Toast Reasons for Optimism

[88mph]

We're only one game off top spot

 

[kuhni]

Biggest cause for optimism. Someone at the club is able to improve the kicking actions of our players. Voss and Ras with improving accuracy, Bruce kicking from nearly 50 m out... There's hope for Amiss, NOD and Walker yet...

 

[poshman]

We're only one game off top spot

There should be a hell of a lot more celebration around here given our position and form over the last three months.

On top of that we have so many players with a lot of growth to come. The end of this season is going to be a lot of fun!

The future beyond that, even more so.

 

[pK75]

There should be a hell of a lot more celebration around here given our position and form over the last three months.

On top of that we have so many players with a lot of growth to come. The end of this season is going to be a lot of fun!

The future beyond that, even more so.

It’s actually ridiculous that we are 4th on the ladder with the age and experience of the teams we have been putting out each week. Reid, Dudley are basically 1st year players, Voss, worner and Ras have been in the system longer but have very few games played.

 

[poshman]

It’s actually ridiculous that we are 4th on the ladder with the age and experience of the teams we have been putting out each week. Reid, Dudley are basically 1st year players, Voss, worner and Ras have been in the system longer but have very few games played.

Yep - our growth as a team has been phenomenal. Amiss still very young, Treacy still a couple of years from his peak. Reid could be anything! There is a lot to love about the list and where we are at.

 

[Rhufus]

Kohuna is 23, Nev 22 and the Pony 22 and Bruce has only just been born. Assuming they play until 33 yrs of age thats ANOTHER DECADE that these 4 will be playing together. Strap yourselves in. It will be our best ever decade coming up.

 

[poshman]

Kohuna is 23, Nev 22 and the Pony 22 and Bruce has only just been born. Assuming they play until 33 yrs of age thats ANOTHER DECADE that these 4 will be playing together. Strap yourselves in. It will be our best ever decade coming up.

Did you just say that the decade of dominance had begun?!

 

[poshman]

How great is this season!! How good will this win be!

A perfect Perth winters day. Best weather in the world to send off our Nat! The anticipation is building.

Romance your wife! Tell a friend you love them. And strap in for one hell of a ride! We win by 5 goals minimum tonight. For many this will mark the start of the decade of dominance. We know it has already started!

We are watching something significant with this team. So cheer your heart out. Trust them to wrestle back momentum and scream your lungs out as we pull away.

Fremantle will be too good tonight. Something we will be saying a lot in the future.

 

[Cesoir]

How great is this season!! How good will this win be!

A perfect Perth winters day. Best weather in the world to send off our Nat! The anticipation is building.

Romance your wife! Tell a friend you love them. And strap in for one hell of a ride! We win by 5 goals minimum tonight. For many this will mark the start of the decade of dominance. We know it has already started!

We are watching something significant with this team. So cheer your heart out. Trust them to wrestle back momentum and scream your lungs out as we pull away.

Fremantle will be too good tonight. Something we will be saying a lot in the future.

I love you Posh.

 

[Minz]

How great is this season!! How good will this win be!

A perfect Perth winters day. Best weather in the world to send off our Nat! The anticipation is building.

Romance your wife! Tell a friend you love them. And strap in for one hell of a ride! We win by 5 goals minimum tonight. For many this will mark the start of the decade of dominance. We know it has already started!

We are watching something significant with this team. So cheer your heart out. Trust them to wrestle back momentum and scream your lungs out as we pull away.

Fremantle will be too good tonight. Something we will be saying a lot in the future.

Now THAT’S how you do an optimism post!

 

[Righteo]

Shoutout to our fans who still rock up week in week out. We've been in the wilderness for a decade now, the fact we can still sell out Optus and avg attendances of 45k a week is nothing short of astounding. Broke the membership record again too.

 

[poshman]

Shoutout to our fans who still rock up week in week out. We've been in the wilderness for a decade now, the fact we can still sell out Optus and avg attendances of 45k a week is nothing short of astounding. Broke the membership record again too.

Yep, the club is spoiled by the level of support. I hope the board don’t take it for granted.

At least playing finals is in our hands. Win next week and we are in. Happy to be in that position!

 

[holy diver]

Reasons for optimism.... we're not Norf.

 

[Tonga Bob]

Stuff it, tell me something you’re thankful for today. I’ll go first.

I had an RDO, drank some good beers, got some chores done and resolved something shitty that was bothering me for ages.

 

[holy diver]

Stuff it, tell me something you’re thankful for today. I’ll go first.

I had an RDO, drank some good beers, got some chores done and resolved something shitty that was bothering me for ages.

My flu backed off some after making me crook most of the week.

The weather was nice today.

 

[Spirit Level]

Shoutout to our fans who still rock up week in week out. We've been in the wilderness for a decade now, the fact we can still sell out Optus and avg attendances of 45k a week is nothing short of astounding. Broke the membership record again too.

God we're a bunch of dumbarses

 

[poshman]

Stuff it, tell me something you’re thankful for today. I’ll go first.

I had an RDO, drank some good beers, got some chores done and resolved something shitty that was bothering me for ages.

I have an amazing wife, who I love spending time with. Both parents are still alive, although both turning 80 in the next six months means time could be short. Still we talk two or three times a week and I drive to see them once a fortnight. Two beautiful daughters who are at the most precious age. I was weeding this morning and my three year old invited me to her birthday party (next May)... Couldn't wipe the smile off my face. "Daddy, why do you weeding?" "Daddy, can I have a flower from the tree?... Can I have it to give to mummy?" "Daddy (gives tightest hug), do you want to comes to ah my party Daddy?"

We employed four people this week in a new business we started recently. Always feels good to give people an opportunity.

We live in a beautiful place in a blessed nation. I am thankful.

Would love my dad to see a premiership in his lifetime. But, I am thankful that it is another thing we can talk about each week.

 

[Ruby Docker]

Stuff it, tell me something you’re thankful for today. I’ll go first.

I had an RDO, drank some good beers, got some chores done and resolved something shitty that was bothering me for ages.

First surf at Leighton dog beach today, after major surgery and associated recovery problems. All good and I’ll be back out there again.

Bit like the purple really, no matter how much it hurts there will always be better times ahead.

Keep the faith!

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Glass half full says if we kicked a bit straighter we’d have been in the game up until the last then who knows

Glass half empty says even if we did kick straighter, what we did when we didn’t have the ball in the hands of one of our forwards would have meant that they’d have rolled us regardless

If Voss got paid that mark or free kick when it was still even in the first quarter then who knows. The fact they ignored that, but were happy to give the Lions the first three from two frees and a dodgy fifty was what really annoyed me. Think they got about six goals from direct frees plus that weird downfield and fifty.

We’ve had a few really poor games this year - whether that’s through poor skill, or just not really showing up. But we’ve never had two shit games in a row. Let’s hope that kind of form continues. We have a nice rest before throwing everything at the dogs next weekend.

When we have no pressure to win or expectations, we do alright. We just can’t get ahead of ourselves like we did against the lions.

 

[cactuscall]

Bitterly disappointed. The crazy thing is with 60pts it's top 4 to finish the year any other year. Another chance next week to play finals. Last night might’ve been a serious reality check.

 

[88mph]

We’re only 2 games off top spot

 

[dropbear101]

This might sound weird. but i think we are gonna win the premiership this year. the way we are playing reminds me of brisbane early last year.

we haven't overrated our list either.

I think we have a thin midfield. basically we have 4 all australian level midfielders. young, serong, brayshaw and darcy. at any one period of time, darcy is injured, one of the remaining is injured, on the bench or in the forward line. thus at any midfield contest only 2 of the 6 midfielders is actually A grade. our remaining midfielders, fyfe, erasmus, johnson, sharp, odriscoll are b grade at best. thus we essentially lose the talent sweep stakes in the midfield.

for example last year port adelaide rolled in with JHF, rozee, butters, wines, boak,..etc they were actually deaper and more talented than us in the midfield for that final must win game.

for us to win it all. we need darcy back, young back and bolton making frequent cameos. then we'll get on a roll.

weird takeaway from a game. perhaps i'm delusional. but i just have this weird feeling.

so i've been on the train this year since the sydney game. not gonna lie, i've doubted myself and my sanity a lot this year.

however, i'm not getting off the train. although i really considered it after the brisbane game. personnally i think brisbanes game plan is built for destroying our current gameplan. i think we roll the dogs this next game.

let me explain. last season we were a sit back defence, then we would chip our way through the opposition defence. or our other mode was to win contest ball then march our defence in behind it. basically, teams realised if they won contested ball they could trap us in their forward half. dial up the pressure and cause turnovers. it was a flawed gameplan which made sense in a classroom. not when the other team can make moves of their own.

this season we've adapted our gameplan. we are a slow team (per champion data) but what people don't talk about much is that we are also a high meters gamed team. this season we aim to defend higher up the ground. generating better turnovers. the high meters gained thing also means we are aiming not to be trapped in our back half. to transition to a harder game style with more risk and reward with a very young list is why JLo has coached well this season. (compared to last season). However, if your defence isn't switched on. or a team is adept at scoring in behind a defence. or they are built to counter a long ball. then you might be in trouble. finally by playing up the field its unlocked jordan clark. he has more room to move. basically brisbane is built to destroy us. kinda like they did to sydney in the GF.

st kilda had us down pat. they put numbers in front of treacy and ruckman. suddenly we couldn't move the ball. they also worked hard at picking us off up the field. brisbane played a similar game.

now i think we are somewhat built to take on western bulldogs. however, i think we are missing key personal required to do so. the dogs like to use the contest as a form of defence and offense. basically they move it forwards in front of the contest via hands and clearances. the group of men behind the dogs player with the ball (the former stoppage) means that if that player turns it over. a dogs player is at them. thus, they seem to be constantly moving it forwards. they then position their defence proactively. to shark the hack kicks out by the opposition. however, if you have good contested defence, ability to handball your way out of the contest. then the dogs defence is wide open to counter attack.

All this is why the dogs are a statistical outlier to champion data. they score not from turnover but contest. 2016 according to champion data is a fluke. i don't think it is at all. i just think its very hard to do. you need a manic mentality. the dogs ill probably have it when they play us.

so, i think our success will depend upon johnson, young and serong getting it out. johnson and wagner successfully defending the contest. i also suspect we need someone to give us an extra bounce out of defence. because we maybe under siege.
I think johnsons presence is key. maybe not at much as young. but it will be close. our only good match up for bont. a good transition defender. will take on the tackler.

freo by 3 points in a nailbiter.

 

[malpaso]

Stuff it, tell me something you’re thankful for today. I’ll go first.

I had an RDO, drank some good beers, got some chores done and resolved something shitty that was bothering me for ages.

Bought a $5 two game Bulldogs membership last week giving me a ticket to Sunday's game. Thankful that there is a german brauhaus near Marvel stadium where I can drown myself..

 

[poshman]

so i've been on the train this year since the sydney game. not gonna lie, i've doubted myself and my sanity a lot this year.

however, i'm not getting off the train. although i really considered it after the brisbane game. personnally i think brisbanes game plan is built for destroying our current gameplan. i think we roll the dogs this next game.

let me explain. last season we were a sit back defence, then we would chip our way through the opposition defence. or our other mode was to win contest ball then march our defence in behind it. basically, teams realised if they won contested ball they could trap us in their forward half. dial up the pressure and cause turnovers. it was a flawed gameplan which made sense in a classroom. not when the other team can make moves of their own.

this season we've adapted our gameplan. we are a slow team (per champion data) but what people don't talk about much is that we are also a high meters gamed team. this season we aim to defend higher up the ground. generating better turnovers. the high meters gained thing also means we are aiming not to be trapped in our back half. to transition to a harder game style with more risk and reward with a very young list is why JLo has coached well this season. (compared to last season). However, if your defence isn't switched on. or a team is adept at scoring in behind a defence. or they are built to counter a long ball. then you might be in trouble. finally by playing up the field its unlocked jordan clark. he has more room to move. basically brisbane is built to destroy us. kinda like they did to sydney in the GF.

st kilda had us down pat. they put numbers in front of treacy and ruckman. suddenly we couldn't move the ball. they also worked hard at picking us off up the field. brisbane played a similar game.

now i think we are somewhat built to take on western bulldogs. however, i think we are missing key personal required to do so. the dogs like to use the contest as a form of defence and offense. basically they move it forwards in front of the contest via hands and clearances. the group of men behind the dogs player with the ball (the former stoppage) means that if that player turns it over. a dogs player is at them. thus, they seem to be constantly moving it forwards. they then position their defence proactively. to shark the hack kicks out by the opposition. however, if you have good contested defence, ability to handball your way out of the contest. then the dogs defence is wide open to counter attack.

All this is why the dogs are a statistical outlier to champion data. they score not from turnover but contest. 2016 according to champion data is a fluke. i don't think it is at all. i just think its very hard to do. you need a manic mentality. the dogs ill probably have it when they play us.

so, i think our success will depend upon johnson, young and serong getting it out. johnson and wagner successfully defending the contest. i also suspect we need someone to give us an extra bounce out of defence. because we maybe under siege.
I think johnsons presence is key. maybe not at much as young. but it will be close. our only good match up for bont. a good transition defender. will take on the tackler.

freo by 3 points in a nailbiter.

I think we will give it a red hot shake. Would not be surprised if we win by up to 15 or lose by up to 15. I think we can do it!

 

[dropbear101]

I think we will give it a red hot shake. Would not be surprised if we win by up to 15 or lose by up to 15. I think we can do it!

plus bevo is a knob.

the sort of knob who leaves the seat up. despite somehow being the type of knob who's dribbling all over it.