Are we capable?

[Carnthedockers]

Ever since the weekend, I've been running a series of questions through my head about our quest to win a flag, and the people on this forum will understand my passion. These questions keep popping up in other threads, so I hope Mods find this relevant. These questions are "Can we find our top gear"? , Do we have the firepower to match it with West Coast and Hawks"? "Are we selecting the team to get the job done"? My biggest worry is that players we need firing, often tend to go "missing" in the big games, such as Danyle Pearce. I thought on the weekend, he got the ball, and took the wrong option too many times, as if he just wanted to get rid of the ball. To add to this, is the pain of how well West Coast have played recently. To counter this, I remind myself of how long a week is in football. The last few years, we had amazing finals wins, but ultimately came up empty handed. On the weekend, I was extremely surprised Tabs wasn't picked, and I think Ross has since admitted it was a mistake. The most worrying thing for me, is Ross doesn't appear to have his usual self confidence. Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[Freoforever86]

Half of me thinks RTB knows what he's doing and that he's got something up his sleeve.
Other half thinks we're not in great form but we do keep winning. Gotta get Macca & tabs on the park & a dry game & I think it'll click.

Stray thought - Hopefully our manic fwd pressure returns next week. Was missing a bit against syd. They ran it out too easy.

 

[FreoGirl]

Ever since the weekend, I've been running a series of questions through my head about our quest to win a flag, and the people on this forum will understand my passion. These questions keep popping up in other threads, so I hope Mods find this relevant. These questions are "Can we find our top gear"? , Do we have the firepower to match it with West Coast and Hawks"? "Are we selecting the team to get the job done"? My biggest worry is that players we need firing, often tend to go "missing" in the big games, such as Danyle Pearce. I thought on the weekend, he got the ball, and took the wrong option too many times, as if he just wanted to get rid of the ball. To add to this, is the pain of how well West Coast have played recently. To counter this, I remind myself of how long a week is in football. The last few years, we had amazing finals wins, but ultimately came up empty handed. On the weekend, I was extremely surprised Tabs wasn't picked, and I think Ross has since admitted it was a mistake. The most worrying thing for me, is Ross doesn't appear to have his usual self confidence. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Of course we can - nobody expected Hawks to railroad Sydney last year. Sydney were the firm favourites. We now have a bit more finals experience behind us. We are in this race as much as anybody else.

 

[Mogumber]

Tell ya after next Friday nite. As you say, a week is a long time in football.

 

[danstar]

If hawks win in a close bruising encounter our chances of beating them go up 25% if crows win crows will beat us the phil walsh factor is a massive thing for the crows

 

[calaisking]

I have a feeling our game plan may change in the prelim. RTB didn't want to give away too much in the last few months.

 

[Carnthedockers]

Half of me thinks RTB knows what he's doing and that he's got something up his sleeve.
Other half thinks we're not in great form but we do keep winning. Gotta get Macca & tabs on the park & a dry game & I think it'll click.

Stray thought - Hopefully our manic fwd pressure returns next week. Was missing a bit against syd. They ran it out too easy.

Ross actually gets his hair cut with my barber. She was saying he reckons the hardest thing is that supporters expect him to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but it just doesn't work that way.

 

[MadDocker]

Damn right we are capable.

All we have to do is win. Even if we stumble over the line by 1 point. We've proven all year that we are good enough to get wins on the board, even when playing poorly in some games.

Keep winning. It's only 2 more games.

 

[Marty Whitelaw]

Ever since the weekend, I've been running a series of questions through my head about our quest to win a flag, and the people on this forum will understand my passion. These questions keep popping up in other threads, so I hope Mods find this relevant. These questions are "Can we find our top gear"? , Do we have the firepower to match it with West Coast and Hawks"? "Are we selecting the team to get the job done"? My biggest worry is that players we need firing, often tend to go "missing" in the big games, such as Danyle Pearce. I thought on the weekend, he got the ball, and took the wrong option too many times, as if he just wanted to get rid of the ball. To add to this, is the pain of how well West Coast have played recently. To counter this, I remind myself of how long a week is in football. The last few years, we had amazing finals wins, but ultimately came up empty handed. On the weekend, I was extremely surprised Tabs wasn't picked, and I think Ross has since admitted it was a mistake. The most worrying thing for me, is Ross doesn't appear to have his usual self confidence. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Good post. As outsiders looking in we obviously don't know exactly what's going on but I've thought for a while that Ross seems a little flat.... hopefully it's only because he's sick of answering the same stupid questions week after week from the media.

I have kept hoping that we are going to rediscover that early season form and come out firing. But the longer it goes without that happening, the less likely it seems. I'm trying to think of a team which has come to win the premiership from a similar position (i.e. not great form in the lead up to the finals but still get the job done on Preliminary and Grand Final days). Can think of a few examples at WAFL level but not the AFL recently.

As far as team selection goes, I think that except for the 2 examples you have mentioned (Tabs and McPharlin) we will just be sticking with what we had in the QF.

 

[Freo Hitman]

I have a feeling our game plan may change in the prelim. RTB didn't want to give away too much in the last few months.

I also beleive we have a lot more in the locker
ie Luke Mac , Dawson in lockdown defensive posts & Johnno doing his freewheeling
Mayne Rolling forward as our 6th forward and bringing his defensive pressure
Barlow is an interesting one & perhaps a bit of sloppiness from Lyon . Pretty certain Lyon in the last few days has stated our best forward 6 are Pavlich Mayne Clarke Tabernet Ballas & SonSon - flies in the face of what Lyon said about Barlow as half forward a few weeks back.
TBH trying not to think too much about it , 1 things for certain though this will be the 1st time in Lyons career he has got to a Prelim ( weeks break too ) with zero expectations

 

[Lach72]

I've just started watching the replay. Our first quarter and a half has been reasonable...could have had some more if umpires paid the blatant stuff eg push in the back to Ballantyne...And that pin head umpire 23 was looking straight at Fyfe as Pyke shit mixed him off the ball and did nothing...

As the campaigner also was the one who refused the in the back and Sandi's mark, he should be back in the VFL never to be seen again

 

[kingswood71]

Ross actually gets his hair cut with my barber. She was saying he reckons the hardest thing is that supporters expect him to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but it just doesn't work that way.

Ah...But if any coach has a rabbit in his hat, It'd be RTB !
I tend to agree with what FreoForever86 wrote...That part of me thinks that there is more to this season that you or I know....We get the job done, but since half way, its been like watching a whole different side. I dont for one minute think its a form thing. I have tried to think up various scenario's and the one I come back to is the "master plan". I whole-heartedly believe that 2 or 3 of our first half attacking 1/4's from here will see us premiers.

 

[Danny Cullen]

I think the last derby was an anomaly. Losing to North Melbourne was a bit of a worry, but.....I'm sorta getting used to us doing just enough to get over the line in the games that count.

We can do this.

 

[Freoforever86]

I've just started watching the replay. Our first quarter and a half has been reasonable...could have had some more if umpires paid the blatant stuff eg push in the back to Ballantyne...And that pin head umpire 23 was looking straight at Fyfe as Pyke shit mixed him off the ball and did nothing...

As the campaigner also was the one who refused the in the back and Sandi's mark, he should be back in the VFL never to be seen again

He's lucky Ballaz kicked the goal..
50m every day

 

[PurpleWizard]

The notion floating around that Ross has a bag of secrets up his sleeve is rather silly. To say we have flirted with form just to switch it on in the the pre lim...

Ross has been all about player management this season after running out of legs last year. To go into a pre lim with our best players having two games off + being monitored during the season is a massive win for us.

Player management has been Ross'biggest achievement this year and this gives us that extra 1% over the remaining teams. Time will tell if we have the skills and scoring power to win the GF but Ross has set us up to give the best possible crack.

 

[Freoforever86]

Still think the best thing is that we won't have to face the Hawks at the G. Big positive!

 

[danstar]

Anyone remember our round 21 i think it was clash against the hawks last year we went hell for leather attacking style and beat them kicked a pretty high score from memory maybe we need to do that again if we face the hawks

 

[MadDocker]

We're the most rested and least traveled side in the finals. Most players had a week off, played a game in Perth, another week off, another game in Perth. Not a bad run. Win this week, chill out and head into the GF against NM that have had to claw for every win, Swans who are the same, or, Eagles who haven't been to the big dance for a long time and might let the moment get to them like we did the first time.

 

[Nothing]

I'm trying to think of a team which has come to win the premiership from a similar position (i.e. not great form in the lead up to the finals but still get the job done on Preliminary and Grand Final days). Can think of a few examples at WAFL level but not the AFL recently.

As far as team selection goes, I think that except for the 2 examples you have mentioned (Tabs and McPharlin) we will just be sticking with what we had in the QF.

Sydney 2012, lost 3 of their final 4 weeks of regular season, then accounted for Adelaide in a low scoring struggle in the QF.

 

[malpaso]

If we fire we are as good as anybody, if we don't all fire then our defensive structures still give us a shot and that's why I love RTB as our coach.

 

[democritus]

If we meet the Eagles in the GF, I say yes.

It's a neutral ground, we are finals hardened and barring the last Derby we match up well against them.

We are in this up to our eyeballs. Sure, we don't play dominant 4 quarter games, but it may only take 2 brilliant quarters to grind out a win.

2013 will still sting and motivate the playing group.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Yes

 

[Okinakashi]

A week is a long time in Footy.

Remember the Hawks were pantsed by Port on their own deck a couple of weeks ago and the Eagles got their backsides handed to them by Adelaide (and drew with GC). Both of these teams had everything to play for at the time.

Do we have the firepower - yes.

We only have to have a pretty good day and we're in the GF- another OK day and we're in with a good chance.

 

[Banker]

If hawks win in a close bruising encounter our chances of beating them go up 25% if crows win crows will beat us the phil walsh factor is a massive thing for the crows

Crows really stand no chance against us at Subi.

I can see the Hawks playing dirty against them, a certainty they will come out bruised.

 

[sproketman]

Definitely capable although I think if we lose control of the game against either of the two high scoring teams in West Coast and Hawthorn they'll put through enough to a score that we cannot chase down. Our defence has to be at its absolute best.