Author: craigpett

Great tipping by Jeremy this week, getting 8 out of 9. He was followed by Dee, Fran, Gaynor, Helen, Janet, and Tony all with 7. At this very early stage of proceedings, it’s Fran still in front by 1, from Gaynor, Helen and Jeremy.

Well, commiserations to Peter, a Collingwood supporter, but how good was that on Saturday night. Finally, the Crows have broken the hoodoo of Collingwood at the MCG. Mid-way through that last quarter it looked like they were going to run over us (again), but how good was Tex’s pass to Fogarty, and Fogarty’s goal, then the snap by Keays not long after. It made for the best possible start to the Crows’ season but they have to keep it going against the Bulldogs on Friday night at Adelaide Oval. Port, meanwhile, have started badly under new coach Josh Carr. They’ll be looking to bounce back against Essendon next week, also at Adelaide Oval. Fran’s Hawks had a big win and Tony’s Demons surprised most people by getting up against St Kilda. Brisbane look like they have lost their mojo, probably due to the Lachie Neale business.

Till next week. 

The Ladder after Round 1…

After this 5-game ‘Opening Round’, we already have an outright leader. New tipster Fran got 4 out of 5 and is in the lead on her own (way to go Fran), one ahead of Ausi, Grace, Gaynor, Helen, Huddo, Ray, Rob, Steph and me with 3. Everyone else got 2.

Gold Coast were awesome on Saturday night and look like a (very) early premiership contender, although they’ll have to play the grand final at the MCG – a ground they’ll see maybe only two or three times during the home-and-away season. On the other side of the ledger, Carlton’s second half fade-out was a worry. Hopefully for Voss’s sake they bounce back next week. My early prediction for the Brownlow – Nick Daicos in an absolute canter.    

Next week, tipping starts on Thursday night with Carlton v Richmond.

The Ladder after Opening Round…

Well done to Robert! Our 2025 Tipping Champion, finishing one in front of Judith after they both tipped the same in the last round. Special mention has to go (once again) to Ausi. At the start of the last round, Ausi was three behind his Dad. He had to go for a few roughies to have any chance, and he did just that. Unfortunately, not enough of them came off for him, but at least he had a crack and went down swinging. Well done Ausi. Your time will come in this comp, I’m sure.

But hats off to Robert. He’s very good at this tipping caper. Since 2013 when he started in this comp, he has won five teams. Not a bad record that.  I’ll arrange for his name to go on the Honour Board soon and will put a photo of it on the blog.

Judith came second and Ausi and Annie came equal third.  Gaynor had a good year. So did Helen, last year’s winner Dee, and my neighbour three doors up and debutante this year, Peter, who has already said he’ll be in it again next year.

Speaking of which, next year will be the 50^th running of this comp. How long will this comp keep running? Who knows. Probably for as long as I’m around at least. Maybe Jeremy will keep it going beyond that. But 50 years is a big milestone so I hope you’re all back in for 2026.  I’ll send an email to everyone a couple of weeks before the start of the season.

Thank for being in it this year, everyone. Have a great Christmas, but, more important than that, let’s hope this is the Year of the Crows. (Well, most of us in this comp, though not all, are Crows supporters).

The final ladder…

Best of the week were Annie and Judith with 8, followed by Ausi, Gaynor, Helen, Jeremy and Rob with 7. This means that Rob’s lead of 2, which he has held for a long time, is down to 1, with 1 week of tipping left, although this final round has 10 games to tip on due to the rescheduling of the Gold Coast v Essendon game that was postponed at the start of the year due to a cyclone. How will it all unfold? Well know this time next week.

Well, the Crows held on in a thriller and the tables were turned – this time it was Collingwood who could complain that they were robbed, with a couple of big calls not going their way in the final minutes. That’s karma I guess. But the thing is, there’s every chance the Crows will be playing Collingwood at Adelaide Oval in the first week of the finals, so we’ll be doing it all again.

Have a good week. Next week we are back to a Thursday night start.

The Ladder after Round 23…

Reporting in from Boston this morning (Sunday morning here) and today a bunch of us are going to the Fenway to see the Red Sox play the Houston Astros. Maybe I should travel to the US more often because I got all 9 this week, followed by Annie, Ausi, Grace, Helen, Judith, Matt, Peter and Rob all with 8. Meanwhile, Rob holds on to his lead of 2, with 3 weeks of tipping left.

Wow, the excitement is big for the Crows especially now that Collingwood have the wobbles. What a game it will be the week after next when Collingwood come to Adelaide to face the Crows on the Saturday night. But before then, the Crows need to make sure they don’t take West Coast lightly next week in the west.

Signing off for now.

The Ladder after Round 21…

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PETT FAMILY & FRIENDS TIPPING HQ

I will be in America on a work trip for almost two weeks. I leave next Saturday, 2 August, and get back on Friday 15 August. Here is what this means:

For Round 21 starting Thursday 31 July, send your tips to me in the normal way on Thursday, before I leave, but because I’ll be in the US when the round ends, posting of the results might be delayed.

For Round 22 starting Thursday 7 August, I am in the US for the whole round. You can send your tips to me by text but I won’t send a text reply because my phone plan charges me for sending international texts. Or you can send tips to me by Whatsapp via my same mobile number. Or you can send tips to me by email but my replies on email might be late. Also, I won’t be able to send reminders to people to get tips in. And posting of results might be late.

For Round 23 starting Friday 15 August, I get back that morning. So, send your tips in as normal on that Friday.

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This week, our best tipsters were Gaynor, Helen, Janet, Judith, Matt and Rob all with 8 out of 9. Next best with 7 were Annie, Ausi, Dee, Grace, Huddo, Peter and Steph. Rob still leads by two with four rounds to go.

Yet another great win for the Crows. When I went to bed at half time (totally zonked after a big day running kids around) we were about 25 points up. I woke up Sunday morning and saw we had won by 98 points. In the wet, too. Unbelievable. But next week is another big challenge against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval.

There’s a lot of teams getting smashed by about 100 points lately. Maybe it’s time to bring in more teams to this so-called ‘Australian’ Football League, from SA, WA and maybe other non-Vic areas. Make it 24 teams in two Divisions of 12 with promotion and relegation.  Jeremy and I have been on this bandwagon for a long time.

Meanwhile, South’s women won the SANFL grand final against the Eagles today, making it four Premierships in eight years for the mighty Panthers of the female variety.

The Ladder after Round 20…

Well done to Grace, showing the way this week with 8 out of 9. Next best with 7 were Janet, Jeremy and myself. No change at the top of the ladder.

That was another great win for the Crows, showing the Suns who’s boss. And Collingwood find themselves in rare territory – they have lost two in a row, which doesn’t happen too often; they lost at the MCG, which happens even less often; and in a game decided by less than a goal, they were on the losing end, which virtually never happens. But the season is now suddenly very interesting, with the Crows a chance of finishing top if they keep winning.

The Ladder after Round 19…