The race for the top 4

Catsmaninamerica

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Posts
5,936
Likes
8,713
Location
Cloud break
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Cricket, Surfing
And beat Hawthorn, who wiped the floor with Fremantle. And Fremantle struggled to beat West Coast (difference between struggling to beat West Coast and struggling to beat Essendon?). And Geelong hasn't lost in Victoria in 2014. Agree wholeheartedly that Sydney and Fremantle are the standouts right now and I honestly don't think we can beat either, if we have to play an away final against the Swans or Dockers. But I think you're kidding yourself if you expect Fremantle to waltz into Simonds and take the four points without a big fight.
Freo will get done in geelong. They havent beaten Hawthorn in 4 years. And a fast free flowing Port will most likely beat them. They are no chance to finish top 2 imo. Gold Coast are the smokey. Good run home...
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

LukeParkerno1

Make me an Admin!
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Posts
91,826
Likes
33,159
Location
Sydney
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Sydney Swans
Dockers run home is no soda. Hawks, Port and Cats in geelong. Could lose all 3 of those. Easily.
Sdney/Freo will come 1 and 2...just which order. Port will come 3rd. Hawthorn OR Geelong 4th, the other coming 5th. Collingwood 6th, North 7th. Adelaide or Gold Coast 8th.
 

Bobby_

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Posts
9,443
Likes
10,643
AFL Club
Geelong
Fremantle will get Hawthorn and Port Adelaide on their home deck in the re-matches. The easy draw means they can afford the luxury of rotating players in and out until those tougher fixtures roll along.
 

ep2018

Bigfooty Pessimist
Joined
Sep 16, 2006
Posts
25,000
Likes
19,993
AFL Club
West Coast
Dockers run home is no soda. Hawks, Port and Cats in geelong. Could lose all 3 of those. Easily.
Would be surprised if they lose to Hawthorn at home. They have also had Geelong's measure the past few years and Geelong don't look too flash so far (though a loss here would not be too surprising). They should also beat Port at home and I have a funny feeling a situation will arise where they are better off to send a B team over to Perth instead and cop a loss.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Posts
27,878
Likes
20,240
Location
Australia
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Fremantle, WA, Associates
Fremantle will get Hawthorn and Port Adelaide on their home deck in the re-matches. The easy draw means they can afford the luxury of rotating players in and out until those tougher fixtures roll along.
I'm not sure they'd be that interested in resting rotation, but what it does do is giving them a bit of breathing space if they get a few vital injuries.

For example, if they had to play Sydney last week instead of West Coast, would they have enjoyed playing Taberner against Franklin or Tippett?
 

catstorm

Club Legend
Joined
Dec 9, 2011
Posts
2,716
Likes
2,801
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Everton, Toronto Raptors
Cats have a dream run home. Only tough games are Hawks and Dockers - Dockers are at Skilled, and we wont lose that game again. And the Hawks are being crippled with injuries. Almost feel sorry for them! Cats to finish top 2.
North Melbourne at Etihad is a game i would call tough, even before tonight's result it was a dangerous game.
 

Bobby_

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Posts
9,443
Likes
10,643
AFL Club
Geelong
I'm not sure they'd be that interested in resting rotation, but what it does do is giving them a bit of breathing space if they get a few vital injuries.

For example, if they had to play Sydney last week instead of West Coast, would they have enjoyed playing Taberner against Franklin or Tippett?
Lyon did similar last year didn't he? Rested about 10 or more starters against St Kilda and they rolled up to Geelong fresh as a bloody daisy.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Lazar Goz

Team Captain
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Posts
334
Likes
57
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Phil Heath
The only real challenge to Sydney and the team that I thought would cause us problems with a full squad was Hawthorn. Fremantle will probably finish top 2 but If Hawthorn dont get in the way then Sydney will win the premiership
 

James44

Senior List
Joined
Jun 26, 2014
Posts
270
Likes
136
AFL Club
Adelaide
Big issue for Hawthorn is because of 2009, they were 'up' in the preseason.

Coupled with some injuries, they look fatigued. The grind of trying to finish Top 4 will take a toll come seasons end.
 

MC Extra Dollop

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Posts
20,689
Likes
17,035
AFL Club
Geelong
That's hardly rotating resting players.
I think Sandilands, Pavlich, Mundy and Barlow all missed the trip to the Cattery in Round 14. From an outside perspective, it certainly seemed like the Dockers were actively protecting their big guns from taking too many interstate trips in the back half of the year.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Posts
27,878
Likes
20,240
Location
Australia
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Fremantle, WA, Associates
I think Sandilands, Pavlich, Mundy and Barlow all missed the trip to the Cattery in Round 14. From an outside perspective, it certainly seemed like the Dockers were actively protecting their big guns from taking too many interstate trips in the back half of the year.
I'm presuming that rotating resting players is doing it from week to week.
 

Bobby_

Norm Smith Medallist
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Posts
9,443
Likes
10,643
AFL Club
Geelong
I'm presuming that rotating resting players is doing it from week to week.
nah last year they were assured of a top 4 finish regardless of what happened in their final game so they played a bunch of newbies, that weeks rest gave them some extra zip in the game against us.
That's why I think they may do something similar again.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Posts
27,878
Likes
20,240
Location
Australia
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Fremantle, WA, Associates
nah last year they were assured of a top 4 finish regardless of what happened in their final game so they played a bunch of newbies, that weeks rest gave them some extra zip in the game against us.
That's why I think they may do something similar again.
Possibly, although if a top two spot is in contention (which it wasn't really last year) I doubt they would.
 

Rod Stroker

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Oct 9, 2003
Posts
28,538
Likes
16,512
Location
Singapore / 30,000 feet
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Eagles (NFL), Suns (NBA)
Cats have a dream run home. Only tough games are Hawks and Dockers - Dockers are at Skilled, and we wont lose that game again. And the Hawks are being crippled with injuries. Almost feel sorry for them! Cats to finish top 2.
So banking the 4 points against us already are you?

You play us at Etihad, where we have done well against the Cats in recent years.
 

AstonSouffle

All Australian
Joined
May 11, 2014
Posts
870
Likes
1,076
Location
Darwin
AFL Club
Fremantle
And beat Hawthorn, who wiped the floor with Fremantle. And Fremantle struggled to beat West Coast (difference between struggling to beat West Coast and struggling to beat Essendon?). And Geelong hasn't lost in Victoria in 2014. Agree wholeheartedly that Sydney and Fremantle are the standouts right now and I honestly don't think we can beat either, if we have to play an away final against the Swans or Dockers. But I think you're kidding yourself if you expect Fremantle to waltz into Simonds and take the four points without a big fight.
Unsure if you saw the game, but the only time Eagles were in the game was when we clearly weren't stamping our foot down. Hence the Ross Lyon spray right after the game, as he was clearly having a go at laziness. It's something out of the ordinary that I wasn't worried in the slightest that Eagles were going to win despite making a 'comeback'. Might sound as if I lack grace and I apologise for that, but certainly Ross Lyon will be making sure they don't switch off again regardless of opposition.

Also in regards to both West Coast and Adelaide, the cross-town games were their Grand Final and that is something to consider for both Freo and Port.

It'll be a tough game at Simmonds, but Geelong lately have looked shakey by their own standards... but we all know that could turn round as easily as of this weekend.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Posts
27,878
Likes
20,240
Location
Australia
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Fremantle, WA, Associates
wouldn't matter though as you get the home final regardless of finishing 1st or 2nd.
Fremantle won't get a home qualifying final if they finish third. The season does not currently look like panning out in such a way that Fremantle would be guaranteed a top two spot by round 20, or even round 22.
 

im_a_lazy_sod

Brownlow Medallist
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Posts
10,839
Likes
8,054
Location
Block 108 as loud as any
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Everton-EFFC-PGFC-Tranmere-Atalanta
The hawks/freo record is ridiculously skewed. Since that EF in 2010 we've only played hawthorn once in Perth.

I am really interested to see how we go against them at home.

The hawks loss tonight has made the top 4 race much more interesting in terms of who finishes where - I hope 2nd or 1st isn't out of the question for us and that home loss to North doesn't come back to bite us
 
Top Bottom