Monday, June 2, 2014: The David Cloke award for predicting the future...

As Nick Maxwell hobbled off Etihad Stadium after Friday's drubbing of St. Kilda, he could be forgiven a smile. It was he, after all, who had proven his stuff. Not necessarily as a footballer - he was subbed off  in the first quarter with a calf twang - but in his second job, as a media commentator.

As The Smother reported, last week Maxwell joined the chorus of Collingwood folk predicting that Travis Cloke would soon 'tear a game apart'. Buckley predicted the same thing - a week early - while others had gone even earlier. It was Maxwell who saw that Cloke was ready to fire, the oracle who was able to understand that if you're going to predict a big game from a forward - a near 100 point win against a bottom 4 team is a good week to make the call.

But our ultimate oracle prize of the week goes to David Cloke, who in May diagnosed that his sons problems were not his fault - but the result of an under-performing Collingwood midfield. How we laughed, the thought that Pendlebury, Swans and Beam were all, simultaneously, failing to hit Cloke whilst having no issues finding Jarryd Blair or Jamie Elliott. "Probably Collingwood's lack of players to run the ball, with Sinclair out and Marley Williams just coming back. Seedsman not playing"

How he must have grinned when Seedsman hit Cloke laces out at Etihad stadium...


The Monday Wrap
Thursday:
Sydney 148 defeated Geelong 38
Friday:
Collingwood 140 defeated St. Kilda 54
Saturday:
Port Adelaide 95 defeated Melbourne 75
Brisbane 98 defeated Carlton 91
Essendon 104 defeated Richmond 54
Sunday:
Adelaide 109 defeated Gold Coast 77
Fremantle 89 defeated Western Bulldogs 51
Hawthorn 94 defeated GWS 87
North Melbourne 82 defeated West Coast 44

Ladder
Port Adelaide - 36 - 143.95% - (WWWWW)
Hawthorn - 28 - 147.65% -  (WWLLW)
Sydney - 28 - 139.31% - (WWWWW)
Collingwood - 28 - 118.61% - (WWLWW)
Gold Coast - 28 - 107.47% - (WWWWL)
Geelong - 28 - 101.28% - (LWLWL)
Fremantle - 24 - 121.66% - (LWLWW)
North Melbourne - 24 - 110.55% - (WLWLW)
Adelaide - 20 - 105.76% - (WLWLW)
Essendon - 20 - 105.17% - (LWWLW)
West Coast - 16 - 117.86% - (LLWLL)
Carlton - 16 - 87.34% - (WLWWL)
Richmond - 12 - 96.82% - (LLLWL)
Western Bulldogs - 12 - 81.81% - (LLLLL)
Melbourne - 12 - 78.73% - (LWLWL)
St. Kilda - 12 - 64.15% - (LLLLL)
GWS - 8 - 70.55% - (LLLLL)
Brisbane - 8 - 59.23% - (WLLLW)

In the news...
Swans coach John Longmire has rubbished the suggestions by many pundits that has team are enjoying a substantial benefit from their Cost Of Living bonuses, instead declaring that hard-work was the reason for their success. "We believe our blokes work generally pretty hard" said Longmire in a comment that could be interpreted as calling every other team in the league lazy. 

The Match Review Panel findings are in. Steele Sidebottom has been given three weeks for a high hit on Maverick Weller while Jeremy Cameron has been given a week for rough conduct.

After an unconvincing start, Brendan Bolton will remain in charge of Hawthorn for another month. Al Clarkson will not be rushed back from his back complaint.