Week 2, 2007 finals series

[Dry Rot]

The Pies looked pretty good v the tried Swans and WCE has lost most of its engine room. I'd back them but I'm wary of the fact that the Pies haven't won in the West since '92.

Will the Roos bounce back? How do they match up against the Hawks?

[Bulldog Revolution]

West Coast were actually really good last week given the no Kerr, and little from Judd and Cousins - Nicoski played well for a guy who has hardly played in two years

I rate the Eagles a good chance, they have some underrated guys I really like; BJones, Hurn, Waters, Lacras.

The Kangaroos midfield was smashed and I think Hawthorn will again expose them in this area which is kind of sad given how the Kangas smashed us 1 week earlier

[Go_Dogs]

Both games should be pretty good. The Pies have a real shot to beat WC, a lot of it depends on if Judd can play - his impact will most likely be minimal, but a couple of cameo goals would be nice. Wil Hansen play? If he does, that certainly helps out the Eagles too. Glass must keep Rocca quiet if the Eagles are to win. The Pies have some good players through the midfield, and have a lot of class up forwards, so it should be a high scoring, hard running game.

The Hawks will I think, have the Roos number too. But don't be surprised to see a 'different' Roos team to that on display against Geelong. The Roos were embarrassed, and won't be made to look that bad again.

[The Underdog]

West Coast were actually really good last week given the no Kerr, and little from Judd and Cousins - Nicoski played well for a guy who has hardly played in two years

I rate the Eagles a good chance, they have some underrated guys I really like; BJones, Hurn, Waters, Lacras.

The Kangaroos midfield was smashed and I think Hawthorn will again expose them in this area which is kind of sad given how the Kangas smashed us 1 week earlier

How much crap do you think Hurn got from the coach about his missed shepherd that allowed Tredrea to tackle Jones(?) get a holding the ball free and kick a goal.
Still I agree, WCE bat deeper than anyone else and the fact that they can bring Fletcher in from the emergencies says a lot about their midfield depth. I wouldn't write them off at home under any circumstances.

Expect a very angry Kangas team too. Which should make for fireworks because the Hawks have a few guys who don't mind mixing it up.

Very much looking forward to both games, wish I didn't have to work Friday night.

[Go_Dogs]

Hurn is a young player who will learn. Wasn't his only mistake on the night, but it wasn't as if he didn't do a lot to help the team out. Expect him to play more midfield this weekend, so watch out for him. He's my boy, blue.

[The Underdog]

Hurn is a young player who will learn. Wasn't his only mistake on the night, but it wasn't as if he didn't do a lot to help the team out. Expect him to play more midfield this weekend, so watch out for him. He's my boy, blue.

I like him too, that was just a mistake that stood out hugely on TV and hurt them too. Tredrea even gave a little fist pump after he got the free.
Would love to see Hurn and Waters give the pies a bit tonight. West Coast look a lot slower without their 3 top boys though. Not that Collingwoods mids are super quick so it may not be the death blow everyone thinks.

[LostDoggy]

I think West Coast should win, even without Kerr, Cousins and Judd, they surely won't lose 2 finals in a row with all of their experience. Their defence might have a bit of trouble if Rocca fires along with Rusling, Medhurst and Cloke, plus if Thomas and Buckley can have big games it might be tricky. If it's raining over there then that should suit the Eagles, I think, but will be going for the Pies anyway.

Again, you wouldn't think the Kangaroos would lose 2 finals in a row after finishing top 4, but the Hawks are looking pretty good at the moment and Campbell Brown playing is a big plus, especially if he's 100%. I'll be going for the Hawks, but think the Kanga's will bounce back by 10 points.

[Dry Rot]

I reckon the Pies can make history tonight - rumours of various WCE out.

As a side point, the Swans looked buggered last week after effectively playing at least another season (being in the finals for five years).

Ditto, the WCE look a bit tired too after the hardest campaigns for the past 2 years.

Is it the nature of modern footy that sides simply can't stay at the top for prolonged periods of time now because of the wear and tear of not only the H&A season but also finals exposure?

[Dry Rot]

I reckon the Pies can make history tonight - rumours of various WCE out.



Seems only Waters out for the Eagles, but Fraser out for the Pies.

Hm, maybe now history will just repeat itself.

[Dry Rot]

Ground is a bit wet - who will this favour? IIRC WCE are good in the wet.

[BulldogBelle]

Hey DR, looks like you are posting to yourself here :D .

Will be an interesting game, first time Judd, Kerr and Cousins out at the same time - well so Channel 7 says. I think the Eagles will win, moreso now with Fraser out.

[Dry Rot]

Hey DR, looks like you are posting to yourself here :D .



I'm about to start trolling myself. :)

Tight game - great tackling on both sides.

[BulldogBelle]

I'm about to start trolling myself. :)

Funny :D

It's ok, troll away, you will only be reading your own posts. Only joking!

[GVGjr]

With 6mins to go in the 2nd quarter the eagles have their nose in front in a close low scoring grind. Very much an arm wrestle.

[BulldogBelle]

With 6mins to go in the 2nd quarter the eagles have their nose in front in a close low scoring grind. Very much an arm wrestle.

That it is, I just feel the Eagles are playing with more intensity. Eagles don't lose too many finals games over in Perth - but anything can happen it is a very tight game as I type Wirrpunda is about to kick for goal - and gets it. Eagles up by 10

[Dry Rot]

With 6mins to go in the 2nd quarter the eagles have their nose in front in a close low scoring grind. Very much an arm wrestle.

Arm wrestle = often finals footy. Isn't the tackling/pressure good?

How would we have coped with either team playing this way?

[Dry Rot]

Game over.

Can WCE beat the Cats?

[BulldogBelle]

Game over.

Can WCE beat the Cats?

What a great game that will be - at this stage doesn't look like any of the Eagles trio will be back for this match - perhaps Judd only. Geelong are on a roll and they are unstoppable at the moment. Eagles I have said all along would be the only team that could beat them.

Cloke & Rocca have just kicked a goal each they are only 10 points down with a quarter to go. It is anyone's game now.

[The Coon Dog]

Talk about intense. Congratulations to Collingwood on a great win. Just shows how much we need to improve.

[Go_Dogs]

Collingwood have so many guys who are dangerous with the ball in their hands. They stick tackles and work harder for each other than we can dream about. Their finishing is excellent too.

We have a long, long way to go...no doubt. Let's no undervalue the impact of the Eagles missing their best 3 players though.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I tipped both of these games incorrectly - I feel slightly vindicated by the WCE performance and if Judd doesn't leave they will be close to favourites in season 08

But North are a team that consistently lift when it is not expected they can - too many passengers for the Hawks tonight, and they looked undisciplined too frequently taking their focus off the footy

[Dry Rot]

What do you think about the treatment meted out to Harvey tonight?

[southerncross]

What do you think about the treatment meted out to Harvey tonight?

It probably went too far but putting a bit of group pressure on a star player is something that a lot of clubs do. Harvey going off a couple of times early in the first quarter to try and shake the Sewell tag probably just intensified the focus.

[Go_Dogs]

I quite enjoyed the game last night, good to see a few hard knocks. The Roos have a good side, but, lack potency in the forward line. I was honestly surprised they won, for a while I was wondering where the goals were going to come from, then Harvey came to the party at the end. Edwards was good last night, but he's hardly reliable or consistent on a regular basis.

Hawks had too many good players down, and perhaps got too concerned with the niggling, rather than the ball.

[Twodogs]

Seems to me that The Hawks read all the press through the week and thought that they were a monty. They had only just crawled over the team that had finished 8th after all.

[Go_Dogs]

Agreed. Beating the Crows last week, by 3 points, in a game that really could have gone either way, seemed to fill them with false hope and confidence.

[The Underdog]

I found it a fairly painful game to watch. Foot skills on both sides were terrible for the most part. North choke it up as soon as the other team get any type of run. The Hawks kicked two consecutive goals in the 2nd quarter and North put the whole team behind the ball. Turned the game into dullsville. They got away at the end and there were some nice marks, but they looked like the 4th best team left in the finals. They may have grit to spare, but I'd rather see Port in the GF (and I don't have any affection for Port).

Impressed with Rawlings stopping game on Hodge, destroyed him and got his own ball.
Harris is a gem in and under.
Although he was on the losing team Croad is a much improved player this year. Although he was the loose man when North put numbers back, he played the role well and seems a smarter player these days.
Jordan Lewis can be singled out for wasting the ball nearly every time he got it. The Hawks lacked intensity and focus, and the Harvey bashing seemed to distract them as much as him.

Oh yeah, yet again, the umpiring was terrible. Some awful calls and non calls, esp the free kick to Edwards for chopping the arms against Croad which resulted in a goal. Bad, Bad, Bad

[The Underdog]

Agreed. Beating the Crows last week, by 3 points, in a game that really could have gone either way, seemed to fill them with false hope and confidence.

And media blowing smoke, especially about Mr Franklin

[Sockeye Salmon]

I quite enjoyed the game last night, good to see a few hard knocks. The Roos have a good side, but, lack potency in the forward line. I was honestly surprised they won, for a while I was wondering where the goals were going to come from, then Harvey came to the party at the end. Edwards was good last night, but he's hardly reliable or consistent on a regular basis.

Hawks had too many good players down, and perhaps got too concerned with the niggling, rather than the ball.

Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones would help.

I thought it was a dredful standard and Port will give North a touch-up next week.

[Go_Dogs]

Nathan Thompson and Corey Jones would help.

I thought it was a dredful standard and Port will give North a touch-up next week.

Certainly would. I'd be bringing Leigh Brown in this week too, to hopefully add something to the mix.

Port will mop them.

[Twodogs]

Port have an appalling record against North and in finals generally*


I wouldnt call them over the line yet, although that performance by North last night looked like it was 'one last shot left in the locker' stuff.














*Almost as bad as my tipping has been this finals series!:o

[LostDoggy]

Just a question about the Collingwood V West Coast game, did anybody else think that the umpiring was very good? I was pretty impressed, they let the players play, no stupid deliberate out of bounds calls, no ticky touchwood chopping of the arms or hands in the backs, just the obvious decisions. They did let a few things go, but they were consistent- such as the not far enough call, they paid them whether they were in front of goal and in defence. I mean, I probably would have thought it was disgraceful if I was a biased West Coast fan, but as a neutral observer I hardly noticed the umpires, not many free's were paid...what did everyone else think?

The Hawks v Kanga's game was awful, the whole time I spent going on about the poor standard of umpiring, so many free kicks in front of goal where the defenders get destroyed by the umpires and the number of soft free kicks was incredible and seemed to be a bit lop sided as far as who they went to. I wasn't really going for either team, I was partial to Hawthorn (gone longer without a flag, my best friend goes for them etc.), but even still I wasn't that fussed in the end about who won...I just thought the number of free kicks North got in their forward line was a joke.

[Twodogs]

The WC/Collingwood game was very well umpired. They let the players know how the game was going to be umpired and then didnt change their methods until the final siren. You cant ask for any more than that.



I thought the Hawthorn players were fairly undisiplined last night and that led to most of the lopsided free kick count. The Croad/Edwards decision was fairly stupid but once the umpire has you in the gun that's what tends to happen-believe me I have considerable personal experience with this theory.

[LostDoggy]

The WC/Collingwood game was very well umpired. They let the players know how the game was going to be umpired and then didnt change their methods until the final siren. You cant ask for any more than that.



I thought the Hawthorn players were fairly undisiplined last night and that led to most of the lopsided free kick count. The Croad/Edwards decision was fairly stupid but once the umpire has you in the gun that's what tends to happen-believe me I have considerable personal experience with this theory.

Yeah, I agree with that, I was getting annoyed at the number of cheap shots they did, such as Crawford, but I was more annoyed with the soft free kicks in front of goal, probably stems from the fact that my favourite position on the ground is defence, I mostly play there etc. but the defenders seem to get pinged for things that go unnoticed when the forwards do it.

What do you mean by 'has you in the gun'?

[The Coon Dog]

What do you mean by 'has you in the gun'?

Yeah, 2Dogs, as Pauline Hanson says: 'Please explain"!!

[Twodogs]

What do you mean by 'has you in the gun'?


It means that the man in white/orange/green/yellow is paying you 'special attention' and maybe penalising you for things that others may get away with. It usually happens when a player has made a bad start with or done something to annoy the umpire.

[LostDoggy]

The WC/Collingwood game was very well umpired. They let the players know how the game was going to be umpired and then didnt change their methods until the final siren. You cant ask for any more than that.

You think so?
Just when it looked like WC were about to finish them, I thought the Pies got 2 of the softest free inside 50 when they were 22 down in the 3rd quarter and goals resulted.

I stopped watching after that but was told there were also obvious ones in the last 10 minutes that weren't paid.

Credit to the Pies but we don't get the frees they do.