Hard Task Ahead

[Go Swannies]

We get a solid win against the Bloos and the Dogs look dispirited against the Pies. Sounds like the perfect chance to aim for a PF against the Saints. But, at the risk of channelling Roos, how many years do we go by the form in the first week of finals and decide that this will be the year of teams 5-8 only to watch it crash down in finals week 2?

Before the weekend I gave us a 40% chance against the Dogs if we beat the Blues. Now I'd say 50:50. How are you feeling about our chances this weekend?

[Big Al]

Hard Task Ahead

Depends on much the Carlton game took out of them. I have no doubt that the Dogs will be fired up so if we're a little flat we will be in trouble. Match their intensity and with the troops they have missing I think we can win.

[dimelb]

Injuries and selection changes for both sides. If Bradshaw is fit enough it tilts the scales in our direction. The Carlton ruck-midfield was probably a better unit than the Doggies', and we have a chance to improve around the stoppages. I'm not convinced that ROK is properly fit and should be a straight swap for Braddles. I don't expect Benny Mac to be ready.
For the Dogs, Johnson is not 100% but will stage a great last stand, Baz is always a danger, and they are still a hard-running and hard-working side. 60-40 our way, but we need to be on our game and banish any complacency.

[mcs]

50-50. I think its a matter of a good start. Bar our excellent performance a few weeks ago against them, we usually start very slowly and end up several goals down by half time. If we can be there or there abouts early and keep with them to half time, I think we can run over the top of them. I certainly think its 50-50, and if we could get Benny McGlynn and Braddy back it would be a great boost to the team, even if Braddy is limited in his overall impact!

I have no doubt we can beat them, and I hope the whole Kirk and Roosy farewell will be enough to get the boys up for it. Match their intensity and win most of the key battles and we will win the game.

Carn the Bloods!!!

[Triple B]

Before the weekend I gave us a 40% chance against the Dogs if we beat the Blues. Now I'd say 50:50. How are you feeling about our chances this weekend?

Strangely enough, I was more confident of our ability to beat the Dogs BEFORE Sundays game.

[Go Swannies]

Strangely enough, I was more confident of our ability to beat the Dogs BEFORE Sundays game.

We made hard work of it against the Blues but the Dogs were awful against the Pies - much worse than when they played us. I'm mainly lifting our chances (despite our hard game and one less rest day) because the Dogs really might be in trouble. And we could have a couple of huge ins while they won't (until the following week if they get over us).

[j s]

Johnson has announced his retirement in a futile attempt to counter the Kirk factor

[floppinab]

Strangely enough, I was more confident of our ability to beat the Dogs BEFORE Sundays game.

Agreed, lucky to get the win against the Blues, they outplayed us for the majority of the game and if their conversion was slightly better they would've won.

The upsaide is that we rarely put together two poor games like that in a row. Will need to lift signficantly to get past the Dogs.

[Plugger46]

Agreed, lucky to get the win against the Blues, they outplayed us for the majority of the game and if their conversion was slightly better they would've won.

I thought we outplayed them for the first half, got completely smashed in the third quarter and just made more of our chances going forward in the last quarter.

[Jesse Richards]

I'm glad it was a close game against Carlton. If we had smashed them I think it would engender a false sense of security coming up against the Dawgs.

[Red]

[nomozz]
I think Carlton will ultimately prove to have been tougher opponents than the Bulldogs. The Blues were relatively un-injured, have good leg speed and finish games strongly. The Dogs are almost the complete opposite atm.

We've had our scare, which I think will stand us in good stead this weekend.

[Jewels]

I'm really torn about our chances this week. On one hand, I think the gutsy win last weekend will keep the team a bit more focused than if we had had a cruisey victory, but then paranoid, superstitious me steps in and starts thinking about how our last few weeks have mirrored Brisbanes this time last year and how they got caned by the Dogs in the corresponding game.

[swans_premiers]

The top 4 is WAY better than the bottom four theory is all mental.
The only reason we say that is because the top 4 get a double chance, it doesn't mean they are so much better than any other team.

Saturday night will be 4th vs 5th. With both teams having the same amount of wins so far this season.

Swans coming off 5 wins Dogs coming from 1 out of 4 with their one win against a struggling essendon and 3 other thumpings to top 5 teams including us.

Forget about finals history, double chances etc. This is a game of footy. Based on form over the last 23 weeks and especially the last 5 weeks we are in with a very very good chance. If it was in Sydney we'd be warm favourites however as it's in Melbourne it's a 50/50 game.

[Nich]

I would have said 50/50 but our momentum and our blood brother spirit makes it 60/40 for me. Tough game, we need to be switched on right form the start again.

[Plugger46]

I'm really torn about our chances this week. On one hand, I think the gutsy win last weekend will keep the team a bit more focused than if we had had a cruisey victory, but then paranoid, superstitious me steps in and starts thinking about how our last few weeks have mirrored Brisbanes this time last year and how they got caned by the Dogs in the corresponding game.

'Dogs were still going well and from memory, didn't have many injuries. They'd run Geelong to 2 or 3 goals in the QF.