AFL IS BACK!
With the start of the AFL season just a few weeks away, Liam O’Brien countdowns the 5 games of the home and away season that he is most looking forward to during the 2014 season.
This match promises to be an intriguing contest during the latter stages of the season. Bomber Thompson has taken over as coach of Essendon for the next 12 months during James Hird’s suspension and this fixture will mark the first time he coaches against his old side. Too further add to this mix, it will also be the first time that 3-time Geelong premiership hero Paul Chapman plays his old teammates. The reception that the ex-coach and ex-player receive from the Cats players and supporters promises to be an interesting side note to what should already be a good contest. The supplements scandal for Essendon was all encompassing last year, and with the two architects of the program (Dank and Robinson) heavily involved with both clubs over the last number of years, this adds another level of emotion to the contest.
Geelong has won the last few encounters against the Bombers and experts believe that they once again will be pushing for a premiership this season, while Essendon (in particular Thompson and Chapman) will be aiming to beat the Cats in their only clash during the home and away season. This will be a game that will bring up a lot of emotion for the Cats fans and should be hard fought between two teams that should be jostling for position leading into the finals.
Essendon vs Geelong
Round 15, Friday June 27
Etihad Stadium
5
What more needs to be said, it’s the grand final rematch? Ross Lyon and his men from the west must have spent extended periods of the summer wondering what could have been in relation to the grand final. One goal to half-time, at least 6 gettable misses from Fyfe, Pavlich and Ballantyne, Fremantle will rue the grand final as a victory that they let slip away. After a pre-season spent soul searching and hell bent on redemption for this year, Fremantle will set themselves for this game and hope that their new players in Sylvia and Gumbleton (as well as Bradley and Morabito back from long-term injury) can help make the difference this year. Hawthorn, on the other hand has gone about their pre-season as usual for this powerful club. The Hawks have added McEvoy and Garlett, as well as getting Suckling back from a serious knee injury. A big question in this game will be to see how Roughhead and Gunston handle the defensive pressure put on by Fremantle now that Franklin has moved to Sydney. Another crucial match-up could be McEvoy against Sandilands in the ruck, as the team that is able to get first hands on the ball invariably seems able to cope with the defensive pressure better. Any grand final rematch is a must see, but last season’s highest scoring team (Hawthorn) against the best defensive team (Fremantle) promises to be an encounter no-one should miss.
4
Hawthorn vs Fremantle
Round 3, Friday April 4
MCG
12