Our finals series starts now

[barry]

To have any hope of winning the flag this year, we have to win every game for the rest of the season.

Every game has finals-like importance.

[reigning premier]

Not quite. Highly unlikely we'll make top 4 now without winning everything and all the results going our way.

With that in mind, we can probably drop one more and still make the finals but just be passengers.

[hammo]

With that in mind, we can probably drop one more and still make the finals but just be passengers.

You've changed your tune from the "If we make the finals... watch out!" thread

We probably need to win every game just to ensure a 5 or 6 finish and thus a home final. I'd hate to finish 7th and then face Port Adelaide away.

[NMWBloods]

Roos said it started last week.

However, I agree that it starts this week (as I effectively said elsewhere).

[reigning premier]

If you think so...

Not quite. Highly unlikely we'll make top 4 now without winning everything and all the results going our way.

That doesn't say we can't win everything and go all the way. But it does say we need everything to fall our way to make the top 4.

With that in mind, we can probably drop one more and still make the finals but just be passengers.

And that's a fairly obvious statement that I would have thought neeeded no further explanation.

As for;

We probably need to win every game just to ensure a 5 or 6 finish and thus a home final. I'd hate to finish 7th and then face Port Adelaide away.

Well that's hardly disimilar to anything that I've said....

[ScottH]

Top spot- still possible, HIGHLY unlikely, but possible!

#	Team		Pl	 W	 L	 D	  PF	  PA	Pt	 Perc
 8 	Sydney 		22 	14 	 8 	 0 	2232 	1651 	56 	135.1
 1 	Geelong 	22 	13 	 9 	 0 	2356 	1793 	52 	131.3
 7 	W Bulldogs 	22 	13 	 9 	 0 	2241 	2276 	52 	 98.4
 9 	Adelaide 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	1974 	1791 	48 	110.2
 4 	Port Adel 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2254 	2136 	48 	105.5
13 	Fremantle 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2205 	2144 	48 	102.8
 2 	Kangaroos 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2112 	2053 	48 	102.8
12 	Bris Lions 	22 	11 	10 	 1 	2012 	2011 	46 	100.0
 3 	Hawthorn 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	2078 	1917 	44 	108.3
 5 	West Coast 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	2021 	1942 	44 	104.0
10 	Essendon 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	2200 	2271 	44 	 96.8
 6 	Collingwood 	22 	10 	12 	 0 	2027 	2046 	40 	 99.0
11 	St Kilda 	22 	10 	12 	 0 	1844 	2022 	40 	 91.1
14 	Carlton 	22 	 9 	13 	 0 	2194 	2734 	36 	 80.2
15 	Melbourne 	22 	 8 	14 	 0 	1904 	2348 	32 	 81.0
16 	Richmond 	22 	 6 	15 	 1 	1969 	2488 	26 	 79.1

Wooden Spoon an impossibility, just!

# 	Team 		Pl 	 W 	 L 	 D 	  PF 	  PA 	Pt 	 Perc
 1 	Geelong 	22 	13 	 9 	 0 	2356 	1793 	52 	131.3
12 	Bris Lions 	22 	12 	 9 	 1 	2077 	1946 	50 	106.7
 3 	Hawthorn 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2121 	1874 	48 	113.1
 9 	Adelaide 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	1974 	1791 	48 	110.2
 4 	Port Adel 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2254 	2136 	48 	105.5
 5 	West Coast 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2027 	1936 	48 	104.7
 2 	Kangaroos 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2112 	2053 	48 	102.8
13 	Fremantle 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2205 	2144 	48 	102.8
 7 	W Bulldogs 	22 	12 	10 	 0 	2235 	2282 	48 	 97.9
 6 	Collingwood 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	2092 	1981 	44 	105.6
11 	St Kilda 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	1909 	1957 	44 	 97.5
10 	Essendon 	22 	11 	11 	 0 	2200 	2271 	44 	 96.8
15 	Melbourne 	22 	 9 	13 	 0 	1947 	2305 	36 	 84.4
14 	Carlton 	22 	 9 	13 	 0 	2194 	2734 	36 	 80.2
 8 	Sydney 		22 	 8 	14 	 0 	1898 	1985 	32 	 95.6
16 	Richmond 	22 	 7 	14 	 1 	2022 	2435 	30 	 83.0

[hammo]

Based on Saturday nights performance, that's not too far off the mark.

We were down Kenelly and Hall. Two significant playmakers for us. If we have the back and firing, we'll go pretty well.

'Go pretty well' hardly sounds like we'll be passengers to me.

We're currently 2 games behind 5th and 6th so I'd say another loss and we can forget about a home final. It *may* be possible to win from 5 or 6 but I would say it's impossible to do it from 7 or 8.

[reigning premier]

You take optimism to a new level!!!

BTW, what was the average winning margin you put in for Sydney?

[reigning premier]

We were down Kenelly and Hall. Two significant playmakers for us. If we have the back and firing, we'll go pretty well.

[Plugger46]

If were to finish 5th of 6th, surely we'd be the best chance to win it from 5-8 since this finals system was introduced. We have the finals experience and we're capable of beating anyone on our day.

[reigning premier]

No argument here on any of that..

[NMWBloods]

If were to finish 5th of 6th, surely we'd be the best chance to win it from 5-8 since this finals system was introduced. We have the finals experience and we're capable of beating anyone on our day.

We were. Have we shown any sign this year that we still are?

Also, Geelong were a decent chance in '05.

[Hazcam]

We were. Have we shown any sign this year that we still are?

Also, Geelong were a decent chance in '05.

yeah geelong had the best chance in 05
and to be honest, being up 4 goals with 12 mins to go in the semi final they'd have been booking tickets for the prelim final.

its interesting to see how the next 6 games will pan out
im considering a trip to the G to see the pies and swans it will be quite pivotal.

what yall think about moving the hawks game to telstra?
last home game, last round...could be vying for a home elimination final and maybe even a top4 possie, 60,000+ not unlikely........

[Damien]

last home game, last round...could be vying for a home elimination final and maybe even a top4 possie, 60,000+ not unlikely........

I am sure they wont, but I like the idea of us always finishing the season at Telstra considering that our home finals (bar the famous 2005 Semi) are played there.

[mcs]

Id prefer to see it stay at the SCG (the hawks game)- we play better there anyway imo and we need every advantage.

Back to topic- our finals series starts here. I think we can drop 1 more game from here on. I think it will be against the Pies or St Kilda. The Swans of 05/06 could definetly I feel win it from outside of the 4 but the swans of 07 I dont think have a shot. We might make it to the 2nd week and win away once but to do it twice or even three in a row on the road to win the flag would be some miracle. If the swans of 05/06 turn up then its not impossible, but on this year we have no chance.

I will see 3 of the last six games which will be good- going to the Demons down here plus the St Kilda and Hawks games... seriously considering a trip to Melbourne to see us take on those damned pies but am think we could be away 1st week of the finals if we make it and I want to save some money for that- being a poor uni student its a matter of prioritising what games I see!