So how do we beat GWS this week?

[bornadog]

Round 10

[angelopetraglia]

RoCo in a column today:

"I think the Giants are probably more dependable than Brisbane or Port. But they cut it fine. Of their past seven wins in a row, five have been by three goals or less. Across the whole season, there's been nine wins by 24 points or less"

[Grantysghost]

RoCo in a column today:

"I think the Giants are probably more dependable than Brisbane or Port. But they cut it fine. Of their past seven wins in a row, five have been by three goals or less. Across the whole season, there's been nine wins by 24 points or less"

Sounds a lot like the Pies last year except with way more talent.

[Sedat]

Clutching at straws! They'll be wanting a win to have a hope of a home final.

We have to bring our best. Finals have already started for us.

Both sides still hate each other and they have a chance to ruin our year. They?ll be going all out.

Kingsley is only interested in having his team 100% primed for a finals assault, and he would absolutely rate his chances of beating Sydney in a QF and booking a home PF at Homebush. If Geelong do as they should next week - after the utter trash that West Coast served up yesterday, I'm honestly not even sure Port Adelaide's percentage is safe from Geelong - GWS will have zero incentive to push hard away from home next week, knowing that Port will be even money to finish 2nd anyway, consigning GWS to an away QF in Adelaide.

The GWS/Dogs hate is a little overrated in 2024. It has been a relatively tepid fixture for the last 2-3 years. Kingsley was too busy winning flags at Richmond at the time to care about stuff that happened over 5 years ago now.

[comrade]

RoCo in a column today:

"I think the Giants are probably more dependable than Brisbane or Port. But they cut it fine. Of their past seven wins in a row, five have been by three goals or less. Across the whole season, there's been nine wins by 24 points or less"

And have benefitted from opposition inefficiency. On the expected scores ladder, they sit 13th.

[Happy Days]

I dunno us fumbling a 5 goal lead to pretty much just Toby Greene and beginning our descent into madness last year was pretty annoying.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

So win, they are a 40% chance of a home final (according to the bookies).

Lose and they are almost guarnteed a final in Sydney which is like a home final.

So lose = guarnteed Sydney final.

Win = 40% chance of a home final.

I know what route I'm taking. Conserve players. Don't take risks.

I agree with your reasoning but I just can't see gws going in half cocked especially given there's a week off. There's the potential for them to have a home final if they win and Port are no certainties to win neither are Geelong a certainty to get a huge % boost.

There's too many variables.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I dunno us fumbling a 5 goal lead to pretty much just Toby Greene and beginning our descent into madness last year was pretty annoying.

Yeah which bulldog personality will turn up?

Even yet, will the same one play the whole game?

[bornadog]

Yeah which bulldog personality will turn up?

Even yet, will the same one play the whole game?

We have been very consistent in the last 14 games, winning 10 and losing 4, including two losses in Adelaide.

[Mofra]

Yeah which bulldog personality will turn up?

Even yet, will the same one play the whole game?

We do seem to play well for 4 weeks after an Adelaide smashing, so we have 3 more weeks left of good football (on recent trends).

I do worry about their 'smaller' forwards though. Greene is a prick but can play, Daniels quality, which Jones just doesn't let your nominated running defender (Bramble for us) get easy ball out of the D50.
They're also one team with 3 genuine tall defenders.

[Sedat]

I agree with your reasoning but I just can't see gws going in half cocked especially given there's a week off. There's the potential for them to have a home final if they win and Port are no certainties to win neither are Geelong a certainty to get a huge % boost.

There's too many variables.

The key variables re: Geelong will already be known by Saturday.

GWS lost a PF last year (very unluckily) by 1 point. All they care about in 2024 is having the best preparation possible for the start of the finals - does going full bore in R24 help them (with a potential away QF), or would resting 1-2 players next week and having everybody 100% cherry ripe for a home state QF against an opponent in middling form give them a better chance at a premiership?

I doubt they would give 2 shits about Dogs rivalry - they want silverware.

Of course none of the above is relevant if Geelong don't smash West Coast. This game is going to be fascinating - the Cats still have some crazy chance for a home final if Port stumbled against Freo and they absolutely smash West Coast by 100 odd - it has been done before. And if that eventuated, don't think Chris Scott and the Cats won't use the media to lobby hard for their home ground shithole to be hosting Port Adelaide in the QF - that alone would motivate Port to go full throttle against Freo next week to get the W and avoid travelling to Geelong for a QF.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

The key variables re: Geelong will already be known by Saturday.

GWS lost a PF last year (very unluckily) by 1 point. All they care about in 2024 is having the best preparation possible for the start of the finals - does going full bore in R24 help them (with a potential away QF), or would resting 1-2 players next week and having everybody 100% cherry ripe for a home state QF against an opponent in middling form give them a better chance at a premiership?

I doubt they would give 2 shits about Dogs rivalry - they want silverware.

Of course none of the above is relevant if Geelong don't smash West Coast. This game is going to be fascinating - the Cats still have some crazy chance for a home final if Port stumbled against Freo and they absolutely smash West Coast by 100 odd - it has been done before. And if that eventuated, don't think Chris Scott and the Cats won't use the media to lobby hard for their home ground shithole to be hosting Port Adelaide in the QF - that alone would motivate Port to go full throttle against Freo next week to get the W and avoid travelling to Geelong for a QF.

Never miss a chance to remind the forum of Sedat Park!

GWS will have to name their side though and they also get a week off to rest regardless. But, even a 1% change in mindset is enough these days to fall. The AFEL also wouldn't mind an all Sydney final.

[GVGjr]

Controlling the inform Hogan and ensuring Toby doesn't run amok are the keys. Making sure Whitfield doesn't link up their backline thrusts wouldn't hurt either.

[Sedat]

Never miss a chance to remind the forum of Sedat Park!

GWS will have to name their side though and they also get a week off to rest regardless. But, even a 1% change in mindset is enough these days to fall. The AFEL also wouldn't mind an all Sydney final.

If you're going to be a proper contender, you need to beat those around and above you. On that score, the GWS game is perfect prep for us - it will show how serious we are as a genuine contender this season (which is all I care about at the moment).

How we beat GWS is to pressure their ball movement across the ground and also win the clearance battle and get a field position advantage. And of course converting when we create our chances. The premiership runway started a few weeks ago - we need to be 'on' right now and for the rest of the season, so we may as well test ourselves against the in-form team in the competition next week.

[azabob]

Controlling the inform Hogan and ensuring Toby doesn't run amok are the keys. Making sure Whitfield doesn't link up their backline thrusts wouldn't hurt either.

I assume Jones goes to Hogan.

GWS are very good at getting Hogan on the second or third defender.

Hopefully we are awake to this and make sure we get the right match up.