Which teams stand between us and back-to-back flags?

[Cheshire Cat]

Injuries aside of course (and yes it too early to tell) this a prediction thread.

I actually dont think it has changed much from last year. I see Sydney are top and we've got them next week, should tell a story. I actually think we will win easily, provided we play well of course.

Saints are going to finish top4 at least I feel, even without Riewoldt, I reckon they'll get him back before finals. They're going to be our toughest test still, we'll never get that free-scoring game we like against them. So its a guaranteed slog.

Bulldogs and Collingwood are the next tier down. I know the dogs are 3-3 but I still rate them, Collingwood are obviously playing well now. I consider the two teams as less dangerous than the Saints because they play a similar style to us, but not to the level the Cats do.

As I said Sydney, dont concern me but next weekend will tell. Freo need to win in Melbourne against a quality opponent to convince me.

Carlton and Hawthorn - two teams we have difficulty beating but we're unikely to face in finals.

I dont know, getting well ahead of myself here, so what. I just really want finals to come round again.

 

[KevinCat07]

Re: What teams stand between us and back-to-back

Saints are the biggest ones, no doubt. I'd actually be more worried if they played a more free flowing game though, I'm pretty confident we can cover that low scoring pressure type crap they serve up.

Next in line I would say Collingwood then Bullies. Collingwood just keep on keeping on, very honest footy side and the Dogs have a lot of experienced players.

Then Lastly I would say Sydney. Everyone expected them to fall down for a while but here they are at 5-1. I think they have lost by over 45 points only once in the Paul Roos era, a remarkbale stat.

 

[alfy!]

Re: What teams stand between us and back-to-back

Saints, then the Bulldogs when they are up and running, followed by any one of Collingwood, Brisbane or Sydney.

 

[Meow]

Re: What teams stand between us and back-to-back

St. Kilda- It's a matter of whether we can counter their gameplan, they can be fit and firing come September, and shrug the monkey off their back.
Collingwood- Are a very hard team to beat on their day, especially with a midfield that has no frontrunners. If their forward line can get their act together it'll make life even harder for opposition teams.
Footscray- Pfft, our annual September witches hats/bunnies/beeches/whatever you want to call it.
Sydney- Possibly. They have a gameplan that doesn't just frustrate the life out of opposition teams, but works. I can't make a full judgement though until I see them against the best in the business.
Brisbane- Hmm, maybe, but I just don't see it.

That's it for me. I honestly think we will beat St. Kilda, Collingwood and the Bulldogs if we face them again in September.

 

[Meow]

Re: What teams stand between us and back-to-back

I think they have lost by over 45 points only once in the Paul Roos era, a remarkbale stat.

Twice actually, when we thrashed them by 51 points at KP last year and when Carlton beat them by 10 goals at Etihad last year.

 

[The Rusty Clam]

Saints, Dogs, Pies... All capable of beating us, all proven they'll play deep into finals again IMO.

I really rate Sydney, but i'm not going to be completely convinced until I see how they go against the contenders.

 

[jim boy]

For heavens sake - it was only Richmond today, there are 14 other teams,who will put up stiffer opposition.

 

[noclashjumpers]

For heavens sake - it was only Richmond today, there are 14 other teams,who will put up stiffer opposition.

..but it's round 20 isn't it?

 

[Vdubs]

Next week we play Sydney!



Saints remain the biggest threat.
Pies, Swans, and Freo have improved
Carlton seem to enjoy playing and beating us.
Dogs may come good by end of season.

 

[Generalissimo]

St. Kilda's prospects will depend a lot on how well Nick Riewoldt recovers from that hammy. If he doesn't make it back for the finals or he comes back lacking form and fitness then there's a good chance the Saints will get into that mindset where they feel they need to clamp down hard and turn the game into a slog because they haven't got a credible forward target. They'll win games that way and make top 4 for sure, but I reckon we've got that gameplan covered. A firing Riewoldt will add purpose and direction to the Saints, and that will trouble us even if Harry Taylor destroys the man just like he did in the granny.

Collingwood are a skilful and hardworking team. On their day they can play some amazing footy but I think we've got their measure. We match up well against them. But there's something else about them that makes me confident against them. I'm not sure what the right word for it is; "brittleness" springs to mind, but I think that's a bit unfair. It's just the feeling that if we get three or four goals ahead of them they just won't be able to get back. Still, if they get a jump on us early they're a danger.

The Western Bulldogs seem to be the complete package. Last year everyone was saying they were just one power forward away from a flag. Well, they've got one now but still they're dropping games. They got done Friday night partly because their strategy for the last ten minutes was bogus, and partly because they just didn't kick it to Hall. But I'm sure they will come good and be a real danger. They are a very even and consistent team, and match up well against us. The biggest danger, IMO.

Sydney I am not yet sold on. They're an honest team with some talent, and Bradshaw and Mumford have been handy pickups. But they seem to be direct replacements for Hall and Jolly respectively, so I don't see quite where the actual improvement has come from. Next Sunday night I'll have a better idea of where they stand in relation to us.

To sum up, we're the reigning premiers and we can reasonably feel we have the measure of the other challengers if we're on song.

 

[witsend]

Geelong stand between us and another flag.
It's not going to be easy but we simply are better than all the others. The trick is managing injuries and peaking mentally in September.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

St Kilda
Fremantle
from what I've watched so far this year (I've watched every Freo game)

I'll reserve my thoughts on Sydney until after this weekend. I've watched most of their games and they've looked good.

Collingwood will be thereabouts and I think that's it. Brisbane are no good and the Dogs are really struggling and may continue to struggle.

 

[bulletproof]

We have actually had a very friendly draw. Played 5 teams who wont play finals. One who will (freo) who we put in a very good effort against. Only played badly in one game (Carlton).

I think we have not really learnt anything that we did not know at the start of the year. No team would be really worrying us, but we are certainly not at 07 level and are not feared ourselves.

Best thing to come out of the season has been Duncan (by far), Podsiadly (to a lesser extent), Ablett continuing his form despite all the conjecture, Harry Taylor improving again and winning without Scarlett.

 

[AG]

Sydney I am not yet sold on. They're an honest team with some talent, and Bradshaw and Mumford have been handy pickups. But they seem to be direct replacements for Hall and Jolly respectively, so I don't see quite where the actual improvement has come from. Next Sunday night I'll have a better idea of where they stand in relation to us.

Bradshaw has been better than Hall so far and Seaby+Mumford as a duo are better than Jolly by himself. Grundy and Malceski have improved out of sight. We get Kennelly back to join Malceski, Shaw and Mattner to add more run to the back half. Moore and Jack are becoming good footballers, Jack especially. McGlynn and Kennedy have been very good. Overall we have a much better balance and their is a new feel about the group.

We have improved but it will be Collingwood and St Kilda who will stand between you and the flad. I'm tipping a Geelong win over Collingwood in the GF.

 

[candiehappy]

aside from the fact that there is a very long way to go in the season............

the other issue is where we will be playing finals I wouldn't be rapt to be going interstate, I'd much rather be down here.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Sydney not that great at at KP in recent times
Next week won't really tell us much ( unless they win- in which case we might be in trouble) we will possibly lose at the gabba BUT
The game that tells us a where we really are will be Collingwood fri night at the g

 

[witsend]

Tough few rounds coming up. Melbourne are obviously no push-over, and the Eagles at Subi can't be taken lightly.
The next 3 matches will sort a lot of us out at the top of the table.
Collingwood at the G on a Friday is always tough. The crowd factor is huge.
We have to put them away early like the last final. Don't let them even think they can win. All their match-winners feed off the crowd. Davis, Didak, Cloke, Thomas etc.
Brisbane at the Gabba is huge. They are a 5-6 goal better team there. We will definitely need Scarlo for that one. Lonergan is a worry for Fev or Brown.
If you keep those two under 7-8 goals, I reckon you win.

 

[mwt5150]

Tough few rounds coming up. Melbourne are obviously no push-over, and the Eagles at Subi can't be taken lightly.
The next 3 matches will sort a lot of us out at the top of the table.
Collingwood at the G on a Friday is always tough. The crowd factor is huge.
We have to put them away early like the last final. Don't let them even think they can win. All their match-winners feed off the crowd. Davis, Didak, Cloke, Thomas etc.
Brisbane at the Gabba is huge. They are a 5-6 goal better team there. We will definitely need Scarlo for that one. Lonergan is a worry for Fev or Brown.
If you keep those two under 7-8 goals, I reckon you win.

Took us until well into the third q to really get a hold of them in the prelim, they jumped us in the first and was still tight at the half. Collingwood go up a few gears against us (as do Hawks but doubt we'll see them) and if firing I see the Pies as the biggest test. Saints and Dogs next two, Swans difficult to say. ATM they're looking like the winners in the Fev/Bradshaw trade. Very well drilled unit, looking forward to the weekend.
At the end of the day though, even with some key blokes getting on, if we are fit and in form, come the business end there is no better team in football.

 

[CCrackers]

Re: What teams stand between us and back-to-back

Saints are the biggest ones, no doubt. I'd actually be more worried if they played a more free flowing game though, I'm pretty confident we can cover that low scoring pressure type crap they serve up.

Next in line I would say Collingwood then Bullies. Collingwood just keep on keeping on, very honest footy side and the Dogs have a lot of experienced players.

Then Lastly I would say Sydney. Everyone expected them to fall down for a while but here they are at 5-1. I think they have lost by over 45 points only once in the Paul Roos era, a remarkbale stat.

+1.

As it stands at the moment: Saints, Pies, Dogs and Swans (in that order.)

 

[pinion]

sti kilda, the bulldogs and collingwood to state the obvious. sydney probably deserves a mention as well but in typical sydney style they're understated and will just keep winning while the rest of us think they're not quite good enough

 

[bigdroppunt]

I miss the lid...

 

[Gladbaqs]

The main thing that stands between the Cats and another flag is captured perfectly in the essence of this thread: contempt.

And I don't mean that in a bad way.

The players have been asked incessantly this year about their motivation. But it is slightly the wrong question. The actual issue (which is a small but important difference) is complacency.

The Cats have waltzed into the top two three years running and we all know that familiarity breeds contempt. It's been true for 100,000 years and it will be for another 100,000 years. Even though the players may find motivation on a day to day basis from their positive working environment, there must be a part of their collective consciousness that treats this 22-round preamble (that we call the home-and-away season) with a tiny, perhaps imperceptible, amount of contempt.

I don't mean that in bad way. They are humans the same as you and I. This thread, for example, focuses on the last week in September, does it not? It's May.

You can bet that the players in teams that are starved of success such as Footscray, St Kilda and Melbourne are focussed intently on the here and now, and are willing do whatever it takes to get the ultimate prize.

The bottom line is that Geelong players are paid well to overcome complacency and I have faith that Ling and the team know what to do.

 

[candiehappy]

I miss the lid...

lol

 

[Duskfire]

We've lost to Carlton and Dockers, so that suggests to me that we're a long way off discussing whats between us and another flag. cats need to get back on actually winning against decent teams first.

 

[AidanNelson2009]

At the moment, the teams that stand between us and a 3rd premiership in 4 years are Collingwood, St. Kilda, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs. I see Collingwood as the biggest threat right now, only because they are playing fantastic footy and to be honest i'm not looking forward to round 9. St. Kilda will still be a threat and can very well win te flag, but without Reiwoldt ?? I don't think they can. There last 2 games they have scored 44 and 49, which means they are playing a defensive style of footy, pretty much the same as Sydney did back in 2005 and 2006.The Swans are on top at 5-1, playing very well and have a very good experienced side, they can go all the way, but i can't see it happening, maybe next year. The Bulldogs are 3-3, but i still see them as a real threat to us, this could be there last year where they can win the flag with there current group of players. We will just have to wait and see, but this season it is going to be difficult for Geelong to make the Grand Final, i have no doubt we can do it, but it's a big ask.