Unofficial Preview Next 5 matches

[bomberswarm2]

Our next 5:
Gold Coast
West Coast
Port Adelaide
Western Bulldogs
GWS

We cannot afford to loose a single game. This is the period the last 3 years where we have fallen off like anything, and we should be able to win all of these. A top side would have 5 wins already marked down, and we are now a top side, we have to be like that. We should go into round 18 against Hawthorn 13-3, no excuses. After that there is a possibility that we could beat West Coast, North Melbourne, Carlton and Richmond and finish off the season strong. But the next 6 weeks will tell the story for us, to see if we're ready.

 

[sneakyjetta]

Knowing us we will drop a game against port, west coast or gold coast.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Weird how the Gold Coast game looms as the biggest obstacle out of all of these.

 

[gO_bOmBeRz]

4 out of 5 would be great IMO, but don't count us out for 5/5. West Coast aren't looking very immortal at Pattersons anymore.

 

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

just beat GC without any hiccups and have a good 2 week rest for the eagles. our track record of travelling to patterson's is good after the bye + the eagles only have a 6 day break when they verse us on that thursday. we should really over-run them. the rest of them are 90% winnable games.

 

[DapperDon]

We still have our biggest mental hurdle, playing WC in Subi.

You'd imagine 4 of 5 is bare minimum acceptable. Just hope we don't fall like against Brisbane.

 

[MadBomberman]

I'm most nervous about the Gold Coast game. I have a feeling that if we don't show up in the first half like GWS this year, we will come close to losing that game. They are much more competitive than last year and we barely scraped through. Plus the fact that we aren't playing really that good this year at Etihad.

I think we should beat all of them, with West Coast being 50-50 of course.
I fully expect them to lift their game just in time to play us.
Port is another that I am very nervous about. Let's face it. We aren't great against them. Even though we won our last 3 games against them, it took only until the last quarter to shake them off all three times. We had to comeback from a 34 point deficit in the last quarter in 2011, the year they lost by 165 points to Hawthorn

I hope we can win all of those games. Would be great to face Hawthorn on the back of a 6 game winning streak.

 

[Macca18]

We'll win 2... maybe 3 at most.

The GWS first half & the entire Brisbane game show this side can still be mentally weak when it matters.

No game can be declared a definite win when Essendon are involved, especially games that are still a month away.

Predicting 10-6 after Round 16.

 

[fishardansin]

West Coast played a shocker against Richmond, and Richmond played exceptionally well, doesn't mean we'll go in as favorites against them. Fact is we'll be coming off a bye and they'll either be coming off a confindence raising effort against Hawks or they'll have been smashed and under pressure all week to perform in front of their home crowd, either way it doesn't look good for us.

However, we better not lose any other game in that bunch. Especially when you consider the last six. I hope that we are really really smart in these games and manage to play at a high level while giving a rest to players with any sore spots and try a few different things regards structures. We also need to hunt them, despite the fact that we'll go in as favorite for all the games.

If we are the hunter against lowly teams we'll go well. It will cover for us giving Fletch, Watson, Ryder and others a rest and trying different set ups. Furthermore giving more players a senior game, as well as a chance to show their worth in different rolls, will see more competition for spots in the senior side.

The last 6 games are how we judge our season. The next six weeks is where we set up for it. Set up well and really perform well in the last six then we go into the finals 3rd-6th with a lot of confidence going into finals.

 

[Face_Plain]

We've been mostly crap with some good patches after the ANZAC game, so I don't see how anyone can confidently pencil us in for all 5, or 4-1.

 

[Macca18]

We've been mostly crap with some good patches after the ANZAC game, so I don't see how anyone can confidently pencil us in for all 5, or 4-1.

Exactly. One narrow win last night and as usual so many people get carried away with our form.

We haven't beaten the Eagles in Perth for 12 years... and I can't see that ending this year.

Port always play well against us, doesn't matter where the game is played.

The Bulldogs have now won two in a row and look to be improving steadily.

Gold Coast have held second half leads against Hawthorn & Geelong on their recent trips to Victoria and are a far better team in 2013.

GWS held a 5 goal lead against us at Etihad when we hadn't lost a game yet... and this time we have to travel to play them.

None of them are certainties. Like I said in a previous 2/5.

 

[Doss]

You're a glass half empty type, Macca.

So what if Port have done well against us in the past? The wheels appear to be falling off them now, and now is what matters.

Footscray are a very ordinary side at present. No reason we shouldn't win that.

GWS are impressive in patches, but then fall away. This will become more and more pronounced as the season goes on. Should win.

West Coast away is tricky, no doubt. But if we're serious, we should be a decent show of winning that. They are struggling big time. Their record at home this year is very ordinary.

Gold Coast is also tricky, but I'm reasonably confident.


I'm not pretending we don't have problems at the moment, because we do. But bugger me- if we only snag two of the next five, then I'll be ropable.

In fact, I'll be annoyed with less than 4/5.

 

[Macca18]

You're a glass half empty type, Macca.

No disputes from me. But we have too many glass ALWAYS FULL types...

Supporter perception doesn't impact on-field results but perspective is needed.

Jury is still very much out on how good we actually are. The next five weeks might give us a better indication.

 

[Doss]

Yeah, agree with all that.

We are coming into what should be the soft part of the draw, though. If we are serious (and yes, we sure as hell have been burnt before), we should capitalise.

 

[Halftimehero]

Exactly. One narrow win last night and as usual so many people get carried away with our form.

We haven't beaten the Eagles in Perth for 12 years... and I can't see that ending this year.

Port always play well against us, doesn't matter where the game is played.

The Bulldogs have now won two in a row and look to be improving steadily.

Gold Coast have held second half leads against Hawthorn & Geelong on their recent trips to Victoria and are a far better team in 2013.

GWS held a 5 goal lead against us at Etihad when we hadn't lost a game yet... and this time we have to travel to play them.

None of them are certainties. Like I said in a previous 2/5.

Eagles will be a tough game but they arent going great and we do travel quite well these days and we get them coming off a 6 day break after we come off a 12 day break.
Port Haven't beaten us since round 7 2010
Bulldogs have beaten St Kilda and Port
We have far better form than the Gold Coast

I cant see why we cant win all 5 to be honest and would be absolutely staggered if we didnt win 4
Beat the Giants a few weeks ago by 40 points including outscoring them by 10 goals in the second half

 

[Ben the Gooner]

We should be favourites in all 5 and we should be expecting to win all 5.

How many we do win will be very instructive about where this team is at.

 

[Yoda_]

Cannot agree more with the sentiments of everyone.

If we are to be a genuine contender for a top 4 spot (Im a glass half full type of guy and think we can still get there), we need to win at least 4, if not all 5 of these games.

To go from 8 - 3 to possibly a 13 - 3 record finishing the season off the season with games against Hawthorn, Collingwood, West Coast the following 3 weeks setting us up for a real crack at a top 4 spot IMO.

If we can win the next 5, we are practically cemented in the top 8, and should then be pushing for higher honours.

 

[VelvetSledge]

We still have our biggest mental hurdle, playing WC in Subi.

You'd imagine 4 of 5 is bare minimum acceptable. Just hope we don't fall like against Brisbane.

Not sure if it's much of a hurdle anymore, DD.

The Eagles have really struggled there this year, and we've won all but two interstate games in the past two years...

 

[DapperDon]

Not sure if it's much of a hurdle anymore, DD.

The Eagles have really struggled there this year, and we've won all but two interstate games in the past two years...

Not a hurdle as in Eagles are good, I mean we mentally fall to pieces when we play them there. We are competitive against Freo, but for some reason Eagles destroy us if they are good or bad. I can't actually remember the last time we beat them in Subi.

 

[Macca18]

Not a hurdle as in Eagles are good, I mean we mentally fall to pieces when we play them there. We are competitive against Freo, but for some reason Eagles destroy us if they are good or bad. I can't actually remember the last time we beat them in Subi.

Round 21 2001 when we won by 89 points.

We finished top of the ladder that year... they finished 14th.

It's been a long time between drinks.

 

[Towno78]

We'll win 2... maybe 3 at most.

The GWS first half & the entire Brisbane game show this side can still be mentally weak when it matters.

No game can be declared a definite win when Essendon are involved, especially games that are still a month away.

Predicting 10-6 after Round 16.

Yep, and this is what you predicted leading in to our past 3 games which we went 2-1 whilst not playing our best footy:

I'd be very surprised if we win any of the next three.

The rot set in against the Lions... although you could argue it even set in as early as the GWS game.

So, 0-3 for the past 3 and 2-3 for the next 5.
You are a deadset twit. We are 8-3 for the season and comfortably sitting in the top 5 clubs in the comp and you genuinely predict we get 2 wins out of our easiest 8 week stretch of the season.
Why do you even pretend to support the club when you clearly don't get any enjoyment from our success?

 

[Macca18]

So, 0-3 for the past 3 and 2-3 for the next 5.
You are a deadset twit. We are 8-3 for the season and comfortably sitting in the top 5 clubs in the comp and you genuinely predict we get 2 wins out of our easiest 8 week stretch of the season.
Why do you even pretend to support the club when you clearly don't get any enjoyment from our success?

And what "success" is that, twit?

Sitting 5th on the ladder midway through the season? Wow. What an achievement. It was a similar story last season.

We haven't experienced "success" in 13 years.

Until this club can win when it matters there will always be question marks. We did lose to Brisbane at home after all... any team with realistic expectations of doing something this year won't do that.

But quite happy for you to sit back, reflect and enjoy all this magnificent success... you clearly aren't alone.

 

[longdaveyjetta]

Our next 5:
Gold Coast
West Coast
Port Adelaide
Western Bulldogs
GWS

We cannot afford to loose a single game. This is the period the last 3 years where we have fallen off like anything, and we should be able to win all of these. A top side would have 5 wins already marked down, and we are now a top side, we have to be like that. We should go into round 18 against Hawthorn 13-3, no excuses. After that there is a possibility that we could beat West Coast, North Melbourne, Carlton and Richmond and finish off the season strong. But the next 6 weeks will tell the story for us, to see if we're ready.

you don't loose games,
you have loose players,
am I getting through?

 

[longdaveyjetta]

Knowing us we will drop a game against port, west coast or gold coast.

you're not one of us, stop pretending...if you were funny it might work, but it's all a bit skitzo and so easy to spot...back to the Carlscum board for you, alias is dead and buried...

 

[Halftimehero]

And what "success" is that, twit?

Sitting 5th on the ladder midway through the season? Wow. What an achievement. It was a similar story last season.

We haven't experienced "success" in 13 years.

Until this club can win when it matters there will always be question marks. We did lose to Brisbane at home after all... any team with realistic expectations of doing something this year won't do that.

But quite happy for you to sit back, reflect and enjoy all this magnificent success... you clearly aren't alone.

Is that how Sydney and Hawthorn looked at it after they both got smashed by Richmond last year? We played a stinker against the lions no doubt about it but most teams will drop a game or two they are expected to win, its how you bounce back from it that counts.