Thankfully the talking stops and the action begins tonight as the mighty Bombers take on their new nemesis, Fremantle. The Wizard Cup may seem to be nothing more than a glorified practice match but it should be hotly contested and I'm sure we all can't wait to see the boys back in action!
TEAM SELECTION - Fremantle appear to be taking this preseason match very seriously as they have chosen a very strong team, only a Troy Cook and Shane Parker short of a full strength side. Whereas the Bombers have been forced to leave several senior players at home due to injury, giving first year players Kepler Bradley, Jay Nash and Brent Stanton the opportunity to play.
First round draft pick Bradley will start on the ground, possibly on a wing or up forward, and second year players Jobe Watson, Darren Walsh and Jason Winderlich will look to earn a place in the senior side for Round One. Also keen to impress will be the exciting rookie-listed pair Nathan Lovett-Murray and Andrew Lovett.
MATCH-UPS - The biggest interest will be in the much-talked-about shifting of Mark Mercuri to a back pocket - he will have his hands full taking on those wacky funsters from Freo, Paul Medhurst and Happy Jeff Farmer. Up forward, there will be oportunities for Mark Bolton, Ted Richards and Bradley to impress the selectors. Nice to see Tristan Cartledge given an early opportunity to ruck alongside David Hille. And whoever has to try and stop Matthew 'The Incredible Bulk' Lloyd - good luck to them!
PREDICTIONS - Despite missing several senior players, the Bombers have sent a strong side to Darwin and a win over an almost full strength Dockers side will be a great start for the season ahead. I think Bomber fans will come away from the match tonight excited with the potential of young Bradley and cheering for Justin Murphy - who would have thought! Fremantle suffered two crushing losses to us late last year and whilst they are not seeking revenge (so they say), they would dearly love a victory here. But I predict the Bombers will win on the back of Lloyd, Fletcher and captain James Hird, with our crop of talented youngsters also contributing well. Also expect Kevin Sheedy to find a way around the five-message rule - I'm thinking anything from John Barnes with a megaphone to utilising our major sponsor's latest video mobile technology. If the AFL introduce a silly rule, you can count on Sheeds to find his way around it!
OTHER MATCHES - Attempting to tip winners for Wizard Cup matches is an exercise in futility - some teams care more than others about winning in February. But there is still plenty of interest in seeing the new draftees aiming to impress enough to earn a start in Round 1. Here are some quick predictions for the remaining matches this weekend...
Western Bulldogs v Richmond - Telstra Dome, Melbourne
Should be a good match and the appearance of Nathan Brown for the Tigers against his old club adds plenty of interest too. But once the Doggies fans see Adam Cooney in action, it will be 'Nathan who'? - BULLDOGS
Kangaroos v Melbourne - Manuka Oval, Canberra
Both teams would be desperate to do well in this competition, and the winners cheque would be very handy. Should be the toughest contest of the weekend. - KANGAROOS
Port Adelaide v Geelong - Bundaberg Rum Stadium, Cairns
'Little Essendon' should win comfortably, with only a combination of an enthusiastic Geelong side and a few too many swigs of the stadium sponsor's product standing between them and victory. - POWER
West Coast v Collingwood - Subiaco Oval, Perth
That's right, it is not a misprint - Collingwood are going to Perth! And they will probably end up going home without a win but that happens to most teams who play the Eagles in WA. But I think this match is the pick of the round and well worth checking out. - EAGLES
Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions -York Park, Launceston
The Hawks are certainties for this one; they are the next premiers after all. Plus the Lions don't even care about the Wizard Cup and will just wait patiently for eight months before getting serious. - HAWKS
Sydney v Carlton - Telstra Stadium, Sydney
There are so many new faces at Carlton, it will take their fans an entire game to figure out who is who out there! But they will also have something new to get used to - being in front at the final siren. - BLUES
Adelaide v St Kilda - AAMI Stadium, Adelaide
The Saints, after forming numerous sub-committees and implementing strategic plan after strategic plan, have decided that Lenny Hayes gets to toss the coin! I doubt that will help them on Sunday as the Crows rarely ever lose at home. - CROWS
