Just a quick few points I want to make mention about this weekend which IMO are very important....
1. The Hawks have a couple of 'new' players into their side due to injury and suspension to some really good play makers, and the fact that the lines makers have woken up a bit more this week regarding Melb's line....I mean they were playing interstate against a top 4 side in Adel last week and the line was at 38.5 with a near full strength Adel side, and now this week they are laying an 'extra' 10 points at 48.5 back home in Melb against another top 4 side but with a few missing in Hodge, Crawford (not as gd as he used to be I know but...), McGlynn and the fact they are debuting Kennedy plus a couple of lesser likes being named on an extended bench, and also the fact that they have made 3 forced changes which from memory I don't think has happened too many times this year.
2. Stay away from the Port Vs Syd game if you are looking at backing the Swans at the line of approx 10-11 as Mark Williams is pissed off at the suspension of Burgoyne due to what he believes was accidental head high contact...what that means is, combined with the fact that they were very easierly beaten by the Swans in Syd in Rd 2 they will be 'extra' focused this week to make amends and throw in the fact that Chad Cornes and Michael Wilson has been named only adds alot more strength to their side. When people get pissed off they simply become 'more' competitive and put in extra time and energy into achieving more from themselves. Throw in the fact that Syd have beaten Port, Bris, West Coast & Ess, drew with Nth Melb and lost to Bulldogs, Geel & Saints (Geel will finish in top 4, but the other two I'm not sure), thus the form line isn't all that flash. Port have beaten West Coast, Saints & Ess, two of the same sides Syd have beaten, and I know Ports wins aren't that great, but then their losses are to Geel, Adel, Hawks, Bris and Syd which looking at the above Geel, Adel & Hawks will finish in the top 4.
3. Onto the Kangaroo's Vs Bulldogs game where the points are set at 17.5 with the Dogs as favourite...why be careful, two reasons in that the Dogs have to travel back home from the West which always makes life that much more harder the following week, and 2nd factor is that this is a 'Milestone' game for North in Brent Harvey playing his 250th which for some reason (maybe the shin boner spirt) they seem to win. Last year Glen Archer played a Milestone game and they beat the Dogs (who were favourites), North beat Freo (at Subi) in 2005 for a Milestone game which I'm not sure who it was, but guessing I think it was Leigh Colbert. Don't know many other games, but a good mate of mine is a Kangaroo's supporter and he always siad that they don't lose too many Milestone games.
Anyway, they are just acouple of thoughts on the above games so take them as you wish and I hope the above comments help you out. Comments are of course more than welcome.
P.S. Really like the LA Lakers on Sat at the generous line of -6.5, Spurs had their chance to take home court advanatge away from the Lakers today but coughed it up(they were up by 20 about half way through the 3rd), add the fact that they lost by a combined 59 points in the first 3 games of their NO (not as experienced or ready made finals side just yet when compared to the Lakers) series, before having their backs to the wall and winning Game 7. And also the fact I don't think you will see Bryant playing such a bad first half game (2 points) again like he did today, thus they will get off to a good start and continue on in the 2nd half