AFL Rd. 14.

[TazaD]

Was about to jump on and seek some opinions on Port...they opened on the exact number I had in mind (+33.5)... ...had a few pros and cons swirling in my mind...not least of the cons being Port are complete rubbish! But, seems they've come in a point or 2 now anyway, so mind has been made up. I love it when I don't have to think. :ok On St. Kilda +11.5 tho. Think this one goes down to the wire either way. Last 4 games Kangaroos have THE worst performing midfield!! Worse than Port, worse than Melbourne even...-16 I50's...allowing 58, gaining only 42. Terrible. They've gotten by by being very efficient up forward, but Saints D is pretty good...5th best overall, and 4th best last 4 games. The main thing is their horrible travelling record tho...haven't even been in the hunt on a 'true' road game this season, and only beat a horrible West Coast team by 6 points @ the Gold Coast this year, with 4 LESS I50's! Saints not the best travellers in the world either, but in what looks like it will be a tight, low scoring game, nearly 2 goals looks pretty appealing. Oh, Kangaroos haven't won a game by 7 points in their last 9 games.

[BURNTUA CRISP]

Re: AFL Rd. 14. It's slim pickings by the looks of things this weekend with clear cut favourites set to dominate, and poorly performed challengers for the top 8 out to spoil one another. The Eagles come to Melbourne again and face another uphill battle. They've lost patience with experienced under performers and have lost key personnel through injury. The Hawks copped their right whack last week and didn't give North enough respect. Their team is better for having Croad and Crawford back, but still have major issues with their run and carry through the middle. Their superior skills should give them the edge, but it will be by no means a blowout. It looks like a lovely night for football. September football is on the line at the MCG on Saturday with the Blues and Tigers doing battle. Both have had recent wins over Port in Adelaide, but Carlton weren't good against Essendon last week. Judd looks like he'll miss the game which puts pressure on Murphy, Gibbs and Stevens to perform. The Tigers will welcome back Thursfield to match up on Fevola and has a decent record on him as well. I think Richmond have too much firepower for Carlton and should win. North were back to their best last week and a repeat of that should have them winning this. However, they have struggled all season for consistency and the difference between their best and worse is more noticable this season. I can't read the Saints at all. They are hanging in there and haven't played great football at any stage this season. Their key forwards aren't reliable and look only capable of kicking 12 or 13 goals. Mark Williams has put the cue in the rack, and is going to test his youth for the remainder of the season. They have a good record in Darwin, but they don't have the resources to match the Bulldogs here. The Dogs had to dig deep last week to get over the line, but they'll have a big win here to grab top spot for the week. The Lions welcome back Bradshaw and Johnstone to bolster their lineup against Demons. They struggled to overcome the Crows last week, but got there in the end. Melbourne are a typical bottom side. They are able to match a good team for two quarters, but fall away in the other two. The same will apply on Sunday. The Dockers need to knock off pretenders like Essendon to get some credibility in the last half of the season. There must be a doubt on McPharlin lining up for the Dockers. The whole game might depend on whether he plays or not. Getting ahead of the Eagles on the table must be some motivation for the Dockers to win, or are they in tank mode? Players missing from best 22's. 2 - Brisbane 3 - W.Bulldogs 4 - Hawthorn 5 - Richmond, Melbourne, Fremantle, Essendon, Carlton 6 - North Melbourne 8 - West Coast, St.Kilda, Port Adelaide. Predictor. Hawthorn 126 v West Coast 74 Richmond 111 v Carlton 92 North 85 v St Kilda 87 W.Bulldogs 115 v Port Adelaide 81 Melbourne 78 v Brisbane 110 Fremantle 93 v Essendon 77 Best Bets. Hawthorn MARGIN (1-39) North LINE (-7.5) Good luck with your punting this weekend.