conundrum

[swan_song]

Here's a curly one....regardless if we beat the wobbles on Saty....if u were the match committee, would you be tempted to rest any of our walking wounded for the Melbourne game in an effort to rejuvenate them for the first week of the finals...
I'm quite sure the likes of Leo, Willo, Stewie, Cressa could all use the down time to recoup in preparation for a full-on blast at the premiership... BUT sometimes a break (like the half season break) can be detrimental... In the past, other clubs that have alreday secured a finals spot and have "weaker" opposition in the last round have followed this track...Carlton in particular comes to mind...
Any thoughts...

[sharpie]

Lets just make the top four and then win in week 1 of the finals - that solves the problem since the whole team gets a week off!

[penga]

what about the reverse, we may need to get ahead of adelaide on percentage, that would mean adelaide beat port in rd 22, so we go absolutely all out (wouldnt take much against melbourne!) and boost our percentage so we are assured of 2nd spot rather than waiting on other results...

assuming we beat collingwood by one point and adelaide beat north and port by one point, how big a margin in the melbourne game would we need to get ahead of them?

[swan_song]

that'd do me, sharpie...or better still, 2nd place....





Can't get this tune out of my head...it's something about banners and thunder....!!!!!!

[Triple B]

I wouldn't be getting too cocky.

If we beat McChins' mob, we will be going into the Melbourne game with the huge scalps of Bris and Coll under our belts. It is not out of the question that we will have a letdown for that game.

The last thing we can afford to do is treat them lightly and start resting players.

Of all the struggling clubs, Melbourne are the side to fear the most IMO. It would be fair to say that they have abilities beyond their ladder position and if they decide to put it all together for a final fling, we will need to be near our best to account for them at the MCG.

[sharp9]

No chance of beating Adelaide on percentage...we're talking about a couple of 100 point wins at least (and narrow ones for Adelaide.

[barry]

If Melbourne win another game, it will loose the priority pick. So it would be worth a calculated gamble in my opinion.

[penga]

Originally posted by sharp9
No chance of beating Adelaide on percentage...we're talking about a couple of 100 point wins at least (and narrow ones for Adelaide.

there is a 112 point difference at this stage... it can be possible...

personally, i think we will give eddie and his sunsilk boys something to think about, in tune of about 40 points, that leaves 72+ points for melbourne... i think it can be done...

[swan_song]

No, BBB...I think ur misunderstanding....the post wasn't at all suggesting we will beat Melbourne easily (though I DO expect to win this game)...it is simply a question of whether it is advisable to have fresher, fitter players (niggling injuries a week longer to recover, especially given hard games against adelaide, hawks, brizzie and wobbles) to tackle week one of the finals...
Realistically, I think it will only be relevant when we have all the results in from the next round ... then we will have a much better idea of where we should finish...

[Plugger46]

Just keep all the guns playing, they've got all summer to get over their niggling injuries.

[Bexl]

The finals in melb are played at the MCG so any game that the team plays there is good experiance for those conditions so I say play your best team in this match.

[swan_song]

quote: "The finals in melb are played at the MCG ..."

No!!! Really?

[bloodboy]

There should be no resting of players...

The only time we should rest players is when they are truly injured. I believe that even though some of the boys are getting a bit older, it is not in our interests to rest any of these guys. It just makes them cold for the match after. I think that we have to keep the momentum going and that means putting our best (healthy) 22 out on the park each and every week. I also agree with whoever said that the Dees are a danger team. They have nothing to lose in round 22 of what has been a horrid season and we all know that most of them can play decent football when required. Let's hope we can do to them in round 22 this year what we did to them in round 21 last year!

[Cheer Cheer]

There is one simple answer and it is simple no matter how complicated people want to make it - You dont mess with anything the week before the finals!!

[BAM_BAM]

Originally posted by Cheer Cheer
There is one simple answer and it is simple no matter how complicated people want to make it - You dont mess with anything the week before the finals!!

or put another way "if it ain't broke don't fix it"