WHO FINISHES HIGHER IN 2018? - Western Bulldogs & Richmond

[dajesmac]

Hey folks, my YouTube channel is beginning to run with a 'who finishes higher' series for the upcoming 2018 season - hopefully this will be the first of a bunch.

I've attached a poll with the simple question - who finishes higher in 2018 between the two previous premiers of the AFL? If you have the time feel free to check out the rest of the channel.

I suspect Richmond will be the easy go-to option, but given the young talent at the Dogs disposal they are too difficult to rule out. Both could be contenders for the top four and Richmond will need to regain the passion they played with at the end of the season to retain their position high up the ladder.

Thoughts?

 

[Beer n Skittles]

Backing up a premiership is tough. IMO the Dogs underperformed last year because of it, and Richmond will underperform this year because of it. So Dogs to finish higher.

Good luck with the channel

 

[dajesmac]

Backing up a premiership is tough. IMO the Dogs underperformed last year because of it, and Richmond will underperform this year because of it. So Dogs to finish higher.

Good luck with the channel

Thanks mate.

Yeah, I think the fact that the Dogs had so many of their heavy lifters in 2016 on the right side of 25 works for them. Richmond I think we all can agree owed much of their premiership to commitment to the gameplan and ferocious intent, given they probably didn't have the most talented 22 of any team. That coupled with the possible weight of expectation might mean they slip into the bottom half of the eight, where the Dogs could easily be too.

That being said, I still think Richmond, but it could be a close run thing.

 

[beema limapep]

By all accounts the Tiges are hungry and want more.

Ill go Tiges.

 

[Bulldog Joe]

It is a good question and difficult to give any definitive answer.

Clearly the Dogs had a poor 2017 and have lost the player mostly seen as their only forward, but it may be that the player who was traded out was a major part of the 2017 problem.

The Dogs had serious injury issues in both 2016 and 2017, while Richmond had all their stars available at the right time.

I am confident the Bulldogs will be much better in 2018.

 

[ManOfClay]

By all accounts the Tiges are hungry and want more..

What’s told you this? The pre-season puff pieces and spin? The players saying they want more?

It’s odd this seems to be a new phenomena.

 

[beema limapep]

What’s told you this? The pre-season puff pieces and spin? The players saying they want more?

It’s odd this seems to be a new phenomena.

Dusty returning early because he was sick of sitting around and resting.

Measures put in place to avoid a Bulldogs hangover.

The same confidence and arrogance around the club that was there August and Sept.

All these points could countered but im happy to call it and be called out on the off chance im wrong.

 

[tony__montana]

Dusty returning early because he was sick of sitting around and resting.

Measures put in place to avoid a Bulldogs hangover.

The same confidence and arrogance around the club that was there August and Sept.

All these points could countered but im happy to call it and be called out on the off chance im wrong.

There's something different about our club now isn't there? Different air, different language spoken - there'll be no hangover. Like you said, I'm happy to be called out if I'm wrong, but I'm not.

 

[beema limapep]

There's something different about our club now isn't there? Different air, different language spoken - there'll be no hangover. Like you said, I'm happy to be called out if I'm wrong, but I'm not.

Exactly.

 

[Gosha]

Considering we’re the far superior team, I’m going to have to vote for Richmond.

Do the Dogs have one A grader? I can’t think of any. Bont comes close but I could list ten mids better than him.

 

[TigerTime88]

It is a good question and difficult to give any definitive answer.

Clearly the Dogs had a poor 2017 and have lost the player mostly seen as their only forward, but it may be that the player who was traded out was a major part of the 2017 problem.

The Dogs had serious injury issues in both 2016 and 2017, while Richmond had all their stars available at the right time.

I am confident the Bulldogs will be much better in 2018.

Saying Stringer was the major part of the Dogs issue would have to be one of the biggest stretches ever.

 

[ManOfClay]

Saying Stringer was the major part of the Dogs issue would have to be one of the biggest stretches ever.

Even bigger than the troll stretch above your post?

 

[TigerTime88]

Even bigger than the troll stretch above your post?

How is that trolling?? I am just responding to the comment saying that one playing leaving isn't going to fix a clear culture problem last year and to blame it on Stringer would be denying other issues at play. Not saying they are no fixed now.

 

[ManOfClay]

How is that trolling??.

I said the comment above yours, not your post

 

[TigerTime88]

I said the comment above yours, not your post

Sorry did read that.

Will be interesting to see how both teams go this year.

 

[DontArgue4]

Will be pretty close imo, dogs are a tad underrated

still think we will win a couple more games and finish in the 3-6 range whereas the dogs will be in the 5-8 range

 

[Substance]

Considering we’re the far superior team, I’m going to have to vote for Richmond.

Do the Dogs have one A grader? I can’t think of any. Bont comes close but I could list ten mids better than him.

Yet you still lost to us

 

[rado]

Yet you still lost to us

Carlton beat GWS, North Melbourne beat Adelaide, does that make them the better team? Silly post.

In all seriousness though I rate the doggies and expect them to bounce back and make finals. I’d have Richmond in the same bracket or slightly above.

 

[Gosha]

Yet you still lost to us

We were s**t then. We will demolish your s**t side this year.

 

[Bulldog Joe]

We were s**t then. We will demolish your s**t side this year.

Luke Beveridge v Damien Hardwick

Beveridge 3 Hardwick 0

Unfortunately we don't get to play the Tigers until round 23 with a possibility that it will simply be a meaningless match, with finals decided for either (or both) team.

Could, however, be a cracking game if finals spots are on the line for both clubs at that point.

 

[Bodicifer]

By all accounts the Tiges are hungry and want more.

Ill go Tiges.

We were too...allegedly

Your draw looks easier than our post flag draw so you should make the finals comfortably. We rested on our laurels with our premiership and took last year for granted. Hopefully they have that extra 10% G&D required that they gave in 2016.

 

[DontArgue4]

Luke Beveridge v Damien Hardwick

Beveridge 3 Hardwick 3

Unfortunately we don't get to play the Tigers until round 23 with a possibility that it will simply be a meaningless match, with finals decided for either (or both) team.

Could, however, be a cracking game if finals spots are on the line for both clubs at that point.

wtf how do we not play until the last game of the year, what a joke

 

[juss]

Yet you still lost to us

And the Crows lost to North by about 10 goals.
One individual H&A match doesn't mean much.

 

[Bazza97]

Richmond for me, reckon they will finish top 4 again. Less certainty with the Bulldogs but can see them returning to the top 8 but probably not top 4.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

I think we both make the 8. I think (and so far the signs are good) that we as a club seem focused, settled and hungry. I like how we're trying to maintain the 'hunter' mentality (though we are probably seen as the hunted by others).

Dogs have unbelievable talent too and I'm sure are smarting at the lip to set the record straight that their flag was no fluke. They would be disappointed in their 2017 season without doubt and have a point to prove.

Couldn't honestly say who finishes higher. Maybe we are the more settled side (if that's fair to say)? No significant losses to the playing list (delistings and retirees were minimal whereas the Dogs have brought in a few new faces (Trengove and Schache I think are good additions) but also lost some fairly high profile players in Murphy (captain?), club stalwart in Boyd, Stringer (good trade out IMO) and Cloke (fairly high profile/publicised recruit) leaving.