Comeback Kings

[BlueYoss]

In 2006 the West Coast Eagles earned the title 'Comeback Kings' after coming back from 54 points down in the third quarter against Geelong at Skilled Stadium to win the game by 3 points (57 point turnaround) and then the following week they came back from 44 points down in the third quarter against Carlton at Subi to win the game by 10 points (54 point turnaround).

On Sunday we were down by 37 points in the 3rd quarter and came back and won the game by 28 (65 point turnaround).

In round 12 against the pies we were down by 25 points in the third quarter and came back to win the game by 30 (55 point turnaround).

And in round 11 against Port we were down by 36 points in the third quarter and came back to win the game by 12 (48 point turnaround).

I would suggest Carlton have done enough to earn the Comeback Kings title, which leads me to my next question:

How often can the Comeback Kings be reasonably expected actually pull off a stirring come from behind win?

In 17 rounds of football so far this year, we have been in front at 3/4 time in 5 games, tied up in 1 game and behind in 11.

Of the 5 games we were leading at 3/4 time, we won 3 (60%).

In the game we were tied up at 3/4 time we won by 30 (ironically the round 12 Collingwood comeback).

And of the 11 games in which we trailled at 3/4 time, we won 4 (36%)!

So, while we may have earned the title of Comeback Kings of the competition this year, we still have almost twice the chance of winning a game if we're in front at 3/4 time than if we're behind. This is contrary to popular belief that Carlton are a better chance of winning a game coming from behind at 3/4 time.

We have been starting games very well over the past month but inaccurate kicking for goal means we don't put teams away well enough when we have them on the ropes early in the game. In the four games that we trailed at 3/4 time and won the game, our kicking for goal in the first quarters yielded 8 goals 16 behinds!

If we can straighten up our goal kicking early on in games, we won't need to rely on the miraculous comebacks and we will end up with many more wins

GO BLUES!

 

[thylacine60]

It's great that we can do it but on the other hand it's a label we don't really want. I recall the glory days of the 80's when you'd swear we'd give the opposition a start so that the premiership quarter was more fun. Every so often we'd come unstuck but it was seldom. Good post BY, but I'd rather be Vo Rogue than Kiwi any day of the week.

 

[Alpha1]

I would rather be in front all day, or at the very least play 4 quarters of footy instead of getting used to this crap of chasing tail and winning. We have lost to St. Kilda, Swans, Adelaide, Essendon etc playing come back footy. It's all well and good to win from behind but as is often the case you are going to loose more than you win.

 

[thylacine60]

Catch-up footy can be so draining on a supporter. The energy required to get your nose back in front is huge for players and us tragics in the stands alike. It feels like we've been doing it for 6 years. I think people will finally sit up and take notice when we put a side away by a big margin. Might be Port, they've definitely put the cue in the rack.

 

[dumb]

on one hand coming back is pretty ****ing satisfying, but when you're doing it all the time there's the nagging feeling that something is amiss...

 

[CrippsonBlue]

People talk up 'comebacks/ because lets face it, a good comeback is more entertaining than a smashing, any and every day of the week.

However, the problem with them is that if we comeback, only to lose, then the feeling is also much worse than simply getting smashed. The feeling I got when Carlton hit the front of Essendon, only to then lose, wow, terrible, terrible feeling

...lets stop talking about it please

 

[Mike_blues]

I would rather be in front all day, or at the very least play 4 quarters of footy instead of getting used to this crap of chasing tail and winning. We have lost to St. Kilda, Swans, Adelaide, Essendon etc playing come back footy. It's all well and good to win from behind but as is often the case you are going to loose more than you win.

quality and spot on

 

[parrot]

I guess if you're going to dominate one 1/4 of a game, the last is the one you want.

 

[Bluebear]

The Doggies game to me was quite different to the other "big" comebacks.

It was much more like the Tiges game for mine.

The Dogs, in general play, were never a 6 goal better side than us.

We let them off the hook in the first half which we dominated, by not kicking straight. When we straightened up the goals came easily and the run started, with a very similar feel to the Tiges 4th quarter blitz.

The port game we were never in, and its lucky for us the game was low scoring. A fine day might have seen their lead much bigger.


I agree that it would be much more preferable to lead from start to finish, but its great to know that the boys are never out of it.

If we are within 3-4 goals at 3/4 time you'd better watch out.



It's ironic BY, that one of those wins where we were ahead at 3/4 time, we nearly got run down ourselves (WCE).

 

[Hopeful in Tasmania]

A thought:

Is it possible that our (relatively) poor early game performance is due to the coach being on a steep learning curve and needing a quarter or two to figure out how to adjust our game to best suit the opposition?

Admittedly that doesn't explain poor kicking - that's a separate issue, but once the match-ups and offensive / defensive tactics get adjusted around mid-game we always seem to do better.

Perhaps another coach with years of experience would make more decisions before the game that didn't need to be adjusted.

Don't get me wrong, I love what Rats is doing and how he's going about it - but I am wondering if the continuing improvement of our players skills, in parallel with the increased experience of our coach will yield tremendous outcomes in the future.

 

[thegreenmachine]

We are the comeback kings. No doubt about it. Go Blues.

 

[BlueYoss]

It's ironic BY, that one of those wins where we were ahead at 3/4 time, we nearly got run down ourselves (WCE).

and in another (RD 5 V Melb) they managed to kick 5.5 to our 3.1 in the final term, but we were up 12.10.82 to 4.9.33 at 3/4 time.

Looks like my next analytical exercise is to see how many of our last quarters we won when we have been ahead at 3/4 time....

 

[Murph_The_Smurf]

People talk up 'comebacks/ because lets face it, a good comeback is more entertaining than a smashing, any and every day of the week.

However, the problem with them is that if we comeback, only to lose, then the feeling is also much worse than simply getting smashed. The feeling I got when Carlton hit the front of Essendon, only to then lose, wow, terrible, terrible feeling

...lets stop talking about it please

i did not go to work the following morning

 

[Jezza U Beauty]

I read the other day about Ratts saying how he'd aged considerably this year. I feel very much the same.

Watching our beloved Blues repeatedly murdering the opposition in first quarters only to kick a stack of behinds, then get well behind during the next two quarters only to come like Ron Jeremy in the finish to get over the line has taken years off my life.

 

[Tigertom]

WOW It's quite a turnaround,

Last season you didn't want to comeback.

 

[s1bbald]

WOW It's quite a turnaround,

Last season you didn't want to comeback.

Speaking of not coming back, you should follow suit. I'll be quite happy to console you when your mob comes ninth.

 

[Bluebear]

and in another (RD 5 V Melb) they managed to kick 5.5 to our 3.1 in the final term, but we were up 12.10.82 to 4.9.33 at 3/4 time.

Looks like my next analytical exercise is to see how many of our last quarters we won when we have been ahead at 3/4 time....

Actually if you are bored and looking for something to "investigationing", then how about:
"When was the last time we beat a team that was in the top 2?"
Now, we should maybe put "after round 5" or so as a win in round 2 vs a team that won in round 1 but then was crap isn't quite what I mean.

I am meaning more, when have we beat a team that is finals and top 4 bound?

I would be a while...........hmmm, but then again, where were Port when we beat them last year......nope, just checked....they were 7th.

It would be a while I think.