Preview How will our season end?

[Knightmare]

So you think the Hawks has it won?

They'll be hard to beat if they continue playing the way they are playing.

If I was a betting man I wouldn't be putting money on anyone else for the flag this year. I'll put it that way.

But who knows. Stranger things have happened.

 

[RuFiO]

We're gonna do a Bradbury!!!!!

 

[Cory]

Sydney and Hawks have been the best teams this year and history shows that the best team all season doesn't always win the flag look at last year.

 

[Raymond Rougeau]

Let's hope we can pinch something

 

[juzzo]

Premiership or prelim loss, fascinating. Guess nobody wants to tempt fate.

 

[SuperSub17]

If we can make it through to the GF,with the hurt from last year we have what it takes to win it.

True although Hawthorn would be pretty hurt too after last year's prelim

 

[leondavis21]

We won't win the premiership with all the kids in the team! They will get found out in the bigger games like last week. Unless some how we can get didak fit, Johnson fit I can't see us going far. We really missing pace in the forward line

 

[rhys_22]

I've got a sneaky little feeling that we will win it. Don't be fooled by our losses of late; we are still a very, very good side with serious finals experience. Would be silly to discount us a flag potential.

I agree.I'd usually be down but i have the strongest feeling its ours.i know we've been smashed by hawks and blues twice,they both played really well,but i still think we should win it. I think eventually sydney will knock hawthorn out and then we'll win it from there. If sydney beat hawthorn in sydney and they meet in the finals,hawthorn dont stand a chance. And alot happens nowadays with football. Anything can happen between now and september,i've seen it too many times.

 

[Mateyman]

Why do most people think the Crows are better than us? They are good, but we beat them away and they have beaten only 1 top 8 team since round 7.

 

[Mateyman]

Also, Hawks remind me of us in 2010. We smashed St Kilda in the H&A, but then we nearly lost the GF

 

[TradeDraft]

No one would be the Hawks at the Moment

 

[SuperSub17]

No one would be the Hawks at the Moment

They have timed their run 6 weeks too early

 

[millsy29gopies]

We need to play Hawthorn in the qualifying final. If we don't we'll most likely play them in the prelim and that won't be good.

 

[SuperSub17]

We need to play Hawthorn in the qualifying final. If we don't we'll most likely play them in the prelim and that won't be good.

I would back them to beat an interstate team so if we don't play them in the QF and we win we can't meet until the GF.

Even if we do meet them in the QF regardless of the result there is a chance we would play them in the GF again

 

[mattys123]

We need to play Hawthorn in the qualifying final. If we don't we'll most likely play them in the prelim and that won't be good.

There's another "out there" option.

We finish 5th, and play Bombers/Tigers/Dockers/Roos in the first week of the finals and we win.

Then we head either to WA or SA (4th spot if they lose play 5th spot if they win) and we win that game and then end up playing Sydney in the prelim as the 4th placed side would have already played the Hawks.

Sound like a plan?

 

[SuperSub17]

There's another "out there" option.

We finish 5th, and play Bombers/Tigers/Dockers/Roos in the first week of the finals and we win.

Then we head either to WA or SA (4th spot if they lose play 5th spot if they win) and we win that game and then end up playing Sydney in the prelim as the 4th placed side would have already played the Hawks.

Sound like a plan?

I say we avoid them in the QF and pray like hell they get knocked out and then we'll have it in the bag.

 

[DWil6]

Hawks are looking red hot. Injury list is looking great. Form is outrageous. Would be pretty much impossible to beat on form. Maybe the swans can do it again? Otherwise, I can't see anyone troubling them.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

We were almost unbackable favourites at this stage last year. Look what happened - 6 weeks is a very long time in footy, just sit tight

 

[TradeDraft]

Our Defense is not good enough to do much in the Finals

 

[damuzzdu]

We were almost unbackable favourites at this stage last year. Look what happened - 6 weeks is a very long time in footy, just sit tight

This is spot on. At R17/18 last year we were $1.90 favs for the flag, nearly un-backable.

Then a few little things started happened. Few injuries to Tooves, Maxy, Dids set back, Dawes set back, Dais got suspended, Heater not playing and all the while we had media having daily stories about MM and is he/is he not staying at Collingwood.

When Geelong took us apart in R24, in my heart I knew we were in trouble. Yes we managed to get to GF, but from flogging teams we were scrapping thru. Sure finals is different, but the team was just unsettled and playing players who had to play but were not 100% totally in form cost us in the end.

As to Hawks/Syd while they look v.good however there is still 5 weeks plus 3 finals left in the season. Both are on 8 win streaks and playing their best football. But to maintain this for another 8 weeks is very difficult and you only need an off day and suddenly yr team is in a cut throat final with the chance to being knocked out.

We need to get a top 4 position and then anything can happen. It really is all about getting to PF weekend and then playing yr 2 best games of the season. Anything that happened in previous 23 weeks in a way does not matter.

I've gone for PF loss, as this stage I think we are just a fraction behind the 3 teams above us, but that does not mean we can't beat those teams on the day and get to GF. We have the experience of winning and losing and if Geelong don't make it to GF, none of the other teams will have appeared in a GF in past 4 years. this could prove vital in the end.

 

[HFF]

We were almost unbackable favourites at this stage last year. Look what happened - 6 weeks is a very long time in footy, just sit tight

Yep.

Hawks are the team to beat right now but last season we were invincible and we fell at the final hurdle.

There's still 10 weeks until GF day, alot can happen between now and then.

As for Sheedy not rating us for a flag, I seem to recall his double page spread in 2010 about why we couldn't win the flag and I enjoyed every minute of reading that article on reflection.

 

[jonbe54]

Our Defense is not good enough to do much in the Finals

Steady TD our defence has been decimated for much of the year with injuries and hasn't had a chance yet to gel and for THE UNIT, give it time m8.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Our crunch game will be West Coast at West Coast. This will determine if we are top 4 or not. The Hawks, Swans & Adel have easy enough draws & percentage to remain top 3.

Our percentage has again fallen way behind West Coast so equal points is not good enough. I was a bit disappointed at out lack of killer instinct against GWS - it could cost us top 4. Yes we won by 120, but we let them score way too much and killed our big % push. Didn't expect West Coast to win by a similar margin against Brisbane either.

If we beat West Coast we secure top 4 (assuming we don't drop games against Ess, Nth Stk etc). Beatsing West Coast is a true 8 point game.

If we lose I expect we finish 5th and play a dangerous elimination final against North or even Geelong. At the moment I think Nth is the more dangerous team the way they are moving the ball is very Hawthorn like style that we struggle against. If we win we more than likely play West Coast at West Coast after they lose to Sydney/Hawks. Then we have to travel back & try to win a prelim. All in all its nasty.

If we finish 4th we have real hope. If Sydney finishes top I give us every chance of knocking them over and playing another prelim with hopefully a fit & firing list.

Currently we are walking a thin line and D Day will be the West Coast game. Win that & we are a huge shot again.

 

[Travis bloke]

I would love us to win the flag.

But when i look at the injuries we have sustained this year to key players like ball,caff,krakouer,Didak,Johnson ,i won't count keefe since he is really only a first year player,then our chances are not extremely high since Hawthorn seem to be playing the best football at the moment.We need Wellers back asap.

We struggle against sides with good small forwards,becuse the players we have available can't stop them .Obrien is not quick enough off the mark we desperately need to have ma5rty clarke and johnson back.Assign them as taggers otherwise if we do make the granny it will be another one lost,and i won't be able to bear it.

 

[Temploar]

I got us down as prelim final loss.