We'll be smashed.

[adnar]

Does anyone else think that if we turn out the sort of commitment and disposal and play we did tonight (and Vs Geelong) against any other team in the 8 we'll be slaughtered?

It's a good sign that we can win games comfortably even when we play crap but it seems to lure us into a false sense of security. (i.e games against Essendon and Demons) On current form I see no way of us getting passed any others teams in the 8 bar maybe the Bulldogs.

[Gary]

Yes...we will even struggle to beat a "nothing to lose" Carlton unless we find something...I am already having nightmares about Barry on Fevola!
Who would have thought that we urgently need LRT...is he OK?

[Tuco]

We'll be smashed? I've heard that before. We're building our rank outsider status quite nicely for these finals.

Gotta keep with the positive thoughts, man

[Frog]

It depends on the opposition. If they want a free-flowing game, that will allow us the opportunity also. If they want to beat us at what has been described as our game plan, the tough in and under, man-on-man, then I suppose it will be a boring stoppage game - No matter who we play. Perhaps we should look at the tactics of the opposition before we can our boys - We are not the only team on the ground - and we can only play as good as the opposition lets us (if they execute their plan to the letter).

I will probably agree that we should be bigger than whatever the opposition throws at us, maybe better, but we are not the only team on the ground - Roos and the coaching panel will have mapped out the game plan and a number of variants depending on the game plan of the opposition - 18 of our boys on the field must en-act that game plan (or variant) en-masse, immediately - I am not surprised we are slow starters and decent finishers - There must be some variant game plans out there.

I don't hold fear for any up-coming matches - It depends on how the opposition wants to let us play. It depends on whether our coaches' game plan is the stronger and allows us to dictate early. I cannot see how you can translate our play versus Geelong and/or Brisbane to being beaten by say a West Coast - The teams, plans and conditions may be totally different.

Take it a-week-at-a-time ...

[Nico]

Judging on the horrible disposal at the moment I believe we cannot get any worse and that we will have a startling turnaround soon.

The game plan will change dramatically come finals time and will stun other sides. Roos is a genius and we will produce blistering form in the finals. He is playing with minds of other clubs at the mo.

[NMWBloods]

Our form is pretty ordinary at the moment.

It's good enough to beat the lower teams, but only after an arm wrestle, and it is struggling to beat the better teams.

This was part of the point of my thread about playing top 8 teams a little while ago.

Our form currently suggests that we are going to struggle in finals unless we pick it up a lot.

There is a significant difference between going into finals as underdogs because you are underrated and because you are not playing well. Suddenly ramping up your form is a tough thing to do.

[swantastic]

Re:We'll be Smashed

I think that is a load of cods wallop,sure we are playing pretty poorly atm but we have a very good team,the Lions turned it on when the need arose and we can do it to....Confidance my friend.

[DST]

As Danny Frawley said on the Footy show this morning, both West Coast & Adealide will be worried about Sydney more than other side due to our proven capacity to win finals games on the road.

While we are not playing particulary well at present, we do have the capacity to step it up a notch and our brand of contested footy is suited to finals.

DST

[craigusvegas]

name a free flowing, high scoring team that did just that against the swans? it takes two teams to tango and the swans take the lead most times. granted freo, wc look good atm - put them in a qtr by qtr finals contest with the swans and swannie supporters are going to have some confidence in the bloods boys and recent inductees.

[SimonH]

We played pretty poorly on Saturday, and if we put in that performance against a quality side that had turned up to play, we would certainly lose a final.

But it wasn't a final (and boy, didn't both sides play like they knew it), and there are plenty of other sides in the 8 currently in middling to mediocre form (in fact, you could make a case that the majority of them can be described that way).

The heartening part, in terms of the question 'Are we running ourselves into form?', is that the last quarter (or half of it, anyway) was better than the first 3 combined. We'll wait and see how Sydney plays against Carlton before we leap to conclusions about our form heading into the finals.

[bigswan]

Our form is OK. We played for four quarters and won easily in the end. They'll do the same against Carlton. Our worry is getting Adelaide up against Melbourne because both Adelaide and WC are beatable on their own turf if we finish in trhe top 4.

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
It's good enough to beat the lower teams, but only after an arm wrestle, and it is struggling to beat the better teams.

This was part of the point of my thread about playing top 8 teams a little while ago.

But exactly who are the 'better teams'? Only Freo seems to have better form going in to the finals at the moment.

The Saints looked good against the Dogs, but then they didn't have a power forward or two to stretch the Saints defence without Maguire.

The Dogs just need to get shut down, and without the run they struggle.

Melbourne can be brilliant one moment, and shocking the next. Our game against them at the MCG clearly indicates we can beat them.

Adelaide... oh my. Dont want to write them off after such a fantastic start to the season, but they are tripping over worse than WC did last year.

WC = Kerr. Without him they were pretty flat. Not that it makes our task easier, but they looked woeful yesterday after the first quarter.

Collingwobbles. Still a threat, but they are not playing any better than us.

All in all there is nothing to worry about. But it will be a pretty even finals series. I reckon if we hadn't won the GF last year we'd be feeling a lot more confident - simply the weight of expectations.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Schneiderman
But exactly who are the 'better teams'?

The 'better teams' are the ones in the top 8 whom you have to beat in finals to win the flag.

Melbourne can be brilliant one moment, and shocking the next. Our game against them at the MCG clearly indicates we can beat them.

Rather misleading given all their outs.

Adelaide... oh my. Dont want to write them off after such a fantastic start to the season, but they are tripping over worse than WC did last year.

Yes, but look how close WC went to winning last year.

All in all there is nothing to worry about. But it will be a pretty even finals series. I reckon if we hadn't won the GF last year we'd be feeling a lot more confident - simply the weight of expectations.

I doubt it. It's a huge challenge from outside the top 4, as history starkly illustrates!