With both our AFL and VFL teams having byes, our players can have a bit of R n' R before making a finals charge in the second half of the season. Hopefully, that R n' R won't involve drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and picking a fight with a team mate or two. Nor should it involve sampling any of the drugs, that may sound interesting in a club at two in the morning. Now that I think of it, hopefully no one will consider a quick course of a sports supplement, that they found on the internet or at Windy Hill. And perhaps they should stay away from impromptu games of American football and attempting to leap innocuous seeming chain fences? Nor should they be careless while doing ambitious home renovations, or even manoeuvring around slippery bathrooms. And I really hope that no one spends a significant amount of their time with their manager, discussing what other clubs might be willing to offer. Actually, it might be safer if they just played football.

Speaking of football, the round starts tonight at the MCG, with Richmond hosting Port. Looking at the weather forecast, it should get down to 10 degrees. So perhaps they can spray the crowd with water, to give them a Big Freeze matchday experience? Actually, I wonder what the result would be, if you surveyed the crowd on which experience they would prefer: occasionally being sprayed with freezing water, or getting your ears blasted every time you think about having a conversation, with the sort of music that you didn't really like all that much when it came out in the 70s and 80s? Anyway, football wise, even though Richmond are currently more of a threat to our ladder position, I'd probably prefer them to win; just so Port are a touch demoralised when we play them next week.

It's hard to know who I want to win in the Friday night game. On the one hand, Carlton are obviously more of a threat, but on the other hand, Kevin Sheedy and others, have been putting forward the notion that the AFL owe Essendon an apology over the supplements saga.

The first Saturday game sees Hawthorn take on Fremantle in Perth. Seems a sort of thankless task for Hawthorn. Fly 2,700 kilometres to Perth, to be welcomed by pouring rain. Get flogged on a ground that should be a mud heap. Fly back again. Listen to some crap from Jeff Kennett.

The night game is something of an optimism test for us Swans fans. Feeling optimistic about our chances of running down Brisbane, then it's St Kilda to win. Feeling a bit vulnerable about our position in the eight, then it's Brisbane to win.

The Sunday game is between two of the season's most disappointing teams; North and GWS. Well, it's not disappointing to me, but to their own fans. Time for North to get another win, or will they get the sort of thrashing that will have West Coast fans celebrating?

The round finishes on Monday with the Big Freeze game between Collingwood and Melbourne. Hopefully, whatever humour is still in the celebrity sliding, won't be entirely sucked out by giving BT the MC role. Football wise, I guess the interest lies in seeing if Collingwood are a genuine finals side, or if the slump has really set in at Melbourne.