I did an experiment on AFL.com ladder predictor...  I had us losing the next 3 and slipping to 8-8.

And we were still 7th on the ladder.

Moral of the story is that at 8-5 with a very nice % we are extremely well placed to make finals, and if we keep up recent form we will finish top 4.

Only the MFC of old could screw this up!  Lets pray we really have turned the corner.

6 minutes ago, Chook said:

Of course. The reality bus hit us pretty damn hard in 2007, round 1 with those injuries and that massive loss. But up until then it was SWEET being the best side in Victoria...

Was that a universal opinion back then or just Mike Sheahan's view?

i honestly don't remember that hype. I do remember a lot of debate and angst on here over ND Preseason. 

After the 2006 Loss to Freo in September i knew we were done. Nieta was almost out of gas...

55 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

All this, and Carlton in two weeks...

Here it comes... heeeere it coooooomes....

 

DISQUALIFIED!

its exciting but its only round 14 peeps....theres a loooooong way to go. If we lose a few we could finish up 11 or 12th.  Calm finishing in  tight games and a bit of luck will make or break teams this year. the margin between heart ache and joy has never been as thin. Im not counting chickens...and I wish the media wouldn't either. 

I reckon Wattsy's goal against the Filth was the moment. 

If you watch that last Q again, the TEAM worked so hard after halftime and J Watts kicking that immense sealer was when it all clicked. 

We have played 10 good quarters since that Half time now, the players know what to do. A game can be won in the last 10 seconds, we shouldn't have won in Perth. But we did. They now know what they should have done earlier in the year. 

Goodwin looks like he is sleeping well, that's good enough for me....

9 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Was that a universal opinion back then or just Mike Sheahan's view?

i honestly don't remember that hype. I do remember a lot of debate and angst on here over ND Preseason. 

After the 2006 Loss to Freo in September i knew we were done. Nieta was almost out of gas...

I wouldn't know about the Demonland perception (I joined at the end of the 2007 season. It's been nearly 10 years for me on this site now), but I think elsewhere everyone was pretty bullish about Melbourne. I know I sure was.

5 minutes ago, Chook said:

I wouldn't know about the Demonland perception (I joined at the end of the 2007 season. It's been nearly 10 years for me on this site now), but I think elsewhere everyone was pretty bullish about Melbourne. I know I sure was.

Interesting how different perceptions are out there. Our list looked to me, tired and average after 2006, i hated what happened, but it didn't suprise me. What did suprise me was how quickly it all crashed in all departments. 

2017 is reminding me Big Time of 1998, except this time the list is better, which is why i got angry earlier this year. I thought we had blown it, but Goodwin said something at Half Time of QB that worked. 

2 hours ago, Dees2014 said:

Watching OTC tonight, the most authoritative show on TV are saying we will get at least to the second last game.

How bloody exciting!

It would only be exciting if their votes counted.

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you view it we have another 9 games to go where the scoreboard will be the ultimate judge.

Followed by some finals with a bit of luck.

We are up way early, but after dropping a couple of close ones early we needed to be. Maintaining our form will be hard to do, but if we can keep winning and get luck with injuries you never know. It's the timing of having your best team available, fit and in form for those four weeks when it really counts. Many teams can win it, at least we are counted amongst those that are in with a show.

2 hours ago, Dees2014 said:

Watching OTC tonight, the most authoritative show on TV are saying we will get at least to the second last game.

How bloody exciting!

wont get there this year

1 hour ago, Cards13 said:

Exactly. Injuries and the bounce of the ball. We are still a year off truely being a contender, I think we'll run out of gas right at the end. 

Loving what we are doing so far in a very even season. 

I agree with your first point but not your second. You take your chances when they come and we are right into this season up to our necks. Who knows what happens next year, this year we have a team that can win it all.

We'd need to get close to our best team on the park in the run into the finals, and then be able to keep them there.

7 minutes ago, bing181 said:

We'd need to get close to our best team on the park in the run into the finals, and then be able to keep them there.

Part of the reason I reckon the club is being extra cautious with injury rehab times - it seems that way to me anyway.

We're going to wear a few defeats between now and the end of the H&A but if we're fit and firing come finals time look out.

Hopefully I'll be chewing through my frequent flyer points with trips to Melbourne.

4 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

'98 we had a real good side, but G Lyon's back was gone.....

98' we could have done it without Lyon. But got stitched up by the AFL's Friday-night deal with the Kangas. Three of their last four H&A games in the slot, followed by their QF and then prelim against us, while we didn't have one all year. Our final round fixture was a Sunday. Then the QF and Semi on a Saturday, and copped the Prelim on a six-day break against the under-lights specialists. The only upside? I think it cost North the flag.

Some on here have criticised my optimism. Consider this as our finals team:

 

FB:       Jetta.          TMac.        Frost

HB.      Salem.         OMac     Hibberd

CC.     Petracca.     Jones.     Hunt

HF.      Watts.          Pedo.     Brayshaw 

FF       Garlett.        Hogan.    Hannah

 

Foll.    Gawn.    Oliver.     Viney

 

Interchange.     Lewis.  Tyson   Vince.   Neal-Bullen

 

Emerg:  Melsham Stretch Harmes

 

 

I reckon that is a side at least capable of prelim finals. I know we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but.......

 

10 minutes ago, Dees2014 said:

Some on here have criticised my optimism. Consider this as our finals team:

 

FB:       Jetta.          TMac.        Frost

HB.      Salem.         OMac     Hibberd

CC.     Petracca.     Jones.     Hunt

HF.      Watts.          Pedo.     Brayshaw 

FF       Garlett.        Hogan.    Hannah

 

Foll.    Gawn.    Oliver.     Viney

 

Interchange.     Lewis.  Tyson   Vince.   Neal-Bullen

 

Emerg: Neal-Bullen.   Melsham Stretch Harmes

 

 

I reckon that is a side at least capable of prelim finals. I know we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but.......

 

ANB's excitement about making his first grand final will be tempered by the news that he has just missed out on a spot.

He could at least say he is feeling unwell and that the emergency should play.Which should make him feel better immediately .Then he could take his own place in the team and his other self would then be bitterly disappointed but also happy that his spot at least went to someone who deserved it.

 

4 minutes ago, Biffen said:

ANB's excitement about making his first grand final will be tempered by the news that he has just missed out on a spot.

He could at least say he is feeling unwell and that the emergency should play.Which should make him feel better immediately .Then he could take his own place in the team and his other self would then be bitterly disappointed but also happy that his spot at least went to someone who deserved it.

 

Neal plays one half

Bullen the other

The hyphen...? Maybe half time entertainment. It couldn't be worse than Meatloaf.

2 minutes ago, Uncle Fester said:

Neal plays one half

Bullen the other

The hyphen...? Maybe half time entertainment. It couldn't be worse than Meatloaf.

Tom Oliver ,Hannath,Peterson and Hibbard will have to step aside as well.

9 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

10 years is a long time. ND did all he could

when Byron came back from holidays in 07 twice the size i knew it was all over. 

If Jakovich had lasted the entire '94 season, Well who knows....

'98 we had a real good side, but G Lyon's back was gone.....

Imo 94 was the best team we had of all our finals years from 87-2006. All those young ones from the 87 and 88 sides had reached their peak and reached an age where we should have contested for the flag. Unfortunately injuries plagued the likes of Tingay, Charles, Lyon, Jakovich. We lost so much fire power so quickly over the years. It's actually no surprise we bounced back in 1998 bevause we had a fit side for once, although we lost Neitz for 10 weeks with a broken ankle. 1994's team was built for finals and it showed against Carlton and the Bulldogs.

9 hours ago, Clint Bizkit said:

All year the media have tried to pigeonhole teams but it's the most even season in living memory with multiple upsets every week making them look stupid.

As well as we are playing now we could just as easily have lost to Collingwood and West Coast.

It's such a crazy season, just enjoy the ride.

Could have, should have, would have.........Freo, Richmond, Hawthorn, even North and Cats could have been wins too.......and no points for the bye when clearly we were the better team. 

In London, visiting the better halves family, have a bit of time to kill so im thinking I might just add my two bobs worth, which, like everyone else on here means jack [censored] at the end of the day, but oh well, here I go...

Firstly, I love this club and getting on the websites to check the scores with my two young lads in recent weeks (bulldogs and eagles) have been highlights of my fatherhood.  [censored] we have been excited when we check the scores.  Nervous as [censored]...

Drawing out the moment before we press the enter button on afl.com.  "You ready boys, I'm gonna press it",

"No, hang on dad (the eight year old sucks in a few big deep breaths like a woman doing breathing exercises in labour), righto do it.."

"Geez i'm nervous lads, I'd love to be 7/5 (Bulldogs game), we need to be 7/5, we gotta seperate ourselves a bit from this middle pack"   I say.

"Just press it Dad Press it" says the four and a bit year old. 

I hit enter.  A moment passes as we scan across the match centre scores.  Bang! there it is.

"We [censored] smashed em, we've [censored] smashed them...Holy [censored]...sorry for swearing boys but bloody hell, we've smashed them!!"  We go off.  Jump up and down like idiots.  The four and half year old gets belted accidently in the process..  "Sorry mate, you right?  Come here you little champion, you'll be alright mate, Daddy loves ya and daddy loves the mighty demons"  

Six days later...

"I reckon the game should be done by now boys lets check the scores  Now don't get to excited fellas lets remember two of our best players aren't playing, its in WA and and its hard for even the best teams to win over there, Big Maxy is back but its still a big ask.  We havent won 3 in a row for ages so lets just keep it in check.  But we're tough this year, we are hard to beat.  8 and 5 would be handy though and West Coast are soft at the end of the day...Come on you good things.  Ready?  I'm gonna press it."

"Press it Dad press it"

Bang!  Up pops a picture of TMAC being jumped on by his teammates with the headline MIRACLE IN THE WEST!  No need for a score check.  A picture says a thousand words.  We skitz out again.  The eight year old and myself mainly.  Junior has wised up and stands back a few feet.  Avoids concussion this time.  We watch the final two minutes as its the only video up at that point.   Olivers clearance.  Hibberds forward line entry...TOMMY MAC!!!

The reality is we are as good a chance as anyone else in the comp at the moment.  We are certainly hard enough.  We are probably talented enough.  My only question mark is are we experienced enough.  My head says no.  Is this a form of self preservation of ones emotions?  Probably.  Either way, I'm just most happy we are super competitive.  Because that has to comes first.  Before all else.  And that we most certainly are

 

 

The first half of the season was characterised by several competitive losses that we should have won.

Since the second half of the Suns' game, it has been characterised by several epic wins, a couple of which we might easily not have won.

There is clear belief in the team now. Nothing bonds a squad more tightly than these sensational team-oriented wins.

I reckon injuries going forward hold the key. We're good enough now.

 

An interesting aside is that that 10 of our players on Saturday were recycled players. 

43 minutes ago, pinkshark said:

In London, visiting the better halves family, have a bit of time to kill so im thinking I might just add my two bobs worth, which, like everyone else on here means jack [censored] at the end of the day, but oh well, here I go...

Firstly, I love this club and getting on the websites to check the scores with my two young lads in recent weeks (bulldogs and eagles) have been highlights of my fatherhood.  [censored] we have been excited when we check the scores.  Nervous as [censored]...

Drawing out the moment before we press the enter button on afl.com.  "You ready boys, I'm gonna press it",

"No, hang on dad (the eight year old sucks in a few big deep breaths like a woman doing breathing exercises in labour), righto do it.."

"Geez i'm nervous lads, I'd love to be 7/5 (Bulldogs game), we need to be 7/5, we gotta seperate ourselves a bit from this middle pack"   I say.

"Just press it Dad Press it" says the four and a bit year old. 

I hit enter.  A moment passes as we scan across the match centre scores.  Bang! there it is.

"We [censored] smashed em, we've [censored] smashed them...Holy [censored]...sorry for swearing boys but bloody hell, we've smashed them!!"  We go off.  Jump up and down like idiots.  The four and half year old gets belted accidently in the process..  "Sorry mate, you right?  Come here you little champion, you'll be alright mate, Daddy loves ya and daddy loves the mighty demons"  

Six days later...

"I reckon the game should be done by now boys lets check the scores  Now don't get to excited fellas lets remember two of our best players aren't playing, its in WA and and its hard for even the best teams to win over there, Big Maxy is back but its still a big ask.  We havent won 3 in a row for ages so lets just keep it in check.  But we're tough this year, we are hard to beat.  8 and 5 would be handy though and West Coast are soft at the end of the day...Come on you good things.  Ready?  I'm gonna press it."

"Press it Dad press it"

Bang!  Up pops a picture of TMAC being jumped on by his teammates with the headline MIRACLE IN THE WEST!  No need for a score check.  A picture says a thousand words.  We skitz out again.  The eight year old and myself mainly.  Junior has wised up and stands back a few feet.  Avoids concussion this time.  We watch the final two minutes as its the only video up at that point.   Olivers clearance.  Hibberds forward line entry...TOMMY MAC!!!

The reality is we are as good a chance as anyone else in the comp at the moment.  We are certainly hard enough.  We are probably talented enough.  My only question mark is are we experienced enough.  My head says no.  Is this a form of self preservation of ones emotions?  Probably.  Either way, I'm just most happy we are super competitive.  Because that has to comes first.  Before all else.  And that we most certainly are

 

 

Classic. 

Another piece of useless information, which is right at home on this thread, is that there have only been 3 top 8 teams that have won after their bye.  Us, GWS (who played Brisbane) and West Coast (they played Geelong, who were both in the top 8 at the time).

With the bye leading in to the first final, this could work in our favour.  It could also mean SFA (unless we play Geelong first up, who have an awful record after a bye).