The Final 8

[RoosterLad]

did anyone read the ******** in todays tiser? saying we will only lose 2 more games yet we will finish 4th? i reckon only 2 more losses is good enough for 2nd to be honest

Melbourne have games at the gabba, subi, and TWO in adelaide over the next 6 weeks or so, Geelong look terrible now.. dont think they will win the majority of their final games

we are definately good enough for top 4, 2nd or 3rd would be good, wouldnt like 4th but we could pull off a massive upset and knock off the Eagles? who knows this year

Rebuilding was mentioned at the start of the year, now we are flying high, go for top 4 then have a tilt at the flag! I dont think we are quite good enough to win it, but have a red hot bloody go! DON'T give VB, Knights, Watts and co 5 games for the sake of it, if injuries warrant it then fair enough, but don't possibly stuff the season up by blooding players and dropping guys who have consistently played in winning sides

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

thats why I said young in experience not in age !!

your right these guys aren;t going to be around for ever thats why we should be playing the younger guys

I'm not writing it off in the way you mean - I just understand that rebuilding doesn't always = wins and yes you take your chances but sometimes you have to be realistic - is a another top 4 finish more important that getting 5-10 more games into some of the younger guys ??

Its great that we have got Bock,Rutten and Mattner playing well but as you said they aren't going to replace roo and co are they

Now we are a chance for top 4 I can't see the young guys getting much game time. IMO if we need to cover injuries Knights, VB and Watts must come into contention way before Bode, Jericho, Begley, Ladhams, Massie, Smith and S Stevens.

If you look at our starting 22 you also have to think that Doughty and Skippy would be looking over their shoulders.

Question on Trent: Before he was dropped his attack on the ball/man was pretty ordinary. Yet on Sat night he threw himself at the contest. Why did it take being dropped for him to realise he has to physically impose himself more. If he plays a few good games, and feels comfortable in the 22, will he return to his pre-dropping bad ways? Thoughts.

 

[ok.crows]

Better is a week by week proposition. Most clubs that lose to us think they are better than us. At the end of the day it comes down to who wins the contests, who has a good day. Good teams lose, great teams lose. To win away from home is much more difficult than to win at home.

There has not been a whole lot of difference between our clubs for some time, it usually comes down to who plays better on the day/night when we play irrespective of venue.

Errr, we didn't lose to you.

 

[outback jack]

does anyone know where we can get the saints and melbournes run home>?

 

[Stiffy_18]

does anyone know where we can get the saints and melbournes run home>?

afl.com would be a good start

 

[ok.crows]

does anyone know where we can get the saints and melbournes run home>?

Here is everyone's run home:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/results/0,8058,aflFixtures,00.html

 

[outback jack]

Here is everyone's run home:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/results/0,8058,aflFixtures,00.html

thanks

 

[outback jack]

afl.com would be a good start

 

[relapse]

I doubt Port will make the finals. They have 3 home games against interstate opposition, they have a neutral game against the Crows and five away games. They play some decent teams amongst that lot. Brisbane will pass them easily.

I tend to agree in a way, I do think that Port will struggle to make the eight. People are talking them up as being back etc, but we saw them beat St Kilda in a game where Port were dominant early, but the saints definately had their chances to come back and win the game, WB at AAMI wasnt convincing and last week was but you have to question the opposition they played. Remember Adelaide went from beating Melbourne by 80 points to losing by 140 in the space of a couple of weeks. The test for Port is the next three games Collingwood Telstra, Melbourne AAMI and Geelong at Skilled. If they can win 2 or three of those then they will really be in with a shot at the finals if they only win one then I think the nail will be in the coffin.

To be honest I think Port have really reminded me so much of North Melbourne in the 90s a real dominant team that took a couple of years of heartache to turn around and win a flag and so far this season I have seen many parallels from Port that compare with North's 97 season. Just an general observation I have made.

 

[outback jack]

just had a quick look at the draw thanks to ok.crows for the saints, melbourne and geelong, and melbourne have shi te all chance, their draw is terrible. The saints have very good draw and geelongs is even better. These two are the ones to watch out for. The saints were very undermaned last time we played them. The good thing about it though is the they all play each other, so there will be a few eight point games for them, which leaves the door nicely ajar for us.

 

[Stiffy_18]

ROFL

 

[DaveW]

I doubt Port will make the finals. They have 3 home games against interstate opposition, they have a neutral game against the Crows and five away games.

And they'll win those three games in addition to away games against Collingwood and Carlton.

That's 11 and a half wins right there which may or may not be enough make the finals.

They might need to snag one of the "8-point games" - the matches at Manuka and the Gabba are probably going to be the most vital.

 

[- PC -]

Now we are a chance for top 4 I can't see the young guys getting much game time. IMO if we need to cover injuries Knights, VB and Watts must come into contention way before Bode, Jericho, Begley, Ladhams, Massie, Smith and S Stevens.

If you look at our starting 22 you also have to think that Doughty and Skippy would be looking over their shoulders.

.

I used to think like you SC and I still would like us to use the West Coast model and introduce 1 each 4 week block. But then I also see in terms of game time that Rutten,Bock,Hentschell , Skipworth etc are young. I think we forget that Rutten and Bock still are yet to play 25 games.Now if we can get more game time into the above 4 and then next year introduce this years draft choices then we will be better off. IF we were 5-8 sure I would be calling for Knights ,VB etc to be playing, but I dont think we need to. We have Stiffy to come back and Knights should (hopefully) come in for Burton with Reilly on Burtons wing.

 

[macca23]

And they'll win those three games in addition to away games against Collingwood and Carlton.

That's 11 and a half wins right there which may or may not be enough make the finals.

They might need to snag one of the "8-point games" - the matches at Manuka and the Gabba are probably going to be the most vital.

Not to mention the game against us. That game could well decide whether they make the finals or not.

As you say they should win those 3 games at home and the ones against Collingwood and Carlton. That alone might get them in but don't anyone write them off against us either.

Can't see them winning the flag but they probably will sneak into the finals.

 

[Tas]

Errr, we didn't lose to you.

I didn't say Adelaide lost to us, I just said most clubs that have lost to us have said they were better than us, had a better list than we did but still lost anyway.

I do not think we have a better team than Brisbane or St Kilda and on paper even Fremantle. If you play better than they do on the day then it means very little who looks better on paper.

 

[Tas]

IMO, player for player we have a better side than you and for the first time in a number of years our spirit and team orientated game matches the Kangas too.

We don't have as much difficulty winning away from home as most teams do. This year we have 4-3 W/L record away from home compared to a 4-2 W/L record at home.

No doubt if we are a couple of % off then the Kangas would smash us, but this year we are rarely off our game and I just have a good feeling about that game. Whoever wins it will be in the driving seat for a top 4 finish though, with both teams having relatively easy runs home besides that game.

We will play at TD and Adelaide plays well there. I watch Adelaide play a lot and am well aware how difficult they are to beat anywhere in the country. That being said, I rather play them on TD than AAMI. I think the crowd advantage alone is worth 3 or 4 goals. It is more to do with the umpires though, they are usually suckered by the home ground no matter which state it is in.

I think the only year Adelaide's intensity was below ours was very early last year, Adelaide has almost always been a very aggressive and physically intense side. That was where Laidley felt we let ourselves down at AAMI earlier in the year, I think he will expect a much better effort next time we play. I look forward to the game, have always had a lot of respect for the Crows.

For what its worth, I fail to see the crows finishing below 2nd or 3rd place, it is a nice run home. As long as the wheels do no fall off or hit a patch of bad form then it should be a very high placing. Melbourne has a tough run home and Geelong look wobbly.

This coming month of football is critical.

 

[Tas]

And they'll win those three games in addition to away games against Collingwood and Carlton.

That's 11 and a half wins right there which may or may not be enough make the finals.

They might need to snag one of the "8-point games" - the matches at Manuka and the Gabba are probably going to be the most vital.

Port have one of the more difficult runs home, not beyond them but I am not convinced they are back, they have played some teams not playing great football during the last three weeks and were comprehensively whooped by the Eagles. When they play well they look good but not convinced yet, the coming month will give a better indication on how they are going.

If they have gone back to 2004 form then good luck to them, time will tell. It would bring no end of joy to be able to knock out any hopes of finals for 2005, lets hope our game against them is a crunch game, the more pressure the better.