Preview Battle for last finals spots ... how it shapes up

[basil00]

I played with the ladder predictor and the last spots in the final 8 are.
A bit of fun, alot of 50/50 games which i favoured us (only have the Swans and Saints beating us), Bombers losing all but one game. Norf are a surprise as i would have thought they would not make it, all their games are pretty much winnable except against the Pies. Even then, i reckon they are a fair chance.

6 Norf
7 cats
8 us
9 dockers
10 saints
11 Bombers
12 Tigers.

 

[Claypigeon]

to
not mention taking geelong a little lightly.

Possibly. .. but Geelong is not in the best form despite topping a sliding Dons and have to beat some good opposition. .. This weekend will tell us really where they are at because the Crows play small grounds well to combat the Cats home ground advantage. .. If they win they can leap frog into 6th. ..

 

[Graffy4242]

We will win every game from here on in. Bookmark it.

I am a glass is half full (maybe overflowing) kind of guy!

 

[Jeremias]

For us to see finals action in 2012, we will have to have seen an absolute miracle.

Things just haven't fallen our way this season. Expecting that to turn at this stage seems a mere pipe dream.

I gave up on this season a while back, in terms of us doing anything at the business end of the season. Too many issues have presented themselves which will prevent us from featuring in September. Sometimes that happens, and we move on.

Making the finals would confirm that there are some sides which deserve to be relegated prior to the 2013 season.

I'd love it to be so - but it just won't happen.

 

[AB_Blue]

Okay done a quick ladder prediciton thingy. We can only afford to drop 1 game in the next 6. I'm guessing this will by the syd game. If we lose to the tigs then were are done and dusted. It will come down to the last round IF we can win 4/5 before saints game. Gonna be tough but stranger things have happened.
Ess and geel have a tougher run home and could both drop multiple games. Freos run is prob on a par with ours. North are certainties, it's just a matter of 6th, 7th or 8th with therenbreat run home they SHOULD win 5/6. WE MUST BEAT THE TIGERS!

 

[carlton2dabone]

I dont bother to do the ladder predictor, basically I just concentrate on Carlton and know that if we can win at least 5 of 6 games (or maybe all 6 games), then we will make the finals.

It all comes down to taking one week at a time at this stage of the season.

Every game remaining for us is a vital game, but this week against Richmond is probably the most vital as if we can eek out a win, then it instills us with a lot of confidence with having won 2 in a row, and then that confidence (and some returning senior players) will in turn instill even more confidence and who knows what can happen from there.

IF we can make the finals (yes its a tough tasks but at least our destiny is in our own hands), then that will mean that we are on a winning streak, our confidence is up, and with the skill in our side every team will be quietly shitting bricks about facing off with us.

Lastly, as a committed Carlton supporter, I WILL NEVER (not even entartain the idea) that will miss finals, UNTIL we are mathematically out of the race.

 

[BigCountryBlue]

Well if we do happen to pinch eighth spot we would have to have been playing some good footy. I keep thinking Hawthorn, Sydney... Peaked too early. Essendon the same, WC the same. We have hardly peaked, and if we can get virtually the same side out on the park that we had in the early rounds... Who knows? Eternal optimist coming through, but if we do sneak in... It will be on the back of stringing a few wins together.

 

[The_Wookie]

Well if we do happen to pinch eighth spot we would have to have been playing some good footy. I keep thinking Hawthorn, Sydney... Peaked too early. Essendon the same, WC the same. We have hardly peaked, and if we can get virtually the same side out on the park that we had in the early rounds... Who knows? Eternal optimist coming through, but if we do sneak in... It will be on the back of stringing a few wins together.

Judd coming off a a 4 week break, kreuzer, walker, waite all available. Its concievable we could hit finals at full strength minus laidler

 

[JG38]

Going to go right down to the wire..

It's a real interesting round and the type of round where majority of games seems easy to pick winners which is sure to cause 2-3 upsets, just hope it's not us!!

 

[Tanks_Alot]

Well we have Tigers, Lions and GC which we should win. That'll give us 11 wins. Not enough, we'll need to beat 2 of Swans, Bombers and Saints.

For some reason, I feel that we will beat the Swans and even the Bombers too. Not sure about the Saints, probably lose that one.

 

[HereComesJuddy]

Well we have Tigers, Lions and GC which we should win. That'll give us 11 wins. Not enough, we'll need to beat 2 of Swans, Bombers and Saints.

For some reason, I feel that we will beat the Swans and even the Bombers too. Not sure about the Saints, probably lose that one.

If we loose to Richmond this Saturday night, its all over. They are favourites and so they should be with the lack of players we have in. 11 of our best 22 didn't play last weekend. Doesn't sound promising going into this week. They have a point to prove after coming up short the last 2 weeks.

 

[The Toad]

If we loose to Richmond this Saturday night, its all over. They are favourites and so they should be with the lack of players we have in. 11 of our best 22 didn't play last weekend. Doesn't sound promising going into this week. They have a point to prove after coming up short the last 2 weeks.

And the fact we have smashed them the last few times we've played them.

 

[HereComesJuddy]

And the fact we have smashed them the last few times we've played them.

Could get ugly really for us. I wonder who (if any) our inclusions will be this week. Will play a big part in the chance for us making a play for the finals. Just can't see us getting over the line with the team we had compared to their team from last week.

 

[The Toad]

I just hope they realise how dire our situation really is, and play accordingly.

Lose were stuffed
Win still a slim chance.

 

[HereComesJuddy]

Never in my wildest nightmares did I see the season playing out as it has so far.

These next 3 games are crucial. If we loose 2, or get spanked in 1 of them, we won't make it. No Judd doesn't help the fact either. I think if we somehow fluke the next 3 against the Tigers, Sydney and Brisbane, we will make it. Players coming back will help and we could be a big smoky. I don't fear Essendon, but the Saints seem to get us each time. They have our gameplan worked out.

The 2 teams I can see that may make room in the 8 are Essendon and Geelong, moreso Essendon with the run that they have.

 

[JustaBattler]

making the semi finals for this year - given injuries, I would rate as a better performance from the Club than last year.

 

[HereComesJuddy]

Scrap my last post. Henderson gone for the year now really haults what I was thinking come our last few games with players coming back. Kruezer needs to be next doesn't he?

 

[The Flying Doormat]

My ladder predictor results haven't changed much since the last few times I've done it.........Possibly being harsh on the Dons as I have us beating them, so they could slot in above Freo and knock Saints out. .. but we'll have judd back then and could be ready to crack into them. .. Carrots owes them one too. ..

One can never be too harsh on the Dons.

 

[The Flying Doormat]

Judd coming off a a 4 week break, kreuzer, walker, waite all available. Its concievable we could hit finals at full strength minus laidler

I cant see Waite playing again this year.

 

[Dramoth]

I cant see Waite playing again this year.

Strangely neither can I tbh...

 

[RedFury]

I think realistically our chances are so slim that my interest in our remaining matches has come down to:
1) Seeing what the kids can do
2) Being in a position to hopefully end either Bitchmond or the Bummers season - possibly both (but unlikely.)

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Well that result elevates our chances a little.

Tigers will be taken off the list now, although they can still help shape the 8.

Cats beating Adelaide was not in the plan but quite likely at Skilled. North's percentage and draw makes them safe as houses.

So it is Essendon's spot that is really the one up for grabs and they are fighting St Kilda, Fremantle and Carlton for it. Our games against the Bombers and Saints mean we can control a lot of our own destiny. Freo is the wild card and the derby the one we will be watching carefully.

Blues need to really look for percentage vs the Suns in Rd 22, and if we had an almost full strength team, the Lions game as well. We will not be full strength for that one though.

A couple of players back a week and keep hanging in there and see what happens. Not expected to win next week so we can play with some freedom and try winning the last 4. If we do win, game on with Waite, Walker, Judd, Robinson, Simpson all coming back.

 

[Big Red is back]

Beat the swans and we will make it

 

[Cringle]

How does Sydney play at Docklands??

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

How does Sydney play at Docklands??

Better than the G they tell me.