The '21 again feeling

[Wizard of Koz 976]

We are right up to our eyeballs in it again this year. The cards are falling nicely with others being found out and a youth led revival propelling the final rounds of which we haven't really seen since 87. Our champions are all in form and hopefully our finest midfielder of all will be fit and firing to go from next week. Add a touch of Fritsch class and knowhow and we could well be on the way.

Embrace the ride, have fun, it's is going to be epic.

** What I post here has absolutely nothing to do with how the team will perform. There are no omens. Supporters simply cant get ahead of themselves and therefore impact the team in some way.  It makes no sense to be pessimistic and stressed. Time for that later.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Wizard of Koz
typo

[dazzledavey36 49,509]

After last weekend I would certainly say it does have that 2021 feel about it.

[Gorgoroth 12,369]

Clarrie coming back is key. If he hits the finals in form and not all banged up then that’s huge. Also gotta keep Petty and JVR super competitive up forward.

[spirit of norm smith 13,519]

I’ve started to see some energy that reminds us of 2021.  Actually it was the willingness to run and score.  We had looked strangely defensive at times. Wide and slow. The death of any positive take the corridor style. It’s now looking much better as we attack from half back. A good forward line does also help 👍🏻

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,144]

Assuming 1) full (ish) and 2) healthy (ish) list, and 3) sane minds, we win in a canter this year. No doubt about it.

[Bates Mate 4,004]

Can someone please find a lid for this thread 😅

[Freddy Fuschia 666]

5 minutes ago, Bates Mate said:

Can someone please find a lid for this thread 😅

The lid is that I know some Collingwood supporters who were talking like some of the above posters about two weeks ago.

[Binmans PA 26,571]

29 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

I’ve started to see some energy that reminds us of 2021.  Actually it was the willingness to run and score.  We had looked strangely defensive at times. Wide and slow. The death of any positive take the corridor style. It’s now looking much better as we attack from half back. A good forward line does also help 👍🏻

Which was also 2021...

[Monocology 1,109]

Hatched they've until chickens your count don't. 

[sisso 2,416]

Very much doubt we will destroy everyone in finals a la ‘21….this year is going to be a brutal war of attrition to find out who comes out on top

[binman 39,162]

1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

I’ve started to see some energy that reminds us of 2021.  Actually it was the willingness to run and score.  We had looked strangely defensive at times. Wide and slow. The death of any positive take the corridor style. It’s now looking much better as we attack from half back. A good forward line does also help 👍🏻

It's not a willingness to run and score.

It's is the ability to do so.

Big difference.

Impassible to play we have in the last few week when fatgued. 

Look at port and the pies, the two teams most consider to he the most agressive, high octane teams (I don't- we are). 

Both look very fatigued yesterday which given how intense their previous two games were is not surprising. The mighty pies scoring machine was 29 points at half time!

A reminder that in 2022 at this stage we were also trying to score heavily and were also really aggressive with our ball movement. 

And that followed exactly the same pattern as 2021 ie dour in the middle of the year(because of fatigue) before ramping it up big time as we neared final.

Which is exactly the same pattern as wer'e seeing agsin this year.

Coincidence?

Possibly- but unlikely.

In 2021 we could only manage to score 65 points in our 20 point loss to the dogs in round 19

In round 20 we scored 128 to demolish the suns. And didn't score less than a hundred for the rest of the season- including of course our barnstorming finals run

The common thread in all those wins games was, on the back of phenomenal fitness, running over teams in the last quarter - stronger for longer

in 2022, we scored 100 points in our loss to the dogs in round 19.

Hammered freo in Perth in round 20.

Went out super hard against the pies in round 21 and blitzed them the first half.

We were less dynamic in our narrow win over the blues in round 22.

And absolutely destroyed the lions at the gabba in round 23, leading by 11 goals at half.

The common thread in all four games  in 2022 was running out of gas in the last quarter 

Signs on that front look so, so much better this year.

We didn't run out any games in the back half of 2022 like we did against the Lions, Crows and Tigers 

[Binmans PA 26,571]

29 minutes ago, binman said:

It's not a willingness to run and score.

It's is the ability to do so.

Big difference.

Impassible to play we have in the last few week when fatgued. 

Look at port and the pies, the two teams most consider to he the most agressive, high octane teams (I don't- we are). 

Both look very fatigued yesterday which given how intense their previous two games were is not surprising. The mighty pies scoring machine was 29 points at half time!

A reminder that in 2022 at this stage we were also trying to score heavily and were also really aggressive with our ball movement. 

And that followed exactly the same pattern as 2021 ie dour in the middle of the year(because of fatigue) before ramping it up big time as we neared final.

Which is exactly the same pattern as wer'e seeing agsin this year.

Coincidence?

Possibly- but unlikely.

In 2021 we could only manage to score 65 points in our 20 point loss to the dogs in round 19

In round 20 we scored 128 to demolish the suns. And didn't score less than a hundred for the rest of the season- including of course our barnstorming finals run

The common thread in all those wins games was, on the back of phenomenal fitness, running over teams in the last quarter - stronger for longer

in 2022, we scored 100 points in our loss to the dogs in round 19.

Hammered freo in Perth in round 20.

Went out super hard against the pies in round 21 and blitzed them the first half.

We were less dynamic in our narrow win over the blues in round 22.

And absolutely destroyed the lions at the gabba in round 23, leading by 11 goals at half.

The common thread in all four games  in 2022 was running out of gas in the last quarter 

Signs on that front look so, so much better this year.

We didn't run out any games in the back half of 2022 like we did against the Lions, Crows and Tigers 

I agree with all of this Binners except that Port looked fatigued. They looked dynamic playing on the counter and dynamic from stoppages to me, but whenever they were winning the territory battle, it was harder for them to score because a) they had less space in their forward half and b) they only had Marshall as a legitimate tall target (Lord doesn’t count). 

This is a problem we've seen with us this year at times (and other teams), that when we're winning territory we have no space to work back into when we generate re-entries.

Upon reflection, Geelong will likely struggle even against a struggling Collingwood, but with finals on the line it should hopefully be a bruising encounter. 

Edited August 6, 2023 by A F

[DemonWA 3,553]

Long way to go.  Thee heartening aspect to this season is that we seem to be building nicely, whilst some of the other leading sides are starting to look a little shakey. See how the next month pans out

[BDA 20,757]

Our method stands up. we know that. We're building form and some key men to return. It's coming together nicely.

Fingers crossed with injuries, and we'll be very hard to beat in finals. 

[monoccular 16,477]

2 hours ago, sisso said:

Very much doubt we will destroy everyone in finals a la ‘21….this year is going to be a brutal war of attrition to find out who comes out on top

Bring it on!

[praha 10,423]

finals are going to be carnage this year and at least one of the top 4 will go out in straight sets. bulldogs, cats, blues and yes even saints can cause an upset on their day. 

i still think it's melb, Collingwood, daylight and the rest, but the finals are going to be very tough this year.

[ucanchoose 1,806]

This is nothing like 21

[dees189227 11,125]

Kick a goal and we're still 5 down 

[dees189227 11,125]

Nice finish Petty 

[dees189227 11,125]

Do we not want 2nd spot 

[dees189227 11,125]

Steven may what has happened to your kicking 

[dees189227 11,125]

How was that not a mark to Smith?

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,028]

1 hour ago, praha said:

finals are going to be carnage this year and at least one of the top 4 will go out in straight sets. bulldogs, cats, blues and yes even saints can cause an upset on their day. 

i still think it's melb, Collingwood, daylight and the rest, but the finals are going to be very tough this year.

Starting to look strong now.

Edited August 6, 2023 by YesitwasaWin4theAges

[Roost it far 6,250]

I still think Brisbane are in the mix

Melbourne v Brisbane GF for mine

Edited August 6, 2023 by Roost it far

[Stiff Arm 4,415]

The optimist in me says the path is clearing for us to bring home our 14th 🏆

Many things are going right (despite Petty's injury) and a bunch of teams around us look shakey

Long may it continue into September!