Geelong and Greater Western Sydney rightfully take premiership favouritism after what can only be described as one of the most incredible first round of finals football witnessed.The Cats came from 17 points down in the second half on the back of some midfield dominance lead by Cam Guthrie, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield then held on as the Hawks running machine Isaac Smith squandered a kick after the siren that would have sent them to a prelim.It was a fiery contest all evening, Scott Selwood went to Sam Mitchell to get under his skin and attempt to quell the influence of the former captain, while Jordan Lewis put in a stunning performance.At the momentous all-Sydney clash at ANZ stadium over 60 thousand were in attendance to see the Giants in full stride. Jeremy Cameron (four goals), Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield the ones who inflicted the damage in a complete performance.However, Shane Mumford and Stevie Johnson will both have nervous waits for the Match Review Panel with two separate incidents that saw Kurt Tippett and Josh Kennedy subsequently leave the field.HEROES Eddie Betts, again: How good is this man? He was the star again against North Melbourne on Saturday night, with a return of seven goals and countless acts of brilliance. Betts - who now has 72 goals for the season -- has made Adelaide Oval his playground, but can he make this entire finals series his grand touring show? He was the match-winner, but the return of two other star Crows, Brodie Smith and Rory Sloane, helped ensure Adelaide cruised through to week two of the finals series. They returned to their best scintillating form after what now looks like just a costly aberration against West Coast in Round 23. If they can overcome the Swans in Sydney, what a clash it will set up again against former Crow Patrick Dangerfield and Geelong in a preliminary final.GWS outmuscling big brother: The Giants hunted the Swans from the get-go on Saturday afternoon. At the long break, despite the close margin, the Giants had laid a season-high 53 tackles for a half. The pressure allowed them to hurt the Swans on turnover, scoring more than 11 goals from intercepts, delivering the Swans a big blow in their first finals appearance as a team. The Sydney medicos were working overtime with Josh Kennedy and Kurt Tippett both needing to be assessed for concussion after some strong-arm tactics from GWS. With no real push back, this was not only a momentous win for the little brother but an ominous message to the rest of the competition. With a home preliminary final secured, GWS are now in the box seat to be playing on the big stage of grand final day with that sort of ruthless execution.The Pressure Dogs: The Western Bulldogs were the team of the mighty West as they pressured the life out of the Eagles in their elimination final on Thursday night. Despite making an incredible five changes leading in, it was the Dogs who looked composed and ready for the do-or-die game. The visitors quickly silenced the usually vocal Domain Stadium crowd and then steadily drew away from their highly fancied opponents. With Luke Dahlhaus, Liam Picken, Caleb Daniel and the recalled Tom Liberatore hunting the ball with ferocity, the Dogs?obliterated the Eagles at the contest to help secure the clubs first interstate finals win. Could they shock the Hawks and win their way through to a preliminary final?VILLAINSIsaac Smith: Such a pressure moment. Many would dread having the ball in hand facing an after-the-siren shot to win a final, but good players like Smith love taking the opportunity to elevate their team and their stature in the game. Unfortunately, the Hawk seemed to shorten his run-up and rush his kick and the ball was tugged to the right of the goal post, sending Geelong players and fans into raptures. Another chapter is now written in this illustrious and now fabled rivalry and Smith will have to witness it replayed in years to come. Dont just write off the Hawks yet though, with a game at the MCG against the Dogs and a potential trip to Spotless Stadium vs. the red-hot Giants. They will reassess and prepare like the professionals they are and will still be confident of notching an historic four-peat.Clipped wings: The Eagles failed to fire and the Swans had no answers in the second half against GWS. Both teams entered their matches as favourites and both were found out against fiercer opponents. The Swans famous tackling pressure was nowhere to be seen as the Giants smashed their cross-town rivals with a 95-63 tackle count. With Kurt Tippett and Callum Mills to miss this weekends semifinal against Adelaide, the Swans are suddenly in grave danger of crashing out in straight sets. West Coast meanwhile, have plenty to think about during the offseason after another disastrous final, with key players such as Jack Darling, Elliot Yeo, Sharrod Wellingham and even Josh Kennedy struggling on the big stage.West Coasts selection committee: The Eagles entered the finals series with serious momentum after beating Adelaide and GWS (both away from home) and Hawthorn in the last three rounds of the premiership season. But they were nowhere near it against the Bulldogs. While it wouldnt have been the difference between winning and losing, the decision to select key defender Mitch Brown as a replacement for the injured Lewis Jetta was puzzling to say the least. The Bulldogs boast one of the deepest and flexible engine rooms in the league, meaning West Coast needed all the options they could muster through the midfield. Strange to think Adam Simpson and Co. decided to replace the speedy Lewis with a key tall, and its something theyll be reviewing during a long off-season. Cheap Washington Redskins Jerseys . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Cheap NFL Jerseys . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. http://www.cheapauthenticwholesalenfljerseys.com/ . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Wholesale Jerseys . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Cheap Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete.DES MOINES, Iowa -- It has been 13 years since Duffy Waldorf won a tournament. Waldorf could easily end that streak Sunday with one more proficient round. Duffy Waldorf shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tours Principal Charity Classic. Waldorf, the only player in the field to break Sunday in both rounds, had an 8-under 136 total. Bart Bryant and Jay Don Blake were tied for second. Bryant had a 64, and Blake shot a 66. Russ Cochran was 6 under after a 67. Tom Lehman led a group of five at 5-under 139. The 50-year-old Waldorf is winless in 12 career starts on the 50-and-over tour. He took advantage of calm conditions at the Wakonda Club to post a bogey-free round after opening with a 69 for a share of the first-round lead. Waldorf won four times on the PGA Tour, the last coming at the Disney Classic in 2000 when he shot a final-round 62. "The way the course is set up and the guys in the field, theyll be plenty of guys right there who are going to make a run," Waldorf said. "I feel like I just have to play a good solid round and hopefully itll be good enough to win." Jay Haas, a three-time winner in the event, was 3 under after a 70. Points leader Bernhard Langer shot a 75 to drop 11 strokes back. Waldorf is attempting to become the third straight rookie to win on the Champions Tour. He put himself in position for his first career victory on the senior circuit with a consistent and largely mistake-free round. While fellow Friday leaders Scott Hoch and Dan Forsman fell off the pace, Waldorf had four birdies in a five-hole stretch to seize a slim lead. "Its out there. If you put thhe ball in the fairway, hit good approaches youve got birdie chances for sure," Waldorf said.dddddddddddd "The key is to play well tee to green, and then hopefully roll in some birdie putts." The 50-year-old Bryant missed all of 2010-11 because of a left wrist injury that required a pair of fusions. He played sparingly on the PGA Tour last season, finishing in the top 50 just once. Bryant shot a 1-over 73 on Friday. But Bryant also avoided a bogey -- which no golfer could do in the first round -- and he birdied all four par-5s for a competitive course record. "I was in the fairway, which is key out here on all the holes because the rough is fairly penal," Bryant said. "My wedge had just been pitiful all year, and Ive worked really hard on it and Im starting to hit some really good wedge shots. My par-5 play had not been very good at all for that reason, and now Im starting to make some birdies on the par 5s." Blake also shot a bogey-free round, racking up birdies on three straight holes on the front nine. "Theres a lot of guys up there. Itll be a battle. Its fun," Blake said. A whopping 37 players were within three strokes of the lead after the opening round. That number was whittled down to nine Saturday, but it should still be a fluid leaderboard in the final round. "A 64 out here is a very good round. But it wouldnt shock me if someone shot a 63," Bryant said. "I dont have illusions of being able to go and shoot anywhere around par and have a chance. Its going to take a really good round." Fred Funk withdrew before Saturdays second round because of vertigo. Funk shot a 76 on Friday. ' ' '