Round 15: Tour of Duty

Dear Neil,
When the team you coach loses to pretty much every team including 'powerhouses' such as Port and the Dees, it is probably time to consider that the team IS bottoming out. PLEASE tell me they are bottoming out.
Regards,
Horseboy

The Nipster was up in ye ole Sydney Towne on a Tour of Duty this weekend and it was good to see his beverage consumption prowess has not altered.  I do find it embarrasing ordering midi's for him and normal beers for myself though cos the bargirls assume I am there with a girlfriend and ask if I would like some lemonade in with the midi.

He was of course up here to see his dirty smelly Pies take on the Swans.  Supporting the Pies is a cheap thing to do - you can watch every game they play live and in the flesh, and only leave the confines of the MCG twice a year.  On this occasion though they were playing at ANZ in front of a massive 38k people.  38k at the SCG would have been nice, and the Swans probably would have won cos T Cloke's shots at goal would have all been from within the 50 and he would have kicked even more points.  Dids continues to play like a pork chop, DT comes back to the pack, and it's safe to say that if K Jack hadn't have gone off early the Swans would have had enough mongrel to get over the line.  The sooner the Swans move back to full time at the SCG the better - it would have been huge there, and they don't need to pin the ground down to fix it up.  In the end the Pies did get up but not before The Nips went through a few nervous stages.  Damnit it would have been nice to send him back winless. 

Anyway after the game midi-Nips and the Horseboy went to the luxurious Pyrmont Bridge Hotel - 24x7 of drinking pleasure - and we ran into a Bombers supporter who told us 36 times that he went to school with Penders, how he is a cocky knob, and how Bomber Thompson has DESTROYED the Bombers.  Fair to say that the aforementioned dude looked like a mini-Pavlich, and if HE thought Penders was cocky... pot. kettle. But Bomber Thompson has destroyed the Bombers?  Has he watched them for the last 5 years?  Matthew Knights anyone?  Bomber Thompson has destroyed the Bombers?  He's coaching them while J Hird runs group rub n tug sessions with the coterie but Bomber Thompson has destroyed the Bombers?Maybe he's right cos they Bombers were rubbish Friday night and I am not alone in blaming Bomber Thompson for destroying the Bombers.  The Hawks were without a tall but had too much for the Bombouts.  A lot too much.  Bye Bye Eight.

Chris Judd's Married Hair has asked me to discuss the mighty Blues.  In an email this morning he stated - and I quote - 'how average a team we are' and it was good to see him finally acknowledge this.  How average a team are the Blues?  Pretty.  They came back hard in the third quarter but that was all they had.  The Beagles though - unbelievable - if they were in the Tour De France you would just assume drugs.  And you would be right.  It just goes to show how far committment to the tackle and pressure contribute to wins. And drugs.  Don't underestimate the power.

Speaking of Power, the Crows n Power are locked in a race to the bottom and there are no winners.  Literally.  In the next showdown it will be nil-all with 44 injuries.  The only good part about being a Crows supporter is that I don't follow a team that has to hold cupcake sales to keep operational, but I'm sure the only good thing about being a Paps supporter this year is that you know the Crows are possibly playing worse.  68 people watched the Paps get smashed by the Roos on sunday and 42 of those people were tarpaulin attendants, 16 were boyfriends of Port players, and 10 were people who thought they were watching Port Magpies v North Adelaide.  They were disappointed at the standard of play.

The Tips
Eight sevens this week with the Blues MEDIOCRE and highly expected performance keeping some from the full bag.  Driza, CJ's Married and OGreat are at the top of the table and appear to be making a move away from the pack.
In the side comp the Blues performed a clear out and we are down to three with BJAK, 101 and Mr Cricket Jr still in the hunt for the $$$ - well done on not relying on the temptress that was Carlton.

Round 15
Kicking off with the Doggies n Dees.  Two in a row to both teams and the Dees need to make it 3 to stay in the 8.  If you ever wonder at my comments on mediocrity making the 8 this year, just consider that the Dees are in the 8, and when you look outside the 8 there really is no team that is necessarily better.  Who will win?  Toss a coin then watch A Touch of Frost instead cos this will be boring as bat$hit.

The Tigers and Blues may be a lil more interesting.  I think the Tigers are going to get HAMMERED though cos if the Blues don't come out firing then I will go HEE!  Actually I would go HA!

The Dockers will smash the Suns and Cats the same to the Bombers, while I would like to think that the Crows have a sneaky chance against the Swans.  But the last three games will all be tight n tough to pick.  Or am I underestimating the Lions?  Lions n Paps up in Brissy... well I GUESS the Lions should win.  I assume that Once Great and WildJohny will both be there?  I expect a report.  The Pies n Hawks should be a big game with Buddy back in the fold.  The Pies looked vunlerable on Saturday night so this will be a big test for both teams.  And finally the Roos n Saints.  No we don't care who wins, but the Roos could make it 5 in a row - who woulda thought?