News Our next seven weeks...

[Styxx]

Well I'd look at the next two weeks, but no further than that.

We can beat Essendon, and if the Crows drop to Melbourne they'll either turn it around against us or there is a greater problem no one saw coming and they fall apart.

Keep in mind St Kilda could have an injury run, same to Port, Hawthorn, and injuries could happen to US.

Injuries and suspensions taken out of it if we get to round 9 4-5 or 5-4 I think we'll be well placed for the long run and maybe Leigh Colbert can find a place higher than 13th for us

 

[Blueinblood]

Depending on the length of Bowers injury, we could win 3 or 4 of them. Adelaide will bounce back, but are definatlely beatable. Collingwood can be beaten on any given day. We gave an undermanned Geelong a belting last year, and gave St Kilda a good run.

Dont be fooled by Ports early form. There a good chance to be 3-0 but by Rd 8 they will be down around the lower regions of the 8/higher regions of the bottom 8. Port at AAMI holds no fear for us.

Hawthorn can be beaten, bit it would be a tough ask and we should beat the Bombers this week.

If we can get to Rd 9 and 4-5 we are primed for a great run into the 8.

 

[Jeremias]

Couldn't give a **** about our next seven weeks.

All I care about is next week against the Bombers. It's a cliche, but we need to take it 1 week at a time. So much can change in a week, let alone a month of footy, so at this stage Essendon is what is important.

Get to 2-1 and then worry about Adelaide.

 

[HBF]

Couldn't give a **** about our next seven weeks.

All I care about is next week against the Bombers. It's a cliche, but we need to take it 1 week at a time. So much can change in a week, let alone a month of footy, so at this stage Essendon is what is important.

Get to 2-1 and then worry about Adelaide.

Based on what I saw Essendon dish up today, this is very very achievable. Their biggest problem is they just don't have any scoring power, and any team that can kick 13+ goals against them, is likely to win. Amazing that two weeks in a row their most dangerous forwards are Zaharakis and Monfries.

 

[Blueinblood]

Monfries understandable but Zaharakis should not have pressure on him at this stage of his career to hit the scoreboard. Gumbleton showed a bit, but not enough to dominate a game.

The one bloke that could kick some is Hille, but they just dont have the speed in their game with their ball movement atm to be able to give their forwards a good oppurtunity.

Williams looks lost. Pick 16 for him vs Pick 11 for Brock.. hmmm

 

[HBF]

He was useless today Williams. He shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning. Agree that the Hille/Ryder combination could provide us with some problems, but with Kreuzer and Warnock, they would also provide Essendon with some worries.

I see their biggest problem is trying to cover our forwards, with Waite, Henderson and Carlos up forward. As I have said previously, Fletcher has usually peeled off and helped Pears with Fevola, but he won't be able to do this on Saturday night.

 

[kaipwn]

crows are down on form atm. could be a chance if we play well

 

[Blueinblood]

I disagree HBF about their defence. I honestly think Pears, Fletcher and Hocking could shut down Setanta, Waite and Henderson if their midfield can somewhat influence our delivery. However one player i do not rate in the slightest is Henry Slattery, and Dempsey may miss, so between Slattery and Myers i could see a good game for Eddie and Yaz coming up.

 

[zeeCFC]

With the trouble their forward line is having, if we manage to take control of the midfield, wouldn't mind throwing Thornton up forward (If White or Bower plays) to really stretch them and not allow Fletcher/Hocking to float around

 

[Aphrodite]

Couldn't give a **** about our next seven weeks.

All I care about is next week against the Bombers. It's a cliche, but we need to take it 1 week at a time. So much can change in a week, let alone a month of footy, so at this stage Essendon is what is important.

Get to 2-1 and then worry about Adelaide.

I am with you on this one J

 

[Dramoth]

I disagree HBF about their defence. I honestly think Pears, Fletcher and Hocking could shut down Setanta, Waite and Henderson if their midfield can somewhat influence our delivery. However one player i do not rate in the slightest is Henry Slattery, and Dempsey may miss, so between Slattery and Myers i could see a good game for Eddie and Yaz coming up.

Sorry BIB, but their defence is going to struggle to shut down our 3 big blokes in the forward line and if Setanta keeps going on like he has, he is going to cause them all sorts of problems and if he can get his kicking boots on, I reckon 6 goals could be the end result for him for the day plus a couple of assists.

 

[Alpha1]

Look the simple facts are that we need to win at least 4 of the next 7 games to have a shot, our draw does ease up a little towards the end of the season. If we can sit around 10 or 9th going into the last half of the season we should make the eight.

 

[blue gunslinger]

ahhh why bother worrying about our shot? Win this week and we continue down the path.

 

[Alpha1]

Well I have concerns about us, yes we have improved a lot, but important facets of our game have not improved.

 

[Blueinblood]

One thing we do know, is that we always play good footy against the best teams. We can be confident of at the very least competing against these teams, if not grabbing a few.
For instance last year:
Beat the Dogs
Got VERY close to the Saints
Beat Geelong
Beat Collingwood once

 

[Alpha1]

Not sure if we can hang our hats on the Geelong game too much, it was a good win, but I don't think the Cat's really cared much. They were tuning up for the finals and were most likely taking it easy.

 

[chaser1]

If we cant beat Essendon, this week then we have gone backwards. They have beaten us 5 times now, they lift against us .And if we are not ready for this GAME mentally then we will lose. The game is going to come down to who turnover the ball the least, and how one team takes advantage of the other teams errors. Both teams make crucial errors bc of BAD decision making, at crucial times. If we allow them to run free we will lose, we need to be intense and fierce at the contest and take out the middle corridor. Our mids need to work both ways. If it is a shootout i think we will get beaten, this game will show how far our defensive skills have come over summer.

Making most of our opportunities is imperative bad kicking is is bad football. They will come breathing fire and confident they have our measure. We need to be doubly hard at the contest!!!

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Not looking too far ahead, but 3 of the next 6 weeks,
we have 8/9 day breaks.

Essendon is simply a must win game.
One of the most important games for us in a long time,
we have too much too lose against the Glenbervie lot.

Don't matter where they are on the ladder, these games are always even money.

They handed us our arses the second time last year, so have to respect.

 

[HBF]

I disagree HBF about their defence. I honestly think Pears, Fletcher and Hocking could shut down Setanta, Waite and Henderson if their midfield can somewhat influence our delivery. However one player i do not rate in the slightest is Henry Slattery, and Dempsey may miss, so between Slattery and Myers i could see a good game for Eddie and Yaz coming up.

Not so sure about Hocking in those 6 names BIB. Have a look at this:

Setanta - 199cm
Waite - 194cm
Henderson - 196cm

Fletcher - 198cm
Pears - 191cm
Hocking - 187cm

I'm just wondering if you meant to say Hooker, who is 196cm?

 

[Alpha1]

We really need to smash the bummers this week, need to get on a roll for the next 6 weeks.

 

[Snoozer]

Not looking too far ahead, but 3 of the next 6 weeks,
we have 8/9 day breaks.

So for the other 3 games we have 5/6 day breaks?

Such an over-hyped theory. Anything over and above 5 days becomes irrelevant IMO.

 

[Blueinblood]

Not so sure about Hocking in those 6 names BIB. Have a look at this:

Setanta - 199cm
Waite - 194cm
Henderson - 196cm

Fletcher - 198cm
Pears - 191cm
Hocking - 187cm

I'm just wondering if you meant to say Hooker, who is 196cm?

Yeah sorry, absoloutely meant to say Hooker. Hocking is a slow plodder tagger.

 

[HBF]

Yeah sorry, absoloutely meant to say Hooker. Hocking is a slow plodder tagger.

I still think our forward line has changed so much, with so many options up there, and Essendon, or more to the point Fletcher, will have to pay close attention to their opponents. I'm just wondering how they will match up?

Henderson - Pears
O'Hailpin - Fletcher
Waite - Hooker

 

[Blueinblood]

I would say Pears on Setanta. I know theres a lack of height, but Pears can get fists in from seemingly nowhere, and Setantas main attribute has been the mark in the sqaure after leading back, and i think Pears could go with him. Fletcher on Henderson, as he is able to help out other defenders, as Hendo is arguably the least likey to have an impact and Hooker on Waite.

 

[blue gunslinger]

We really need to smash the bummers this week, need to get on a roll for the next 6 weeks.

6 weeks...22 weeks...rnd 3 = FOCUS