Opinion The flip side to a “hard” early fixture

[catempire]

Is that we now play only one favoured Premiership contender - Richmond - between now and September.

The Tigers are currently on the 4th line of betting at $11 (probably overs TBH).

We don’t play Collingwood (joint faves with us at $3.50), GWS ($7) or West Coast ($9) again in the H&A season.

Our remaining fixture is (ladder/flag odds):

8. North Melbourne 15th $201
9. Bulldogs 12th $67
10. Gold Coast 14th $501
11. Sydney 18th $201
12. Richmond 9th $11
13. Bye
14. Port Adelaide 7th $34
15. Adelaide 6th $17
16. Bulldogs 12th $67
17. St Kilda 8th $201
18. Hawthorn 13th $41
19. Sydney 18th $201
20. Fremantle 5th $67
21. North Melbourne 15th $201
22. Brisbane 4th $29
23. Carlton 17th $501

Blessing or curse?

 

[Down at K Park]

Some of those sides will be top 8 though. It's not like we are playing bottom 4 sides for the rest of the year.

 

[Max Milburn]

Is that we now play only one favoured Premiership contender - Richmond - between now and September.

The Tigers are currently on the 4th line of betting at $11 (probably overs TBH).

We don’t play Collingwood (joint faves with us at $3.50), GWS ($7) or West Coast ($9) again in the H&A season.

Our remaining fixture is (ladder/flag odds):

8. North Melbourne 15th $201
9. Bulldogs 12th $67
10. Gold Coast 14th $501
11. Sydney 18th $201
12. Richmond 9th $11
13. Bye
14. Port Adelaide 7th $34
15. Adelaide 6th $17
16. Bulldogs 12th $67
17. St Kilda 8th $201
18. Hawthorn 13th $41
19. Sydney 18th $201
20. Fremantle 5th $67
21. North Melbourne 15th $201
22. Brisbane 4th $29
23. Carlton 17th $501

Blessing or curse?

There's still some good opposition in there.
Especially "Bye".

 

[moond0g]

Fair point, but wins count. and if we play north twice for example then i'm ok with it.

We're fortunate to be in the position we are. If we were currently 3-4, which we could quite easily have been in considering the difficulty of our draw, then I don't think people would be complaining about having some easy games for the rest of the season.

 

[Down at K Park]

Will allow us to rest players throughout the year, and maybe give some youngsters a debut if they have earnt one.

 

[Geelong Dynasty]

Good Draw, if we can win the next few including Richmond we are well set up to rotate players through the team and ensure they're not burnt out at the end of the year.
I did the ladder predictor as objectionaly as I could and I ended up with Geelong on top then Collingwood and GWS and Eagles 3 and 4 (can't remember which order).

Then another Geelong v Collingwood GF.

Juicy prospect

 

[goyoucatters]

I don't particularly like the lack of true contenders in our draw between now and the end of the season either. And a number here will know that I'm definitely not counting the Tigers in that number this year in any case.

However, it is what it is. We've burned through an incredibly tough draw to get to this point.

And the style of footy we're playing (and the evenness of contributions across the entire 22) is at a whole different level to what we have seen for some years. So while entering finals without some massively challenging games tended to bother me intensely in recent years (as we would consequently be totally unprepared to bring our best when it mattered), the signs so far are that we are attacking opponents much earlier and much more relentlessly throughout the game.

And I do agree with Maxy. How we go after the gruelling encounter that is 'the bye' should tell us whether the team is ready to switch on again after some down time.

All in all, if the personnel and the gamestyle hold up, I'm far less concerned about not playing quality opposition in the run-in than I would have been in previous years.

Also, the next month should also tell us quite a lot about whether we should be concerned about this. Anything less than 3-1 against this next 'block' and all the fear of how mentally fragile this team can be will (and should) reemerge.

 

[Turbocat]

Is that we now play only one favoured Premiership contender - Richmond - between now and September.

The Tigers are currently on the 4th line of betting at $11 (probably overs TBH).

We don’t play Collingwood (joint faves with us at $3.50), GWS ($7) or West Coast ($9) again in the H&A season.

Our remaining fixture is (ladder/flag odds):

8. North Melbourne 15th $201
9. Bulldogs 12th $67
10. Gold Coast 14th $501
11. Sydney 18th $201
12. Richmond 9th $11
13. Bye
14. Port Adelaide 7th $34
15. Adelaide 6th $17
16. Bulldogs 12th $67
17. St Kilda 8th $201
18. Hawthorn 13th $41
19. Sydney 18th $201
20. Fremantle 5th $67
21. North Melbourne 15th $201
22. Brisbane 4th $29
23. Carlton 17th $501

Blessing or curse?

It depends on ones philosophy of hard games going into finals etc. Im sure by the end of the season..it will be raised that the teams we played last year running into the finals hurt us. Easy kills and a softening of our competitive readiness will be looked upon as a negative and depending on how we go in finals will determine the blessing or curse.

I heard on one of the footy shows talk about If we got past Rich we could go the rest of the year unbeaten.. Id say thats rubbish. 15 games left. It would not surprise me if we went as bad as 10 and 5 , at least a couple of losses for sure and probably one to someone not considered that good.

No Collingwood or GWS , it would make the finals of increased interest. The absolutely best chance for finals would come from top ...if we want to play in Victoria in each week of the finals.. so as long as they have enough wins banked to hit the finals with the fittest team we can muster it will probably be looked upon as a favourable draw internally.. but in the end ..its all about how we go in Sept.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Is that we now play only one favoured Premiership contender - Richmond - between now and September.

The Tigers are currently on the 4th line of betting at $11 (probably overs TBH).

We don’t play Collingwood (joint faves with us at $3.50), GWS ($7) or West Coast ($9) again in the H&A season.

Our remaining fixture is (ladder/flag odds):

8. North Melbourne 15th $201
9. Bulldogs 12th $67
10. Gold Coast 14th $501
11. Sydney 18th $201
12. Richmond 9th $11
13. Bye
14. Port Adelaide 7th $34
15. Adelaide 6th $17
16. Bulldogs 12th $67
17. St Kilda 8th $201
18. Hawthorn 13th $41
19. Sydney 18th $201
20. Fremantle 5th $67
21. North Melbourne 15th $201
22. Brisbane 4th $29
23. Carlton 17th $501

Blessing or curse?

Depends on how many wins we bank up to Richmond. Go into that game 10-1 and our season is set up to ala 2011 rest a guy per week and be cherry ripe for finals.

 

[you pick one]

Is that we now play only one favoured Premiership contender - Richmond - between now and September.

The Tigers are currently on the 4th line of betting at $11 (probably overs TBH).

We don’t play Collingwood (joint faves with us at $3.50), GWS ($7) or West Coast ($9) again in the H&A season.

Our remaining fixture is (ladder/flag odds):

8. North Melbourne 15th $201
9. Bulldogs 12th $67
10. Gold Coast 14th $501
11. Sydney 18th $201
12. Richmond 9th $11
13. Bye
14. Port Adelaide 7th $34
15. Adelaide 6th $17
16. Bulldogs 12th $67
17. St Kilda 8th $201
18. Hawthorn 13th $41
19. Sydney 18th $201
20. Fremantle 5th $67
21. North Melbourne 15th $201
22. Brisbane 4th $29
23. Carlton 17th $501

Blessing or curse?

Plenty of challengers there to come,two or three injuries to key players and we are right back to the field,never look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[Baudolino]

I do wonder whether another hit out against Collingwood pre-finals would have been of benefit to us. I want us to go in feeling completely prepared for an at-their-best Collingwood playing to the maximum of their ability. That game in Round 1 was so unrepresentative of what the Pies are capable of that it’s almost totally useless from an analysis or preparation standpoint.

 

[catempire]

Plenty of challengers there to come,two or three injuries to key players and we are right back to the field,never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Only one challenger. Only four sides other than us can win the flag.

It’s an extremely soft run home. The point of the thread is to ask is that a good or bad thing?

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Is that a good thing, though? I'd rather we have recent experience against contenders going into September than the last exposure to them being within the first month of the year (as is the case with Collingwood and GWS). Keep in mind that last year Geelong handed out consecutive 100+ point drubbings prior to the finals, and it didn't seem like perfect preparation as they capitulated under the pressure of the Demons. With North, Brisbane and Carlton the final three of the year, I would be concerned that similar will happen again.

 

[longtimecat]

Confidence is massive in sport, I think we should hit finals fit having rested guys who need it. And with 25-30 players able to step in and compete. So it’s over to our coaches and match committee.

 

[winty]

Only one challenger. Only four sides other than us can win the flag.

It’s an extremely soft run home. The point of the thread is to ask is that a good or bad thing?

If you believe some posters on other boards, we've had an extremely soft opening 7 rounds too.

Seriously though, there are several challenging games ahead. Bulldogs x2, Sydney x2, Richmond, Port, Hawks, Freo in Perth and Brisbane at the Gabba.

 

[Spearman]

aside for continuously working of the chemistry(which at the moment is going very well), I'd really like to see a character-building, team-bonding, come-from-behind game or two against a decent side. Doesn't have to be upper ladder, just a good team.

 

[Tony Barber]

There's 4 months to go.
Plenty of those teams will find veins of form. I just hope they find it before we play them. Don't want to get blindsided.

 

[Man0gwaR74]

The bias umpiring will ensure that the Cats don't win them all!

 

[Strange Cat]

So what’s GWS and Collingwood draw looking like for the rest of the year?

They may find that they burn out before the finals

 

[Hamingja]

So what’s GWS and Collingwood draw looking like for the rest of the year?

They may find that they burn out before the finals

Both have easy draws from here too. The AFL have created the fixture where all the top teams play each other at the start and all the bottom teams play each other at the start. Gives hope to the shit club's to be able to sell to members they have improved before reality sets in. There is going to be even more one sided games during winter though. Carlton haven't played anyone actually good yet for example!

 

[winty]

Both have easy draws from here too. The AFL have created the fixture where all the top teams play each other at the start and all the bottom teams play each other at the start. Gives hope to the **** club's to be able to sell to members they have improved before reality sets in. There is going to be even more one sided games during winter though. Carlton haven't played anyone actually good yet for example!

But Carlton have played Richmond and Hawthorn already! *pauses to think* Hang on, you're right - they haven't played anyone good yet, my bad.

 

[Max Milburn]

Only one challenger. Only four sides other than us can win the flag.

It’s an extremely soft run home. The point of the thread is to ask is that a good or bad thing?

Ask me after our first final.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Ability is what you're capable of doing.

Motivation determines what you do.

Attitude determines how well you do it.

 

[thejester]

The fact we've only got two more games at the G is the bigger issue than the opponents, IMO.

 

[Max Milburn]

The fact we've only got two more games at the G is the bigger issue than the opponents, IMO.

Nah. We've got the G covered mate.
3 out of 3.