ESSENDON'S stunning three-point win over Greater Western Sydney did more than shake up the AFL ladder.
It shook up AFL Tipping.
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The Bombers entered Sunday's clash having won just one of their previous 30 games, while the Giants looked one of the safest picks of the weekend.
That is exactly what made the result so damaging in AFL Streak.
Of the top 30 Streak players heading into the Essendon-GWS game, 23 tipped the Giants. All 23 had their streaks reset. Only seven of the top 30 avoided the match altogether.
That means the Streak race, which had been building steadily across the season, has suddenly been blown wide open with five rounds still to play.
The former leader was sitting on 52 correct tips in a row before the upset. Others on streaks of 48, 46, 45 and 44 were also caught out by the Giants' defeat.
In a game where one wrong tip sends you back to zero, round 19 was a sharp reminder of how quickly things can change.
It also showed why Streak is still there for the taking.
Unlike traditional tipping competitions, Streak can be joined at any point in the season. Players choose which games they want to tip, skip the ones they do not trust, and try to build the longest run of correct selections.
With several leading contenders reset, the closing rounds now become a test of timing, patience and nerve. The current Streak leader sits on 42 correct tips in a row.
The same upset also had a major impact in AFL Gauntlet, where players must pick one winning team each week to survive, and cannot select the same club twice.
Gauntlet started in round seven with more than 210,000 players. After round 19, just 2,421 remain.
A total of 2,624 Gauntlet players tipped GWS against Essendon. Just 18 brave tipsters selected the Bombers.
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For those still alive in Gauntlet, every decision from here gets harder and more nerve-racking.
For everyone playing Streak, the message is different. There is still time.
Start your Streak now at AFL Tipping.
Trent Balthazaar is the AFL Tipping Product Management Specialist.
