AFL 2008 Thread

[Bucking Beads]

Hawthorn FTW. I'm consistently going to re-iterate this throughout the season.

be careful they might choke, they have a great side just lack a bit of experience in my book. I can;t wait to see Hawthorn Vs Geelong.

 

[Jeba]

Line AFL Rd3 Geel-Melb Line

Select team to win with a plus or minus handicap.
No. Description Win
1707 Geelong -75.5 $1.90
1710 Melbourne +75.5$1.90

[icon_lol1. @ the poor Demons!!

 

[The Brizz]

I would take the Cats by more and am predicting they will put 150 on them if form holds. My beloved Bombers were not even bad against the Cats they were so brutal, professional and execute so consistently. This Cats side is so damn good and they still have guys from last years GF that are still to return or can't get back into the 22.

 

[Kan Huang]

Well the Cats had one of the most under-par performances I've seen in a while. So many errors! Much more improved Demons outfit though!

As for the Swannies! Bloody beauties! Responded each time the Lions looked as if they were mounting a comeback with some crucial freak goals by some of the youngsters! Loving the look of Moore, Barlow and Jack! Young Kieran's making the Swans so proud! Great to see father and son representing rugby league and AFL!

 

[Bannermania]

Hawthorn FTW. I'm consistently going to re-iterate this throughout the season.

be careful they might choke, they have a great side just lack a bit of experience in my book. I can;t wait to see Hawthorn Vs Geelong.

Hmmm. I'll be interested with that one. But I don't think they will choke. Look at what happened last season, Made it to within one game.

 

[The Brizz]

Always good when you have two big targets to aim at, Franklin and Roughead are going great guns. I don't think they are quite ready this year but a young side won the grand final by over a hundred last year so stranger things have happened.

 

[Kan Huang]

I wouldn't really call Geelong young. They've had the same player nucleus for the past 4 to 5 years and are very established across the park.

 

[The Brizz]

I wouldn't really call Geelong young. They've had the same player nucleus for the past 4 to 5 years and are very established across the park.

They had played barely any finals footy and Cameron Ling (correct me if I am wrong) would be the only player they have over 30.

 

[Kan Huang]

Ling is actually only 27 but feels as if he's been around forever!

Milburn would be the only one over 30.

The majority of their players are 25+ which I suppose is the peak of their fitness and playing ability but I don't think they're very young.

 

[The Brizz]

Ling is actually only 27 but feels as if he's been around forever!

Milburn would be the only one over 30.

The majority of their players are 25+ which I suppose is the peak of their fitness and playing ability but I don't think they're very young.

As a group that is young dude, especially as a lot of the guys are in there early twenties. They clearly surpassed expectations last year.

 

[Kan Huang]

I'd say less than half are in their early twenties. It's not young mate, they're a mature team that has been around for the last half a decade gelling together and learning the structures with which they all play. Port Adelaide is an example of a young time with only a faint nucleus of the side that won the premiership not long ago. The Swans were just as mature as the cats when they won the premiership with only one player over 30 years in Jason Ball.

 

[Bannermania]

the majority of them are between 25 and thirty. They were a young side at the turn of the century, technically most of them are still young, but the most valuable and experienced players are now heading towards their 30's.

 

[Kan Huang]

Experience does not necessarily spell out into ability for players in their 30s. The level of athleticism and fitness required in a game of AFL is heavy on the body and a lot are finding it difficult to keep up (Rob Harvey an exception [icon_razz1 ). Players are at the peak of their careers in their mid to late 20s and have already played over at least 5 seasons of AFL football so it's not something to go by saying they're young. Yes they're technically young in the sense that they've still got a substantial amount left in their footballing career but not young in the level of experience and football played thus far.

 

[Bannermania]

Essentially that's what I mean. But my point was, Geelong (more specifically) has players over 25 who are more valuable to the club in this present time, rather than the young guys who aren't necessarily game winners just yet.

Hawthorn on the other hand, have rested all their laurels on the young guys, and it is paying off with dividends, this team, now will have a much longer success because of the youth policy, Leigh Matthews tried to do this but he couldn't ever bench his stars, and that was his problem. Alistair Clarkson is kicking arse, and he knows that in the next 3-5 years Hawthorn will be a brilliant ball-winning team.

 

[Kris]

Question: I'm going to Melb for work for a few days and they suggested for me to watch an AFL match (I dunno who's playing)...Anyway, is it worth it?! It's gonna be free and everything...

Thanks!

 

[Russo]

Kris, tick all boxes, it is free, it is sport, and the atmosphere of any of the games down there with the fanaticism is amazing. Try and get to a game involving 2 Victorian teams if you can. When are you there and I'll check the draw for which game is best IMO.

 

[Kris]

I'm in Melb on May 1-4. So whoever's playing on the 4th I guess...I was told that kick-off's at 2:10.

 

[Kan Huang]

Sunday afternoon football with the AFL is great! Looks as if it's the Demons vs Dockers which is a bit of a let down mate. Dockers are running well but they're from Fremantle and well, if you haven't already seen, the Melbourne Demons are absolutely getting whipped across the park by every team they've played thus far so don't know how well the crowd atmosphere is going to be. Hopefully a good turn out though you could pretty much guarantee 20,000 to 30,000 attending the game regardless.

But if you do happen to attend the Saturday afternoon game there are two being played with:

Hawthorn vs Collingwood @ MCG (I recommend this)
OR
Richmond vs St. Kilda @ Telstra Dome

Hawthorn are an up and rising team that will be contenders this season and the Magpies army is always at the game so expect about 60,000 to 70,000 attending that game with both teams in hot form! However I don't think the Richmond and St. Kilda game will disappoint either with the Telstra Dome filling up about 55,000 and they'll probably go close with that!