In addition to the usual results from this round of matches, I’ll be casting a quick eye over the two clubs involved in each game to determine which club is better placed looking ahead to the next 5 years.

St Kilda 87 drew Hawthorn 87 – Finally, a Friday night match that lived up to expectations! In a fierce match between two clubs expected to feature heavily in September, the Hawks looked home before a controversial interchange infringement swung the tide of the game, with Saint Ben McEvoy dribbling through a goal (a bit too easily if you’re a Hawks supporter) in the dying seconds to level the scores. The scores would not change again, giving us the second draw of 2010. Prepare to hear more debate about “extra time” and “penalty shoot-outs” but in my view, leave the game alone!

Looking ahead: I give Hawthorn the edge here, mainly because the likes of Riewoldt, Hayes, Milne, Koschitzke etc are all either at their peak or on the wrong side of it. Hawthorn can expect the likes of Hodge, Franklin, Rioli, and Roughead to improve over the next few seasons. Neither club has what I could call a “plethora” of quality youngsters coming through, due to both clubs being “up” for a few seasons now.

Collingwood 127 defeated Richmond 45 – On Saturday afternoon, two clubs at the top of their game put a pair of weaker clubs to the sword. At the MCG, the Pies sliced up the young, but steadily improving Tigers by a whopping 82 points – with Swan and Didak damaging once again.

Looking ahead: It’s hard to look past the Tigers, with their group of quality kids including sure future stars in Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin. But the Pies, as much as I hate to say it, are pretty well positioned – considering the likes of Beams and Wellingham are already delivering and even Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas and Chris Dawes are on the younger side with plenty of improvement left in them. So, the edge goes to the Pies here.

Geelong 127 defeated Brisbane 64 – The other Saturday demolition saw the Cats dismantle the Lions at Skilled Stadium. The final margin was 63 points, with Gary Ablett, Steve Johnson and Travis Varcoe booting 13 goals between them. The only upside for Brisbane was the continued improvement of Jonathon Brown who kicked 4 goals, returning from injury after a lengthy layoff.

Looking ahead: Geelong has enjoyed amazing success in recent years, yet I still give them the advantage over the Lions looking 5 years ahead. I happen to like some of the Lion “cubs” – namely Rich, Rockliff, Leuenberger and Redden – but even with an aging list; the Cats still have the best years of Joel Selwood, Travis Varcoe (who is improving by the week), Harry Taylor and Tom Hawkins to come. This is also not to mention the “possible” compensation (top draft picks) for Gary Ablett coming their way (sorry Cats fans). I also can’t see the Lions finding quality replacements for Jonathon Brown, Simon Black and Luke Power in a hurry.

North Melbourne 119 lost to Essendon 122 – In a tremendous, high-scoring game on Saturday night, the Bombers finally righted the ship with a nail-biting 3-point win over the undermanned Kangaroos. The result will no doubt have Matthew Knights sleeping easier, but for the Roos it was a missed opportunity to keep themselves in the finals conversation.

Looking ahead: This is a tough call, with many “experts” rating the Dons list highly but perhaps not too surprisingly to some, I’m not on the same page in that regard. For Essendon, there is no doubting the potential of Michael Hurley and even Patrick Ryder – but beyond that, I just don’t see where the improvement comes from, with the midfield lacking in depth and quality especially. For that reason, I’m going with the Roos here – as the likes of Hansen, Swallow, Anthony, Ziebell, Bastinac, Thomas and Thompson – are about a solid group as any to build a team around.

West Coast 83 lost to Carlton 109 – In a massive game for Carlton following a poor last month, the Eagles put a big scare through the Blues camp, by jumping out to a 26-point lead by the half. Fortunately, the Blues found some resolve at the main break and kicked 11 goals to 3 in the second half for a crucial victory.

Looking ahead: Naitanui shows some flashes, but not too surprisingly I give the advantage to the Blues looking ahead – with hopefully the best yet to come from Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Matthew Kreuzer, Chris Yarran and others. Whether this ultimately translates into premiership success for Carlton remains to be seen – however a key forward and key backman would be more than welcome down at Visy Park right about now.

Western Bulldogs 158 defeated Fremantle 76 – The match that was to determine a top 4 spot, did not really turn into the contest we had hoped, with the Dogs kicking 9 majors in the first quarter and dominating proceedings from that point on. The comprehensive victory puts the Dogs in 4^th spot and well clear on percentage and they now look the team most likely to secure a double chance.

Looking ahead: The Dogs list is mostly about the here and now, but they have promising types in Moles, Grant, Roughead and Picken coming through. Close call, but I’d still position the Dockers ahead, given many of the Dogs better players are at their peak or on the way down. The Fremantle list is well placed to challenge in the seasons ahead, with Pavlich and Sandilands complimented by the likes of Hill, Barlow, Morabito, Fyfe, Broughton, Ibbotson and Pearce – all players with plenty of improvement left in them.

Melbourne 142 defeated Sydney 69 – In the surprise of the round, the Demons blew the Swans out of the water (no pun intended) on Sunday with a 73-point win that has severely dented the finals prospects of Sydney. For Melbourne, it is a tremendous result that shows their potential in seasons to come, whilst for Sydney it is a stark reality check for the club with Geelong looming next round.

Looking ahead: The next 5 years should be all about the Demons. Whilst the Swans may have some good types in Hannebery, Mumford, Jetta, Rohan and Grundy – there are no match for the quality of the young Demons. Melbourne fans can look forward to Moloney, Scully, Trengove, Morton, Grimes, Petterd, Bartram and Watts making a huge impact in the coming years.

Port Adelaide 88 defeated Adelaide 69 – With the Crows having everything to play for, including a chance to move into 9^th position, this was a particularly disappointing effort. The Power, under recently appointed head coach – Matthew Primus – had control of the contest all night, winning the first three quarters to set up the victory. The loss leaves the Crows 2 games and percentage outside of the 8, and a 6^th consecutive finals appearance is now unlikely.

Looking ahead: Despite the win, it’s hard to find a whole lot to get excited by in Port’s list. Their best players aren’t game-winners whilst the bottom half of their best 22 is not that great. Perhaps Port supporters could enlighten me. On the Crows side, Patrick Dangerfield will be a gun, plus they have the best of Tippett, Vince, Walker, Reilly and Douglas to come. I’ll give this head-to-head to the Crows by a fair margin.

Following a break for the weekly Round Review, it’s back this week with a vengeance. Let’s recap the results from Round 16:

Adelaide 74 defeated Geelong 63 – Despite late whispers suggesting the contrary, Gary Ablett took his place in the Geelong side against Adelaide on Friday night, with the Cats looking to stay atop the Premiership Ladder against the inform Crows. In a tight, low scoring match – the Cats held sway for a half, before an impressive 4-goal third term by the Crows put them in front with a quarter to play. Surprisingly, the Cats didn’t offer much in the last term; with Adelaide assuming control of the contest to secure a 5^th win from 6 games and keep their finals hopes alive.

Collingwood 100 defeated St Kilda 52 – The most anticipated match of round 16 was this one – with the top spot on the AFL ladder up for grabs to the winner, following Geelong’s surprise defeat the night before. This match should have been a cracker, but it turned into a blowout – as the Pies seized control for a 26-point lead at the half and extended it to a 48-point margin by the final siren. Dane Swan led the way again, amassing 36 disposals to continue his outstanding season.

Hawthorn 118 defeated Brisbane 43 – Lance Franklin was a late omission for the Hawks and Jonathon Brown was a welcome inclusion for the Lions – but it mattered little at Aurora Stadium on Saturday. Brisbane was outclassed and were made to look second rate, with a superior Hawthorn picking them apart with ease. After the 75-point win, the Hawks now appear entrenched in the finals picture, which is quite a comeback after a shocking start to 2010.

Essendon 100 lost to West Coast 132 – There was much focus on Etihad Stadium on Saturday night, with Essendon trying to put an end to the ordinary form that has seen them drop completely out of the finals picture and shockingly very much into wooden spoon calculations (along with the Eagles).

Sadly for Essendon, their nightmare season continued – with the Eagles kicking ahead in the second term and then kicking clear in the third term to send the Bombers faithful scurrying for the exits. The pressure now mounts on Essendon coach Matthew Knights, who could be the unfortunate victim of an average (possibly over-rated) playing group simply not playing very well at the minute. The week ahead will be a rocky one at Windy Hill.

Western Bulldogs 83 defeated Port Adelaide 47 – There isn’t a lot of analysis needed here – with the classy Bulldogs outfit, after a slow start, adapting to the difficult conditions the better of the two clubs, with a 36-point win their reward against the struggling Port Power. The Port players are playing for their future over the remaining 7 rounds, whilst the Dogs have a huge clash with the Dockers next round in a game that could determine 4^th spot.

Carlton 68 lost to Sydney 107 – This was one of those much talked about “season defining” games for the sides involved – who were placed 6^th (Sydney) and 7^th (Carlton) on the ladder entering the contest. But this match would turn into not much of a contest at all, with the typical Sydney pressure and intensity frustrating and suffocating the Blues, forcing them into error time and time again. The Swans were up 47 points at the half and cruised home with little resistance from Carlton.

Similarly to Matthew Knights’ current situation, the pressure must now also be on Carlton coach Brett Ratten, who has led his side to terrific wins this year against the Cats & Saints – but has failed to get his players up for “winnable” games (based on ladder position and home ground) against the Hawks, Dockers, Dons, Lions, Roos and now the Swans. The Carlton faithful wont stand for such poor performances much longer.

Richmond 53 lost to North Melbourne 103 – The Tigers have been magnificent recently, winning 5 of their past 6 games after being labeled one of the worst teams ever following the first couple of months of this season. Suddenly, everyone wants a spot on the Richmond bandwagon – but their momentum was halted by the Roos on Sunday, who recorded a comprehensive 50-point win to stay very much in finals contention (especially considering Carlton’s performance earlier in the day). Without doubt, Brad Scott’s performance at the helm of North Melbourne has been one of the underrated success stories of the season.

Fremantle 82 defeated Melbourne 71 – The Dockers looked well on their way to a percentage boosting victory over the Demons in Sunday’s final game, leading by a comfortable 39 points at the half. But Melbourne looked a new team after the break, booting 6 quick goals to breathe life into the contest. A surprisingly lethargic and wasteful Fremantle could only manage 2 goals in the second half, whilst despite a much improved effort – only a solitary goal in the final term was not enough to get the job done for the Dees – the Dockers winning by 11 points.

After the disjointed and painfully long split round 13, thankfully we have a full round of 8 games to dissect this week. Let’s get to it!

Carlton 120 defeated Brisbane 65 – With neither side having won for a couple of weeks, a victory was a must for both clubs on an unusual Thursday night fixture at Etihad Stadium. Brisbane, minus injured power forwards Jonathon Brown and Brendan Fevola, showed some unexpected resistance early but the match was all-Carlton after the first quarter, even though the contest was not a good one to watch. Eddie Betts led the way for the Blues with 5 goals to help his club secure an important 55-point win.

Hawthorn 79 defeated Western Bulldogs 76 – The standout match from round 14 was the Hawks and Dogs clash on Friday night. The Bulldogs, needing a big scalp to validate their premiership aspirations, had control of the match for more than 3 quarters, before a last quarter Hawthorn surge took them into the lead, which is where they stayed – holding on for a 3-point win. Luke Hodge was magnificent again with 28 disposals whilst Lance Franklin chipped in with 3 crucial goals. The win is the seventh straight for the Hawks, setting up a massive showdown with the Cats next round.

Fremantle 115 defeated Port Adelaide 58 – There were no surprises at Subiaco on Saturday afternoon, as the Dockers sliced up the Power (the worst team in football at the minute) to record an emphatic 57-point win. Of most concern for Fremantle was the season-ending broken leg suffered by first year player Michael Barlow – who sadly looks set to miss a lot of football in an incident that brings back memories of Nathan Brown’s horrific leg injury in 2005. We can only hope the injury is not as bad as it looked and Barlow can be back playing footy early in 2011.

Collingwood 135 defeated West Coast 52 – Saturday night served up a couple of one-sided contests, with the first one featuring Collingwood destroying the Eagles at Etihad Stadium. The Eagles were never in this game and were outmatched and outclassed in every department. The Pies won by 83 points to continue their march to September. Despite John Worsfold’s declaration that a premiership is within the Eagles sights, a look at the premiership ladder shows us that a wooden spoon is a much more realistic (and easier) option at this point.

Adelaide 124 defeated Essendon 40 – The other match on Saturday night saw the Crows dismantle a hugely disappointing Essendon side to the tune of 84 points. After a deplorable start to 2010, the Crows have strung together 3 wins from their last 4 games and are showing they may not be a spent force just yet. Statistically, Essendon are now closer to 16^th position than they are to 8^th position on the ladder – a worrying sign for the club and more specifically coach Matthew Knights, who will find himself in a lot of trouble if the Dons can’t turn it around in a hurry.

Geelong 98 defeated North Melbourne 63 – At Skilled Stadium on Sunday, the Cats went about their business in a typically methodical and systematic way, downing the improving Kangaroos by 35 points. Geelong won each of the first 3 quarters, building a 45-point lead and never really looked threatened at any stage. After a short layoff, Paul Chapman was brilliant with 37 disposals whilst James Podsiadly kicked 5 goals to bounce back from a quiet performance last week.

Richmond 89 defeated Sydney 85 – Sydney’s recent resurgence hit a roadblock last week against Collingwood, but their encounter with the Tigers provided another opportunity to grab hold of a potential finals spot. In this contest, the Swans appeared comfortable and looked sure winners when they were up by 33 points late in the third term. But a remarkable comeback from the Tigers saw them climb within 14 points at the last change, and it continued in the last term as Richmond scored a fourth win in five rounds, defeating the Swans by 4 points in a nail-biting finish.

St Kilda 100 defeated Melbourne 65 – Capping off a round featuring a number of one-sided wins, could the Demons cause a massive boil-over and keep their slim finals chances alive? They started promisingly enough, being within just a point of the Saints at the first change before a second quarter burst from the powerful Saints saw them seize control of the match. A four-quarter last term to the Saints sealed the outcome – a 35-point win to St Kilda. Leigh Montagna continues to rack up disposals at a prolific rate this season, with another 35 disposals to go with 2 goals to be amongst the best on ground.

We’ve reached the “split round” which feels as good a time as any to check-in on how an 2010 All-Australian team may be looking. I’ve also included a quick recap of the results from this round.

B    Jarrod Harbrow        Brian Lake        Sam Gilbert

Harbrow and Lake have been terrific for the Dogs this season, with Harbrow impressing with his run and zip from defense, whilst Lake is an easy selection at full back. In the other back pocket is Sam Gilbert, one of the main reasons the Saints have maintained their good form in the absence of Nick Reiwoldt.

HB    Brendan Goddard        Harry Taylor        Luke Hodge

I consider Goddard and Hodge to be automatic selections on the back flanks, whilst it was a bit harder to lock in a centre half back at this stage of the season, with Harry Taylor getting the nod ahead of some others given his consistency in the position for the Cats.

C    Michael Barlow        Lenny Hayes    Leigh Montagna

Each year it is difficult to narrow down a centre line and 2010 is proving to be no different. I can’t look past Dockers rising star Michael Barlow who is ranked 6^th in average disposals and making a massive impact in the West. A pair of Saints – in Hayes and Montagna – fill the other two spots in the centre for their ball-getting ability and disposal efficiency.

HF    Paul Chapman        Matthew Pavlich    Brent Harvey

Paul Chapman is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career and would be a lock in anyone’s All-Australian side. Pavlich is 4^th in the goal kicking but impressively he averages the most disposals of the top 10 goal kickers so far this season. Brent Harvey has been amongst the best players of the season over the past couple of months.

F    James Podsiadly        Jack Riewoldt    Eddie Betts

Podsiadly has been a revelation for Geelong and is a deserved All-Australian selection. Jack Riewoldt wins the full forward spot with a league best 48 goals so far. The other forward pocket was a tough call, with a number of players putting their hand up. I’ve awarded the position to Eddie Betts for being dangerous around goal in addition to his outstanding defensive skills.

R    Aaron Sandilands        Gary Ablett        Chris Judd

Aaron Sandilands has dominated in the ruck for the Dockers and leads just about every statistical category compared to other eligible ruck contenders. There is no need for discussion regarding the selections of Ablett and Judd in the on-ball division – they are both superstars in every sense of the word.

INT    Mark Jamar, Lance Franklin, Dane Swan, Steve Johnson

Jamar has been superb for the Dees in the ruck, and is the obvious second ruck selection for this team. Franklin has missed 3 games but has been sensational recently in the Hawks resurgence and a handy player off the bench. Dane Swan is second only to Ablett in total disposals and must be acknowledged for his work rate. I don’t rate Steve Johnson as highly as most, but I don’t mind him on the bench in this team – he is in the top 5 in goals in 2010 after all.

EMG    Jimmy Bartel, Corey Enright, Bryce Gibbs

Three guys I found it tough to leave out of the squad of 22, each for different reasons. Bartel is often overlooked in the star-studded midfield of Geelong but has been solid again this season. Speaking of Geelong, Corey Enright continues to do his job superbly week in, week out in defense with very little fanfare. Bryce Gibbs is the other to just miss the cut in this team, but he has continued his improvement and may yet be an All-Australian at years end.

Round 13 – Round Recap

Hawthorn 102 defeated Essendon 86 – Buddy Franklin’s final quarter goal kicking heroics was enough to extend the Hawks winning streak to 6 wins in one of the most entertaining matches of 2010.

Carlton 87 lost to Fremantle 96 – The Dockers powered into the mid-season break with a 9-point win against Carlton in Melbourne, with the margin flattering the Blues after being down big most of the game.

Brisbane 86 lost to Richmond 105 – The Lions struggles continued with a shock home loss to the Tigers at the Gabba in Brisbane.

North Melbourne 129 defeated Port Adelaide 93 – The Power have well and truly checked out for 2010, as the Roos continued their rise up the ladder.

West Coast 59 lost to Western bulldogs 119 – With the Dogs looking to turn the corner entering the second half of the season, they made short work of the Eagles at Subiaco.

St Kilda 70 defeated Geelong 46 – After dominating early, the Cats couldn’t hit the side of a barn in the second half as the Saints exacted some Grand Final revenge with a comfortable 24-point win.

Sydney 71 lost to Collingwood 96 – Collingwood has dominated the Swans in recent years, winning the past 8 encounters since 2006 – with the trend continuing on Saturday night with another victory.

Adelaide 117 defeated Melbourne 73 – The Demons needed a win away from Melbourne on Sunday against the Crows, but their shocking record away from home continued with a deflating loss to Adelaide.

If you’ve managed to peel yourselves away from the nil-all draws, kick-to-kick and Academy Award level acting in the World Cup, we were treated to some “real” football in AFL round 12, even though the first three quarters of the round was pretty one-sided.

North Melbourne 97 defeated Carlton 68

North Melbourne promoted this match heavily to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of Friday night footy and specifically their involvement in the event, with former Kangaroos great Wayne Carey making the night his own back in the 90’s.  Whilst to me this seemed like just another excuse to try and draw a crowd, there was nothing manufactured about the way the Kangaroos played on the night, as they dominated the Blues to win without much trouble by 29 points.

I had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing this contest first hand – and I must say Carlton were lucky to only go down by 5 goals, given they appeared flat and bordering on uncompetitive all night.  For North, their best players included Lindsay Thomas and most certainly umpire Scott McLaren.  For the Blues, it was a wasted opportunity to apply real pressure on the teams in the top 4.

Hawthorn 124 defeated Adelaide 77

The second match of the long weekend round 12 saw the Hawks hosting the Crows at Aurora Stadium in Tasmania.  Hawthorn started strongly with 7 goals in the opening term, however to Adelaide’s credit they fought back to trail by just 15 points at the half.  The second half belonged to Hawthorn – with Franklin, Roughead, Rioli and Hodge with 3 goals apiece – to square their win-loss ledger after 12 rounds.

Essendon 83 lost to Geelong 154

Both of these clubs were fielding less than full-strength sides this week, with injuries starting to take their toll approaching the mid-season split round.  Despite missing a chunk of their premiership winning team, the Cats led by 3 goals against a plucky Essendon outfit.  The damage was inflicted after half time, as Geelong kicked 12 goals to Essendon’s four to win in emphatic style by 71 points.  For the Cats, 20 goals were shared were between Podsiadly, Varcoe, Johnson, Byrnes and Bartel in a superb team performance.

Port Adelaide 55 lost to Sydney 93

The perennially inconsistent Power hosted the Swans at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.  Port Adelaide started well enough to lead at quarter time before Sydney dialed up the pressure in quarter two, booting 7 goals to take a 26-point lead into the half.

There would be no hint of a comeback by the Power, as the Swans controlled the contest in the second half to win by 38 points, with Nick Malceski and Jude Bolton amongst their best players.

Richmond 126 defeated West Coast 77

Remarkably, Richmond was considered favourite in this contest against the Eagles, despite occupying last spot on the ladder by a considerable margin with only one win in 2010 thus far.  It was the Jack Riewoldt show in the first quarter with 5 goals to kick the Tigers out to a big lead and they would not look back (Riewoldt ending with a bag of 10 goals).  The Eagles were simply woeful, with the loss surely putting John Worsfold in the hot seat with games against the Bulldogs, Pies and Bombers coming up in the next month.  With the big win, the Tigers resurgence continues with their young list showing some very encouraging signs.

Western Bulldogs121 defeated Brisbane 56

With Jonathon Brown a late omission for the Lions, this match never really threatened to be a contest.  The Dogs led by 29 points after a quarter, and whilst Brisbane won the second term, the second half was all Bulldogs as they kicked away to a 65-point win, with Barry Hall booting 6 goals and Boyd, Griffen and Cooney all collecting disposals at will, doing no harm to their top 4 ambitions.

Fremantle 67 lost to St Kilda 85

The Saints have continued to win even in the absence of Nick Riewoldt, although their schedule has been kind lately.  The Dockers suffered a setback last round against the Crows, but still sit in the top 4 after enjoying a far better than expected first half of 2010.  The Saints gained controlled of this contest early, leading by 25 points at the main break.  The only quarter won by the Dockers would be the last, but by then it was too late as the Saints, with 4 goals from 200-gamer Stephen Milne, held on by 3 goals to consolidate their top 4 spot.

Melbourne 76 drew with Collingwood 76

For the second time in 2010, the Demons and Pies played out a classic at the MCG.  Back in round 2, Collingwood outlasted Melbourne by just a point in an absolute thriller – and the first three quarters of this clash indicated another great finish was on the cards.  The last quarter was a beauty, with the teams trading goals before a frantic final few minutes finally ended with the scores dramatically tied at 76 points apiece.

Whilst there were technically no winners or losers, it was a lost opportunity for the Pies to move into a top 2 spot – and for the Dees a win would have left them just outside the top 8.  We can only hope these teams somehow meet in finals and serve up another memorable contest.

With half of the 2010 season in the books – in this weeks recap I’ll be taking a look at each club and their prospects going forward in 2010.

Richmond 59 lost to St Kilda 97

Richmond (16^th) – Richmond’s upside begins and ends with Dustin Martin, averaging 20 disposals from his 10 games in 2010 – this kid can play.  If the Tigers can keep him out of the grasp of Greater Western Sydney, then they are looking at a 10+ year player to build around, not to mention other class acts at the club including Cotchin, Foley and Deledio.

St Kilda (3^rd) – Despite all that has been written about the Saints recently (a lot of if negative), they sit in a tie for second position on the ladder.  The anticipated earlier than expected return to action by Nick Riewoldt would be a major boost for a club struggling to kick big scores.  Of the teams currently in the top 8, the Saints are second to bottom in total points scored.

Carlton 101 defeated Melbourne 60

Carlton (5^th) – The Blues are traveling nicely with 7 wins from their first 11 games, although they’d love another crack at Essendon and Hawthorn – both losses they really couldn’t afford to be a top 4 team.  Carlton has a reasonable draw over the second half of 2010 but they must win their games against the Roos, Dockers and Lions (all at Etihad Stadium, rounds 12-14) to be in contention for the crucial “double chance” come finals times.

Melbourne (13^th) – Melbourne surprised everyone to win 3 of their first 5, but have since dropped 5 of their next 6 to fall back to the pack.  Despite recent poor form, Melbourne should be encouraged by the wealth of talent they have coming through – Scully, Trengove, Grimes, Gysberts, Morton and more – arguably the best batch of youngsters in the business and plenty of reasons for Melbourne supporters to be smiling.

Adelaide 105 defeated Fremantle 82

Adelaide (15^th) – It’s been a horror year for the Crows and very difficult to find any positives – with injury, retirements and defeats the order of the season to date.  The form of Richard Douglas, only 23 years of age and not widely regarded in the eastern states, has been encouraging for the Crows.  Yes, as I said, very hard to find positives amongst the mess that has been the Crows season.

Fremantle (4^th) – The Dockers have been superb in 2010, yet it’s still hard to know how much better they can be after 8 wins from their first 11 games (with the round 11 loss to the Crows only throwing more doubt into the mix).  A finals position, especially a top 4 spot, would be an amazing result given many expected Fremantle to struggle yet again this year.

North Melbourne 90 defeated Brisbane 89

North Melbourne (12^th) – It’s been a struggle for the Kangaroos in 2010, but at least they’ve managed to win the games against lower ranked opponents, albeit not by big margins (26 points being their highest winning margin this year).  The worry is five losses by 40 points or more, including 4 of them by more than 60 points – indicating that when they lose, they really lose.  Key players Andrew Swallow and Daniel Wells have been standouts for the Roos.

Brisbane (10^th) – The Lions 2010 season has been a roller coaster ride, with the frightening prospect of Brendan Fevola being at the controls.  Four wins to start 2010 showed what they could be, but 6 losses from their next 7 games has but them well and truly at the crossroads with their fixture featuring the Bulldogs, Blues, Hawks and Cats over the next 5 rounds.  Brisbane needs Jonathon Brown and Brendan Fevola firing to be in finals contention.

West Coast 98 lost to Geelong 122

West Coast (14^th) – What are we to make of the Eagles season to date?  Just three wins from 11 games (against Essendon, Hawthorn and Melbourne mind you) but they have been competitive in most matches they have lost.  The statistics show they are in the contest for three quarters, before falling away in the last term.  Nick Naitaniui has been a sensation, but he has looked tired in recent games and may need a spell soon.

Geelong (1^st) – The top team and reigning premiers have been as dynamic as ever in 2010.  There appears to be nothing standing in their way of a third premiership in four years, having lost only twice for the season – to the Blues and Dockers.  Gary Ablett has continued his Brownlow Medal winning form, whilst Paul Chapman and Jimmy Bartel have also starred.  The upside for the top team?  The eventual return of Joel Corey, Matthew Scarlett, Brad Ottens and Max Rooke to their best 22.

Sydney 89 defeated Essendon 80

Sydney (7^th) – Fortunately, the Swans arrested their losing slide in round 11 with a much-needed win over the Bombers at the SCG.  Prior to this win, they had looked far from the team that had won 5 of its first 6 games to be on top of the ladder after 6 rounds.  If the Swans can have a productive next month and a half (with a reasonably good draw), finals remain very much an option for a team devoting the remainder of its season to recently retired (but still playing) spiritual leader, Brett Kirk.

Essendon (9^th) – I’m not afraid to say it: I’m not a fan of Essendon and didn’t rate their squad entering 2010.  And to be honest, I still don’t think highly of them however I will go as far as saying they have surprised me with their play so far in 2010.  Currently sitting just outside the eight, the Bombers face the Cats and Hawks in rounds 12-13, before the draw opens up for them – only to then face a tough last month.  Watson, Stanton and Hille have played near career best footy this year.

Hawthorn 74 defeated Port Adelaide 63

Hawthorn (8^th) – A difficult team to read at the best of times, the Hawks started 2010 in appalling fashion by losing 6 of their first 7 to be languishing in 14^th position and were facing an injury crisis to go along with it.  Since round 7 however, the Hawks have won 4 straight – but of the teams they’ve beaten, only the Carlton win could be considered of any quality.  Slowly getting their best 22 back on the park, Hawthorn may yet challenge strongly in the second half of 2010 – and it has been Luke Hodge who has again led from the front this year averaging almost 27 disposals and 5 marks per contest.

Port Adelaide (11^th) – Did someone mention hard teams to read?  Port Adelaide has been the epitome of inconsistency in 2010.  They teased their supporters with 5 wins from their first 7 games (although the St Kilda victory was the only one of note) – but have then lost 4 in a row to fall to 11^th spot on the ladder.  Port Adelaide has failed to beat anyone of any real substance (St Kilda aside) and they handed the Tigers their sole win of 2010.  I can’t see much improvement coming from the Power this season.

Collingwood 113 defeated Western Bulldogs 103

Collingwood (2^nd) – Predictably, the Pies started 2010 in fine style, with just 3 losses from their 11 matches having them sitting in 2^nd position on the ladder.  The main worry for Collingwood is losses to the Cats and Saints, although to their credit they have defeated the Doggies twice.  Dane Swan continues to rack up the possessions, whilst the class of Pendelbury and Didak has been on display for all to see in 2010.  Newcomers Luke Ball and Daren Jolly have made an impact – and my favourite perennial whipping boy Dale Thomas (the AFL’s answer to Justin Bieber?) is also playing out of his skin.  A top 4 spot looks assured for the Pies.

Western Bulldogs (6^th) – Before their last quarter rally in round 11, the Dogs were headed for a second comprehensive defeat against the Pies this season.  In the end, it was only a 10-point loss yet their run was left far too late.  The worry for the Dogs is their inability to beat a class opponent, with their “best” wins coming against Sydney and Hawthorn.  We will learn much from their next month – with games against the Lions, Eagles (away), Hawks and Blues.  On the plus side, Barry Hall is third in the goal kicking race, but there doesn’t appear to be the same cohesion in the Bulldogs forward 50 compared to their performance in 2009.  The (hopefully) imminent return of Brad Johnson and Bob Murphy may be just the tonic they need to re-energise their season.

(NB: Watch out for a iPhone app for FanFooty in the next few weeks. Beta webpages here)

Essendon 99 defeated Western Bulldogs 90

What appeared a straightforward round on paper began on Friday night with the match-up between the Dons and Dogs at Etihad Stadium.  Don’t let the score line fool you – Essendon led by plenty during the third term and it was only a late Bulldogs rally that made the scores respectable from their perspective.  The win to Essendon continued their terrific recent form, with a fourth consecutive win to push them into the top 8 after their season looked all but over after 5 rounds.

Geelong 121 defeated Melbourne 67

The Cats were hot favourites on Saturday to defeat the Demons – and that’s exactly what they did – winning every quarter to easily account for Melbourne by 54 points.  Gary Ablett was once again prolific all around the ground, accumulating 32 possessions with 2 goals, whilst Joel Selwood (35 disposals) and James Podsiadly (5 goals) were also outstanding.

Port Adelaide 30 lost to Richmond 77

In the shock of round 10 – Port Adelaide dropped a crucial home game to the previously winless Tigers.  Not only did Richmond win, they comprehensively thumped the home team by 47 points – a result that must severely dent the finals chances of Port Adelaide.  For arguably the first time in 2010, the Tigers looked genuinely exciting and showed their fans that there may be a bit of hope going forward.

Brisbane 88 defeated Collingwood 80

Whilst the Pies were widely tipped to continue their solid 2010 season with a win at the Gabba, it was only a matter of time before the Lions found some form after 5 consecutive losses.  Collingwood were impressive in the first half, leading by 15 points at the main change.  However the Lions mounted a second half rally, with much maligned forward Brendan Fevola providing the spark, including a magnificent last quarter goal on the run to seal the victory.  Now back to 5 wins & 5 losses, Brisbane are once again in the finals hunt.

St Kilda 123 defeated Adelaide 76

After a tumultuous week in Adelaide with the drama surrounding the retirement of Tyson Edwards, I half expected the Crows to come out and show a bit of resistance against the Saints.  The resistance would only last three quarters however, as St Kilda kicked away with 7 goals to 1 in the final term to register a percentage boosting 47-point win, with Leigh Montagna playing a blinder with 38 disposals and 5 goals in a clear best on ground performance.

Hawthorn 79 defeated Sydney 77

It was a tough, low-scoring struggle between the Hawks and Swans at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.  But at least it was an exciting struggle in the finish, as Sydney found a way to hang around and challenged strongly in the last term – tying the scores with a couple of minutes to play, only for Hawks to score two late behinds to ensure victory in a gripping finish.  For Hawthorn, Buddy Franklin was reported for high contact and may be in some trouble, but at least their midseason revival continued with the win.

Carlton 105 defeated West Coast 76

You can add this match to the list of non-events in round 10.  Carlton led big at stages throughout the game, only for late goals to the Eagles when the pressure was off to make the score look respectable.  Carlton would be unhappy with the eventual 29-point winning margin, but they can’t be unhappy with 6 wins from their first 10 games.  The newly contracted Bryce Gibbs starred for the Blues, amassing 45 disposals, 12 marks and a goal.

Fremantle 139 defeated Kangaroos 78

The final game of round 10 saw Fremantle hosting the Kangaroos at Subiaco in Perth.  The Roos were not expected to make this a contest; however earlier results from the weekend were timely reminders that anything could in fact happen.  It remained relatively close early, but after halftime it was all Fremantle with almost no fight coming from the Kangaroos.  The Dockers improved their record to 8 wins with just 2 losses to continue their stunning season.

(NOTE: There are more options on the Fan Footy site including delayed options for watching delayed TV Coverage!)

(NOTE: There are more options on the Fan Footy site including delayed options for watching delayed TV Coverage!)

Defeated
Collingwood Magpies 4.17 (41)

GOALS
St Kilda: Goddard 2, Montagna 2, Dal Santo, Milne, Gram, Schneider, Gardiner, Gwilt
Collingwood: Cloke, Didak, Sidebottom, Beams

BEST
St Kilda: Gram, Hayes, Gilbert, Baker, Dal Santo, Goddard
Collingwood: Swan, Cloke, O’Brien, Wellingham, Ball, Sidebottom

INJURIES
St Kilda: Riewoldt (hamstring), Fisher (concussion), Hayes (nose)
Collingwood: Cloke (ankle)

————————————————————

North Melbourne Kangaroos 17.14 116
Defeated
West Coast Eagles 13.13 (91)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Anthony 3, Hale 3, Warren 2, Edwards 2, Thomas 2, Urquhart, Ziebell, McIntosh, Harvey, Wright
West Coast: LeCras 5, Kennedy 2, Ebert, Rosa, Cox, Naitanui, Brown, Hansen

BEST
North Melbourne: Harvey, Anthony, Wells, Bastinac, Firrito, Rawlings
West Coast: LeCras, Priddis, Rosa, Embley, Ebert, Dalziell

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
West Coast: Swift (concussion)

Reports: Hansen (West Coast) by field umpire McLaren for striking Wells (North Melbourne) in the second quarte

————————————————————

Port Adelaide Power 11.15 (81)
Lost to
Brisbane Lions 16.12 (108)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Tredrea 3, Salopek 2, Schulz 2, Davenport, Carlile, Pearce, Boak
Brisbane Lions: Brown 5, Sherman 4, Fevola 3, Banfield, Patfull, Rischitelli, Staker

BEST
Port Adelaide: Salopek, K. Cornes, Pearce, Schulz
Brisbane Lions: Brown, Sherman, Rischitelli, Staker, Rockliff, Fevola, Maguire

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Brogan (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Cloke, Trengove (cut eye), Schulz (knee strain)
Brisbane Lions: Rischitelli (cut head), Black (calf)

Reports: Clark (Brisbane Lions) by field umpire Nicholls for striking Trengove (Port Adelaide) in the first quarter, McGrath (Brisbane Lions) by field umpire Nicholls for engaging in rough conduct against Cloke (Port Adelaide) in the third quarter

————————————————————

Sydney Swans 16.15 (111)
Defeated
Richmond Tigers 7.14 (56)

GOALS
Sydney Swans: Bradshaw 4, McGlynn 3, Goodes 2, O’Keefe, Kennedy, Jack, Moore, Mumford, Bolton, Malceski
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Edwards, Simmonds, Nason, Deledio

BEST:
Sydney Swans: McGlynn, Malceski, Grundy, Bradshaw, McVeigh, J. Bolton
Richmond: Jackson, Edwards, Riewoldt, Martin, Nason, Deledio

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Moore (ankle)
Richmond: Roberts (concussion)

————————————————————

Carlton Blues 10.15 (75)
Lost to
Essendon Bombers 13.17 (95)

GOALS
Carlton: Betts 2, O’hAilpin 2, Simpson 2, Houlihan, Robinson, Waite, Yarran
Essendon: Williams 4, Reimers 3, Gumbleton, Hocking, Lonergan, Lovett-Murray, Ryder, Zaharakis

BEST
Carlton: Simpson, Scotland, Betts, Jamison
Essendon: Fletcher, Pears, Lovett-Murray, Dyson, Watson, Dempsey, Williams

————————————————————

Melbourne Demons 7.15 (57)
Defeated
Adelaide Crows 5.11 (41)

GOALS
Melbourne: Bate 2, Bennell, Green, Jones, McDonald, Trengove
Adelaide: Burton 3, Cook, Maric

BEST
Melbourne: Grimes, McDonald, Green, Trengove, Jamar, Frawley
Adelaide: Vince, Goodwin, Mackay, Burton, Doughty, Thompson

INJURIES
Melbourne: Sylvia (jaw) replaced in selected side by Garland
Adelaide: Stevens replaced in selected side by Schmidt, Bock (hamstring), Dangerfield (neck), Hentschel (knee), Tippett (ankle)

————————————————————

Western Bulldogs 14.16 (100)
Defeated
Hawthorn Hawks 12.12 (84)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Hall 6, Murphy 2, Harbrow, Giansiracusa, Higgins, Griffen, Hahn, Hill
Hawthorn: Rioli 4, Roughead 4, Ellis, Renouf, Morton, Hodge

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Griffen, Gilbee, Boyd, Hall, Cooney, Minson, Harbrow, Cross 
Hawthorn: Rioli, Hodge, Mitchell, Roughead, Lewis 

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Hargrave (neck), Picken (ankle), Akermanis (hamstring)
Hawthorn: Gibson (hamstring)

————————————————————

Fremantle Dockers 18.17 (125)
Defeated
Geelong Cats 17.16 (118)

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 5; McPhee, Hill, Headland, Morabito, Ballantyne 2; Barlow, Hayden, Duffield
Geelong Cats: Ablett 4; Hawkins, Chapman 3; Johnson, Podsiadly 2; Bartel, Selwood, Duncan

BEST
Fremantle: Pavlich, Hill, Sandilands, Duffield, McPharlin, Silvagni, Ballantyne
Geelong Cats: Ablett, Chapman, Johnson, Mackie, Enright, Selwood

INJURIES
Fremantle: Suban (ankle)
Geelong Cats: Ling (ribs)

Reports: Ballantyne (Fremantle) for misconduct

Myself, so far disappointed that Rooy went down injured, although it will change things up but very happy that I shipped out Medhurst to go to Dangerfield. How many of you jumped off Brent Harvey this week and now are regreting it?
Lets hope that DreamTeam Talk is up really soon! I am sure that Chopper “Is not Happyyyyy!!!!”

Let me know in the comments below!

Brisbane Lions 16. 11 (107)
lost to
Carlton Blues 12. 16 (88)

GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Brown 7, Fevola 3, Banfield 2, Clark, Rischitelli, Black, Staker
Carlton: O’hAilpin 4, Henderson 3, Gibbs, McLean, Murphy, Robinson, Simpson

BEST
Brisbane Lions: Brown, Johnstone, Brennan, Banfield, Power, Drummond
Carlton: Murphy, Gibbs, Jamison, Scotland, McLean

INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Adcock (thigh)
Carlton: Bower (replaced in selected side by Armfield)

Collingwood Magpies 12.14 (86)
Defeated
Melbourne Demons 12.13 (85)

GOALS
Collingwood: Pendlebury 2, Lockyer 2, Davis 2, Anthony 2, Fraser, Cloke, Medhurst, Beams
Melbourne: Petterd 4, Green 3, Dunn 2, Bail, Newton, Bennell

BEST
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Davis, Beams, Maxwell, Sidebottom, Wellingham
Melbourne: Green, Petterd, Davey, Jamar, Moloney, Grimes, McKenzie

INJURIES
Collingwood: O’Bree (virus) replaced in selected side by Beams, Johnson (knee)
Melbourne:  Spencer replaced in selected side by Bartram

St Kilda Saints 23.5 (143)
Defeated
North Melbourne Kangaroos  6.3 (39)

GOALS
St Kilda: Riewoldt 7, Goddard 4, Milne 3, Peake 3, Schneider 2, Armitage, Dal Santo, Geary, Montagna
North Melbourne: Hale 3, Jones, Thomas, Wells

BEST
St Kilda: Goddard, Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Montagna, Gilbert, Gwilt, Jones
North Melbourne: McIntosh, Rawlings, Anthony

Injuries: Nil

Reports: Harvey (North Melbourne) for tripping Armitage by umpire Kennedy

West Coast Eagles 12.14 (86)

Lost to

Port Adelaide Power 13.11 (89)

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Brown, Shuey 2; Hurn, Kerr, Swift, S Selwood
Port Adelaide: Davenport 4; Ebert 3; Hitchcock 2; Schulz, Westhoff, Thomas, Boak
BEST
West Coast: Naitanui, Adam Selwood, Kennedy, McGinnity, Brown, Jones 
Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Davenport, Kane Cornes, Chaplin, Boak, Chad Cornes
INJURIES
West Coast: Nicoski (shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Stewart (facial injuries), Surjan (shoulder)
Reports:

Hurn (West Coast) for rough conduct on Stewart in second quarter

Adelaide Crows 11.9 (75)

Lost to

Sydney Swans 18.10 (118)

GOALS
Adelaide: Dangerfield 5, Petrenko 2, McLeod 2, Douglas
Sydney Swans: McGlynn 5, O’Keefe 3, Seaby 2, Bradshaw 2, Kennedy 2, Moore, Kirk, Goodes, Jack
BEST
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Petrenko, Thompson
Sydney Swans: McGlynn, O’Keefe, McVeigh, Seaby, Goodes, Hannebery
INJURIES
Adelaide: Sellar (hamstring)
Sydney Swans: Nil

Essendon Bombers 9.15 (69)

Lost to

Fremantle Dockers 17.11 (113)

GOALS
Essendon:  Gumbleton 2, Monfries 2, Zaharakis 2, Prismall, McVeigh, Watson
Fremantle: Ballantyne 3, Headland 2, Pavlich 2, Hasleby, Barlow, Mayne, Tarrant, Ibbotson, Johnson, Mundy, Duffield, Silvagni, Sandilands
BEST
Essendon:  Watson, Pears, Dempsey, Slattery, Stanton, Howlett
Fremantle: Sandilands, Barlow, Hill, Johnson, Tarrant, Ballantyne
INJURIES
Essendon: Prismall (head)
Fremantle: Ibbotson (shoulder), Tarrant (ankle)
Reports:

Dempsey (Essendon) reported for striking Ballantyne in the second quarter

Richmond Tigers 7.6 (48)

Lost to

Western Bulldogs 17.18 (120)

GOALS
Richmond: Morton 3, Martin, Nahas, Post, Vickery
Western Bulldogs: Hahn 3, Hill 3, Cooney 2, Cross, Giansiracusa, Griffen, Everitt, Hall, Higgins, Lake, Moles, Picken
BEST
Richmond: Thursfield, Newman, Cotchin, Morton
Western Bulldogs: Gilbee, Cross, Cooney, Akermanis, Higgins, Griffen, Hahn, Boyd
INJURIES
Richmond: –
Western Bulldogs: Johnson (calf) replaced in selected side by Hill

Hawthorn Hawks 13.13 (91)

Lost to

Geelong Cats 14.16 (100)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Roughead 4, Franklin 2, Morton 2, Bateman, Hodge, Mitchell, Osborne, Rioli
Geelong Cats: Mooney 4, Byrnes 3, Duncan 2, Chapman, Johnson, Ling, Ottens, Taylor
BEST
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Roughead, Franklin, Ellis, Gibson
Geelong Cats: Bartel, Ottens, Mooney, Enright, Byrnes, Chapman, Selwood

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Hooper (hamstring), Lewis (leg)
Geelong Cats: Motlop (shoulder)

Anyway, enough of me crapping on, enjoy the show!

Geelong 19. 11 (125)
defeated
Essendon 13. 16 (94)

Melbourne 8. 13 (61)
lost to
Hawthon 17. 15 (117)

Sydney 13. 10 (88)
lost to
St Kilda 15. 6 (96)

Brisbane 16. 18 (114)
defeated
West Coast 12. 10 (82)

Port Adelaide 13. 18 (96)
defeated
North Melbourne 12. 10 (82)

Western Bulldogs 13. 15 (93)
lost to
Collingwood 19.15 (129)

Fremantle 17. 16 (118)
defeated
Adelaide 9. 8 (62)

If your after all the DreamTeam scores Live (when the games are on), the Break Evans for the games to come or the new prices for players after there game is finished, you need to go checkout Fanfooty. It is run by my co-host on the Coaches Box AFL Dreamteam and Supercoach podcast, Monty. It has a great amount of information. I have brought all the details for Round 9to one post. Check it out, but also make sure you check out the live team feature that lets you follow the team live and helps predict the final scores from what has come before.

Carlton (23-12-150) defeated Richmond (9-13-67)

Geelong (15-21-111) defeated Hawthorn (16-7-103)

Adelaide (13-12-90) defeated Collingwood (13-8-86)

Brisbane (14-11-95) defeated West Coast (13-8-86)

St Kilda (12-8-80) defeated Sydney (9-11-65)

North Melbourne (15-11-101) defeated Melbourne (10-7-67)

Port Adelaide (15-17-107) defeated Essendon (9-12-66)

Western Bulldogs (25-7-157) defeated Fremantle (13-16-94)