titan_uranus

@joeboy calling TMac "embarrassing" after that is pretty low. I'd argue that's pretty embarrassing from you, actually.

Dear lord. What was that. Let's be clear: we were the better side for all bar 20 minutes. Geelong played 20 perfect minutes of football and I thought we were going to lose top spot because of just 20 minutes. But the better team won. I'm sure there will be some on here who will say we over-reacted to that win but IMO it may well be the greatest H&A win we've ever had (surely top 5), secured top spot after a tough year, gets us control over our finals destiny, and beat Geelong in the process. The reaction IMO shows the unity of our side and how much we want to win, and want to be successful and relevant. Oliver should have just sewn up the AFLCA award and may have grabbed a Brownlow too. That was an elite performance. It's no coincidence that our A-graders were the ones who were down in the second quarter (Gawn got belted, Lever/May owned, Oliver/Petracca nowhere to be seen), but simultaneously where the ones who dragged us back into it. Gawn got back on top, Lever and May in the second half rectified all their poor form, and Petracca lifted. This could be a watershed moment for this club. I'm so proud, but mindful that we have to reset now because a minor premiership isn't the real thing.

A few reasons why I don’t think this is a dead rubber at all. Firstly, winning form is important. Secondly, I don’t want to play Port in Adelaide next week. Thirdly, the AFL will let the side who finishes 1st pick whether they play their QF on Friday or Saturday. I reckon if we get 1st we’ll ask for the Saturday as the Friday would mean a third consecutive six day break. If we lose, we’re giving that choice up and I can see Geelong taking the Sat and Port getting the Friday, and an extra day’s break.

Not sure of the logic here. If we win tonight, we can still end up in Adelaide for the prelim - they win their first final, we lose ours. Puts us in their half of the draw.

Brisbane look good but they’ve barely even played a top 8 side since the bye, let alone racked up the wins against them.

Well they said that last year and it didn’t happen.

Nothing we can do about it but win and avoid it. It’s hard to think Port can be 4-5 on the ladder for most of the year and end up hosting two finals but that’s what happens when you win your last six, including Sydney, GWS and the Dogs.

Would be grand if the Eagles pull off a miracle tomorrow. My preferred draw would be the Dogs right now. They look cooked.

Disaster. Near certain now to play Port in Adelaide if we lose. Percentage is in play though, would need a tiny loss for Geelong’s percentage to drop below Port’s so that even if they win they stay 2nd. A win gets us a “home” final almost certainly against Brisbane.

Other than ours, the only game that truly matters to me is Dogs v Port. Dogs win and we can all breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that won't be playing Port in Adelaide in the first final. But St Kilda v Fremantle and Essendon v Collingwood are interesting games if you're looking at who finishes 8th. If Fremantle win, Essendon has to win. Would be far more interesting if Fremantle gets up, putting the pressure on Essendon to try to avoid doing a 2017 Melbourne.

But isn't the argument that this week he's being "moved" out of May's role and into Hibberd's role (which in turn is Hunt's role)? (Which, by the way, I'm not a fan of).

Google, then random websites like Triple M.

Round 1 2014. Only TMac in the side (Jones the only other member of that 22 on our list). B: Dean.Terlich, James Frawley, Jack Grimes HB: Lynden Dunn, Tom McDonald, Bernie Vince C: Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Watts, Dom Tyson HF: Rohan Bail, Jack Fitzpatrick, Daniel Cross F: Shannon Byrnes, Cameron Pedersen, Jeremy Howe Foll: Jake Spencer, Nathan Jones, Jack Trengove I/C: Viv Michie, Matt Jones, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Alex Georgiou EMG: Daniel Nicholson, Sam Blease, Michael Evans Round 1 2018. Only 8 of that 22 in the side this week (Lever, Salem, Petracca, Harmes, Fritsch, Gawn, Oliver, ANB), plus Brayshaw an emergency and a further 4 (Hibberd, Jetta, Hunt and Melksham) on the list. B: Michael Hibberd, Jake Lever, Neville Jetta HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Nathan Jones C: Bernie Vince, Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem HF: Christian Petracca, Cam Pedersen, James Harmes F: Bayley Fritsch, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett Foll: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Alex Neal-Bullen I/C: Jake Melksham, Mitch Hannan, Corey Maynard, Josh Wagner EMG: Angus Brayshaw, Dom Tyson, Sam Frost, Tom Bugg

I disagree with Smith holding his spot over Hibberd and Sparrow holding his spot over Jordon. But, neither is an egregiously bad decision. If Port wins, I truly hope Smith proves me wrong.

Except that if we lose this week, there's a chance Port ends up our preliminary final opponent. The best way to avoid playing a final in someone else's territory is to finish top 2 and win the first final.

Funnily enough, 1964. So that record has now been broken.

If Port wins, Saturday night is very much a live rubber. A neutral venue hosting Geelong or the Dogs is a better option than having to play Port in Adelaide or Geelong in Geelong for the first final.

The Age is reporting that the clubs who get to host week 1 finals are going to be allowed to choose their venue, but Melbourne venues are off the table because the choices will be limited to venues with crowds. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-could-face-difficult-venue-choice-for-qualifying-final-20210817-p58jin.html

On current form I'd have the Bulldogs as my preferred opponent. Port away from Adelaide Oval is a beatable side but as you say, they've been reintegrating missing stars into their 22 the last few weeks and they're probably as good now as they've been all year, whereas the Dogs I think are tracking the other way.

Hyperbole all round. "So elite with athleticism". He's athletic, sure, but you're making him sound like some super-human. He's not, and no amount of athleticism fixes his repeated instances of being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Our backline works because we have reliability between May, Petty and Lever. Smith still doesn't look to have curtailed his desire to leap and run, and whilst it didn't hurt us too badly against Adelaide, from here on out we're only playing seriously good sides and it's a risk I'd rather we don't take. Ridiculous, too, is the argument that Oliver is as likely to "cost us a final" as Smith. There is no reasonable basis to equate the two. In saying that, I don't agree with @A F going that strongly on Smith. I don't think he's best 22, but it's not all that bad.

Whilst that may be so, a loss potentially consigns us to a trip to Adelaide to play Port, or to Geelong to play Geelong. There will be a crowd in Adelaide and possibly one in Geelong. Depends a lot on what happens on Friday night, though. If the Dogs win, we can't drop below 2nd and therefore none of this becomes an issue any more.

Yep, there is increasingly little doubt that you have to be in some sort of form at the end of the season to be relevant in the finals. It's not essential, given that Richmond aside every premier has lost at least once late in the season, and some lost multiple times, but it's relevant. If we win this weekend our 4-1-1 formline will be completely fine, but obviously Port is peaking at the right time. Totally misread the post I quoted and thought the discussion was in relation to over 40s access to the vaccine, not under 40s.

Well deserved. I reckon we've found one here.

I couldn't care less if you think the 8 is set, reality is it isn't, and coupled with there being two match ups that haven't yet happened, and the obvious ridiculousness of coming this far and then stopping, your idea is insane.