Can the Eagles do it?

[willoblue]

Is that noooooooooo that we won't beat them or NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO that the Eagles are back in the top 4 already!

both, in all honesty, but i am hoping that the former scenario quashes the latter.

 

[jknothimjustafan]

The way I see the game going is as follows.

The Eagles continuing their momentum from last week and Collingwood still being a bit too relaxed mentally means the Eagles will get a quick lead of 3-4 goals. Collingwood will be stung back into action and will be even by half time. Collingwood will win the 3rd quarter quite easily and be 3-4 goals up by 3/4 time. The Eagles will fight back at the start of the last to about 2 goals down but then the class of Collingwood will push them to a victory of about 20odd points. It'll be quite close all day but you feel that Collingwood will be in control and will always have that ability to kick away but they don't totally. They do enough to win but never really put the Eagles away till the last couple of minutes. Eagles will get new found respect but it wont be our year, not yet.

 

[Anjahads]

Let's hope they give it a good shake and I believe they can

 

[MWPP]

Can we? Yes if everything goes our way
Will we? Odds are, No

 

[ashs35]

I'll be surprised if Collingwood don't win by over 100pts

 

[royalsfan]

I wouldn't say that exactly...

I agree. If, and it's a very big IF, Fremantle ever make another finals series, I will be barracking for anyone playing against them.

 

[i_hate_scams]

of course they can win, is not as if they are playing the Brazilian Soccer team.

 

[randomhero24]

Ill skip the first game, because....c'mon.

I can see Carlton rolling them in Perth. Just a gut feeling. Essendon wouldnt get close, and then to face either Geelong or Hawthorn in melbourne.
Probably the least chance of making the Grand Final that a top 4 side has had since North Melbourne in 07. I'm predicting similar results, too. 106 and 80+

 

[demondavey]

Every single year someone will come up with this sort of thread, asking questions about whether the underdog can get up and upset the top team, and every year the answer is virtually no......In the last few years i can only remember St Kilda beating Adelaide in a qualifying final (i think 05), and Adelaide were solid chokers for two years....Collingwood are not chokers, they will beat West Coast comfortably this week, and they will progress to the GF. Anyone that thinks WC will knock off Collingwood has rocks in their head. You watch Collingwood turn it on this weekend, WC will be hit to hard their heads will still be spinning before the first bounce of the semi final.

 

[camiam]

GO WEST COAST!!! i believe they can do it. at the start of the year i said collingwood wont win it again. and said that the hawks will. West Coast are a threat to all teams, the dark horse

 

[captain peanut]

The way I see the game going is as follows.

The Eagles continuing their momentum from last week and Collingwood still being a bit too relaxed mentally means the Eagles will get a quick lead of 3-4 goals. Collingwood will be stung back into action and will be even by half time. Collingwood will win the 3rd quarter quite easily and be 3-4 goals up by 3/4 time. The Eagles will fight back at the start of the last to about 2 goals down but then the class of Collingwood will push them to a victory of about 20odd points. It'll be quite close all day but you feel that Collingwood will be in control and will always have that ability to kick away but they don't totally. They do enough to win but never really put the Eagles away till the last couple of minutes. Eagles will get new found respect but it wont be our year, not yet.

you are in fairy land if you think coll will come out still mentally relaxed. the eagles are heading right into the teeth of a firestorm in the 1st quarter. does anyone recall the end of point break, where patrick swayze is allowed to paddle out into the impedning turbulence of the 100 year storm? somewhat akin to the eagles predicament this week i think. quarter time scoreline - coll leading by about 8 goals

 

[wce1989]

I'll be surprised if Collingwood don't win by over 100pts

Ill skip the first game, because....c'mon.

I can see Carlton rolling them in Perth. Just a gut feeling. Essendon wouldnt get close, and then to face either Geelong or Hawthorn in melbourne.
Probably the least chance of making the Grand Final that a top 4 side has had since North Melbourne in 07. I'm predicting similar results, too. 106 and 80+

Gee, is it just me or are Geelong fans still feeling a bit bitter that they lost to last year's wooden spooners?

 

[mayne iac]

Arrogant post, open the other eye.

How old is Ried / how many finals has he played?

He will be carrying the load as your most important KP defender.

Just watch as the Eagles lead Ried away and we go through whoever Tarrent is playing on with his crook ankle.

Or Leigh Brown gets cut up on a resting ruck and they switch Ried onto Cox / Naitanui.

Ried is easily your most important KP backman.

You do remember how Tarrant plays against the eagles dont you?
I dont think he's lost many against your lot.

My honest opinion is PLEASE NOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[gregboy55]

I'll be surprised if Collingwood don't win by over 100pts

Haven't seen too many w.c games this year have you..

 

[E Shed]

I think WC can win. Collingwood aren't quite bleeding but they are wounded. Tarrant, Davis, Shaw, Maxwell, Thomas all either missing or underdone. Dawes, Wellingham, Didak all in ordinary form.
WC have 2 of the very best rucks in the comp, a very serviceable midfield group and defence + a multi-pronged, in form attack.
I think I might have a lazy $50 on WC to get up.

 

[ashs35]

Gee, is it just me or are Geelong fans still feeling a bit bitter that they lost to last year's wooden spooners?

Geelong lost to Essendon as well

 

[Dangerwooodlett]

Lets hope the pies are mentally switched on this week... playing the full press all year is very taxing on the mind as well as the body.

Lets hope they haven't peaked too early or are mentally fatigued after burning themselves out during the H&A round... 20 wins 2 losses with the best % in history is a massive feat.

 

[the distributer]

Lets hope the pies are mentally switched on this week... playing the full press all year is very taxing on the mind as well as the body.

Lets hope they haven't peaked too early or are mentally fatigued after burning themselves out during the H&A round... 20 wins 2 losses with the best % in history is a massive feat.

?, please explain.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I think I might have a lazy $50 on WC to get up.

Make it very lazy

 

[Dangerwooodlett]

?, please explain.

The press requires structure, pressure and discipline. Playing this way may be taxing on the mind and body.

Complex to grasp I know.

 

[Obeanie1]

you are in fairy land if you think coll will come out still mentally relaxed. the eagles are heading right into the teeth of a firestorm in the 1st quarter. does anyone recall the end of point break, where patrick swayze is allowed to paddle out into the impedning turbulence of the 100 year storm? somewhat akin to the eagles predicament this week i think. quarter time scoreline - coll leading by about 8 goals

Your predicting the game will pan out like a B grade Patrick Swayze movie.

And they reckon we Eagles supporters are "flying high".

Well I'll see your Point Break and raise you with Pearl Harbour.

Collingwood will be sitting pretty in their home port with their row of obsolete battleships Jolly, L Brown and Wood and their damaged cruisers in Tarrent, Maxwell, Johnson and Davis under repair.

Before they know it the enemy modern heavy aircraft carriers in Cox, Naitanui, Kennedy, Lynch and Darling launch wave after wave of aerial assaults to take the Collingwood fleet totally by surprise and they capsize where they are moored.

The day is remembered as the biggest single defeat ever inflicted against the Collingwood fleet.

Mine sounds much more realistic than yours and mine comes with digital surround sound and in HD.

 

[EagleMan87]

The press requires structure, pressure and discipline. Playing this way may be taxing on the mind and body.

Complex to grasp I know.

I think he means the fact that Collingwood haven't played a full-ground press for most of the year, they'll hardly be knackered after cruising in 2nd gear for most of the season.

OT: We need a lot of things to go our way to win this IMO.

-Kerr needs to be back and firing
.-Shuey, Naitanui, Ebert, Masten, Gaff, Scott Selwood, McGinnity, MacKenzie, Darling, Kennedy and Smith (assuming they all play) are all without any finals experience at AFL level, they can't get overawed or we're sunk.
-West Coast have to be able to beat Collingwood at their own game: pressuring the ball carrier and all available options in the vicinity. I'm hoping we somehow have more in the tank/go harder than Collingwood, because if they can do what they did the last time we met it'll get ugly.
-That Woosha has some secret tactic or reshuffling(Hunter Mk.II) and that Mick doesn't want to show any of his cards this early in finals.
-The bounce of the ball, naturally.
-Some help with umpires couldn't hurt.
-Finally, and most importantly, the players need to go into the match with the belief that they can win. So that even if they're down by 40 points halfway through the third, they won't lay down and get reamed like so many other teams have done this year.

 

[seysearles]

Winner of Cats and Hawks dont want them to win, I know that much. Will throw the Pies onto their side of the draw for the prelim. I'm much more comfortable copping West Coast in a prelim in Melbourne than a Collingwood team fighting to defend their title.

 

[JuDDysthacaptain]

Straight sets /thread

 

[big_bird_84]

I think he means the fact that Collingwood haven't played a full-ground press for most of the year, they'll hardly be knackered after cruising in 2nd gear for most of the season.

OT: We need a lot of things to go our way to win this IMO.

-Kerr needs to be back and firing
.-Shuey, Naitanui, Ebert, Masten, Gaff, Scott Selwood, McGinnity, MacKenzie, Darling, Kennedy and Smith (assuming they all play) are all without any finals experience at AFL level, they can't get overawed or we're sunk.
-West Coast have to be able to beat Collingwood at their own game: pressuring the ball carrier and all available options in the vicinity. I'm hoping we somehow have more in the tank/go harder than Collingwood, because if they can do what they did the last time we met it'll get ugly.
-That Woosha has some secret tactic or reshuffling(Hunter Mk.II) and that Mick doesn't want to show any of his cards this early in finals.
-The bounce of the ball, naturally.
-Some help with umpires couldn't hurt.
-Finally, and most importantly, the players need to go into the match with the belief that they can win. So that even if they're down by 40 points halfway through the third, they won't lay down and get reamed like so many other teams have done this year.

You forgot "an act of God".

Realistically, it's more about seeing how they perform on the big stage than winning. And that's what they should be looking to do - not be overawed and play good, hard footy against the comp's best on their own turf. All those young, talented players with no finals experience will gain so much from it whatever the result, and they will take that into the semi with resounding confidence. There's a lot more at steak for Collingwood, and all things considered can't see them losing twice in a row, especially at home...

Still, I think it could be a thrilling match contrary to the rout everybody's predicting.