The Run Home

[Bleeds_Red_&_Blue 172]

Good win yesterday against the dockers, now lets look at what challenges that face us for the rest of the season. We have 5.5 wins and 9 games left. Rule of thumb (give or take) you need 11 to make finals. Hence we need 6 out of 9 wins to almost cement our spot in the finals for the first time since 2006. Below is a list of our games and locations. Based on current form, injury list, depth, culture, the tendancies that is the Melbourne football club, what of these games will we win and which will we let slide? I have put my predictions below and reasons

Richmond Away G WIN we play tigers twice in 8 weeks .. we will win one of the 2

Doggies Away ES WIN questions will be raised at whether we can play ES, doggies are really out of form

BYE

Port Home TIO WIN port are useless and soft wont match up well against our midfield

Hawks Home G LOSS still too young, inexperienced, but will still give it a solid crack

Gellong Away Skilled LOSS see above

Carlton Away G LOSS see above although if we had a chance to beat a top 4 side.. it would be carlton but its wishful thinking

Eagles Home ES WIN very hopeful, watts to get 3 brownlow votes and syvia will kick 5 march us to the finals

Richmond Home G LOSS richmond will repent for losing to us round 14

Port Away AAMI WIN port will come at us hard but we will have too much to play for

thats 5 out of the last 9 games i think we'll win .. could scrape a spot in the F-word. MUST beat port twice. MUST play well at ES. MUST beat tigers at least once.

[Chook 15,012]

Richmond Away G WIN I honestly think we're a better side than Richmond, and can't see us losing

Doggies Away ES LOSS Etihad...need I say more?

BYE

Port Home TIO WIN The Brotherhood up at TIO should get us over the line.

Hawks Home G LOSS The start of a crazy-hard four week run. If we can win any of the next four games, we're right in there with a chance. I rate this one as our hardest, given that we suck against Hawthorn

Gellong Away Skilled LOSS Unlikely to still be "up" after all this time, I'm predicting a close game, given our similar playing styles

Carlton Away G LOSS Carlton seem to have our number, but we'll be breathing fire for this game. Definitely not "bruise-free" footy.

Eagles Home ES LOSS This is the pivotal game. Playing against a side who works the press very well (something we cannot deal with) at a ground we can't play at. Huge game

Richmond Home G WIN

Port Away AAMI LOSS Have you noticed where this is being played? Port Adelaide may have totally put the cue in the rack by this time, though.

I only give us three certainties, but I could easily see us winning against the Dogs, WCE and Port Adelaide the second time, which would put us on 11.5 wins. I doubt this would get us into the Eight.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Chook

[No16 1]

We may be there and about but will probably play out like last year where we need to win against the Eagles at Etihad (Hawks at the G last year) to stay in touch with a chance but will lose and fall short of 8th or 7th.

[DemonWA 3,932]

Richmond Away G WIN

Doggies Away ES Loss

Port Home TIO WIN

Hawks Home G LOSS

Gellong Away Skilled LOSS

Carlton Away G LOSS

Eagles Home ES LOSS

Richmond Home G WIN

Port Away AAMI WIN

the only winable games IMO are against port and tigers (both times). We struggle big time against teams who play with a full press, and thats why we wont beat the Eagles, even at the G

Might jag a win aginst the Dogs, would be confident if it was at the G

[Disco Demons 92]

Could playing for a spot in the finals be the thing that finally brings some consistency?

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Toiges G Win

Doggies ES Win

Port TIO Win

Hawks G Loss

Cats SS Loss

Boos G Loss

Eagles ES Win

Toiges G Win

Port AMII Win

Next week will tell all. Im also convinced we can beat the Richmond. Their fickle crowd will be down on them if we can get a good start. We are starting ok now. A good win here will set us up for the tired doggies after they come back from a closer than expected game up north against gold coast for what will be our first win at EH since i think we beat the doggies there a few years back?? We can beat Port at TIO. Brothers in arms. Any poor showings in these 3 games and there is no point making the 8. Three wins on the trot brings us to the Dawks. This could be a close one but at this stage i would have to predict a loss. Loss to the cats at SS probably goes without saying however a good performance sets us up for the grudge match against the Boos with a close to full strength side unlike last time we played them. Tapscott gets to play some bruise free stuff here. A crunching game and a good loss (if theres such a thing) sets us up against the eagles and having won at EH against the doggies in round 15 gives us great hope to remedy the loss in the West last time. A win here sets us up for Richmond who by this stage will be finishing out of the eight and have nothing to play for. Which brings us to our last game against Port for what will be a memorable win at AMII. Making the eight will probably come down to how the cards fall. WE may still rue the draw against Sydney.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Wadda We Sing

[Striker475 696]

you missed the Cold Toast game

[Friday 71]

Richmond Away G WIN

Doggies Away ES WIN

Port Home TIO WIN

Hawks Home G WIN

Gellong Away Skilled WIN

Carlton Away G WIN

Eagles Home ES WIN

Richmond Home G WIN

Port Away AAMI WIN

Yep. Lock it in.

That's what i'll be tipping anyway

[titan_uranus 24,980]

1) You're missing the Gold Coast game.

2) There's already a thread on this.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,027]

I notice nobody has actually looked at the fixture when posting on this thread. Interesting. Of the ten games left to us, I can see the following:

Tigers - mcg - 50/50

Bulldogs - es - 50/50

bye

Power - tio - Win

Hawks - mcg - Loss

Cats - ss - Loss

Blues - mcg Loss

Eagles - es - Loss

Tigers - mcg - Win

Suns - mcg - Win

Power - as - Win

I can't see us dropping one to Port. They're just playing such bad football right now. I think the Tigers are on a really good run at the moment, so next week is doubtful, but I think we'll come home with a lot of momentum and roll them later in the season, particularly after the run of losses against top sides. the four game loosing streak is against the probable top four, a really harsh draw. Suns at the G we should win, although they will see it as a possible upset and will hit us hard.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

6 wins of nine will get us in, mostly because the other games are often those mid-rage teams all against each other... ie, Essendon v Richmond, Saints v Freo etc...

[DeeSpencer 25,499]

We have to win the next 3 to be any chance. Do that and then I might get interested.

Massive game against the Tigers on Saturday.

[rpfc 28,267]

6 wins of nine will get us in, mostly because the other games are often those mid-rage teams all against each other... ie, Essendon v Richmond, Saints v Freo etc...

6 of 10.

[Sir Why You Little 36,989]

Could playing for a spot in the finals be the thing that finally brings some consistency?

You make a good point.

At least from this week onwards the destiny of the MFC this year is in their own hands.

If the hunger is strong enough to play hard as a team and run for each other, regardless of what the opposition do, we are a chance to make it.

From 6th spot down all clubs have their weaknesses.

It all depends on how fit and how hard the boys can work.

[Bruce Almighty 0]

i did the predicter on AFL website and i had us on 11 wins which gave us 8 spots considering results of other games i entered, interestingly saints were 7th and richmond were ninth again lol.

It is a good tool to use.

[Sir Why You Little 36,989]

i did the predicter on AFL website and i had us on 11 wins which gave us 8 spots considering results of other games i entered, interestingly saints were 7th and richmond were ninth again lol.

It is a good tool to use.

Who did you have as 5th??

[Striker475 696]

Ladder predictor, put us in 7th (12-1-11) but a game and a half clear of 8th (Freo). We'd bloody have to travel to WA though

[Samsara 65]

We won't make finals, still not quite there yet.

[Sir Why You Little 36,989]

Ladder predictor, put us in 7th (12-1-11) but a game and a half clear of 8th (Freo). We'd bloody have to travel to WA though

7th plays 6th...who is in 6th?? a victorian side??

[Bruce Almighty 0]

Who did you have as 5th??

LOL West Coast - so trip to subi in first final, saints v swans was the other elimination final

[Sir Why You Little 36,989]

LOL West Coast - so trip to subi in first final, saints v swans was the other elimination final

Bugger, we cannot have the Perth sides finish in that order

I WON'T HAVE IT!!!!!

[Striker475 696]

7th plays 6th...who is in 6th?? a victorian side??

WA side, and I said Freo are 8th. There's only one of those.

Ended up

Geelong

Collingwood

Carlton

Hawthorn

Sydney

WC

Melbourne

Fremantle

St Kilda

Richmond

North

Essendon

Bulldogs

Adelaide

Lions

Port

GC

Edited June 20, 2011 by Striker475

[dee-luded 2,959]

Cliche's anyone? a weeks a long time in ?????? One week at a ???? Lets keep a lid on ??

Carlton - LOSS

Dons - WIN

Pies - LOSS

DOCK'S - WIN

Tiges - ???

[Rogue 585]

We won't make finals, still not quite there yet.

It's true that we're 'not quite there yet', but we have a soft draw so anything can happen. We won't do much if we do make it, though.

[45HG 1,539]

Those ladder predictors do my head in.

I don't think our draw is "soft" - if the Dogs game and the Eagles games were at the G I'd be feeling pretty good.

It's not necessarily over if we lose on Saturday (I think we'll win) but it'd be borderline.

As it's been the whole way through this season, however, it's still about performance and developing players. I think making finals would be a nice bonus. Personally, I think we'll fall just short but wouldn't be suprised if we make it.