Round 8 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off on Friday night with a 2011 Grand Final rematch between the Cats and Pies from the MCG. This should be an absolute cracker, despite what you would consider an indifferent start to the season for both sides.

Hawthorn v Fremantle on Saturday afternoon should also be a close one as the Hawks will no doubt be looking to prove why they were early season favourites. Fremantle are on a great run of form and currently sit just outside the top 4.

For me though, the match of the round is on Sunday with 3rd taking on 4th, Carlton against Adelaide. This should be an entertaining match with the Blues looking to bounce back from Monday nights effort against the Saints.

With West Coast succumbing to their first loss of the season we have a real dogfight on our hands at the top of the table. I can’t remember a season where literally all of the top 8 sides, and the Cats in 9th are a genuine chance of the flag. No doubt the cream will rise to the top over the coming weeks but for now there aren’t really any indications of a side going for the throat.

Check out our preview of all 9 games of round 8 below and be sure to scroll down to see our tips for the weeks and best bets for each match.

Collingwood v Geelong, MCG, Friday 7.50pm (EST)

The Grand Final rematch has finally arrived and what a time to have it with both sides starting to hit their straps again after a poor start to the season by both teams standards. Geelong had a setback on the weekend however with a bad loss to the Crows and will be looking to pull themselves back into the top 8 with a win in this one.

Signs of 2006 are starting to appear for the Cats, they have not been outside the top 8 this far into the season since then. That was also the last time the Cats missed out on the top 8 altogether so they need to start getting a move on before the season passes them by. Geelong’s most recent victories over Collingwood were by 96 points in round 24 last year and by 38 points in the Grand Final. In fact they have not lost to the Pies since the 2010 preliminary final.

Collingwood are on a run of 4 straight wins and after losing two of their first three matches are now just 4 points off top spot. The Pies lost another player to injury on Saturday night though with Nathan Brown suffering medial ligament damage that will keep him out for around a fortnight. However, they have Dale Thomas, Chris Dawes and Travis Cloke available, and Chris Tarrant is getting closer to full fitness as well.

I think the Pies will get the points here, they have the momentum and stars returning while the Cats are looking for answers. I don’t think they’ll find them here.

Collingwood by 25 points

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne, AAMI Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm (EST)

Port Adelaide head into this match in much the same position they found themselves in last year, languishing towards the bottom of the table with just 1 win to their name. North Melbourne suffered a shock at the weekend, going down to the Western Bulldogs, they we extremely disappointing and it appears that they took the Dogs lightly and were made to pay.

Port Adelaide heave been very disappointing this season but after last season’s debacle I don’t think anyone thought they were going to do well. They have a young side and a coach who doesn’t seem up to the task in Matthew Primus. Sometimes ex players don’t make good coaches and this is a prime example of that.

The Kangaroos will need to be on their game here though or they could suffer another embarrassing defeat. The Kangaroos’ recent record against the Power has been quite good, having won five of their last six clashes. Even at AAMI Stadium, North has beaten Port six out of 11 times, including three of their last four encounters.

No brainer for me this week, Kangaroos by 30.

Hawthorn v Fremantle, Aurora Stadium, Saturday 2.10pm (EST)

Another tough match to call with Fremantle in such good form and the Hawks not having the best start to the season. One thing the Hawks do have going for them is the fact that they have had some tough matches already this season and only really have 4 of what you would consider tough matches left before the finals.

The Hawks were early season favourites but losses to Geelong, West Coast and Sydney had them on the back foot early on. They have hit back to sit just inside the top 8 however this is a crucial match for them. Clarkson welcomes back Stephen Gilham after he did his ACL last year, and their defensive options will receive a further boost in the next week or so with Jarrad Boumann likely to return. That seems to be the trend of the top teams so far with the Pies, Cats and Hawks all suffering from injury concerns.

Fremantle have not been pretty to watch at all this season but they have been getting the job done and that’s all that will matter in the eyes of coach Ross Lyon. This will be a massive test for them though as they will find it hard to restrict the Hawks to the lowly scores they have kept the likes of Brisbane and Port Adelaide.

I think this one will be ugly, but the Hawks by 30.

Sydney Swans v Melbourne Demons, SCG, Saturday 4.40pm (EST)

This could be a landslide if the Demons recent matches are anything to go by. Sydney have now lost to in a row and will be looking to get back to winning ways after winning their first 5 matches. The Demons are yet to win a match and I tip them to get the wooden spoon, this despite the emergence of Gold Coast and GWS in the last two seasons. This shows just how bad the Demons are actually travelling.

The Swans are still without captain Adam Goodes and you could see how much he was missed against the Tigers last week, although their performance overall was quite disappointing really. The Swans really need centre half forward Sam Reid to get back to some form after a great opening few weeks of the season, they need someone to step up in the absence of Goodes and he may be just the man to do it.

The Demons are 0-7 and at the bottom of the AFL ladder, they have struggled all over the pitch to be honest, you can’t pick just one area where they have been worse than others. They have Mitch Clark up front who is kicking goals and Clint Bartram doing his best at the back, they just lack some serious depth to compete with the other sides in the competition at the moment and are going through somewhat of a rebuilding phase it seems.

Swans by 50

Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast, TIO Stadium, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

The Western Bulldogs caused a massive upset last week by beating the Kangaroos and will be looking to back that up this week to give themselves a 4-4 record. The Suns lost their 7th straight to open the season against the new boys GWS last week in a match that they would have earmarked as a certain 4 points. They’ll be doing it tough to get another win this season, that is until they come up against the Demons.

This match has been taken to Darwin and the Bulldogs absoultely love it there, winning their past 4 matches and convincingly. Ryan Griffen plays his 150th match for the Bulldogs in this one and he has been in great form this season, the Suns may struggle to contain him in this one.

With the Suns yet to win a match still, it’s hard to see how they have improved on last years form. But looking closely you can see that they haven’t been losing by massive margins like they did last season. Against Fremantly they only lost by 7 points and they were looking closer to a win until that capitulation against GWS.

Bulldogs by 40

Essendon v Richmond, MCG, Saturday 7.50pm (EST)

Essendon keep going from strength to strength this season and you would have to say they are serious challengers for the flag on what we have seen so far. I keep expecting them to falter at some point but they haven’t looked like doing that yet. Richmond head into this “Dreamtime at the G” match on the back of a solid win over the Swans last week and they have clearly improved on last year.

Essendon smashed West Coast by 61 points last week, the Perth outfit were previously unbeaten. They welcome back Michael Hurley from a hamstring injury and it’s going to be hard to find a place for him in the side, who do you leave out? The Bombers have Leroy Jetta and Alwyn Davey in superb form up front so far this year, they have kicked 25 goals between them already.

Richmond were unlucky to lose to Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast early in the season, they have had the toughest start to the season out of any of the teams and the only way is up from here. Last weeks win against Sydney showed just how far they have come since last season and I can see this one being a close match. Essendon may just have too much firepower up front though.

Essendon by 10

Brisbane Lions v GWS Giants, Gabba, Sunday 1.10pm (EST)

This could be closer than you would think with the Giants getting their first win of their existence last weekend and the Lions going down once again, this time to Geelong where they were absolutely thumped. To me, the Lions are in a similar situation to the Demons, down on confidence and a win doesn’t look like is coming any time soon. GWS will be on a high after last weeks win and this may just see them lose a bit of focus going into this one.

The problem for Brisbane seems to be mainly up front, with Jonathan Brown a machine but not getting enough of the ball to contribute much to the scoresheet. he has only kicked 8 goals so far this season and the Lions will need plenty more from him if they are going to be competitive.

The Giants will need to get over last weeks win quite quickly as their younger players will be susceptable to getting ahead of themselves and will need the older heads to pull them to the side and get them focussed. GWS has impressed with its work at the clearances for a first-year club, currently sitting eight in the AFL with 39 per game thus far.

Brisbane by 10 points

Carlton v Adelaide Crows, Etihad Stadium, Sunday 3.15pm (EST)

Carlton head into this match on the back of a disappointing loss to St Kilda on Monday night and have not really found their form this season despite promising so much late last year. Adelaide were on fire last weekend, downing a Geelong side many had tipped to be challenging for the flag again this year. They’ve been good all season, apart from a blip against the Hawks, and currently sit inside the top 4 alongside Carlton.

This, for me, is the match of the round. Both sides look to play attacking footy, with the midfield of each team packed with energy. Carlton’s stars in Chris Judd and Marc Murphy will have a point to prove after being outperformed by the Saints last week so expect a big performance from them.

Adelaide’s Kurt Tippett came in for plenty of criticism after his performance against the Hawks, he’ll need to step it up even more with Taylor Walker suspended for 2 matches. He was leading the race for the Coleman medal and they will miss his presence, and goals, up front. I think this may just be the difference and Adelaide may not have enough firepower to outscore the Blues.

Carlton by 24

West Coast v St Kilda, Patersons Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST)

Another cracker of a match between two quality sides here. St Kilda showed what they are capable of after disposing of the Blues on Monday night while we all know that the Eagles are a good side following their 6 match unbeaten start to 2012. They had a hickup last week, going down to the Bombers by 61 points, their lack of depth coming back to haunt them after a number of key injuries in the last few weeks.

This week, the Eagles should be boosted by the return of Nic Naitanui, Adam Selwood, Will Schofield and Ash Smith. This will be a massive boost to the Eagles and will go along way to getting them back to winning ways. The Eagles lost the clearances 42-24 last week against the Bombers and the return of Naitanui should get them back on the front foot in that regard.

The Saints small forwards were on fire last week against Carlton with Stephen Milne, Terry Milera and Ahmed Saad combining well and tearing the Blues apart. With Sam Fisher out, the Saints backline looks relatively small but Jason Blake has been a revelation back there and he will need to be at his best this week up against the likes of Naitanui, Lynch and Darling. With West Coast getting a plethora of key players back this week, I think they will have too much for the improving Saints.

West Coast by 20

Sports Banter Tips – 2012 AFL Round 8

Collingwood v Geelong – Collingwood
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne – North Melbourne
Hawthorn v Fremantle – Hawthorn
Sydney v Melbourne - Sydney
Western Bulldogs v Gold Coast – Bulldogs
Essendon v Richmond – Essendon
Brisbane v GWS – Brisbane
Carlton v Adelaide – Carlton
West Coast v St Kilda – West Coast

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 AFL Round 8

Collingwood v Geelong – Collingwood 1-39 @ $2.50
Port Adelaide v North Melbourne – Kangaroos -15.5 @ $1.91
Hawthorn v Fremantle – TM Hawthorn Over 15.5 @ $1.45
Sydney v Melbourne – Sydney 25+ @ $1.40
Bulldogs v Gold Coast – TM Bulldogs Over 24.5 @ $1.60
Essendon v Richmond – Essendon @ $1.52
Brisbane v GWS – Brisbane 1-39 @ $2.18
Carlton v Adelaide – TM Carlton Over 15.5 @ $1.80
West Coast v St Kilda – West Coast @ $1.40

Round 7 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off on Friday night with early flag favourites Hawthorn taking on a disappointing Demons outfit at the MCG.

With Sydney losing to Adelaide last weekend, only West Coast remain undefeated and sit at the top of the AFL Ladder, 4 points clear on 24 points. Who will be able to bring them down? Can the Swans bounce back after last week’s thriller?

We preview all of this weeks matches below including our tips for each match and best bets for the round, check them out and be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts on this week’s action!

Melbourne v Hawthorn – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Friday 11 May, 7.50pm (EST)

The Demons have had their worst start to a season since I can remember and they don’t appear to be improving from week to week. In fact this week they will be demoted to 17^th if they can’t conjure up a miracle here, with GWS and the Suns battling it out on Saturday night and one all but guaranteed of a win.

Hawthorn have been nowhere near their best this season and find themselves 3-3 to start the year. However, they have had some tough matches amongst their first 6 and have a pretty good run for the rest of the season now. They’ll be looking to build on last weeks 35 point win over St Kilda and should be far too strong for the hapless Demons. With Rioli and Franklin hitting their straps this could be a bloodbath!

Hawthorn by 60

Adelaide v Geelong – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
AAMI Stadium, Saturday 12 May, 12.45pm (EST)

Both clubs head into this match on the back of wins at the weekend. Adelaide secured a 5 point win over the previously undefeated Swans, and Geelong taking care of a disappointing Demons side by 43 points.

Geelong welcome Joel Selwood back to their midfield this week with Steve Johnson set to move back to the forward line following his foray in the middle of the park. It may have been just the move he needed too with a man of the match performance against the Demons.

Adelaide will be without ruckman Shaun McKernan after he was suspended midweek, someone will need to step up in his absence. Luckily, the Crows have a number of youngsters waiting in the wings for a chance to impress.

This should be a cracker, I think Geelongwill get the 4 points in a tight one but I tip this with no confidence. This is a toss of the coin match for me.

Geelong by 7

GWS Giants v Gold Coast – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Manuka Oval, Saturday 12 May, 1.40pm (EST)

This is the one we’ve been waiting for, if we really want to see how far the Giants have progressed since their first match, this will be the match that tells us. Both sides head into this one with a 0-6 record and looking to notch their first win of season 2012, and in the case of GWS their first win ever!

Last weekend the Giants were beaten by 67 points by a Carlton side that didn’t show up in the first half. They were still in the match until the second term before the Blues woke up and dominated the rest of the match. The Suns gave Fremantle a run for their money only going down by 7 points and they’ll be looking at this match as the one that could lift them above the Demons into 16^th place.

The Giants welcome back Chad Cornes, Jeremy Cameron and Israel Folau for this one which is a massive boost; I just think that the Suns are on the verge of their first win and should account for the young guns here.

Gold Coast by 25

Richmond v Sydney – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Saturday 12 May, 4.40pm (EST)

The Swans lost their first match of the season in a thriller against the Crows on Saturday night; on top of this they lost their biggest star, Adam Goodes, for the next 6 weeks due to injury. He has so much influence over this Swans side, not just on the pitch but off it as well. They looked to be getting on top against Adelaide and when he went off it changed the game.

Richmond finally got themselves another win after weeks of going close when they disposed of Port Adelaide on Sunday. After narrow defeats to West Coast and Geelong this win will have done wonders for their confidence and they’ll be looking to knock over a top 4 team here.

The Swans loss to Adelaide may have left them with mental scars and the loss of Goodes to injury will also affect them. For this reason I think Richmond will make it two in a row here in a close one.

Richmond by 8

Essendon v West Coast – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Etihad Stadium, Saturday 12 May, 7.40pm (EST)

The Bombers head into this match against the unbeaten Eagles on the back of a 67 point hiding of the hapless Lions. The Eagles managed a 25 point win over the Kangaroos last week and although they weren’t at their best they did enough to keep their 100% record in tact.

The Bombers haven’t fared well with injuries this season. This week Stewart Crameri is in the spotlight after the forward left the field with a knee injury last week. He’s been cleared of structural damage but is still in doubt to face the Eagles this week. They’ll need everyone on deck to take out the new competition favourites.

The Eagles have their own injury concerns with Hams (suspension) and Adam Selwood (hand) unavailable for this match. At some point the injuries will take their toll, I don’t think it will be this week though.

West Coast by 18

Brisbane v Collingwood – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Gabba, Saturday 12 May, 7.40pm (EST)

The Lions have been a disappointment again this season, their 67 point loss to the Bombers last weekend continued their poor start to the year. Collingwood aren’t the dominant force they once were with injuries taking their toll so far this season. They managed a 21 point win over the struggling Western Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Lions have been hammered by the competition’s elite in Carlton, Geelongand Essendon so far this season and it’s hard to see them reversing that trend here. The Lions are at their best when their No. 1 defender, Daniel Merrett, is in form, and he’ll need to be in peak condition to curtail Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes here. Problem is he hasn’t been the same since injuring his back last season.

Rumours throughout the week have been linking Pies midfielder Travis Cloke with a move to GWS. He’ll be looking to silence those suggesting the speculation about his future is weighing on his mind. Collingwood have averaged 3 changes each match this season so far and while they haven’t been at their best it’s given some if their youngsters a chance to shine. They should be too strong for a Brisbane side that’s been on the back of two hidings in recent weeks.

Collingwood by 40 

North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Etihad Stadium, Sunday 13 May, 1.10pm (EST)

North Melbourne head into this one on the back of a 25 point loss to the undefeated Eagles on Sunday, while the Bulldogs also come off a loss to Collingwood. Neither side was expected to win and the Kangaroos will be looking to this one as a much easier chance of 4 points. They’ve lost to Sydney, Geelong and West Coast in recent weeks and will be desperate for the win.

The Western Bulldogs are at the wrong end of the ladder and they may not move far from where they currently are. Their rebuilding is at an early stage and they come up against a Kangaroos side who are far more advanced in their nurturing of youth.

This will be a close one I feel. North Melbourne have not fared well upon previous returns from Perth, losing their last two matches on returning in previous seasons. However, the Bulldogs may be a bit down after letting their match against Collingwood slip last week. I think the Kangaroos will get the points but only by a goal or two.

North Melbourne by 9

Fremantle v Port Adelaide – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Patersons Stadium, Sunday 13 May, 4.40pm (EST)

Fremantle got out of jail against a determined Suns outfit last week and coach Ross Lyon knows there will need to be massive improvements heading into this one. Port Adelaide were disappointing against Richmond at home last week going down by 37 points when they really should have been competing.

The Power really missed the presence up forward of Jay Schulz against the Tigers, out with an eye injury. Jackson Trengove is optimistic Schulz could line up for the Power though, describing him as a “fair chance” of playing this week. They’ll need everyone on board to turn around last week’s performance and compete with the Dockers here.

The Dockers themselves have a key player returning with star ruckman Aaron Sandilands set to return from a calf injury. He’ll likely cause a bit of a reshuffle with Jon Griffin and Zac Clarke likely to be retained in the 22 despite Sandilands return.

I can’t see anything but a comfortable Fremantle win in this one to be honest. Port Adelaide don’t look like they have improved much from last season on recent showings.

Fremantle by 40

St Kilda v Carlton – 2012 AFL Preview Round 7
Etihad Stadium, Monday 14 May, 7.40pm (EST)

St Kilda looked good against the Hawks for much of last weeks match but faded badly in the end to lose by 6 goals. Carlton only showed up for the second half against GWS and were missing stars Chris Judd and Jarrad Waite. They still managed a 67 point win over the Giants and a rest to key players will hold them in good stead here.

An injury to Ben McEvoy has thrown a spanner in the works for the Saints with not only their ruck stocks but also their forward line being reshuffled this week. Rhys Stanley will likely start as ruckman after spending much of the year as the No. 3 tall forward. Whether this will work against the Saints with Blues ruckmen Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson in fine form is another question.

Carlton will need to be up for this one from the outset or they’ll get a surprise here. Coach Brett Ratten was irate at the poor work rate and low energy of his players, who looked disinterested in the first half last week. This should give them the motivation they need to take care of the Saints this week.

Carlton by 30

Sports Banter’s Tips – 2012 AFL Round 7

Melbourne v Hawthorn – Hawthorn
Adelaide v Geelong – Geelong
GWS v Gold Coast – Gold Coast
Richmond v Sydney – Richmond
Essendon v West Coast – West Coast
Brisbane v Collingwood – Collingwood
Kangaroos v Bulldogs – Kangaroos
Fremantle v Port Adelaide – Fremantle
St Kilda v Carlton – Carlton

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 AFL Round 7

Melbourne v Hawthorn – Hawthorn -51.5 @ $1.91
Adelaide v Geelong – Geelong @ $1.65
GWS v Gold Coast – Gold Coast -17.5 @ $1.91
Richmond v Sydney – Richmond 1-39 @ $2.75
Essendon v West Coast – West Coast + 4.5 @ $1.91
Brisbane v Collingwood – Collingwood 25+ @ $1.80
Kangaroos v Bulldogs - TM Kangaroos over 15.5 @ $1.82
Fremantle v Port Adelaide – TM Fremantle over 24.5 @ $1.65
St Kilda v Carlton – TM Carlton over 15.5 @ $1.47

Round 6 of the 2012 AFL season kicks off on Friday night with the Western Bulldogs hosting Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. There will be some blowouts as usual this week but this week there also appears to be some more evenly contested matches, on paper at least.

Check out our preview of round 6 of the 2012 AFL season below, including tips and best bets for each match!

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood – 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Etihad Stadium, Friday 7.50pm (EST)

Collingwood head into this match on the back of a thrilling 1 point win over the Bombers in the traditional ANZAC Day clash. The Bulldogs got themselves a win over the Giants but it was not pretty, in fact it was probably one of the worst matches of the season so far.

That was the Bulldogs first win of the season, one that they should have won comfortably, and they’ll do well to get anywhere near the Pies in this one. Collingwood were not at their best against Essendon but they ended the Bombers unbeaten run and will take confidence from that.

Collingwood by 40

Essendon v Brisbane - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1.40pm (EST)

Essendon started the season well and were unbeaten in the first 4 rounds until that ANZAC Day clash with the Pies. I thought the bubble had to burst at some stage as I think they have overachieved so far this season, but they put up a great fight against one of the heavyweights.

Brisbane, they have been atrocious at best this year. When they’ve come up against a side with a bit of fight in them they have been completely outplayed. Twice this season they have scored less than 50 points but to be fair to them, last weeks conditions were woeful. They won’t have an easy time here against a side looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season though.

Essendon by 30

Geelong v Melbourne - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Simonds Stadium, Saturday 1.45pm (EST)

Geelong got themselves a hard fought win in tough conditions over the Lions at the weekend, booting 12 goals to 4 in torrential rain. The Cats handled the conditions much better and had Hawkins to thank for a 6 goal haul. Last time they played the Demons at home they absolutely thumped them and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same in this one.

Melbourne have been the most disappointing side of the AFL season to date, they’re without a win and will be lucky to crack the half century in this one. Last time out againstGeelong they conceded a whopping 233 points, the most by a team since quarters were shortened to 20 minutes in 1994. We won’t see another one like that but Geelong will get the points easily here.

Geelong by 75

Gold Coast v Fremantle - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Metricon Stadium, Saturday 4.40pm (EST)

Gold Coast are yet to taste victory in 2012 and have had star player Gary Ablett missing for the last couple of matches. They should have welcomed him back this week and what great timing it would have been too, up against the player he had a “Twitter war” with last week in Ryan Crowley. However, the comeback will have to wait as he will now be sidelined for a further 2-3 weeks. The Suns have been a far better team at Metricon Stadium and have been improving each week though.

Fremantle had another low scoring game on the weekend, this time going down to Carlton by 8 points. They were looking at a measly total, trailing by 30 late in the last quarter before 4 unanswered goals got them a bit of respectability back. They’ll be without rising star Nat Fyfe as he faces an extended layoff following a training injury. They should have enough in them to see off the Suns but I think it will be a close one.

Fremantle by 10

St Kilda v Hawthorn - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
MCG, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

Hawthorn head into this match on the back of a poor showing against the Swans at the weekend. They were announced premiership favourites early in the season but they haven’t really lived up to that billing yet. One thing in their favour is the draw though, they’ve had 5 tough matches to start the season and only really have 4 remaining between now and the end of the season. Expect them to make a run now.

St Kilda, they had an ugly win against the Demons, but a win nonetheless. They kept the Demons goalless in the final quarter to get the win after the match was in the balance at ¾ time. I really can’t see the Saints getting anything out of this one though as Hawthorn look to improve on their slow start to the season.

Hawks by 30

Sydney v Adelaide - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
SCG, Saturday 7.40pm (EST)

What a start to the season for the Swans, unbeaten in 5 and taking out the premiership favourites in a devastating second half display last weekend. No-one really expected the Swans to have started the season so well and they sit at the top of the ladder alongside the Eagles as the only 2 unbeaten sides.

The Crows got out of jail against their neighbours Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, coming from behind at ¾ time to snatch the match away from the Power. In the end it was a comfortable 3 goal victory but they will have a much harder task this weekend to stop the Swans who are in top form at the moment. I can’t see the Crows getting past the Swans at home, but I think they will provide Sydney with stern opposition.

Swans by 12

Carlton v GWS Giants - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Etihad Stadium, Sunday 1.10pm (EST)

This could be a bloodbath! Carlton have not been very impressive so far this season and will no doubt like to take that out on the Giants here at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. They had a narrow 8 point win over Fremantle on Saturday night, and will be looking for improvements all over the park as they try to play themselves into a bit of form.

The Giants acquitted themselves well against the Bulldogs on the weekend, racking up their highest score of their short history. Their youngsters will look to learn from this match and will do their best to contain the Blues but they’ll be doing well to cover the start, I have a feeling there won’t even be any odds released for this one.

Carlton by 120

Port Adelaide v Richmond - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
AAMI Stadium, Sunday 3.15pm (EST)

Port Adelaide can look at the final quarter of their match against the Crows and lament the one that got away. Up by 3 at 3/4 time they capitulated and managed just 1 goal in the final term.

Richmond had a 10 point loss to West Coast in Perth at the weekend and the match was in the balance right up until the final quarter. The Tigers kept the Eagles quiet in the second half but that also effected them going forward, goals were at a premium and they just could not get in front. They’ll be looking for just their second win of the season in this one, as will Port.

I have a feeling this will be a close game, and I’m going to go with Port Adelaide based on recent form and home ground advantage.

Port Adelaide by 6

West Coast v North Melbourne - 2012 AFL Preview Round 6
Patersons Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EST)

West Coast are unbeaten and sit atop the AFL ladder just ahead of the Swans on percentage. They head into this match against the Kangaroos on the back of a 10 point win over the Tigers on Sunday and will be looking to keep that momentum going. They do head into this one without star forward Josh Kennedy though, they’ll need someone to step up in his absence.

The Kangaroos defeated Gold Coast Suns on the weekend, as you’d expect but they made hard work of it. At halftime the Kangaroos were down by a point and it took at 6 goal 3rd quarter to break the shackles, they didn’t look back from there. They won’t be able to turn up to this match in the second half though, West Coast should be far too strong at home.

West Coast by 35

Sports Banter Tips – 2012 AFL Round 6

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood – Collingwood
Essendon v Brisbane – Essendon
Geelong v Melbourne – Geelong
Gold Coast v Fremantle – Fremantle
St Kilda v Hawthorn – Hawthorn
Sydney v Adelaide – Sydney
Carlton v GWS Giants – Carlton
Port Adelaide v Richmond – Port Adelaide
West Coast v North Melbourne – West Coast

Banter’s Best Bets – 2012 AFL Round 6

Bulldogs v Collingwood – Pies 25+ @ $1.40
Essendon v Brisbane – Essendon -29.5 @ $1.91
Geelong v Melbourne – Geelong 40+ @ $1.35
Gold Coast v Fremantle – Suns +40.5 @ $1.91
St Kilda v Hawthorn – Hawthorn 25+ @ $1.80
Sydney v Adelaide – Sydney 1-39 @ $2.10
Carlton v GWS Giants – First Score – Carlton goal @ $2.35
Port Adelaide v Richmond – Port +24.5 @ $1.38
West Coast v North Melbourne – West Coast 25+ @ $1.80