Preview The race to 15 wins, and is 15 wins enough.

[rubydoomsday]

I've see a bit of an underlying sentiment around that if we can't win one of the last two games then we weren't good enough to win the flag anyway, so who cares. But that misses the point a bit I think.

Yes we might not be good enough to win the flag this year but we desperately need the finals experience even if we only fall in due to other teams losing. We may be coming into our flag window next year but it's so rare for a 'newbie' finals team to be able to go all the way on their first go.

We've already blown two years of potential finals experience the past two seasons. Any sort of finals experience is absolutely crucial this year even if we aren't technically good enough to 'earn' it by winning one of our last two.

a reminder that Lions won it from 5th last year. Doggies won it from 7th in 2016. didn't Tiges win it from thereabouts in one of theirs?

if we can finish 5th, we can win the flag.

 

[Paracleet]

a reminder that Lions won it from 5th last year. Doggies won it from 7th in 2016. didn't Tiges win it from thereabouts in one of theirs?

if we can finish 5th, we can win the flag.

No one is saying it's impossible. It's just vastly less likely.
A no the Tigers never won from outside the 4. It's only the two above in the current system. I.e. 2 out of 25.

 

[Clems Knee]

No one is saying it's impossible. It's just vastly less likely.
A no the Tigers never won from outside the 4. It's only the two above in the current system. I.e. 2 out of 25.

How many teams have won playing each week of the finals?

 

[RonnieRaven]

No Neale makes that Lions game much more manageable

These are the little things that go your way when on the path to greatness.
I think we win out the home and away and take on pies or cows away in the qualifying final

 

[Paracleet]

How many teams have won playing each week of the finals?

Including the above? 7. Key difference is those 5 get a home semi.

Thing about playing 4 games is you have basically halved your chances of winning even before you take any other factors into account.

 

[Doctor J]

Such an uneven comp. 15 wins is the minimum to make finals.

No one is saying it's impossible. It's just vastly less likely.
A no the Tigers never won from outside the 4. It's only the two above in the current system. I.e. 2 out of 25.

Pretty sure one of Crows wins was from 7th

 

[TimN2]

No one is saying it's impossible. It's just vastly less likely.
A no the Tigers never won from outside the 4. It's only the two above in the current system. I.e. 2 out of 25.

Have heard it bandied about that the week off before finals starts makes it more plausible for a lower placed team to win 4 on the trot and take it out. I'm cynical and reckon that that claim is the AFL trying to drum up interest that anyone could go all the way ... buy your tickets now!

What MIGHT be that case this year is that Gold Coast won't get a full week off, so they'll potentially be behind the pack if they get to play more than one final. Of course, a coach like Dimma will use that as ammo to prove that the rest of the AFL hates them and they have to win it for their supporter.

 

[freo84]

Have heard it bandied about that the week off before finals starts makes it more plausible for a lower placed team to win 4 on the trot and take it out. I'm cynical and reckon that that claim is the AFL trying to drum up interest that anyone could go all the way ... buy your tickets now!

What MIGHT be that case this year is that Gold Coast won't get a full week off, so they'll potentially be behind the pack if they get to play more than one final. Of course, a coach like Dimma will use that as ammo to prove that the rest of the AFL hates them and they have to win it for their supporter.

Gold Coast will play on Wednesday before the bye week. They will get that full week off.

 

[Paracleet]

Pretty sure one of Crows wins was from 7th

In the current system I said.

 

[Paracleet]

In the MacIntyre system you get a home final in week two if you win even from 7th or 8th.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Pretty sure one of Crows wins was from 7th

It was a different final system then.

One year they finished 5th and lost the first week, if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[fleur]

These are the little things that go your way when on the path to greatness.
I think we win out the home and away and take on pies or cows away in the qualifying final

If we beat Port and then the Lions (who have to replace Neale’s 36 possessions a game) the match against the dogs might be for a top four spot for us and finals for them. If we win all those games we’d have to be one of the favourites for the flag. Still have to beat Port first.

 

[StingBitten]

We were locked into 7th with 14 wins in 2012. Just one of those seasons.

I think it's interesting that we keep getting these high-pressure scenario's with oppostion teams going through some form of turmoil i.e. media spotlight, personell changes etc. I'm sure it's not localised to our club, but it certainly demands that our boys are constantly on edge and ready to give their best.

These situations mirror the entire structure of our club - the lesser-valued of two WA-based teams, travelling a million-times a year, inconsequential support/acknowledgement from the broader AFL/VFL community. We're never going to be Geelong getting a soft-draw leading into the finals, or Collingwood spending 2-months at home, Murphy Reid will never get the Harley-special on the backpage of the West.

Keeps us humble and on-edge, exactly what a young side need.

We should break another hoodoo this weekend and beat Port comfortably. And we should beat Brisbane the following week too.

 

[Perfect Purple]

a reminder that Lions won it from 5th last year. Doggies won it from 7th in 2016. didn't Tiges win it from thereabouts in one of theirs?

if we can finish 5th, we can win the flag.

In what has been an outstanding year of firsts, winning the Premiership in 2025 is the ultimate feat.

Never say die.

Dare to dream people.

 

[StingBitten]

a reminder that Lions won it from 5th last year. Doggies won it from 7th in 2016. didn't Tiges win it from thereabouts in one of theirs?

if we can finish 5th, we can win the flag.

Can we?

We can play well away, but can we win 3-away games in a row? Seems like a Titanic push.

 

[The Round House Drunk]

Can we?

We can play well away, but can we win 3-away games in a row? Seems like a Titanic push.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

(I think you’ll appreciate that one given who/where it came from ).

For tonight, a draw will be the absolute primo result. The Footy Gods will be smiling down favourably upon us if that comes to pass.

 

[Doctor J]

In the MacIntyre system you get a home final in week two if you win even from 7th or 8th.

Wasn't aware that changed

 

[Paracleet]

Wasn't aware that changed

It was changed to the current system in 2000.

 

[2big2strom]

I think we are a very good chance this week. JLO & the boys won't like that we have lost twice to Sydney in the same season. Because we have lost to Pies already this season there will be a lot of extra prep work and mistakes fixed. Even then, last game against them, it was inaccuracy that cost us.

The following round, I think we should be good for the derby. The eagles will use all their energy this weekend scrapping for a second win (and likely last chance for a win this season) at home against the Tiges. They will be cooked for the derby, might make a contest of it until half time and then Lukey Ryan will just play keepy off to knock the wind out of their sails.

This team in the last 8 weeks have proven they can be very punishing, very quickly and they can pull this trigger right up until the dying seconds of the game. Would be delightful to give the Pies a taste of their own medicine at the G

not tooting my own horn but I must say it was absolutely positively delightful giving the Pies a taste of their own medicine, right down to the 1 point win in a stunning comeback

Anyone, anywhere, anytime has completely evolved, forming a beastly cohesive team of outwork, outrun, outlast

 

[Tbonefreo]

In what has been an outstanding year of firsts, winning the Premiership in 2025 is the ultimate feat.

Never say die.

Dare to dream people.

Gave me chills

 

[Andy Brennan]

Does anyone else have this horrible sinking feeling that we lose our last 3 and miss out?

 

[Purple Jesus]

Does anyone else have this horrible sinking feeling that we lose our last 3 and miss out?

Why even put that thought out into the universe? Slap your damn self.

 

[s_wd6]

You guys are such losers keep that negative energy to yourself.

Anyone else feel like we can sneak into top 4, even top 3?

 

[Purple Jesus]

You guys are such losers keep that negative energy to yourself.

Anyone else feel like we can sneak into top 4, even top 3?

Abso****inlutely. More importantly, the boys believe they can.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

So from what I can tell (and I've done this quickly), the only way now that 9th doesnt finish on 15 wins is if

• Someone drops a gimmy
• We beat Dogs

Absolutely ****ing unreal