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Round thirteens games have some great matchups but none more than the game of the round on Friday night against Essendon and Carlton. It should be a great match with both teams on six wins and six losses and the possibility for the winner to be in the top four. Another interesting game this week is the West Coast V Hawthorn game. The Eagles played well last time at Subiaco and if the Hawks can’t get a win here their season will be officially over.

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Sports Bet of the Round

This weeks bet of the round is  in a Carlton, Hawthorn, Collingwood and the Bulldogs in a multi bet. It will pay around $3 at Sportsbet who will also give you a $50 free bet on this weeks tip just for signing up with them here.

Essendon V Carlton Friday Night at the MCG

Tip: Carlton

Carlton on paper should have a win here, they have many more experienced players with the likes of Chris Judd and Brendan Fevola that should get them over the line. But Essendon have had the wood over the Blues in recent times which will make for a great match. Watch out for Aaron Joseph who is this weeks NAB rising star. He has kept some big names quiet in the last few weeks and should line up on Alwyn Davey on Friday which will be another big test for him.

Collingwood V Fremantle Saturday at the MCG

Tip: Collingwood

Freo showed that they have the skills to match it with the big boys with a gallant effort against Geelong last week in a match they could well have won. Unfortunately I don’t think they will be able to reproduce the effort this week at the MCG against the Pies. Collingwood showed that they are a true top four side last week finishing well in a close game with the Swans and should be able to overcome any attack the Dockers bring to the game. Alan Didak is the key to the Pies winning after a great 34 possessions and two goals last weekend.

Adelaide V Sydney Saturday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Adelaide

Adelaide are a underestimated team and I have a prediction that they will have a strong finish to the season and will shake thinks up come the finals. They should get a pretty easy win at their home AAMI stadium. Simon Goodwin has given himself a 50/50 chance of playing this weekend and if the Crows captain does it will cause massive headaches for Sydney coach Paul Roos as he is very difficult to shut down when in form. The Crows by 30+

West Coast V Hawthorn Saturday night at Subiaco Oval

Tip: Hawthorn

This game could be D-Day for the Hawks if they can’t get a win here. We are all waiting for them to return to last years form but every week they fail to fully impress. Luckily for Hawthorn key ruckman Dean Cox is suffering a groin injury  and is unlikely to line up for the Eagles. If West Coast can reproduce the good form when they played Geelong a couple of weeks ago in Perth it may make for a very close game. If your looking to put a bet on this game Sportsbet have the Hawks to win  between 1-39 points paying $2.25 which might be worth a look at. Sportsbet will also give you a $50 free bet on this when making a new account here.

Brisbane V Melbourne Saturday night at the Gabba

Tip: Brisbane

Melbourne will struggle to get a winning score in Brisbane. They have shown some signs of light but they are still a few years away from stringing consecutive wins together. James Frawley (the nephew of former St Kilda captain Danny Frawley) has stepped up this year and looks to be a great pickup for Melbourne with some great efforts down back in the last couple of weeks. He will have his work cut out for him this weekend against the Brisbane forward line.

Geelong V Port Adelaide Sunday at Skilled Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Geelong can chalk up another win before they walk out on the ground on Sunday. They play Skilled Stadium very well and I suspect the game over by half time. Sportsbet agree and have set Geelong at a short $1.60 to win by over 40+. Cameron Mooney will be hoping to get his mojo back in time for the massive game against the Saints next week after only managing two points last week in a dismal performance.

North Melbourne V Western Bulldogs Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Western Bulldogs

The Doggies are looking good and will have another decent win over an “off the track” North Melbourne on Sunday. Caretaker coach Darren Crocker may have Brent “Boomer” Harvey back for the game which will add some much needed depth but it wont be enough to stop the speed of the Dogs running forward. Bulldog’s Will Minson will be out to have another great game after 23 possessions and three goals against Port last week. I think the Bulldogs here to win by 40+ points is the best bet for the game, Sportsbet have it paying $2.05.

St Kilda V Richmond Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: St Kilda

The Saints wont let the Tigers ruin what will be a great game next week against Geelong, with hopefully both teams going into the the big game undefeated. Nick Riewoldt will be out to show his cousin Jack Riewoldt how its done after his five goal haul last week in a man of the match performance. The St Kilda backline will need to keep a close eye on Tiger Mitch Morton after also kicking five in last weeks game.The Saints had their first true scare against Carlton but showed that they had the professional mindset to keep it together and eventually scrape a win together. They would have learnt alot from the game and will know how to get themselves out of trouble when a close game comes up again.

2009 first round draft pick Jack Watts bagged his first and second AFL goals for Melbourne against Essendon in round 12, but looked out of his depth for the rest of the game leaving many people to suggest that he is still too young and not ready for the big time. His former school coach, Robert Shaw, agrees and feels that he shouldn’t have been unvieled until next season. “You’ve got a full-time schoolboy footballer (who’s) just turned 18 trying to do a full-time job as an AFL player, playing on Dustin Fletcher.” In fact Watts was out played by debutant Liam Jurrah who scored a fantastically instinctive goal and showed some good touches throughout. But even his outstanding performance wasn’t enough to save The Demons from their eighth straight defeat. They did show some spirit in the second quarter and got to with in 16 points at half time. In the third quarter the Melbourne youngsters seemed to lose their heads and Essendon took full advantage scoring 7 goals 6 to Melbourns one goal. The final margin was 48 points and Essendon are looking good for a finals berth. Sportsbet are paying $2.75 for Essendon to make the top eight and I feel that this is a dead cert. Go to sportsbet now and sign up to receive your free bet.

How quickly football can change. It was only a few weeks ago that the Collingwood faithful were calling for the head of coach Mick Malthouse to be served up on a silver plater. But now, after an impressive 89 to 66 win over the Sydney Swans, The Magpies are looking for a top four spot. The victory was Collingwoods seventh straight victory over the Swans, but it nearly didn’t happen. At three quarter time The Swans had pulled within three points and it took a last quarter blast from Leon Davis and Alan Didak to see The Pies get over the line. They are in the top four right now but can they keep it up. YES. Go to sportsbet now to get your free bet on Collingwood claiming their top four spot.

Geelong are still un beaten this season, but they almost came un stuck in round 12 thanks to a spirited Fremantle side and some wayward kicking. There is talk that some of the Geelong players are becoming bored and complacent, thinking that just stepping out on to the field is enough to win. Even the bald headed master Gary Ablett was a little off his game failing to get on the score sheet, although he did come in to it in the fourth by creating two valuable goals. But in the end they were pushed all the way by The Dockers and will have to pickup their game for the big clash with top of the table St Kilda in round 14.

This weekends round 12 football has three games remaining from the split round including the the much anticipated match against Sydney and Collingwood on Saturday night. Checkout the first week of round twelves tips here.

I’m not much of a fan of the split round, there isn’t any games in Melbourne on both Saturday and Sunday which will leave hundreds of thousands of people wondering what to do with them selves. There isn’t any good reason to have the break other than for the players (who’s job it is to kick the ball around) to have the weekend off. I say, let them play! They have three or four months off at the end of the season to kick back and relax!

Now to the tips…

Essendon V Melbourne, Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Essendon

The Bombers should have a comfortable win on Friday night. They play Etihad stadium well and the return of Dustin Fletcher to spice up the Essendon back line should see them home. The much needed Paddy Ryder will line up in the ruck after beating a two match ban at the AFL tribunal last week for rough conduct.

Sydney V Collingwood, Saturday at ANZ Stadium

Tip: Collingwood

This should be a great game with both teams level on form and looking for a position in the top 8 after this game. Sydney’s odds have widened a little from $1.82 last week to $1.87 with Sportsbet. My tip is Collingwood, there’s great value for them at the moment at $1.95 with forward duo Anthony Rocca and Paul Medhurst likely to be named to play after coming back from injuries in the VFL last week. Even though the game is in Sydney, I predict that the Pies should have a fairly easy win here, they can be inconsistent at times but after the weeks break they should be ready to go.

Sportsbet will give you a $50 free bet to place on any AFL game (including my Collingwood tip!) just for making a new account, with no deposit necessary! Check them out here.

Fremantle V Geelong, Sunday at Suibiaco Oval

Tip: Geelong

This ones pretty self explanatory. Freo can’t beat a down and out Richmond at home so how could they possibly beat the class of the Cats? Geelong by a large margin. With the St Kilda V Geelong blockbuster match now only a couple of weeks away, injuries will become very important to their chances of winning. Taking that into account there may not be as much head first to the ball kind of things we are used to from the Cats this weekend if the game is a blow out.

This weekends round twelve is a split round with five games this weekend and the remaining three next weekend. See the tips of the last three games here

The game of the round is Collingwood V Sydney at the MCG with Sportsbet unsure on who will win with Sydney just coming in favourite at $1.82. Signup with Sportsbet today for an instant $50 free bet.

As the teams will not be finalised for next weekends games, a detailed and final tips will not be made on the final three games until we have a better idea on the ins and outs. This makes the predictions easier to make. Check back here next week or follow us on Twitter to get tips instantly every week.

Carlton V St Kilda, Friday Night at Etihad Stadium
Tip: St Kilda
The Saints have continued their unbeaten run and rewriting the clubs history books with a record eleven straight wins. They play a clean game and look very hard to beat. The Saints ruck division has once again taken a tumble with Steven King rubbed out for four matches after a off the ball bump last weekend, but they do pick up inform ruckman Gardener this weekend after one week on the side lines. Saints by 24 points.

Western Bulldogs V Port Adelaide, Saturday in Darwin
Tip: Western Bulldogs
The Doggies looked shaky in the first half last weekend against the Tigers but come good after the main break showing their usual brilliance. They are a true top four team and should easily overcome Port this weekend. Aker will be Ports biggest headache as he continues to play like a born again player and is moving very well.

Richmond V West Coast, Saturday Night at Etihad Stadium
Tip: Richmond
This game could go either way with both teams showing poor form during the first half of the year.  The tigers do look the better team on paper but seem to be having trouble with game plans with a lot of  basic errors in the midfield. I think they can get a win on the board for the new coach but it wont be an easy task. The Tigers by 18 points

Hawthorn V Brisbane Lions Sunday at Aurora Stadium
Tip: Hawthorn
A Gutsy Hawks team out lasted Sydney last week with a great comeback effort from Hodge who will be the key to Hawthorn winning this weekend in Tasmania. Rioli looks like to miss this weekend with a hamstring injury but the Hawks have plenty of depth and should have a comfortable win.

Adelaide V North Melbourne, Sunday at AAMI Stadium
Tip: Adelaide
The Crows have had two great wins in the last two weeks beating the Hawks and the Bombers in Melbourne. On the other hand the Kangaroos have had a disappointing start to the season with only four wins and a low percentage. They will struggle against a strong Crows team who are are looking to break into the top eight and depending on the winning margin may finish in the top four after this round.

Split Round Express Footy Tipping
Check here for a detailed and final tips on remaining games.
Essendon V Melbourne, Friday Night at Etihad Stadium
Tip: Essendon

Sydney V Collingwood, Saturday at ANZ Stadium
Tip: Sydney

Fremantle V Geelong, Sunday at Suibiaco Oval
Tip: Geelong

See the 2011 Round 11 tips here

Round elevens tips are fairly straight forward. The only upset that I predict  happening this week is Sydney beating the Hawks at the MCG. The game of the week is Richmond Vs the Bulldogs on Friday night, both teams are coming off wins and Richmond coach Terry Wallace is looking to leave on a high note.

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Sports Bet of the Round
This weeks bet of the round is Bulldogs, Essendon and Sydney in a multi bet. Sportsbet will give a $50 free bet on this weeks bet of the round just for signing up with them here.

Richmond V Western Bulldogs Friday Night at Etihad Stadium
Tip: Western Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are playing great footy with a nice forty point win over the Swans last week. Giansiracusa’s skill in the middle will be again game winning, he breaks the middle with ease which gives the forwards numerous uncontested possessions and goals. Ben Cousins has hit back well for the Tigers, returning from a fractured hand last week with twenty possessions in the second half. Can the Tigers do it for Terry Wallace in his last game as coach? I can’t see it happening.

North Melbourne V St Kilda Saturday at Etihad Stadium
Tip: St Kilda
I can’t go past the Saints. They are playing tough football at the moment that even when playing bad still looks good. Lenny Hayes has strung a three great games together in the past few weeks so expect another big one from him. Look out for Clinton Jones. He has stepped up his game in the middle this year making it much easier for the Saints senior play makers to move the ball forward cleanly.

Brisbane  V Carlton Saturday Night at the Gabba
Tip: Carlton
This should be a great game for the neutral supporter with both forward lines known for big marks and goals. Fevola is back in form after a six goal bag and numerous second efforts last weekend so expect another big effort from him. Marc Murphy will be the tell tale early on. If he gets a few early possessions you know the Blues are going to have a good game. Daniel Rich may be a handful for the Blues, his ball carry and tackling pressure has been second to none this year for Brisbane.

Port Adelaide V Fremantle, Saturday Night at AAMI Stadium
Tip: Port Adelaide
Once again Freo let us down with another loss in game they should have won last week, I will never learn… The Dockers suffered a few injuries during last weeks narrow loss to Richmond which will most likely carry over into this game. As long as Power can hold Arron Sandilands down Port shouldn’t have any problems beating Freo.

Essendon V Adelaide, Sunday at Etihad Stadium
Tip: Essendon
The Bombers need a win this week to lift their spirits after a big loss to Geelong. It will be a big test for Essendon to see if they are a true top eight team after Adelaide’s victory over last years premiers last week. Matthew Lloyd may need to play up the ground a little more to add some bulk to the Essendon midfield.

Hawthorn V Sydney, Sunday at the MCG
Tip: Sydney
I’m unsure about the Hawks this year. Obviously at the start of the year they were expected to be a super team again but it is still yet to happen. I’m jumping off them this week as they have dropped too many winnable games. I think the Swans have the man power to beat the Hawks with Barry Hall in good form and Adam Goodes directing traffic in the middle and bobbing up for a few goals.

West Coast V Geelong, Sunday at Subiaco Oval
Tip: Geelong
One can not got past Geelong. They are a strong fast unit that can with withstand any game plan thrown at them. The Eagles were disappointing last week and will be hapless against Geelong’s forward pressure. Geelong by 45 points.

Melbourne V Collingwood, Monday at the MCG
Tip: Collingwood
The Pies should be able to get a win here. Although Melbourne have shown some signs of success in recent weeks they fail to play a full four quarter game. This gives teams a period of time to dominate play to put the game out of reach. My prediction is that Collingwood will do the same and get a 30 point win on the board.

If you looking at placing a few bets on the footy this weekend make sure to checkout Sportsbets free $50 signup offer where there is no deposit needed!

See 2010 Round 10 Footy Tips here

What a week of footy last week was! The two top teams just managed to scratch victories together making the competition even more level for the year. Saying that though, both St Kilda and Geelong are now four games clear of third place and if their form continues over the next few weeks the top two spots will be almost sealed for the rest of the season. In my view round tens match of the round is Essendon V Geelong. I think Essendon will be able to get a good start in this game making for a super match.

Sports Bet of the Round

This weeks bet of the round is Bulldogs, Freo, Hawks and Collingwood to win in a Multi bet. I think they all have decent chances to get up for a win this weekend and paying around $5.80 with Sportsbet is well worth a few dollars. It’s also worth noting that when you signup with Sportsbet they give you a $50 free bet to place on anything, just for signing up!

Carlton V West Coast, Friday Night at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Carlton

This should be a pretty close game. West Coast played hard footy last week but faded out towards the last quarter. With Jarrad Waite now out for the season either Sentana O’hAilpin or Brad Fisher need to stand up and contest the ruck against big man Dean Cox. This is where the game win be won or lost for Carlton but I feel they have the class in the midfield to make up for what they will lack at the stoppages that should see them win. My prediction here is around 15 points.

Western Bulldogs V Sydney, Saturday at Manuka Oval

Tip: Western Bulldogs

The Bulldogs will be out for blood this weekend after the loss to Geelong. They would have taken alot of positives out of last weeks game that should see them run over the top of Sydney. Lets hope Brad Johnson has had some kicking practice…

North Melbourne V Brisbane Lions, Saturday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Brisbane

Brisbane probably should have beaten the top of the ladder Saints last week. They showed great talent getting the ball forward while slowing the Saints down at the same time. Watch out for Simon Black in the middle, his precision and speed makes him a key player to winning this weekend.

Fremantle V Richmond, Saturday Night at Subiaco

Tip: Fremantle

Freo should have a good win at Subico. The Tigers have thrown the white towel in and the big trip over will only worsen things. Richmond will enjoy the weekend out of Victoria where the media pressure wont be present. Luke McPharlin had a great game kicking four goals last week which should see him deeper forward this week.

St Kilda V Melbourne, Saturday Night at Gold Coast Stadium

Tip: St Kilda

The Saints have been a little flat in the last few weeks so this game should be a good pick-me-up. The Melbourne youngsters are no match for St Kildas line up and will struggle kicking a score. Clinton Jones is having a steller season which has cemented his place in the Saints side. Expect another good game from him this week.

Adelaide V Hawthorn, Sunday at AAMI Stadium

Tip: Hawthorn

The Hawks are slowly building form with each game they play which should see them overcome the Crows at AAMI stadium, even with Buddy or is that “Tubby” Franklin not bothering the score keepers as much as last year. Beau Muston has recovered nicely after enduring three knee reconstructions in the last few years and getting a game high 31 possessions last week.

Essendon V Geelong, Sunday at Etihad Stadium

Tip: Geelong

Don’t blink or you will miss a goal! It will be a very fast paced straight through the middle type of game. Geelong should be able to hold Essendon off enough to win but I think it will be much closer than first thought. Andrew Lovett and Alwyn Davey are super quick that will make for a great spectacle against the leagues best.

Collingwood V Port Adelaide, Sunday at the MCG

Tip: Collingwood

The Pies need to start winning at home if they are going to make an attack on the top four this year. Collingwood members would be furious as they have only won one home game this year but are winning games out of Victoria. They have reshuffled their line up due to numerious injuries and are starting to be accustom to their new rolls. There is also word that Paul Medhurst, Alan Didak and Dale Thomas may be available to play this week.

If you looking at placing a few bets on the footy this weekend make sure to checkout Sportsbets free $50 signup offer where there is no deposit needed!