The Fear Factor

[Phil McCreviss]

Lol. There are some very worried teams sitting in the upper echelon of the ladder right now looking down and thinking ...WTF is that brown and gold juggernaut approaching. Oh shi* ...not again!

Lots of work ahead of us but by God its good to be back.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

if we sneak into 4th, i can imagine the freak out which will occur from Geelong fans

 

[mule]

I have us finishing 6th or 7th and playing Carlton in the first week of the finals. No need to finish top four really.

 

[Phil McCreviss]

I have us finishing 6th or 7th and playing Carlton in the first week of the finals. No need to finish top four really.

Double chance?

 

[mule]

Just gotta keep winning.

Knowing that it could be your last game of the year should be good motivation.

6th or 7th could work in our favour. We let the top 4 belt the crap out of each other then we knock the losers out in the 2nd week of the finals.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I have us finishing 6th or 7th and playing Carlton in the first week of the finals. No need to finish top four really.

I have us finishing 4th based on the final few games of ourselves, Freo and the dogs. where i believe we will get up, and the dogs and freo both falling slightly.

Lose in 1st round of finals (vs pies), play dogs in the 2nd rnd, saints in prelims (who beat geelong in qualifying) and then onto the granny vs pies or cats (who beat freo in melbourne)......


basically, whoever wins out of Hawks vs freo (in tassie, round 21) will make 4th.

 

[Scrads]

I have us finishing 4th based on the final few games of ourselves, Freo and the dogs. where i believe we will get up, and the dogs and freo both falling slightly.

Lose in 1st round of finals (vs pies), play dogs in the 2nd rnd, saints in prelims (who beat geelong in qualifying) and then onto the granny vs pies or cats (who beat freo in melbourne)......


basically, whoever wins out of Hawks vs freo (in tassie, round 21) will make 4th.

I did ladder predictor today, percentage may play a factor. I have a feeling we had a big win just when we needed one. If we lose next week it will be practically out the door.

 

[TAITA]

Double chance?

Didn't need the double chance in 2008 Phil - infact if we lost a game in the finals and then won the flag - that would be a real Bradbury.

Every finals game is cut throat.

 

[aussieicon91]

If we didn't play like utter rubbish in the first 7 rounds then we'd be the best team in the competition at the moment.

 

[m0zza]

Lose in 1st round of finals (vs pies)

Lousy plan!

 

[TheFourPillars]

If we didn't play like utter rubbish in the first 7 rounds then we'd be the best team in the competition at the moment.

Think we did all right in the first round particularly because we won by nearly 10 goals played well against the cats and dogs undermanned and still ran them close i wouldn't say 7 weeks but the losses against north and west coast hmmm and of course essendon earlier in the year.

 

[TAITA]

Yeah I get that allot.

 

[macdaddio]

I know I keep bringing this up but I just can't get out of my head the loss to the Cats, we could be equal 4th right now.
If we beat the Saints then it may help a little bit.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Here's a hypothetical.

Rd.2 v Geelong - We have a 2nd ruck, Renouf doesn't tire, Geelong don't dominate the last. We win.
Rd.3 v Bulldogs - We have a 2nd ruck, Renouf doesn't tire, Bulldogs don't dominate the last. We win.
Rd.5 v Bulldogs - We have at least one fit ruck, We win.
Rd.7 v Eagles - We have two fit rucks, we win.
Rd.15 v Cats - Young kicks straight, we win.

Instead of 9-7, we are 14-2 and sitting pretty. Even half of those (Kangas, Eagles, Geelong Rd.15) and we are 12-4, and top 4 certainties.

We know we're good enough to do it from outside the top-4...perhaps more importantly, so does everyone else.

 

[TAITA]

Best game for the Hawks today Roswell - sublime, simply sublime.

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

We've been winning on commitment and individual brilliance, without really gelling at any point. Our defensive structures, and ability to physically run out a game have come from rd.7 or so onwards, but it's not until today that we saw some things gel. The handball circuit work (whilst a little overdone) was sublime, and we were getting the "easy" goals we haven't all year.

Obviously the opposition was very poor, but I think part of that was our offensive systems started to fall into place, and we punished sides for their failures.

Franklin, Hooper, maybe Tails or Bailey (but how good was Skipper today!), we're almost there, and perhaps the "balance" just tipped back in our favour.

 

[TAITA]

reckon he might be finding his feet "dad". Reckon he might just have another couple of gears to go up yet. Wait til we have ourselves also a goal kicking Mid.... the pure speed I think will be the last thing to click.

Sometimes the silence is deafening.

Totally get what you are saying - hope you enjoyed your holiday, weather looked pretty hot up there.

 

[OneEyedHawk]

except you can't beat Geelong or St. Kilda

Not recently in H&A games, no. Finals are a different story though. We beat up on mentally soft clubs like those in September.

Re. the thread- Would've felt better about next week if the Stains hadn't have lost tonight. They don't drop 2 in a row very often.

Still, on current form, we can knock anybody off.

 

[TAITA]

except you can't beat Geelong or St. Kilda

Barring the games that count - tread warily flog.

 

[Vdubs]

Barring the games that count - tread warily flog.

You've still got to beat the top 4 teams at some stage before the finals--great chances coming up- Saints, Freo, Pies still to look forward to, and the other top 4 team has beaten you twice.

Beating Lions at Launceston is great for 4 points after last week, but let's see what happens after Saints. If you beat them as well, then yes, I would rate you guys as equal flag favourites right now with Pies.

I still think Saints will play the GF this year as we type right now, against who, ????

 

[Sixpence]

You've still got to beat the top 4 teams at some stage before the finals

Why? In 2008, we lost to Geelong, St Kilda and Footscray in the H&A season. That didn't matter come finals time.

I think if we beat Saints, then all of Geelong, Pies, Saints and Hawks are genuine chances. Whichever way it goes, it's shaping up to be a pretty exciting finals series!

 

[Vdubs]

Why? In 2008, we lost to Geelong, St Kilda and Footscray in the H&A season. That didn't matter come finals time.

I think if we beat Saints, then all of Geelong, Pies, Saints and Hawks are genuine chances. Whichever way it goes, it's shaping up to be a pretty exciting finals series!

Hawks are a genuine chance now. But I don't fear Hawks or any team for that matter , as the worst possible outcome in footy for me occurred in 08 when we had a near perfect season, and lost the game that counts. Nothing that happens this year is going to be worse than that, and we got some redemption in 09 GF. If Hawks are good enough again to go all the way this year, that is not a shock to me. Though I expect Saints to be there , would be no injustice if Hawthorn was their opponent, or Pies, or Dogs, or Cats, or Freo. IMO, they are all very equal. BUT, in 08 Hawks were always going to be top 2. This year, you still need to win some tough games to ensure top 6, or is that not correct?

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Hawks are a genuine chance now. But I don't fear Hawks or any team for that matter , as the worst possible outcome in footy for me occurred in 08 when we had a near perfect season, and lost the game that counts. Nothing that happens this year is going to be worse than that, and we got some redemption in 09 GF. If Hawks are good enough again to go all the way this year, that is not a shock to me. Though I expect Saints to be there , would be no injustice if Hawthorn was their opponent, or Pies, or Dogs, or Cats, or Freo. IMO, they are all very equal. BUT, in 08 Hawks were always going to be top 2. This year, you still need to win some tough games to ensure top 6, or is that not correct?

So you're here to stir up trouble, then?

 

[Sixpence]

This year, you still need to win some tough games to ensure top 6, or is that not correct?

Indeed we do.

 

[cambosis]

I have us finishing 4th based on the final few games of ourselves, Freo and the dogs. where i believe we will get up, and the dogs and freo both falling slightly.

Lose in 1st round of finals (vs pies), play dogs in the 2nd rnd, saints in prelims (who beat geelong in qualifying) and then onto the granny vs pies or cats (who beat freo in melbourne)......


basically, whoever wins out of Hawks vs freo (in tassie, round 21) will make 4th.

totally agree... thats our Top 4 chance... provided we win everything else...