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...

AFL Results R21 - Freo Firm Favourites To Top Table

Get on your nearest AFL Ladder Predictor - the Fremantle Dockers can finish top. Yes that's right, and you heard it first here on Uglybustards.  All it takes is Hawks to lose to Norf and Swans, Swans to scrape home against the Cats and Hawks, Cats to lose to Swans then beat Brisbane, and for Freo to thrash Port and St Kilda.  This puts Freo on top, same points as Swans but with a healthier percentage. The top 4 finishes up Freo, Swans, Cats, Hawks with a couple of very interesting Qualifying Finals in week one of the finals series.

Ladder Prediction R21

The bottom half of the 8 is also looking very interesting. Richmond should beat Essendon and the Giants comfortably, keeping its percentage above Collingwood who face the Ducks and Norf.  The Dons will probably stumble into 7th with six losses on the trot, with Carlton and Port to play off in what could well be an Elimination Final at Aami Stadium before the real thing happens.  The winner will most likely play the Tigers, which I'm sure they'd prefer over Collingwood.  The Pies should pumble Essendon in the other Elimination Final as the Dons scandal-plagued season splutters to an end.

What's your prediction?

On to the highlights tape and Cyril celebrates the start of the EPL with some exquisite soccer skills, he played the oval ball as it were round, beat two defenders and got past the goalie to slot a major. Casboult's wasn't too bad either except he was offside.  Roll the tape Zenon, then read on for the latest in Uglybustards tipping results.

AFL Results R18 - Swashbuckling Swans Tear Tigers a Newy

Took a trip to the SCG this week for a bit of twilight footy between the Swans and the Tigers on a glorious Sunday eve in the Harbour city. Got the right seat but got the wrong Bay and was amongst a group of hardcore tattooed toothless tiger fans who had made the trip up from Melbourne.

Twilight footy SCG

The contrast could not have been greater when, upon finding the right seat, I found myself amongst the chardonnay set Sydney fans with a rugby background and was forced to suffer ill-informed shouts of "He dropped it Sir!"and "Holding the ball Sir!". I had never witnessed such respect given to an ump in my life and it was all I could do to stop vomiting over said elitist Swans' fans shoes and general clothing.

At half time I scrambled to the bar, snuck into the members and caught up with Uglybustards tipster and 2007 Champ the boot for some normal footy-speak.

As far as the game went, Richmond were awesome early especially Matty White's opening goal, but it was scary how the Swans reeled them in very quickly before powering home. Surely it's just the big 3 in contention now - Swans, Hawks and the Cats.

In other matches Jezza Cameron is just a frikkin superstar who I'm sure Big Jack would've nabbed on a form four in the early 80s ten years before he was born, it was nice to see Robbo collect Ablett, and The Pod took a pack crunching spekky. All this and more on the the round 18 highlights reel. Roll the tape and read on for the latest in Uglybustards tipping results.