Crows in the Finals.

[Glenno23]

**** this "i just want to win a final" talk

I want to win.

 

[eastcoastcrow]

So, we're not allowed to start threads on how we fallover in big games??

Lol

I love your signature! Please always keep it!

It reminds me how much I won that evening!

 

[jenny61_99]

Of course they care. The Essendon example is a bit extreme, in that they deliberately tanked a game in R22 in order to avoid a specific opponent, but every team would have opponents that they would prefer not to meet in the finals (if they can avoid it).

They would have got booted out of the Olympics for that!

 

[Footypie32]

Lol

I love your signature! Please always keep it!

It reminds me how much I won that evening!

It will probably get replaced next week...

With some other outrages post from yourself!

 

[Footypie32]

I would LOVE to beat either Collingwood or Hawthorn. Anything more is gravy.

 

[eastcoastcrow]

It will probably get replaced next week...

With some other outrages post from yourself!

Lol. Don't you dare do that!

Dropping any remainder games while disappointing won't upset me, it wouldn't surprise me to see us have a dip in performance against the lower teams.

Definitely will be pissed if we go out in straight sets though!

But I won't be bitching about it! Lol

 

[eastcoastcrow]

I would LOVE to beat either Collingwood or Hawthorn. Anything more is gravy.

Not sure which one I want more?

Knocking the Pies out of the finals would be sweet though!

 

[Vader]

Ultimately though it gave credence to the 'if it bleeds we can kill it' mentality Brisbane took towards Essendon in the 01 grand final, and that Essendon list didnt win another premiership.

Not sure its the best support for what you're advocating.

That quote didn't come from the GF, it came from the R10 2001 game between Brisbane & Essendon. At that point Essendon were top of the ladder, with an 8-1 record (having lost to Carlton in R3). Brisbane were 9th, with a 4-5 record, having lost at home to Adelaide the week before. Brisbane, quite understandably went into the game as underdogs, but were fired up by Matthews' famous quote. Brisbane won the game, the first of their famous unbeaten streak which went all the way to the GF.

Essendon did what they could to avoid playing Carlton. By tanking against Richmond, they dropped Carlton from 4th to 5th, and avoided having to play them in the first week of the finals. With Brisbane finishing 2nd on the ladder there was nothing Essendon could do to avoid meeting them at some point in the finals.

 

[Vader]

I find your tone condescending. If indeed, the Dons did deliberately throw that game, then they had something to worry about at the time. That is mentally weak to me.

My apologies for the condescending tone of my previous post. In my defence, I wasn't the one who wrote that Essendon's 2001 team wasn't a serious finals contender. Writing that revealed some serious gaps in your understanding of AFL history. I attributed that to age (ie you were too young to remember how good Essendon were from 1999-2001). If not, then I apologise. I still think you made yourself look like a goose though.

 

[Cap]

I love the Crows.

But I admit with the amount I bet on, I would rather me win the $$$ then Crows win the flag.

However, let me expand on that I have not got into a situation this year yet where I need the Crows to lose to win $$$

In fact I have backed them in all their losses to win bar one, ie the one at Geelong and with that I backed them with a handicap.

a rather sad post.

 

[srv23]

a rather sad post.

Yeah - somewhat reminds me of a friend of mine who is a mad keen Port supporter. Early in 97 he put money on the crows at 12 to 1 to win the flag in an attempt to jinx us. He was over at my place for a GF BBQ that year to watch the game and as Jars piled on goal after goal in the last quarter I have never seen someone look so depressed when they were about to win a tidy sum of money...

 

[Vader]

They would have got booted out of the Olympics for that!

The AFL insisted then, as they do today, that tanking doesn't exist. It's as if they stick their head in the sand, going "lalalalala I can't hear you"...

 

[rayven]

The AFL insisted then, as they do today, that tanking doesn't exist. It's as if they stick their head in the sand, going "lalalalala I can't hear you"...

Is this what you mean by sticking your head in the sand?

 

[eastcoastcrow]

a rather sad post.

I dont disagree with you mate.

Punting has taken a major role in my life to purchase material things that I could never afford otherwise.

With that said though, I have never ever bet against the club in large amounts.

Can I ask you one simple question before you judge me?

What would you rather have $20k in your pocket or a flag for the Crows?

If your earning less than $200k a year, have a family to feed and people dependent on you, I think the answer is obvious.

However, I could never bring myself to bet big against my club and havent ever to date.

 

[rayven]

WTF?

 

[Vader]

Let's just say that the AFL is convinced that Denial is just a river in Egypt.

 

[eastcoastcrow]

The AFL insisted then, as they do today, that tanking doesn't exist. It's as if they stick their head in the sand, going "lalalalala I can't hear you"...

Still at Ainslie mate?

Must be hard at this time of the year with a lack of atmosphere.

I am sure you would have noticed me back in 06-08 I used to sit there with a rather hot blonde. Before you posters start abusing me lol, there were not many people that would watch the game at the club less than 20 in fact!

 

[Mattrox]

My apologies for the condescending tone of my previous post. In my defence, I wasn't the one who wrote that Essendon's 2001 team wasn't a serious finals contender. Writing that revealed some serious gaps in your understanding of AFL history. I attributed that to age (ie you were too young to remember how good Essendon were from 1999-2001). If not, then I apologise. I still think you made yourself look like a goose though.

I don't usually take too much notice of the details of what other teams do, especially 11 years ago.

However, if the fact that Essendon lost twice to Carlton that season influenced a decision to "throw a game" and avoid Carlton in the finals, I still feel that that is a weak thing to do.

If a game is thrown, or even the perception is there, it begs the question, "Is the team ready for finals?" In the minds of the players, it sets up bad habits, going out on the field and not giving their all and/or an over confidence that "we now have an easy run". There is never an easy run in finals. It signals to other teams that "we have demons". To me it siganls "even though we were the best team in the home and away series, we doubt ourselves as finals contenders". As was mentioned before, Brisbane seem to have been able to capitalize on this.

Taking on and beating the highly rated teams build confidence amongst the playing group and hopefully shows the next opponent that the team is tough and "you are going to lose". It makes a strong statement. This is what real finals contenders should do.

I never contended that Essendon did or didn't throw a game or not.

 

[Vader]

Still at Ainslie mate?

Must be hard at this time of the year with a lack of atmosphere.

I am sure you would have noticed me back in 06-08 I used to sit there with a rather hot blonde. Before you posters start abusing me lol, there were not many people that would watch the game at the club less than 20 in fact!

Yep, still at Ainslie. Think my first appearance there was 09, so we must have just missed each other.

Some games have more atmosphere than others, depends on how many opposition supporters turn up. Collingwood & Essendon generally have as many supporters as we do. In contrast, there was only 1 Freo supporter there on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Vader]

I don't usually take too much notice of the details of what other teams do, especially 11 years ago.

However, if the fact that Essendon lost twice to Carlton that season influenced a decision to "throw a game" and avoid Carlton in the finals, I still feel that that is a weak thing to do.

If a game is thrown, or even the perception is there, it begs the question, "Is the team ready for finals?" In the minds of the players, it sets up bad habits, going out on the field and not giving their all and/or an over confidence that "we now have an easy run". There is never an easy run in finals. It signals to other teams that "we have demons". To me it siganls "even though we were the best team in the home and away series, we doubt ourselves as finals contenders". As was mentioned before, Brisbane seem to have been able to capitalize on this.

Taking on and beating the highly rated teams build confidence amongst the playing group and hopefully shows the next opponent that the team is tough and "you are going to lose". It makes a strong statement. This is what real finals contenders should do.

I never contended that Essendon did or didn't throw a game or not.

I see where you're coming from, though I don't necessarily agree with it. BTW, what you said was that they weren't "a serious finals contender", which was clearly wrong. Remembering that they'd thrown a game is neither here nor there, I certainly wouldn't have had a go at you over that alone.

I think it's naive to suggest that teams regarded as "serious finals contenders" are not more concerned about some teams than others. Sydney, for example, would no doubt be concerned about meeting either Adelaide or Collingwood in the finals - given that both teams have had the wood over the Swans for a long time. Adelaide would probably prefer not to play Collingwood for the same reason. Collingwood would probably prefer not to play Carlton (having lost to them twice this year) - fortunately for the Pies, Carlton won't make the finals this year. The Pies would also like to avoid playing Hawthorn if possible as well. Hawthorn would probably like to avoid playing Sydney. That doesn't diminish the fact that all of these teams are "genuine finals contenders".

For a club/team to not care about who they are going to face is the height of arrogance. I could maybe understand an uber-dominant team taking this attitude (Geelong 2007, Essendon 2010) - but there are no such teams in 2012.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

Essendon did what they could to avoid playing Carlton. By tanking against Richmond, they dropped Carlton from 4th to 5th, and avoided having to play them in the first week of the finals. With Brisbane finishing 2nd on the ladder there was nothing Essendon could do to avoid meeting them at some point in the finals.

This might be right, but I think the point some other posters are trying to make is that Essendon side ultimately didn't win the flag, and that the tanking of the round 22 game (assuming that's what they did) might have been an indication of a team that didn't fully believe it was the best going around. A premiership team doesn't care who they play, because they think they will just beat them anyway.

Personally, I just want the Crows to win every game. In terms of the finals equation that leaves us with, que sera sera. Having said that, if going into round 23 if it appears that we could play the two Victorian sides in home QF/PF, and end up with Sydney in a GF... I might change my tune.

 

[Cap]

I dont disagree with you mate.

Punting has taken a major role in my life to purchase material things that I could never afford otherwise.

With that said though, I have never ever bet against the club in large amounts.

Can I ask you one simple question before you judge me?

What would you rather have $20k in your pocket or a flag for the Crows?

If your earning less than $200k a year, have a family to feed and people dependent on you, I think the answer is obvious.

However, I could never bring myself to bet big against my club and havent ever to date.

sorry, but if you are in the above predicament, what are you doing gambling?

 

[Vader]

This might be right, but I think the point some other posters are trying to make is that Essendon side ultimately didn't win the flag, and that the tanking of the round 22 game (assuming that's what they did) might have been an indication of a team that didn't fully believe it was the best going around. A premiership team doesn't care who they play, because they think they will just beat them anyway.

Personally, I just want the Crows to win every game. In terms of the finals equation that leaves us with, que sera sera. Having said that, if going into round 23 if it appears that we could play the two Victorian sides in home QF/PF, and end up with Sydney in a GF... I might change my tune.

Sorry, but the bolded bit is just arrogant twaddle. While it might hold true for the rare exceptional team (Geelong 2007, Essendon 2000), those are the exceptions rather than the rule. There are 4 genuine contenders for the flag this year - Adelaide, Sydney, Collingwood and Hawthorn. All of those 4 have teams that they would have concerns about playing.

Essendon did what they did in order to maximise their chances of winning the flag. It was a strategic decision, not some indicator of mental weakness.

 

[TheRoo32]

I dont disagree with you mate.

Punting has taken a major role in my life to purchase material things that I could never afford otherwise.

With that said though, I have never ever bet against the club in large amounts.

Can I ask you one simple question before you judge me?

What would you rather have $20k in your pocket or a flag for the Crows?

If your earning less than $200k a year, have a family to feed and people dependent on you, I think the answer is obvious.

However, I could never bring myself to bet big against my club and havent ever to date.

IF you have a family dependant on you the last thing you should be doing is allowing Punting to take a major role in your life!
Can only end badly mate...

 

[TheRoo32]

I like many at the start of the year were thinking this would be a developing year. BUT the improvement has been monumental and we may not be set up this nicely coming into finals again with top 2 and 2 home finals. Get Tip and Porps back and we should be having our eyes firmly set on a flag.
Go for Gold I say!!!!