Might everything be falling into place for us?

[Twodogs]

Ok guys. I know we don't want to face up to this little truth because it's dragging us waaay out of our comfort zone but do we have the rub of the green this season?

Yeah, yeah it's a strange thing to say when we've lost captain Bob to season ending injury and a goal kicker to suspension and run out of our backline for a while but we are 7/3, but we beat Collingwood even though we were the worse team and we seem to umpires are happy to pay us the odd free. Despite some pretty ordinary football we are pretty well placed.

So. Can our luck hold and even improve?

[SonofScray]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

Yes. A flag will wag high over Footscray and the west this year. It is wide open and there for the taking, we are good enough.

[ratsmac]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

The premiership race is definitely wide open but I think we are behind a couple of teams at this stage.

I think our forward line hasn't really worked that well so far this season. It has been OK in spits and spurts. Against North and GWS and probably Collingwood our entry into the forward 50 has been below par, and we found it quite difficult to kick a decent score. If we are to mount any sort of challenge we really need to get all areas of our game running smoothly.

I would like to know what training loads we have been under in the last few weeks because we look tired compared to earlier in the season.

As far as things falling in place this season I thought it would be a little bit the other way with all the injuries we have copped to our defenders.

Anyway we have to beat some top 8 teams before I get too carried away.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

Our defense and deep midfield will keep us in games, but we have to get better going forward and converting those opportunities
After watching the way Sydney dispensed of Norf the other night, I'm not sure we're at that level.
It's still an open season though, and a healthy list could determine it

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

It is certainly an open season. With the ladder at present there are 7 teams with 7 wins or more.

We have been the best at restricting scores, but we are also worst at kicking scores in those top 7 sides.

To be a chance at the end of the year we need to maintain our defensive performance, but lift the scoring by 2 or 3 goals a week.

[comrade]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

Still think 2017 and beyond are when the whips will really crack but if our best possible 22 is available to us then who knows.

The hype train has moved onto other teams so we're flying a little more under the radar which I don't mind. Happy to just keep chipping away.

Win the next 3 and I'll start getting twitchy.

[Bornadog]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

It is not a matter of luck, we have won games simply because we have been the better team. Our workrate is immense and we don't just lie down when the other team gets on top.

I still feel we will finish top 4 and then anything can happen.

[Mofra]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

I'm worried.

Finals like pressure where the ball carrier is harassed and has less time to make decisions and dispose of the ball has exposed us against GWS, North and Collingwood. We need to be able to cope with that kind of pressure before we are legitimate challengers.

I'm not convinced by our forwardline either. We are one of the least threatening and efficient forwardlines in the competition, underlined by last years' final where we dominated play and inside 50s but lost.

At least we know what we need to improve on but we need to actually do it to be a threat.

[KT31]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

It is not a matter of luck, we have won games simply because we have been the better team. Our workrate is immense and we don't just lie down when the other team gets on top.

I still feel we will finish top 4 and then anything can happen.

This is what it really hinges on, we are in a fair group of teams equally capable of snatching a top four position.
I think we are a little behind a couple of sides, still another season away and we need to find a way to kick bigger scores, but if we do manage a top four spot we may just manage to make it into the elusive big one.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

It is not a matter of luck, we have won games simply because we have been the better team. Our workrate is immense and we don't just lie down when the other team gets on top.

I still feel we will finish top 4 and then anything can happen.

We are behind Sydney, Norf, Geelong, GWS and perhaps West Coast at this point.

Agree with Mofra's point.

I can't see us challenging just yet, unless we are able to make some dramatic changes to the way we handle pressure and our efficiency. The next few weeks are obviously key and will tell us a fair bit about how close (or far) we are.

[Bornadog]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

We are behind Sydney, Norf, Geelong, GWS and perhaps West Coast at this point.

Last time I checked Sydney has won one more than us and Geelong, Westcoast and GWS are on the same wins.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

We can win it this year, but it'd be a steal like Hawthorn 2008. From next year onwards is our real window with the development of lots on our list and what we can trade, draft or free agent in. We are still the best defensive team and have a deep midfield and contested ball monsters. We get into the 50 more than enough per match. Crameri will help the forwardline next year and hopefully we can find another tall forward.

The main issue is as TBB says, we need to develop composure and raise our skills with getting it into the forward line. If we can fix this up this year that's a huge advantage for going deep into September.

[1eyedog]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

Last time I checked Sydney has won one more than us and Geelong, Westcoast and GWS are on the same wins.

Agreed. I think at full strength we are on par with GWS possibly in front of them actually, especially away from Spotless. I think we'll beat North later in the year as well. North are pretenders. West Coast we can cover in Melbourne. Geelong will be the test when we play them twice in the second half of the year, at home and down there. It's funny I think after their showing against the Pies and our win [as well as their capitulation against the Blues], their supporters would say we are on par with them.

Sydney are just a consistently good team and would have to be early favourites.

I think only Sydney and possibly Hawthorn and Geelong are in front of us. The second half of the year will sort out the men from the boys.

[comrade]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

We've got glaring flaws - namely our forward set up isn't working, and our backline leaks goals when our midfield lets them down - but we have 3 months to sort it out and reach our best level of playing which I'm confident we can. Will this be good enough to snatch a flag? Who knows. But our best will take some beating.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Might everything be falling into place for us?

We've got glaring flaws - namely our forward set up isn't working, and our backline leaks goals when our midfield lets them down - but we have 3 months to sort it out and reach our best level of playing which I'm confident we can. Will this be good enough to snatch a flag? Who knows. But our best will take some beating.

Yes agree on forward line although overall we have the least points kicked against us so I wouldn't say we leak goals Comrade.