We "will" be packing our bags come finals time

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You only have to look at the ladder to realise that we are in big trouble.

The 3 immediately above us smashed us.
Our percentage is weak.
And we aren't even playing like a top 4 side.

The positives are;

We've got 8 weeks to start playing like a top 4 side.
Hawthorn and Sydney still have to play each other.
Port and Sydney still have to play each other.
We still have to play Freo.
We still have to play Hawthorn.
Hawthorn and Freo still have to play each other.
Port and Freo still have to play each other.

So if we can get it together, some doors can definitely open.

We lost 2 of our last 4 games in 2009 yet won the flag.

About this stage of the year in 2011, we lost back to back games against the Bombers and Eagles. We then struggled against a lowly Brisbane side, outscored Richmond by a point in the 2nd half after leading by 10 goals at half time. We then struggled against 15th placed Adelaide and had a loss against the Swans at home. Fair to say that up until Round 24, it seemed we were limping into September, before we smashed the Pies by 96 points on the eve of the finals.

In 2012, Sydney lost 3 of their last 4 games (all against fellow top 8 sides in the Pies, Hawthorn and us - their only win in that time was against the 15th placed Bulldogs), yet found their form again in the finals.

In other words, in 3 of the last 5 years, the eventual premiers have had periods during the season where they haven't looked like world beaters, yet managed to get their act together come finals time. I can see us fine tuning things over the next three weeks against the Dogs, Dees and Giants, before we're hopefully hitting our straps when we play North, Freo, Carlton and Hawthorn over the period of a month. Win 3, or all 4 of those games, and we'll be a big show for a top 4 spot, and maybe even as high as top 2.
 
Winty, we were good enough / looked good enough for all of 2009
 

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Finish 4th and play Hawthorn at the MCG first up, Sydney in a preliminary at the MCG and Fremantle at the MCG in the grand final.

Port Adelaide are the ones who will drop out of the top 4.
 
I have been giving the ladder predictor a bit of a spin. I have tried to be as realistic as possible. I have come to these conclusions.
- If we make the top 4 we will be travelling interstate.
- if we come 5th or 6th we will score one Vic final but will need to travel for either the Semi, Prelim or both.
- North Melbourne are a dark horse for making the top 4.
does this include a scenario where we win all remaining games? of all the scenarios this is the most likely.
 
We lost 2 of our last 4 games in 2009 yet won the flag.

About this stage of the year in 2011, we lost back to back games against the Bombers and Eagles. We then struggled against a lowly Brisbane side, outscored Richmond by a point in the 2nd half after leading by 10 goals at half time. We then struggled against 15th placed Adelaide and had a loss against the Swans at home. Fair to say that up until Round 24, it seemed we were limping into September, before we smashed the Pies by 96 points on the eve of the finals.

In 2012, Sydney lost 3 of their last 4 games (all against fellow top 8 sides in the Pies, Hawthorn and us - their only win in that time was against the 15th placed Bulldogs), yet found their form again in the finals.

In other words, in 3 of the last 5 years, the eventual premiers have had periods during the season where they haven't looked like world beaters, yet managed to get their act together come finals time. I can see us fine tuning things over the next three weeks against the Dogs, Dees and Giants, before we're hopefully hitting our straps when we play North, Freo, Carlton and Hawthorn over the period of a month. Win 3, or all 4 of those games, and we'll be a big show for a top 4 spot, and maybe even as high as top 2.

Good points . You make a good case
I just feel we have bigger flat spots within wins now. We are not as dominant, we are weaker in multiple areas because we are build rather than just trying to tune what is already built. Did we have many new players in 2009? I can t remember of the top? What was our age / games played compared to today? I do remember us being written off at about now when we rested a heap of players and got beaten.

Can we win , yes we can. But I feel so many things have to fall our way. I really, really hope your right.
 
I think things are falling into place. Christenson, Caddy, Motlop and Kersten seem to be on the right path. Stokes will be back soon and we're giving Selwood a rest forward and still sneaking through. The big issue for me is Johnson. He's well down off his best and without him in the middle we are a bit light.
 
About this stage of the year in 2011, we lost back to back games against the Bombers and Eagles. We then struggled against a lowly Brisbane side, outscored Richmond by a point in the 2nd half after leading by 10 goals at half time. We then struggled against 15th placed Adelaide and had a loss against the Swans at home. Fair to say that up until Round 24, it seemed we were limping into September, before we smashed the Pies by 96 points on the eve of the finals

Curious memory at work there. Sandwiched in between the apparently horrible Richmond loss (we won by 62 points), and the win in Adelaide (never an easy place to go), we had 2 wins against Melbourne and Gold Coast - by a combined 336 points.
 
I can seriously see us winning all remaining matches.
I give us a sniff vs. Freo at our home ground. Of course, I would write if off if it were at Subi.
And I back Hawkins to kick a bag again when we play the Hawks!

What matches do you guys think we have the potential to lose? With your honest opinion? I know we have the potential to lose all of them, but does anyone think we can win all remaining matches?
 

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Curious memory at work there. Sandwiched in between the apparently horrible Richmond loss (we won by 62 points), and the win in Adelaide (never an easy place to go), we had 2 wins against Melbourne and Gold Coast - by a combined 336 points.

That's true, but there was a distinct lack of fight from Melbourne that day (until the last 10 minutes when we were closing in on the record score), and everyone was smashing the Suns back then, and Gaz wasn't playing that day either. They were good wins, but the opposition wasn't much.
 
After 14 games in 2009 we were 13 wins-145%
After 14 games in 2010 we were 11 wins- 149.7%
After 14 games in 2011 we were 13 wins-139.8%
After 14 games in 2012 we were 9 wins- 112.9%
After 14 games in 2013 we were 12 wins- 128%
After 14 games in 2014 we are 10 wins- 106.8%

Different draws different everything but our season looks a lot closer to 2012 than 2009 or 2011.
 
That's true, but there was a distinct lack of fight from Melbourne that day (until the last 10 minutes when we were closing in on the record score), and everyone was smashing the Suns back then, and Gaz wasn't playing that day either. They were good wins, but the opposition wasn't much.

Either way, no one else beat Melbourne or Gold Coast like we did. When 3 of your last 5 games include a 186-point win, a 150-point win, and a 96-point win, it's difficult to argue that you're struggling too hard.
 
After 14 games in 2009 we were 13 wins-145%
After 14 games in 2010 we were 11 wins- 149.7%
After 14 games in 2011 we were 13 wins-139.8%
After 14 games in 2012 we were 9 wins- 112.9%
After 14 games in 2013 we were 12 wins- 128%
After 14 games in 2014 we are 10 wins- 106.8%

Different draws different everything but our season looks a lot closer to 2012 than 2009 or 2011.

One more win at least than 2012. Tick off 3 strong wins the next 3 weeks and they'll be even better placed.
 
What matches do you guys think we have the potential to lose? With your honest opinion? I know we have the potential to lose all of them, but does anyone think we can win all remaining matches?

On current form we have the potential to lose to North, Freo, Hawks and Carlton got to within a kick last time so don't see why they can't go one better next time.
Hopefully the bad North side turns up, hopefully Geelong have figured out how to beat Freo. Hopefully Hawthorn haven't figured out how to beat us and this time we play 4 qtrs against Carlton.
 
One more win at least than 2012. Tick off 3 strong wins the next 3 weeks and they'll be even better placed.

I expect us to win by at least 60 points this week. Given Melb have a Paul Roos low conceding defense I think we will get up by 30+. As we've traveled so poorly this year I would be happy with a 30+ win against GWS away.
Ideally we need 10 goals plus wins for the 3 of them, fingers crossed.
 
That's true, but there was a distinct lack of fight from Melbourne that day (until the last 10 minutes when we were closing in on the record score), and everyone was smashing the Suns back then, and Gaz wasn't playing that day either. They were good wins, but the opposition wasn't much.
no one has beaten the suns by that much in their history as we did back then and Melbourne werent a bottom of the ladder side and even if they were, the size of our win was a statement that we were the team to beat that year. Only truly great teams can win by that much against anyone.
 
really? i remember after the bulldogs and Carlton losses late in the season a number posters wrote us off on these boards. Particularly a couple whose usernames started with V.
Really? Link?
And even still, we actually looked good enough that year.

You saying that we didn't and we do this year?
 
Ha ha.
I just did a quick search through my emails on the day we played the bulldogs.

Sent this to a work colleague.
"Did you notice I half had the shits when I wrote the email? Was watching the cats throw away a year."
And he came back with.
"Cats way off the boil, far from favourites now but I think they can still pull it off"

So I wasn't the only one! :)
 
Yep. They are going to struggle to make the top four with their draw.
still a very big good call, they have quality players to come back and know how to win. I suspect they will finish top.
 

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We "will" be packing our bags come finals time

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