Contenders and Pretenders 2019 ( edited - Page 32 current discussion ) Are Richmond now the team to beat?

[JackOutback]

West Coast clearly couldn't go with us when the game got hot.

Reckon we'll go all the way this year. Can't see who beats us at the G on grand final day. We're looking the goods.

The game was only hot when Richmond were winning? Alternative is Tigers had no answer to Eagles at their best in the first. Reality is two top teams had an arm wrestle, both will be confident should they play again.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Truth hurts

Except for the pesky part where we dominated the second quarter when it was dry.

 

[Crankitup]

What is an outrage is that you guys play more than half your games at your home ground! AND poor Fremantle have to play you on your home ground twice a year! So not fair!!!

Bit fairer than you playing 13 matches of the H & A season at your home ground and 4 at the other ground you play at in Melbourne, 3 clicks up the road. 17 games in Melbourne out of 22 games. A bit disingenuous to call it a Home and Away season for you really. More accurate to call it a Home, Home, Home & Away season.

 

[Do the Dew]

Not saying we are contenders right now, but the suggestion we haven't been all season is a bit silly.

Just looking at the top 4 above us, we've beaten Richmond by 44, Brisbane by 62 at the Gabba, lost to Geelong by a Goal and beat West Coast in W.A. We had a real form slump after the bye right at the same time as we had 15 players injured in 5 weeks, which really derailed our season.

No doubt our form over the last 2 months have been patchy but at times this year, we definitely looked like competing.

You have a selective memory. You're referencing games from rounds 1, 2, and 5.

Much more recently (Round 19), we were 9 goals to 1 up against you before half time and cruised to victory.

 

[Numero Uno]

All the other top 4 teams have had the advantage of all not playing West Coast in Perth..

Considering how close the top 4 is ladder wise, its a massive 'leg up' for those 3 teams

 

[arzdfd]

Where we are now in season 2018 and after the few games that have taken place this round quite a few things are evidently clear. Richmond are head and shoulders above the rest and when it matters, WHERE it matters, and are near unstoppable. Behind them are the Sydney Swans who have arguably the most dominant player in the game and a hungry, resilient team who are often around the mark at the business end of the season. Potentially we have the Pies but there's a cloud hanging over their head as they haven't beaten some of the stronger sides in the comp as well as having lost a valuable player for the rest of the year. Which leads me to the pretenders. Melbourne after beating make weights then losing to sides not quite in the top bracket were found out as being what many people suspected. Soft. Geelong, who lost again and this time to a side that finals were never really in the equation and were in a deep slump. Key signings supposedly in the summer. The Cats look more like pussies atm. Which leads me to the biggest pretender of them all - West Coast. 27 points up with barely a quarter to go against a side in Adelaide who's form was as questionable as anyone losing 4 on the bounce and missing many key players. The Eagles were sitting top but have now come thudding back down to earth with 3 straight losses, 2 of those against sides outside the 8.


The Contenders

Richmond
Sydney
---------
Collingwood
Port

In that order.

The pretenders

West Coast
Geelong
Melbourne


In that order.

GWS are more of a threat than the Eagles, Cats and Dees and they're outside the 8. They'll come home strong though if they get past the Hawks tonight. If.

I think they’re a decent chance if their talls come back, and replicate their pre injury form

 

[Niggles]

West Coast clearly couldn't go with us when the game got hot.

Reckon we'll go all the way this year. Can't see who beats us at the G on grand final day. We're looking the goods.

Really? Let me guess, pie supporter?

 

[dean33]

We possibly witnessed a precursor to the Prelims on the weekend, with the winners Richmond and Brisbane playing each other this week in the Grand Final. That would be quite the coincidence.

If we beat Brisbane this weekend and than play them in the gf we’d be going for 14 straight against them. Doubt that’s ever happened in a grand final.

 

[Unknown Identity]

Still don't think it's Brisbane's time and their season as good as it's been is a little overrated.

Played current top 8 teams 6 times with 1 double up against the Dogs.

Will be formidable in the next 2-3 years though.

 

[Meli]

Bit fairer than you playing 13 matches of the H & A season at your home ground and 4 at the other ground you play at in Melbourne, 3 clicks up the road. 17 games in Melbourne out of 23 games. A bit disingenuous to call it a Home and Away season for you really. More accurate to call it a Home, Home, Home & Away season.

So where do you suggest we play the nine other Victorian based teams? Open to suggestions!

 

[who_let_the_dogs_out]

Pulled our pants down in 2016 at Subi, which was even more of a fortress due to dimensions. Bulldogs would worry me at home, though still an advantage.

True, but that 2016 side of ours was a different beast.

Still criminally underrated, that side was built for finals footy. It didn't matter who we were facing or where, we were going to run through them - lots of grunt players like Clay Smith, Picken, M Boyd, Libba, Dahlhaus (2016 version tackling/handball machine), Biggs, Morris. Lots of no flashy roleplayers. Our game is structured very differently now, vastly different personnel. It remains to be seen if it can hold up to the blowtorch of finals footy. We might not even get there anyway lol

 

[Tarkyn_24]

It’s pretty obvious to me that we have the right top 4. The two top 4 games on the weekend were both high pressure, close intense games. Bulldogs the only team really who could probably upset, as they are looking very very dangerous. Essendon and gws are limping in, Collingwood dangerous but not good enough to match it with the top 4 due to injuries. Not over four games anyway.

I mean we’re 3-3 against the top four so I’m not really sure how we’re not good enough to match it with them. Looks to me like we’re plenty capable.

Two losses to middling sides by under a goal this year has hurt us in the same manner that losing none of those types last year benefited us.

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

Really? Let me guess, pie supporter?

Yep Tiger72 is a Collingwood supporter no doubt.

 

[JEagle]

More than that, you'd think the premiers of the previous 2 years would enough of a drawcard to be an automatic double up when they're doing the fixture.

Fixturing needs a total overhaul. It is disgraceful.

 

[JEagle]

Except for the pesky part where we dominated the second quarter when it was dry.

Yes. But we still managed to find a way to score when you dominated q3 and 4 when you dominated field position in very heavy conditions. It tells me we only need position for 40% of a game to beat you. I'd be confident if we came up against you at the G in finals...but also any other team. We need to make it there first. Brissie at the gabba could be in our future, and that is tough.

 

[Grrr]

Yes. But we still managed to find a way to score when you dominated q3 and 4 when you dominated field position in very heavy conditions. It tells me we only need position for 40% of a game to beat you. I'd be confident if we came up against you at the G in finals...but also any other team. We need to make it there first. Brissie at the gabba could be in our future, and that is tough.

40% you say, well that is comforting. And the rest of the 60% will you be resting on your laurels, a bit like Collingwood did last year.

To me there is no standout team this season. Even the Doggies with the way they are playing could give it a shake. The media may talk up Rich vs WC, but we are miles from that this far out.

 

[Crankitup]

So where do you suggest we play the nine other Victorian based teams? Open to suggestions!

Not suggesting anything. Just thought it was a bit hypocritical of you to say our fixture was an outrage because we play 12 out of 23 rounds in Perth (including two against the Dockers). We have to jump on a plane 10 times this year. Twice as much as you do.

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

So where do you suggest we play the nine other Victorian based teams? Open to suggestions!

Even if Richmond played the other 3 (away) MCG games in Antarctica there still would be saltiness no matter what.
Since Richmond became relevant again after 2013 where was all the saltiness & jealously during the 30+ dark years prior to that? I never heard anyone complain about Richmond playing more MCG games until after 2017 wonder why? Oh that's it because Richmond were a basket case & easy beats. Funny how a bit of success creates bitterness & resentment towards a team.
During 2001 & 2007 there was a Non VIC dominance in GF appearances its also funny how back then no one ever heard the terms "Vic bias" & "VFL preferencing". I could be wrong but i certainly never heard anything like that & I live in WA.

 

[wraglesweb]

Richmond are the premiership favourites and deservedly so they are (near) unbeatable at their home ground and havent and most likely wont have to travel for months.

Meaning they will be the freshest team going into finals.

They are the team to beat !

 

[Unknown Entity]

You have a selective memory. You're referencing games from rounds 1, 2, and 5.

Much more recently (Round 19), we were 9 goals to 1 up against you before half time and cruised to victory.

Did you take the time to read what I was replying to?

 

[telsor]

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Not suggesting anything. Just thought it was a bit hypocritical of you to say our fixture was an outrage because we play 12 out of 23 rounds in Perth (including two against the Dockers). We have to jump on a plane 10 times this year. Twice as much as you do.

and teams that play you have just got off a plane (roughly) twice as much as teams that play us...

 

[Meli]

View attachment 730418

Not suggesting anything. Just thought it was a bit hypocritical of you to say our fixture was an outrage because we play 12 out of 23 rounds in Perth (including two against the Dockers). We have to jump on a plane 10 times this year. Twice as much as you do.

Umm....I was being sarcastic, you obviously didn't get that!

I don't have any issues with your draw, it's fair as far as I'm concerned. But I would like to state a few facts while we're talking about it.

The MCG is our home ground.....THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND.....not Marvel! We don't like Marvel and don't play particularly well there. Our supporters don't like Marvel either, and rarely show up in numbers, so as far as we're concerned, it's a neutral venue. Yes we don't have the 'travel', but we still don't like it and don't really like having to play at least one home game there a year (at least your team gets their choice of homes grounds).

So....we had (like every other team) 11 home games and 11 away games this year.

Of the 11 home games we played, we played only 6 of them up until round 17 (yes that's right 6 out of 17) and one of those was played at Marvel (but balanced by the fact that we played one away game at the G). So we were always going to have to make up the remaining 5 homes games in the last seven rounds and they were always going to be at the MCG. Factor 2 away games to fellow MCG tenants in that block and well...everyone cries unfair fixture, totally forgetting the inconsistency in the draw for the first 17 games of the year!!

Now, looking at your guys, you played 12 games at OO, which is only one game shy of what we've played at the MCG! I was only being sarcastic, but when you put it in context to the fact that we play a whole one game more than you's get to play at your home ground, I don't think my comment is so far off the mark!

Now, do you know that Collingwood have played more games at the MCG this year than Richmond, yes they have....one more game than us (14 vs 13), and two more games that you guys get to play at your preferred home ground! Is anyone complaining about that? No! Why? Is it because no-one is afraid of playing the wobbles at the G? Is it because no-one cares about the poos?

I don't know....all I know is that apparently it is unfair for Richmond to play 13 games at the MCG (but not for Collingwood to play 14) and when I ask you for suggestions on where else we should be playing the other 9 Victorian teams, you call me a hypocrite!

Hardly seems "fair"!

 

[Meli]

Even if Richmond played the other 3 (away) MCG games in Antarctica there still would be saltiness no matter what.
Since Richmond became relevant again after 2013 where was all the saltiness & jealously during the 30+ dark years prior to that? I never heard anyone complain about Richmond playing more MCG games until after 2017 wonder why? Oh that's it because Richmond were a basket case & easy beats. Funny how a bit of success creates bitterness & resentment towards a team.
During 2001 & 2007 there was a Non VIC dominance in GF appearances its also funny how back then no one ever heard the terms "Vic bias" & "VFL preferencing". I could be wrong but i certainly never heard anything like that & I live in WA.

Even though the poos play more games there than us!!

Seriously, we need to make PRO great again! So sick of the 'you get to play more home games than us' argument!

 

[Meli]

and teams that play you have just got off a plane (roughly) twice as much as teams that play us...

Very good point!

 

[bh90210fan]

Umm....I was being sarcastic, you obviously didn't get that!

I don't have any issues with your draw, it's fair as far as I'm concerned. But I would like to state a few facts while we're talking about it.

The MCG is our home ground.....THE MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND.....not Marvel! We don't like Marvel and don't play particularly well there. Our supporters don't like Marvel either, and rarely show up in numbers, so as far as we're concerned, it's a neutral venue. Yes we don't have the 'travel', but we still don't like it and don't really like having to play at least one home game there a year (at least your team gets their choice of homes grounds).

So....we had (like every other team) 11 home games and 11 away games this year.

Of the 11 home games we played, we played only 6 of them up until round 17 (yes that's right 6 out of 17) and one of those was played at Marvel (but balanced by the fact that we played one away game at the G). So we were always going to have to make up the remaining 5 homes games in the last seven rounds and they were always going to be at the MCG. Factor 2 away games to fellow MCG tenants in that block and well...everyone cries unfair fixture, totally forgetting the inconsistency in the draw for the first 17 games of the year!!

Now, looking at your guys, you played 12 games at OO, which is only one game shy of what we've played at the MCG! I was only being sarcastic, but when you put it in context to the fact that we play a whole one game more than you's get to play at your home ground, I don't think my comment is so far off the mark!

Now, do you know that Collingwood have played more games at the MCG this year than Richmond, yes they have....one more game than us (14 vs 13), and two more games that you guys get to play at your preferred home ground! Is anyone complaining about that? No! Why? Is it because no-one is afraid of playing the wobbles at the G? Is it because no-one cares about the poos?

I don't know....all I know is that apparently it is unfair for Richmond to play 13 games at the MCG (but not for Collingwood to play 14) and when I ask you for suggestions on where else we should be playing the other 9 Victorian teams, you call me a hypocrite!

Hardly seems "fair"!

It’s the fact you play on the one ground for two solid months straight leading into September, which happens to host all finals in Victoria, and the grand final. Of course it’s a leg up for Richmond, use some grey matter