This week…

We have finals!

Welcome to Balls of Steel’s AFL Beat!

The postseason awards were handed out in a ceremony on Thursday of last week.  Here are your 2020 Award Winners:

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Footy Tipping Contest

Here is where we are after Round Eighteen:

Please keep in mind that the Footy Tipping Contest continues through the Grand Final so I remind you, as always,

DON’T FORGET TO PUT THE FOOTY TIPS IN!

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Without further ado, it’s

Balls’ Sechs

1- The first game of the week is a rematch of the Port Adelaide Power – Geelong Cats matchup from Round 12, also known as the WEW-Balls Bowl!  The Cats won by 60 last time but this is going to be a much different story.  The first game was an aberration from the very beginning. I anticipate a much closer game this time around.  If the Power can get off to a hot start, I foresee them getting out to a healthy lead until the Cats coming crawling back.  The big question will be when the comeback will start and will there be enough time left for them to take the lead and the game.  If the Cats lose, they will play next week against the winner of West Coast-Collingwood.

2- The next game is a rematch of last year’s Qualifying Final between the Brisbane Lions and the Richmond Tigers, again being played at The Gabba in Brisbane.  While the Lions played the Lions tough last year, they lost and then followed that up with another loss to bow out without a finals win. The story should be a lot different this year.  I fully believe that the Lions will win one finals game this year.  The question, however, is which one?  Do they win the first game against the Tigers and then lose in the Preliminary Final or do they lose the first one, beat the winner of the St. Kilda Saints – Western Bulldogs match and then lose in the Preliminary Final?  It’s tough to predict, but it will really be THE game to watch this week.

3- The first of the Elimination Finals is the aforementioned Saints-Doggies matchup.  This is a totally even match as the two teams tied on points are were not very far apart on percentage.  One could say that the Saints have the momentum advantage as they won convincingly in Round 18 against a GWS Giants side that was fighting for its finals life and was the losing Grand Finalist last year.  I would also be remiss not to point out that this is the battle of Litre_cola versus SonOfSpam. WHO YA GOT?

4- The last game of Finals Week One is another good one with the West Coast Eagles hosting the Collingwood Magpies.  Both teams are coming into the game with injuries to key players and the team depth will be tested greatly.  I give the edge to the Eagles only because they will be playing at home and fans will be allowed to attend.  The atmosphere will be electric and it should be a wonderful game to watch.

5- I really like the Double Chance that the Top Four teams get.  It is a great reward for a great regular season and it ensures that one bad game doesn’t completely derail the season.  It would be nice if other sports adopted this format.

6- Finally, I want to again praise the AFL for being able to adapt to the circumstances surrounding the pandemic and being able to play out the season without an outbreak or having to shut down again. Almost everyone has adhered to the strict rules put in place and those that didn’t have been severely punished. That includes not just players but also coaches and other team personnel. 

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That’s all for this week.  

As discussed last week, Fox Sports has the rights to the AFL in the United States while TSN has the rights in Canada and the AFL is pressuring them to have more games available on the FS1, FS2, and TSN networks. Now is the perfect chance for you to see what all the fun is about! 

Not only that,  but ESPN has jumped back into the AFL pool! They’ll be broadcasting one game per week live on an ESPN network and streaming another live on ESPN3.

You can find the latest broadcast information on the Australian Football Association of North America website here.

Here is your Finals Week One live broadcast schedule with North American broadcast partner:

Finals Week One

Thursday, October 1, 2020

2:40 AM – Port Adelaide Power v Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval (FS1, TSN1)

Friday, October 2, 2020

2:50 AM – Brisbane Lions v Richmond Tigers at The Gabba (FS1, TSN1)

11:40 PM – St. Kilda Saints v Western Bulldogs at The Gabba (FS2, TSN1)

Saturday, October 3, 2020

3:10 AM – West Coast Eagles v Collingwood Magpies at Optus Stadium (FS2, TSN1)

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See you next time!