WCE 2021 Fixture

[FreeTK]

And if we are 3-3 after 6 rounds in 2021 and off to play Geelong in Geelong we are going into round 8 at 3-4. Meaning to finish top 2 (to almost guarantee it you need 17 wins) we would have to finish at worst 14-1 from there on in. I'm saying we won't win the premiership if we don't finish top 2.

Just on the 2019 finish do you think that maybe a large part of the reason why we lost those end of season games is we might have run out of gas coming back from 3-3?

I'd love to sit here and think we're a shot at the premiership next year but the truth is we have a lot of things to rectify in one off season to get there, most likely need conditions suiting us perfectly all the way through finals, need an exceptional injury run through the midfield and our key core of older players to drop off significantly less than any youngsters improve us. Not only this but we need to greatly fix the speed at which we're moving out of defence, particularly from behinds, our ground ball differential and the connection from our midfield to our half forward line. Oh and if the second half of 2020 taught us anything it's that Yeo being fully fit is crucial to our chances.

We also have to do this with a significant reduction in coaching and support staff.

It's a hard ask, we are a shot and i would love nothing more than to see Nicnat and Shep win a flag but at this stage even with a reasonably favourable fixture (which could easily change to unfavourable at any stage due to covid and or the AFL now being able to change up dates and times of games on the fly) we are much more likely to a H+A finishing position like this year and if we have any sort of significant reduction in output from senior players and or Nic to not be able to play as well as last season we are just as likely to finish outside the 8 as we are to win the flag.

I don't disagree with anything in your post. I was purely saying that if we are 5-2 by beating Gold Coast, Fremantle and 3 of Geelong/Port/Collingwood/Bulldogs in the opening 7 rounds, then that would put us in very good stead, and with our remaining fixture we would easily finish with a 17-5 or 18-4 record and finish top 2.

I think 5-2 is a bit overly optimistic. I think 4-3 is probably more realistic, and from that point we can still really springboard in to the later part of the season.

5-2 is not a necessity in order to win the flag, and I personally don't think we lost those games in 2019 due to our so-so start to the year.

Our draw is heavily lopsided. It is a pretty easy run home to be honest. Only danger games after round 7 are Richmond, Collingwood and Brisbane, and we won't lose all 3.


Even if we finish 4-3 we could still very likely finish top 2/4.

 

[The wily weagle]

I cant help but think that Brisbane game at the GABBA shapes as a season defining clusterf*ck.

Probably competing for a top 4 spot for the third year in a row, head to QLD, cop an "honourable loss". Finish 5th/6th.

Will be stoked be be proven wrong next season.

 

[Barrybran]

As an Eagles fan in NSW I am all for two Sydney games

 

[WCE_phil]

I don't disagree with anything in your post. I was purely saying that if we are 5-2 by beating Gold Coast, Fremantle and 3 of Geelong/Port/Collingwood/Bulldogs in the opening 7 rounds, then that would put us in very good stead, and with our remaining fixture we would easily finish with a 17-5 or 18-4 record and finish top 2.

I think 5-2 is a bit overly optimistic. I think 4-3 is probably more realistic, and from that point we can still really springboard in to the later part of the season.

5-2 is not a necessity in order to win the flag, and I personally don't think we lost those games in 2019 due to our so-so start to the year.

Our draw is heavily lopsided. It is a pretty easy run home to be honest. Only danger games after round 7 are Richmond, Collingwood and Brisbane, and we won't lose all 3.


Even if we finish 4-3 we could still very likely finish top 2/4.

I'd suggest having to play Sydney (no matter how s**t they seem) at the SCG and the Giants away are very tough matches as well.

Really to be a shot we have to finish top 2 and with the Advantages Richmond and Geelong have being based in Victoria 17 wins is probably going to be the bare minimum to make it. At 4-3, 13-2 is still a very long way away.

 

[EaglesVille]

Not as grubby as it could have been. If we aren't good enough next season , the fixtures are not to blame

 

[Rowan18]

I'd suggest having to play Sydney (no matter how sh*t they seem) at the SCG and the Giants away are very tough matches as well.

Really to be a shot we have to finish top 2 and with the Advantages Richmond and Geelong have being based in Victoria 17 wins is probably going to be the bare minimum to make it. At 4-3, 13-2 is still a very long way away.

I don't think it'll be 17 wins for top 2 next year. 16 should do it. The middle rung of teams should be pretty good next year (like they were this year), so the only gimme games will ve against crows and North. Hawks may also be pretty bad.

 

[WCE_phil]

I don't think it'll be 17 wins for top 2 next year. 16 should do it. The middle rung of teams should be pretty good next year (like they were this year), so the only gimme games will ve against crows and North. Hawks may also be pretty bad.

16 you'll likely need to rely on %.

Remember in 2011 we won 17-5 and it got us fourth. (two teams with 3 wins and 1 with 4)

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Nice fixture for us, probably couldn’t of asked for better.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Looks ok to me, the game in that hole known as Geelong isn't so good while the round 23 game vs Brisbane could be tasty. The rest seems a lot better than our 2019 and original 2020 fixture.

 

[Cuzz09]

I think we'll trail early in every game but win 17.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Ticks most of the boxes I wanted. No Tassie. 3 MCG. No doubles in top 4 from finish in 2020. Pretty happy.

Now let's hope that Sydney Stack

44

Sydney Stack

Age

23

Ht

179cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.5

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

8.7

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

3.0

5star

MG

202.0

3star

D

9.8

2star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.8

4star

MG

133.0

2star

D

16.2

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.6

5star

T

3.0

5star

MG

227.4

4star

and his likely dockhead mates don't go and stuff it up with COVID breaches. Let the gates open and the crowds enter the Optus Gates.

I will not personally be sucked into the Melbourne hype sh1te about Carlton and Richmond kicking it all off. I think it has been at least a decade when they have been worthy of such an honour. Surely the combatants of previous year GF deserve the rights to open the season at the winners home ground. Let them present the flag to the home fans on day 1.

 

[Obeanie1]

30th July, 2017 | Round 19 | WCE 17.11.113 - BL 6.9.45

Kennedy kicked 6 goals, S.Mitchell 27 disposals and Sheed gave a sign of the future, with a then career-best match of 29 disposals and 2 goals.

Karpany played his 7th career match, tallying 8 disposals.


The Lions are still yet to play at the new stadium.

How does that happen ffs?

At least the premier is finally getting a challenging draw. Only took 3 flags in 4 years.

Cats wont be happy with another home game v Tigers at the MCG but two gf replays at the MCG is all about $$$$$ not fairness or integrity.

Our draw is tough early but I dont mind that. We are good enough.

 

[Obeanie1]

To be any shot I think we need to be 5-2 after 7 rounds.

Personally still think we don't as a team have the ability to link the midfield to the forwards well enough to win the premiership. Our best 22 on form is best in league but unless something significant changes or all the conditions run to our favour I don't see us as a top 2 team over a full year. If we don't finish top 2 we don't make the grand final.

Rioli, Venables, Cameron, Petrucelle, Jones and even Cripps.

Basically contributed nothing or very little in 2020. Hence adding Langdon and Winder.

Thats where the bulk of our improvement needs to come from in 2021.

 

[ukurrie]

I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't (seemingly) take the opportunity to think outside the box and ask to hub in Victoria for 2 weeks and play 3 games (Sunday - Saturday - Friday with a bye afterwards). Two hubs like that reduces the impact of travel fatigue greatly. Even just do it once to trial it.

Hopefully the independent review will have recommendations on the fixturing going forward, but we should take the opportunity Covid has brought to reset our thinking.

Other than that, the draw is fine.

 

[DanWCE]

If we don't beat Sydney at the SCG I'm gonna flip tables!

 

[bh90210fan]

We’re starting favourites in 20/22 games with this fixture. Geelong and Brisbane really the only games we’d expect to lose. The only thing stopping us next year is COVID

 

[southcoast]

Overall pretty happy with fixtures. Tough start but you gotta have a ‘tough run’ somewhere in a season.

Good start will set us up for the year.

Now have to wait for floating fixture to settle to see how the final dates and times affect how many games we get to this year. 4-5hour return journey after game puts a hole in a few time slots for us.

Mind you I still think we’ll be Sunday afternoon/evening specialists for home games to meet the TV audience requirements of Fox and Seven.

It’s now all about TV - VFL trying to shore up next TV deal to support struggling clubs.


Sent from my iPad using BigFooty.com

 

[WCE_phil]

Overall pretty happy with fixtures. Tough start but you gotta have a ‘tough run’ somewhere in a season.

Good start will set us up for the year.

Now have to wait for floating fixture to settle to see how the final dates and times affect how many games we get to this year. 4-5hour return journey after game puts a hole in a few time slots for us.

Mind you I still think we’ll be Sunday afternoon/evening specialists for home games to meet the TV audience requirements of Fox and Seven.

It’s now all about TV - VFL trying to shore up next TV deal to support struggling clubs.


Sent from my iPad using BigFooty.com

The TV deal was renegotiated this year due to COVID and as far as im aware the renegotiation was for 5 years. I will however have to confirm a couple of things to make sure this is correct.

 

[The wily weagle]

If we don't beat Sydney at the SCG I'm gonna flip tables!

Well all know how this plays out:

McGovern/barrass want to do is their own thing, refusing to man up Buddy

Buddy has his normal day out against us and boots 6

We lose

 

[DanWCE]

Well all know how this plays out:

McGovern/barrass want to do is their own thing, refusing to man up Buddy

Buddy has his normal day out against us and boots 6

We lose

I don't mind if Buddy kicks 6 so long as Ryan kicks 16

 

[Carbine Chaos]

We’re starting favourites in 20/22 games with this fixture. Geelong and Brisbane really the only games we’d expect to lose. The only thing stopping us next year is COVID

And our own poor form/endeavour over the past 2 seasons.

 

[Cuzz09]

Yep 2 certainties in life.

1. We play s**t and lose at the SCG
2.We play s**t and lose at GMHBA

 

[WCE_phil]

Yep 2 certainties in life.

1. We play sh*t and lose at the SCG
2.We play sh*t and lose at GMHBA

I've had a bit more of a think to this and all the way back to 2011 have a theory. Mostly we have played the wings offensively rather than the corridor for our marking and pressure game allowing us to protect as much of the ground as possible.

This falls down on both of these grounds for 2 different reasons.

1. The SCG is significantly shorter and relatively wider than other grounds. It means run and carry and quick kicks over the top and we just get us done time and again and contested ball and tackling is more important than any other ground.
2. At GMHBA it is a very long, narrow ground. Meaning our transition game takes an extra kick as we play the wing allowing for more * ups in the chain. The cats play the corridor from defence getting it to the offensive end of the ground as quickly as possible through kicking and protect the long kicks down the line with extras in defence. Takes out our efficient offence and also our marking game defensively as they have more at the fall of the ball / at the contest.

Are we playing s**t or have as a club for over a ******* decade just not been able to play to the conditions of these grounds and the teams that play them.

The longer the stretch goes the more it looks like poor coaching and their inability to get the team to adjust to the grounds and conditions.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

We’re starting favourites in 20/22 games with this fixture. Geelong and Brisbane really the only games we’d expect to lose. The only thing stopping us next year is COVID

Can you be my bookie next year please?

 

[woosha24]

Well all know how this plays out:

McGovern/barrass want to do is their own thing, refusing to man up Buddy

Buddy has his normal day out against us and boots 6

We lose

Slight addendum: Buddy has been sidelined with injury for weeks prior, but miraculously gets up for our game.

Post game folding points:

"We can no longer play Gov and Barrass at the same time!"

"Why the f*ck are we still persisting with Ainsworth!?".

"Duggan is our best player and should be moved to the midfield".

"Kennedy is cooked".