Compare the Pair.

[bulldogtragic]

Pre-lim feelings between 2008 and 2009.

2008 - Everyone thought they were playing for second place to Geelong. So i wasn't nervous or excited, i was hopeful especially last in the 3rd quarter, but it didn't eventuate.

2009 - Whilst the punters 'says no', i've got this excited feeling in the pit of my stomach, something i haven't felt since 3/4 time in 1997, which was brief and only once. Genuine excitement for me. I have high expectations this year compared to last. And a quiet sense of optimism and confidence.


how do they compare for you?

[aker39]

how do they compare for you?

I have the same feeling as last year.

Not expecting to win, but the fact that we are there, we have a chance. Anything can happen.

I am not nervous yet, but I'm sure come Friday I will be.

[The Coon Dog]

Sort of similar in a way.

Lost the first final that was expected to be a 50-50 contest both times.

Won against an interstate team we were clearly better than both times.

Up against the Premiership favourite in the PF both times.

I don't really believe anyone gave us a hope in hell last year against Geelong.

Not too many give us a chance this week, other than our own.

It would need us to be right on the top of our game again & TAKE OUR OPPORTUNITIES this time!

I think we can, I think we can, I think we can...

[mighty_west]

Probably a similar feeling to last year, going in as underdogs but knowing we can win if we bring our A game, unfortunatly like the first final and last years Prelim v Geelong, we kicked ourselves out of both games, we had plenty of opportunities in both.

I reckon this weeks game is our biggest hurdle, win that, and we are in with a REAL shot of beating eiher the Pies or Cats, i'll be confident on beating either of those teams, where's with last year, the Hawks beat us up badly, i wouldn't have had the same confidence had we won the Prelim come GF day.

[mighty_west]

I think we can, I think we can, I think we can...

I think we can, I think we can, I think we can, I know we can, I know we can, I know we can.......!

[Sedat]

I have the same feeling as last year.

Not expecting to win, but the fact that we are there, we have a chance. Anything can happen.

I am not nervous yet, but I'm sure come Friday I will be.
Actually the entire finals series feels like deja vu. Poor qualifying final loss (much poorer last season), strong rebound win the following Friday night against an interstate club, up against the form team of the competition in the prelim.

The main difference between seasons is that we are a proportionally better team in better health 12 months on. So the main question is whether our prelim final opponent in 2009 is similarly proportionally better than our prelim final opponent in 2008. Debatable - Geelong were 22-1 going into last year's prelim and had a regulation 10 goal win in its first final. Everyone remembers their GF capitulation but they were the hottest of hot flag favourites going into last year's prelim.

[The Pie Man]

I expect more out of this Friday than last year's prelim - I was pretty nervous before the Hawthorn game last year as I couldn't get a read on our form, and thought we were some chance to win that....

Prelims can tell a tale - I had to wait to see how the Hawks vs Saints prelim panned out the next night, but once I saw that demolition I was convinced the Cats were gone. They didn't impress me at all against us last year....or in the QF 9 days ago.

Before that prelim weekend, the Cats couldn't have been more heavily favoured, similar to Saints this year.

I reckon this Friday will be a cracker, really looking forward to it

[bornadog]

I have the same feeling as last year.

Not expecting to win, but the fact that we are there, we have a chance. Anything can happen.

I am not nervous yet, but I'm sure come Friday I will be.

Same, except I feel we are in a better position this year with players.

[LostDoggy]

Our team vs Geelong Prelim 2008: Aker, Boyd, Callan, Cooney, Cross, Eagles, Gia, Gilbee, Griff, Hahn, Harbrow, Hargrave, Higgins, Hill, Hudson, Johnson, Lake, Minson, Morris, Murphy, Tiller, Welsh

Differences with our potential team vs StKilda Prelim 2009: Tiller & Hill out, Picken & Ward in

Very similar side but I have more confidence than last year.

[Sedat]

Our team vs Geelong Prelim 2008: Aker, Boyd, Callan, Cooney, Cross, Eagles, Gia, Gilbee, Griff, Hahn, Harbrow, Hargrave, Higgins, Hill, Hudson, Johnson, Lake, Minson, Morris, Murphy, Tiller, Welsh

Differences with our potential team vs StKilda Prelim 2009: Tiller & Hill out, Picken & Ward in

Very similar side but I have more confidence than last year.
Cooney and Murphy were essentially in the side in name only last year. Murph still isn't 100% today but he's in much better shape than he was 12 months ago. Coons was so gone this time last year that he was used as a decoy in the semi final to drag McVeigh away from the action (did a damn fine job of it too) - fast forward 12 months and Coons is flying.

[AndrewP6]

For me, it's much the same feeling as last year... excited simply because it's down to the last four, and we're still alive. Not overly optimistic, unfortunately. Just glad we're still in it...

[strebla]

Different to last year we have a full compliment of players our guns are firing my guts is tied in knots I haven't felt this bad since 85:)

[1eyedog]

We have solid finals experience now and if we bring our best form to the G on the night we can beat St. Kilda. If we bring our best form to the G we can beat anyone. We just need really solid performances over the next two weeks. I honestly believe we can beat St. Kilda.

[Raw Toast]

I also feel a bit different this year - last year was full of hope whereas this year there's a bit more expectation. Not that I have us as favourites, but I reckon we're in better physical shape than last year, we're fitter than the Saints, the Saints come in under enormous pressure, and we showed last year that we can exploit their lack of pace through the middle.

So I'll be more nervous this time around as well.

[LostDoggy]

Different to last year because the hawks two weeks before put the exclamation point on the fact we were no where near them.

We actually can beat the saints. Our best vs their best is pretty close but they have been more consistent.

[boydogs]

Different to last year because the hawks two weeks before put the exclamation point on the fact we were no where near them.

We actually can beat the saints. Our best vs their best is pretty close but they have been more consistent.

Agree with this. I think rounds 20-22 this year show we can beat the best this time around not just get close

[neodog]

Much much different feelings to last year. More hopeful chance against the cats last year, but this year, it is more about meeting expectations and definitely more confidence.

Healthier list and especially the last few weeks the players when going forward has been more patient and confidence.