HoneyBadger35
Small, bitter, fascinatingly unimpressive.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2011
- Posts
- 32,720
- Reaction score
- 96,765
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Staff
- #1
"We're here to win a premiership."
Adam Simpson has done a remarkable job to turn this team around. After most set their sights on a decent draft pick earlier in the season, Simmo and the boys have kept the faith and have been rewarded with 2 home finals and a real chance at a flag. It's well known that Grand Finals are historically played between teams from the top 4, and in his press conference today Simmo confirmed the belief that this could very well be our year.
However, Simpson also pointed out that we're the new kids on the block at the pointy end of the ladder. "We're a little different than the other top four teams in that they're hardened and regularly in the top 4." With Fremantle, Hawthorn and Sydney having all been involved in Grand Finals in the past three seasons, what impact might finals experience have on our chances? Below is a list of finals games played by the selected 22 from today, along with some key players who may see the field in the QF.
12 - Wellingham (all with Collingwood)
11 - Butler
7 - Priddis, Hurn
6 - Hill (2 with WCE), Ellis (all with Hawthorn)
5 - Darling, Gaff, Kennedy, LeCras, Masten, McGinnity, Naitanui, Rosa, Schofield, Selwood, Shuey
0 - Cripps, Hutchings, McGovern, Nelson, Newman, Sheed, Sheppard, Sinclair, Yeo
There are 104 total finals appearances in our squad. For comparison, consider Luke Hodge (18), Sam Mitchell (17), Shaun Burgoyne (27), Grant Birchall (17) and Jordan Lewis (17) have combined for 96 alone. If you throw in Rioli (13), Roughhead (15) and Gibson (17), that's 141 from a handful of players.
When you extrapolate this to the more established top 4 sides, we might be a little light on for finals experience. There is the belief that finals experience is vital to success, which makes sense, but is there a point of diminishing returns? Certainly 5 games played is better than 0, but is 8-10 games played significantly better than 5? I'd clearly prefer 13-17 finals appearances to 0, but is the advantage over someone with 5-11 finals appearances that much better? Have the nerves or sense of being overwhelmed been reduced after a certain number of appearances?
With a prelim run and two finals in 2012, the core group who have played in 5 finals fill me with confidence. Ellis and Wellingham have obviously seen several deep finals runs, and Rosa and Butler were about in a few of our flag tilts. Ultimately, I think the finals experience narrative has some merit, but I believe there to be enough within this group. With Simmo, the game plan, an in form Naitanui, a Coleman cert Kennedy and a hungry group, I genuinely think this could be our year.
Your thoughts on the differential between our finals experience and that of Fremantle, Hawthorn and Sydney?
Adam Simpson has done a remarkable job to turn this team around. After most set their sights on a decent draft pick earlier in the season, Simmo and the boys have kept the faith and have been rewarded with 2 home finals and a real chance at a flag. It's well known that Grand Finals are historically played between teams from the top 4, and in his press conference today Simmo confirmed the belief that this could very well be our year.
However, Simpson also pointed out that we're the new kids on the block at the pointy end of the ladder. "We're a little different than the other top four teams in that they're hardened and regularly in the top 4." With Fremantle, Hawthorn and Sydney having all been involved in Grand Finals in the past three seasons, what impact might finals experience have on our chances? Below is a list of finals games played by the selected 22 from today, along with some key players who may see the field in the QF.
12 - Wellingham (all with Collingwood)
11 - Butler
7 - Priddis, Hurn
6 - Hill (2 with WCE), Ellis (all with Hawthorn)
5 - Darling, Gaff, Kennedy, LeCras, Masten, McGinnity, Naitanui, Rosa, Schofield, Selwood, Shuey
0 - Cripps, Hutchings, McGovern, Nelson, Newman, Sheed, Sheppard, Sinclair, Yeo
There are 104 total finals appearances in our squad. For comparison, consider Luke Hodge (18), Sam Mitchell (17), Shaun Burgoyne (27), Grant Birchall (17) and Jordan Lewis (17) have combined for 96 alone. If you throw in Rioli (13), Roughhead (15) and Gibson (17), that's 141 from a handful of players.
When you extrapolate this to the more established top 4 sides, we might be a little light on for finals experience. There is the belief that finals experience is vital to success, which makes sense, but is there a point of diminishing returns? Certainly 5 games played is better than 0, but is 8-10 games played significantly better than 5? I'd clearly prefer 13-17 finals appearances to 0, but is the advantage over someone with 5-11 finals appearances that much better? Have the nerves or sense of being overwhelmed been reduced after a certain number of appearances?
With a prelim run and two finals in 2012, the core group who have played in 5 finals fill me with confidence. Ellis and Wellingham have obviously seen several deep finals runs, and Rosa and Butler were about in a few of our flag tilts. Ultimately, I think the finals experience narrative has some merit, but I believe there to be enough within this group. With Simmo, the game plan, an in form Naitanui, a Coleman cert Kennedy and a hungry group, I genuinely think this could be our year.
Your thoughts on the differential between our finals experience and that of Fremantle, Hawthorn and Sydney?
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