Pates

The quarter from us couldn’t have been worse, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse had the Eagles taken their chances. 3 quarters left, time to learn something about our team. We have been obliterated at our own game, high pressure contested possessions. We also need to start sticking our handballs.

Honestly I was fine all week. As opposed to the build up to the cats game where it was all I could think about, for this game I was feeling really chilled and simply proud of the team and the club. After watching the other prelim final and seeing Collingwood get into that one day into September it actually hit me, we are there, we are a BIG CHANCE. We can most definitely do this. I'm going to be watching the game at 6:20am in the UK, I don't think I'm going to sleep a wink. Going to test my computer out before I go to bed to make sure I can get the stream of the game with no problems and no delay. There is pride in the jumper again, pride and belief. They have Kennedy back, this is true, but we have Viney as different from the round 22 game. He has been arguably one of the stand out finals players this year. Raise Hell Dees!!!!!

I hope Oscar does another massive tackle on one of the Eagles players early into the game to remind them of how he took one of them out for an entire game (legally) last time. Tonight's result has made this match even bigger for me now. I know this will sound crazy but I was not particularly worried about the result of our match, I've just been so proud of the boys since the last time we ventured to Perth. But now, with the prospect of facing the Pies in a grand final, this match has taken on a bigger significance. I want us to play the Pies, I want them to think about the last time we played them and think "oh we smashed them last time, we've got this", I want our first premiership in 54 years to be against the same mob we got it against last time. How poetic would that be!!!

I have actually had a quiet respect for the Pies this year. They've had quite a few injury concerns to deal with and have managed to find a way to keep winning. Everyone kept waiting for the classic Colliwobbles but it hasn't come, if anything (like us) they have actually gone from strength to strength towards the end of the year. They played finals football tonight, a perfect example of what we need to do tomorrow. I tip my cap to Bucks (and hope we get the chance to smash them into the ground next week!).

I understand the theory behind it, I believe it was Freo that rested half a dozen star players the week before the finals. I think the better change would be to play all final round games at the same time ala Premier League in the UK. But it definitely looks like the bye now favours non top 4 teams.

Richmond have won so many games at the G, that bubble was bound to burst some day. Worst time for them! ? This is giving me more belief for tomorrow, we bring in winning form off a week off for them (which means less now). If we bring the same pressure we have for the first two finals we will be up to our necks in it no matter what happens. Pressure is everything in the finals.

Wow Richmond have been made to look very second rate. Very few players showing any poise or calm in the face of ferocious pressure from the Pies. Absolute credit to the Pies as well, their pressure has been immense. Now we get to see what the Tigers are really made of.

Very tough on Fritta, he’s had an excellent year and has done very little wrong. Big call from the selection committee but I’ll back Smith in.

Exactly this! We will definitely get lots of Friday/Saturday nights, ratings are one thing (obviously very important) but if a team is scoring lots of goals than Seven get to fill their quota of adbreaks. Welcome to being relevant and wanted again Dees! Oh and I’ll happily put up with Roaming Brian for two more times this year! ?

I think that sums it up, his first year with us was an absolute cracker. I remember the goal he kicked against Adelaide in that year that sealed the game for us, it was brilliant, now he just doesn’t seem to have those same silky skills.

I honestly can’t get a read on this game, both my heart and head don’t know who I think will win! The fact we’ve beaten them the last two times in Perth and had a close loss the one before gives me a lot of confidence. We are a VERY good traveling team. The fresh legs in the warmth could be telling, if it’s close at 3 quarter time you would back the eagles. For any chance I feel like we need a big first and 3rd quarter. Catch them on the hop early and silence the pro-eagles crowd, then break them open in our favourite quarter (the 3rd). Their tales loom as dangers so we have to make sure they don’t get clean runs and the midfield is stopping easy delivery. Our unpredictable forward line could be the key to us winning, last week Tom stepped up while the week before it was Weiderman. Last time we played them Vanders had a cracker and the likes of of Petracca/Hannan/Melksham are all capable of kicking 3+. Last time we played them was when we started lowering the eyes more, we must keep doing that. The moment we went for the long bomb to no one last week the Hawks started getting on top. West Coast are absolutely rightfully favourites, particularly with Kennedy back. But we have fantastic momentum coming in and we just need to keep up with the relentless pressure as that seems to create the rest of our game. Had to laugh at quote, such a typical eagles nuffy. Also love the ones saying we’ll get the bias of the umpires, do they even realise how badly the umpiring favours them at home 99% of the time?

He may not have got pinged but he still got caught, he just takes that split second longer than others do and I feel like he gets caught out with high pressure. As I said I don’t think he played particularly bad but he was the only one who stuck out as someone potentially on the chopping block.

I think Hunts just got to look at 2019 as a clean slate to start again. He clearly lost confidence throughout the year and then had a difficult run of injuries. I’m with you that I feel like he could be anything, he’s got an x-factor that not many others have and showed some great ability when pushed forward a couple of times in 2017. A big pre-season could see him pushing for selection, great that we have these competitions for spots now!

It wasn’t his worst game but I would say the reason many D-landers have him on the chopping block is his disposal is suspect and he gets caught A LOT. He was lucky not to be pinged HTB/incorrect disposal at least a couple of times possibly even more. I really rated him not long ago, and as I said he hadn’t been horrible (in fact you correctly pointed out he helped create goals) but he would be the only player that stood out to me as “droppable”. I just don’t have much confidence in him.

There’s something about the fact he was a Dees fan and he came in as a rookie that makes it one of the stories of the year. You can tell that he’s just loving playing right now, and we love watching him!

If it’s got no bearing on the result than the team that were on the other side wouldn’t bother appealing. Taking the game to a replay should only happen after it’s been exhausted and determined that it provided an advantage that affected the game. Just as if the team that was belting the opposition by 100 points had the player on for two minutes, it wouldn’t after the result so no need to consider a replay. Having the captain responsible for the count is very archaic and cumbersome for them to enforce. The time it would take for the runner to get the message then run it out to the captain at an opportune time is too much.

Like so often with our game the biggest job is winning the midfield battle to prevent clean disposal inside 50. We did this a lot to the Hawks, there were rushed kicks that fell short or in the wrong place and no look kicks where Max was waiting in the hole. With WC’s taller forwards I think it’s more import for Mac to push back rather than push forward (though he’s such a gun he can do both). There are temptations to make changes but I just don’t think you mess with a winning formula. Much as I feel like Tyson could go.

I get what you’re saying but for the bump on Oliver it just seems to harsh to pay a direct free kick, 9/10 he wouldn’t go down for it and it would be play on. The player gets punished because the player getting bumped is off balance.

It’s a general comment but our chasing and pressure in general has been immense. Oliver’s chase after being fended off, Viney chasing to keep the pressure on Gunston, Melksham staying in the contest which lead to the goal, those are just a few of examples where the players stayed with their man to keep the pressure on and force errors or tackle them. In the past we would’ve given up on those moments.

I don’t think it should’ve been a free kick but at the same time he didn’t dive, he just wasn’t braced for it and it was heavy enough to knock him to the ground. Umpires justneed to get in there and say to all players straight away, next person who does something stupid will have a free kick paid against. I kinda like that we have a bit of hatred towards us though, for so long people kept patting us on our back and saying “good for you” if we won a game. It was nauseating. I like hearing opposition fans say, “wow they’re actually really hard at it and kinda dirty”, no more bruise free footy!

Should’ve been a replayed match, only fair and logical outcome as reversing a match result is a very dangerous precedent to set. SANFL have embarrassed themselves during this whole saga, putting it on one person to make a ruling with only limited power. Surely they will have change the rules of interchange after this fiasco.

David King is a frustrating commentator as times, analytically he can actually be quite insightful but every now and then you wonder whether he’s just saying stuff purely to justify his pay check and his responsibility to sell papers. He’s very much using alternative facts as the man with a bronze tan likes to say. We dominated the first quarter but didn’t take our opportunities, with the quarter feeling like we we should’ve been a couple of goals ahead. The second quarter was definitely Hawthorn and they cocked up some really simple chances, we took ours some i would say at half time the time of dominance meant it should be even money or maybe the Hawks marginally ahead. The second half was mostly us, save for a few bursts by the Hawks with them in particular getting close in the final quarter we were on top for the most part. We were clearly the better team on the night, in fact I would say our style of pressure and chaos suits finals footy and could catch the Eagles out. But to say we’ll get belted on the back of beating a top 4 side by 30+ points is just ridiculous and headline grabbing.

Fed square could be quite symbolic as it is in the heart of Melbourne right next to iconic images such as Flinders St Station and St Paul’s Cathedral. The lack of beer will be a deterrent with Fed Square but I hope lots of Dees fans still turn out. Nothing stopping people from going to some pubs in the area for some cheeky pre-drinks! The only other option I could’ve seen them doing is out the front of AAMI Park in the shadows of the MCG. But that would present the exact same (alcohol related) problem.

I might start looking at flights from London! ?

By the way, I’m unsure if they will show this one as it will be a lot earlier but if people are looking for somewhere in London I have watched the last two finals at Belushi’s in Shepherds Bush. Nothing special but it’s a memorable place for me now!