I know every game counts, BUT...

[mjp]

Of course, every time you win you get 4-points...whether it's home or away, 10-goals or 10-points...it's always the same.

But if ever it counted for more, surely this week is the week.

#1 - We HATE these guys.
#2 - They are quite good...but form has been a bit dubious lately, so they are going to be somewhere between vulnerable and determined to hold their fort. It's gonna be TOUGH.
#3 - A positive-ish performance by us last week...is it actually REAL? This week will prove it.
#4 - The loss to the Orange at Ballarat in 2023 seemed to indicate 'the end'. Or the start of the end? In any case, we never really recovered.
#5 - We HATE these guys.

This just has those 'big game' vibes...here's hoping the players are feeling it as well. When was our last real 'WIN' away from home with 'stuff' on the line? I mean, the cattery late in 23 but it just felt like we (and they) were done before the game...Was it actually the finals in 2021 - Brisbane and Port, back to back? I mean - did any of that even really happen??

[MrMahatma]

I reckon we beat them. I feel like we’re on an upward trajectory and they’re flat.

[SonofScray]

For me there's no big game vibes, or any vibes around us. That's an experience you get when your footy club is fair dinkum. And we aren't.



They bring their best and we don't. We lose.
We bring our best and they bring their best, we lose.
We bring our best and they don't? Toss a coin.

[Eastdog]

Will be a tough game on the road for us but I do give us a chance.

The next few weeks are important for us but we should just take one game at a time.

Our defensive game across the ground must be on if we are to win.

Essendon in this area of the game without the ball have been very good over the last couple of weeks and it was huge in their win over the Giants last Saturday.

[Mantis]

I reckon we beat them. I feel like we’re on an upward trajectory and they’re flat.

Based purely off beating up on the 2nd worst team in the comp? What about the flat as a tack performances we produced the previous 2 weeks?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I think this game will basically show us what we're really made of this season. Either we win and turn this ship around or we lose in the typical manner and end up in the 10th-14th bracket of the ladder.

A dominating win against a shambles Tigers side is not enough to overcome 2 and a bit seasons of uninspiring footy. I don't have faith. The hawks game basically slammed the door shut on this season for me. I hate the hoping week to week that this side will get real. Why would this week be any different?

But I agree it's an important game.

[ledge]

GWS have two important cogs missing . This is our defining game for the season, win we get some more confidence and it goes in an upward trajectory , lose and we aren’t even a mid range side.

[Eastdog]

Based purely off beating up on the 2nd worst team in the comp? What about the flat as a tack performances we produced the previous 2 weeks?

I'm a bit like that with the win last Saturday. As great as it was margin wise the Tigers were very bad.

I don't think before that match we expected to win by that much as the Tigers despite the injuries have been very good with their effort this season. They nearly knocked off Carlton and beat Sydney of course.

[bornadog]

The GWS game will be a real test for the club and the result will let us know how far we are off the top 8 teams.

GWS are loaded with talent, whereas we have our top end talent, as well as up and coming young talent.

Let's see where we are at and what we need to do to beat the top teams.

[Grantysghost]

It's kind of alarming to me that our gameplan works so well.
Under 0 pressure in the midfield.

The Saints and the Tigers had no midfield of note when we played them.

Gold Coast did.

Coming up against a stacked midfield this week, lets see if we can stand up.

The Tigers side was vfl standard.

[merantau]

Like all of the above I recognise the importance of this game. Only a win will do. It's as simple as that. Smashing them would be very satisfying.

The Richmond game did not tell us much. This game is the acid test for us and we must be up for it from the get-go.

[1eyedog]

Of course, every time you win you get 4-points...whether it's home or away, 10-goals or 10-points...it's always the same.

But if ever it counted for more, surely this week is the week.

#1 - We HATE these guys.
#2 - They are quite good...but form has been a bit dubious lately, so they are going to be somewhere between vulnerable and determined to hold their fort. It's gonna be TOUGH.
#3 - A positive-ish performance by us last week...is it actually REAL? This week will prove it.
#4 - The loss to the Orange at Ballarat in 2023 seemed to indicate 'the end'. Or the start of the end? In any case, we never really recovered.
#5 - We HATE these guys.

This just has those 'big game' vibes...here's hoping the players are feeling it as well. When was our last real 'WIN' away from home with 'stuff' on the line? I mean, the cattery late in 23 but it just felt like we (and they) were done before the game...Was it actually the finals in 2021 - Brisbane and Port, back to back? I mean - did any of that even really happen??

It's counted far more in the past than what this game does this week and it hasn't made any difference. The Essendon and Fremantle games were more important and we couldn't get the job done.

I'll watch anxiety / stress free which is nice because I have zero expectations and am no longer fussed by a loss at this stage. Would be nice to win and I'll enjoy the positivity around it but it just feels that at least we are looking somewhere around 9-12 this year.

If it's looking like 9 hopefully it's 12.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

It's counted far more in the past than what this game does this week and it hasn't made any difference. The Essendon and Fremantle games were more important and we couldn't get the job done.

I'll watch anxiety / stress free which is nice because I have zero expectations and am no longer fussed by a loss at this stage. Would be nice to win and I'll enjoy the positivity around it but it just feels that at least we are looking somewhere around 9-12 this year.

If it's looking like 9 hopefully it's 12.

I had no stress or anxiety watching our loss to freo. I knew what the outcome was going to be. I'll just enjoy the wins as they come and hope for better days after a loss.

No use getting too upset over something you can't control.

Please don't monitor the match day thread.

[Sedat]

I'm excited by the next 5 weeks. We will either become a serious contender in 2024 after those 5 weeks, or we will be 5 weeks closer to making the necessary changes needed to become a serious contender again.

[mjp]

Please don't monitor the match day thread.

I wish I could like this twice.

No point getting upset...but I'M UPSET!!!

Pretty sure there's a Whiplash scene there somewhere but I would need GG to impose your face behind Myles Teller's drum kit.