Prediction Q: If you start 0-2, is it time to look to the future?

If my posts offend you, its not hard to find the report button.

I have been suspended for very tame posts on here.

They don't offend me at all.

But you take it upon yourself to respond to every single slight on your beloved club, sometimes throwing up stat after stat after stat in response to throwaway one-liners from others. That ladder prediction thread was ruined by you. And you bump up old posts unnecessarily to prove a point that no-one cares about - except you, obviously.

Take a break, man. If I had to respond to everyone that called into question our form last year I would still be responding years later. There's more to life than arguing on the internet. You remind me of this:

duty_calls.png
 
May 3, 2007
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They don't offend me at all.

But you take it upon yourself to respond to every single slight on your beloved club, sometimes throwing up stat after stat after stat in response to throwaway one-liners from others. That ladder prediction thread was ruined by you. And you bump up old posts unnecessarily to prove a point that no-one cares about - except you, obviously.

Take a break, man. If I had to respond to everyone that called into question our form last year I would still be responding years later. There's more to life than arguing on the internet. You remind me of this:

duty_calls.png
1st of all..... Where in the Australian constitution that I can't defend Freo?

You, me, Tough Man tony Abbott are all entitled to a democratic view.

The ladder prediction thread was ruined by me? Bull****.

I went Apes**t on that damn thread because Despite freo finishing 14th with 8 wins and no forward line. People predicted us to finish bottom 2, possibly bottom despite getting a forward line in the trade period. So if Freo make the finals, hell, if they win the flag, I will go All tough man tony Abbott on those wrong doers that predicted us to finish bottom 2.


There was one thread that was bumped and eventually locked. That was the Ross Lyon and his inability to play youth thread. I had every right to bump up that thread. It was necessary to the point it was locked that he did in fact played youth.

Lyon was criticized for not playing youth. I bumped that thread up every week to prove he did. I quoted the OP that started that thread and that poster was too much of a coward to admit he/she/it was wrong.
 

Mr.X

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of course, cause once aside is at 0-3, it's unlikely they'll make the finals.

A 0-2 start is on the edge of the season being a write-off
 

Virgin Dog

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Fremantle, Carlton, Adelaide and Bulldogs all starting 0-2.

It's a bad position to start from as it is in any normal season, but with only 17 games being played this year, it's almost season over for these 4 clubs, particularly if they don't win next week.

I think many had some mixture of Carlton, Fremantle and Adelaide in their bottom 4 predictions, but most of us were predicting a top 8 finish for the Dogs. I don't think the right move is to "look to the future" and treat the season as over, but the next couple of weeks will give a very good idea of where these teams are really at. The season is still salvageable, but not for much longer.

Fremantle I can see turning things around in some capacity. Both their losses were close, and came from 2019 finalists.

Dogs have GWS next week, which is a pretty tough game. Sydney and North the weeks after, which they should be winning. Lose any more than 1 of the next 3, and the Dogs can be ruled out of being any serious finals threat I'd think.
 

Angus Young

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Dogs have GWS next week, which is a pretty tough game
. Sydney and North the weeks after, which they should be winning. Lose any more than 1 of the next 3, and the Dogs can be ruled out of being any serious finals threat I'd think.

depends what gws turns up
 

B4Bear

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Fremantle, Carlton, Adelaide and Bulldogs all starting 0-2.

It's a bad position to start from as it is in any normal season, but with only 17 games being played this year, it's almost season over for these 4 clubs, particularly if they don't win next week.

I think many had some mixture of Carlton, Fremantle and Adelaide in their bottom 4 predictions, but most of us were predicting a top 8 finish for the Dogs. I don't think the right move is to "look to the future" and treat the season as over, but the next couple of weeks will give a very good idea of where these teams are really at. The season is still salvageable, but not for much longer.

Fremantle I can see turning things around in some capacity. Both their losses were close, and came from 2019 finalists.

Dogs have GWS next week, which is a pretty tough game. Sydney and North the weeks after, which they should be winning. Lose any more than 1 of the next 3, and the Dogs can be ruled out of being any serious finals threat I'd think.

On exposed form I would say that North are going to be favourites against the Dogs.

People are underestimating just how difficult that trip for Essendon and North was. Up early, fly, wait, play, wait, fly; all in one day.
 

Virgin Dog

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On exposed form I would say that North are going to be favourites against the Dogs.

People are underestimating just how difficult that trip for Essendon and North was. Up early, fly, wait, play, wait, fly; all in one day.
On the form so far this H&A season, I'd be picking North as favourites too. Only reason I think it's still winnable for the Dogs is that we beat you in preseason, but preseason games tend to be largely meaningless.

If we haven't got competitive by the time we face your lot, our season is well and truly cooked.
 

Virgin Dog

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depends what gws turns up
Depends what Dogs AND what GWS turn up tbh. Both teams have a tendency to be hot and cold.

Last year, we belted GWS at their home ground by 61 points. Three weeks later, we returned to the same ground for them to return the favour with a 58 point flogging.

This could really go any way, but right now I'd be tipping GWS, despite us being at home
 

JayJ20

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Since the thread was made:

Sydney made finals in 2017 after being 0-2
Collingwood made the grand final in 2018 after being 0-2
Essendon made finals after being 0-2 in 2019.

Sydney 2017 is obviously the outlier as they started 0-6, but the other two won round 3. So did Sydney 2014.

Dogs need to win this week if they want to remain in the finals hunt, especially considering the shortened season. If they lose to GWS, then it's basically curtains.
 
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Fremantle, Carlton, Adelaide and Bulldogs all starting 0-2.

It's a bad position to start from as it is in any normal season, but with only 17 games being played this year, it's almost season over for these 4 clubs, particularly if they don't win next week.

I think many had some mixture of Carlton, Fremantle and Adelaide in their bottom 4 predictions, but most of us were predicting a top 8 finish for the Dogs. I don't think the right move is to "look to the future" and treat the season as over, but the next couple of weeks will give a very good idea of where these teams are really at. The season is still salvageable, but not for much longer.

Fremantle I can see turning things around in some capacity. Both their losses were close, and came from 2019 finalists.

Dogs have GWS next week, which is a pretty tough game. Sydney and North the weeks after, which they should be winning. Lose any more than 1 of the next 3, and the Dogs can be ruled out of being any serious finals threat I'd think.
Freo wont make finals on current form.


Point is, Had freo wont those 2 close games, maybe the mindset would be different.

However.... I look at Freos next 3 games: Port, Gold coast and Crows. Can easily be 0-5.
 

Virgin Dog

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Freo wont make finals on current form.


Point is, Had freo wont those 2 close games, maybe the mindset would be different.

However.... I look at Freos next 3 games: Port, Gold coast and Crows. Can easily be 0-5.
I don't think it's all doom and gloom for Freo. I think you're just as likely to go 3-0 for the next few games. Most likely result is at end of Round 5, you guys are sitting on 2-3. Not a great position, and finals are a stretch, but definitely not out of the running.

Definitely need Hamling and Pearce to be fit though
 
Freo wont make finals on current form.


Point is, Had freo wont those 2 close games, maybe the mindset would be different.

However.... I look at Freos next 3 games: Port, Gold coast and Crows. Can easily be 0-5.
I can’t really see you losing against the Crows.
 

Final Siren

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This is like that "You have to finish top 4 to win the flag under the modern finals system" stat. It's historically true, but only just, so soon enough it won't be.
 
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Since the thread was made:

Sydney made finals in 2017 after being 0-2
Collingwood made the grand final in 2018 after being 0-2
Essendon made finals after being 0-2.

Sydney 2017 is obviously the outlier as they started 0-6, but the other two won round 3. So did Sydney 2014.

Dogs need to win this week if they want to remain in the finals hunt, especially considering the shortened season. If they lose to GWS, then it's basically curtains.

  1. 2017 was the beginning of the end for the Swans. Better off not making the finals that year.
  2. Pies won the next 3 in a row and were 3-2 after 5.
  3. Essendon... not been any good in about 20 odd years.

So being 0-2 isnt good. Being 0-3 is disastrous.
 
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I don't think it's all doom and gloom for Freo. I think you're just as likely to go 3-0 for the next few games. Most likely result is at end of Round 5, you guys are sitting on 2-3. Not a great position, and finals are a stretch, but definitely not out of the running.

Definitely need Hamling and Pearce to be fit though
Well no Alex Pearce and no Joel Hamling hurts. that meant we have been deprived of freos 2 best and 2 most experienced tall defenders.

Acres hurts to a degree. Hogan? He makes freos forward line better. But.... This isnt 2012-5 freo where Freos tall forward stocks was An ageing Matty Pavlich, a Young matt taberner and a young but eventually injury riddled Rory Lobb.

Freos tall forward stocks now are Hogan, a KPF/Ruck in Rory lobb, a mid 20s Matt Tarberner, a CHF/CHB swing man in Brennan Cox and a 190 cm 90 kg cam mccarthy.

Saying that any of Lobb, taberner, Cox and McCarthy can kick 30 goals each.


  1. 2017 was the beginning of the end for the Swans. Better off not making the finals that year.
  2. Pies won the next 3 in a row and were 3-2 after 5.
  3. Essendon... not been any good in about 20 odd years.

So being 0-2 isnt good. Being 0-3 is disastrous.

Considering each team playing 17 games each.

0-2 isnt the best, being 0-3 is not good either.

Being 0-10 is very disastrous. That means you only got 7 games left to avoid a winless season.

If it was each team playing 22 games each.

0-2 isnt Ideal, 0-3 isnt great either but you can recover from a 0-3 record and get 12 or 13 wins to make finals.

Being 0-10 is disastous but like Carlton that was 1-10 last season, they had 10 solid games in the 2nd half of last year and got 5-6 wins.


2017, the Swans were 0-6 and made finals at 14-8 and lost twice to the hawks in Narrow margins.

As I said, worst position is to finish 9th or 10th. At least you get a finals spot in 8th spot, even if you limp your way with injuries and get belted by 60-80 points.

Hell if you finish 16th with 5-7 wins, you get pick 3.

Hell I didnt mind freo finishing 14th in 2017 and 2018 and had pick 5. You could use pick 5 in the draft or in freos case in 2018 when they had no 2nd and 3rd rounder, traded pick 5 and pick 41 or the next years 3rd rounder for picks 10, 28 and 46.


I can’t really see you losing against the Crows.
I cant rule it out.

If your going to compare the dockers and crows current form, Dockers form is better, but its not really worth Bragging about. Crows lost by 3 points at home vs the Swans and got belted by 75 in the showdown. So crows have had 2 home state games and lost. I expect the Crows to bounce back vs the suns this week.

Freo lost by 6 points vs essendon and 12 points vs Brisbane at the Gabba. So freo had 2 Away games and lost. Freo have port this week. Suns At metricon and then the crows at Metricon.


Saying that I am hoping freo gets 1 win by round 5, if not Freo goes to WA and plays 4 Home games in WA and 2 of them are going to be the derby and the hawks.
 
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Final Siren

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  1. 2017 was the beginning of the end for the Swans. Better off not making the finals that year.
  2. Pies won the next 3 in a row and were 3-2 after 5.
  3. Essendon... not been any good in about 20 odd years.

So being 0-2 isnt good. Being 0-3 is disastrous.
Beginning of the end! From 0-6, Sydney went 14-2 for the rest of the home & away season at a percentage of 155%. Then they won 14 games the following year. Most teams would take that kind of disaster.
 
Beginning of the end! From 0-6, Sydney went 14-2 for the rest of the home & away season at a percentage of 155%. Then they won 14 games the following year. Most teams would take that kind of disaster.

Pretty sure he meant it was the last gasp hurrah of the core group and set back the required rebuild. A poor end to 2017 may have seen the rebuild start a year earlier and perhaps lead to better long-term results. Better to be a club that is top 4 for a couple of years that then goes back to the bottom before rebounding like a yo-yo, than sitting in mid-table mediocrity in perpetuity.
 
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I don't think it's all doom and gloom for Freo. I think you're just as likely to go 3-0 for the next few games. Most likely result is at end of Round 5, you guys are sitting on 2-3. Not a great position, and finals are a stretch, but definitely not out of the running.

Definitely need Hamling and Pearce to be fit though

Two close away losses to top 8 teams from last year. I'm actually feeling more optimistic than I was pre-season. Not necessarily optimistic for 2020, but for us bouncing back to finals.

From the starting 22 on Saturday if you swap out Duman, Banfield, Schultz, Colyer, Cox, Hughes, Darcy and Bewley for four Best 12 experienced players in Pearce, Hamling, Hogan and Acres plus four Top 30 picks from last two drafts in Sturt, Valente, Sarong and Henry (and I'm assuming Hill is cooked) then immediately that team is hugely improved. Won't happen immediately, given Pearce, Hamling and Henry are a few weeks off, but apparently Hogan, Sarong and Valente were the pick of the team in the scratchy on the weekend and Sturt was the Rising Star from Round 1. I hope by Round 5 our team is really beginning to take shape.

Doubt we will make finals this year, but this is a squad building for a push to finals in 21/22.
 

Final Siren

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Pretty sure he meant it was the last gasp hurrah of the core group and set back the required rebuild. A poor end to 2017 may have seen the rebuild start a year earlier and perhaps lead to better long-term results. Better to be a club that is top 4 for a couple of years that then goes back to the bottom before rebounding like a yo-yo, than sitting in mid-table mediocrity in perpetuity.
Sydney were a top 4 team at the end of 2017, though - not on the ladder, because they started 6 wins behind, but come finals, they were a major flag fancy. Won their first final by 11 goals before losing to Geelong in a game they started as red hot favourites.

I guess you can always say a team could have started their rebuild a year earlier! But anyone in Sydney's 2017 form should push for a premiership. I mean, if you're not going to do that when you're belting all comers for 15 wins from 17 games, when are you going to do it.
 
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