THE GF. ..WHO TAKES IT OUT THIS YEAR

[Down the throat]

Averaged 78.1 against sides who are playing finals. Drops to 71.8 if you exclude the outlier 134 against the Swans in round 2 (when they rancid), with only one other score above 100.

Scores against top 8 sides - 82,134,76,61,66,45,79,105,56,77.

Sorry to say, but you ain't winning bupkis with that record.

6 of those 10 scores resulted in wins and the there 4 barely hit a combined 20 point margin.

We tend to grind other good sides - because your right, our forward line functioned properly for about 2 rounds for the whole season. But in the grind the other team doesn't score either.

If we get there, it won't be like 2021 where we won all our finals comfortably. Each game will be a coin flip and a few goals in a burst either way late will likely be decisive.

 

[Corkintheocean]

More points per game than when we won the flag in 2021.

And also, we averaged 78.1 against top-eight teams, you're correct. Those teams we were playing against? They averaged 68.8.

Much rather rely on a strong defence than a strong offense in finals.

Also, that dysfunctional forward line had six different players kick 20+ goals, which is more than any team in the finals bar Brisbane. Happy to have unpredictability ahead of the ball.

Your record vs top 8 sides was 6-4 and you were unable to string three wins together against top 8 sides at any stage during the season.

Happy to disagree and leave it there. You've certainly got more chance to win the flag than my side. Best of luck for finals.

 

[Down the throat]

Your record vs top 8 sides was 6-4 and you were unable to string three wins together against top 8 sides at any stage during the season.

Happy to disagree and leave it there. You've certainly got more chance to win the flag than my side. Best of luck for finals.

Interesting point youve made.

In comparison, Collingwood are also 6-4 against top 8 sides (2-3 against top 4) - but won 4 in a run early in the year (3 against Sydney, GWS and Carlton when they were all awful).

Port only played 8 games against fellow finalists (2-2 against top 4) which surprised me - but had a run of 3 (but only Melbourne in the top 4 in that lot).

Best performed was Brisbane - 8-2 (3-2 top 4). And a run of 6 top 8 victories (including 2 top 4 scalps).

Which is great for them - though one of their two losses was their only game against a fellow finalist at the G.

Their only other game Brisbane played at the MCG was against Hawthorn, which they also lost.

I don't know if any of this means much at all - but some of this is interesting.

 

[Corkintheocean]

Interesting point youve made.

In comparison, Collingwood are also 6-4 against top 8 sides (2-3 against top 4) - but won 4 in a run early in the year (3 against Sydney, GWS and Carlton when they were all awful).

Port only played 8 games against fellow finalists (2-2 against top 4) which surprised me - but had a run of 3 (but only Melbourne in the top 4 in that lot).

Best performed was Brisbane - 8-2 (3-2 top 4). And a run of 6 top 8 victories (including 2 top 4 scalps).

Which is great for them - though one of their two losses was their only game against a fellow finalist at the G.

Their only other game Brisbane played at the MCG was against Hawthorn, which they also lost.

I don't know if any of this means much at all - but some of this is interesting.

Definitely interesting. Probably leads to a conclusion that there aren't any real runaway favourites unlike last year with Geelong & Sydney going on huge runs leading into finals.

 

[jakson68]

Rotated gf’s
Teams play finals at their home grounds
Merge a couple of vic teams to counter tassie entering.
Never ever make decisions that affect the entire comp in secret

This wont happen, as fans just wouldn't allow it.
I remember when Hawthorn and Melbourne were looking at merging.
I guarantee all involved are glad that never eventuated.

Also a home final is not always an advantage.
Collingwood finished a game clear on top and we get the advantage of playing the forth placed team, at their home ground.
Having the G as our home side, is only an advantage against the 8 interstate teams.
WC and Freo (for instance) has a home ground advantage against the other 16 teams.

 

[Viceregal]

WC and Freo (for instance) has a home ground advantage against the other 16 teams.

True but the point is that that advantage disappears the moment they get to the GF and is reversed the moment their opponent is an MCG tennant irrespective of their relative finishing positions.

Do you think that the concept of it doesn't matter between 1st and 2nd place or as long as you are top four it is all good would still stand if the GF was played at the home ground of the higher placed team?

 

[Checksider]

Collingwood or Melbourne.

If one makes it against Port or Brisbane then home ground advantage on GF Day will zone too much to overcome.

If they both make it, well then one of them wins don’t they.

5-8 aren’t really in it.

 

[M Malice]

 

[kranky al]

This wont happen, as fans just wouldn't allow it.
I remember when Hawthorn and Melbourne were looking at merging.
I guarantee all involved are glad that never eventuated.

Also a home final is not always an advantage.
Collingwood finished a game clear on top and we get the advantage of playing the forth placed team, at their home ground.
Having the G as our home side, is only an advantage against the 8 interstate teams.
WC and Freo (for instance) has a home ground advantage against the other 16 teams.

Or a home ground disadvantage if we fly.

And at best the gf will be neutral. We could finish first and collingwood 8th and we still fly to meet you.

You are comparing a neutral game to a game we fly to.

 

[VicBased]

I would love it. Imagine playing West Coast and Freo 3 times each.
That extra 24 points will get us into finals each year .

All BS aside though, what are we supposed to do?

As there is more teams in Victoria than other states, of course Vic teams play in Victoria more.
As Interstate teams only have two teams, they must travel or play each other 6 times.
May as well join the WAFL, if that is the case.

Either reduce the Vic sides or increase Interstate sides.

None of it is really fair but what is the solution?

It can be fixed by the WA teams travelling every third week instead of every second...but that's for another thread.

 

[Cyclops]

Pies have the straight run. They are better than last year and Melbourne are worse, and the Pies play very well against the Dees.

Its still close though, and a wounded Melbourne will go straight through if they get over Collingwood. First use counts in finals and Gawn, even the declining version, gives that hard as nails midfield first use.

Port travel well and play well vs Brisbane: if there's going to be a travelling upset this is it.

However Brisbane (like Collingwood) likely have a straight run through until GF day. This is undoubtedly the most brilliant and skilled side in it, but don't play the bigger grounds as well as the little ones: sadly for them the G is big.

If the Pies lose and Port win they eventually play in SA and its a 50/50 game, because they play AA so well (so not really a travelling upset): this is highly unlikely though.

I think its Brisbane vs the winner of Pies vs Melbourne, I hate writing off Port because they have the best teamwork of any side, but I think not enough stars (yet). Like Collingwood Ports got this group of 3 or 4 oldies who are almost irreplaceable, in some ways its both our mobs last chance at least with this version.

AFL might push the Giants into the final 4 for "the narrative", sad for any club to miss out because an executive decides everyone needs to hear a fresh crop of "totally spontaneous" memes about that s**t song.

 

[Viceregal]

AFL might push the Giants into the final 4 for "the narrative", sad for any club to miss out because an executive decides everyone needs to hear a fresh crop of "totally spontaneous" memes about that s**t song.

Anyone would think that you are intimating that not all games are decided fairly ... after all how could the AFL push/arrange for the Giants to beat St Kilda and the loser of Lions v Port when it is purely a matter of 'best team on the day'!

 

[Cyclops]

Anyone would think that you are intimating that not all games are decided fairly ... after all how could the AFL push/arrange for the Giants to beat St Kilda and the loser of Lions v Port when it is purely a matter of 'best team on the day'!

I would never dare suggest such a thing, or the AFL ninjas might...wait there's someone at the door...

[muffled thud]

 

[SC_Power]

True but the point is that that advantage disappears the moment they get to the GF and is reversed the moment their opponent is an MCG tennant irrespective of their relative finishing positions.

Do you think that the concept of it doesn't matter between 1st and 2nd place or as long as you are top four it is all good would still stand if the GF was played at the home ground of the higher placed team?

I made the exact same comment to a Collingwood mate about the final round.
It really didn't matter whether they finished 1st or 2nd.
And Brisbane didn't care either, once they got 2nd, it wouldn't have mattered if they finished 1st.

 

[Macca180]

Let you know 10pm Thursday night.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

So, 8 teams left, who gets the chocolates this year.
Me, I am on the Orange Tsunami after their Carlton demolition.
Go for it.

Dees.

 

[kranky al]

So, 8 teams left, who gets the chocolates this year.
Me, I am on the Orange Tsunami after their Carlton demolition.
Go for it.

Thought he’d be too busy defending against all those indictments.

 

[footy75]

Collingwood

 

[VicBased]

Collingwood

After the game tonight I don't reckon either are worthy.

 

[Angus Young]

After the game tonight I don't reckon either are worthy.

Both would of slaughtered the other teams

 

[VicBased]

Both would of slaughtered the other teams

Well we will certainly find out in the next few weeks.

 

[Shooter#17]

After the game tonight I don't reckon either are worthy.

Definitely the eagles then

 

[bungalow_bill]

After the game tonight I don't reckon either are worthy.

Two very average teams tonight. Blues/Lions beat them both handily IMO

 

[My Tilly]

Two very average teams tonight. Blues/Lions beat them both handily IMO

Not a chance.
If things go as planned, Pies will smack the living sh*t out of you in the prelim.

 

[Angus Young]

Not a chance.
If things go as planned, Pies will smack the living sh*t out of you in the prelim.

This.

Melbourne are still a chance. They will just have to win prelim away. And they can.