ROUND EIGHTEEN
Contenders and favourites are faltering. Some are rising from the ashes (hello, Brisbane). And others are simply unpredictable.. There’s still so much to play for. As we head into Round Eighteen, 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 Eighteen.
The Guarantee
Zak Butters will punch someone again, and not be suspended because the bloke he hits doesn’t get hurt. It’s a cooked system.
Whoever the Eagles hire to replace Adam Simpson is taking on a poisoned chalice. Simpson has become the scapegoat. Their recruiting is terrible. The back room staff seemingly are clueless. And their fitness team can’t keep players on the ground. Without a complete overhaul, and the club staying in irrelevancy for another few years while they reset, who would want the job? The WA media are fickle; the Eagles have a chip on their shoulder as a club; and so whoever comes in has many challenges ahead of them.
Also, expect Naicos, Bont, Cripps, Lachie Neale, and Errol Gulden to all poll well this week (when we watch on Brownlow Night) even if they don’t play well. The AFL will want the Brownlow contenders to get votes now that Isaac Heeney has been ridiculously suspended.
The Ultimate Nightmare (Worst Case Scenario)
Sydney lose a third game in a row. This time against North Melbourne. It won’t happen, but if it does, get out your red texta, and put a line through the Swans.
The Suns lose at home for the first time, forcing Damien Hardwick to concede that his club is cooked and will never grow the eff up. The Suns absolutely must respond to the embarrassment that they dished up last week and beat Port Adelaide on Sunday.
The Outsider (unexpected winner)
Fremantle are flying. The Hawks hit a speed bump last week. But, knowing Sam Mitchell, he will have really challenged his players to respond this week. Down on the Apple Isle, I would not be surprised if the Hawks disrupt Freo’s momentum and pinch this game, keeping finals on the agenda.
The Money Maker (Bold Call)
There is a notion in AFL football, and that is to fear a side that has just sacked their coach. Brisbane shouldn’t worry. My bold call is that the Eagles lose by 8+ goals showing that it wasn’t solely on Adam Simpson that West Coast have struggled to maintain form or success in recent seasons.
Essential Result (Must Win)
Numerous teams fall into this category. The Dogs are back on their home deck and must win to have any hope of September action. The Blues faltered last week and will want to respond. This match shapes as a must-win for both sides. You’d expect the Blues to win, however, whoever can lift their respective side more out of Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontlow – sorry, Bontempelli – will go a long way to determining the result.
Most at Stake (Vulnerable)
Melbourne has appeared to find a little bit of form in recent weeks. However, the loss of Max Gawn is significant over the coming weeks; especially given they replaced him with Harrison Petty. Their season could hinge on their encounter with the Bombers on Saturday Night. If Melbourne can somehow have some success in the ruck and around the contest, they could cause Essendon some issues. It is a fascinating contest on which one clubs finals aspirations and the others top four hopes rest.
The Must Watch (match up or game)
Friday Night Football. Packed MCG. The last two Premiers. What more could you ask for? The Pies host the Cats at the home of football. Collingwood has been ravaged by injury in 2023 – I find it interesting that people are defending their performance and putting it down to injuries yet didn’t do the same for Geelong last year … anyway. This rivalry is heated. Both teams want to win when they play. And Jeremy Cameron has kicked 18 goals in his last 4 games against the Pies – he’s so good, that at least one, if not two of those goals were kicked from Punt Road Oval. Even with the Pies injuries, expect a fierce contest. And the cynic in me as a Cats fan expects the Pies to respond after last week, and their mosquito fleet up forward could cause the Cats defenders some issues.
The Unexpected (underdog performance)
It has to happen eventually, so, I’ll go with the umpires/MRO combo as being the unexpected performance of the round. It’s taken this long into the season, but, I reckon they’ll have a week that doesn’t feature any controversial decisions, no match-defining decisions, and no dodgy suspensions for innocuous things. Let common sense reign this weekend.
The Don (player of the round)
It’ll be hard to go past Charlie Curnow, given the depleted Bulldogs backline. Likely having Buku Khamis as an opponent, and no disrespect to Buku, I’d expect Charlie to kick 6+ under the lid at Superhero Stadium.
The Underboss (rookie of the round)
Thrill seekers rejoice – well, Crows fans will – with Riley Thillthorpe lining up for his first game this year. I still consider him a rookie, all things considered. I expect he will remind everyone of his hype on Saturday Night.
Individual Brilliance (predicting a stat accomplishment like x goals or marks)
Jordan Dawson hasn’t had the year he did last year. He has kind of been symptomatic of Adelaide’s struggles in 2024. However, if any week lends itself to the Crom skipper showing out, it’s this week. Back him in for 25+ disposals, 2+ goals, and 5+ clearances.
The Winners (currently on 92)
Geelong
Sydney
Hawthorn
Carlton
Adelaide
Essendon
Gold Coast
GWS
Brisbane
Drop us your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned over the coming weeks to see how the Prophet goes with his predictions.
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