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"BALL UP!" - Val's 2025 Aussie Rules Footy Tipping *Open to Everyone*
My tips:Cats x 21 (hope they win)
Pies x 8 (hope they lose)
Tonight's result:Geelong Cats (available) v Hawthorn Hawks (available)
1.3.9 (Q1) 3.4.22
6.7.43 (Q2) 6.6.42
13.11.89 (Q3) 9.7.61
17.13.115 (Q4) 13.7.85
Hawthorn roared out of the blocks, much like last week. When the Cats led by a point at half time you still thought the Hawks have them, they just seemed more composed, more attacking, whereas the Cats looked shell-shocked. But amazingly it was the Cats who went on with it in the second half, leading by 35 points at one stage. The Hawks did fight back but the damage was done. The Cats have lost their champion defender Tom Stewart for the Grand Final - I thought he'd broken his wrist but it's concussion (which has a mandatory 12 days lay-off in our game) which will see him ruled out. Another of their defenders, Jack Henry, limped off the field with an ankle injury but did see out the game and is sure to play next week. Captain Patrick Dangerfield, at thirty-five years of age, was inspirational. A true champion player. This will be the Cats' third Grand Final in six years - a tribute to their stability as a club and their great coach Chris Scott. The Hawks will be a force again next year.
Tonight's result:Collingwood Magpies (available) v Brisbane Lions (Jed)
1.1.7 (Q1) 4.3.27
7.1.43 (Q2) 4.6.30
9.4.58 (Q3) 11.9.75
11.5.71 (Q4) 15.10.100
The first quarter looked like being a carbon copy of last night's game with one team dominating from the first bounce. However the Pies came back strongly in the second quarter before the Lions took control again in the third. At this stage I was wondering whether all the goals were being scored at one end because of the wind but it was a calm night. Once again umpiring decisions were very inconsistent. What's a high tackle or holding the ball is paid one minute but not the next. But even without Lachie Neale, the Lions were too strong for the Pies. There were a number of injuries and Jarrod Berry will miss next week's Grand Final. Hopefully Josh Dunkley, Kai Lohman and others were only minor.
Our table looks like this:Jed - 2 (35)
Tim - 2 (38)
Val - 1 (46)
Steve - 1 (57)
Philip - 1 (59)
SussexWelsh - 1 (59)
Suzy - 1 (59)
Anita - 1 (66)
Duke - 0 (77)
Well done Jed! You've taken to this game like a duck to water. Another $20.00 goes to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AFL 2025 GRAND FINAL
Saturday, 27 September
Geelong Cats (available) v Brisbane Lions (Jed)
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If punters could lodge their tips by midnight FRIDAY September 26 (your time) it would be a great help, although I can accept them up until 5.30am SATURDAY (your time) if absolutely necessary.
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The Brownlow Medal count is over for another year. I wonder if tipsters in the northern hemisphere can conceive of a 3 hour plus live broadcast where they read out the votes (3,2,1) for all nine games of all 25 rounds. It is mind-numbing! But there is money to be awarded. The 2025 Brownlow winner is Matt Rowell of the Gold Coast Suns so Suzy wins $20 for Friends With Dignity. Another $20 is set aside for the Rising Star award (best first year player) and that went to Murphy Reid of Fremantle so is set aside for re-distribution in the next week. I had placed a bet (first time ever) on the Brownlow - a whole $3 on Matt Rowell and I won $40, so I decided to add that to the pool and allocated $20 for Goal of the Year (Noah Anderson of the Gold Coast Suns) so that goes to Suzy's charity, Friends With Dignity and $20 for Mark of the Year (Sam Darcy of the Western Bulldogs) so that goes to Tazz's charity, the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria.
It is inconceivable that anything remotely like this would be broadcast in the northern hemisphere. Just madness.Well as Jed has gone for the Lions I have to go for the Cats. This hurts me but I think I would have done this anyway as the Lions have too many injuries including throwing the guy back out that dislocated his shoulder for the second time in five weeks last weekend. However, the Lions are very resilient. Good luck Jed with the punt and your new job and living in Scarborough which sounds lovely.
Cats by 21
Thank you Val for making the season so special. Each week I look forward to your commentaries and you really do make the AFL such a great competition and bringing together folks from around the world
Cheers Tim, Shame it's not the Scarborough north of Redcliffe hey?
Scarborough UK?? Scarborough WA?? Don't keep us in suspenders.
Gee, i almost forgot about Tazz, I wonder he went? I'm guessing that he wasn't all that interested in this group, but i hope he's okay.
The Grand Final:The Geelong Cats to win by 24 points.
That is very true Jed regarding Scarborough on the Redcliffe peninsular. Great fish market there too. That is one of the few downsides of moving from Mango Hill to Tarragindi but we love it now only a few km from the centre of Brisbane.
I can't believe how the Cats are red-hot favourites for this game. All the pundits tipping them. I haven't seen the final selections but Lachie Neale would be a big gamble for the Lions. History tells us never take an injured player into a big game. And the Cats have to cover the huge loss of Tom Stewart. However, I'm going with the majority.Cats by 27
An hour till the bounce and the entertainment is about to begin. Lachie Neale will start on the bench as the Lions’ sub. Less worry about his calf injury, more concern that he’s only played three quarters of a game in the last eight weeks.
1.30pm and the entertainment begins with local star Baker Boy. I’ve always loved his beautiful smile. He’s pretty good on the didgeridoo!
Now it’s the cavalcade of retiring players. Pardon me while I shed a tear for Callan Ward. Mike Brady leads the crowd singing Up There, Cazaly. He must have been doing this for 40 years!
Weather is getting towards 18 degrees. No rain forecast at this stage. A slight swirling breeze could make goal kicking tricky.
1.45 and here’s Snoop Dogg who’s been all over our media this week.
It’s not my kind of music but it looks quite spectacular with all these cheerleaders/marching band/ dancers all clad in red, white and blue (with a few in yellow). Now who’s this? Maybe Thelma Plum. And here’s Baker Boy back on the didgeridoo. The crowd are in the mood for the big game so I doubt if they even care who’s singing.
Not Thelma Plum, it’s Tash Sultana. And that’s the entertainment done with.
2.15. The Cats emerge from the tunnel. Sing along “We are Geelong, the greatest team of all….”
Here come the Lions. “We are the pride of Brisbane town, we wear maroon, blue and gold…..”
Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr conducts the traditional Welcome To Country ceremony.Vera Blue sings the national anthem - a bit nasal for my taste.
Lions win the toss and here’s the bounce.
A very scrappy first ten minutes with neither team dominating. First goal to the Cats via Ollie Dempsey.
Five minutes left in the first quarter and the Lions have scored through Kai Lohmann.
Just when the Lions look to be getting the upper hand Geelong break away and score through Oisin Mullan.
Quarter time: Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions
2.3.15 - 1.6.12
Both teams playing it very tight. Harris Andrews (Lions) is a tower in defence. Callum Ah Chee (Lions) seems very calm and collected.
Free kick to Jack Bowes (Geelong) and he scores.
Logan Morris kicks a goal for the Lions. They needed that.
And now Charlie Cameron gets a goal for the Lions. He’s been so out of form of late so it’s good to see him back on the scoreboard.
Hugh McLuggage (Lions) gets a well-timed goal. Lions lead by 7 - are they hitting their stride?
Starcevich gives away a free and Geelong’s Shannon Neale executes a booming goal.
Then Brisbane’s Levi Ashcroft replies immediately.
Five minutes to go and Brisbane still lead by 7.
Is Jeremy Cameron injured? Concussion? Arm?
Brad Close scores for Geelong and scores are level - 5.6 to 5.6.
Lawson Humphries, Jack Henry and Zach Guthrie have been good in defence for Geelong but Rhys Stanley looks slow.
Second half about to start and the Lions have activated Lachie Neale.
Cats by 13
Lions by 8