here are some write ups:
let's see how this guy does:
ROUND ONE
Centrebet Stats picks return next week
PLAY: Richmond +17.5 points vs Collingwood (Sports Interaction)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FRIDAY MARCH 28 Collingwood Magpies vs. 1.63 +/-
MCG 7:40 PM Richmond Tigers 2.60 17.5
Both sides have been weakened by injury and suspensions. Chaffey, Holland and Ottens are out for Richmond , while Cloke, Burns and Licuria will all miss for the Pies. Collingwood?s preseason form was great apart from the Grand final while the Tigers have been ordinary. It will be interesting to see the impact of Johnson and Blumfield on Richmond?s midfield while for Collingwood the fitness of Fraser and Prestigiacomo will be a concern. The Tigers recent record against the Pies has been good with wins in four of the past five contests while Collingwood have won just five of the last 10 season opening games.
Richmond by 14 (PLAY +17.5)
COLLINGWOOD
B: Johnson, Clement, Shaw
HB: Lokan, Wakelin, Lonie
C: Williams, Buckley, Lockyer
HF: Betheras, Rocca, Davis
F: Didak, Tarrant, Molloy
FOLL: McKee, Woewodin, O?Bree
I/C: Holland, McGough, Scotland, Walker
EMG: Freeborn, Kinnear, Richardson
NEW: Lokan (Port Adelaide Magpies), Walker (Claremont), Williams (West Coast), Woewodin (Melbourne)
RICHMOND
B: Cameron, Gaspar, Vardy
HB: Campbell, A.Kellaway, Rogers
C: Blumfield, Coughlan, Hilton
HF: Bowden, Richardson, Tivendale
F: King, Stafford, Houlihan
FOLL: Hall, Johnson, Rodan
I/C: Zantuck, Fiora, D.Kellaway, Newman
EMG: Hyde, Mills, Schulz
NEW: Blumfield (Essendon), Johnson (Adelaide)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY MARCH 29 Kangaroos vs. 1.78 +/-
MCG 2:10 PM St Kilda Saints 2.18 5.5
Two sides that are very different in expectations, the Roos under Laidley are in a team rebuild phase while the Saints are expected to improve with all their recruits . Grant Thomas will be under pressure while Laidley has the luxury of a first year coach. The Roos style of game looks good with plenty of run and attack, expect a high scoring contest. Loss of Archer and Burton is a worry , but Hamill , Penny and Capuano will be missed for the Saints. The Roos have also won the last seven in a row against the saints under Dennis Pagan, while St.Kilda have won their opening game of the season just three times in the past 10 years.
Kangaroos by 19
KANGAROOS
B: Sinclair, Watt, Makepeace
HB: Baird, Brown, King
C: A.Stevens, Simpson, Harvey
HF: Wells, Petrie, Morrell
F: Harding, Rocca, Colbert
FOLL: Burton, Robbins, Grant
I/C: Porter, Clayton, Teague, Rawlings
EMG: Hale, Harris, Clayton
NEW: Brown (Fremantle), Wells (Peel Thunder)
ST KILDA
B: Jones, Hudghton, Maguire
HB: T.Schwarze, Penny, Thompson
C: Black, Hayes, Moyle
HF: Powell, Gehrig, Clarke
F: Milne, Riewoldt, Burke
FOLL: Capuano, Harvey, Baker
I/C: Ball, Brooks, Blake, Wulf
EMG: Voss, Montagna, Knobel
NEW: Ball (Xavier College/Sandringham Dragons), Brooks (Port Adelaide), Penny (Western Bulldogs), Powell (Melbourne)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY MARCH 29 West Coast Eagles vs. 2.00 +/-
Subiaco 4:10 PM Port Adelaide Power 2.00 -
The Eagles will be almost at full strength while Port look like missing Tredrea, James, Schofield and Kingsley . Home ground advantage first up is a real plus and the Eagles will be fresh and ready to go. Port have a great record against the Eagles winning the last five in a row including three at Subiaco, and have also defeated Fremantle at Subiaco for a 100% success rate in the last five visits to the venue.
West Coast by 8
WEST COAST
B: Carroll, McIntosh, Humm
HB: Embley, Jakovich, Morrison
C: Judd, Cousins, Banfield
HF: Jones, Gaspar, Haynes
F: Matera, Wilson, Fletcher
FOLL: Gardiner, Kerr, Braun
I/C: Green, Wirrpunda, Cox, Wooden
EMG: Glass, Munro, Adkins
PORT ADELAIDE
B: Bishop, Paxman, S.Burgoyne
HB: Hardwick, Wakelin, Wanganeen
C: Montgomery, Stevens, Cassisi
HF: Dew, Tredrea, C.Cornes
F: P.Burgoyne, Lade, Pickett
FOLL: Primus, Cochrane, Francou
I/C: Thurstans, Salopek, Guerra, K.Cornes
EMG: Poulton, Hall, Gilham
NEW: Cochrane (Kangaroos), Pickett (Kangaroos), Salopek (Dandenong Stingrays), Thurstans (Dandenong Stingrays)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY MARCH 29 Sydney Swans vs. 1.58 +/-
Telstra Stadium 7:20 PM Carlton Blues 2.60 14.5
Most critics have selected these two sides to finish near the bottom of the ladder, unlikely as it seems now but a win in this one may have a bearing near seasons end for 16th place. Both sides have plenty of problems and for both clubs it looks like it will be a long year. The Swans have had a poor record first up winning just three of the last nine , but they have no fears of the Blues winning seven of the past 10 games between the clubs.
Sydney by 10
SYDNEY
B: Warfe, Saddington, Mathews
HB: Barry, Bolton, Williams
C: Kennelly, Crouch, Maxfield
HF: Goodes, Stevens, Davis
F: Nicks, Hall, Fosdike
FOLL: Ball, Cresswell, Bolton
I/C: Doyle, Kirk, O?Keefe, Schneider
EMG: Ablett, McVeigh, Sundqvist
NEW: Davis (Collingwood), Schneider (NSW/ACT Rams)
CARLTON
B: Wiggins, Martyn, Thornton
HB: Beaumont, Koutoufides, McKay
C: Camporeale, Ratten, Murphy
HF: Waite, Whitnall, Lappin
F: Houlihan, Fevola, McKernan
FOLL: French, Hickmott, Hulme
I/C: Franchina, McCormick, Prendergast, Sporn
EMG: Fisher, Manton, Merrington
NEW: French (Port Adelaide), Martyn (Kangaroos), McCormick (Murray Kangaroos), Waite (Murray Bushrangers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY MARCH 29 Brisbane Lions vs. 1.24 +/-
Gabba 8:10 PM Essendon Bombers 4.75 28.5
Brisbane has a few concerns with a much later start and erly season fitness may be a concern, but their record at the Gabba is sensational winning 28 of the last 30 games including the last four in a row against the Bombers, the Lions a 30 point better side than all opponents over the past three seasons at home. The Bombers will be better prepared but much depends on Lloyd , Hird and the other experienced players to carry a younger list this season. The Bombers start the season well winning eight of the last 10 season openers.
Brisbane by 35
BRISBANE LIONS
B: Johnson, Michael, Bradshaw
HB: C.Scott, Leppitsch, Ashcroft
C: Caracella, Voss, Akermanis
HF: Hart, Brown, Lappin
F: Power, Lynch, White
FOLL: Charman, B.Scott, Black
I/C: McLaren, Notting, Pike, Shattock
EMG: Brennan, Copeland, McGrath
NEW: Caracella (Essendon)
ESSENDON
B: M.Johnson, McPhee, Wellman
HB: Solomon, Jacobs, Ramanauskas
C: Rioli, Hird, Peverill
HF: Mercuri, Lucas, Cupido
F: Barnard, Lloyd, McVeigh
FOLL: Hille, J.Johnson, Misiti
I/C: Alessio, Reynolds, Welsh, Bannister
EMG: McGrath, Forster-Knight, Richards
NEW: Cupido (Brisbane Lions), McPhee (Fremantle)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY MARCH 30 Adelaide Crows vs. 1.21 +/-
AAMI Stadium 1:10 PM Fremantle Dockers 5.00 30.5
The Crows coming off the Wizard Cup premiership are well advanced and appear set for a big season. They are more experienced and have recruited as if they see 2003 as another opportunity for a grand final appearance. Fremantle are still a couple of years away and need to prove they can win regularly away from home before they can be taken seriously. Fremantle have not won the season opener since 1998 and have played 10 times at AAMI Stadium for just one win.
Adelaide by 29
ADELAIDE
B: Smart, Bassett, Hart
HB: Johncock, McGregor, Torney
C: Reilly, Ricciuto, Stenglein
HF: Burton, Stevens, Edwards
F: Carey, Perrie, Ladhams
FOLL: Clarke, Goodwin, McLeod
I/C: (from) Bickley, Biglands, Bode, Burns, Doughty, Marsh, Mattner
NEW: Burns (Geelong), Carey (Kangaroos), Torney (Richmond)
FREMANTLE
B: Hayden, Haddrill, Polak
HB: Grover, Pavlich, Woods
C: Walker, Headland, McManus
HF: Carr, T.Longmuir, Cook
F: Sandilands, Medhurst, Farmer
FOLL: Simmonds, Hasleby, Bell
I/C: (from) Schammer, Browne, Haines, Cunningham, Jones, J.Longmuir, Edgcumbe
NEW: Edgcumbe (Eastern Ranges), Sandilands (East Fremantle), Schammer (West Adelaide)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY MARCH 30 Melbourne Demons vs. 1.73 +/-
MCG 2:10 PM Hawthorn Hawks 2.25 6.5
The two wild cards of the year. Both sides very capable of reaching the top six but also capable of putting in the regular shocker. Thompson and Holland will miss for the Hawks and Crawford is underdone so the Demons should start favourites. The Hawks have won three of the last four against the Demons and have won seven of their last 10 season opening games , while Melbourne have just a 40% strike rate in round one in the last 10 years.
Melbourne by 21
MELBOURNE
B: Brown, Miller, Walsh
HB: Bizzell, Ferguson, Ward
C: Yze, Leoncelli, Johnstone
HF: Armstrong, Robertson, Heffernan
F: Bruce, Neitz, White
FOLL: Jamar, Whelan, McDonald
I/C: (from) Thompson, Green, Moorcroft, Williams, Rigoni, Godfrey, Wheatley
NEW: Ferguson (Frankston), Heffernan (Essendon), Jamar (North Adelaide), Moorcroft (Essendon)
HAWTHORN
B: Bateman, Hay, Smith
HB: Lonie, Rawlings, Graham
C: S.Cox, Crawford, Mitchell
HF: Hodge, Barlow, Dixon
F: Picioane, Loats, Brown
FOLL: Everitt, Lekkas, Ries
I/C: (from) Tallis, Williams, Osborne, A.Cox, McCabe, Stone, Hunter
NEW: Everitt (St Kilda), Hunter (Western Bulldogs)
