Could the lid be off after this weeks game?

[Makka]

Just read this article on PerthNow. Are they jumping the gun a little?

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/west-coast-to-start-very-short-favourites-against-geelong/story-e6frg1x3-1226087020452


"That's the prediction from Sport Alive's Gerard Daffy, who believes the Eagles could start as short as $1.70 against the Cats at Patersons Stadium in Perth on Friday night. "There's no doubt West Coast will be favourite," Daffy said.
"If, as I expect, the Eagles win this one they will emerge as a serious betting threat for the flag.
"I think the $23 for them to win the flag will disappear this week."

 

[zero]

jesus christ, settle down a bit. even if we win we wont be any kind of flag threat

but we WILL be a top 4 threat

 

[Makka]

jesus christ, settle down a bit. even if we win we wont be any kind of flag threat

but we WILL be a top 4 threat

Ha, not me writing the article I'm afraid! I still think we're a long way off as a flag threat.

 

[Marlin01]

If we are good enough to beat Geelong, then we are good enough to beat most teams and should at least be a threat to making a Prelim final. If we can make a Prelim, then who knows how the cards might fall?

Personally, I think finals footy is a different game to Home and Away. The positive from an Eagles POV, is we still have a group of players that are finals-proven. Also, we are playing a brand of footy based around pressure and not relying too much on any single individual. Although losing one of Cox, Kennedy, Kerr or Glass might see us fall back to the pack pretty quickly.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

that is really jumping the gun, the only way we'll be premiership favourites is get into the top 2 and that is gonna be incredibly hard. top 4 yes but the furtherest we will probably go is the prelim. at the moment i dont see how wed beat collingwood or geelong in their backyard.

 

[arfadunger]

I'm thrilled with the season thus far, and making the finals will be huge on it's own. I certainly don't expect to win the flag, or be a serious threat during the finals.

However, the Eagles have always played a style of game that is suited for finals and any home final we get, we will be hard to beat. If we do manage to scrap into the top 4, and somehow jag a prelim at home, who knows what could happen?

 

[paran]

Far out, people are barking mad! Bomber Thompson uses his inside knowledge to help the Bumbers beat Geelong on an off seek (Podsiadly!!) and now we're one of the favourites for the flag?? Pfft! Some ppl need to get their hands off it.

 

[Anjahads]

Gee I,m hoping we just make enough wins for to get to the finals.
Take week at a time I say!

 

[new breed]

$ 1.75 dont think so - we were $2.20 now $ 2.04 .

Some people have got on early , too late now

WE still have to make the final 8 , results haven't gone our way and our next three games are all 50/50 at best

 

[sTeeL]

The only result which didnt go our way was Essendon's upset win. But the Bombers are still a game, maybe two out of touch with us.

 

[FGMPR]

I don't want to hear about any lids coming off. We are coming into a finals series with the majority of our team having yet to experience a finals campaign. History tell us they will need a couple under their belt to really compete when it matters deep in september.

It's been an amazing year, but talk of a flag is premature.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Which lid are talking about?

If it's the premiership lid - it won't be coming off this year

If it's the finals lids - then for mine that came off after our win against Carlton.

 

[BradWCE]

I couldn't care less about odds in betting markets and articles written by "Staff Writer". Take it 1 game at a time and come the end of the season we'll end up where we deserve to be.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

I hate how we get talked up by the media, makes us look like a bunch of flogs

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Win this week at it opens up the opportunity for a top 4 spot.

Would then see us belted first week of the finals by either Geelong or the Pies in Melbourne, hopefully win second week at home against a Sydney/Freo and or a Hawks/Carlton (if we can knock one of them out of the 4), followed by another belting in a prelim.

If that happens will be a very successful season and would be tempted to have a flutter on a premiership next year if the odds were right.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Let's be honest. After losing to Essendon, Geelong will come out breathing fire. I think we are a pretty fair chance of getting absolutely smashed. I think some people (ie, some of the media) are just getting waaaaay to far ahead of themselves.

I'll be happy if we get within 4 goals.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

Geelong don't accept performances like last weekend, so they'll come out breathing fire.

I think you guys are in serious danger of copping a belting.

 

[Double the Fist]

Which lid are talking about?

If it's the premiership lid - it won't be coming off this year

If it's the finals lids - then for mine that came off after our win against Carlton.

If we win a final, I'm afraid it will be my lid comming off!

 

[Tequilashot]

With Glass, Hurn, Cox, Kerr, Priddis, Lecca and Kennedy in All Australian form, (obviously due to WCE past history, and the AA selectors, this will never be allowed to happen) Butler, Waters, Emac and Brown to get some more games into them with full fitness not far away, and if we were to score a win against Geelong after this week, why the f**k not?

If it were Richmond in the same circumstances, I would say at this stage no way. No offence to Richmond supporters, but this is the culture developed that they are trying so hard to break, and no players with big game experience.

But we have a great mix of youth with something to prove (if not just to keep their spot, plenty of others close by waiting to get their chance!), and proven senior grand finalist players that know what it means to run out on the biggest day in the AFL, and possibly a few top line seasons still in them.

I know ppl will bring up the loss to the Pies, but the team that ran out against the Pies 5 weeks ago is not the team they are this week, nor the team they will be in 12 weeks, they would've learnt a lot from of the Collingwood loss (may have been over awed by the experience even?), and is obvious they are gaining confidence, improving and evolving each week. What if we did finish top 4? Why do people find it so hard to believe we would be a major threat if we made it into finals?

Just because it wasn't expected this year, doesn't mean it isn't possible......

 

[ep2018]

If we lose, please please please not by more then five goals.

 

[footy_talk]

I actually noticed this today, there's only really been 1 match (vs Collingwood) this year where you haven't been in it in the last quarter. It's been a very impressive year, I'm tipping Eagles and the lid should definitely be off if you do win. That said, I can't see the Eagles beating Geelong or Collingwood in a final at the G, but top 4 and a Prelim is more than anyone would have dreamed for 2011.

 

[GO EAGLES]

Its like the media and bookies dont know much about football.

WE DONT HAVE lynch or butler this week.

I have stated many times what we are like without Butler.

Interesting if Stevenson comes in.

He played brilliantly against Geelong last year.

 

[swannies]

Its like the media and bookies dont know much about football.

That's the point GE, they don't. Typically the media are reactive, they react to stories or information, rather than actually process and understand the information.

Anyway, as others have said, I think the lid is off way too prematurely.

 

[Fatty rules]

Nice to dream about a sort of Disneyland ending to the season, but it's also got a lot to do with being able to cover injuries and maybe suspensions. Carltank fell apart against us as they didn't have enough depth - kind of sad to see Judd's face after the game "uh oh, history is passing me by, they're gonna do it and we aren't".

The teams which will really challenge will need that depth and this week with two key outs we have the chance to show that we can cover against the top team. 5th or 6th for the year would be an awesome result for 2011, which no-one really predicted (except GO EAGLES who is clearly perceptive).

 

[Dockers in 2056]

flag favourites? don't they just suggest our odds will shorten if we win? we will still be priced noticeably outside 4 other teams. that's a pretty loose application of the term "favourites".
we held our own for 3 quarters last year at home. a non-call on the boundary which led to a geelong goal and we dropped our heads for a few mins in the 4th and that was it. that side was not as competitive as our current squad, and only the pies have handed us a resounding defeat this year, which was to be expected. the only thing that will likely let us down is our closing out of quarters. we've still not addressed that, and geelong has been clutch.
we've had a number of +/- 3 goal games, as have geelong, and i expect this to be another. it'd be nice to be on the + side, and more than possible.