On 7/27/2021 at 12:55 AM, deelusions from afar said:

I'm not worried at all - be ready to bump this in September.

• We have been the most consistent performer this year - average losing margin of 11.75.  No one else has been in every game this year like we have.
• We have the best record against other teams in the 8 (we have beaten everyone one there we have played).
• We have shown we lift for the big games - Saints (was big at the time), Tigers. Dogs, Lions, Port - even the 2nd dogs match we played well and if not for some errant kicking for goal (a common theme) and one sided umpiring it would have gone the other way.
• We have the best defence in the league (though people forget that this is only as good as the pressure from our mids and forwards allow).  Every year the fans and commentators get seduced by the scoring power of contenders to watch the best defensive teams perform the best in September.
• We have stars on every line and a few superstars of the comp in their prime - Trac, Clarry and Gawn.
• We are hungry (when it matters - and its about to matter)
• We have been blessed with injuries.
• Our forwardline is our biggest weakness and we have one of the game's premier key forwards from previous seasons returning and starting to find some touch - potentially our one missing piece.

I'm not saying we will win the flag - so much comes down to luck, injuries and who knows what will happen in this covid year.

But i'm not worried about form, fitness, game plan or hunger.  To start the season 11-1 or whatever we were, we knew we were playing finals at the halfway point.  This impacts on hunger for games that don't matter.  And I have no doubt that the fitness staff were told to prepare the players to peak in September - even if it means they might perform below their optimum before then.

We have not been better placed to challenge since 1964 and there's no opponent we would fear.  Buckle up - we're in for a fine September!

 

Bump

Partly because things come together in the way I said they would (who doesn't like to point that out) ... but really to help us appreciate where we've come from.  A bit over a month ago, many thought we were shot.  The club - on field, off field, fitness staff, etc have done an incredible job in a difficult year.  Job not done yet but we are certainly on tracc!

3 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

Bump

Partly because things come together in the way I said they would (who doesn't like to point that out) ... but really to help us appreciate where we've come from.  A bit over a month ago, many thought we were shot.  The club - on field, off field, fitness staff, etc have done an incredible job in a difficult year.  Job not done yet but we are certainly on tracc!

Equally, we're not yet gawn.

 

(Sorry)