Foxtel Magazine – August 2019

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TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP

LIVE from Friday August 2 at 7pm

on FOX FOOTY [504] available

in the SPORTS pack

NEROLI MEADOWS

Shocks, surprises and staying true to

a pre-season tip

Have you enjoyed the 2019 season so far?

It’s been a fascinating season with so many

surprises. Teams such as Geelong are going

so much better than many people expected,

whereas Melbourne have gone the complete

opposite direction. The pleasant surprise

has been Fremantle, especially considering

I support them. I thought the club’s top 22

was good but I worried about their depth.

However, it’s been fun being a supporter

this year. Finals might be a possibility.

Which teams have you most enjoyed

watching this year?

Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney play

really attractive footy and it’s great when

such teams are going well. Brisbane have

been growing the last couple of years since

[coach] Chris Fagan and Luke Hodge came

onboard. They have so many talented

youngsters, but the biggest difference this

year is they have belief. Winning against

the reigning premiers, West Coast, in round

one established belief about what they

could achieve this year. Talent plus belief

is a formidable combination.

How does the current ladder compare

to your preseason predictions?

West Coast and Collingwood are right up

there. For West Coast, it’s a good sign when

you’re not playing particularly well but are

still winning, as has been the case at times

this season. They are timing their run and

hitting their straps ahead of the finals. If they

stay injury-free, they’ll be very hard to beat.

I predicted GWS to win the flag, and losing

a few players from the club has simply given

the likes of Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto

opportunities which they have well and

truly taken. I am sticking with GWS to win.

Who is your tip for the Brownlow Medal?

Patrick Cripps has had an amazing season

but I just don’t think Carlton will win

enough games for him. Lachie Neale

is going very well in his first year for

Brisbane. Another wonderful story

is Travis Boak at Port Adelaide.

He’s been brilliant this year now

that he no longer has the pressure

of the captaincy.

SNAPSHOT

FOX LEAGUE’s Hannah Hollis and FOX FOOTY’s Neroli Meadows weigh in

Geelong have

been a force

this AFL

season

ON THE MARK

continues

Wednesdays

at 8.30pm on

FOX FOOTY [504]

Foxtel AUGUST 55