West Coast / Collingwood and the top 4

[Sherrinator]

Maybe. If the Eagles make 4th, a Derby final with 50/50 crowd would be awesome.

Could you hear the boos?

 

[4tone]

Pies lost to the tiges, cats and the crows, so what, only means 4 dropped points, replay those games under different conditions those results could possible change every time. Those teams have nothing between them that screams one has a distinct advantage over the other. Look the pies will possibly make the finals this year, along way shocking a few more fancied teams, in saying they will drop games they shouldn't, this happens with younger teams. Bucks will have this list in shape around 2017 onwards,

 

[4tone]

For West Coast and Collingwood I look back only as far as last year.

We played them at the 'G and lost narrowly. We should've won and it was incredibly frustrating, but it was a close game. We played them later in the year at Subiaco and won by 10 goals without really raising a sweat. These results were only 10 games apart.

The point isn't that West Coast > Collingwood, but that both teams are at that inconsistent mid range level and can fluctuate between awesome, average and awful pretty easily. Nafan Buckley was spot on the other night on AFL360 when he said you only need to be a couple of % off your best to be punished. Way too early to make a call on either team.

History also will show that the pies also had 26 players to choose from the entire list that day. Injuries are never a excuse, they are the reason.

 

[Scotland]

History also will show that the pies also had 26 players to choose from the entire list that day. Injuries are never a excuse, they are the reason.

And history could well repeat. Either team could have 26 players to pick from by the time the two meet.

 

[Admiral Byng]

What are some thoughts on this and who will take 4th position?

When do we start taking GWS seriously? OK, they beat a few lower ranked teams and then got flogged by West Coast; but rebounded the next week to beat Hawthorn. I'm not convinced we can just assume they'll slide down the ladder.

 

[shoebox]

It's all irrelevant if you're in WA. Freo have already won the flag and fyfe's got the Brownlow. Call the season off

 

[Mr Dribble Kick]

Beneficial for either club to finish top 4? Most likely out in straight sets or worse play a prelim and get a harder draw next season which will impact the confidence of their young lists.

But in all seriousness, finals are good experience for younger players. Might get bashed up and walloped but so did Geelong and the Saints and they played GFs 3-5yrs later. I actually favour GWS for 4th, but if I have to choose from these 2, it would be WCE, much better DE compared to the Pies, and if they can get a few back later in the year they will be a handful for any team.

 

[masai]

Does Ross Lyons feel guilty for leaving Saints so he tanks against them?

Thinks Peel is a better opponent for the Saints !!!!.

 

[hutchy31]

How about OP makes this thread in round 17

Because about 10 other posters will have beaten him to it.

It's BF - get your wild guesses in early.

 

[DieSwans]

Would there even be enough planes to cater for a derby GF?
There'll be armies of buses rolling aross the Nullarbor

 

[TW Sherrin]

GWS are ahead of WCE and Collingwood. they are a realistic top 6 side.

I would be happy to finish 8th with a handy loss in the finals. We arent ready and to finish any higher screws your draw the following year.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

GWS are ahead of WCE and Collingwood. they are a realistic top 6 side.

I would be happy to finish 8th with a handy loss in the finals. We arent ready and to finish any higher screws your draw the following year.

You did watch GWS v West Coast didnt you?

 

[TW Sherrin]

You did watch GWS v West Coast didnt you?

one game doesn't mean much. who is the best side WCE has beaten?

giants beat hawthorn (yes had a couple missing) and touched up the crows.

 

[DieSwans]

LOL we annihilated GWS (again) a few weeks ago.

 

[TW Sherrin]

how did you go with sydney and hawthorn?

 

[Big_Birdy]

one game doesn't mean much. who is the best side WCE has beaten?

giants beat hawthorn (yes had a couple missing) and touched up the crows.

Port beat the Hawks too and lost to the Eagles two weeks later. The game between the two sides is the only way to determine it.

I may agree if it was a 20 point loss, but they couldn't even score 50 points against us.

 

[woosha24]

Most level-headed West Coast supporters know that we arent going to be sitting in the Top 4 at the end of the year, and in fact may be fighting half-a-dozen other teams for 7-8th spot.

I would say that we are an "improving" side - we can be good on our day, but the youth of the team and the gameplan that we havent mastered yet means that we'll be patchy. We'll win some games that we shouldnt, and we'll lose some we shouldnt as well.

Based on the improvement that we've seen this year we should hopefully be pushing the top 4-6 bracket next year (tap everything made of wood that we stop getting shat on by the injury gods).

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Just want to point out that in a Collingwood thread 57% of us dont even think the Pies will make the 8. (myself included).

We are definitely not a chance of top 4, and i dont understand why some opposition fans think that we are. (i get the sense some do it to make it Win-Win when they play us later in the year: if we do well, then its expected, if we do poorly then they can say they beat a top 4 side and that we're underacheiving).

We are in a similar place to the eagles (who are probably a bit better at this stage). This year is about further development of the list and consistent footy- get some regular wins in, and hopefully not many (if any) horrible losses. We may sneak into 7th or 8th, but we arent realistically gonna make much noise in the finals so i wouldn't be too fussed if we missed finals.

 

[Purple Suit]

It's all irrelevant if you're in WA. Freo have already won the flag and fyfe's got the Brownlow. Call the season off

That's not what I see around. Apparently the West is yours.

 

[The 747]

Hmmm the thing with this year is a lot of teams supporters reckon they will finish 7-9th. Might be a game in it from 5th to 13th.

 

[HBFlanker]

if the pies make the top 4 i will eat my hat.

I will genuinely cut up a hat and eat it. with a knife and fork.

The pies wont win for a month after their bye.And will also lose their last 4 of the season

 

[Buckleys Jocks]

I would say that we are an "improving" side - we can be good on our day, but the youth of the team and the gameplan that we havent mastered yet means that we'll be patchy. We'll win some games that we shouldnt, and we'll lose some we shouldnt as well.

Based on the improvement that we've seen this year we should hopefully be pushing the top 4-6 bracket next year (tap everything made of wood that we stop getting shat on by the injury gods).

I'd say the exact same about Collingwood too, I'll just be rapt if we scrape into the eight this year tbh.

 

[Buckleys Jocks]

The pies wont win for a month after their bye.And will also lose their last 4 of the season

That's a pretty outrageous thing to say IMO considering Brisbane just got up against Port and we did likewise the last time we played them, also I'm not sure if you're aware but Sydney don't tend to do very well against us and our record against them is very favorable. That being said Hawthorn will roll us as per and Freo will probably be too much for us at this stage.

There's a chance we lose all those games but we're in much better form than Port at the moment and Sydney have a history of struggling to beat us so making such a definitive statement as that is ridiculous.

 

[jjsmitty8]

if the pies make the top 4 i will eat my hat.

I will genuinely cut up a hat and eat it. with a knife and fork.

The pies wont win for a month after their bye.And will also lose their last 4 of the season

But we'll beat you soft utensils this week.

 

[master bate]

Beneficial for either club to finish top 4? Most likely out in straight sets or worse play a prelim and get a harder draw next season which will impact the confidence of their young lists.

But in all seriousness, finals are good experience for younger players. Might get bashed up and walloped but so did Geelong and the Saints and they played GFs 3-5yrs later. I actually favour GWS for 4th, but if I have to choose from these 2, it would be WCE, much better DE compared to the Pies, and if they can get a few back later in the year they will be a handful for any team.

I think it would be good for the Eagles as long as they didn't overreact to a drop off the next year. But with McKenzie back and Darling (who'd be lucky to get a good half a season from here on) the Eagles do actually have most of the pieces. If those 2 are like new recruits next year it will boost their chances of whatever they do this year being sustainable. They definitely need the midfield improvement to last but I'm a fan of Yeo and Duggan combining with Shuey, Masten, Gaff, Selwood. Maybe just one more line breaker/class player in the middle and if everything goes well with the forwards and backs then they are at least in range of consistent top 4-6 finishes if they fit in that window where the current top 3 start drop.

By comparison I think Collingwood are further away. Cloke is 28 and the other tall forward options haven't consistently worked. Reid is still in the abyss. The midfield depth is still a big query after Pendles, Swan and Sidebottom and Swanny won't go on for much longer. I really can't see them making top 4 and I think if they did it would put a lot of pressure on 2017 which is probably the year in which things have to come together for the Pies.