GAMEDAY: Rd 08 vs Sydney

[Whispering_Jack 28,095]

The club’s momentum was disrupted early last week against North Melbourne but the younger players stood tall and steadied the ship in the second half. The task is to continue in that vein tonight against a team that has for years maintained mastery over us on our own home turf. 

[ProperDee 1,698]

It’s a very different feeling being a Demons supporter this season. I am torn between being elated at the string of successes and worried sick that the wheels will fall off! I find it really difficult to be confident although on form, we should win easily tonight.  I still don’t think we have played an entire game of our very best footy and hope that comes out soon.

In the interim, I am always on edge on game days and having to wait another 12 hours now to see the boys take on the Bloods is already starting to annoy me. I find an early shot of Drambuie takes the edge off.  My wife doesn’t agree though. Funny that.... 

[Bitter but optimistic 21,560]

Ho hum.  Just another footy weekend and our usual victory !!!

[DubDee 21,347]

Thank Christ we are back on the MCG. 

Sydney’s kids are running out of steam. Go in hard and we should out work them over 4 quarters

[Monocology 1,108]

Sydney still give me the heebee-jeebees.

[Diamond_Jim 12,031]

Have mentally prepared myself for our first loss.

Could easily come tonight. Viney and Tomlinson injured will test us. Will we kick enough goals etc

Like the dreaded virus it's not so much daily numbers but rolling 3 week averages. Win 2 out of every 3 going forward and we finish the season at 16 wins. Is this what being a Hawks supporter used to be like? Very nice.

[BDA 20,655]

My faith was shaken a little by our first half v North. But the Fritta appeal success and the Trac contract extension will have given the team a real boost. Confidence will be high. I expect a full throttle performance, apply the heat early and for the full 4 quarters. BB to start getting into his groove. May to shackle Buddy. The midfield to put in a dominant shift.

The Swans have had a far from ideal preparation.

Predicting Trac will be BOG

Dees by 5 goals  

[Radar Detector 1,339]

2 minutes ago, Better days ahead said:

My faith was shaken a little by our first half v North. But the Fritta appeal success and the Trac contract extension will have given the team a real boost. Confidence will be high. I expect a full throttle performance, apply the heat early and for the full 4 quarters. BB to start getting into his groove. May to shackle Buddy. The midfield to put in a dominant shift.

The Swans have had a far from ideal preparation.

Predicting Trac will be BOG

Dees by 5 goals  

I wish there was an “I hope so” emoji

[spirit of norm smith 13,455]

8 minutes ago, Monocology said:

Sydney still give me the heebee-jeebees.

They always talk about the Spirit of the Bloods. Many commentators say they never bottom out and are always strong.  Really.
It’s also the extra salary cap concession they have previously had to keep them grabbing players and also their “academy “.  
Heeney,Mills,Blakey,Campbell,Gulden.  

[praha 10,369]

Would much rather lose to Carlton, which is something I thought I'd never say. A loss has to come and I want us to beat every single top 8 team we play.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,459]

Have a gut feel we’re going to have our first close finish of the season.

Either side by a point.

[Josh 1,420]

47 minutes ago, ProperDee said:

It’s a very different feeling being a Demons supporter this season. I am torn between being elated at the string of successes and worried sick that the wheels will fall off! I find it really difficult to be confident although on form, we should win easily tonight.  I still don’t think we have played an entire game of our very best footy and hope that comes out soon.

In the interim, I am always on edge on game days and having to wait another 12 hours now to see the boys take on the Bloods is already starting to annoy me. I find an early shot of Drambuie takes the edge off.  My wife doesn’t agree though. Funny that.... 

Bloody wives always complaining... "Have a shave" "mow the lawns" "stop drinking Drambuie at 7am in the morning"

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Josh

[Engorged Onion 9,524]

9 minutes ago, praha said:

Would much rather lose to Carlton, which is something I thought I'd never say. A loss has to come and I want us to beat every single top 8 team we play.

More from stats insider. Beating top 8 teams is not indicative of your capacity to win the GF.

 

So in the AFL, is there any truth to the well-trodden sports cliche that to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best? 

Well……Not really. 

In fact, it’s increasingly acceptable to be a relatively middling team against top-8 opposition during the home and away season, with such form not necessarily forming an impediment upon a club’s premiership aspirations. 

In 2014, Hawthorn went 5-5 in the home and away season against fellow top-8 rivals yet successfully claimed its third flag in seven seasons. Speaking of 5-5, that was the record the Eagles took into their Finals campaign twelve months later, and it didn’t get in the way of them booking a Grand Final rendezvous against the Hawks. 

When the Bulldogs won their ground-breaking 2016 flag, they entered September carrying just a 4-5record against their Final’s brethren, as well as a forgettable 88.9 percentage. 

In 2018, the Pies came within a kick of winning its 16th club premiership. It's record against top-8 foes during the home and away season? How about 1-7, with an 81.6 percentage to boot.

While Richmond’s 2020 flag was achieved with a 4-2 record and solid 121.7 percentage against the best, it’s 2017 and 2019 triumphs were accomplished with suspect form against top-8 combatants, combining for just a 9-8 record and an unremarkable 90.1 percentage. "

 

Apologies about the [censored] formating.

[Engorged Onion 9,524]

How pleasant it is to have the luxury that it is no biggie if we lose, and that if we win, we get further away from the pack who are taking 4 points off one another weekly.

Brown for 3 goals 2

ANB for 2 goals 3

Pickett to upstage Bolton's mark of the year contender.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Engorged Onion

[Redleg 38,111]

33 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Thank Christ we are back on the MCG. 

Sydney’s kids are running out of steam. Go in hard and we should out work them over 4 quarters

Like they ran out of steam last week beating the Cats, who smashed the Tigers last night?

[Smokey 4,146]

How good are the dees!!! 
 

Melbourne by 24. Game on at 3/4 quarter time then we’ll do our usual thing and pull away in the last 

[Fork 'em 6,583]

Gonna be a big game folks.
Another test.

[Cards13 9,117]

2 minutes ago, Smokey said:

How good are the dees!!! 
 

Melbourne by 24. Game on at 3/4 quarter time then we’ll do our usual thing and pull away in the last 

I keep saying it to the lads. If we’re within 5-6 goals at half time we’ll win. We’ve had the luxury of not being on that position this year but from what we’ve seen I feel like we’re always a chance to run over the top of teams. 

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,346]

Win the stoppages and defend them sling shotting  through the centre square and we win. Hibberd to play an important job on Papley. Must maximise the height advantage Brown (200cm) and Tmac (194cm)  will have on McCartin (193cm) and Rampe (189cm). 

[Satan 2,786]

Ill take the 4 points anyway we can

[Smokey 4,146]

8 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

I keep saying it to the lads. If we’re within 5-6 goals at half time we’ll win. We’ve had the luxury of not being on that position this year but from what we’ve seen I feel like we’re always a chance to run over the top of teams. 

As horrible as last week was, I hardly flinched and expected to win at all stages of the game. Crazy times 

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,762]

Sydney are inconsistent but when they play well, they are hard to stop.

I suspect they'll be up for this one and it's going to be a tough task.

I'm hoping for four points any way we can get them.

 

[John Crow Batty 8,319]

Going for 10 wins in a row from late last season. When was the last time we did that? All comfortable wins but we haven’t truly smashed any sides nor has any other team taken us to a close finish. Swans have a tradition of dishing out kick sand in face humiliation to us when we are looking good. They seem to lift when they play us, like they espouse to a big city Sydney/ Melbourne rivalry which we don’t click to. I believe they will be our greatest challenge so far in our incredible start.

Edited May 7, 2021 by John Crow Batty

[BAMF 3,812]

I have a bad feeling about this one.

Not that I will be upset. After being shizen for so long, I am loving winning, but also know that it will end at some point and that it wont be the end of the world.

It's a funny thing football. Richmond beat W.Bulldogs last week and they are the real deal. 1 week later they are smashed by Geelong and know a lot of the commentary is that they will struggle to make finals. We will lose games this year, and when we do, the narrative will be how we cannot be trusted.

Sydney match up well against us.

[Jaded No More 59,201]

Low confidence today. This is going to be a big game. We looked exhausted last week, but I suppose we also only played about 25 minutes of proper pressure footy, so maybe that was our rest. 
A loss is inevitable at some point. Tonight could be the night. 
 

I worry about having both ends of the ground not fully settled yet with injuries and new key players coming in. And without Viney our midfield is very susceptible to losing clearances. It’s going to be a bloody good win if we can pull it off.