40 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Saturday nights going to be an anti climax  if North beat Hawthorn.

 

They won't

i have a feeling we will get the next two games and quite possibly get up to win a super close one in geelong, to finish on a roll with 5/5..but we'll probably miss out on the 8 due to %. it's so hard not to think about our loss to essendon earlier this year, out of all the losses, that's the one that hurt the most. 

1 hour ago, Rocky said:

i have a feeling we will get the next two games and quite possibly get up to win a super close one in geelong, to finish on a roll with 5/5..but we'll probably miss out on the 8 due to %. it's so hard not to think about our loss to essendon earlier this year, out of all the losses, that's the one that hurt the most. 

Yes, but it was also the one that gave the whole group a kick up its collective bum. 

3 minutes ago, Undeeterred said:

Yes, but it was also the one that gave the whole group a kick up its collective bum. 

good point. surprisingly, i hadn't thought about that, ha

the stupid thing about the Essendon game was we were on a run including the preseason of the first 4 games albeit the Doggies were undermanned. They just got to cocky and didn't put in on the day. Essendon was up as well with the whole bs walk to the G stuff. I would love to play them again today!

19 hours ago, Ricky P said:

I'm sorry, but I disagree wholeheartedly with this! After 10 dismal, heartbreaking years you don't want to make the finals because we might get done!?!?!?

We have absolutely nothing to fear from whichever team comes fifth. They will be fearing us! 

I wonder how you'd go about telling Nathan Jones or Jack Viney that they should just aim for ninth this year!

Of course I would love to make finals, and wouldn't be the least bit upset if we made it and got done, but I am just as happy going into pre-season knowing that next year we can not just make the finals, but also win one, maybe even a couple. 

Realistically we are just not top 8 material, if we make it this year, it will be barely, and on the back of some teams dropping off badly due to injuries. 

Long term, making it this year or not, is going to mean very little. The damage will be done by us, in finals, for many years to come. 

Sad reality is we are good enough for finals this season.  Dropping games against the saints and the bummers killed any chance we had. Winnable games must be won if you want to play finals footy.

10 hours ago, monoccular said:

One week at a time   

We would need to do what we haven't done for ages: win five on the trot  

Not saying we can't, just that we need to  

I was going to pose the same question.  

Eight on the trot

58 minutes ago, willmoy said:

Eight on the trot

I'd prefer 9 if it's all the same to you!

8 hours ago, AdamFphlebeb said:

I'd rather dream of doing a Hawthorn next year and pinching one.

I'm dreaming of both!

1 hour ago, Adzman said:

Sad reality is we are good enough for finals this season.  Dropping games against the saints and the bummers killed any chance we had. Winnable games must be won if you want to play finals footy.

90% of the time if you're good enough for finals then you make it, that we dropped the games against Essendon and the Saints shows we are probably not quite there yet. 

The way this feels is similar to what Richmond had last year (I think?) where they had a terrible start to the year and all the Richmond faithful kept on about was that they were still a mathematical chance to make finals. They went on a crazy run of wins and got help with some out there results from other games and snuck in. And then went on to be humiliated by Port in the first week.

I'm content that we are where we are, we're better than all the teams below us for sure and are pretty much on level pegging with Port, St Kilda, and I would probably include North in that now. Next year we have a great opportunity to go ahead of those teams, the ingredients are all there. As for finals this year, if it happens; amazing. If not; no big deal.

 

Happy enough that even a statistical chance allows this thread to go to four pages this late in the year,.

I just did a ladder predictor and ended up with us playing Sydney in the Grand Final, am I getting ahead of myself?

14 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I just did a ladder predictor and ended up with us playing Sydney in the Grand Final, am I getting ahead of myself?

No, if anything it sounds like you need to finish the job.  Do we win?

23 minutes ago, Nasher said:

No, if anything it sounds like you need to finish the job.  Do we win?

We'll have to wait until October 1st to find out, I'm not that good.

Of the last three games, I think Port Adelaide will be the biggest challenge.

On 8/8/2016 at 4:06 PM, Undeeterred said:

Yes, but it was also the one that gave the whole group a kick up its collective bum. 

Did it?  I'm sure it hurt the group, but we've had several other poor performances since.  The consistency and appreciation of the effort that is always required to win games is still a work in progress.  Maybe the win on Saturday has changed that, or maybe it was just one of the many highs (and lows) along the journey.

20 minutes ago, S_T said:

Did it?  I'm sure it hurt the group, but we've had several other poor performances since.  The consistency and appreciation of the effort that is always required to win games is still a work in progress.  Maybe the win on Saturday has changed that, or maybe it was just one of the many highs (and lows) along the journey.

So has every team in the league. It happens. Top of the ladder Hawks will say the same thing about the weekend if they win the flag. 

1 hour ago, Clint Bizkit said:

I just did a ladder predictor and ended up with us playing Sydney in the Grand Final, am I getting ahead of myself?

Roosy would love it! What a way to go out. 

On August 8, 2016 at 10:35 AM, mauriesy said:

It's hard to make up 9% in the last three rounds, so I expect we'd just miss anyway.

North play Hawks, Adelaide and GWS.  Hawks have to win to finish top 4, for Adelaide and GWS % is critical.  North are stumbling and could lose both by 10 goals, drop 5-6% then we only need to pick up 3%.

2 hours ago, hells bells said:

North play Hawks, Adelaide and GWS.  Hawks have to win to finish top 4, for Adelaide and GWS % is critical.  North are stumbling and could lose both by 10 goals, drop 5-6% then we only need to pick up 3%.

I have the same feeling i had in '87. 

We just might sneak in the side door this year

i hope the players all (as one) make a committment to each other to leave nothing in the tank for these last 3 games. 

9 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I have the same feeling i had in '87. 

We just might sneak in the side door this year

i hope the players all (as one) make a committment to each other to leave nothing in the tank for these last 3 games. 

which ever way it goes its a great platform for 17. Just missing may even be better than just scraping in and getting murdered in a final. As much as Id love that fairy tale I really dont think we're ready this year to do any damage. Theres no retiring robbie to lift the side on the ground  and no Grinter types down back. Just missing would make everyone feel they "could have" and bust a gut over the summer. But happy days...3 rounds to go and we're still in the season instead of arguing about who our first draft pick is going to be. 

3 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

which ever way it goes its a great platform for 17. Just missing may even be better than just scraping in and getting murdered in a final. As much as Id love that fairy tale I really dont think we're ready this year to do any damage. Theres no retiring robbie to lift the side on the ground  and no Grinter types down back. Just missing would make everyone feel they "could have" and bust a gut over the summer. But happy days...3 rounds to go and we're still in the season instead of arguing about who our first draft pick is going to be. 

Would be great for the "Retiring" Roos to coach a final or 2

Nobody except Demon Supporters thought would beat Nought in '87 either...

25 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

which ever way it goes its a great platform for 17. Just missing may even be better than just scraping in and getting murdered in a final.

Not specifically targeting you Wells but there's been a bit of this sentiment around. Forget for a second the financial and future membership benefits of playing in a final and those further unquantifiable aspects in terms of experience and belief etc., and just examine the contention that we'd be simply making up the numbers in the event of an unlikely finals' birth.

Of the current 8, we were done by Sydney in atrocious conditions away and couldn't match it with a still inexperienced Bulldogs side prior to their more serious string of injuries. We've beaten two of the top four in GWS and the Hawks, gave the latter a decent run in our previous fixture, and were within a couple of goals in the final quarter against Adelaide. An errant kick from defeating North in Tassie, and under a goal against the Eagles away while hammering them in the stats. In our last match-up we beat Geelong at Kardinia, a team that despite improvements has shown it is still vulnerable against lesser sides.

These teams will be tougher come finals time, but if we do make it, we'll be going in with a full head of steam and I wouldn't discount us as mere fodder. We could also get lucky with a de facto 'home' fixture against Geelong or Western in an elimination final.

Prediction: North or St Kilda will win on the weekend and put this thread to bed.

1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I have the same feeling i had in '87. 

We just might sneak in the side door this year

i hope the players all (as one) make a committment to each other to leave nothing in the tank for these last 3 games. 

That's the big thing, outside chance of finals aside I'd like the boys to go out there for the last few rounds thinking that this is their finals series. Play each game like it means everything to them and use it as a platform for next year.

2 hours ago, Pates said:

That's the big thing, outside chance of finals aside I'd like the boys to go out there for the last few rounds thinking that this is their finals series. Play each game like it means everything to them and use it as a platform for next year.

Yep and you never know what might happen. 

The 'G would be rocking hard if the Demons scraped in. 

The AFL would love it