2 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Nope. As it is I think we will get bundled out week 1 (unless we make top 4 which is very unlikely). Gotta take a scalp. 

Might just take us beating Geelong this week to get a couple of scalps on the run home. Will give our players great belief.

I wonder with dunn out clubs will try to isolate howe 1 out with his opponent.  He didn't seem to comfortable on darling. I wonder if nth will do it next week with brown. 

Also on another note both teams came back from Darwin and had a win

Bottom line - if we make finals, regardless of who we beat to get there, then we deserve to be there.  Nothing else really matters.

We got some great results this weekend and it's a big opportunity for us to build on that and cement our position in the top 8.  That starts with the Cats on Saturday night.

39 minutes ago, The Chazz said:

Might just take us beating Geelong this week to get a couple of scalps on the run home. Will give our players great belief.

Well..it's a double barrelled affair really.Beat Geelong..we take a scalp..we besmirch a rival...we continue on our giddy heady way.

Lose....hmmmm...a wheel falls off.

 

Edited July 15, 20186 yr by beelzebub

59 minutes ago, Demonland said:

If we can't beat Top 8 teams do we really deserve to make the finals?

After 12 years out I'd take making the finals in any way at all!

37 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Well..it's a double barrelled affair really.Beat Geelong..we take a scalp..we besmirch a rival...we continue on our giddy heady way.

Lose....hmmmm...a wheel falls off.

 

It won't count as Geelong outside 8 after we win 

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

If we can't beat Top 8 teams do we really deserve to make the finals?

If we finish in the top 8, we deserve to make the finals.  We certainly don't deserve it any less than Geelong, North, Port or any of the other inconsistent teams we are contending with.

1 minute ago, timbo said:

It won't count as Geelong outside 8 after we win 

I see your point...but the Kitties in their own soiling  playpit are a daunting adversary.

Do Geelong count as a scalp? They're flakier than we are.

Only legitimate scalp left on the horizon is West Coast IMO. I see the rest of the remaining teams as level pegging or worse.

30/7/2011

Geelong ...at home... always a scalp

31 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Do Geelong count as a scalp? They're flakier than we are.

Only legitimate scalp left on the horizon is West Coast IMO. I see the rest of the remaining teams as level pegging or worse.

In some ways I agree as I don't really rate Geelong. That said, they are always tough to beat down there regardless of how they are playing (especially for us).

Adelaide are gathering momentum, so playing them there is going to be tough.

West Coast, who will be playing finals, will be difficult. With Nik Nat going down it will definitely help.

I never dismiss Sydney against us (in this era). They will play finals again, which, even at the MCG, is always a daunting task. I hope Buddy is rested!

And lastly, the Giants. Can't see them missing out on finals, especially with many of their top players back by then. They will be extremely tough.

My hope is that we beat Geelong this weekend, giving the players the belief of 'any one, any where'.

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

If we can't beat Top 8 teams do we really deserve to make the finals?

and that is the bottom line

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

If we can't beat Top 8 teams do we really deserve to make the finals?

Or is it better to beat top 8 sides but miss out?

After R23 I'd be happy to be in position 8-1 as opposed to 9-18, regardless of who we beat

4 hours ago, beelzebub said:

@Danelska this is Port... against Freo who we just tore a new orifice !! 

Small margins...ffs 

Port beat Richmond a few weeks ago.

They're not terrible. They're just inconsistent.

Collingwood hasn't beaten anyone of note other than us. Port is inconsistent. Sydney was a kick away from losing three on the trot. Geelong lost to the Dogs. Hawthorn lost twice to Brisbane. Richmond can't win away from Melbourne. West Coast lost to Essendon.

As @ProDee has said numerous times, there are no stand-out sides, there are just slightly more consistent sides (Richmond, West Coast) than others.

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

If we can't beat Top 8 teams do we really deserve to make the finals?

If we make the 8, then we deserve it, by definition.

Can't believe how many times that needs to be said.

However, if we lose to all of Geelong, Adelaide, Sydney, WC and GWS, we won't make it (11 wins is not enough), so we are going to have to beat at least one, probably two, and possibly three, of those five to make it. So, if we make it, we'll have scalps, and we will deserve it.

27 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Or is it better to beat top 8 sides but miss out?

After R23 I'd be happy to be in position 8-1 as opposed to 9-18, regardless of who we beat

Indeed.

Essendon's beaten Port, Adelaide, Geelong, GWS and West Coast, but will struggle to make the finals. They're not going to end the year saying "oh well, we beat those top 8 sides so that's good enough for us". 

In fact, us last year is a perfect example of it. We beat Adelaide, West Coast, Essendon and Port last year - four finalists. But when we missed the finals, no one said "well we deserved it because we beat top 8 sides".

If you finish in the top 8, you deserve it. End of story.

Edited July 15, 20186 yr by titan_uranus

14 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Port beat Richmond a few weeks ago.

They're not terrible. They're just inconsistent.

Collingwood hasn't beaten anyone of note other than us. Port is inconsistent. Sydney was a kick away from losing three on the trot. Geelong lost to the Dogs. Hawthorn lost twice to Brisbane. Richmond can't win away from Melbourne. West Coast lost to Essendon.

As @ProDee has said numerous times, there are no stand-out sides, there are just slightly more consistent sides (Richmond, West Coast) than others.

If we make the 8, then we deserve it, by definition.

Can't believe how many times that needs to be said.

However, if we lose to all of Geelong, Adelaide, Sydney, WC and GWS, we won't make it (11 wins is not enough), so we are going to have to beat at least one, probably two, and possibly three, of those five to make it. So, if we make it, we'll have scalps, and we will deserve it.

Indeed.

Essendon's beaten Port, Adelaide, Geelong, GWS and West Coast, but will struggle to make the finals. They're not going to end the year saying "oh well, we beat those top 8 sides so that's good enough for us". 

In fact, us last year is a perfect example of it. We beat Adelaide, West Coast, Essendon and Port last year - four finalists. But when we missed the finals, no one said "well we deserved it because we beat top 8 sides".

If you finish in the top 8, you deserve it. End of story.

Do Footscray deserve the 2016 GF win?

You bet they do...

They nailed opportunities when they were presented

9 hours ago, Nasher said:

If we finish in the top 8, we deserve to make the finals.  We certainly don't deserve it any less than Geelong, North, Port or any of the other inconsistent teams we are contending with.

My comment was not about making the finals having not beaten a Top 8 team. I'll take making the finals any which way. 

My comment was about not whinging about not making the Top 8 if we fail to take a Top 8 scalp in the season. 

15 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

A few weeks ago Freo dented Adelaide's finals chances over in WA. Any chance of them repeating the dose v the Power?

Prescient 

13 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Prescient 

Did you win Lotto as well ? ???

13 hours ago, beelzebub said:

As as bizarre as it might also seem...just atm...as the final 8 might result according to Squiggle...we could play the Tigers in a prelim before the GF Such a funny game Footy at times 

I predicted in April to a ? supporting student of mine that the Tigers would make the Preliminary final this year where they'd lose to the frees. So I will be correct.

Deeees 

 

31 minutes ago, pineapple dee said:

I predicted in April to a ? supporting student of mine that the Tigers would make the Preliminary final this year where they'd lose to the frees. So I will be correct.

It's the first time I've seen someone posit the umpires frees will help the dees

 It's a "Freudian slip" as explained to me by my psychiatrist Ziegfried Freud ( who is also a deees fan ) who is also receiving counselling for MFCSS.

53 minutes ago, pineapple dee said:

 It's a "Freudian slip" as explained to me by my psychiatrist Ziegfried Freud ( who is also a deees fan ) who is also receiving counselling for MFCSS.

On the days when he's Napoleon Bonaparte, ask him for tips on how to tighten up our defence.

13 hours ago, Nasher said:

Do Geelong count as a scalp? They're flakier than we are.

Only legitimate scalp left on the horizon is West Coast IMO. I see the rest of the remaining teams as level pegging or worse.

I agree aside from GWS. If they get a few more back by round 23 they will be tough to beat.  I would want to avoid them in the finals (assuming both teams make it!)

22 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I agree aside from GWS. If they get a few more back by round 23 they will be tough to beat.  I would want to avoid them in the finals (assuming both teams make it!)

Geelong are a scalp for the MFC until they're not. What would that look like? Win there this week. Beat them in the finals if we play them. Then beat them at the G.