The BJ Show
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The BJ Show
Who Will Survive and Advance? The Path Through AFL Finals Week One
We've reached the 2025 AFL Finals Series, and I'm sharing my analysis and predictions for all four matches in the opening week of September.
• Adelaide Crows vs Collingwood Magpies at Adelaide Oval will be a sold-out affair with 54,000+ fans
• The Friday night blockbuster features Geelong vs Brisbane at the MCG in what could potentially be a Grand Final preview
• GWS Giants host Hawthorn Hawks at Engie Stadium in Western Sydney for Saturday's first elimination final
• Gold Coast Suns make their first finals appearance in 14 years against Fremantle in Perth
• My predictions: Adelaide by 15 points, Brisbane by 10 points, GWS by 8 points, and Fremantle by 20 points
• Upcoming episodes include our milestone 250th episode, three-year anniversary special, folding update, Gold Coast Suns bonus episode, and the BJ Show Footy Show Awards
Thank you so much for your support. It's been a journey, and I can't thank you enough. We'll see you all soon.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and I've all welcome to another episode of the BJ Show, fancy Footy Show, or BJ Show Footy Show, here on the podcast. Let's get on with the show. So, ladies and all, we have reached the 2025 final series, week one, and that's what we're here for this episode. So right here on my screen, on my device, we have the overall three, I think, who I think to win on just week one, I'm not thinking four weeks time of next weekend, which will be the first day in September, and I'm really, really pumped to share with you all the final series week one, and I'm proud and pumped for this game. Now. It doesn't mean anyone yes, all teams maybe on. There's some big games here and I can't wait to share. I thought they'll be like a in between a international final and the qualifier final in different times, but they've done the two qualifier finals, the first one and the second one, and then they did the first one and then the second one. Uh well, the second inhalation final and the first inhalation final on the both saturday scheduled. So, breaking down look, I will review each game and why and all that, and then I will give you my tip for each game. So the LA Crows hosting the Connerwood Mat Pies. Last time these two met was LA Crows holding on a very big win, three-point victory, and look, I really think it's going to be one of those close games. Yes, they don't have their, their best stars for the la crows, conor don't have their best defender, so it doesn't really mean anything of that. You know, conor may not be in best form now, but when they come they could absolutely put on a cleaning. Well, adela, adelaide, it's going to be a sold-out. It's 100% sold-out, 54,000-plus like last time. And well, this is like the hottest ticket in South Australia. Adelaide, have everything right. Hopefully they'll do. Well, I know Conor will bring everything on the field and they'll do it all right, will bring everything on the field and they'll do it all right. But let's get to the Friday night game and this should be the maybe restriction in my advice the grand final. But that's just me early, no-transcript. So Geelong versus Brisbane on the Friday night at the MCG. Now, this should be 90,000. You know, the Brisbane Lions 9-4. And these two last time met in a final series was the Premier Final and oh, my goodness, last year at the MCG for Geelong are going to just take care of them. The MCG for too long are going to just take care of them. But I tell you right now Brisbane are just in all sorts of good form as well, all right with Stuart Long, and I really think it's going to be a really good style of football as well. So I'm hoping this will be a close game. And it's so hard to tip and we'll share that very shortly.
Speaker 1:The two Saturday schedules First up, we're in the west of Sydney, which is the GDS Giants back in finals action to take on Hawthorne Hawks, which Hawthorne were in this position before. These two do play a good game of football. This is play at ENG ie stadium at the West End Sydney, so it's formalised as a baseball stadium. So for the GWS Giants move permanently to that stadium, so into a football pitch or football oval. So these two sides look gee, they're in good form and they know how important this game is and how important they want to go into the next week. The loser is out and Hawthorne they're not in great form. In my advice, they've lost some energy. They went to Brisbane and they kicked accuracy. They could easily have won that. But it's going to be a close game and I think for the last game West of Perth, western Australia, free and tall and got coast.
Speaker 1:Now, before we head to the stadium for Saturday night there should be a man of sold out. All games should be sold out. Harvard should be the Giants and the Hawks will share very soon who I choose that game. But congratulations to the Gold Coast Suns. This is records in making after 14 years. How many coaches have coached this team and Danny Hardwick has done for the making history for this football club. They go to Perth. They will be challenged big time. The last time that Gold Coast came was really Friantel, I'm not too sure. Last time these two met was in the West, horrible conditions, and Friantel got the job done in the Sir Douglas Nicholas round and, my goodness, gold Coast has really got challenged in massive ways. So, coming through now the hard time, it's who I think should win and why the LA Crows? Not because I'm a Crows supporter. I think LA have it all. Now I reckon it'll be just slightly better. I think LA should win not just three points but two goals. So 15 points for the LA Crows. Conor will face their winner of, in my memory, between three until end goal close. Well, I'm not worried about week two, I'm just focusing on week one and that's what we hear for this episode Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions Friday night football at MCGS.
Speaker 1:I review them why? I think my reason and it's going to be hard, even the team I go for the second team is Geelong because they seem so damn sexy. Brisbane Lions, for me, is known for Fort Roy. So why the reason? Brisbane Lions? They've been there, they have been Geelong all this year and that final series. And Geelong can't beat a team that won the apprenticeship. It's amazing that a team will grow into the 25th with so much confidence. They have confidence, they'll have their country road. Take me home and hopefully a beauty. Brisbane will win that. Hopefully, with that win, to go back to the gather, so Geelong will have their second semifinal or the first semifinal my understanding with Coningwood, both at the MCG. So double Melbourne Victorian and hopefully some sold out crowds.
Speaker 1:So, like I said, the double Saturday footy and the G-Dice Giants versus Hawthorne Hawks at ENG ie Staten in the west of Sydney. I am going for the G-Dose Giants. They have more talent, they will go through the second week and they'll take on whoever the Thursday night, if I've got that correction. And Le Corfond, they knew I think this was a better challenge for them. They didn't have to go to Perth. I think this was a better challenge for them. They didn't have to go to Perth. You know they did took on well three until in Perth the last time. But I think these two they just have really good rivals in the last few years and I think G-Dogs just have that better experience, better momentum, and I think they'll do really really well. So I'm going for G Dyer's stride in a very close one by 8 points.
Speaker 1:So I do apologise of going back to Chichilong versus Brisbane, brisbane to win this by a very similar margin, but I'm going to say 10 points. So the final game for week 1 and I'm going to end it. So Friantel versus Gold Coast this is going to be an interesting rival, but unfortunately I said so, unfortunately I am going for Friantel. I think they've got this better. You know this is more experience in finals than being there. It's really I think they've just got rights to play in week two. You know Gold Coast, you know they've done the hard way, massive hard way to win. But do they have more confidence to win this game? Well, unfortunately that's 20-ship points. This is now finals and I do respect Coach's license for making. But going to Perth it's going to be a huge test, a huge challenge. Bring your best, 23 with your best 22 and 18 on the field and take it all because you earn your respect to pay finals.
Speaker 1:As I said earlier in the show, if Adelaide, clothes and Geelong did not make the finals, I will be respectful to go with the Gold Coast Suns. I will respect them watching them this big game, but I am going for 3-2. They're going to take this game and win by 20 points in a really close game. Gold Coast will just but I'll be more happy if I get this wrong Really, really happy in a massive shock. But I don't think that will happen. I think you know Gold Coast has to be in that game and no, it's not going to be easy. But that's it. That's my week one predictions, not going for week two, not going for week three and not going to do as well the grand final. I'm not saying anything major. I did say about Geelong and Brisbane should be the grand final In my advice. I'm meeting at Shutterback in the last day of September. That's just my thoughts. But I'd love to have ali there, but we'll find out. So thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Today's show, I really appreciate your support. As usual, there's so much, so much to come as well. The big 250 episode is to come. Stay tuned for that. The four year, three year anniversary, that's to come. We have the folding update. We got the gold coast essence bonus episode.
Speaker 1:We got so much and as well the bj show footage show award show. So there's so much and I really appreciate. I just can't, I can't thank enough for you all, for your support, because it's it's been a journey and I will share more on my on the episode about the four years and something that I just can't manage, and also the retirements. I'm going to just give you a bit of a little bit celebration of the awards, but on the award night we'll also have that with the major retirements. But I will share as well on a different episode as well, all the congratulations of only the retirements. Only. We're not, that's it. It we're not because that's the. The drives and free agents are different story as well. But anyway, thank you so much. We'll see you all soon. Bye for now. Video show is out.
