Geelong take on West Coast at Skilled stadium on Saturday with the outcome insignificant for both sides with the Eagles condemned to the wooden spoon while the Cats will be fine tuning for the Saints in the first round of finals.

The Cats overcome a recent poor record against the Blues to record a 42 point victory however the result was somewhat offset by the suspension of inform forward James Podsiadly for two weeks and defender Josh Hunt also copping a one week ban. The Cats have dominated the Eagles in recent times winning their last five encounters and will likely use the matchup to experiment alternatives to cover for Podsiadly in the first final against the Saints.

West Coast fait as 2010 wooden spooners was sealed last week as they were unable to put the Kangaroos away despite leading by four goals early in the second quarter. The loss was further compounded by injuries to Adam Selwood and Matt Priddis who will both miss while the Eagles will likely give their youngsters a taste of playing one of the great sides of the modern era.

Conclusion

Without doubt the Cats will have too much fire power for the Eagles even on a bad day. The end result is likely to be a heavy loss for the Eagles but it could depend on the Cats decision at the selection table, Coach Mark Thompson has declared he won’t rest players however with the result insignificant and VFL season finishing for the Cats he may use the opportunity to keep some match fitness on fringe players should the Cats suffer injuries in finals.

My Tip – Geelong by 41 points

2010 NAB Cup Betting

AFL is officially back this Friday night with the return of the Pre Season NAB Cup competition. This year the opening round will be competed over a fortnight, with four matches this weekend and the remaining four matches the weekend after.

Sadly enough, this will be the last ever NAB Cup, as the introduction of Gold Coast FC next season will mean 17 teams in the competition and a 24 round Home & Away season, rather than 22 rounds.

Below are our tips for this weekend’s matches. At time of writing, the odds have not been quoted yet, but bookmark this post and return closer to match tiem to view the latest odds and our tips.

West Coast v Essendon (Subiaco, Friday Night)

Despite finishing towards the bottom last year, the Eagles finished last season like a freight train and have been installed as $1.52 favourites against the Bombers, who are $2.50 to win. The Eagles have a very strong young list and an exciting midfield, and they will make it tough going for an Essendon side who usually don’t treat the NAB Cup too seriously. Look at taking the Eagles to win at $1.52, or find value on the line. Bet Now!

Adelaide v Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium, Saturday Arvo)

Wow, what a ripper match. The Adelaide Showdown is always a cracking affair and now we get to whet our appetites with it in the pre season. If you’re a Port Adelaide fan, don’t expect too much success this year, and to add insult to injury, the Crows look to be a real contender with the list coach Neil Craig has managed to build. The Crows will win this won and win it easy. Bet Now!

Hawthorn v Richmond (Aurora Stadium, Saturday Night)

The Hawks play hosts to Richmond Saturday night at their home away from home in Tasmania. After winning the premiership in 2008, the Hawks became the first team in a decade to miss the finals the following season and they will be keen to atone for that, starting with the Tigers. Hawthorn have added former Kangaroos defender Josh Gibson to it’s list and should be stronger. The Tigers do have an exciting young list, but have lost spiritual leader Matthew Richardson. It’s hard to see them pulling off a win here though, so take the Hawks to win this one. Bet Now!

Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions (Manuka Oval, Sunday Arvo)

The Dogs were one measly kick away from a Grand Final appearance last year, pushing highly fancied St Kilda to the limit in last year’s Preliminary Final. The Dogs lacked the presence of a key forward, so they addressed that deficiency by adding former Saints and Swans hitman Barry Hall. Apparantly he has been training the house down, so this is good news for Dogs fans. The scary thing is though that their opponents Brisbane have added Coleman Medalist Brendan Fevola to sit along side Jonathan Brown in the forward line. In fact, Lions coach Michael Voss has made wholesale changes to their list and it looks to be for the better. The Bulldogs sent the Lions packing in last year’s Semi Final, but I expect that result to be reversed here. Take the Lions to win a close one. Bet Now!

Sportsbet – Your Best Bet for the NAB Cup

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