32 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

It's interesting isn't it? I'm inclined to feel the same way, which got me wondering: at what point would one not be worried about a game like this.

3 flags in 5 years

I see this as a test and example of our coaching team.

It has been shown that this team can beat any other team if they come out with a determined, focused approach, structures and tactics can be adjusted to increase pressure and maximise our skill sets.

Are We timing our run for and through the finals season? Are we looking at this game as the beginning of the finals season?.Arewe peaking or tapering? 

I hope we can witness the beginning of our surge to the flag, but won't be devastated if the coach assures us the players performed as demanded. 

Weagles game style is not suited to the wet generally. Chip kicks and marks. Keep possession etc. Not great at ground ball gets.

I am hoping our week in q'tine has seen an intense focus on how they want to play, how they plan to stop the weagles and they are itching to get out on the track to get a good start

10 minutes ago, Canplay said:

My concern is the predicted heavy rain -   Both Lever and Petty are great when the ball is in the air but awful when it hits the ground - Lever has the turning agilty of the Titanic...  

wouldn’t stress yourself too much Canplay.

the rain is unlikely to suit their un-contested / marking game style. 
 

Would be typically Melbourne to play a team like the Boogles back into form just as the AFL are negotiating to play the finals in Perf.

No confidence at all that we will win, but plenty of hope that we can go against recent history.

 

Eagles by 20. 

I can't see our boys actually considering West Coast a bad team, and i expect us to come out really hard and put them away early. 

the way this year has been going we will beat WCE and Geelong and lose to the Crows 

It’s a funny old season. We’ve lost to the pies and giants and drew with hawks in the past 2 months and we are red hot favourites to beat WC away!? Had a couple of good wins too but we are no safe bet. 50-50 game for me. I suspect a close loss. WC have been hammered in the media and Simpson will have them up to make sure they make finals. They have been in average form too but have a lot of talent 

1 hour ago, Superunknown said:

It's interesting isn't it? I'm inclined to feel the same way, which got me wondering: at what point would one not be worried about a game like this.

After it's over.

35 minutes ago, dpositive said:

Are We timing our run for and through the finals season? Are we looking at this game as the beginning of the finals season?.Arewe peaking or tapering? 

I hope we can witness the beginning of our surge to the flag, but won't be devastated if the coach assures us the players performed as demanded. 

Agree, I don't think I'd be devastated either, but really do hope that we can build some form and chalk up the Ws over this last few games. 

I do suspect that there has been some tweaks and experimentation with the game plan and personnel over the past few months but I think it's really important that we hit finals having consolidated that and built confidence in those changes so that we are cherry ripe and ready to tear the rest of the competition apart in devastating, ruthless style.

Edited August 9, 20213 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

We can win this. West Coke are not in good form, and we regained some touch last week (against a rabble admittedly)

Reckon we can get the chockies by 2-3 goals.

Are they allowed full capacity crowd at Optus? 

It goes without saying that there is huge incentive for both clubs tonight.  
I’m hopeful (rather than ‘bullish’) that we might have ‘turned the corner’ back to something approaching our early season form last weekend, whereas the Weagles were ‘limp’ and uncompetitive against C’wood.  
I expect WC to be fired-up in response to the press they have copped during the week, and we will need to match their intensity from the get-go, to ensure that they don’t get a decent head start while the ball is dry.  If we do this, l’m confident of a win, because our game style matches up very well against with their ‘stodgy’ possession based approach.
Dees by 3 goals in a tough, low scoring contest, dictated by the predicted weather conditions.

This could be the most important game in our recent history, because winning would lock in top spot, with 2 weeks to go, but it would also break a trend of us losing to teams we're expected to beat, when the whips are cracking and hurting our overall season at the very pointy end 

 

Goodwin to players: "remember how we came out in the 2018 prelim against them and rolled over? Yeah, let's not do that. Come out breathing fire."

7 minutes ago, ding said:

We can win this. West Coke are not in good form, and we regained some touch last week (against a rabble admittedly)

Reckon we can get the chockies by 2-3 goals.

We’ve won 3 from the last 7. including playing 3 teams in the bottom 5. 

We are in poor form also 

51 minutes ago, Canplay said:

My concern is the predicted heavy rain -   Both Lever and Petty are great when the ball is in the air but awful when it hits the ground - Lever has the turning agilty of the Titanic...  

The Eagles play a kick/mark game and rely on their tall forwards. I don't think they have been good in the wet.

Fingers crossed. This will be a good sign of how far we have progressed.

A win tonight wraps up a top four spot; we will go two and a half games ahead of Brisbane so it will be mathematically impossible to dislodge us.

We are missing key components in Viney and a potentially hobbled TMac. But it comes down to Oakland/LA/Las Vegas/Wherever they end up next Raiders owner Al Davis: Just win, baby! 

This will also say a lot about the Eagles. As much as people scorn them, they’ve been a ruthless yet resilient club for nearly the span of their existence. I expect them to come out switched on. 

Sadly, I think Eagles by 12 points, but happy to be proven wrong. This is the first time this year I’ve predicted we will lose in these threads (I think). 

 

Assuming we win, I'm fascinated as to what we do with our team over the next two weeks with management of niggles, or gifting certain players playing time in the lead up to the finals.

I would also assume, that there will be some inference that if certain players are not given a game, they may not be at the club next year.

 

 

 

 

Surely we come out breathing fire tonight ... it'll be our flag to lose if we get a good win tonight I reckon  

3 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

Assuming we win, I'm fascinated as to what we do with our team over the next two weeks with management of niggles, or gifting certain players playing time in the lead up to the finals.

I would also assume, that there will be some inference that if certain players are not given a game, they may not be at the club next year.

 

 

 

 

I think there will still be a clear focus on winning, knowing we've got the pre finals bye as well. for example if we "Rested" a player, they would miss a round, then the finals bye, and then if we won the QF they'd miss another week. i think we'd be looking for continuity as much as possible. 

Honestly i'd almost prefer to lose the QF because i think missing 2 games in quick succession has seemed to throw teams off at times 

7 hours ago, Min Xie said:

These were the results Eagle produced in Optus Stadium this year :

Rd1     WC vs GCS     83:58    won by 25

Rd3     WC vs PA       108:71   won by 37

Rd5     WC vs Coll     103:76   won by 27

Rd7    WC vs  Freo    132:73   won by 59

Rd9    WC vs Adel     106:76   won by 30

Rd11  WC vs Essen   71:87    lost by 16

Rd13  WC vs RICH     85:81    won by 4

Rd15  WC vs WB        43:98    lost by 55

Rd17  WC vs NTH      60:70    lost by 10

Rd19  WC vs STK       94:86    won by 8

Rd21  WC vs Melb      ? : ?      lost by ?

I reckon Demon won't let Eagle kick more than 70 points, Demon itself will kick over 70, therefore you know what the result will be. Go Dees!

 

Home record 7-3 & 114% vs away 3-6 & 79%, so in region of 5 goals per game better at home.

Assuming it’s a low scoring game due to rain, we’re probably giving away 3 goal disadvantage. Eagles form has dropped off, so will see if they put in last ditch stand after criticism from Simpson.

If we bring top effort and pressure, we will win!

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

The quarantine factor could go one of two ways. 

Flat, exhausted, missing family. 

Excited, bonded, focused.

Sydney has been really good at dealing with long term hubs and time away from their families. Brisbane absolutely smashed it last night.

Given they are heading home tomorrow straight back to a city in lockdown, a week away from family wouldn't be too taxing on most and would give the new dads some much needed uninterrupted sleep. 

Ed langdon, who is a BIT different to many other players, says he thrived in Lockdown last year and many of the team did also.

Now they are playing for Top spot , not just double chance, I am quietly positive about tonight's game, given its only been a week away so far and Dan's sure to allow them back home to sleep in thioer own bed tomorrow night.

2 minutes ago, D4Life said:

Home record 7-3 & 114% vs away 3-6 & 79%, so in region of 5 goals per game better at home.

Assuming it’s a low scoring game due to rain, we’re probably giving away 3 goal disadvantage. Eagles form has dropped off, so will see if they put in last ditch stand after criticism from Simpson.

If we bring top effort and pressure, we will win!

Not one win this season was against a good, top 8 side , apart from Tiges who were on the slide, and Power don't count as they lose to anyone when away. Home record this year is weaker than usual.

Their losses have been against quality opposition, incl North who were bouncing back at the time of that game, and Bombers who were starting their run.

 

3 minutes ago, DubDee said:

It’s a funny old season. We’ve lost to the pies and giants and drew with hawks in the past 2 months and we are red hot favourites to beat WC away!? Had a couple of good wins too but we are no safe bet. 50-50 game for me. I suspect a close loss. WC have been hammered in the media and Simpson will have them up to make sure they make finals. They have been in average form too but have a lot of talent 

Losing to the Giants isn’t as embarrassing as I think we felt it was at the time. When they’re on they can really mix it, for a soulless franchise they actually have some real ticker. 

I’m more annoyed about Adelaide (particularly as we really should’ve had the chance to snatch it/draw it) and Hawthorn. 

We bring sustained pressure we win.

Oh and the WA umps are fair and reasonable.