Hi all,
NAB Cup draw is out. Looks to be a great preparation for the West Coast Eagles. Stuff all travel, so youd think they would be the favourites to win the thing. Its been a fairly good omen for a top 4 finish in the past few years, with Cats winning the double in 2009.

Thankfully this format will enable all matches to be tracked and for those with Foxtel, coverage will be complete.

Round 1 is the half games we experienced this year (6x3), Round 2 and 3 are 9 pre-scheduled matches, and the top 2 teams get to play off in the final, where others get to scratch around their 4th match.

Get the full draw here: http://www.afl.com.au/Portals/0/afl_docs/afl_hq/2012%20NAB%20Cup%20Fixture.pdf

Otherwise...a brief snapshot

Adel: Port/Carl (AAMI), Bris (Alice), Coll (AAMI)
Bris: GC/Melb (Metricon), Adel (Alice), Carl (Venue TBA)
Carl: Adel/Port (AAMI), Dogs (Etihad), Bris (Venue TBA)
Coll: GWS/WB (Blacktown), Melb (Etihad), Adel (AAMI)
Ess: Freo/WCE (Patersons), StK (Wangaratta), Syd (Etihad)
Freo: Ess/WCE (Patersons), Rich (Patersons), Port (Vic Harbour)
Geel: Stk/Syd (Etihad), GC (Metricon), Rich (Simmonds aka Kardinia Park)
GC: Bris/Melb (Metricon), Geel (Metricon), GWS (Albury)
GWS: Coll/WB (Blacktown), Haw (Aurora), GC (Albury)
Haw: Rich/NM (Etihad), GWS (Aurora), Melb (Etihad)
Melb: Bris/GC (Metricon), Coll (Etihad), Haw (Etihad)
NM: Haw/Rich (Etihad), Syd (Syd Hills), WB (N Ballarat)
Port: Adel/Carl (AAMI), WCE (Mandurah), Freo (Vic Harbour)
Rich: Haw/NM (Etihad), Freo (Patersons), Geel (Simmonds)
StK: Geel/Syd (Etihad), Ess (Wangaratta), WCE (Patersons)
Syd: Geel/Stk (Etihad), NM (Syd Hills), Ess (Etihad)
WCE: Ess/Freo (Patersons), Port (Mandurah), StK (Patersons)
WB: Coll/GWS (Blacktown), Carl (Etihad), NM (N Ballarat)

As said before lock in the Eagles as a finalist. If I were making another tip, Id say Hawthorn. Geelong if they pass week 1 with 2 wins will be a certainty to play the final.