I Am Getting Very Nervous

[Twodogs]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

Well, like you I hope the last thing Johnno says to the team before he leads them out on to the MCG in the GF is, "You're dead. Your baggage, your possessions mean nothing. All that matters now is your personal honour. All that matters now is your fame and glory. Follow me. I will lead you and we will win the day."

Great quote, isnt it? The Duke of Bedford(Henry V's brother-what a family of fighters!) said that to his men after the other side's mercernaries had smashed through their lines and were busy plundering. He regrouped his men and led them to victory.



I'm betting he had a few nerves...

[ledge]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

Do we tee up a game of bowls for Johnno, Sir Francis Drake style?

[LostDoggy]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I still think we can turn it around, but agree that if we carry on in similiar fashion we might crash out in the finals, which would be a disaster.

I would be looking for our form to continue to improve over the next few weeks. I thought there were some good signs in the Sydney game to suggest that our intensity had improved and will improve further.

We limped into the finalsin 2006, with everyone writing us off and then look what happened. Still we did go out without a wimper the following week, but that was to the eventual premiers.

[Topdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

The purpose of my thread was to raise some concerns about current form. There appears to be a reluctance by everyone associated with the Dogs to accept this fact.

Who has actually denied it?

[Before I Die]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I am not getting nervous at all. Port Adelaide beat Geelong then copped a shelacking in the GF. A wake up call from the cats was fine by me. The Carlton loss was disappointing, but no more than Geelong's loss to Collingwood. As for our recent form, how far back do you want to go? W, or LW, or LLW, or WLLW, or WWLLW, or WWWLLW, or WWWWLLW?

At the worst, we are third favourite for the flag, not a bad place to be.

Re The Messiah. With Williams in our form has been 6 wins, no losses, without him, 8 wins, 3 losses and a draw. Not too bad either way. I am not suggesting Wight is as good as Williams, but our results with him in the team have been, 9 wins, one loss and one draw, that's not too shabby either.

Are we certainties? No. Are we favourites? No. Are we safe in the four? Yes. Are we a chance? Bloody oath! Are we excited? Hell yeh!!

SEIZE THE DAY!!

Believe in the boys and get excited. The lid is off, no more negative Nancys. I am going to enjoy every minute from now until it is over and then am going to drink heavily, hopefully in celebration.

[Topdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

Good stuff Before I Die

[The Underdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

EJ, I agree with you on our current form. I walked out of the Brisbane game totally convinced we could go all the way. I haven't seen a really good performance since then. The margin in the Port game was flattering. Collingwood and Melbourne we did enough. Geelong and Carlton have had enough attention and we've seen the negatives from those. I wouldn't undervalue the Sydney win too much. Sure they were down on personnel but they are a super disciplined side who've cause us major problems in the past and played on a ground they essentially had home ground advantage on. We weren't overly impressive but we got the points.

On the upside, form is temporary, good form can disappear in a week as can bad. I'd be much happier if we had a fit Tom Williams not having missed a game all season not to mention a fit Scott West, but not many teams get to September with their best 22 available. Geelong won the premiership last year without their All Australian CHB for the finals. If you want a precedent for sides that have not looked like winning it then surprised in September look at the Crows of 97-98 (as if we need reminding), the Swans of 05 who in the preliminary final, beat a St.Kilda side with a supposedly lethal forward line of talented tall targets including the unstoppable league glamour boy and no real tall backmen to speak of (sound familiar), then beat a more talented team in the GF on guts and determination. Or Brisbane of 01 when they played an Essendon side who were supposed to be a dynasty. Sure Geelong and Hawthorn are probably justifiably ahead of us in favouritism but essentially that doesn't mean jack shit. We'll be there in September with a double chance and the chance to write our own history.

[LostDoggy]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I agree with everything you have said. We are there and therefore we are a chance.

If we were heading into the finals on the back of the form against Brisbane and earlier I, like you, would be feeling very confident

My concern is that our form is a lot different to that displayed against Brisbane. I thought our tackling that day ws breath-taking as was our use of the ball through the centre corridor and hence the options going into the forward 50.

We are simply not playing with that flourish now and individual players are well down on form compared to then.

I am not disputing we have the talent, just saying we need to get back to the levels displayed then, to be a real candidate come September.

Also, I am not overwhelmed by Geelong who I see as a very good side but eminently beatable. Their overuse of the ball is reminiscent of Essendon 2001.

[The Underdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I agree with everything you have said. We are there and therefore we are a chance.

If we were heading into the finals on the back of the form against Brisbane and earlier I, like you, would be feeling very confident

My concern is that our form is a lot different to that displayed against Brisbane. I thought our tackling that day ws breath-taking as was our use of the ball through the centre corridor and hence the options going into the forward 50.

We are simply not playing with that flourish now and individual players are well down on form compared to then.

I am not disputing we have the talent, just saying we need to get back to the levels displayed then, to be a real candidate come September.

Also, I am not overwhelmed by Geelong who I see as a very good side but eminently beatable. Their overuse of the ball is reminiscent of Essendon 2001.

Again I agree with you. We aren't playing our best football at the moment, but I guess the point I was trying to make is that it doesn't necessarily mean that we can't get it back. Most of the problems you've mentioned (aside from a suitable matchup for Franklin/ reliable CHB), are problems of attitude, fitness and desire. If our fitness staff have got it right in the last few weeks then I believe we can run with any team. We've showed the persistence and desire in games like Adelaide, Hawthorn, Sydney (first time) and Brisbane. There seems to have been a drop off in the attitudes of certain players but hopefully the run into a finals series and the realisation that we can win this thing bring things back into focus.

[Topdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I agree with everything you have said. We are there and therefore we are a chance.

If we were heading into the finals on the back of the form against Brisbane and earlier I, like you, would be feeling very confident

My concern is that our form is a lot different to that displayed against Brisbane. I thought our tackling that day ws breath-taking as was our use of the ball through the centre corridor and hence the options going into the forward 50.

We are simply not playing with that flourish now and individual players are well down on form compared to then.

I am not disputing we have the talent, just saying we need to get back to the levels displayed then, to be a real candidate come September.

Also, I am not overwhelmed by Geelong who I see as a very good side but eminently beatable. Their overuse of the ball is reminiscent of Essendon 2001.

Do you not think that intensity might have dropped off as importance of games has become almost non existent?

BTW not sure why League doesn't get much of a mention but the following article may be of interest to you.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24139689-14823,00.html

[LostDoggy]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

Do you not think that intensity might have dropped off as importance of games has become almost non existent?

BTW not sure why League doesn't get much of a mention but the following article may be of interest to you.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...-14823,00.html

The theory of the Crows loading up in 97/98 continues to be bandied about but no mention is made of the complete failure of Crows teams in finals series since when they have gone in as one of the clear-cut favourites, undergone the same routine and been bundled out without giving a yelp.

We have been ordinary since Brisbane and have not been building up since then.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this. I've been waiting longer than most on this forum for Bulldog success but right now, I think we're struggling......and have been for sometime.

[Mantis]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

We have been ordinary since Brisbane and have not been building up since then.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this. I've been waiting longer than most on this forum for Bulldog success but right now, I think we're struggling......and have been for sometime.

I thought we turned the corner a bit last week. We were 4 goals down within 5 minutes against a pretty good team, ok they had a few missing, but in the space of 45 minutes we were 4 or 5 goals up and had played some pretty good footy to do so.

I would hope that we could use last weeks game as a bit of a platform such that we can ramp up our performance over the remaining 4 weeks. Sunday is a big test and I am hoping that we come to play.

[LostDoggy]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I thought we turned the corner a bit last week. We were 4 goals down within 5 minutes against a pretty good team, ok they had a few missing, but in the space of 45 minutes we were 4 or 5 goals up and had played some pretty good footy to do so.

I would hope that we could use last weeks game as a bit of a platform such that we can ramp up our performance over the remaining 4 weeks. Sunday is a big test and I am hoping that we come to play.

I agree we were marginally better last week but it was against a side which has lost 5 of its last 6 and without Goodes and O'Laughlin.

This week is definitely a sterner test. I would be happy to see us get through the game without the unforced errors which have crept into our game.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

I'm nervous/excited about the finals, but that is the natural state for a supporter of a team in second with 4 weeks to go to the finals.

We're in a very rare position of knowing for a long time in advance who we will be playing in the first week of the finals, and it is a match that is likely to decide Geelong's opponent in the GF.

Our recent form does not bother me in the slightest, but the continued absence of Tom Williams does. With him fit and ready for that qualifying final, i'd be very confident of beating the Hawks. Without him, I fear that their forward line might be too much for us.

I doubt that we can beat Geelong, but i'd sure like to be the club that gets to have a crack at them in the big one.

[Topdog]

Re: I Am Getting Very Nervous

The theory of the Crows loading up in 97/98 continues to be bandied about but no mention is made of the complete failure of Crows teams in finals series since when they have gone in as one of the clear-cut favourites, undergone the same routine and been bundled out without giving a yelp.

This one is on the storm aswell.

The Crows going down when they were favourites had more to do with injuries than anything else I thought.