The Non-Essendon Thread V

[Macca18]

We've only done the same. Lost to Collingwood and Sydney, won against West Coast and North.

And the Pies were heavily depleted with injury, Sydney had no Goodes and were playing us in Melb, while we only just beat North and WC had their seconds side in.

So if you can question WC then it goes 2x for us.

So have we won a game this year yet? I mean, legitimately...

R1 - McIntosh misses at the end of the game. Let's not count that.
R2 - Port Adelaide don't like playing with the roof open at Etihad. Forget that.
R3 - We struggled in the wet against the Gold Coast and were lucky. 0-3.
R4 - Carlton lost Carrazzo early through injury, had he continued playing... they would of won. Write off.
R5 - Collingwood were so depleted... we were at complete full strength especially after Hibberd went off early with a hamstring - and lost by 1 point. Bin this game.
R6 - Brisbane were struggling at the time and we only won by 11 goals... forget this one.
R7 - West Coast sent over the Subiaco WAFL Under 13's team over, we should hand the points back to them. 0-7.
R8 - Richmond hit the front in the last quarter and should of won. The umpires, after discussions with the AFL, decided to gift us the last few goals of the game... 0-8.
R9 - GWS kicked inaccurately in the first half, they would of won otherwise. 0-9.
R10 - Don't get me started. 0-10.
R11 - 11.16 to 13.8 against the 2nd placed team and nearly an AFL record comeback. 0-11.
R13 - Fremantle were missing Sandilands & Hill, doesn't count. 0-12.
R14 - Western Bulldogs didn't have Giansiracusa. The 14 goal win shouldn't be counted. 0-13.

And as for this week... St Kilda could be missing Goddard, Blake & Stanley. A victory could be considered hollow/meaningless. Forfeit might be on the cards.

 

[Jesse Custer]

If we don't beat Saints by 10 goals minimum we haven't gone hard enough. They are despicable.

I'll just take a win.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

So have we won a game this year yet? I mean, legitimately...

There's a point to be made, though. We haven't won a tight game against good opposition. If we'd gotten over the top of Sydney that would have been it, but two good teams we've beaten we've thrashed.

 

[lamaros]

So have we won a game this year yet? I mean, legitimately...

And as for this week... St Kilda could be missing Goddard, Blake & Stanley. A victory could be considered hollow/meaningless. Forfeit might be on the cards.

Do you have learning difficulties? What has that got to do with anything?

As it stands it is true that our only win over a decent top 8 side was against WC. It was a nice win, but they did have half their team out.

Collingwood has beaten Essendon, West Coast, Geelong, Adelaide.
Sydney has beaten Essendon, Hawthorn, Geelong, North.
West Coast has beaten Hawks and North
Adelaide has beaten Sydney and Geelong
Hawthorn has beaten Collingwood, Adelaide and North.
Geelong has beaten Hawthorn. (And lost to everyone else in the 8.)
North has beaten Adelaide and Geelong.

The only side that has clearly performed to date is Collingwood (Sydney somewhat). Everyone else has a lot of sorting out to do over the next few rounds. Apart from North and Geelong, who aren't really in it.

 

[Macca18]

No. You can only play who you're drawn to play against...

The next 6 weeks will definitely sort out the contenders from the pretenders. We have given ourselves an enormous opportunity so far.

I'm just sick of opposition (and surprisingly even our own supporters!) trying to discredit what we've done so far. We finished 11-1-10 last season and we're already 10-3 after 13 this season. Two losses to the two top sides by a total of 5 points. It's been a great effort from a side that was expected to either just scrape into the bottom of the 8 or not even make it at all.

We've shown we can match it with them. If you look at the West Coast side that played Collingwood a couple of weeks ago (and arguably should of won) there are only minimal differences between that side and the side we beat by 10 goals only a few weeks earlier.

 

[Tassieboy]

What's the capacity now with all the works?

Just over 20k

 

[edge982]

What would people prefer more this week? A North win or a West Coast win? Tough choice I know.

I'd prefer a draw, tbh.

 

[Kong]

West Coast, easily.

 

[Macca18]

West Coast, easily.

This. I know they have to travel a little further to Tasmania but it will probably suit them slightly more than under the roof at Etihad.

 

[lamaros]

No. You can only play who you're drawn to play against...

The next 6 weeks will definitely sort out the contenders from the pretenders. We have given ourselves an enormous opportunity so far.

I'm just sick of opposition (and surprisingly even our own supporters!) trying to discredit what we've done so far. We finished 11-1-10 last season and we're already 10-3 after 13 this season. Two losses to the two top sides by a total of 5 points. It's been a great effort from a side that was expected to either just scrape into the bottom of the 8 or not even make it at all.

We've shown we can match it with them. If you look at the West Coast side that played Collingwood a couple of weeks ago (and arguably should of won) there are only minimal differences between that side and the side we beat by 10 goals only a few weeks earlier.

I predicted us to be 17/5 this season...

You need to address the people you are talking with, not some imaginary vision in your head. Ain't no one here discrediting the team's performance.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

What would people prefer more this week? A North win or a West Coast win? Tough choice I know.

North. They have fewer premiership points.

 

[lamaros]

North for sure. A top 4 spot is needed, and WC dropping points to North still won't make North a side we give a shit about.

 

[Howard Moon]

North for sure. A top 4 spot is needed, and WC dropping points to North still won't make North a side we give a shit about.

ive been thinking about the magical top 4 spot.....

if you were to finish 4th and have to play either Adel or WCE away is it still desirable? a loss would mean you still have to win 3 more games to win a flag... and a terrible loss would ruin all morale. ....And youd have to back up from the perth trip...

if you finished 5th and played a home final against a mediocre opponent you could set yourself up for a finals run and still only have to win only 3 more (the same as if you lost from 4th)

would it be ridiculous come round 22 to look at all the permiatations and 'engineer' the finals run we need? without flirting with form or afl rules ofcourse

or would you just see an away final against a wce or adel as a free hit ?

p.s collingwood may finish first any way, just specualting about things that probably wouldnt happen. I just recall us doing a similar thing years ago by losing to richmond in a final round so we could get them again in a first final.....

 

[Lord Nicholson]

if you were to finish 4th and have to play either Adel or WCE away is it still desirable? a loss would mean you still have to win 3 more games to win a flag... and a terrible loss would ruin all morale. ....And youd have to back up from the perth trip...

if you finished 5th and played a home final against a mediocre opponent you could set yourself up for a finals run and still only have to win only 3 more (the same as if you lost from 4th)

I don't want to be rude, but this is a silly and defeatist way of thinking. If you finish top 4 you give yourself the best chance to get into a prelim. Conceding that you would indeed lose interstate is a sure-fire way to not win a premiership.

 

[Howard Moon]

I don't want to be rude, but this is a silly and defeatist way of thinking. If you finish top 4 you give yourself the best chance to get into a prelim. Conceding that you would indeed lose interstate is a sure-fire way to not win a premiership.

thats fair enough.....

i got shouted down late last year also when i suggested we put the cue in the rack for the wce game which win or loss would have made no difference to our position... we ended up taking a full list and came home with injuries and shot confidence.

i guess im just spooked by subiaco.... hopefully the hoodoo has been broken!

i did another ladder predictor and we along with 4 other sides were equal on points, 3rd ,4th ,5th ,6th. percentage will make all the difference this year. If we want a top four we better start getting ruthless against minnows.

 

[Charliebrow 16]

As was just said, if we make the top four and travel interstate in the first week of finals, I expect us to win. It doesn't matter if we play Adelaide or West Coast, we'll have shown by that stage that we're a good team and a win is certainly possible.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

i got shouted down late last year also when i suggested we put the cue in the rack for the wce game which win or loss would have made no difference to our position... we ended up taking a full list and came home with injuries and shot confidence.

Conceding games is for shithouse football clubs. Give yourself the opportunity to win those, because the benefit of getting those unlikely wins is far greater than the shame of losing them, IMO.

 

[Howard Moon]

Conceding games is for shithouse football clubs. Give yourself the opportunity to win those, because the benefit of getting those unlikely wins is far greater than the shame of losing them, IMO.

true true...

its hard to get a gauge sometimes.. early in the season i was talking us up saying it was an open season and we could easily nick one and people were having a go at me for being too confident, saying we are still a couple of years off a flag. Then i finally get used to the idea that we arnt there yet and people are starting to turn back the other way!

i guess conceding losses is a bit too far

deep down i still think we can take a flag but i'd love to avoid that subiaco trip.

 

[lamaros]

ive been thinking about the magical top 4 spot.....

if you were to finish 4th and have to play either Adel or WCE away is it still desirable? a loss would mean you still have to win 3 more games to win a flag... and a terrible loss would ruin all morale. ....And youd have to back up from the perth trip...

if you finished 5th and played a home final against a mediocre opponent you could set yourself up for a finals run and still only have to win only 3 more (the same as if you lost from 4th)

would it be ridiculous come round 22 to look at all the permiatations and 'engineer' the finals run we need? without flirting with form or afl rules ofcourse

or would you just see an away final against a wce or adel as a free hit ?

p.s collingwood may finish first any way, just specualting about things that probably wouldnt happen. I just recall us doing a similar thing years ago by losing to richmond in a final round so we could get them again in a first final.....

It makes no sense at all to not want to finish top 4. At all. It's stupefyingly absurd.

If we finish top four then we either:

A: Win - have a rest, go to Pelim. Which gives a decent shot at the flag.
B: Lose - have a home game against an average team and/or an interstate side (WC, Adelaide, Sydney or even Fremantle or Brisbane), which gives us a decent chance at winning and going to a pelim. Which gives a decent shot at the flag.

If we finish 5th or 6th then we either:

A: Lose - we're out, all she wrote. Oops. Would have loved that second chance.
B: Win - Yay. Now we probably have to play a semi interstate against WC/Adel/Sydney, or the G against Hawthorn or Collingwood. Which would would likely not be favourites to win. And even if we did, would have to back up against a tough side with a weeks more rest than us. Not likely to get to a GF.

 

[Howard Moon]

hmmm looking at it, we have played interstate 3 times so far for 3 wins, if we beat port over there next week thats 4/4 with one to go against the crows.

granted we have had a fairly easy run of it this year but actually winning games interstate could hopefully be getting our confidence up away from home.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

Would prefer to play Adelaide @ home then Sydney @ home, without a doubt.

I have been over to Sydney, 2 years ago, and they just soak up the atmosphere beautifully and play on adrenaline. Goodes = master at this, just lifts like a true champ. Steer clear pls Dons

 

[Howard Moon]

It makes no sense at all to not want to finish top 4. At all. It's stupefyingly absurd.

If we finish top four then we either:

A: Win - have a rest, go to Pelim. Which gives a decent shot at the flag.
B: Lose - have a home game against an average team and/or an interstate side (WC, Adelaide, Sydney or even Fremantle or Brisbane), which gives us a decent chance at winning and going to a pelim. Which gives a decent shot at the flag.

If we finish 5th or 6th then we either:

A: Lose - we're out, all she wrote. Oops. Would have loved that second chance.
B: Win - Yay. Now we probably have to play a semi interstate against WC/Adel/Sydney, or the G against Hawthorn or Collingwood. Which would would likely not be favourites to win. And even if we did, would have to back up against a tough side with a weeks more rest than us. Not likely to get to a GF.

i see your point,

i just have to have more belief that we could travel to perth or adelaide and win... or atleast not come home crushed with out tails between our legs.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

I don't count the expansion mobs.

I take heart from the Football Park win last year though. Thus far Hird's Essendon has won everywhere bar the SCG and Stadium Australia.

 

[Colin D'Cops]

It makes no sense at all to not want to finish top 4. (1) At all. (2) It's stupefyingly absurd. (3)

Geez... think we got it the first time brah

 

[lamaros]

i see your point,

i just have to have more belief that we could travel to perth or adelaide and win... or atleast not come home crushed with out tails between our legs.

If we don't make top 4 there is a better chance we will have to play interstate the next game anyhow... I really don't get what you're saying.

The best way to avoid going interstate is to win games and finish top four. Either first or second, or the one that matches where the Pies end up. It is unlikely that two interstate sides will finish 1-2 on the ladder. Which means there will only be one interstate game, or none, for the top four teams.