titan_uranus

Title should be "Games missed by best 22". It requires a subjective choice over who the "best 22" are. Brown's currently in our best 22, but he's missed 12 games. Tomlinson was best 22 before his injury and he's missed 13 games. That's 25 right there before you add everyone else's. That aside, we know we've had a great run with injuries this year. This stat doesn't show it (I mean, it has Brisbane at 104 games lost, but they've had a great run with injuries until the last month. There's no way anyone could argue Brisbane has had a worse run with injuries than the Dogs this year).

There's nothing at all in the Dangerfield report. On Hawkins I'm torn. That's pretty close to just a run of the mill run down tackle and if that was a Melbourne player, I reckon we'd be pretty upset with the notion of him being suspended. But he did pin the arm and he did drive him head first into the ground, in circumstances where he probably could have avoided doing so. And we know the MRO loves the outcome as much as the action, and with Joyce being concussed, you'd think he'll be given two weeks (careless, high, high = two weeks). Which presumably means the Tribunal will be sitting on Tuesday.

Even if so, the worst possible result for us is an away game against Port, which is probably the only option where we will find ourselves in "hostile" territory.

Record against the current top 8: Melbourne: 7-2 Bulldogs: 6-3 Sydney: 5-3 Geelong: 4-4 GWS: 4-5 Brisbane: 3-4 Port: 2-5 West Coast: 1-6 GWS, the Dogs and we have had the most games against the top 8, with the Dogs and us to get another one next week (although those figures will change if Essendon replaces West Coast in the top 8).

Well analysed. Just to round it off, if we lose to Adelaide tomorrow, then: If we beat Geelong: (a) we finish 1st and play Port if the Dogs beat Port; or (b) we finish 2nd and play Geelong if Port beats the Dogs If we lose to Geelong: (a) we finish 4th and play Geelong if the Dogs beat Port; or (b) we finish 3rd and play Port if Port beats the Dogs This means that, before tomorrow's game, we can finish anywhere from 1st to 4th, we can host any of the Dogs, Brisbane, Port and Geelong in the first final, and we can still be away to the Dogs, Geelong or Port in the first final.

Brisbane now just 1.8% behind the Dogs. If they beat West Coast next week and the Dogs lose to Port, there is every chance the Dogs miss the top 4. That would be ridiculous for a side that has been in the top 2 on the ladder since Round 3. Having said that, Port hasn't beaten a side in the top 4 all year, and they've barely beaten anyone in the top 8.

Carlton no chance from here. St Kilda only 2 points behind but getting belted in general play. But if they can hold on, and we win tomorrow, we're locked into top 2. Conversely, if Geelong wins, and Port beats the Dogs, we'll be playing next week to avoid having to go to Adelaide for the first final. It is huge.

If results go expect this round (Geelong, Port and we all win), then next week is huge: if Port beats the Dogs next Friday night, we'll need to beat Geelong to avoid going to Adelaide for the first final.

Ouch.

Jack Riewoldt just 3 touches. "Look out if you're playing us" lol.

Tonight's game is a great example of what I was saying above. Richmond are -4 in free kicks tonight. They've given away a stack of off the ball, or late hit, or undisciplined, free kicks tonight. It's not a conspiracy or anti-Richmond bias, it's just a side which infringes on the rules a lot.

The Richmond fawning in the commentary box is disgusting. Noticeably though, Daisy doesn't get involved in it. It's all BT, Brayshaw and Leppa.

They still haven't made the finals yet, either. They need to win next week, otherwise they run the risk of Essendon passing them with two wins (could theoretically also be passed by St Kilda or Fremantle but they're far less likely to win both games).

Channel 7 going on and on about Richmond's inexperience:

GWS with this win will likely finish 7th. That means they likely play Sydney in the first final (Brisbane would have to lose to Collingwood or West Coast for Sydney to pass them), and then the winner gets the loser of 2 v 3. So if we win both games and finish 1st, we'll avoid that semi.

Richmond are witches hats out there. GWS was excellent last week vs Geelong but hard to read much into this.

To be fair, if you're a Richmond fan, does it matter? You've had a great run, three flags and an era to always remember. Now let's hope they completely fall apart and spend years wallowing down the ladder.

Remember when people were complaining about "we gave up Hogan/pick 6/Ben King for May"? Ah dear.

Certainly if there's no pre-finals bye, one of my concerns about resting players (missing every second week for five weeks potentially, through to the prelim) isn't a concern anymore.

If there's no pre-finals bye, does that mean a Sunday final in week 1? Or three finals on the Saturday? If not, they'll have to do a Thursday night, but that won't work unless Bulldogs v Port is a repeat match up in the first final and they're both on a six-day break. Otherwise they'll be sending at least one, if not two, sides into that game off a five-day break. From our perspective we'll have already had two consecutive six-day breaks so you'd hope we're on the Saturday in week 1, so that we don't have a third straight six-day break.

Tom Browne at half time was "reporting" (by his standards anyway) that he thinks the AFL is going to scrap the pre-finals bye. Imagine if we get the Friday night final in week 1. Three consecutive six-day breaks. Surely not.

That's not the rule at all.

This might have been fair to say in Round 1. But it's Round 22. No excuses. Stand on the mark, don't move. It's not hard.

This is seriously a poor comment.

GWS is missing Greene, Green, Coniglio, Davis, Daniels, Finlayson, Hill and Reid (along with some season-ending injuries to Flynn, Keeffe and Buckley). They could be a handful come finals. If they beat Carlton next week that puts them in prime position for 7th and potentially a final vs Sydney, the best draw possible for them. They look good, but I'm sure a lot of it is due to Richmond being just absolutely pathetic.