Post Round 11: What did you learn from the round?

[jonoman89]

I guess we'll see when round 13 comes around. And everyone rates you a lot better than us despite you only being 4 pts ahead.

We've won one more game and had a slightly harder draw. Carlton quite obviously isn't rated very highly if there is a "gap" between us and Hawthorn, so i dare say most people don't think there's a gap between you and us either.

Early days yet, but i just can't see any of the teams dropping out of the current top 4.

We've got an easier game against Brisbane this week which should see us in 3rd place if Geelong gets up. Then two harder matches against you blokes and West Coast.

Should be a good game verse you blokes, you seem to play well against us at Etihad.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Noones saying the swans WILL beat carlton, but we definitely give ourselves a chance. There's really not much between us and hasn't been in the last couple of years. If judd hadn't played out of his skin in the 4th I doubt Carlton would have won, I doubt judd would've been so influential if jack hadn't gone down. We've got a few things working in our favour this time around but there's no doubt we'll go in underdogs.

The swans have failed 3 big tests this yr gee/car/haw, but Carlton have also failed their 2 tests in gee/col. You're ahead of is at this point but are by no means certainties. Sydney fans are under no illusions as to where we stand, we're generally pretty realistic, I see Carlton fans overrating themselves somewhat, you've been competitive against the top sides but in the end didn't get the points but you still put yourselves on that top tier. The reason why hawthorn are rated more highly is they've got guys like buddy & rioli who can turn a game on its head up front, Carlton are consistent but appear to lack the extra gear the other 3 have.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Gold Coast are coming along quicker than everyone thought

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

how can you learn anything concrete after 1 round?

what i've learned from the 1st half of the season in relation to:

essendon;
next 4 weeks will determine if the last 2 weeks were the exception or the rule.

i believe selection, not injuries was the major factor for last 2 results. the balance between inside/outside requirements was off and needs to be fixed. hird seems to be fixated on inside/contested football at the expense of an effective outside strategy.

other teams;
geelong - do not have the same aura of invincibility of the past, yet are unbeaten.

carlton - mentally tougher this year. the close wins while playing average this year would have resulted in losses last year.

hawthorn - have pace, not enough to burn, but enough for it to not be a problem anymore.

west coast - smokey for top 4 at the expense of the blues or hawks.

collingwood - still the one to beat. also, their supporters are to blame for the limited stock of gear-boxes available throughout oz.

melbourne/fremantle - dont think you can take too much away from their form other than that no amount of depth can cover the level of injuries that they've had. will be able to get a better read on them when their injury list is healthier. could be real threats in 2nd half of the year.


bf posters;
as expected, all the usual suspects finally had their coming out party on bf after essendons consecutive losses. biggest explosion since the big bang, the town was painted white.

 

[PieNSauce]

1) The top four is set and only the top two have the ability to win the premiership. There is a huge gulf between the top two and the rest and neither of them has peaked. The others don't have significant improvement in them.

2) Eddie McGuire is a genius and a humanitarian. Eddie should be knighted for his work in protecting the racially vilified.

Edited for accuracy!

 

[Peck]

I hate losing to carlton more than any other team in the AFL. Even having to hear my mate brag about us losing to melbourne for 4 months was better than having to endure the frustration that game caused.

Agree with the Hird comments re Fyfe. That guy is a freakshow.

 

[GordonBlue]

You beat us by 16 points, 6 of which were from an interchange infringement that wasn't, in the wet (which we play attrociously in) after an extroadinary 3rd Q from 1 C Judd.

You got an easy goal at the end when we knew we'd won...

We are playing on a ground that favours the home team more than any other (the fact that you have lost to 3 out of the top 4 teams on it speaks of your quality that even with such an advantage you couldn't win)

10 point margin is hardly, an unbeatable gulf, especially since our current game plan is more suited to larger grounds.

Even when you were ahead, we were still outplaying you... we outplayed you most of the game but stuggled to adapt... as soon as the weather cleared up, we were in a different level than you... again playing on the ground that gives the home team the most advantage, where we haven't won since 1993

Yes going on todays form we should beat Essendon, how does anyone know what Essendon or the Swans form will be in 8 weeks time, its pure speculation. PS the whole "umpires gave a win" is wonderful for you to trot out but is complete BS. What form would you like us to judge it off?

Thats my point... how can you speculate form 8 weeks from now? Yes Jobe is everything to Essendon... but him back, Hocking back, Pears back and Hurley back by the time they play you again echoes how ridiculous it is to state form when you play two months from now... on their home groung

and ahahaha you are happy to call a stupid umpires decision to state we only beat you by 10 POINTS... but when the umpiring decision actually WON you the game, it's completely bullshit all of a sudden...

and what form to base it on? how about you don't base it on form. You base it at what each team can output on their day... and Essendon has show more on their day than Sydney has shown... eg. Essendon demolition job on Dogs, Saints and Suns... should've beaten you in Sydney and drew to us and they had men down...

So sorry how dare we think we are a chance against your side, when you obviously know so much, our Hawthorn game was terrible, and Geelong and Collingwood are both much better sides than Sydney, no shame in losing to teams that are clearly currently better than you.

Of course you're a chance to beat us... that's not the point... the point is, you seem to think that when we play each other, that will be the defining game that will determine who finished top 4... which is ridiculous...

And it is your crew jumping up and down about Essendon's chances against your mob...

You are happy to put Hawks, Pies and Cats ahead of you... but you seem to think you are level with Carlton... which nothing that has happened this year will state this... the fact that we are a strong chance to defeat Geelong and Hawks and you are no chance really speaks of the gap between our teams...

Including players that can come back in because they are dropped for poor form is stupid, if they were in your best 22 and available to be picked they would be picked, Kruezer and Warnock definitely best 22, Bower likely depending on his personal form, others are iffy to find a spot.

Henderson was without a preseason... and now he has put 4 really good games in a row... the only reason why he isn't in the team already, is because you need to find reasons to drop players... had he had a full preseason, he'd be in the side right now

Houlihan has been injured the whole time and just started playing VFL to get his motor running. He is now ready for the call up (again he is best 22, but it's hard to drop players when they dont deserve to)

Similar with Bower

Warnock will also find it hard to crack it back in

Laidler has been sensational this year, and White has been really solid, but both are injured... again they will not walk back in... they need to force their way in

and believe it or not, Kreuzer will also battle...

McLean is ready to go should form or injury come up

We also have Joseph, Lucas, Watson who all can do a job well...

We have depth and plenty of it... no one is allowed to have a bad game, cause we have plenty chopping at the bit... you put two players that YOU need to even be a chance for top 4... we could lose upto 10 and still be a valid top 4 team...

No doubt, you outplayed us last time we played, so because you outplayed us one game, it means Sydney wont have any chance of winning the next game?
I like your logic.

Again, I never said your not a chance of beating us... of course you're a chance... just like Port were a chance of Beating us last week and Brisbane this week and West Coast the week after... every team is a chance of beating us because from our recent history, we have a habit of been abit inconsistent... we haven't seen it this year yet, but could happen any game...

But we have shown this year we are clearly ahead of Sydney... and if you happen to beat us in Melb, it don't mean your a better chance for top 4... we would still be in a better seat... you are making it out to be as the deciding game for top 4, when there are 11 rounds after it...

 

[Bloods Rule!]

You got an easy goal at the end when we knew we'd won...

We are playing on a ground that favours the home team more than any other (the fact that you have lost to 3 out of the top 4 teams on it speaks of your quality that even with such an advantage you couldn't win)


Even when you were ahead, we were still outplaying you... we outplayed you most of the game but stuggled to adapt... as soon as the weather cleared up, we were in a different level than you... again playing on the ground that gives the home team the most advantage, where we haven't won since 1993


Thats my point... how can you speculate form 8 weeks from now? Yes Jobe is everything to Essendon... but him back, Hocking back, Pears back and Hurley back by the time they play you again echoes how ridiculous it is to state form when you play two months from now... on their home groung

and ahahaha you are happy to call a stupid umpires decision to state we only beat you by 10 POINTS... but when the umpiring decision actually WON you the game, it's completely bullshit all of a sudden...

and what form to base it on? how about you don't base it on form. You base it at what each team can output on their day... and Essendon has show more on their day than Sydney has shown... eg. Essendon demolition job on Dogs, Saints and Suns... should've beaten you in Sydney and drew to us and they had men down...


Of course you're a chance to beat us... that's not the point... the point is, you seem to think that when we play each other, that will be the defining game that will determine who finished top 4... which is ridiculous...

And it is your crew jumping up and down about Essendon's chances against your mob...

You are happy to put Hawks, Pies and Cats ahead of you... but you seem to think you are level with Carlton... which nothing that has happened this year will state this... the fact that we are a strong chance to defeat Geelong and Hawks and you are no chance really speaks of the gap between our teams...


Henderson was without a preseason... and now he has put 4 really good games in a row... the only reason why he isn't in the team already, is because you need to find reasons to drop players... had he had a full preseason, he'd be in the side right now

Houlihan has been injured the whole time and just started playing VFL to get his motor running. He is now ready for the call up (again he is best 22, but it's hard to drop players when they dont deserve to)

Similar with Bower

Warnock will also find it hard to crack it back in

Laidler has been sensational this year, and White has been really solid, but both are injured... again they will not walk back in... they need to force their way in

and believe it or not, Kreuzer will also battle...

McLean is ready to go should form or injury come up

We also have Joseph, Lucas, Watson who all can do a job well...

We have depth and plenty of it... no one is allowed to have a bad game, cause we have plenty chopping at the bit... you put two players that YOU need to even be a chance for top 4... we could lose upto 10 and still be a valid top 4 team...


Again, I never said your not a chance of beating us... of course you're a chance... just like Port were a chance of Beating us last week and Brisbane this week and West Coast the week after... every team is a chance of beating us because from our recent history, we have a habit of been abit inconsistent... we haven't seen it this year yet, but could happen any game...

But we have shown this year we are clearly ahead of Sydney... and if you happen to beat us in Melb, it don't mean your a better chance for top 4... we would still be in a better seat... you are making it out to be as the deciding game for top 4, when there are 11 rounds after it...

Insecure, much?

In the unlikely event that the Blues lose this year's GF I bet we'll have a year of you explaining how you really won except for the umps, alignment of the planets and probably an AFL conspiracy. But I'm not convinced Carlton will be in the top four at the end of the H&A season so that's not a scenario we have to worry about really. We'll have a better idea in a fortnight.

 

[markr]

Tough to split the Pies and Cats for best side. The Pies are belting sides, but the Cats won when it mattered. I guess when you look at it the Cats are belting the rubbish sides too.

The Blues are probably third at the moment. Half a game behind the Hawks, but they've got some easy games coming up while the Hawks play the Cats and Pies in the next month.

Hawks fourth. Like all fans I think we can beat any side on our day. With Stratton and Gilham down for the year the Pies key forwards probably worry me more, with regards to sides trying to exploit our weakness, than what the Blues and Cats can put on the park in that area. But none of these sides really rely on key forwards for their scoring so a fall ground defense is more important than ever. Hell, I think a few sides have lost against us by trying to go tall, and then not having enough run.

Sydney and WCE might still be able to push up if they lift a little, but it really does seem like that's it.

 

[Copernicus]

I'm glad you're finally acknowledging it

Have you been on the piss again, HAD?