Richmond is an 8 point game

[Sewer de Lance]

This Saturday we play Richmond (3-3), one of a handful of teams which is expected to strongly challenge for a final top 8 position (5-8). I know it's only round 7, but I honestly believe this game could determine our finals aspirations for this year. Our main rivals for the final few spots are Carlton (3-3), WCE (2-4), Kangapoos (2-4 can't stand this team) and the Crows (2-4).

We all know that we have some real tough games coming up (Geelong, Sydney, Hawks, Freo) which makes this game even more critical. A win this Saturday will see us go 12 points clear + % of the Tigers with 15 games remaining. A loss, and we're only 4 points clear of Richmond & prob Carlton, and 8 points clear of the Crows and WCE.

I know its early, but this game is almost finals defining for us. A loss, and I'm a lot less confident we can slip into the 8 this year.

 

[Portia]

Nah, its just 4.

 

[Comettski_1]

Lock thread

 

[wayb2912]

I done the ladder predictor this morning and I had us finishing 10th which included us beating both the Tigers and Blues in the next fortnight. We have so many hard away games against Hawthorn, Geelong, Freo, Essendon and home games against Sydney Collingwood, Adelaide. Even if we are competitive against the top teams I can see our momentum and confidence being crushed by Round 17. Hope to be proven wrong!

 

[finbarr]

I want to win because it'll be a good gauge of how far down the development road we are. I'm honestly not even thinking of finals right now, and to be honest I still view this years main priority as that of setting us up for the time we can have a real crack. Just keep picking the right teams, develop our game style, and not even worry about where other teams are on the ladder. Things will take care of themselves.

 

[charcolechaddy]

Lock thread

Why He has a point, if we think we can make the 8 we need to beat teams vying for that position.

With the next four games before the buy being tough games this is a must win.

 

[Andre]

I know it's only round 7

Nah, its just 4.

These. Finals this year would be a bonus, round 7 in the first year of rebuild is not an 8 point game. Save that for round 20 something when we are seriously in contention and trying for a top spot in the finals or to at least make the 8 and its getting down to 'the maths of it'.

That said I want us to win for more than just the 4 points. I want to be able give shit in the 'Troy Chaplin is wonderful (according to Richmond fans)' thread on the main board.

 

[Portia]

Why He has a point, if we think we can make the 8 we need to beat teams vying for that position.

If that includes Richmond, the world has ended.

 

[CrimsonRaven]

Technically 'vying for 8th spot' would include whoever finishes 9th.

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Technically 'vying for 8th spot' would include whoever finishes 9th.

Ninthmond?

 

[charcolechaddy]

Technically 'vying for 8th spot' would include whoever finishes 9th.

Technically the technicality of this isn't that technical .

 

[Sewer de Lance]

Lock thread

I don't think there is anything wrong with having ambition. At the end of the day, you are what you think of yourself. If you think you are just mediocre, then you will probably perform at a level of mediocrity. Who says we can't play finals anyway? You, me, AFL 360, other teams, On the Couch, w***ers like Robert Walls?
We can, and we will if we believe we are good enough. No one gave us a chance of beating the Crows, yet the boys got up, during the WCE game 3rd Q the commentators were saying that the Port bubble had finally burst, but again we proved them wrong.

I hate it when people say you can't do this, and you can't do that and are just satisfied with the crumbs that fall of the table. That's not PAFC, thats not us. Our history has proven that we are a club that prides itself on finding a way to win. A lot of our premierships didn't come because we had the most talented team on paper, but through guts and courage alone. If the opposition pushed the ball 1 inch forward, we would will it forward 2 inches come hell or high water.

F*** the big clubs like Hawthorn, Collingwood, Sydney and Essedon and start thinking like the PAFC of old when we feared no one. PAFC forever.

 

[BIG MATTY T]

I aint as worried playing against the pies and freo as i was at the start of the season...


Hawks and Geelong still a right off for me

 

[Sewer de Lance]

I aint as worried playing against the pies and freo as i was at the start of the season...


Hawks and Geelong still a right off for me

Well if that is your attitude, we might as well not turn up for those two games then. Come on BMT, you have raised the white flag man before the umpire has even bounced the ball. Tell me why can't we beat them?

 

[BIG MATTY T]

Well if that is your attitude, we might as well not turn up for those two games then. Come on BMT, you have raised the white flag man before the umpire has even bounced the ball. Tell me why can't we beat them?

Well. .. You right....

But i just aint as confident with those 2 teams

 

[It Just Is]

Merge with the overrate thread.

While it's easy to blame the umpires we were ordinary on the weekend. Maybe Hinkley missing had a major effect but we look very much a bottom 5 side. Don't get me wrong there's plenty of potential and I like what we're cooking but lets get a few more wins on the board first.

 

[BornPort]

I honestly can't believe we are favorites for this match.

 

[Canoogs]

Merge with the overrate thread.

While it's easy to blame the umpires we were ordinary on the weekend. Maybe Hinkley missing had a major effect but we look very much a bottom 5 side. Don't get me wrong there's plenty of potential and I like what we're cooking but lets get a few more wins on the board first.

I think you're forgetting what it was like to watch us in a competitive 50/50 game, where one end is the scoring end. Sure, we played awful for the last 10 minutes of the first quarter, but the rest of the game ebbed and flowed and both teams were very even, with us probably shading the Kangas. We looked nothing like a bottom 5 side.

 

[Sewer de Lance]

Merge with the overrate thread.

While it's easy to blame the umpires we were ordinary on the weekend. Maybe Hinkley missing had a major effect but we look very much a bottom 5 side. Don't get me wrong there's plenty of potential and I like what we're cooking but lets get a few more wins on the board first.

refer to my 'Believing Again' thread.

 

[Sewer de Lance]

I honestly can't believe we are favorites for this match.

Refer to 'Believing Again' thread.

 

[Power Raid]

one week at a time for me. Just enjoying the development of players, the renewed spirit around the club and the respect we are building in AFL circles.

The four points would be nice. I hope we are 8 and 4 (or better) by round 12, which would be a better than most of us would have predicted.

 

[Andre]

I think you're forgetting what it was like to watch us in a competitive 50/50 game, where one end is the scoring end. Sure, we played awful for the last 10 minutes of the first quarter, but the rest of the game ebbed and flowed and both teams were very even, with us probably shading the Kangas. We looked nothing like a bottom 5 side.

Realistically over the first six weeks we've performed as a team ranked 9 - 12 should perform. Expecting to win our home games except the very top teams and winning away games against bottom 5 sides and be underdogs away against other sides around the mark. I don't know how It Just Is extrapolated that into we're still a bottom 5 side.

 

[Janus]

Realistically over the first six weeks we've performed as a team ranked 9 - 12 should perform. Expecting to win our home games except the very top teams and winning away games against bottom 5 sides and be underdogs away against other sides around the mark. I don't know how It Just Is extrapolated that into we're still a bottom 5 side.

Because some are suckered in by the bias of the media and opposition supporters instead of doing the eye test themselves. What do I see with my eyes? I see a team that doesn't have the mental application necessary to be up for games from the first bounce, and needs to work their way into the contest. That comes from inexperience, and reacting to what the opposition is doing instead of dictating the play ourselves. Premiership contenders aren't regarded as such because they have the best players, but because they all are pulling together toward the same goal, every game. The tug of war starts as soon as the whistle is blown, and doesn't stop until the final siren sounds.

But I also see a team that once they get their feet set, after the other team has almost pulled them over the line, gives as good as they get. Some idiot on the main board said that we were closer to Brisbane than we were to teams like Hawthorn and Sydney. I think he was miffed that his vaunted team, the team that couldn't get the job done against either of those teams, but pushed them to the end, didn't blow us out. So it had to be that North played garbage, at least in his mind, because the reality is that we aren't far off producing the kind of effort that any team in the competition does. The skills and fitness aren't there yet - that's a given - but as long as the hunger is there, as long as the self-belief is there - then I have full faith that not only won't we be a bottom five side again, but that the pendulum is now swinging back toward Alberton in terms of the next team from SA to have a crack at winning the flag.

 

[It Just Is]

Realistically over the first six weeks we've performed as a team ranked 9 - 12 should perform. Expecting to win our home games except the very top teams and winning away games against bottom 5 sides and be underdogs away against other sides around the mark. I don't know how It Just Is extrapolated that into we're still a bottom 5 side.

I don't think we're a bottom 5 side, nowhere near it (touch wood), just that at times on the weekend we played like one. Though as Canoogs said that probably had a bit to do with the wind and a shitty camera angle. I'm tempted to re-watch the game... but I really don't want to.

 

[Del80659]

this thread is weird (more so the replies). we can and should play finals, and richmond are a team we should take it up to.

anyone scared of the tigers? no? thought so.