Opinion Will We Play Finals

[DognBones]

If it all comes down to the final round of the season to sneak in the 8 good luck trying to beat Hawks in farewell tribute game to Hodge. They will be manic.

 

[DognBones]

If it all comes down to the final round of the season to sneak in the 8 good luck trying to beat Hawks in farewell tribute game to Hodge. They will be manic.

Then again, it will probably be our own tribute game to at least 2, perhaps all of MBoyd, Moz and Murph. So both teams should be manic.

 

[X_box_X]

I have tipped us to beat Brisbane and GWS only.

Final ladder prediction.

 

[The Inbetweener]

The way we are playing, I doubt it.

But we will know more next week v Essendon. Typical 8 pointer.

we can really only afford to lose 1 more game.

Final game v Hawks will be interesting given they have found form

Give Collingwood a cheer today v WCE although without Pendles it will be tough.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

The way we are playing, I doubt it.

But we will know more next week v Essendon. Typical 8 pointer.

we can really only afford to lose 1 more game.

Final game v Hawks will be interesting given they have found form

Give Collingwood a cheer today v WCE although without Pendles it will be tough.

Pretty sure the Pies will get hammered

 

[Mingo]

Just did a ladder predictor with us only losing to GWS and we just scrape in to 8th (and then easily winning the premiership from there of course). Sides like Essendon and St Kilda have a bit of a tough run home. I have Essendon, West Coast and St Kilda missing out with us winning four of the last 5.

Lose to Essendon this week though and we're done I'd say.

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

if we dont play finals, so long as we finish above the saints

 

[DelRe]

I have tipped us to beat Brisbane and GWS only.

Final ladder prediction.

View attachment 395179

That'd be a strange season in a way - not saying it can't happen but when you look at that ladder a quirk of two draws means 13 wins finishes 6th but 7th and 8th both have 14 wins. Has there ever been 8th with that many wins?

 

[The Inbetweener]

That'd be a strange season in a way - not saying it can't happen but when you look at that ladder a quirk of two draws means 13 wins finishes 6th but 7th and 8th both have 14 wins. Has there ever been 8th with that many wins?

Doubt it. Last year was only the second time 15 wins wasn't good enough to finish top4

 

[_Mike_]

A perfect finish could see us land 14 wins

A likely finish could see us with another 3 wins finishing somewhere from 6th-8th

A poor finish would see us win no more games from here

 

[Doggy]

A perfect finish could see us land 14 wins

A likely finish could see us with another 3 wins finishing somewhere from 6th-8th

A poor finish would see us win no more games from here

3 doesn't get finals

 

[The Inbetweener]

A perfect finish could see us land 14 wins

A likely finish could see us with another 3 wins finishing somewhere from 6th-8th

A poor finish would see us win no more games from here

Don't think 3 wins will cut it.

You know who's spot could be getable though - Richmond. Lose today, and they have a tough run home

 

[_Mike_]

You know who's spot could be getable though - Richmond. Lose today, and they have a tough run home

48 points should be more than enough to make the 8 this year round, anything can happen from here

 

[Doggy]

48 points should be more than enough to make the 8 this year round, anything can happen from here

Our percentage is crap.. minimum 13

 

[Doggies_13]

I'm with mike I think 12 wins may well make the 8. This season is so close so many upsets every round that another 3 wins could see us scrap in to the 8.

4 wins guarantees it but 3 wins is a chance.

Our run home
Essendon
Brisbane (away)
GWS
Port
Hawthorn

It's not a bad run home, the hardest is gws who aren't in great form and who we always find a bit extra against and it's at home.

Of course our form is patchy, I think next weeks game will be a defining point win that and I think we play finals

 

[Doggy]

I'm with mike I think 12 wins may well make the 8. This season is so close so many upsets every round that another 3 wins could see us scrap in to the 8.

4 wins guarantees it but 3 wins is a chance.

Our run home
Essendon
Brisbane (away)
GWS
Port
Hawthorn

It's not a bad run home, the hardest is gws who aren't in great form and who we always find a bit extra against and it's at home.

Of course our form is patchy, I think next weeks game will be a defining point win that and I think we play finals

Nah essendope supporters have them winning by up to 15 goals.. funny when they lost to Carltank and Brisbane at home

 

[Bulldog Brent]

I think we can afford to lose one, and only one. But the Essendon game is NOT the one we can afford to lose. Looking forward to Sunday very much.

 

[The Original Swooper]

Win all five to storm into finals. Then win 4 finals. Rejoice. That's 11 straight wins to win back to back flukes. Would revel in the melts and would pay for a pic of Plugger at siren time
In all seriousness, if we DO get a finals berth do you think the other teams will be a tad nervous ?

 

[Doggies_13]

Thought it might be worth looking at the 11 teams in contention for finals and their run homes. Note. Eagles still playing.

Adelaide 13 wins 4 losses 52 points 139.9%
Collingwood (mcg)
Port (Adelaide oval)
Essendon (Etihad)
Sydney (Adelaide oval)
West coast (domain)

Hardest matches all at home. Would think they beat pies and Essendon, could win all 5 which I'm tipping them to do.

Geelong 11 wins 5 losses 1 draw 46 points 115.5%
Carlton (Etihad)
Sydney (Simmons)
Richmond (Simmons)
Collingwood (mcg)
Giants (Simmons)

One of the easiest run homes there is 3 games at Simmons and don't leave Melbourne in the next five weeks. Suspect they win all 5. Hardest match is Sydney.

Gws 10 wins 5 losses 2 draws 44 points 113.6%
Freo (spotless)
Melbourne (spotless)
Dogs (Etihad)
West coast (spotless)
Cats (Simmons)

Tough run home in their current form, 2 draws and 2 losses last 4 weeks. Just one win over Brisbane since round 12. Should beat freo next week but tough run after that. Can't see more than 2-3 wins at best.

Richmond 11 wins 6 losses 44 points 108.6%
Suns (Metricon)
Hawks (mcg)
Geelong (Simmons)
Freo (domain)
Saints (mcg)

Straight forward run home for Richmond, tough game v cats at Simmons but would be favourites in all their other games, probably 4 wins.

Port Adelaide 10 wins 7 losses 132.1%
St Kilda (Adelaide oval)
Adelaide (Adelaide oval)
Collingwood (Adelaide oval)
Dogs (Ballarat)
Suns (Adelaide oval)

Only leave Adelaide once to play dogs in Ballarat, a tough showdown but they should handle their other 3 home games. 3 wins.

Sydney 10 wins 7 losses 116%
Hawks (mcg)
Cats (Simmons)
Freo (scg)
Adelaide (Adelaide oval)
Carlton (scg)

3 tough matches in their last 5, should handle freo and Carlton at home, tough games v cats and crows away. Interesting game v Hawks who were the last team to beat swans I believe. 3 wins

Melbourne 10 wins 7 losses 107.9%
North (blundstone)
Giants (spotless)
Saints (mcg)
Brisbane (mcg)
Collingwood (mcg)

Dees have a decent run home should handle north, pies, lions. Saints would be in dees favour and Giants away doesn't look as tough currently. 5 wins

Essendon 9 wins 8 losses 109.2%
Dogs (Etihad)
Carlton (mcg)
Adelaide (Etihad)
Suns (Metricon)
Freo (Etihad)

2 tough matches v crows and dogs but relatively easy games the other three although they have a tendancy to lose when favourites.

West coast 9 wins 7 losses 102.1%
Brisbane (domain)
Saints (Etihad)
Carlton (domain)
Giants (spotless)
Adelaide (domain)

3 domain games, a trip to face the Giants and saints, think Adelaide can do the job on them at home but they should handle their other 2 home games. They don't travel well so saints game could be tricky as could the Giants game. 2-3 wins

Bulldogs 9 wins 8 losses 98.2%
Essendon (Etihad)
Brisbane (Gabba)
GWS (Etihad)
Port (Ballarat)
Hawks (Etihad)

Balanced run home for the dogs, only travel is to the Gabba where they don't have a good record, other matches are solid without being tough. Who knows with current form capable of 5 but also capable of losing all

St Kilda 9 wins 8 losses 96.7%
Port (Adelaide oval)
West coast (Etihad)
Melbourne (mcg)
North (Etihad)
Richmond (mcg)

Faltering in form tough away game against port coming up next, Melbourne and Richmond games won't be easy, think they can win 2 (eagles, north)

 

[Bulldog Brent]

We need the Pies to get up today big time. 8th spot a race between Eagles Dons Dogs & Saints.

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

ive given up after the eagles game

 

[go you pups]

That'd be a strange season in a way - not saying it can't happen but when you look at that ladder a quirk of two draws means 13 wins finishes 6th but 7th and 8th both have 14 wins. Has there ever been 8th with that many wins?

Norf in 2012 got 14 wins and they were rubbish that year, got an easy run home and banked a heap of wins after starting something like 4-6.

No one has missed top 8 with 13 wins yet, but 12 has a few times, St Kilda has copped that twice in the last 5 years.

 

[Chicago1]

Next week will be sooooooo important. If we don't win, I might plan a trip away for September instead of at Christmas. I usually spent my birthday the first week in September in Vegas. Macau this year?

 

[Astro_]

The footy gods haven't helped us this weekend with results not falling our way. Along with us winning would have been great if Essendon, Port, and West Coast (this one still going)

Although it is still in our control. We win 5 we make it and based on recent history not all remaining games will go as expected anyway. Let's hope we can do our bit and just win the next 5. Do so and we hit the finals on red hot form. From there, well we know what this team is capable of.

I half agree with what David King said during the week in that the Bulldogs players just need the big games to fire and that's when they could be dangerous. Wrong mindset I know but if we do make finals then anything could happen

 

[Astro_]

Next week will be sooooooo important. If we don't win, I might plan a trip away for September instead of at Christmas. I usually spent my birthday the first week in September in Vegas. Macau this year?

Have been to Macau. Biggest disappointment (I had traveled to Vega$ the year previous). Macau just doesn't have the same lifestyle/vibe. Plus their casinos are not all within walking distance.