Opposition Camp 2013 non-Geelong AFL match and general discussion

Status
Not open for further replies.

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
WTF is with Freo's run home- just went over it. :mad:

So basically if we drop ONE match we are playing in Perth. Am I right or am I right?
It's a bit more complex than that: we can finish anywhere from first to fourth without having to create scenarios that are too crazy. Hawthorn could potentially drop two games (out of Collingwood, North, Sydney), which would allow any of the other top four sides to overtake them. But, yes, if we lose one more game, an away final at Subiaco is the most probable scenario (Sydney could also win their last three, which would see us drop to fourth). Which is why people were so furious with the losses to Adelaide, North and Brisbane. That is what's put us in this position, not Freo's easy fixture.

We've been up and down all year; now we get to see if we're legitimately a top two side or not.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

manboob

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Posts
28,075
Likes
34,782
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
#rompingwins
Would a scenario eventuate where its better for us to drop our last game and finish 4th rather than win, finish 3rd and play freo at home?
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
I just had a read myself, The best part was the guy who suggested heavy training load as an excuse. Because they are preparing for finals?!? That is just deluded on so many levels.
From an outsider's perspective, I assume they would be preparing for finals.

And let's not get too precious: if our forward line was that anaemic, wouldn't we be asking questions of the forward line coach? When you combine that with Lloyd being on TV a few times a week, it's not hard to see that they'd be happy to get rid of a 'non-Essendon' person for an 'Essendon' person. Because that has worked so well for them over the past 24 months. I'd love to see Lloyd with a coaching position somewhere, to be honest: I reckon he could be the biggest goldfish in the media (and I'm not talking about the dopey way his mouth would hang open when he was lining up for goal).
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
Would a scenario eventuate where its better for us to drop our last game and finish 4th rather than win, finish 3rd and play freo at home?
If we're picking favourites over Hawthorn at the MCG, Sydney at the SCG and Freo at Patersons, it's conceivable. But I think that kind of attitude is fraught with danger to begin with and Brisbane at Simonds (which is our last game) looks to be quite comfortably the 'easiest' game of the lot. Which, considering the teams we've lost to this year, might not be a good thing. I don't think finishing fourth from the position we're currently in can be a good thing.
 

manboob

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Posts
28,075
Likes
34,782
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
#rompingwins
From an outsider's perspective, I assume they would be preparing for finals.
I have no doubt we are in a heavy loading phase when it comes to our training. We are also tinkering with our game style just like in the first half of the year. Working in bits and pieces - but its not the complete package like we saw against Freo, Melbourne and the Hawks.

From where I sit the year has been played in two halves. And we are just starting the second half of the year now. What we are seeing now will bear no resemblance to the team and style of footy we will starting playing in two weeks. Nor should it. We don't want to give the opposition enough time to come up with a counter-plan ;)
 

James1970

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Posts
5,576
Likes
8,092
Location
Just under pussy's bow.
AFL Club
Geelong
I have no doubt we are in a heavy loading phase when it comes to our training. We are also tinkering with our game style just like in the first half of the year. Working in bits and pieces - but its not the complete package like we saw against Freo, Melbourne and the Hawks.

From where I sit the year has been played in two halves. And we are just starting the second half of the year now. What we are seeing now will bear no resemblance to the team and style of footy we will starting playing in two weeks. Nor should it. We don't want to give the opposition enough time to come up with a counter-plan ;)
True, but I get the feeling we had that attitude coming into the finals last year...:oops:

I'm of the attitude now that I really don't give a fig where we end up. We've made top 4, and need to play the other three to win it. We've proven our best is the best, just gotta bring it home to mama.
 

GeelongFTW

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
May 3, 2013
Posts
7,747
Likes
6,492
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Australian Cricket Team,
I have no doubt we are in a heavy loading phase when it comes to our training. We are also tinkering with our game style just like in the first half of the year. Working in bits and pieces - but its not the complete package like we saw against Freo, Melbourne and the Hawks.

From where I sit the year has been played in two halves. And we are just starting the second half of the year now. What we are seeing now will bear no resemblance to the team and style of footy we will starting playing in two weeks. Nor should it. We don't want to give the opposition enough time to come up with a counter-plan ;)
no point, clarkson has a master plan to win a gf against us. The reason the dawks lost 2012 was because he didn't want to reveal his masterstrokes against a team that wasn't us.
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
I have no doubt we are in a heavy loading phase when it comes to our training. We are also tinkering with our game style just like in the first half of the year. Working in bits and pieces - but its not the complete package like we saw against Freo, Melbourne and the Hawks.
When the result of every game in the final month is critical to us? I don't think so. People keep looking for similarities and differences between 2013 and 2007-2011. Here's one big difference: in the previous years, we didn't need to keep winning in the final three weeks of the season to lock in an MCG qualifying final. If that stuff about heavy training loads that the players and coaches spout is to be believed, they would have completed it a hell of a lot sooner than Round 21. At the end of the day, I think it's a bit rich to be laughing at Essendon supporters for using it as an excuse. It gets brought up on here - without fail - every time we unexpectedly drop a game: 'must be in a heavy training load at the moment'. I can only hope they're not in a heavy training load in the last week of September if the team is in the grand final.

From where I sit the year has been played in two halves. And we are just starting the second half of the year now. What we are seeing now will bear no resemblance to the team and style of footy we will starting playing in two weeks. Nor should it. We don't want to give the opposition enough time to come up with a counter-plan ;)
Again, I think the smoke and mirrors routine may have merit when you are locked in to the top two in the final month of the season, or you're playing cellar dwellers the rest of the way, like Fremantle. But we need to be scratching and clawing for every win from here on; we can't afford to be treating the next three games as practice matches.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

manboob

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Posts
28,075
Likes
34,782
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
#rompingwins
When the result of every game in the final month is critical to us? I don't think so.
I do. And Chris Scott will say as much at the end of the season if pressed. There is simply no way, no way that we haven't modified our training program in order to be at peak physical strength for the finals.

Essendon can use it as an excuse all they like but every year they fall away at the same time so there is a fundamental flaw in their pre-season preparations, the shit storm they are in now only reenforces that.

As to your second point; the ins and outs of last week's game back me up 100%. There is no way those were forced changes. They were done by a match committee experimenting.

Our loses in large part have to do with players not giving a shit /being tuned in / turned on call it what you will. We are not talking necessary and sufficient conditions here.
 

manboob

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Posts
28,075
Likes
34,782
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
#rompingwins
True, but I get the feeling we had that attitude coming into the finals last year...:oops:

I'm of the attitude now that I really don't give a fig where we end up. We've made top 4, and need to play the other three to win it. We've proven our best is the best, just gotta bring it home to mama.
Agree, hopefully they are show a copy of the final against freo last year before they run out in this finals series.
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
I do. And Chris Scott will say as much at the end of the season if pressed. There is simply no way, no way that we haven't modified our training program in order to be at peak physical strength for the finals.
If we win the premiership he will. If we lose and a WA qualifying final is on the itinerary, I doubt he'd admit to it.

As to your second point; the ins and outs of last week's game back me up 100%. There is no way those were forced changes. They were done by a match committee experimenting.
That's one possibility. I could just as easily say that all those players were dropped because the match committee felt that they weren't contributing enough and that others could perform their role better than them. And the ins and outs of last week's game would also back me up 100%.


Our loses in large part have to do with players not giving a shit /being tuned in / turned on call it what you will. We are not talking necessary and sufficient conditions here.
Maybe so. But if that is true, especially in the Adelaide and North Melbourne cases, then our players are a pack of morons. That doesn't make me feel any better. If we win one of those games, we would have been cruising to a top two finish. Surely these sort of things can't elude all of them.
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,667
Likes
17,014
AFL Club
Geelong
Big game this week. imho,
If Pies beat Hawks, Hawks lose flag favouritism, Pies get close to top 4.
If Hawks win, and convincingly, they will be warm favorites.
Go Pies.
Yep, I don't think Hawthorn, Fremantle or Geelong can (realistically) drop out of the top four. But Sydney is a possibility. If Collingwood wins this week, I think they'll finish on 16 wins.

Of course, I'll be tipping Hawthorn to knock the Pies back down to earth this weekend.
 

Shell

Premium Platinum
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Posts
88,512
Likes
53,440
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Would a scenario eventuate where its better for us to drop our last game and finish 4th rather than win, finish 3rd and play freo at home?
No way. Look at what happened to Collingwood who chose to just "disregard" the dead rubber against us in the last round of 2011.

Losing to Brisbane at KP will make us laughing stocks of the comp too. As much as it would be shitty to play Freo at home, or whatever, winning in the final round is way more important, get some momentum into September. :thumbsu:

Also I suppose losing the first round of finals wouldnt be the end of the world- what would happen we go into a semi against Richmond or something? Then flip over to Hawks side of the draw in the prelim, rather than the granny.

Oh I am getting ahead of myself.. :D

God I love this time of the year. How depressing if we werent in it, we are so lucky.
 

Shell

Premium Platinum
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Posts
88,512
Likes
53,440
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
I'm giving Port every chance to beat Freo.
Nah not in Perth.

I reckon St Kilda would be the best chance, given its at Etihad. o_O


BTW, did anyone see our good mate Jeff Kennett on Before the Game??? He claimed that all these games Geelong win are just "foreplay" and Hawks will definitely beat Geelong in a/the Grand Final.

Someone get a copy of that to Paul Chapman and the boys, quick!
 

GeelongFTW

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
May 3, 2013
Posts
7,747
Likes
6,492
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Australian Cricket Team,
hawthorn are the masters of winning grand finals. Its not like they have lost a gf while being raging favs or anything like that...........
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom