This would be the first time I can remember looking at the games in the first week of the finals and thinking there’s not really one certainty to win there match. Should be a good finals series.

Genuinely surprised Geelong/Collingwood isn't the Friday night game

Just now, ANG13 said:

This would be the first time I can remember looking at the games in the first week of the finals and thinking there’s not really one certainty to win there match. Should be a good finals series.

Richmond will destroy Brisbane and I think Freo will do the same to the Dogs. 
The other 2 games are 50/50

9 minutes ago, old dee said:

Oh hell another bloody night game! 

I hear you but anyone , anywhere and anytime!

We must make sure our players in every final they play in that they have an overwhelming level of support coming their way.

We owe it to them

Edited August 21, 20222 yr by Wodjathefirst

Just now, Dr. Gonzo said:

Genuinely surprised Geelong/Collingwood isn't the Friday night game

I think too hard for Geelong fans to get in on time.

Given they don’t get a home game (haha!), it’s only fair to make it easier on the supporters.  

Thank the lord above and beyond we got Friday and didn't cop the Thurs 

5 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Richmond will destroy Brisbane and I think Freo will do the same to the Dogs. 
The other 2 games are 50/50

You could be right and I certainly hope Fremantle pump the Dogs but I think the Dogs best beats Fremantle. I think Richmond will probably beat the Lions but don’t think they will thrash them. The Lions were made to look a lot worse than they actually are by a very good team on Friday. 

So a reminder that with the Dogs replacing Carlton in the finals, we had 4 double-up games against the top 8. By comparison, the Dogs had 3, Geelong, Sydney, Collingwood, Fremantle and Brisbane all had 1, and Richmond had 0.

We finished 2nd despite playing literally half our season against finalists (11 games against the 7 other finalists, 11 games against the bottom 10). Fair effort IMO.

On the flipside, 5 of the 7 finalists (i.e. all bar Richmond and Brisbane) beat us this year. Which is funny given they'll be our semi final opponents should we lose to Sydney. But otherwise, our QF and, if we make it, our PF opponent and likely our GF opponent will have had a win over us.

The byes finished in Round 14, so everyone played 9 games from Round 15 to Round 23. Of those 9 games, 6 of ours were against finalists, and we went 3-3.

Compare that with everyone else:

1. Melbourne: 6 games, 3-3
2. Bulldogs: 5 games, 1-4
3. Fremantle: 4 games, 1-1-2
4. Brisbane: 4 games, 1-3
5. Geelong: 3 games, 3-0
6. Richmond: 3 games, 1-1-1
7. Sydney: 3 games, 3-0
8. Collingwood: 2 games, 1-1

Geelong and Sydney the only others with winning records, but they played half the number we did.

It perhaps shouldn't be too surprising that the four finalists sitting at the bottom of that list are the four considered to have been in the best post-bye form: Geelong, Collingwood, Sydney and Richmond.

Edited August 21, 20222 yr by titan_uranus

46 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Genuinely surprised Geelong/Collingwood isn't the Friday night game

I think the AFL has decided to follow human decency by not allowing feral rabid animals out late at night.

52 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Such good doctors that they got fined for breaching Covid protocols. Zero chance he doesn’t get up. 

Whoops I totally forgot about that! Sorry! They’ll cheat for sure!

Well we got lucky with the best fixture. If we lose we have an extra day break on our opposition. 
And we don’t have to play on Thursday night

1 hour ago, ANG13 said:

This would be the first time I can remember looking at the games in the first week of the finals and thinking there’s not really one certainty to win there match. Should be a good finals series.

Yeah good mix of teams. Would be good for the neutral.

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

I think too hard for Geelong fans to get in on time.

Given they don’t get a home game (haha!), it’s only fair to make it easier on the supporters.  

I hear that but channel 7 have never cared about such things in the past.

1 hour ago, titan_uranus said:

The byes finished in Round 14, so everyone played 9 games from Round 15 to Round 23. Of those 9 games, 6 of ours were against finalists, and we went 3-3.

Compare that with everyone else:

1. Melbourne: 6 games, 3-3
2. Bulldogs: 5 games, 1-4
3. Fremantle: 4 games, 1-1-2
4. Brisbane: 4 games, 1-3
5. Geelong: 3 games, 3-0
6. Richmond: 3 games, 1-1-1
7. Sydney: 3 games, 3-0
8. Collingwood: 2 games, 1-1

Geelong and Sydney the only others with winning records, but they played half the number we did.

It perhaps shouldn't be too surprising that the four finalists sitting at the bottom of that list are the four considered to have been in the best post-bye form: Geelong, Collingwood, Sydney and Richmond.

The draw has helped Geelong and Sydney immensely. We have been shown no favours whatsoever.

All good looking forward to Friday week.

 

7 minutes ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

The draw has helped Geelong and Sydney immensely. We have been shown no favours whatsoever.

All good looking forward to Friday week.

 

But we managed to get to where we want to be. Top two. Max Gawn said it was almost like finals nearly every game since our Clayton’s bye.

Edited August 21, 20222 yr by John Crow Batty

8 hours ago, DubDee said:

Well we got lucky with the best fixture. If we lose we have an extra day break on our opposition. 
And we don’t have to play on Thursday night

If we lose we play the winner of Tigers/Brisbane, so have 1 day less break.

But they have to travel, either after the first game or before the semi. So it probably evens out.

8 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I hear that but channel 7 have never cared about such things in the past.

And never will in the future Dr.

12 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

I think too hard for Geelong fans to get in on time.

Given they don’t get a home game (haha!), it’s only fair to make it easier on the supporters.  

Glad they took that into consideration for us in the Thurs night game this year Jaded 😛

2 hours ago, old dee said:

And never will in the future Dr.

Hopefully they won't get a say in the near future

 

33 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Hopefully they won't get a say in the near future

It would appear that no one else is really interested in paying the price needed to move it away from them Dr. Or am I miss reading the situation. I cannot see any future broadcaster having anything but the ratings as their first, second and last consideration. Sadly we have sold our souls to the media. 

Edited August 22, 20222 yr by old dee

I'm all for geelong being allowed to play there first final at skilled stadium. Come on gill let them and watch the ferals go wild

 

On 8/21/2022 at 9:32 PM, mrtwister said:

And as a reward for finishing first, Geelong get to play away to the fourth placed Collingwood.

FMD

 

On 8/21/2022 at 9:51 PM, Dr. Gonzo said:

Genuinely surprised Geelong/Collingwood isn't the Friday night game

Well IF they were to play at Geelong’s home ground Collingwood would have to default as they wouldn’t know how to get there.