Ladder

[DLBIA14]

If we beat GC (the pessimest in me never feels confident of a win until we've actually won) we'll go one game clear. The fact of the matter is that the season is now in our hands. Hopefully the players realise that if we want the minor premiership it is there for the taking and we've only got ourselves to blame should we fall down the ladder.

It's a great challenge for Horse to put to the players.

[Dirtyburt]

Hopefully the players realise that if we want the minor premiership it is there for the taking and we've only got ourselves to blame should we fall down.

I would say they would have a fair idea!

[jono2707]

I would say they would have a fair idea!

In context the post stated that our destiny is in our hands, and that other results don't have a bearing on how we finish if we keep winning. DLBIA made a valid point in that it would be interesting to see how that motivation affects our mindset and therefore our play....

[Dirtyburt]

In context the post stated that our destiny is in our hands, and that other results don't have a bearing on how we finish if we keep winning. DLBIA made a valid point in that it would be interesting to see how that motivation affects our mindset and therefore our play....

So, if I understand correctly, if we keep winning,we will remain top of the ladder? And, hopefully, the players understand this?

Pretty confounding stuff, did I understand correctly?

[jono2707]

So, if I understand correctly, if we keep winning,we will remain top of the ladder? And, hopefully, the players understand this?

Pretty confounding stuff, did I understand correctly?

Kind of - we don't sit atop the ladder too often so it would be interesting to know how this affects the players' mindset leading to September - although we'll probably never really know.

[Dirtyburt]

Kind of - we don't sit atop the ladder too often so it would be interesting to know how this affects the players' mindset leading to September - although we'll probably never really know.

Mind blowing

[jono2707]

Mind blowing

Not really. Just a few supporters wondering how our guys will finish the year off. Hopefully we are still top of the ladder after tonight. Thanks

[DLBIA14]

Mind blowing

Almost as mind-blowing as your condescending posts. Thankyou for your valuable contribution to this forum...

[31 hard at it]

Did I mention we are still on top of the ladder !

This is a happy time

[Dirtyburt]

Did I mention we are still on top of the ladder !

This is a happy time

Agreed! Civilty is the way to go

[Thunder Shaker]

Some clear thinking from earlier in the season:

yeah you really need to capitalise on the big leads and turn them into big WINS ......
i reckon even more so this year % will be very important for the top 4 spots

Impressive call after round 2.

I'm happy if we concentrate on getting the wins, and let percentage take care of itself. At this stage of the year, percentage changes very quickly as you win and lose games, and evens out as you reach the end of the season. If we end the year with 140% as we have now, we'll be right up there.

How does 150% sound?

[Jewels]

Did I mention we are still on top of the ladder !

This is a happy time

And all on our own

[Thunder Shaker]

I dont like the comparisons to 1996

In its own way, 1996 was a very special season.
1. We made the finals for the first time in nine years.
2. We finished on top of the ladder for the first time in 51 years.
3. We won a final for the first time in 51 years.
4. We made the Grand Final for the first time in 51 years. (Yes, 1945 does crop up in a few comparisons.)

and, most important of all,

5. It was the first year of a streak of success that continues to this day. Since that groundbreaking season, we've missed the finals only three times (2000, 2002 and 2009), finished the year with a percentage below 100% only once (2009), finished no lower than 12th since 1995, played in two more Grand Finals after 1996 and won a premiership. This is a record that few sides can match.

Lets channel 2005/2006 instead where we were a top four team but one or two always were pushed out as the better team (ie west coast and adelaide) and we proved them wrong (well once anyway).

Every season is different. I wouldn't mind channelling 1918 myself, although at the moment this season is more like 1933 than 1996 or 2005. In 1933 we were 4-5 after nine rounds but then won the last nine home and away games in the 18-round season and then won two finals to claim the flag. The 12-game winning streak did not end until round 2, 1934. At the moment we are on a winning streak that also started with a first win in round 10.

[aardvark]

The year of the Bird........no not Craig, all the top 5 atm have feathers.

[Thunder Shaker]

Saints. Home. Should win this as saints will be 2nd week on the road. Only danger is we spent all our tickets in perth.
GC. Away. GC have got themselves off the bottom, and will relax now. Win.

Two wins banked.

Carlton. Eithad. Danger game. Who knows which carlton will turn up.
Collingwood. ANZ. I honestly think we can win this. Collingwood are tiring after 2 GF years.
Dogs. Eithad. Dogs are running out of legs. Easy win.
Hawthorn. SCG. I'm not convinced the hawks are a good travelling team. I'd pencil this one in as a win.
Pussies. Geelong. Our best chance in this game is if Geelong are out of finals contention, and put the que in the rack. However if a geelong win gets them in the 8, they will come out blazing.

Winning those five games is no certainty. Four of them will be difficult with only the Dogs game being a probable win.
Carlton - we've lost to them the last two times we've played them. We're better and they are worse since last year. I expect a win.
Collingwood - The biggest danger game. We've won a premiership more recently than we've beaten Collingwood. I feel we are close to a breakthrough win against them. Last time we played them, we did well to hold them to a 6-point win at a time when they were smashing everyone else. If we beat the Pies, it is time to start feeling optimistic, oil up the wheels of the red and white bandwagon, start it up and climb on board, because the last time we beat Collingwood in a season we went on to win a premiership. However, beating Collingwood is not the premiership yardstick, more of an omen.
Western Bulldogs - We should win this one. It's our only easy game remaining this year.
Hawthorn - This is the game that IMO is the Grand Final preview. There's ominous dark music emanating from the Hawthorn club that is normally only heard in Liberal Party advertisements. The music of fear. But we can take them. We conquered them in Launceston and we can hold them here. If we are good enough to beat the Hawks - especially after beating the Pies - it will prove to the football world that we can beat anyone, anywhere. And that is what it takes to win a premiership.
Geelong - We are the only side to beat them at the Cattery in the past four years. We would be well-placed to do it again. If we do beat Carlton, Collingwood, Dogs and Hawks, we will enter round 23 with top spot assured regardless of the result of the Cats game. If that happens we will probably lose to the Cats because it is likely that a few top players will be rested before the finals.

If this pans out as indicated, we will finish on top with 18 wins, four losses and a percentage around 150.