Finals Time

[LostDoggy]

Ok so we have witnessed probably our best win against the Crows, then copped a belting under sufferance the next two.
Many of our Members have quesioned our chances and everyone from the Media to the waterboy for Broome thirds have jumped off us. So where do we stand????

Now we get back to Melbourne and play the Bombers (which were in the 70s FSI) so we will get our winning ways back.

First Final: We meet the Pies and without Cooney (maybe) but we will be back to hard tough football because the last of the virus that has spread through us has just about vacated. But in saying that we will most likely go down by 5 - 6 goals and walk away most importantly unscathed.

More importantly Geelong will face the Saints without Pods and with the Tomahawk playing like poo. They will not be able to rely on Ablett playing forward and therfore giving to much away to the Saints and end up losing.

Then we will most probably (hoping) get Freo or the Swans in Melbourne and winning easily and fine tuning our team with Cooney and the boys finally rid of anything holding us back health wise.

Then comes the dreaded Prelim. But our best chance of making the Grand Final. The one Matchup that we can take on with confidence....The Saints.
I have absolutely no doubt what so ever if we meet the Saints in the Prelim we can and WILL beat them. They wont have the luxuary of dropping players back to the Reserves to get miles into their legs. We matchup well and by the time we meet them our team will be much different than the one we have witnessed in August.

So all woofers shoot me down as you wish but this is my plan for now and September let the world Jump off us we will only be lighter and let all the weight be on the Pies and Cats. As Bart says even Weight will stop a train. :)

[AndrewP6]

Love the enthusiasm Rooner, but can't side with you on this one. I haven't seen anything this year to suggest we'll give more than a whimper in the finals. :( If it was just August, I might feel differently, but we've been so up and down this year it hasn't given me any September confidence. Coons going down just compounds issues, IMO. As much as it pains me to say it, Nick the Diver seems to be hitting his straps at the right time, and we blew it last time against the Aints.

Will gladly shout I WAS WRONG from the rooftops if it works out in our favour though...

[Remi Moses]

Love the enthusiasm Rooner, but can't side with you on this one. I haven't seen anything this year to suggest we'll give more than a whimper in the finals. :( If it was just August, I might feel differently, but we've been so up and down this year it hasn't given me any September confidence. Coons going down just compounds issues, IMO. As much as it pains me to say it, Nick the Diver seems to be hitting his straps at the right time, and we blew it last time against the Aints.

Will gladly shout I WAS WRONG from the rooftops if it works out in our favour though...

Agree^^^^ I can't see us making any impression I'd be confident of beating Sydney at the G or Etihad.
Regardless of tonights result

[LostDoggy]

Love the enthusiasm Rooner, but can't side with you on this one. I haven't seen anything this year to suggest we'll give more than a whimper in the finals. :( If it was just August, I might feel differently, but we've been so up and down this year it hasn't given me any September confidence. Coons going down just compounds issues, IMO. As much as it pains me to say it, Nick the Diver seems to be hitting his straps at the right time, and we blew it last time against the Aints.

Will gladly shout I WAS WRONG from the rooftops if it works out in our favour though...

Fair enough Andrew and it is hard to make a case but I have seen enough from this year that tells me we can match them. Plus Cooney wasn't at full pace so im hoping he just tweaked the hammy and the game being a dead rubber the docs put him out as a precaution.

When we played the Saints early this year they didnt have Reiwoldt or Gram (he was playing crap then) 2 big outs I know but we didnt have Boyd or Picken and instead had Addison and the Eagle. The key indicator was we layed 87 tackles and mostly dominated them bar the last 10 minutes. I know Reiwoldt is getting back to his best but we rely heavily on Boyd and Picken and I feel we can go right with them

When we played the Pies our FSI was 89% theirs 98% We were missing Hargrave, Murphy, Johnno and Aker (I know one is gone for good). But we played Eagleton, Hahn, Hill, Stack, Addison and Minson now I dont think any of them are in our best 22. They dominated us early and we were chasing from the get go but eventually they tired and we closed hard. We have since introduced new players and we have for sure improved since then, have they?

I am not for one second keeping my head in the sand we have a massive challenge ahead not only have we lost all momentum and confidence. But we have injuries to key players like Cooney, Higgins, Wood and to a certain extent Johnno. Harbrow 1st game back (thank god) and Ward who is nearly there also many of our stars are out of form. All the while the other three seem to be purring along, but our best is capable of going with them and I will sit and wait patiently with everything on my body crossed, say my prayers and keep my faith. This is the greatest sport in the world and everything can change in the blink of an eye. ;)

[LostDoggy]

The vexing questions for me are:
What is our best team? How different is the Mach committees thoughts to mine? Have we tinkered too much or not enough? Are players out of form or have we played/dropped them out of form? Everrit? Hill? Vs eagle? Moles? Minson n roughy? Injuries to higs and cooney. I think we can win it if we were tuned up and fit and settled but we are not, I don't even know what our best team is anymore. Fingers crossed from here.

[LostDoggy]

The vexing questions for me are:
What is our best team? How different is the Mach committees thoughts to mine? Have we tinkered too much or not enough? Are players out of form or have we played/dropped them out of form? Everrit? Hill? Vs eagle? Moles? Minson n roughy? Injuries to higs and cooney. I think we can win it if we were tuned up and fit and settled but we are not, I don't even know what our best team is anymore. Fingers crossed from here.

I agree with this. I couldn't tell you our best 22 anymore. There are too many players with fluctuating form. I don't think the match committee has been able to find the right mix all year.

[Bumper Bulldogs]

Interesting read but after next week against the Dons, we only need to have 3 wins. I still think we have the list, but not sure if they have the "between the ears".

I confident that the back 6 is good, the forward line can work well and we have enough ruck options.

For me it comes down to the Midfield and the depth that we have their.

[G-Mo77]

For me it comes down to the Midfield and the depth that we have their.

Which was once a massive strength for us a few years ago. We just had an abundance of mids at the club and a lot couldn't even get a look in, now it seems that there is only a few that can rotate in and out of there.

[LostDoggy]

Rooner, I love your confidence, and as you say, footy is a funny game! Yes, two bad losses, and everyone is writing us off.......amazing how quickly people jump ship! I probaby don't have your confidence, but like to think I'm a glass half full person, so the bottom line is....... we are there, and we have as much chance to pull a rabbit out of the hat as anyone. IMO, a lot depnds on injuries, and Cooney's worries me a great deal :(

[LostDoggy]

Rooner, I love your confidence, and as you say, footy is a funny game! Yes, two bad losses, and everyone is writing us off.......amazing how quickly people jump ship! I probaby don't have your confidence, but like to think I'm a glass half full person, so the bottom line is....... we are there, and we have as much chance to pull a rabbit out of the hat as anyone. IMO, a lot depnds on injuries, and Cooney's worries me a great deal :(


Wow I cant believe it our whole game depends so much on him, I think I have to rethink this thread the news has knocked the wind out of me. We can still win the second final and still get our chance but it will be all that much harder now. Maybe just maybe the rest of the side will stand up and be counted...am I clutching at straws???

At least we will now really find out who our real leaders are and who is just a phony.