Finally The Real Stuff Begins

Team's for the first 2 games of Round 1 this weekend, the remaining 7 matches will be played next weekend.

No real surprise selection's for the Crows first team of the year will be interesting to see if Josh Jenkins can fill Kurt Tippett's shoes to some extent but otherwise at full strength. 

Essendon have of course added some extra class in Goddard, Zaharakis back from an injury interrupted 2012, also 22 year old Nick Kommer get's to make his debut after impressing in the pre-season, and in a big surprise to me Jetta and Hardingham could only make emergencies with Jackson Merrett being preferred. Despite the Bomber's late season woes toward's the end of the 2012 season the only lost to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium by 4 points so they will take some confidence. 

Adelaide coming off a 2012 where they almost pinched a Grand final spot will be looking to lay the boot's into an Essendon team under siege from ongoing investigation's into improper practices last season.

I love the Bomber's but I can't help but think that the ongoing off field distraction's will have an adverse effect, god I hope I'm wrong.

Crows by 24 points.

ADELAIDE v ESSENDON

AAMI Stadium, 8.40pm AEDT, Friday 22 March

ADELAIDE
B: L.Brown, B.Rutten, R.Henderson
HB: N.van Berlo, D.Talia, B.Reilly
C: B.Vince, P.Dangerfield, D.Mackay
HF: R.Douglas, J.Jenkins, J.Petrenko
F: J.Porplyzia, T.Walker, M.Wright
FOLL: S.Jacobs, S.Thompson, R.Sloane
I/C: M.Jaensch, G.Johncock, A.Otten, B.Martin
EMG: B.Crouch, S.McKernan, A.Riley

ESSENDON
B: M.Baguley, C.Hooker, M.Hibberd                         
HB: B.Goddard, D.Fletcher, J.Carlisle                      
C: C.Dempsey, J.Watson, D.Heppell                         
HF: D.Zaharakis, P.Ryder, S.Crameri                        
F: A.Davey, M.Hurley, N.Kommer                            
FOLL: T.Bellchambers, B.Stanton, B.Howlett                                        
INTER: H.Hocking, D.Myers, J.Melksham, J.Merrett                 
EMG: L.Jetta, K.Hardingham, E.Kavanagh                      
NEW: Brendon Goddard, 27, St Kilda; Nick Kommer, 22, East Perth

Doesn't matter how many times I look at this Fremantle team on paper I can't help marvel at the coaching prowess  of Ross Lyon.Missing Aaron Sandilands is irreaplacable but Jon Griffin showed last year he is more than capable and the Eagles are missing some guy named Nic Naitanui who apparently has some talent, but with all due credit he would have been my brownlow pick had he been fit and ready to go now.

Without a major investigation into this season my initial prediction is that the Eagles will be top 4 if not premier's, but these Derby's have a history of throwing up mixed bag's well I think the Docker's can pinch this one, just. 

Dockers by 6 points.

FREMANTLE v WEST COAST

Patersons Stadium, 7:40pm AEDT, Saturday 23 March

FREMANTLE
B: K.Bradley, Z.Dawson, M.Johnson                         
HB: P.Duffield, L.McPharlin, N.Suban                       
C: D.Pearce, M.Barlow, C Pearce                       
HF: R.Crowley, M.Pavlich, N.Fyfe                           
F: H.Ballantyne, C.Mayne, M.Walters                       
FOLL: J.Griffin, D.Mundy, S.Hill                                           
I/C: M.De Boer, T.Mzungu, L.Spurr, C.Sutcliffe                 
EMG: J.Crichton, J.Hannath, L.Neale                         
NEW: Danyle Pearce, 26, Port Adelaide; Cameron Sutcliffe, 20, Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) 

WEST COAST
B: W.Schofield, D.Glass, A.Smith                          
HB: S.Hurn, E.Mackenzie, B.Waters                          
C: A.Gaff, S Selwood, A.Embley                          
HF: J.Hill, J.Darling, C.Masten                            
F: S.Lycett, J.Kennedy, M.LeCras                          
FOLL: D.Cox, M.Priddis, L.Shuey                                          
I/C: A Selwood, A.Hams, J.Cripps, B.Sheppard                 
EMG: J.Brennan, M.Brown, B.Dalziell