Lucifers Hero

I could name at least half a dozen bulldogs players that lift the arm like Ginnivan does. Apparently, Scott said that Selwood is merely 'evading the tackle' not 'leaning into the tackle'! What a joke of a comment! He says we have a league wide problem with players lifting their arms/dropping knees etc but not at his club! Both coaches have a lot invested as their players get a lot of cheap frees so no wonder they want to keep the status quo. Both clubs' players would be the worst at staging for various types of frees'

A curiosity question: why is the Freo game so significant?

Where Sydney finish is an outcome beyond our control unlike that of many other top 8 teams. On paper they have a very easy draw so prepare yourself for them being 4th. What might stop them being top 4 is themselves - they haven't won many games in a row, let alone 5 and that would need to change.

I reckon the first 3 will happen. Just not sure who will be 4th, most probably Sydney. Guess it doesn't matter who is 4th as we will most likely have to beat Geelong at some stage. Just prefer it to be in a PF or the GF.

Would love it if the top 4 were: Geelong Melbourne Brisbane Any team that can beat Geelong and our QF is vs Brisbane at the G.

Have to feel for Leigh Adams a bit. They just had a great win and have a few winnable games ahead of them. But North have started the process of getting a priority pick. What does the coach do: tank to get the pick or go all out and build some belief and confidence in the next 5 games.

In round one we didn't have Lever, Petty or Hibberd and Salem went off in the first quarter. That should more than offset the return of Bruce, even if Lever doesn't play this week. iirc TMc went back after Salem went off to shore up defence so we were down a tall up fwd. They still have no all ground defence and their backman don't hold up when challenged. And their pressure isn't so great. Undoubtedly Bevo will play games with his line-ups but at the end of the day they will lose.

Good analysis, SD. I wasn't imputing the likelihood of winning the GF from a particular position. This line at the bottom of your analysis is significant: Prior to last year the Premier hadn't finished Minor Premiers since 2013. And we were only the 7th team to do so in the 20 years since 2000. We went against recent history. Given the competition is so even this year the team finishing 4th might again go against history and win the GF especially if they win the first QF. Only guessing that it is the week rest which probably increases the chances of a QF winner taking out the GF. That aside I have posted in various threads that I am confident of a top 2 finish. I think it is unlikely that we will finish 4th. If not 2nd then it will be 3rd. However, if it is us at 4th I reckon we could beat anyone in the QF who finishes first and get the extra week rest. Or take it out from 4th if we lose the QF. Last year we showed that anything can happen, just as the Bulldogs did in 2016. Last year there were so many theories based on history that said we were unlikely to win it. But we did. History doesn't always repeat itself.

The top 7 are set and only the order to be decided. 8th spot will be fought out between Tigers and Bulldogs. Really a 50/50 call. Both capable of doing damage if they make it but unless they settle quickly whoever makes it will just be making up the numbers.

I wonder if @CHFis over his magnificent birthday celebrations and the hangover he was courting, not to mention enjoy our win.

Good pick up! It is probably why Kozzie was able to get free to kick goals. A bit like Sparrow, ANB, Spargo etc have said they do the defensive work so that Petracca and Oliver can do their thing. Bedford doing the defensive work allows Kozzie to do what he does best.

Just for fun, I looked at the run home for North and Eagles to see who might get the wooden spoon. Looks like it will be Eagles.😐 So no running Jackson into the preseason draft and expect North to pick him first up.

Not fussed if Lever is out for his shoulder injury. We beat the bulldogs in round 1 without him, without Petty, without Hbberd and Salem off in the first quarter. They still have no all ground defence and their backman just don't cut the mustard. And their pressure isn't so great. Undoubtedly Bevo will play games with his line-ups but at the end of the day they will lose.

10 Kysaiah Pickett (MELB) 8 Christian Petracca (MELB) 6 Connor Rozee (PORT) 4 Travis Boak (PORT) 1 Jack Viney (MELB) 1 Michael Hibberd (MELB) Split: 5/5 Pickett 4/4 Petracca 3/3 Rozee 2/2 Boak 1/0 Viney and Hibberd Pretty even by the coaches. Leader Board: The only contender that made up much ground in Olivers absence was Petracca. Can live with that! 84 Clayton Oliver MELB 75 Christian Petracca MELB 72 Andrew Brayshaw FRE 72 Touk Miller GCFC 70 Lachie Neale BL 68 Connor Rozee PORT 67 Jeremy Cameron GEEL 65 Patrick Cripps CARL 55 Callum Mills SYD 53 Hugh McCluggage BL 48 James Sicily HAW 48 Sam Walsh CARL 46 Charlie Curnow CARL 45 Peter Wright ESS 44 Taylor Walker ADEL 43 Bailey Smith WB 43 Chad Warner SYD 42 Jack Crisp COLL 42 Jack Sinclair STK

I have my sights firmly on a top 2 finish.

Not if Sydney knock them out of the top 4 which is quite possible.

Nah! They have an easy run. Let them win all 5 and be minor premiers thinking they are fantastic when in fact they may need a really good work out against some good teams before the finals. Then hope someone beats them in the first week of the finals. I'm happy for us to finish second or even third or fourth,

My query was on the poster's comment: It is a 2 week recovery at best. Re his training, it depends on when he tested positive. Given that Petty didn't train on Thursday morning, it would suggest he will be out of isolation on Thursday at the latest. When JV came out of covid isolation he did a special training run a few days before a game. They may do that with Petty and he plays.

It is in our power to shape the top 4 with games vs Freo, Pies, Blues and Lions. A strong position to be in. Given the weekend's results, Sydney will most likely make top 4 replacing either Freo or Lions.

The 7 days isolation is a legal mandate. Our governments are currently considering reducing that based on latest evidence. Of the scores of people I know that have had it, the symptoms last a few days and then ok. Not aware of AFL players taking 2 weeks to recover so not sure where that idea comes from...

Given there are only two 13-4 sides with just a few % points between them I would say we are equal best...

Melksham and Tomlinson are playing for their futures as wouldn't be surprised if they are asked to look elsewhere at EOS, ala TMc and ANB two years ago. They both need to impress suitors if they want to be more than depth. Hopefully, they both bring their best; we need them to. And that Tomlinson leaves the sulks in Melbourne.

No Dusty, No Richmond looks truer by the week!

I'm intensely jealous!! Well, not the hangover part... Happy Birthday 🥂, CHF! If you plan on having a hangover I hope it isn't top shelf champagne! Reckon you will get your birthday wish of a Dees win!

And it continues into the NT: Alice Springs, Nyirripi, Yuendemu The story: the-dees-cup-lands-in-the-red-centre The video: nyirripi which looks like serious Demon territory The pictures: dees-cup-in-the-red-centre-gallery Favourite pic: Love Kozzie! Great to see Kate Roffey travel to all the communities and that the club had AM-W front and centre and were accompanied by our AFLW players Alyssa Bannan and Megan Fitzsimon.