IF it's the hope that kills you...

[mighty_west]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

We haven't been sub-par 2 weeks in a row all season. Every time we've turned in a poor one we have immediately responded:

* R1 uncompetitive v Melb followed by 8 goal smashing of GC
* Bad loss to Essendon following by towelling up St Kilda
* Hawk implosion followed by destruction of Richmond then comprehensively beating GWS on their home deck
* Brisbane home loss followed by 11 goal hammering of Freo

It would be a significant outlier in 2024 if we didn't respond appropriately this week.

This is actually a really good point, we have bounced back each time after a loss , we haven't just limped over the line but hammered our opponents, to me that shows something, something we haven't seen over the past few seasons and i know we all focus on our own team but it's the trend this season for all of the top 12 sides, the AFL crave a strong even comp, they finally have one, even the cellar dwellers aren't that bad, yeah ok you can pencil Richmond in with a win but they've also had many injuries most weeks.

I'm at a point now where that i know our team can be the best team in the comp and is still developing in some parts especially the forward line, we play like that and we beat anyone anywhere, Geelong at Geelong who own us at Kardinia, Swans in Sydney have looked unstoppable most games at the SCG, i'm also pretty confident we will only better in the following years to come.

[SonofScray]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

We'll be OK.

Its not beyond us to choke across two games, but I think the boys have out together enough good football for that to be an unlikely occurrence.

Agree with Sedat, mostly, in that this team is arriving at similar ends by different means and the means are a lot more palatable than they have been the previous two years. I'm expecting us to get there, and do something.

Ruling out a full scale collapse.

Not ruling out a final campaign akin to the GWS 2019 and Freo 2023 shameful finals losses.
Likewise, believe a 2016, 2021 run at it can't be ruled out either.


Earlier in the year, desperate for change and fed up with the hamster wheel Bevo has built, I said flag or bust. Now I'm thinking finals and a good win plus, a strong performance in the second week and see what happens.

[mjp]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

We haven't been sub-par 2 weeks in a row all season. Every time we've turned in a poor one we have immediately responded:

...no argument from me...that's not what I'm saying.

If our plan is to lose next week vs the Giants, I would just prefer that we lost this week and that way I could go about my life a week earlier. Like I said, if it's the hope that kills you - well, let's just shoot Bambi now.

[Mantis]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

...no argument from me...that's not what I'm saying.

If our plan is to lose next week vs the Giants, I would just prefer that we lost this week and that way I could go about my life a week earlier. Like I said, if it's the hope that kills you - well, let's just shoot Bambi now.

Why would they be confident in beating us?

We've won 5 of our last 6 against GWS with the only one being last year at Ballarat when we played them off the park until injuries hobbled us.

They won't be beating us.

[jeemak]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

This is a very strange thread.

[GVGjr]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

This is a very strange thread.

I was getting George and Jerry vibes about hope.

[GVGjr]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

Those wins increased people's expectations on the season and the loss last week inserted a level of doubt back in many supporters.
It's all part of the roller coaster ride that many Western Bulldog supporters have gotten used to.

[Grantysghost]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

I also prefer it to be over this week.

Winning from outside the top 4 doesn't happen and last week was the game we had to change what we've done previously to finally give ourselves every opportunity to make the top 4.

Unfortunately what we have here is Schrodinger's Top 4. As soon as you look in the box it's dead.

As MJP alluded too, that stretch after half time last week was abysmal, we had nothing. Mentally just still recovering from 21.

I think we will scrape over the line this week, we've had our 4 weeks of mania that luckily happened in September/October in 16 when Bevo goes to the mattresses and pulls something magical from somewhere.

Anyone that thinks we will easily account for GWS hasn't watched them play of late. They are my flag favs atm and will get Kelly and Coniglio back.

I had expectation for exactly one week this year.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

FWIW, Carlton will beat West Coast this week, but that is for another thread...

Back to the OP, if it all comes crumbling down what change should there be? The only leaver left is a high-profile player or the coach.

I told everyone at work that Carlton and Essendon were overrated and would miss finals when they sat at 2nd and 3rd

-AND-

I locked in my tips that Carlton would lose to WC before their 1 million injuries.

More than ever before I can?t see how they beat WC in Perth.

[Mantis]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

Anyone that thinks we will easily account for GWS hasn't watched them play of late. They are my flag favs atm and will get Kelly and Coniglio back.

Besides kicking straight for goal what has caught your eye with them?

For pretty much every KPI they're bottom 6 but are winning due to a potentially unsustainable conversion rate which includes scores of 18.8, 17.6 (12.12), 14.5 (6.14), 13.7 (12.11) & 13.4 (8.16) in their recent run of wins. (Opposition scores in brackets)

They're frauds.

[Grantysghost]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

Besides kicking straight for goal what has caught your eye with them?

For pretty much every KPI they're bottom 6 but are winning due to a potentially unsustainable conversion rate which includes scores of 18.8, 17.6 (12.12), 14.5 (6.14), 13.7 (12.11) & 13.4 (8.16) in their recent run of wins. (Opposition scores in brackets)

They're frauds.

#1 pressure team in the comp. Best key forward. Awesome midfield, great defence. How are they frauds?

They just beat the premiership favourites on their home deck.

Granted it's a tight year and anything can happen but they are clearly a good side.

[Bornadog]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

Those wins increased people's expectations on the season and the loss last week inserted a level of doubt back in many supporters.
It's all part of the roller coaster ride that many Western Bulldog supporters have gotten used to.

We have won 9 of our last 13 matches - fairly consistent since the start of the year when we went 3 wins 5 losses. including two losses by 4 points and 7 points.

[Sedat]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

Besides kicking straight for goal what has caught your eye with them?

For pretty much every KPI they're bottom 6 but are winning due to a potentially unsustainable conversion rate which includes scores of 18.8, 17.6 (12.12), 14.5 (6.14), 13.7 (12.11) & 13.4 (8.16) in their recent run of wins. (Opposition scores in brackets)

They're frauds.

Yep, they have been incredibly efficient which is not sustainable over the course of a 3-4 week finals campaign, where there is a lot of dirty ball. They are dangerous with their movement from D50 to F50, and they also have the best contested mark in the competition who is clunking them within 30m of goal (hence the high conversion efficiency). They are way too Hogan-reliant at the moment though.

[Axe Man]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

#1 pressure team in the comp. Best key forward. Awesome midfield, great defence. How are they frauds?

They just beat the premiership favourites on their home deck.

Granted it's a tight year and anything can happen but they are clearly a good side.

They are going well but Brisbane should never have lost that game. 4.7 to 0.1 at quarter time - the game should have been over. Hawthorn were thoroughly outplaying them a couple of weeks back before they inexplicably stopped in the last quarter and GWS ran them down. Lose those 2 games and they teetering on the edge of the 8. They certainly seem to finish games well.

[Bornadog]

Re: IF it's the hope that kills you...

They are going well but Brisbane should never have lost that game. 4.7 to 0.1 at quarter time - the game should have been over. Hawthorn were thoroughly outplaying them a couple of weeks back before they inexplicably stopped in the last quarter and GWS ran them down. Lose those 2 games and they teetering on the edge of the 8. They certainly seem to finish games well.

Lose the next two and GWS could be out of the 8 depending on % and other results - that is how close this year is