I literally have no idea what’s going on in the AFL. Which I think means not a lot has changed. Teams on the up will improve, teams on the decline will slip.
Over the last ten or fifteen years a few teams have circumvented this cycle by instituting a club culture that has gotten away from boom or bust cycles.
Others have a club culture that means success is not attainable, even when they have lucked into a relatively talented list.
NRL results were interesting, primarily because it seems as if last season’s major under-performers, North Queensland, have recovered a lapse last season. Didn’t expect Souths to click so fast under their new coach.

NRL (last round 5/8; season tally 5/8)
Souths
Melbourne
North Queensland
Cronulla
Newcastle
Easts
Parramatta
Wests

AFL
Richmond
Collingwood
Melbourne
Adelaide (at home)
Sydney
West Coast
Saint Kilda (if they can’t beat Gold Coast at home it’ll be a long season)
Greater Western Sydney
North Melbourne (who always lose round 1)

Here we are.
Another season of both football codes comes to an end.
The NRL has proved itself to be a very even competition, though the inconsistency of teams is perplexing.
The AFL has proved itself to have a small group of highly competitive teams, another small group of less reliably competitive teams, and a large group of teams making up the numbers.

I favour the outside teams for both games, Melbourne very deservedly, and West Coast because they’re good and I don’t think Collingwood have another game like last week in them.
For the final time in 2018:
NRL (last round 1/2; season tally 103/180)
Melbourne

AFL (last round 1/2; season tally 144/205)
West Coast

As far as the AFL are concerned their grand final is on tonight, (sorry Melbourne).
As far as the NRL are concerned their grand final might be on tomorrow night, as least as far as having two teams who represent the spiritual heart of the code playing are concerned.
The only difference is that with the AFL people will actually turn up in droves to watch the game, while with the NRL they’ll carry on about history, but no one will turn up to actually watch the actual event.

Anyway, here’s the tips.
NRL (last round 2/2; season tally 102/178)
Melbourne
South Sydney

AFL (last round 1/2; season tally 143/203)
Richmond
West Coast

Going out tonight.

NRL (last round 2/4; season tally 100/176)
Cronulla
South Sydney

AFL (last round 2/4; season tally 142/201)
Melbourne
Greater Western Sydney

So, we’ve arrived at the business end of the season.

More or less six of the eight NRL sides and maybe three of the AFL sides have realistic chances of winning.

Other sides may get an upset but won’t sustain the two or three wins needed to be overall winners.

The AFL got underway yesterday and I’d already tipped Richmond for my online comp, so we off to a reasonable start.

NRL (last round 6/8; season tally 98/172)
Melbourne
New Zealand
Easts
Brisbane

AFL (last round 7/9; season tally 140/197)

Richmond

Geelong

Sydney

West Coast