Would there be a more "BULLDOGS" thing to do than losing to Adelaide in Ballarat???

- I don't like any part of this.
- I don't like how everyone has marked it down as a win.
- I don't like how everyone has dismissed Adelaide and is into their coach.
- I don't like that it is Adelaide (there is some history that is history but the wounds have still not really healed).
- I don't like how everyone is talking about us being a dangerous 'floater' in the finals when we aren't in the finals.

- I don't like any part of this at all.

It's genuinely set up to be a massive shit show.

Hopefully for the guys on our list they're still smarting about being kicked by Adelaide in 2015. Hopefully they use every bit of motivation they have to get into Adelaide Sunday.

Yeah, it’s dicey but we should win.

Superstition about the past, the Bulldog way etc should mean nothing.

Plus we have Bont.

Over our last 7 rd23 games we are 1-6.

We'll learn a bit about the maturity of the group on Sunday which isn't a bad thing at this stage of their development.

If we lose to Adelaide we don't deserve to make finals anyway.

It's not a gimme but there is enough mongrel in this group to withstand a challenge then wear the opposition down. I actually thought GWS had the run of play during the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Previous bulldog sides would have let goals through in that time, even the 2008-10 team which had the best Bulldog defensive unit I've seen in my lifetime.

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Originally Posted by mjp

- I don't like any part of this.
- I don't like how everyone has marked it down as a win.
- I don't like how everyone has dismissed Adelaide and is into their coach.
- I don't like that it is Adelaide (there is some history that is history but the wounds have still not really healed).
- I don't like how everyone is talking about us being a dangerous 'floater' in the finals when we aren't in the finals.

- I don't like any part of this at all.

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And I hope our playing group and coaches are preparing accordingly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mjp

- I don't like any part of this.
- I don't like how everyone has marked it down as a win.
- I don't like how everyone has dismissed Adelaide and is into their coach.
- I don't like that it is Adelaide (there is some history that is history but the wounds have still not really healed).
- I don't like how everyone is talking about us being a dangerous 'floater' in the finals when we aren't in the finals.

- I don't like any part of this at all.

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This is precisely why I will not look at the scores until 4pm on Sunday. It has all the hallmarks of a bad, bad loss.

It's the farewell tilt for Douglas too, the most anonymous 246-gamer ever, and we're usually pretty obliging with those.

I get the fretting, it's in our freakin' DNA, but since the bye the Crows have beaten the Suns and the Saints and that's it.

Even if we're not at our untouchable best on Sunday, surely we still get this done.

Bevo saying all the right things, naturally ...

Beveridge believes it would be a “bloody shame” if his side fell at the final hurdle, but while admitting he has had to tell a few of the club’s over-excited fans to “cool your jets”, he said it was “brilliant” to have their destiny in their own hands.

“We’re not there yet. We’ve got to win this week, we don’t want it to be in the hands of the gods and lose and hope for percentage and all that sort of stuff,” Beveridge said.

“The feeling around the place is, ‘We’ve come this far and it would be a bloody shame [if we missed the finals]’, and we need to keep our heads in it and focus on beating Adelaide.”

It would have been a 'Bulldogs thing' to be blown away in the prelim after giving up the first 2 goals of the last quarter.

It would have been a 'Bulldogs thing' to drop our heads and capitulate after JJ's goal in the GF was overturned.

It would have been a 'Bulldogs thing' to go into cruise control in the latter stages of the Bombers and Giants games.

These are different Bulldogs.

I’m not going there. I’m being very quiet on this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mjp

- I don't like any part of this.
- I don't like how everyone has marked it down as a win.
- I don't like how everyone has dismissed Adelaide and is into their coach.
- I don't like that it is Adelaide (there is some history that is history but the wounds have still not really healed).
- I don't like how everyone is talking about us being a dangerous 'floater' in the finals when we aren't in the finals.

- I don't like any part of this at all.

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I'm feeling exactly the same.... :(

There are just too many factors all aligning for the bulldogs pre 2016 to disappoint us.
I'm hoping this post 2016 bulldogs will not revert to the past.

A couple of things in our favour though...

- If Hawthorn upsets West Coast on Saturday (especially if it by 20 plus points), it virtually eliminates the Crows and Port from finals' contention due to their inferior percentage.

- It is still a must win for us - it is possible for us to lose and still finish 8th, but it is highly unlikely. The players know if they just show up expecting to win, they WILL lose (and all have to get "We Blew It" tattoos like the 1997 team).

- In the back of their minds, the Crows know that a close win opens the door for their arch rivals Port Adelaide to make the finals. I imagine that would be a worst case scenario for them. Unless the Crows blow us away, an honorable loss against the form team of the competition may be a better outcome for them than a close win that sees Port qualify for September.

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Originally Posted by Mantis

Over our last 7 rd23 games we are 1-6.

We'll learn a bit about the maturity of the group on Sunday which isn't a bad thing at this stage of their development.

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None of those were for a place in the 8

Adelaide a have a shit midfield, but other than that, they match up pretty well with us stats wise. Lets not forget they almost beat West Coast in Perth.

I think as usual, the better midfield will be the difference, and hopefully ours is on.