'Pies succumb to Carlton... again!' Round 15, 2012 Wrap.

It proved a dark night for the Pies, as they again lost to bitter rivals Carlton - the 2nd successive loss to them this season.

No surprise that the man who drove the Carlton win was none other than champion Chris Judd, who did as he pleased all night, gathering 32 possessions and 8 clearances. It was by far Judd's best performance all season, dusting off the cobwebs from a string of games where his form had tapered. 

Unfortunately, it's no secret that due to that form slump his chances of winning his 3rd Charlie have been all but reduced to nothing. Either way, it's good to see the champ back in form, as he's a joy to watch.

Below is a list of those who I thought were 'KEY PLAYERS' in each match. Take note that I am deliberately randomising the list, and in no way does the order I list them in reflect who I think will get the 3, 2, 1's.

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Collingwood vs. Carlton:

Possible Votes: C. Judd, C. Yarran, N. Duigan, M. Robinson

North Melbourne vs. West Coast:

Possible Votes: M. Priddis, D. Cox, A. Swallow

Melbourne vs. Richmond:

Possible Votes: T. Cotchin, S. Grigg, N. Jones

Sydney vs. Brisbane:

Possible Votes: J. McVeigh, S. Reid, A. Goodes

St. Kilda vs. Essendon:

Possible Votes: N.Dal Santo, N. Riewoldt, S. Milne

Port Adelaide vs. Adelaide:

Possible Votes: S. Jacobs, S. Thompson, R. Henderson

Hawthorn vs. GWS:

Possible Votes: M. Suckling, C. Rioli, J. Roughead

Gold Coast vs. Geelong:

Possible Votes: J. Selwood, P. Chapman, G. Ablett

Fremantle vs. Western Bulldogs:

Possible Votes: M. Pavlich, M. DeBoer, C. Mayne

'Round of Pain' - Round 14, 2012 Wrap.

It was quite literally 'Shelacking Saturday'. Across 3 different games, we had margins of 126, 84, & 94.

One of them involved the new 'backyard rivalry' between Sydney and GWS, with the latter accounting for the 94 point drubbing listed above.

On the Brownlow front, last years menace put his face into frame (or would that be gut?), with another eye-catching game in excess of 40+ disposals. If there is one thing I will reveal to you, my readers, it's that I don't have Swan anywhere near as close as what the bookies' markets indicate he is to being in contention. But shhhh, why ruin the fun for the rest of us looking for value on other players, eh? ;)

He may have a late run of form similar to that of last year, but i'm afraid I have him too far off the pace for him to challenge the likes of Watson, Thompson, Pendlebury, Abeltt et. al.

He burnt me a tad last year, so let's just hope i'm right!

Below is a list of those who I thought were 'KEY PLAYERS' in each match. Take note that I am deliberately randomising the list, and in no way does the order I list them in reflect who I think will get the 3, 2, 1's.

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Carlton vs. Hawthorn:

Possible Votes: S. Mitchell, L. Franklin, B. Sewell

Collingwood vs. Fremantle:

Possible Votes: D. Swan, D. Beams, J. Blair, M. Pavlich

Adelaide vs. Richmond:

Possible Votes: T. Walker, S. Thompson, D. Martin, B. Deledio, S. Tuck

West Coast vs. Gold Coast:

Possible Votes: L. Shuey, C. Masten, M. Priddis

Essendon vs. Western Bulldogs:

Possible Votes: J. Watson, M. Hurley, H. Hocking

Sydney vs. GWS:

Possible Votes: K. Jack, J. McVeigh, R. O'Keefe

Geelong vs. Port Adelaide:

Possible Votes: J. Selwood, J. Kelly, J. Bartel

Brisbane vs. Melbourne:

Possible Votes: J. Brown, J. Redden, P. Hanley 

St Kilda vs. North Melbourne:

Possible Votes: D. Wells, L. Adams, L. Hayes

'Bye Pt. 3: Scully Faces Wrath of Dees' - Round 13, 2012 Wrap.

The buildup was massive. Melbourne remained anchored to the bottom of the ladder, winless, and now was not only their chance to notch up their first of the season, but also do it against an ex-player who many of the Melbourne faithful labelled a judas. That man of course is Tom Scully... or would that be Tom $cully?

What resulted was a shelacking; a resounding middle finger, of sorts, to salute Scully on his way back to Western Sydney. Of course, I sense this will become an on-going saga and be brought up whenever the two teams meet. It has created a strange rivalry of sorts, and one that is set to burn in the hearts and minds of many Melbourne supporters for a long, long time.

Below is a list of those who I thought were 'KEY PLAYERS' in each match. Take note that I am deliberately randomising the list, and in no way does the order I list them in reflect who I think will get the 3, 2, 1's.

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Sydney vs. Geelong:

Possible Votes: J. Bartel, K. Jack, J. Selwood

Western Bulldogs vs. Brisbane:

Possible Votes: T. Rockliff, P. Hanley, D. Zorko 

Collingwood vs. West Coast:

Possible Votes: D. Beams, D. Swan, D. Kerr 

Fremantle vs. Essendon:

Possible Votes: M. Hurley, M. Pavlich, J. Watson

Melbourne vs. GWS:

Possible Votes: N. Jones, M. Clark, J. Watts

North Melbourne vs. Adelaide:

Possible Votes: D. Wells, L. Adams, L. Thomas, A. Swallow

'Bye Pt. 2: The Revenge of Gaz' - Round 12, 2012 Wrap.

After what was a relatively quiet game last week - by his standards - Gary Ablett has come out and almost single-handedly willed the Gold Coast across the lines against a lacklustre North Melbourne outfit.

He well and truly silenced the critics with a 42 disposal, 4 goal display. One of these goals was the highlight of the match, as he kicked truly on his opposite foot, whilst on the run, tight in the pocket along the boundary. It's no secret he'd be well and truly leading the Brownlow count at the moment if he were still playing for Geelong.

The man is just a freak! Lock him in for the 3 here, no doubt.

Below is a list of those who I thought were 'KEY PLAYERS' in each match. Take note that I am deliberately randomising the list, and in no way does the order I list them in reflect who I think will get the 3, 2, 1's.

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West Coast vs. Carlton:

Possible Votes: S. Selwood, M. Priddis, N. Naitanui, D. Kerr

Adelaide vs. St Kilda:

Possible Votes: S. Thompson, P. Dangerfield, N. Dal Santo

GWS vs. Richmond:

Possible Votes: B. Deledio, S. Tuck, T. Cotchin, J. Cameron

Gold Coast vs. North Melbourne:

Possible Votes: G. Ablett, B. Harvey, H. Bennell

Hawthorn vs. Brisbane:

Possible Votes: L. Franklin, S. Burgoyne, D. Zorko

Western Bulldogs vs. Port Adelaide:

Possible Votes: M. Boyd, M. Wallis, R. Murphy