After a week off, The Prophet has seemingly overcome HB Meyers’ ineptitude when it comes to running a footy site to once again provide his forecast for the upcoming weekend of footy.
In all seriousness, apologies to Jimmy Day; I dropped the ball last week – HB
ROUND SEVENTEEN
The ladder is chaotic. One slip and the computations for finals can change on a game-by-game basis, let alone across multiple weeks. Now is when the rubber hits the road and we separate the R2-D2’s from the Jar Jar Binks’. There’s still so much to play for. As we head into Round Seventeen, I’m the Prophet and these are my Predictions.
If you decide to base your multi off this, and it fails, I’ve warned you already that that is risky. I won’t be to blame. This is purely for fun, and to see how I go. Feel free to message the page or comment on the previous week’s version if you have any thoughts.
So, strap yourselves in for the Prophet’s Predictions for Round Seventeen.
The Guarantee
Despite getting adequate support from the men in green this week, Essendon falter under the Friday Night Lights and fall out of the top four, and potentially the top 8.
Also, expect an overcorrection around deliberate rushed behinds. Just change the interpretation to be in line with the insufficient intent rule and it’ll be all good.
The Ultimate Nightmare (Worst Case Scenario)
Melbourne lose to West Coast again. They may as well pack up their season if that happens at the MCG on Sunday. The Dees have all the talent in the world at their disposal, yet seem to have become inept in a lot of aspects of their game. Surely they win and stay within striking distance?
Tom Hawkins doesn’t return in 2024, and this foot injury ends his career. He deserves to hit 800, well, 801 goals – taking him past Matthew Richardson.
The Outsider (unexpected winner)
Carlton can beat you in a burst, we’ve seen that all year. But they aren’t invulnerable. If ever the Giants are going to stop their catastrophic free fall into mediocrity and irrelevancy for 2024, they must do it against the Blues this weekend. Do I think it’s likely? No. But, they are a proud club and should offer something.
The Money Maker (Bold Call)
Izak Rankine puts forth an offering for Goal of the Year. It’s not a hugely bold call, I know. But his form has been incredible. While the Lions will win comfortably, Rankine will continue to shine as a midfielder and be the best player on the ground.
Essential Result (Must Win)
The Cats must win at home. Having already dropped games in Geelong to the umpires (sorry, Port Adelaide) and to Leek Aleer, this presents as a must-win and the chance for the Cats to get back-to-back wins for the first time in two months. They can then continue to build towards a top-four finish and yet another finals appearance.
Most at Stake (Vulnerable)
The Suns of the Gold Coast sky. They are half a game outside of the 8 and play North Melbourne. The issue? It’s not on the Gold Coast or in Darwin. If ever the Suns are going to break their win away from home duck, it has to be this weekend. If they fail, you may as well fold the club before Dusty can even get there.
The Saints need to figure out how they are going to score. No Max King for the rest of the season leaves them vulnerable up forward. Ross the Boss needs to find some offensive strategies that can allow the Saints to at least challenge other clubs.
The Must Watch (match up or game)
There’s a lot on the line for both the Power and the Dogs. A win for the Power sees them enter the top 4, a loss could see them out of the 8. A win for the Dogs and they are in the 8, and a loss could see them 6-8 points out. There are massive ramifications for both of these clubs and their coaches on Saturday afternoon.
It’s a big week for Jack Scrimshaw and Josh Weddle. With James Sicily out, these two are the likely options to follow Jeremy Cameron around GMHBA Stadium. They’ve both been fantastic for the Hawks this year and their club needs them to stand up on Saturday if the Hawks are any chance of shocking the Cats.
The Unexpected (underdog performance)
Collingwood’s defence has taken a hit so I think the mobile forwards for the Bombers should pose a threat to the Pies. If the Bombers can get the ball inside 50 enough, the likes of Kyle Langford, Jake Stringer, and Nate Caddy could blow the game apart.
The Don (player of the round)
If the Suns are going to win, then they need a big game from numerous players – including Ben King. He has been fantastic all year, and he needs to be clunking marks and kicking goals for the Suns to be able to build momentum in-game. If he can get the supply from the midfield, then that goes a long way for the Suns to find travel success.
The Underboss (rookie of the round)
I like what Harvey Harrison has brought to the Pies. Expect him to play his role and be involved in scores and use his speed and ability to spread well. He doesn’t get the plaudits other young players do, and he deserves the recognition.
Individual Brilliance (predicting a stat accomplishment like x goals or marks)
Jye Amiss, Josh Treacy, and Sam Sturt to combine for 10+ goals against the Tigers. The Dockers had a stirring win against the ladder Swans last week. They return to Perth this weekend to face a struggling Tigers side. The Dockers should win this well, and their forward line needs to shine.
The Winners (currently on 86)
Collingwood
North Melbourne (probs will be the Suns, but until they win away from home no-one should tip them)
Port Adelaide
Geelong
Carlton
Fremantle
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Drop us your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned over the coming weeks to see how the Prophet goes with his predictions.