I don't know. It's an even numbered year which usually means Melbourne does okay. (why they can't do any good in an odd numbered year has me stumped) I'm still not sure about them making the finals though. They rely so much on Neitz. If he gets injured or loses form, they have little or no chance.

As for Collingwood, perhaps losing two GFs in a row has got to them a bit. I expect them to lose this week to Port which will leave them 1 & 5, but if Buckley comes back soon, I still think they have a chance of perhaps sneaking into the finals.

This far out, I think you can pencil the following teams in for the finals:
St Kilda
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Then, there are 3 more teams which I feel are very likely to make it:
Fremantle
Sydney
Essendon

That leaves the rest battling for 2 spots. At this stage, I'm a bit worried about my Final 8 bet on the Eagles. With Gardiner out for the season, I think they might struggle a bit now. A vital game this week against the Dockers. Bet you're getting excited about that one already Desi! :smile:

[ This Message was edited by: sportznut on 2004-04-26 13:36 ]