. The battle for the 8 though is still alive because the Hawks, Blues and Swans failed to better their chances but North and Adelaide did themselves no favours. Melbourne the only team really pressing a claim with any semblance of form. funnily enough the business end of the ladder hasn't changed, other than Melbourne taking Adelaide's spot in 10th.
Go Pies!! ;-))
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