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Bleedblackanwhite
Joined: 25 Apr 2017 Location: Gold Coast
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I thought winning games of footy is the trick. _________________ Collingwood forever, forever Collingwood |
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Piesnchess
piesnchess
Joined: 09 Jun 2008
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Even if we beat Wet Toast we will still cop shit, that's the way it is with the Pies, such is life.! _________________ Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor, but because we cannot satisfy the rich.
Chess and Vodka are born brothers. - Russian proverb. |
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AN_Inkling
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
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It's obvious that a soft schedule has helped us to 2nd on the ladder. We had a soft draw courtesy of finishing down the ladder last year. In addition, many of our games against the best 2018 teams are yet to come. Second addition: many teams have gone backwards from last year, making the overall comp easier.
In an even comp this kind of a break is a godsend. The Dogs and Tigers both benefited from it in their Premiership years. Some may say that the strength of the fixture doesn't matter, they are wrong. The confidence a team gets from winning helps development immeasurably. Not having to fight tooth and nail against the best every other week makes it easier to manage players through the year. The Tigers may not have become the team they have without a soft draw in 2017. The Dogs would likely have missed the 8 in 2016. Similar for us. With tough games coming up, top 8 is still not assured add in a few more and it's probably less than a 50-50 chance.
I guess the AFL likes the unpredictability and that bottom teams can look forward to moving up the ladder. It's a problem though. Without an equitable fixture we will never really know which team was the best in any particular year and have a severely compromised comp. _________________ Well done boys! |
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RudeBoy
Joined: 28 Nov 2005
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Sure, some might consider we've had a relatively easy draw, but it's a subjective call.
Let's not forget in our opening 6 games we had to play an in form Hawks, last year's Prelim finalist the Giants, last years Grand finalists in the Tigers and Crows, plus the (then) improving Bombers.
We're now facing the hardest run into the finals of any team. |
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Pies2016
Joined: 12 Sep 2014
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^^^
Pretty much agree. The other piece I would add is that the recently introduced bye before finals, now means that you can actually win the flag from outside the top four.
If you make the eight, you’re now a genuine chance to go all the way.
A bit of luck with injuries plus momentum and belief and anything can happen in September. |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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We can't all be perfect. |
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AN_Inkling
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
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RudeBoy wrote: | Sure, some might consider we've had a relatively easy draw, but it's a subjective call.
Let's not forget in our opening 6 games we had to play an in form Hawks, last year's Prelim finalist the Giants, last years Grand finalists in the Tigers and Crows, plus the (then) improving Bombers.
We're now facing the hardest run into the finals of any team. |
The draw was "easy" overall based on 2017 results, by design.
We had some tough games early, but our schedule in the middle of the season was easy. It's allowed us to build plenty of momentum and confidence. That kind of run can be the making of a team. Nothing reinforces the coach's message like winning.
I don't think it's anything to be defensive over. Our draw has been easier than some others, that's how the fixture is designed. Same for Dogs and Tigers when they won the flag. It doesn't make us pretenders just as it didn't for those teams.
If there was a way to fix such draw imbalances though, the comp would be much better for it. _________________ Well done boys! |
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K
Joined: 09 Sep 2011
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Pies2016 wrote: | .. The other piece I would add is that the recently introduced bye before finals, now means that you can actually win the flag from outside the top four.
If you make the eight, you’re now a genuine chance to go all the way.
A bit of luck with injuries plus momentum and belief and anything can happen in September. |
Yes, the top four is much less important, and possibly a bit awkward for the first-week winners as a result. That's why I'd have to say that the extra bye is a bad thing, but you could say the H&A season is so unfair that the top 4 are not necessarily better performed than the next 4.
The thing that annoys me is the reason for that bye, which shows that the AFL cares more about money than the integrity of the competition. |
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the fuzz
Fuzz loves Bruzz
Joined: 11 Aug 2008
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Then Brisbane beats Hawthorn.....in Tassie. That was surely penciled as a Hawks win.
Don't underestimate our wins against 'lower' teams. We have beaten the teams we should have, that the fixture has presented. That is the sign of a good team.
But, huge test to come in the next month. We'll see. |
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stui magpie
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005 Location: In flagrante delicto
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And GWS beat Richmond . _________________ Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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K
Joined: 09 Sep 2011
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Richmond are utter crap away from home. If they win the premiership again this year, the game will be tarnished. There's always been a home-ground advantage in sport, but a winning percentage differential of 100%?? It's ridiculous. |
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AN_Inkling
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
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K wrote: | Richmond are utter crap away from home. If they win the premiership again this year, the game will be tarnished. There's always been a home-ground advantage in sport, but a winning percentage differential of 100%?? It's ridiculous. |
They have won away from the 'G.
Interstate record will only be an issue if they don't finish top 2. In the end it's just a few games they lost to pretty good teams.
They're not a dominant team, give home ground advantage to pretty good opponents and it's not surprising they lose. _________________ Well done boys! |
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K
Joined: 09 Sep 2011
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^ Yes, I was going to change it to "home state". I'm pretty sure they would not survive a trip to the Cattery, either.
What you say (in your 2nd and 3rd sentences) is exactly why it is a travesty. I don't think any other premiers had such a difference in performance. It just sullies the game. It's not as if any team truly earns home-ground finals advantage (with the H&A draw being so intrinsically unfair). |
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RudeBoy
Joined: 28 Nov 2005
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Post subject: We can finish top of the ladder | |
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If we win our next 3 games we will be top of the ladder.....just saying. |
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AN_Inkling
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
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^^Do that and the hype would be huge and real. Breaking Richmond's record equaling 17 game MCG streak in the process. _________________ Well done boys! |
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