2013 AFL Finals Week 1 - Upsets Abound

A sensational start to the 2013 AFL Finals Series saw Collingwood booted out, Geelong beaten at the Cattery for only the 2nd time in over 40 games, and a 9th placed team in the Blues create history and progress to the 2nd week.  The only match that went to script was the Hawks belting a depleted Swans.

Sweet hangover after Blues win

Having tipped 2 of those 3 "upsets" I can tell you the writing was on the wall. Freo has the talent to go all the way and the Blues had the wood on Richmond. The one that got me was Port Power pounding the 'Pies. It is quite incredible that Collingwood who were in great form just a few weeks back have now finished 8th, while Carlton, a team they smashed by 41 points recently, is into the semis. Ken Hinkley gets my nod as coach of the year over Rossy Lyon at this stage, getting the Power up from the footy wilderness.

As for the Blues come from behind win on the weekend, I celebrated long and hard and paid for it dearly on Monday morning (see pic). I'll be at ANZ Stadium with Little Bustard this week to see Carlton down the Swans and will no doubt have an even bigger hangover next Monday.

Don't forget the Uglybustards "Show Us Your Footy Finals Form" Photo Comp is up and running this finals series with great prizes, and entries are literally flooding in.


Read on for a video review of eight telling plays in each of the Finals matches on the weekend, and for the latest Uglybustards tipping results.  Great highlights including a Heath Shaw brain explosion.

Roll the tape Monopoly...

Carlton Comeback Kings Rort Rueful Richmond

Port Power Pilfer Pies Party

Frenetic Freo Crush Cats at Cattery

Heavyweight Hawks Swoop on Sorry Swans

Uglybustards Tipping Comp...

Tipsters struggled this week on the Uglybustards Tipping Ladder with nine of the top eleven tipping only 1 from 4. The two discrepancies were reigning champ Longee leaping from 10th to 6th with 2/4, and at the other end of the scale, Arnold Layne slipping from 4th to 9th with 0/4, one of twelve tipsters not to bother the score attendant this week, amazing stuff at this end of the season.

Unassailable Uglybustards leader Sam Griggs lost his grip on the coveted 69th position to drop 22 places to 81st overall on the footytips.com.au site ladder. Powerful and Craig Nettlebeck maintained their minor placings still 6 and 7 points in arrears respectively. Anthony Aiello moves into 4th overall and 3rd place on the prize pool podium this week, level with Mik Barley and Longee on points. Simon Williams, Amy Jones, Arnold Layne and Jack McPhee round out the top 10, only one point behind. With five matches to go, 3rd place is still well and truly wide open.  Billycat, in 3rd place only three weeks ago, now finds himself in 12th after a 0/4 form slump.

With the Hawks slaughtering the Swans no-one really got within cooee in the Margin comp. As always The Lace maintained her impeccable form to lead DrBB by 6 goals. Sam Griggs picked up a spot to move into 3rd place and 2nd in the prize pool, 47 points behind The Lace but importantly 25 points in front of  Andy. Anthony Aiello, Simon Williams, Amy Jones and Quokka look to be close enough to contend for a prize, as is Griggsy who appears to be making a late run.

More details on the Tipping Ladder page if you scroll down to the Margin ladder.

In the Trivia comp there is still a slim chance for Griggsy to draw level with a round to go. The equation? Three perfect rounds of 10/10.  Rotten Ronnie still holds onto 2nd place by a point over Griggsy.

To join the electrifying Trivia comp, login to footytips.com.au then go to http://www.footytips.com.au/tipping/afl/trivia. Although in all honesty it is probably a little late now.

As mentioned, the Weekly Prize didn't go off in the first week of finals, which is a rarity with only four games to pick.  In fact, the only tipsters who got close were #Car17on and yours truly with 3/4, myself just one point off for the 2nd week running. That means there is $15 available with only two games to pick. It's gotta go off, and the margin will be crushul so study the form guide.

All the best for the semi finals, looks like being another ripping weekend of footy. May the tipping Gods go with you.
Uglybustard.

Disclaimer: these posts are the work of an Ugly Bustard late at night after the odd tsipouro or three and are prone to contain erroneous errors.