SaberFang

Geez, are we just that good or is the talent pool at VFL level very ordinary? It feels like every other week we dish out an absolute belting.

Tried the ladder predictor and I'm expecting that the final round will start with 4 teams tied on 60 points, all fighting to get that final spot in the top 4. Depending on various results, if Geelong lose today and win against Brisbane next week, they can still finish anywhere between 3rd and 7th in round 23. If nothing else, they've been exposed multiple times this year (and by us last year) for having a soft underbelly once you get past Selwood and Dangerfield.

1 HAW 16 4 122.4 64 2 SYD 15 5 146.9 60 3 ADEL 14 5 141.2 56 4 GWS 14 6 137.6 56 5 GEEL 14 5 137.1 56 6 WCE 14 6 129.2 56 7 WB 14 6 115.3 56 It's confusing at the top right now, so many variables. I do know GWS and WB have Freo/Ess next week, so they will almost certainly reach 60pts and bump themselves into top 4 (before percentage). Adelaide are yet to play Freo this afternoon, which could rocket them into 2nd place if they have a huge win. Lots of factors to play out here. EDIT: Geelong have Brisbane next week, continuing the theme of top 8 teams needing big wins having the easiest opposition possible in round 22.

Yep, upset from the Tigers would be brilliant today. The less Geelong have to play for in round 23, the better our chances.

How convenient, Essendon come out and win as soon as they're 2 games clear at the bottom of the ladder. Hard not to think they've been underperforming through winnable games by design. Couldn't be more obvious than Worsfold leaving Rich untagged a few weeks ago, despite it being Coaching 101 for every other team that played Brisbane this year. Anyway, thank Christ we've been saved the embarrassment of being the only team to lose to them.

The umpires will [censored] us here, nothing surer.

Has Hogan been brought back prematurely? He's well down on form.

Yep, he is far from the clutch goal specialist. Have to remember how young he is though.

Looking increasingly likely that only the victor of Melbourne/Port will remain in the finals race. Please don't [censored] this up, Dees! Fire up!

Christ if there was a night I wish the Saints would just capitulate, it's tonight. Of course they're taking it up to Sydney and the game's going to be a shootout. They get such an advantage at Etihad but aren't much chop anywhere else.

It probably screwed their schedule because of the long last quarter, bit out of Fox's control. Tonight unfortunately St Kilda are taking it up to Sydney. I don't rate them at all but they will have earned their spot in the finals over us if they can win the next 3 games against all odds.

That was an incredible finish to the West Coast game. Never thought in a million years West Coast could get up with such little time left after GWS got that goal. Yet I had a feeling, with 8 seconds left, West Coast would score an incredible goal from that throw in. Fantastic to see the Franchise Concessions Giants lose.

Yes it's a foreign concept to him but the Dees aren't the rabble of 2013 nowadays.

A lot of the peanuts in the media have overlooked that 3 teams outside the 8 can still make it. Even Derwayne said the best we can finish this year is 9th about twenty times in last week's game. Clueless moron.

I wish we'd gotten the Port that didn't even show up last week. We always get teams on the rebound. Luckily North got Hawthorn on their rebound this week.

Geez, if this ends up a 15-20 goal flogging, our percentage will nearly be on par with Norf's.

Port's percentage is now better than North's. They're just as much a finals chance as the Saints if they beat us tonight (which hopefully doesn't happen!)

What, total and utter embarrassment? I hate when we come up against teams on the rebound.

Either team winning is a good result. North get smashed and it gives us a finals chance thanks to percentage. Hawks lose and they slip to 5th on the ladder. Both are great outcomes!

Because it's far easier for lazy players to play forward and have everyone else do the work for them.

Good, didn't want the Pies encroaching any further upon us on the ladder.

Richmond make me laugh.

The only good thing that will come out of the monster the AFL have created with GWS is their total inability to pay so many elite players their due salary. There's only 22 spots, after all, and A-Grade players aren't going to settle for a career in the NEAFL being paid unders just because they could only average 25 disposals in the seniors rather than 30. Unfortunately, it will allow GWS an endless regeneration of their list with first round draft picks, plus the inevitable cheating of bidding system loopholes when they get their hands on a pick #1 in the same year they have an Academy player rated the best in the draft. And guess what? They'll end up getting both the open-draft's best player and their Academy player for a collection of second round crumbs.