Fixture Are we better off finishing second

[Carringbush2010]

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we'll play home in a qf, must beat whoever the opposition is.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we won't win another game playing the way we are.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, IF we play our ideal game NONE of the opposition will get near us, not even Bris.

Not up for debate.

That's the 64 million dollar question, will we get back to ideal game? Not can, of course we can, but will we? How difficult will it be to find form?

It comes down to this, ideal game, give us the cup now, not ideal game , no flag.

 

[legendstatus]

Is this thread trying to say we would rather play Port?

 

[Sweeetleftfoot]

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we'll play home in a qf, must beat whoever the opposition is.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we won't win another game playing the way we are.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, IF we play our ideal game NONE of the opposition will get near us, not even Bris.

Not up for debate.

That's the 64 million dollar question, will we get back to ideal game? Not can, of course we can, but will we? How difficult will it be to find form?

It comes down to this, ideal game, give us the cup now, not ideal game , no flag.

Our fast manic game is unsustainable for long periods, once finals start I’m sure the tempo will be back and dialled right up. Bring the intense pressure for 3 games is easily do able. Especially with a week off in between.

 

[sr36]

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we'll play home in a qf, must beat whoever the opposition is.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we won't win another game playing the way we are.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, IF we play our ideal game NONE of the opposition will get near us, not even Bris.

Not up for debate.

That's the 64 million dollar question, will we get back to ideal game? Not can, of course we can, but will we? How difficult will it be to find form?

It comes down to this, ideal game, give us the cup now, not ideal game , no flag.

We'll come out firing. That's a given for me

But I do think your whichever number 3 is up for debate. The question for me: is it just that we've been flat or have other teams improved against us by learning how to dissect our defence and if it's the latter, can we adjust it in time.

 

[Gone Critical]

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we'll play home in a qf, must beat whoever the opposition is.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, we won't win another game playing the way we are.

Whichever way you boil it down and dissect it, IF we play our ideal game NONE of the opposition will get near us, not even Bris.

Not up for debate.

That's the 64 million dollar question, will we get back to ideal game? Not can, of course we can, but will we? How difficult will it be to find form?

It comes down to this, ideal game, give us the cup now, not ideal game , no flag.

2 and 3 clearly debatable.

2 We will beat Ess for a start playing the way we are and then the finals are on

3 Our ideal game is far from unbeatable. I can't really split the top 4 clearly this year and I think it would be a flip of the coin job for any match up between those 4 teams where they were playing their best brand. Brisbane put us to the sword when we were flying early in the year and Demons were convincingly better than us when we came up against them after 8 straight wins.

This year is all about being the team up and going in Sept and particularly GF day. Flag is a raffle at this point

 

[sr36]

This year is all about being the team up and going in Sept and particularly GF day. Flag is a raffle at this point

I think that's the case most years - except in retrospect we conclude that the team who won did so because they were clearly the best.

I think the most standout certainties of the last couple of decades was the 2008 Cats - and they lost.

 

[manicpie]

We'll be fine wherever we finish, the last time Spain won the world cup, we won the flag

 

[thebaldfacts]

Definitely want to finish first. Don't care who we play.

 

[Gone Critical]

I think that's the case most years - except in retrospect we conclude that the team who won did so because they were clearly the best.

I think the most standout certainties of the last couple of decades was the 2008 Cats - and they lost.

Agree with that but it has increased significantly since the finals bye came in. The QF winners are obviously disadvantaged by the change which is nuts. In seven seasons we have had teams from 5th, 6th and 7th make the GF and a seventh team win the flag. This was previously unheard of. It makes a bit of a mockery of the season and ladder finishes but I kinda feel in a very small minority worrying about this

 

[thebaldfacts]

Agree with that but it has increased significantly since the finals bye came in. The QF winners are obviously disadvantaged by the change which is nuts. In seven seasons we have had teams from 5th, 6th and 7th make the GF and a seventh team win the flag. This was previously unheard of. It makes a bit of a mockery of the season and ladder finishes but I kinda feel in a very small minority worrying about this

Malthouse had an article in the Herald Sun yesterday arguing that the top 4 earned the right to fight for a break and that the bye should be before the GF.

 

[windchimes]

Agree with that but it has increased significantly since the finals bye came in. The QF winners are obviously disadvantaged by the change which is nuts. In seven seasons we have had teams from 5th, 6th and 7th make the GF and a seventh team win the flag. This was previously unheard of. It makes a bit of a mockery of the season and ladder finishes but I kinda feel in a very small minority worrying about this

I think this year we benefit from it more than not though.

It'll give a lot of our players a much needed rest and allow us to get some players back while hopefully hitting the reset button on our form again.
I also don't rate this year's the bottom half of the eight very highly and would say anyone below Carlton are absolutely no chance, so we should be okay on that front.

 

[neilk]

Is this thread trying to say we would rather play Port?

I assume it's saying we would rather play Port at the MCG than Melbourne.

 

[sideswipe]

Agree with that but it has increased significantly since the finals bye came in. The QF winners are obviously disadvantaged by the change which is nuts. In seven seasons we have had teams from 5th, 6th and 7th make the GF and a seventh team win the flag. This was previously unheard of. It makes a bit of a mockery of the season and ladder finishes but I kinda feel in a very small minority worrying about this

I would exclude 2020 from your analysis.

 

[Soaring Magpie]

Nope, is the simple answer.
Play whoever we get, at our ground the MCG!
win that and progress to the PF.
To win the flag we need to beat whoever comes up against us.

 

[Gone Critical]

I would exclude 2020 from your analysis.

If you did it only makes the case stronger as 2020 went the tradional way, Teams 5-8 gone by 2nd week of finals and QF winners won their PFs. The tradional take from pre finals bye

 

[Gone Critical]

Malthouse had an article in the Herald Sun yesterday arguing that the top 4 earned the right to fight for a break and that the bye should be before the GF.

That would be potentially no good for the QF winners also. Win your QF go for a bye , win that then another bye, not an ideal GF prep especially if the other QF winner has had only 1 bye

Why not go back to the system that wasn't broken. No pre finals bye.

 

[Kes1984]

That would be potentially no good for the QF winners also. Win your QF go for a bye , win that then another bye, not an ideal GF prep especially if the other QF winner has had only 1 bye

Why not go back to the system that wasn't broken. No pre finals bye.

Agree. No bye best.
But I do think the bye will be to our advantage this year. Our older blokes will benefit and it also creates a reset. A new season begins with the finals.

 

[Gone Critical]

I think this year we benefit from it more than not though.

It'll give a lot of our players a much needed rest and allow us to get some players back while hopefully hitting the reset button on our form again.
I also don't rate this year's the bottom half of the eight very highly and would say anyone below Carlton are absolutely no chance, so we should be okay on that front.

If we win the QF we are disadvantaged. Common sense says 2 byes in 3 weeks isnt ideal and since it came in QF finalists winning their PF has dropped from 85%, which common sense says it should roughly be, to 50% which is just a wrong number.

If we win the QF we are disadvantaged but still hopefully good enough.

 

[Gone Critical]

Agree. No bye best.
But I do think the bye will be to our advantage this year. Our older blokes will benefit and it also creates a reset. A new season begins with the finals.

Not if we win our 1st final. Always better to go into a PF with your team having had a rest and the other having played straight through with no rest. The previous system. That would advantage our older blokes no end.

 

[sideswipe]

If you did it only makes the case stronger as 2020 went the tradional way, Teams 5-8 gone by 2nd week of finals and QF winners won their PFs. The tradional take from pre finals bye

Nope. In 2020 the QFs were won by the top 2 finishers, Bris and Port, who then both lost their PF.

You disappoint me.

 

[sr36]

That would be potentially no good for the QF winners also. Win your QF go for a bye , win that then another bye, not an ideal GF prep especially if the other QF winner has had only 1 bye

Why not go back to the system that wasn't broken. No pre finals bye.

Why have they moved to having a bye?

 

[neilk]

Agree. No bye best.
But I do think the bye will be to our advantage this year. Our older blokes will benefit and it also creates a reset. A new season begins with the finals.

I think it certainly helped the Bulldogs in 2016.

 

[Matt_352]

Going to have to likely beat all 3 (Dees, Lions and Port) at some stage to win the cup. Does not really matter the order. What matters is beating Essendon this week, getting our confidence back. We get our guys back and get back into the right mindset then we are up to our eyeballs in contention this year. We've come too far and worked too F hard to waste this year. Come on Pies!!!!!

 

[windchimes]

If we win the QF we are disadvantaged. Common sense says 2 byes in 3 weeks isnt ideal and since it came in QF finalists winning their PF has dropped from 85%, which common sense says it should roughly be, to 50% which is just a wrong number.

If we win the QF we are disadvantaged but still hopefully good enough.

Yeah, very true.

Though for me it’s more of a question of: Could the unique position we’re in both form and (in particular) injury wise going into the finals offset the disadvantage of a double bye a bit for us? Time will tell.

The good enough premiers of recent years generally seem to keep winning in spite of the byes anyway.

 

[Drought Break]

NO WAY. We want Melbourne in the GF. I don't have enough/any personal enemies who are Lions/Port supporters.

I know many Dees supporters who need to be punished with pre and post grand final harassment.

We owe the Lions from 2002,3. Would love revenge on those buggers