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- Jul 1, 2013
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Swans clearly the benchmark team all season, and will be minor premiers, deservedly so.
14-4
Several headline and usually comfortable wins, at home and away:
-Demons and Pies at the start of the season at full strength
-rounds 7-15 went undefeated against a murderer's row of potential finalists - Hawks (A), Giants, Dockers (A), Carlton, Dogs (A), Cats, Crows (A), Giants again.
I'm a big believer in % as a crucial marker of a team's strength, sometimes even moreso than the win/loss record (eg. Essendon/Bulldogs/Brisbane a few weeks ago - percentage a much better marker of their respective strengths, now being borne out in results). So by that logic, Sydney don't have much to worry about.
Overall, their credentials to be a top 2 side are unquestioned.
But to win in September you need to win the tense, low-scoring, frenetic matches against good opposition, and at least one match in Melbourne.
Their narrowest wins have been:
-Demons (R1) - 22 points - close at 3QT and kicked away in the final term
-Dogs (R11) - 14 points - had kicked away in the 3rd term, were 5 goals up earlier in the last and held on
-Cats (R13) - 30 points - 11 points ahead at 3QT but kicked away early in the 4th
-Giants (R15) - 27 points - game was over early in the 3rd term, Giants made it a little respectable after that.
But they've now lost 4 close games (Tigers by 5, Freo 1, Saints 2, Lions 2), home and away, against good and poor opposition. In particular, 3 in the past month, has to cause some mind games.
I think this has to be a worry. Today was tough with the conditions and their injuries, but realistically they had the chance to close the door and didn't do it. If they do the same in a final they may / will get eliminated.
Maybe I'm overreacting!
14-4
Several headline and usually comfortable wins, at home and away:
-Demons and Pies at the start of the season at full strength
-rounds 7-15 went undefeated against a murderer's row of potential finalists - Hawks (A), Giants, Dockers (A), Carlton, Dogs (A), Cats, Crows (A), Giants again.
I'm a big believer in % as a crucial marker of a team's strength, sometimes even moreso than the win/loss record (eg. Essendon/Bulldogs/Brisbane a few weeks ago - percentage a much better marker of their respective strengths, now being borne out in results). So by that logic, Sydney don't have much to worry about.
Overall, their credentials to be a top 2 side are unquestioned.
But to win in September you need to win the tense, low-scoring, frenetic matches against good opposition, and at least one match in Melbourne.
Their narrowest wins have been:
-Demons (R1) - 22 points - close at 3QT and kicked away in the final term
-Dogs (R11) - 14 points - had kicked away in the 3rd term, were 5 goals up earlier in the last and held on
-Cats (R13) - 30 points - 11 points ahead at 3QT but kicked away early in the 4th
-Giants (R15) - 27 points - game was over early in the 3rd term, Giants made it a little respectable after that.
But they've now lost 4 close games (Tigers by 5, Freo 1, Saints 2, Lions 2), home and away, against good and poor opposition. In particular, 3 in the past month, has to cause some mind games.
I think this has to be a worry. Today was tough with the conditions and their injuries, but realistically they had the chance to close the door and didn't do it. If they do the same in a final they may / will get eliminated.
Maybe I'm overreacting!