AFL Premiership Season Round 8 Part 1 of 3
Schedule Preview & Breakdown
Hawthorn v Sydney at the MCG Friday 11th May 2018
It just seems to be working out for the Hawks this year and that rebuild we all thought had to come, I don't think is coming.
Their midfield of Mitchell, O'Meara, Smith and big Ruckman Mcevoy are flying this year.
Meanwhile, Sicily just keeps going from strength to strength and is becoming an elite member of their back 6.
The rebuild may be on hold indefinitely but the Hawks are still far from the world beating unit of their flag years.
The Kangaroos showed this a couple of weeks back, but the Hawks two wins since have been full of grit given they were slightly undermanned against two opponents that would of fancied their chances of a mini upset.
That Hawthorn grit will face a lot stiffer test this week as they meet a Swans team just as adept at avoiding the whole bottoming out and rebuilding.
Josh Kennedy is back to his best and he is a one man midfield army when he is on as the Cats will testify to after that last quarter at the Cattery the other week.
The Kennedy v Tom Mitchell midfield battle will be worth the price of admission alone.
The Swans will also be hugely boosted by the return of Buddy this week to their Forward line.
I think this will be the difference and tilt the advantage the Swans' way and not just because Buddy is a star.
It is more the domino effect it will have, as Parker & Heeney can now spend less time up forward and more time on the ball where they can do more damage.
Other Forwards like Towers, Rohan and Papley will also get a lift and less defensive attention with the great man back.
The phrase "will straighten them up" has never been more fitting.
I think the Swans will edge the Hawks in the all-important midfield battle and give Buddy & Co enough deliveries to kick a winning score.
Prediction: The Swans by 15 points.
GWS Giants v West Coast at Spotless Stadium Saturday 12th May 2018
The Eagles are flying at the moment having won 6 in a row and meet a GWS side with some real injury worries.
The Giants were also horrible last week against the Cats although they seldom put in two bad ones in a row.
Not a lot of relief on the horizon for the Giants either.
Cameron should be back but they are expected to still be without Kelly, Deledio Lobb and Greene.
In recent times, the GWS depth would cover any injury issues but that famous depth has slowly been diluted over the last few years and this is evidenced by their struggling NEAFL team.
I'm tempted to say GWS are ripe for the picking here but the Eagles are suffering themselves having lost star midfielder Shuey to a hamstring strain and now Nic Nat has been rubbed out for a week by the Tribunal.
Losing those two and the fact the Eagles notoriously do no travel well I think swings the pendulum back the Giants ways.
A closer look at the all important midfield battle also makes me confident GWS will have enough out on the park to win this one.
Even without Kelly, I think the Giants Midfield of Coniglio, Shiel, Ward, Taranto and Whitfield are a class above the Eagles.
For the Eagles, Gaff and Yeo are in the elite category but that next tier of on ballers in Redden, Hutchings, Masten will just not be up the task of going with the GWS runners at Spotless.
Prediction: GWS by 22 points
Carlton v Essendon at the MCG Saturday 12th May 2018
The Blues are 0 and 7, desperate for that first win of the year and they will view an out of form Bomber outfit as perhaps their best chance yet.
The Bombers are coming off another poor showing and have now lost their last 3 games.
The Blues usually match up well against Essendon and have won 2 of the last 4 against them.
The most recent match up in Round 20 last year resulted in a very close game of which the Bombers prevailed by just 8 points.
The Blues would dearly love to have skipper Murphy back for this clash but the game may come a touch to soon.
Still, don't be surprised to see him named Thursday night.
The Blues will miss Casboult's marking power up forward this week but the exciting forward Charlie Curnow should be back.
Speaking of forward lines, Essendon dearly need the real Joe Daniher to please stand up.
Is he playing injured or hopelessly down on form and confidence?
He will take on Liam Jones who is also not at his 2017 best this year so this could be a great opportunity for Daniher to make a statement in 2018.
Neither side bats particularly deep in the midfield which will mean the star players of each side are going to have a big say in the result.
While Heppell, Zaharakis and a finally back in form Zac Merrett have been good of late, this is the sort of game I can see Cripps single handedly dragging the Blues across the line in.
I am tipping the Kreuzer, Cripps, both Curnow's and possibly Murphy combination with Simpson in his halfback quarterback role to be too much for the Bombers to handle.
If the Blues defence can stop Daniher, Stringer or even Hooker from getting out of control, I think they will have too much run for a down on confidence Bombers and that will be the difference.
Prediction: Blues to win a close one by 5 points
Check back in tomorrow for the next 3 previews for this round of the AFL :)
Author: @o07
Editor: @liberty-minded
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