Not a lot which is to be expected from a club with few real fans!

• I believe this is our first trip to play in the Northern Territory. For a bit of perspective, those out-of-form Demons have been playing there since 2014, winning four and losing four.
• We got smacked by the Dees at the MCG last year to the tune of eleven goals. That was in Round 5 and there’s been a lot of water under the Todd River bridge since then.
• The bookies have us at very long odds for this game, which is fair enough because we haven’t taken a big scalp just yet.
• The wildcard is the bye. Over the past decade, our record after the mid-season break has been three wins, nine losses. Yes, we won last year, but that was against North.
• Dees carved up by the cats backs who ran it out with ease …. We get our running game going and a definite chance
• Oliver out is a massive loss. Their midfield looks nowhere near as potent in the last month of footy.
• Agreed. Oliver out is a huge loss for them. They still strangle teams but our scoring has been much improved. I honestly think it's a 50/50 game
• Bring the intense pressure and we are a chance.
• This ground is a much better advantage for us vs the MCG where we have always struggled.
• The other big win is the venue. Packing in 40k at the G would have been a huge advantage for melb.
• I rate the team we have on the park.  I back our Mids against most teams
• If Kingers coaches down on the boundary, we’re a chance!

My Favourites

Because poster is in fantasy land!

• A few weeks ago, I thought we weren’t a finals side, but at 6-8 we’re still in the hunt.

Because a fool and his money will soon be parted!

• I might see if I’ve got a spare couple of hundred dollars lying around somewhere

 

Rain, hail or shine Dees by 3 goals...

...lots more if ground is dry...

 

Edited June 27, 20232 yr by Lucifers Hero

Thanks Luci!

By the by, the two most passionate AFL fans I've come across in Sydney are massive GWS fans... to the point that I adopted GWS as a second team (when the rest of the office kept on insisting I shouldn't follow Demons now I'm Sydney based - clearly they don't understand a team is for life)

34 minutes ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

Thanks Luci!

By the by, the two most passionate AFL fans I've come across in Sydney are massive GWS fans... to the point that I adopted GWS as a second team (when the rest of the office kept on insisting I shouldn't follow Demons now I'm Sydney based - clearly they don't understand a team is for life)

D, Did you attend the supporters club function last week?

39 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

D, Did you attend the supporter's club function last week?

I edited your comment because I just can't resist a 'GWS have no fans' joke.

3 hours ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

Thanks Luci!

By the by, the two most passionate AFL fans I've come across in Sydney are massive GWS fans... to the point that I adopted GWS as a second team (when the rest of the office kept on insisting I shouldn't follow Demons now I'm Sydney based - clearly they don't understand a team is for life)

What's the general consensus from your average Sydneysiders in regards to AFL? 

Are they embracing the sport more now? or do they still despise it and think it's not as good as their beloved NRL?

When you say 'they' who are you referring to?

3 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

D, Did you attend the supporters club function last week?

I had it in my calendar and was very excited to hear from Kate Roffey, but unfortunately work reared its ugly head due to EOFY... At least managed to start watching the game by 8.30 pm 

55 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

What's the general consensus from your average Sydneysiders in regards to AFL? 

Are they embracing the sport more now? or do they still despise it and think it's not as good as their beloved NRL?

From the sample size of my office and Sydney friends - most of them are agnostic regarding the AFL.  There are probably 5 or 6 Sydney based people I regularly speak about AFL with (and even then a few of them are humouring me). Generally it's good natured jabs about how I should follow the Swans or laughing if the Dees have lost (which I bring on myself through too much passion haha)

Interestingly, people are more focused on NRL and Rugby Union but even that is lukewarm.  I've negotiated contracts against the NRL and asked a few questions of colleagues about the NRL competition structure for that purpose... most of them could not answer!

@jnrmac i assume you're asking about the "they" in my original post - this response should tell you enough!

Edited June 28, 20232 yr by DeelightfulPlay

7 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Because poster is in fantasy land!

• A few weeks ago, I thought we weren’t a finals side, but at 6-8 we’re still in the hunt.

Obviously the odds are against them to make the finals, given the logjam above them, but I wouldn't call it "fantasy land".

At 6-8 they're 1 win behind 8th. Their percentage of 97% is poor but only 5% behind the Dogs, who are 7th (two wins ahead though). They've won 3 of their last 4, with the loss being by a kick, and the wins including Geelong in Geelong and Fremantle by 12 goals. They're also capable of winning on the road (4 of their 6 wins are away games).

They have games to come against Hawthorn, GC (at home), Sydney, Essendon and Carlton. If they can win those, they'll need to find a couple of wins from us, Adelaide, the Dogs and Port. Admittedly tough, but may mean that they view this week's game against us as almost an elimination final.

I wouldn't be taking them lightly in the slightest (not suggesting you were though!).

Be nice to Toby day Sunday, just in case...

This is a huge danger game for us. They have pace and as Geelong showed, if you can cause the turnover in our F50 enough times, we're fickle.

$3.50 odds for them is a very good bet.

1 hour ago, praha said:

This is a huge danger game for us. They have pace and as Geelong showed, if you can cause the turnover in our F50 enough times, we're fickle.

$3.50 odds for them is a very good bet.

Agree .... I put a few bucks on GWS. Hopefully I lose my money! 

2 hours ago, praha said:

This is a huge danger game for us. They have pace and as Geelong showed, if you can cause the turnover in our F50 enough times, we're fickle.

$3.50 odds for them is a very good bet.

And they opened at $4.75.

20 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Obviously the odds are against them to make the finals, given the logjam above them, but I wouldn't call it "fantasy land".

At 6-8 they're 1 win behind 8th. Their percentage of 97% is poor but only 5% behind the Dogs, who are 7th (two wins ahead though). They've won 3 of their last 4, with the loss being by a kick, and the wins including Geelong in Geelong and Fremantle by 12 goals. They're also capable of winning on the road (4 of their 6 wins are away games).

They have games to come against Hawthorn, GC (at home), Sydney, Essendon and Carlton. If they can win those, they'll need to find a couple of wins from us, Adelaide, the Dogs and Port. Admittedly tough, but may mean that they view this week's game against us as almost an elimination final.

I wouldn't be taking them lightly in the slightest (not suggesting you were though!).

On paper they can make finals but are effectively 2 games behind 8th. 

Which team in the 8 is going to drop enough games for GWS to get in? 

And what about the teams above them?  GWS are 14th with 5 other teams outside the 8 trying to make it. They will play 6 of the teams above them competing for a top 8 spot.  And they play the dees and Port.  Even if they win this week they still won't make the 8.

I stand by the word 'fantasy' but if you prefer 'day-dreaming' fits equally well.

Edited June 28, 20232 yr by Lucifers Hero

On 6/28/2023 at 8:10 AM, DeelightfulPlay said:

Thanks Luci!

By the by, the two most passionate AFL fans I've come across in Sydney are massive GWS fans... to the point that I adopted GWS as a second team (when the rest of the office kept on insisting I shouldn't follow Demons now I'm Sydney based - clearly they don't understand a team is for life)

So they have 3 'real' fans...😃

13 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

So they have 3 'real' fans...😃

Please, don't besmirch my Dees credentials.  I'm a pity fan for GWS 😁

'There's been a lot of water under the Todd River bridge since then'??

Maybe in the last few days, perhaps...

7 hours ago, DeelightfulPlay said:

Please, don't besmirch my Dees credentials.  I'm a pity fan for GWS 😁

I guess GWS need all the 'pity' fans they can get...

Yes, a demon for life!  The only way to be!!

13 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

'There's been a lot of water under the Todd River bridge since then'??

Maybe in the last few days, perhaps...

I actually checked this morning as I drove over the Stott St Bridge......No water in the Todd

On 6/28/2023 at 1:14 PM, titan_uranus said:

I wouldn't be taking them lightly in the slightest (not suggesting you were though!).

Agree.

Of the teams around the 8 bubble, i rate the Crows, Suns and Giants (in that order) as the teams on the rise.

All have chance of making the 8 this season i reckon - though the Cats will make it hard for all three to do so. 

The Giants and Crows have both adopted the Pies fast ball movement, but i think the Giants have a better defensive system (to be clear - not a better defence) than the Pies and Crows. And all three teams are strong in the contest and have a good mix of grunt and silk. 

And the Crows, Giants and Suns all have very strong lists, loaded with first round draft picks. Stronger lists than the teams around them at similar stage of their development - Saints, Bombers and Freo. 

And at the end of the day, teams don't win a flag without a quality list. 

On the Suns, i really hope they stick fat with Dew and resist any temptation to be seduced by having a premiership coach in Hardwick swan a=in and take over. Dew has done the hard yards and his players have bought in - as evidence by resigning some key players. Stay the course.

Edited June 30, 20232 yr by binman

I think it’s a real danger game for us. If this game was at the MCG on Sunday (forecasted to be dry) I’d be very confident. But in Alice where it’s going to be wet, I feel like this a game where GWS could pull a rabbit out of the hat and Green kick 5 goals to sink us. 

Gws were outrageous value at 4.75 when I got on them

This is no gimme. Beware hubris!

1 hour ago, Superunknown said:

Gws were outrageous value at 4.75 when I got on them

This is no gimme. Beware hubris!

We’ll roll them like the Pies rolled the suns

1 hour ago, Roost it far said:

We’ll roll them like the Pies rolled the suns

Do you want to temp the wrath the thing atop the high place!??!?

Edited July 1, 20232 yr by Little Goffy