Macca

The bye was also brought in (primarily?) to accommodate the prime-time Thursday night game in the first week of the finals. Either that or it was just a coincidence. And the club would be assuming that the Eagles will win and the Crows resting their starters would have been foreseen in advance. It's a simple equation in my eyes - we have to defeat Collingwood (a draw will suffice as well)

Are we not going to have a wild-card weekend as from next year and haven't the Presidents of the clubs signed off on the concept? Wild-card weekend would pit 7th vs 10th and 8th vs 9th whilst the top 6 clubs have the weekend off. The idea may have been shelved but here's the original story ... AFL fixture revamp: Finals wildcard round increasingly likely in 2018

And now we have McGregor vs Mayweather. Vegas are saying that 93% of the money coming in has gone on McGregor. I suppose the odds on offer for Conor are hard to resist. The fight is scheduled to start at 1pm on Sunday (AEST) but may start and hour or so later. I'll be tuning in if only because it's a fascinating match-up. The best defensive boxer in the business vs a puncher's chance? I may be selling McGregor a bit short though ... who knows?

Yep, you make a good point Gorgo but from my point of view and in the interest of keeping up the interest (so to speak), the 3 pointer at the end keeps the participants in it, often until the final week. And finishing 'on the podium' only is interesting for historical purposes. Anyway, the key to it all is perseverance and never believing you're out of it. From memory @Strafford missed a couple/few weeks in the first comp but was still the joint winner with 'cfh' The 'mathematical possibility' is never more apt than with this unnecessarily cruel tipping comp

That makes 4 starters so far in the tipping comp ... a shout out to @cowboy_from_hell @Dappa Dan @DeeSpencer @titan_uranus @Go the Biff @pantaloons @DemonDave & @layzie If any of you blokes are keen to participate in the tipping comp, just join in whenever. We'll probably end up with at least 5 or 6 players so it's all systems go. Any newcomers are welcome of course. Missing a week or 3 or starting late may not necessarily effect your chances of winning ... there are numerous weeks when no one gets a point or points. However, the bonus weeks is where the comp is usually won & decided. Bonus weeks are weeks 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 & 17 (2 points are on offer with week 17 worth 3 points) It's easy to play ... just select 3 road teams in any particular week who you think can win ... if all 3 win you get the points.

The MC has made multiple changes previously but has usually done so after a loss or a bad loss. So, I can see 2 or possibly 3 changes. The MC may make a couple more changes the week after (if we progress) Salem, Watts, Frost, Viney & Bugg are in the mix so it may be a case of bringing 2 or 3 of that 5 in for the Pies clash with the others in the mix for the following match (if augurs well) Viney possibly needs more time off but we may need Frost in for one of the Pie talls. Bugg may have to bide his time as well (for now) In: Watts, Salem, Frost Out: Hannan, Stretch, Wagner Regardless, we'll be picking a strong team

So who's up for the tipping comp again? If we can get 5 or 6 participants, I'm happy to run it. For newcomers, the tipping comp involves finding 3 road winners (from 3 picks) each week. I point for each time you nail it and we normally have about 8 'bonus-point' weeks. Last year's notable's ... Final Leaderboard 12 - Gorgoroth 8 - cowboy_from_hell 7 - Clintosaurus, DeeSpencer -------------------------------- 6 - JV7 4 - Macca Regular Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 cowboy_from_hell/ pantaloons/ Gorgoroth Strafford Macca ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 Dappa Dan DeeSpencer Gorgoroth ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 Gorgoroth cowboy_from_hell, Macca JV7, DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Gorgoroth cowboy_from_hell Clintosaurus/ DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Season Tipping Competition Year Winner Runners up 3rd place 2013 titan_uranus DemonDave cowboy_from_hell/ Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 JV7/ pantaloons Gorgoroth/ Go the Biff Macca ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2015 JV7/ cowboy_from_hell, Gorgoroth/ Macca DeeSpencer --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2016 Gorgoroth, JV7 Clintosaurus Macca --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Medal Tally Gold Silver Bronze Gorgoroth 3 0 4 JV7 2 2 0 Macca 2 1 3 ------------------------------------------------------------- cowboy_from_hell 1 3 1 Dappa Dan 1 0 0 Strafford 1 0 0 titan_uranus 1 0 0 Go the Biff 1 0 0 DeeSpencer 0 2 2 pantaloons 0 2 0 DemonDave 0 1 0 Clintosaurus 0 0 2

If Buckley was going to be dispensed with, we'd almost certainly know about it. The Pert departure was the 'tell' in my eyes. The other tell is how many of their players going in early for ops. At best, he's an average/reasonable coach. And their list is average as well. At times it looks like they're switched on and playing for him but most of the time they're not. One good game followed by an average one then a shocker. And they don't win when they're average.

The difference this season is we've got a few decent scalps up during the season as compared to '87. However, both that '87 team and this year's team dropped games that should have been victories. Where as we made a late run from obscurity in '87 we have been in the finals mix for most of this season with this year's team. Low expectations vs reasonable expectations (?) The angst of another 'forgettable' season in '87 was replaced with euphoria but that euphoria only really kicked in after round 21 of that '87 season. Ditto for 1976 except we fell agonisingly short. I distinctly remember believing that we were a real chance for finals with 5 or 6 rounds to go in both of those seasons ('76 & '87) On both occasions the run-in wasn't all that difficult. That's how I remember it all. As for this season, finals became a realistic possibility after the win in Adelaide in round 8. Anyway, we beat the Pies on Saturday and we're in and if we do make it anything is possible. Our best footy is more than decent.

Same (also including the Footscray game) The form we showed against North in that Elimination final was a sight to behold. I'd never seen the team play that well. Ever. I feel that this current team hasn't clicked into gear properly (yet) ... we almost certainly need to add some real pace & class but you never know. Any sort of win against the Pies and we're in. I actually like the fact that we need to get it done against that mob too. Would make it all the more sweeter. Could be a big crowd too.

Not necessarily disagreeing with you FD but my memory of '87 is that the form we showed in the finals was far superior to the form we showed going into the finals. We barely scraped into the finals and then went gang-busters against North and then Sydney. We smashed North Melbourne in that Elimination final but were rank outsiders going into that game. Even in the last round of the season we weren't expected to beat Footscray at their ground. The Bulldogs were ahead of us on the ladder going into that last game and also had a lot to play for. We were actually 7th going into that last round and also needed Geelong to lose to make it. Fast forward to this season and we've been a realistic finals chance from the get-go. The turning point was when we beat the Crows in Adelaide. If we had have lost that round 8 clash it might have been curtains. Our best form is decent. We don't bring it every week because we're not that good(yet)

I reckon that's how it will turn out too. I'm more confident that we'll beat the Pies than St Kilda winning but your scenario is ideal. Our best footy is ahead of Collingwood's so if we bring our best game, we'll be playing finals. Interesting fact that the Demons & Tigers have only played in the same final series a few times and only met in a final twice (both times in 1940*) ...they won the 2nd semi and we defeated them in the GF of that year. Generally when we've been good they've been poor and vice-versa. *Stand corrected on that one.

Win next week and it's all academic

Any sort of win would have done today. We're not that good where we can talk in terms of percentage.

And then there are the would-be score involvements initiated by Jack that should or could eventuate but don't. T-Mac is another who is under-appreciated in that area. Back in the day we just viewed these sort of players as terrific team players with excellent vision. i.e ... "Bringing other players into the game" Oliver is another but he's got genuine A-grade quality as an add-on. Hunt is getting tbere and Frost can get there as well. Brayshaw is another.

Regardless, they've got a lot of talent but they're not unbeatable. No team is this season. Sydney got it done tonight and their professionalism won out in the end. Still, there was only one kick in it. Our best is very good and we just need to find that form at the right time. If we'd never shown that form then I wouldn't rate us as much of a show. I'm confident that we'll win our last 2 games and then we go from there.

SBS are covering the Vuelta a España (starts tomorrow night) and this version of the Grand Tour looks to be as tough as it gets. There are no fewer than 43 climbs over 14 of the stages (including 12 x Cat 1 climbs) That includes 8 mountain top finishes. It promises to be a grueling affair and Froome has been installed as the short-priced favourite. He'll get strong competition from Nibali, Contador, Fabio Aru, Bardet and a number of others though. The Vuelta might prove to be the pick of the Grand tours (this year) Blisteringly hot conditions have been forecast as well. BBC Podcast - Can Froome do the Tour/Vuelta double? Cyclingnews.com - stage by stage preview

Ok, if we happen to meet the Swans in the finals so be it. Honestly, after all this time it would be great to just get some September action. We haven't met the Swans in a final since 1987 when we obliterated them (against all odds) Bring it.

Ugh

Swans just too professional ... from our point of view we'll almost certainly avoid them in the first week of the finals if we win out.

It's a good game tonight and this is the standard. I'd like to think that our best measures up but it would have to be our absolute best.

I'm no aficionado on the subject deever but I do know that the Kangas lost their first 4 games in '75. The Swans remain the best team we've faced this season and will be hard to beat.

Reckon you're right.

It may have been mentioned elsewhere but there's a good chance that there won't be any finals held in Melbourne in the 1st week of the finals. Would that be a first? (for the 1st week)

That'll do it Zoiic. His value is apparent when we can find a role for him where he isn't a focal point or the focal point. Many players excel or can excel when their role suits their football acumen. Jack is one of those players. Anyway, he's been given another rocket by the coach and it had the desired effect last time (leading into the start of this season) Let's hope history repeats.