Is the top 4 set?

[banzai]

They've got the easiest draw in the afl. I'm pretty sure they play North and WCE twice. Talk about kissed.

We dont play North twice Geelong got North and West Coast twice. We do have West Coast and Essendon twice though and we haven't used up our North game yet.

 

[coldlunch]

you're mad if you think Freo and Carlton are locks. not saying it won't happen or that it's even unlikely, but there's still most of the season left - plenty of time for anyone (bar maybe Melbourne) to be derailed by injury/covid, have a short form slump or another team to go on a mini-run

 

[footyfan1978]

you're mad if you think Freo and Carlton are locks. not saying it won't happen or that it's even unlikely, but there's still most of the season left - plenty of time for anyone (bar maybe Melbourne) to be derailed by injury/covid, have a short form slump or another team to go on a mini-run

Don't worry. There would not be a Fremantle or Carlton fan that silly enough to think we are a lock after so few rounds. Very vulnerable to more injuries to derail our seasons from promising starts. That is all it is, just a promising start.
Melbourne and Brisbane have every reason to feel more entrenched as they were there last year and form base far more built on long term solid ground.

 

[footyfan1978]

No. I am being a humble Dockers fan.

As much as I love to see Freo getting top 4. I see them getting 5th or 6th.

Start of the season, I would be happy if Freo got 7th or 8th.

I won't complain if Freo finish 5th or 6th and win a home final.

Top 4 would be a bonus

Exactly! That is the way to look at it if you either Fremantle or Carlton fans.
If make top 4 a bonus but 5th or 6th is a more even expectation given where we both come from in previous seasons.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I have always respected your team's shinboner spirit. Resilient despite a horrible playing squad and regardless which crap players North put out there, they never give up.

We didn't show much spirit on Friday night. Or the week before. Or the week before that..

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

They've got the easiest draw in the afl. I'm pretty sure they play North and WCE twice. Talk about kissed.

You do realise how the fixuring system works right? I'm not quite sure.....
Richmond finished 12th last year.
Melbourne finished 1st (top 6 bracket).
During Richmond's premiership years they never got GC or Nth twice.....fact!

 

[danster168]

you're mad if you think Freo and Carlton are locks. not saying it won't happen or that it's even unlikely, but there's still most of the season left - plenty of time for anyone (bar maybe Melbourne) to be derailed by injury/covid, have a short form slump or another team to go on a mini-run

yeah but you get a massive advantage at home. Every 2nd week. You'd have to only slip up playing semi decent teams away.

 

[Sully90]

Don't worry. There would not be a Fremantle or Carlton fan that silly enough to think we are a lock after so few rounds. Very vulnerable to more injuries to derail our seasons from promising starts. That is all it is, just a promising start.
Melbourne and Brisbane have every reason to feel more entrenched as they were there last year and form base far more built on long term solid ground.

For me it's not so much covid or injuries I'm worried about, just more whether both teams can maintain the rage so to speak for the rest of the season.

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

We dont play North twice Geelong got North and West Coast twice. We do have West Coast and Essendon twice though and we haven't used up our North game yet.

This guy has no idea lol. Talk about being entitled.... they're 8-0 and still manage to whinge.

 

[danster168]

You do realise how the fixuring system works right? I'm not quite sure.....
Richmond finished 12th last year.
Melbourne finished 1st (top 6 bracket).
During Richmond's premiership years they never got GC or Nth twice.....fact!

when was I talking about Melbourne?..please show me where I was talking about Melbourne and where I said Melbourne should get an easier fixture. Look forward to the reply

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

when was I talking about Melbourne?..please show me where I was talking about Melbourne and where I said Melbourne should get an easier fixture. Look forward to the reply

It's because you're coming across quite entitled considering the position you're in. I'm just stating facts that Richmond is in the bottom bracket what did you expect???
Ps for your record we only have Nth once. Also who in god's name predicted WC & Ess would be this shiate? They finished 8th & 9th respectively last season...I note both higher than us and are our double ups.
So how is that kissed on the weener, Mr hindsight?

 

[BarbieITFC]

Exactly! That is the way to look at it if you either Fremantle or Carlton fans.
If make top 4 a bonus but 5th or 6th is a more even expectation given where we both come from in previous seasons.

Absolutely over the moon with how we’ve started, but we still have to play Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond, Saints and Bulldogs in Melbourne - and Melbourne, Lions and Swans at Optus.

Realistically, if we can win three of those games then we’re in line for a 14-16 win season. A huge step up for us and likely to see us in the middle of the eight.

Given the age profile of our list is similar to the Crows, Suns, Roos and Hawks (the supposed young rebuilding teams) anything we achieve in 2022 is a bonus - as a club we’ve been targeting 2024 and onwards as when our list starts to mature.

 

[Run n Spread]

Top 3 are.
Geelong maybe especially with NM and eagles twice.
Swans still a chance saints in a bit of a funk but could get on a roll.
Dees
BL
Freo
Saints
Swans
Blues
Geelong
Collingwood
I reckon it ends up (backing emin)

 

[Whiskers]

If Melbourne weren’t so good I would lock Freo in for a flag.
Rate them very highly! Injuries, pace, more than half a squad under 50 games and we could not penetrate the defence at our home ground. Seriously thought we wouldn’t score in the 2nd half.
Brisbane I’ll forever remain unconvinced. They lose more finals than us, get flogged at the Gabba in a prelim by us.
We’ve only won one of them in a decade.
The forward line has a couple of injuries but are otherwise extremely healthy so will be there near the end, but they ain’t winning.

 

[Sttew]

The top 4 is irrelevant, Melbourne is a 4 goal better team than everyone else.

So was Geelong in 2008

 

[Phipppppa]

No one is a “lock” other then Melbourne. Only been 8 rounds.

 

[Blue1980]

I think Carlton have the potential to improve a lot from now to the end of the season and will make inroads towards Brisbane and Melbourne, not necessarily on the ladder but could be playing well enough to cause an upset against them in finals. Geelong will keep picking up wins to put the pressure on though (massive game against the Saints). Sydney seem awful at the SCG which is going to be costly. Richmond an outside chance, for some reason it took until the Melbourne game a few weeks ago for the coaches to realise our gamestyle can only work if we have speed all over the ground. But we must win our next 3 going into the bye (Hawks, Essendon, Swans away) or top 4 is long gone.

I’ve got no doubt in a one off final against anyone we could beat a brisbane or Melbourne, just don’t have faith in us to be as consistent as them, yet.

 

[Blue1980]

Yeah, I only have Melbourne and Brisbane locks in my mind, which has been my view from start.
14 rounds left for rest of the top 8 to be sorted out and order can and will change many times before the dust settles.
I had us finishing 4th to 6th and not really have any reason to change my thoughts there.
I did have Dogs top four but their start been poor to the season, which has opened spots up in top four for sides like Fremantle, Carlton, Sydney , Cats and Saints to fight over. Still it not impossible for a side like Dogs to recover and still make it.

I still think Melbourne v Brisbane is the most likely grand final duo and only two teams I feel very confident in as locks for top four.
Our ruck stocks and key defence stocks are down due to injury to Pittonet and losing Liam Jones before season started and very vulnerable if injury luck does not change favourably for us.

We are missing Pitt but we have don’t have many of our top dozen or so players missing. It’s been unfortunate with Gov and Omac going down as well, lucky we recruited Young and hopefully Marchbank can string some games together in the VFL.

Our top 5 are Cripps, Walsh, McKay, Curnow and Weitering. 3 of those have played every game and Cripps has missed the best part of 2 games and Walsh 1 game.

Doch has played every game, Saad, Cerra, Williams, Kennedy and JSOS only missed one each. Hewett has now missed 2.

We have Cripps in almost Kouta circa 2000 form, and Charlie in career best form and Harry doing quite fine himself.

I think the tipping point would be if without gov, omac, Pitto and Marchbank available for selection if TDK and/or young/weiters go down too.

 

[Blue1980]

i think everyone else is playing for second.

classic AFL draft generated dynasty where one team is near unbeatable for 4-5 years.

Richmond should have won 4 in a row. Melbourne look well positioned for at least 3.

Yeah nah, conspiracy for one side to be dominant? No.

Dees looking very likely to win this year? Yes, but who knows. Let alone being able to predict the next 3-4 years after this one. I’d say they’d be in the mix but other sides will come at them.

 

[Blackas87]

5 of Fremantles wins have come from the bottom 5 sides. While wins against Geelong and Carlton are good, they have a much tougher fixture after round 11. Wouldn’t have them as a lock just yet.

 

[Blue1980]

yeah..and ? what's that go to do with getting 4 gifted wins and % against WCE and North? That's 2 extra wins and % than many other teams.

Well we don’t know if eagles and north will suck as much all year.

North probably will, eagles possibly. Thing is no one knew eagles would be quite this bad.

 

[footyfan1978]

I’ve got no doubt in a one off final against anyone we could beat a brisbane or Melbourne, just don’t have faith in us to be as consistent as them, yet.

Correct.
Just add me Pittonet in ruck, Cuningham on wing/half forward region and Mitch Mini-Mcgov interceptor down back and ready to rock n roll on our day.
Melbourne and Brisbane are the teams that need to catch up with.

 

[Waterhouzin]

yeah but you get a massive advantage at home. Every 2nd week. You'd have to only slip up playing semi decent teams away.

Not taking a pot shot at you personally as I read this regularly on here but I think people forget that the benefits of the interstate home ground advantage have an equal and opposite away ground disadvantage every other week.
I.e. instead of the one sided crowd in your favour they are just as one sided barracking for the opposition etc.
Add to that the negative short and long term effects on injury recuperation when flying every second week and the interstate teams would generally be considered a net locational detriment (especially Perth given the flight times).
If your contending you’ve just got to be good enough to win no matter where.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Jeremias]

Two of the four are set.

Fremantle and in particular Carlton are anything but.

 

[Blue1980]

5 of Fremantles wins have come from the bottom 5 sides. While wins against Geelong and Carlton are good, they have a much tougher fixture after round 11. Wouldn’t have them as a lock just yet.

People always talk about top sides at this stage of the season not having beaten anyone. Thing is most of the others sides have dropped games against each other, hence why the top sides are the top sides at this point.

Could say we’ve only beaten rubbish sides like Adelaide, North, Port, Hawthorn and currently mid range or worse sides in dogs and Tigers. But Adelaide beat Richmond, Port beat St Kilda, hawks beat Geelong etc.

Consistently winning games you should win is the hallmark of a top side.