Author: craigpett

I hope no one was at Marion this afternoon. Sounded like a terrifying event.

Well done to Annie, Austin, Dee and Gaynor who all got 6 out of 6 this week. Next best with 5 were Helen, Janet, Judith, Robert and me. But the big news is at the top of the ladder where Ausi has edged into the lead on his own, 1 ahead of his dad and his brother who are tied in second place, and Janet 2 further back.

Poor old North Melbourne. Another painful loss for them. But at least they have turned a corner and are now playing with some belief. It will be an interesting game when they play the Bulldogs next week. As for Port, they now seem to be following the example set by the Crows. Hinkley and Nicks are now both under enormous pressure, although both are unlikely to lose their jobs this year, you’d think, but who knows.

An incredible thing is happening in the AFL next week. Collingwood are travelling outside of Melbourne. They have to go to the Gold Coast.  How good would it be if Gold Coast can keep up their record of being unbeaten at home this year.

Happy birthday to Steph for last yesterday.

Ladder after Round 15…

Well, this tipping thing is not easy. Last week there were upsets galore and this week all the favourites (according to the betting prices) got up. Quite a few people got all 6 games – Annie, Austin, Helen, Janet, Judith, and Rob. Next best with 5 were Gaynor, Grace, Hudson, Ray and Sal (continuing her form from last week). At the top of the ladder it’s now Austin and Rob in the lead. Hudo is one back with Janet 1 further back and a few others under that who could still win if things go their way.

What a disastrous season this has become for the Crows. What do they do now? Start playing young guys to prepare for next year? Oh well, they have a bye next week so they can go have a beer and think about it. And what about that Collingwood win today? Simply unbelievable that they keep winning like that, and yes of course – in the last two minutes Daicos was stone cold holding the ball and that 50 metres should have been given to North Melbourne. Both would have resulted in goals.

Next week starts on Friday night.

Ladder after Round 14…

It was another tough week for tipping but the first thing to say is well done Sal, getting 5 out of 8! Brilliant tipping. Next best with 4 were Gaynor, Jeremy, Margot, Ray, Steph and me. But at the top of the ladder, the top 5 position holders all tipped exactly the same apart from Janet going for Essendon. That means there is no change at the top, with Ausi, Hudo and Robert tied for the lead, but now there is a gap of 2 to Janet and Dee.

What can you say about the Crows. The media are going crazy saying there needs to be a clean-out. I’m not so sure. I think they have to stick with the same people and structure for a while yet. The only person I’d like to see off the board is Ricciuto. It’s never sat well with me that he’s on board as well as on the media where he leaks information and makes criticisms. But what would I know. In the meantime, Margot’s Blues are going from strength to strength and if they play Sydney in the Grand Final they will have a home ground advantage – the perks of being a Victorian side.

There’s no Thursday night game next week. We start on Friday.

Ladder after Round 13…

In a tough week for tipping, Ray was the stand-out with 4 out of 7 – way to go Ray. Next best with 3 were Annie, Gaynor, Grace, Helen, Janet, Margot and Rob. It gets more and more interesting at the top of the ladder. Robert has now joined his boys Ausi and Hudo in a three-way tie for the lead, with Janet 1 behind, Dee 1 further back and quite a few others still with a chance of winning if things fall their way in the second half of the year. (There’s still a lot of tipping to be done).

The Crows have come to their lowest ebb of the season so far with that limp effort against Hawthorn. The media are saying that the MCG is now a hoodoo ground for the Crows and it sure seems that way. Matthew Nicks is signed to the end of 2026, which was a decision made before the season when everyone was optimistic. It’s a decision that is looking a bit silly now. Meanwhile, that was a great win for Margot’s Blues against Port on Thursday night and how enjoyable was it to see Collingwood get done on Friday night, with Nick Daicos getting treated like royalty by the umpires.

Next week starts with the Crows against Richmond on Thursday night.

Ladder after Round 12…

Margot took the honours this week with 7. She was the only one to get GWS over Geelong and Jeremy was the only one to get Hawthorn over Brisbane. No one gets the draw although Jeremy, in desperation to get 4 points to try to move up the ladder, changed his tip in Melbourne-St Kilda to a draw – it didn’t quite come off. Meanwhile, there’s no change at the top of the ladder. Ausi and Hudo both got 6 and are still tied in the lead, one ahead of Robert and Dee.

Well, the Crows deserved to have a big win like that. Mind you, West Coast were back to their old hopeless selves, led by a coach who has no energy or fire and seems to like being in the position of there being no expectation to win (that’s my take on Adam Simpson – I’m not a fan, needless to say). Harley Reid was the only one who really tried. At one point in the commentary, Dwayne Russell said ‘it’s Harley Reid versus the Crows’. Spot on. Anyway, next week the Crows play Hawthorn at the MCG. That will be an interesting game given Hawthorn have come into some form.

Meanwhile in the SANFL, South won their first game for the year on Saturday (see the ‘Panther Watch’ page).

Ladder after Round 11…

Janet led the way this week with 7 followed by Ausi, Gaynor, Grace, Hudo, Jeremy and Sal with 6. But at the top of the ladder it’s the youngsters showing the rest of us how it’s done. Brothers Ausi and Hudo now share the lead on 59, one ahead of Rob, Dee and Janet. Way to go Ausi and Hudo. It’s going to be a tight race through to the end of the season.

What can you say about the Crows. Jeremy and I were in the cheer squad giving it our best but all through the game (and even before) there was a sense that they would put up a great fight and fall short again, which is just what happened. I don’t think we can blame that free against Rankine with 20 seconds left. We’re a good side but something’s missing. Matthew Nicks ticks all the boxes as a coach but lacks that little bit of mongrel that can add a bit of fire to a team. Maybe that’s what’s missing. Who knows.

Meanwhile, what an escape for Port and the Harley Reid show in the west rolls on. Next week West Coast play the Crows at Adelaide Oval! We better win that one.

Ladder after Round 10…

Happy Mothers’ Day to Dee, Gaynor, Janet, Judith, Sal and Seph. And happy birthday to Hudo who turned 16 on Thursday while over in Thailand on a trip with his Mum and Dad (Rob and Deb) and Ausi.

Sensational tipping by Steph this week, getting 6. Next best were Grace, Hudo, Jeremy, Margot, Matt and me with 5. (No one gets the draw). But at the top of the ladder it’s a Colonel Light Gardens Pett family ding-dong battle. Hudo’s 5 has brought him intro the equal lead with his Dad Rob, his little brother Ausi and his grandma Dee. Way to go Hudo. Then there’s a gap of two to Judith and Janet.

Well the Crows looked gone when they were three goals down half-way through the last quarter, so I guess they should be happy with a draw, even though they hit the lead by a goal. Next week they play Collingwood at the MCG. How good would it be to win that. They came within a whisker last year and Dawson should have been given a free in front of goal after the siren. Let’s hope they can put up the same kind of fight. That was a great win for Port this weekend too.

Ladder after Round 9….

Best of the week were Hudo and myself with 6, followed by Annie, Austin, Dee, Gaynor, Helen, Janet, Judith, Margot and Rob who all got 5. But it’s the Colonel Light Gardens Division of the Pett Family that is dominating this year’s comp so far. The three equal leaders are still Robert, Dee and Austin, and now Hudo has moved in to second place just 1 behind. Way to go Hudo. A special mention also to Sal for being the only one to get Hawthorn.

Well, the Crows were brilliant on Thursday night and it was great to be there. In that last quarter when Port were threatening, the Crows’ defence held up really well. Mark Keane played a great game and it was good that debutant Daniel Curtin did pretty well. The next challenge is Brisbane at Adelaide Oval next Sunday afternoon. Let’s hope they can keep this good form going.

Meanwhile, Jeremy has read somewhere that the AFL is about to give North Melbourne an ultimatum – make the finals by 2028 or you’re out. Could this be real? We’ll find out.

The Ladder after Round 8…

In other tipping comps, when there’s a draw, everyone gets the tip, but in this comp we’ve never done it that way, and there’s even an ancient rule (dating back to the late 1970’s) that you can tip a draw and if you get it right you get 4. Never has anyone pulled that off. Anyway, the point is, no one gets a tip for the draw.

Best of the week were Helen, Jeremy, Judith, and Rob with 8, followed by Ausi, Dee, Hudson and Ray with 7. And at the top of the ladder we now have a 3-way between Ausi, his Dad Rob, and Rob’s mother in-law-Dee. But there’s a long way to go.

That was a good win for the Crows. The showdown should be great on Thursday night. Jeremy and I are coming over for it.

And happy birthday to Ausi who turned 13 on Friday.

Ladder after Round 7…

Great tipping by Ausi this week has seen him break through the pack into the equal lead with Dee. He got 5 in a tough week. So did Grace, Hudson, Margot and Ray. Next best were Annie, Dee, Gaynor, Janet and Rob with 4.

The Crows are cursed. How much heartbreak can one team take? Clearly the free was there (Sam Draper is a South Adelaide boy, by the way, drafted in 2017). But then, the Crows made a sleepy start to the game and Essendon were that bit more desperate all night I thought. No doubt Rochele would like to have that last quarter again too.

How good his Harley Reid. He’s given West Coast belief and backbone. And he just turned 19.

Next week starts with a Wednesday night game.

The ladder after Round 6…