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. David Freese Dodgers Jersey . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Stitched Dodgers Jerseys . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/275h-keibert-ruiz-jersey-dodgers.html . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances. Hyun-jin Ryu Dodgers Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Manny Mota Dodgers Jersey . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Esteban Gutierrez has confirmed he will not be driving for Haas for the 2017 Formula One season.The Mexicans impending departure from the American team paves the way for Kevin Magnussens expected switch from Renault. The Dane is reported to have signed a deal to race with Haas from next season.There has been speculation on Gutierrezs future at Haas. He has so far failed to register a point on his return to F1, while teammate Romain Grosjean -- who is expected to remain at Haas -- has managed to record 29 points.Ahead of any team announcement, Gutierrez confirmed on social media he will not be part of the Haas setup in 2017.I want to share with you that I will no longer be with Haas F1 Teeam for the next season, Gutierrez said.dddddddddddd I want to thank all the team and staff, especially Gene Haas for this opportunity to work with them. I wish them all the best.There are two races left, which I intend to enjoy to the fullest and as always, Ill give my best. Special thanks to all my fans and supporters, you will always have a place in my heart. I hope to shortly share my plans for the future.If Magnussens proposed move to Haas goes through, it will mean only seats at Manor and Gutierrezs former team Sauber remain to be filled for next season. ' ' '