We cannot afford to lose first place

[Hawkk]

Swans are not that far out and either way I'd much rather be playing someone as 1st v 4th again than anything else. Just means you have the most important things going for you in my opinion which are form, momentum and confidence. Yes, 2-4 also have a similar path, but still you finish first you give yourself the best chance and there are absolutely no excuses and what ifs. I'd think all current top 4 teams would be the same with regards to that and are gunning for first.

Sydney aren't that far away, but I can't see them generating the wins to finish top 2, this is their run home;

Collingwood (ANZ Stadium)
Hawthorn (MCG)
Carlton (TD)
Adelaide (SCG)
Western Bulldogs (MANUKA)
Fremantle (SCG)
Geelong (ANZ)
Collingwood (TD)
Brisbane (SCG)

Not only do they play the top 3 clubs, but they've got 2 meetings wth Collingwood (who have the wood on them) as well as meetings against Adelaide and Brisbane at home.

As long as you finish in the top 4 and 2 Victorian clubs finish in the top 2, it doesn't matter where you finish in the top 4, you're going to play a Victorian club at the MCG with an equal shot at winning.

 

[Fortress Hawk]

Geelong should be very worried finishing 1st if syd finish 4th, they can cause a big upset because they match up well on every side come finals! they will lock down the cats, and yes the cats will shit themselves! Syd havejust as potent forawrd line as the hawks but are far more experienced!As a hawks fan i no i would hate to play the swans in the finals

 

[darren forssman]

we are second, are we in trouble???

 

[themuddy#3]

Geelong should be very worried finishing 1st if syd finish 4th, they can cause a big upset because they match up well on every side come finals! they will lock down the cats, and yes the cats will shit themselves! Syd havejust as potent forawrd line as the hawks but are far more experienced!As a hawks fan i no i would hate to play the swans in the finals

im sorry, i thought this was a geelong board... seems im mistaken...

 

[couchy555]

Ha. I bet the other teams are far more worried about us than we are of them. I have confindence that if we were to play finals next week we could beat anybody with our form. Bring on september i say.

 

[Tay29]

Sydney aren't that far away, but I can't see them generating the wins to finish top 2, this is their run home;

Collingwood (ANZ Stadium)
Hawthorn (MCG)
Carlton (TD)
Adelaide (SCG)
Western Bulldogs (MANUKA)
Fremantle (SCG)
Geelong (ANZ)
Collingwood (TD)
Brisbane (SCG)

Not only do they play the top 3 clubs, but they've got 2 meetings wth Collingwood (who have the wood on them) as well as meetings against Adelaide and Brisbane at home.

As long as you finish in the top 4 and 2 Victorian clubs finish in the top 2, it doesn't matter where you finish in the top 4, you're going to play a Victorian club at the MCG with an equal shot at winning.

With a run home like that we'll see what Sydney is really made of. In their last 6 wins they have only knocked off the Saints who are in the top 8 (they weren't at the time). They haven't been really tested in weeks and I doubt them scraping past West Coast can count as a really test. I can see the Swans dropping a spot or so on the ladder. My money is on Adelaide or Brisbane to finish 4th. Brisbane's finish is slightly easier than Adelaides.

 

[BigBadCam]

With a run home like that we'll see what Sydney is really made of. In their last 6 wins they have only knocked off the Saints who are in the top 8 (they weren't at the time). They haven't been really tested in weeks and I doubt them scraping past West Coast can count as a really test. I can see the Swans dropping a spot or so on the ladder. My money is on Adelaide or Brisbane to finish 4th. Brisbane's finish is slightly easier than Adelaides.

The lions looked like a top 4 team against Melbourne on the wekeend.

 

[Tay29]

The lions looked like a top 4 team against Melbourne on the wekeend.

And we looked like a top 2 team when Collingwood thumped us by 80+ points

 

[KardiniaPark]

Of course we can afford to lose top spot. I would love to play hawthorn the 1st week of the finals.

 

[Hawkk]

As opposed to playing them in the 3rd week of the finals, or Grand Final?

If Sydney make the finals, you're probably best served playing them first being the only club in the top 4 with more experience in finals then Geelong, if worst comes to worst, you potentially will get another crack at them in the GF anyway, as opposed to a cut throat Preliminary Final against them

 

[KardiniaPark]

As opposed to playing them in the 3rd week of the finals, or Grand Final?

If Sydney make the finals, you're probably best served playing them first being the only club in the top 4 with more experience in finals then Geelong, if worst comes to worst, you potentially will get another crack at them in the GF anyway, as opposed to a cut throat Preliminary Final against them

Err..... no the grand final would be as hillarious as the port debacle. I meant that we could give you a nice smashing in the first week and have a week in the sun and have a few beers until prelim day when we play an actual contender.

also the saying is worse comes to worse, another semi educated hawk....JOKING!.

....half joking.

 

[rizzo]

bahaha evil. Finey just had a dig at ya! Apparently your koo koo

 

[iameviljez]

bahaha evil. Finey just had a dig at ya! Apparently your koo koo

Just because I said that Fremantle are a perfect model of a consistent, hard-working, achieving side... what's so cuckoo about that?

 

[iameviljez]

bahaha evil. Finey just had a dig at ya! Apparently your koo koo

Actually... who IS this Finey of which you speak?

 

[StringyDog]

Top 2 is vital, just did a quick ladder predictor, and had us finishing 2nd (saying we lost 3 matches from here).

1. Hawthorn- 76
2. Geelong- 72
3. Sydney- 66
4. WB- 62
5. Adelaide- 60
6. Brisbane- 60
7. North- 50
8. Collingwood- 48
-------------
9. St.k- 40
10. Port- 36

I has us losing to Haw, Adel and Syd, could win all of them though so its hard to predict, we could and should probably finish 1st.

Lader predictors are crap. We have won 12.5 out of 14 and according to this we will win only 3 of last 8??? Including games against Melb, Essendon, Adel, Carlton, Brisbane (who we have the wood over including at Gabba).
Only tough games remaining are Geelong, North and Sydey (who we have already beaten once this year)

Geelong will finish top and play Sydney, Bullies and Hawks to play.

 

[Hawkk]

Err..... no the grand final would be as hillarious as the port debacle. I meant that we could give you a nice smashing in the first week and have a week in the sun and have a few beers until prelim day when we play an actual contender.

also the saying is worse comes to worse, another semi educated hawk....JOKING!.

....half joking.

My point was, wouldn't you rather play a Sydney (with their finals experience) or Collingwood (who have the wood on you) in the Qualifying Final so that if you lose you'll have the second chance as opposed to playing either side in a sudden death Preliminary Final or Grand Final with no second chances?

Playing a Hawthorn in a Preliminary Final or Grand Final gives you a chance to expose there lack of big game/finals experience as opposed to a primed Sydney or Collingwood who, like Geelong, have a seasoned list with plenty of finals experience.