Flag contenders

[SwallowdaFonz]

On West Coast's chances:

* They've not won a final since 1999.
* Most players would have 2-4 finals games experience only (knocked out first round last 3 years from memory).
* They will feel the pressure just like Port did come the first week of finals - runaway minor premiers with a poor finals record playing the nothing-to-lose Swans.
* Sure, they are odds-on to make the GF but once there will meet a team much more comfortable and experienced on the MCG.

So it's still a very open year I reckon. I have doubts about Adelaide's talent to go all the way (don't tell me they can "fluke" a third flag?) and St Kilda's mental toughness. Brisbane are past their best but still a danger, while Geelong might still turn it on. We are as good a chance as any of them.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by SwallowdaFonz
On West Coast's chances:

* They've not won a final since 1999.

Haven't they been rebuilding through that time?

* Most players would have 2-4 finals games experience only (knocked out first round last 3 years from memory).

I seem to recall these types of argument for our match against StKilda last year.

* They will feel the pressure just like Port did come the first week of finals - runaway minor premiers with a poor finals record playing the nothing-to-lose Swans.

No one has 'nothing-to-lose' in finals. As stated previously, I think this is quite different to Port.

* Sure, they are odds-on to make the GF but once there will meet a team much more comfortable and experienced on the MCG.

Who would that be?

So it's still a very open year I reckon.

Absolutely - has been all year.

[SwallowdaFonz]

I guess I see more similarities than you do, NMW, between the situation of the Eagles this year and Port in 2001-3. Which is not to say there is any evidence yet that the Eagles are chokers; just that all the expectation and pressure will be on them come first week of finals, and they don't have a strong finals record. Simple as that.

I would have thought (stats not to hand) that Saints, Crows and Brisbane would all be much more comfortable and experienced at the G on Grand Final day than the Eagles. Dunno which of them will make it (and yes, it might be Swans also) but it seems a likely scenario that it'll be West Coast versus one of those. So that's another reason why I don't regard them as flag shoe-ins.

[barry]

If anyone is going to beat WC in Subi its in the first week. Once they are guaranteed 1st spot (in a couple of weeks), they will probably go into a fine-tuning mode for the remainder of the H&A which will have a slight drop in intensitiy.

Like Port, they may assume two finals at Subi = GF. So could be caught on the hop by a committed side 1st week.