They can’t rest Goldy this week. He has to get through, rest him week after if need be… I don’t care if he misses against old team. That’s the best thing for the team.
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That was your first mistake
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We ain’t that lucky
No point relying on good teams having injuries to give us a chance to win.
Bring em on, we’re going to learn a fair bit this weekend.
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Exaclty. We’re not a realistic chance of winning the flag this year, so the result is immaterial. Happy that our young mids get an opportunity to test themselves against the best.
Completely agree. You don’t win premierships by hoping the opposition’s best players are not playing.
The best teams relish the opportunity to play and beat the best.
We probably won’t win this game, but it’s certainly possible. When we’ve been at our best the last 3 or 4 weeks, what we’ve done is dominate play through relentless pressure. It’s started at the centre bounce and at stoppages around the ground, with the rucks breaking even or better, Durham or Caldwell taking first possession, and Merrett, Parish and Hobbs ensuring that the ball gets going our way. At every contest we’ve had more numbers; if the opposition have got the ball they’re put under pressure when they kick and their players upground are all covered.
If we play like that for four quarters on Saturday evening, we can win. My feeling is we’ll start well, and the big question will be whether we can keep it up. And hopefully our forwards will have their kicking boots on.
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Yes agree. They’re a benchmark. We aren’t expected to win. If they play aggressively with pressure and defensive intent that’s all we can ask. Let’s hope they kick poorly at goal, we kick well and can slow their ball movement with great pressure and cause turnovers. Then, you never know!
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We’ve been “up” for a few weeks in a row now, I’m concerned that we’re due an off week any moment. Although I did think that last week and we still got the W, so what would I know.
If we lose im hoping its by a goal or two and we competed for full 4 qrts no more big losses
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Anything under 126 and we’ve improved
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I’m concerned about that too if we are to have a flat one this week is probably best
Re group then belt north and tigs
Interesting you mention that. I remember there was an interview with either Chris Heffernan or Justin Blumfield on the EFC website a few years ago where they were talking about the 2000 year. He mentioned how we’d often play teams where a key player here or there was either injured for the week or was just coming back from an injury and it gave us a little edge.
Probably helped us win that many games in a row and we would have won the premiership regardless, but interesting nonetheless.
Helps when the worst player in your best 22 is Dean Wallis.
Fair enough, but my point was that really strong teams don’t care who’s in or out. They’re happy to take on any opponent, any venue, any time.
I don’t really remember us being lucky with players missing from the teams we played. we were a class above every other team that year. We finished 20 points and 25% clear of FC, who were second on the ladder; we played FC three times and the smallest winning margin was 4 goals.
The puzzling things is how it all went so wrong, so quickly.
Brisbane, and the ruthless Scott brothers?
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In 2000 we played Port in Adelaide and won, and we played Brisbane in Brisbane and beat them by 10+ goals. In 2001 we lost both those games, plus we lost twice to FC. We were on the downhill slide from the moment of the final siren in the 2000 Grand Final.
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That’s harsh.
Aaron Henneman played a bunch of games in 2000.
Ohh, best 22. I see.
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We had a lot of injuries in 2001. We went essentially injury free in 2000.
He left the track early and only did light training - it’s an interesting decision to play him.