49 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Don't feel sorry for them.

August for us was: Melbourne-Brisbane tarmac-Melbourne-Perth-Melbourne-(Geelong)-Adelaide-Perth.  And most of that in some form of quarantine.

They had a very soft second half of the season.  Crocodile tears!

Edited September 4, 20213 yr by Lucifer's Hero

9 hours ago, Chook said:

Not a doctor, but I imagine you could cop an injury that fractures your skull but does not cause a concussion. Conceivable I suppose.

Yeah, playing with a cracked skull makes a lot of sense. 

 

9 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/674193/dogs-sweating-on-bont-flea-as-injuries-sour-special-semi-final-win

Now I've heard/read everything. So they are still assessing whether he has concussion.  Should be OK by the time they finalize that I guess.

 

10 minutes ago, sue said:

Yeah, playing with a cracked skull makes a lot of sense. 

 

Now I've heard/read everything. So they are still assessing whether he has concussion.  Should be OK by the time they finalize that I guess.

Bevo did say Weightman was unlikely to play. Reckon the Bont gets up though

 

 

 

Port Adelaide just cruising into the grand final the easiest possible way. A tired Geelong. A week off. Dogs after a bruising contest minus Weightman and a half broken Bont. Two home games. Jesus you would be insane not to back them to go all the way. 

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

Will be interesting to see if Bontempelli plays. Sounds like even though there was no structural damage, I doubt whether he would be 100% right. Dogs need to back their system and play a fully fit player. You just can’t play injured in these types of finals

 

21 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

Relatively?

6 minutes ago, loges said:

Relatively?

Relative to a nuclear reactor going off, it’s stable. 
Tom Brown is an intellectual midget. 

Port have been given the red carpet entry to a premiership this year

Would be an absolute indictment on Hinkley if they fail yet again.

You couldn't have asked for a better run in than Port.

I expect them to take care of the Dogs easily enough.

Just hope we can join them on GF day.

13 hours ago, Jaded said:

Port Adelaide just cruising into the grand final the easiest possible way. A tired Geelong. A week off. Dogs after a bruising contest minus Weightman and a half broken Bont. Two home games. Jesus you would be insane not to back them to go all the way. 

If we can make it past Friday, then with the weeks bye, the tiredness factor goes away and teams will be equal. 

We have 2 games up our sleeve at Optus. They have none (might be a 1 percenter)

It will get down to talent and prelim injuries.

I just want to see the AA bench again for the last 10 minutes of the game this week.

11 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

You couldn't have asked for a better run in than Port.

I expect them to take care of the Dogs easily enough.

Just hope we can join them on GF day.

They’ll be joining us. 

13 hours ago, Jaded said:

Port Adelaide just cruising into the grand final the easiest possible way. A tired Geelong. A week off. Dogs after a bruising contest minus Weightman and a half broken Bont. Two home games. Jesus you would be insane not to back them to go all the way. 

Except for close wins vs Freo and the Dogs (Port kicked themselves out of an easy win), Port have been cruising for months. 

So if they cruise over the dogs this week plus the easy QF win and 2 byes isn't ideal GF preparation.. They could go into the GF undertone in terms of high pressure football and scoreboard pressure..

If we have a solid hit out and beat the Cats (but it not go down to the wire so I don't become a nervous wreck) we go into the GF a bit more match hardened.  We were challenged more than Port at the end of the season.  Being a bit more match hardened may not be a big thing but every little bit counts in a GF.

So their cruising may hinder them in a GF vs us (if that happens).  

Port would be desperately praying for a Geelong win.

26 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Except for close wins vs Freo and the Dogs (Port kicked themselves out of an easy win), Port have been cruising for months. 

So if they cruise over the dogs this week plus the easy QF win and 2 byes isn't ideal GF preparation.. They could go into the GF undertone in terms of high pressure football and scoreboard pressure..

If we have a solid hit out and beat the Cats (but it not go down to the wire so I don't become a nervous wreck) we go into the GF a bit more match hardened.  We were challenged more than Port at the end of the season.  Being a bit more match hardened may not be a big thing but every little bit counts in a GF.

So their cruising may hinder them in a GF vs us (if that happens).  

Port would be desperately praying for a Geelong win.

I don't disagree. I think they will have as easy a stroll into a grand final as you'd like.

If they play Geelong, there is no chance they don't win. They will just run over the top of them fresh as a daisy.

If they meet us it will be a different story and I back us to win. We match up on them really well.

Of all the teams left, Geelong were the ones I really didn't want to face. This prelim is as hard as you can possibly hope for. If we win, I think our grand final chances are pretty good (assuming we avoid serious injuries!).

But the more I think about this game, the more I am feeling worried that Geelong won't just come out and do the same thing they've done to lose both matches to us in the H&A season. They are better and more experienced than that, and I still maintain that you learn more from losing than winning. We might have the mental edge over them after round 23, but they have the experience and the mongrel and I don't think they'll go down without a seriously bruising fight. They have nothing to lose, as this is probably their last chance at a flag for a long time. 

 

52 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Except for close wins vs Freo and the Dogs (Port kicked themselves out of an easy win), Port have been cruising for months. 

So if they cruise over the dogs this week plus the easy QF win and 2 byes isn't ideal GF preparation.. They could go into the GF undertone in terms of high pressure football and scoreboard pressure..

If we have a solid hit out and beat the Cats (but it not go down to the wire so I don't become a nervous wreck) we go into the GF a bit more match hardened.  We were challenged more than Port at the end of the season.  Being a bit more match hardened may not be a big thing but every little bit counts in a GF.

So their cruising may hinder them in a GF vs us (if that happens).  

Port would be desperately praying for a Geelong win.

Up to now I hadn't considered this weekend from a Port perspective.

Never a truer word spoken. All of Adelaide will be on the Cats this Friday.

As I think David King said sagely for once this year - you're going to have to get past Melbourne to win the flag in 2021.

4 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

Up to now I hadn't considered this weekend from a Port perspective.

Never a truer word spoken. All of Adelaide will be on the Cats this Friday.

As I think David King said sagely for once this year - you're going to have to get past Melbourne to win the flag in 2021.

Maybe not Crows supporters.  They would savour Port being beaten in a GF - with as big a margin as possible.

If it does become a mfc v port GF then Mark Williams can’t lose. Pride in a job well done for a mfc victory alternatively some family sentimental satisfaction in a port win.

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

I don't disagree. I think they will have as easy a stroll into a grand final as you'd like.

If they play Geelong, there is no chance they don't win. They will just run over the top of them fresh as a daisy.

If they meet us it will be a different story and I back us to win. We match up on them really well.

Of all the teams left, Geelong were the ones I really didn't want to face. This prelim is as hard as you can possibly hope for. If we win, I think our grand final chances are pretty good (assuming we avoid serious injuries!).

But the more I think about this game, the more I am feeling worried that Geelong won't just come out and do the same thing they've done to lose both matches to us in the H&A season. They are better and more experienced than that, and I still maintain that you learn more from losing than winning. We might have the mental edge over them after round 23, but they have the experience and the mongrel and I don't think they'll go down without a seriously bruising fight. They have nothing to lose, as this is probably their last chance at a flag for a long time. 

 

I take your point Jaded - and that statement is an acknowledgement that the Geelong Football Club have had sustained success over a long period of time.

AND whilst that may be true, the reality is no club will or could change things so significantly to try to disrupt the other team, because it will be too much of a disruption/change to how they play themselves.

Our methodology or system is stronger than theirs. Sure, there might be some individuals with brilliance on the night, but both teams essentially back their existing system to beat the other one.

I know who's system I would back.

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Maybe not Crows supporters.  They would savour Port being beaten in a GF - with as big a margin as possible.

My mistake.  You're absolutely correct Lucifer.

All non-port Power fans, i.e the rest of Adelaide will want to see maximum pain. That only happens if they meet the Dees in the GF.

This weekend will lull Port into a false sense of security.

Hard to imagine a world where Port don't win by 5+ goals

Two plane rides this week for the Dogs

No Weightman

Bont on half a leg, with Treloar & Dunkley still half cooked

My parents are Geelong supporters who live in Adelaide.

They are hoping we win this weekend as they consider us the only team that can beat Port.

Sacrifice for the greater good of the game.

2 hours ago, Jaded said:

I don't disagree. I think they will have as easy a stroll into a grand final as you'd like.

If they play Geelong, there is no chance they don't win. They will just run over the top of them fresh as a daisy.

If they meet us it will be a different story and I back us to win. We match up on them really well.

Of all the teams left, Geelong were the ones I really didn't want to face. This prelim is as hard as you can possibly hope for. If we win, I think our grand final chances are pretty good (assuming we avoid serious injuries!).

But the more I think about this game, the more I am feeling worried that Geelong won't just come out and do the same thing they've done to lose both matches to us in the H&A season. They are better and more experienced than that, and I still maintain that you learn more from losing than winning. We might have the mental edge over them after round 23, but they have the experience and the mongrel and I don't think they'll go down without a seriously bruising fight. They have nothing to lose, as this is probably their last chance at a flag for a long time. 

 

I'm a big form person, when I look at how depleted GWS were and the level at which that game was played at I couldn't see Geelong beating any of the remaining 3 finalists. Then I read how Smith and Selwood saying how solid their form is and not worried about their current ordinary form, I think thats great, hope they really believe that because they really need to improve markedly on last weeks performance. Not saying it can't happen but it's a game we should be winning and I think this is where a lot of people's nerves are coming from. It would be so disappointing to lose to them.