The End of the World

[soupman]

This is not it.

Our top 4 hopes may be over, but can we still have a good go at it from 5th or 6th? I think we can.

The last two seasons we have finished top four and lost the first week, won the second against sub par opposition and then giving the Preliminary Final a red hot crack.

By finishing 5th or 6th, we can play (and beat) the likes of Brisbane, Carlton or whomever, come into the second week of finals against a failed top four side that most probably had a much tougher game, and then potentially go into a Preliminary Final in which we should be able to give them a real run for their money.

From this point forth we should be building towards finals. Callan Ward and Shaun Higgins back in the side and with match fitness will greatly improve us. Easton Wood will only get better. Brad Johnson will hopefully be fit.

Top four isn't the be all and end all, Adelaide have done it from outside the four before and I believe we can stil do it.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: The End of the World

Adelaide have done it from outside the four before and I believe we can stil do it.

Under the old final 8 system though, right? Very tough if you don't finish top 4.

[soupman]

Re: The End of the World

Under the old final 8 system though, right? Very tough if you don't finish top 4.

I don't think it's impossible though. I reckon we would have lost the first game anyway as per the last two years, and this way at least we have winning momentum.

[DOG GOD]

Re: The End of the World

But what we dont want Soupaman is to finish out of the 4 (now we will), win week 1 and have to go to perth to play freo in an elimination coz i know my money wouldnt be on the dogs.

Our fwd line looks as dysfunctional as i have seen it in rockets time to be honest. Has Hall really helped things, or is it just that players like Hahn, Higgins, Hill, Aker and Johnno are having pretty poor seasons overall.

We have a "fairly" har run coming up. Only a few games on a platter so it might even be difficult to make the 8...havent done the sums yet.

I'm hopeful, but losing to the Saints, Pies, bombers and Hawks by a combined 26 pts has not helped our position. Shouldve won all 4 really.

[soupman]

Re: The End of the World

Well really it comes down to the whole "glass half full" thing.

I think that those close games say we are good enough, we just haven't clicked yet.

And as for the Freo trip, I think whilst that is a big possibility we could very well pull it ot of our arse.

All I'm saying is that finishing outside the 4 isn't necessarily as terrible as we may think.

[LostDoggy]

Re: The End of the World

Soupa - like your style - let's all keep the faith!

[Remi Moses]

Re: The End of the World

Personally the whole glass half full and positivety is all good but let's be honest cannot win it out of the top4!We've had our chances this year and we've bottled it.

[The Pie Man]

Re: The End of the World

Slight tangent from the OP, but it was great to see Rocket on BTG tonight in good spirits and having a laugh - reminds me that they're not there saving lives are they?

[LostDoggy]

Re: The End of the World

Also if we did finish 4th we would proabably play Geelong anyway :P

[The Coon Dog]

Re: The End of the World

Also if we did finish 4th we would proabably play Geelong anyway :P

At least we'd then be assured of playing our next game in Melbourne, regardless of the Geelong result.

[Ozza]

Re: The End of the World

At least we'd then be assured of playing our next game in Melbourne, regardless of the Geelong result.

Indeed tcd. We have made it extremely hard.

The thing that worries most is that when it gets hard we don't seem to have anyone that can genuinely stand up and win it. For years our guys relied on johnno to just step up and will us over the line- on Friday night you could just sense hawthorn and hodge wanted it so much more.

We get told all the time by rocket that the dogs are a spirited bunch- I just haven't seen that in the same way this year .

[LostDoggy]

Re: The End of the World

Say the ladder finished as;

Geelong/Stkilda, Collingwood, Fremantle, Bulldogs

Which is highly possible. We then go onto beat the team thats 8th. Would we play the loser of Geelong/Freo or StKilda/Collingwood? would the advantage of not playing freo in Perth be the 5th or 6th position?

[The Pie Man]

Re: The End of the World

Say the ladder finished as;

Geelong/Stkilda, Collingwood, Fremantle, Bulldogs

Which is highly possible. We then go onto beat the team thats 8th. Would we play the loser of Geelong/Freo or StKilda/Collingwood? would the advantage of not playing freo in Perth be the 5th or 6th position?

Loser of Geelong & Freo

Interesting question (getting way ahead of myself as usual)

Potential semi - Freo in Perth or Collingwood in Melbourne

I'd take the Pies...we couldn't lose to them 3 times in a row could we?

[Happy Days]

Re: The End of the World

Are we neccesarily done?

Our run home is pretty good;

- Carlton @ Etihad
- Port @ TIO
- Freo @ Etihad
- North @ Etihad
- Adelaide @ AAMI
- Geelong @ Etihad
- Sydney @ SCG
- Essendon @ Etihad

Of these games, the only one we would think we would lose, when looking at these games in isolation, is the Geelong one. We've travelled pretty well to AAMI over the last two seasons, same goes for the SCG.

Say we win 7 out of 8, is it not feasible that Freo, having just lost their best midfielder and with tired young legs, could lose 3 of the next 8? We've said all along that we needed 7 of 9, I don't see why that changes having dropped the first one.

[The Pie Man]

Re: The End of the World

^^^

It's worth looking at Freo's run home while considering this.

vs Richmond @ Etihad
vs Melb @ Subi
us
The Derby
vs North @ Etihad
vs Syd @ Subi
vs Dawks in Tas
and Carlton at home

Let's see how inuries impact them, but on current form, I reckon we fall short of them by a game.