Five solid reasons to tip Freo, and one reason not to

Okay here's the deal.

I'm a fan of what Fremantle have been able to do so far this year. I'm a fan of what they are doing with their list. Heck, I was even a fan of Mark Harvey getting a contract extension, before being a fan of Mark Harvey getting a contract extension was cool.

But this one has me stumped. Do I go with my heart and tip Freo, or do I go with my head and tip Geelong?

Decisions, decisions.

The best thing to do in these circumstances is to write down the good old "pros and cons". Maybe then you'll find the answer. Or it'll just make your decision tougher. Either way...

The pros

Fremantle's record at Subiaco vs. the Cats - The past two years, Geelong have been lucky to come away from their away clash against Freo with four points. And no, that isn't a typo. On both occasions (the one-point loss in '08 and the 19-point loss in '09) it was Freo's inability to play a full four quarters that cost them.

Fremantle now have the ability to play a full four quarters - In the past two weeks, Freo have outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter 66-6. Yes that's right, not a single goal has been kicked against them in the final term. Can you believe it?

Momentum and form - The Cats have won their first two, but they did so by playing well at the right time. Moving up a gear, if you will. Freo's wins have been impressive, consistent and, better yet, perception-altering. They are the buzz team of the comp.

The dominance of Aaron Sandilands - A lot of people have said that for the Dockers to take the next step, the midfield will have to capitalise on Sandilands' dominance. Not only does it seem like that's starting to happen, it seems the big behemoth has taken his game up a notch as well.

The fact Brad Ottens isn't playing - You would think, given Sandilands' big start to the year, that the Cats losing their No. 1 ruckman would be a major factor in this game. It certainly seems like a good way to even up the midfield battle a tad.

The cons

They are playing Geelong - Let's face it, if it were most other teams, you wouldn't bat an eye lid. This wouldn't be an issue and you probably wouldn't have bothered clicking on the link to this article. The Cats are simply doing whatever necessary to get the four points and I'm not sure this will be any different against Fremantle.

Yes, they've lost both Matthew Scarlett and Cameron Mooney. But that sentence doesn't read anywhere near as badly as it would have last year. Scarlett didn't even take a key forward until the final quarter last week, as Tom Lonergan has come along in leaps and bounds over the break. And up forward, mature-age former VFL captain James Podsiadly has been waiting in the wings, ready to show what he can do.

Oh yeah, and they are the reigning premiers.

The conclusion

So, who to tip then? Well, I'm still not sure I have an answer.

It's easy to fall in love with Fremantle right now - they've got a lot going for them - but in a weekend where there are too many uncertainties tipping-wise, the safe option looks like a good idea. Cats by one point.