So... should we mock those who wouldn't make plans for September?

[WindsockBoy]

I remember leaving the game absolutely deflated with our experienced players and their lack of ability to be effective in finals.
But was happy to see the promise of Daniher and Merrett, and really lead the way in a final. Even when their experienced team mates crumbled under the pressure.

McGrath’s clean hands will be critical in the finals. IMO was the reason we settled down in the second half against Gold Coast.
I think your right that the likes of Daniher, McGrath, Parrish, Tippa and Fantasia will need to step up because we simply can’t rely on the older guys when they’ve constantly failed in finals matches.

This is the sort of blanket generalisation I was responding to. Actually few of our old guys have constantly failed in finals
Merrett actually had a shocker (Se the match report summary on AFL site) so your memory is being filtered.
I want a mix of older and young guys to show something - otherwise we are in the pessimistic five year rebuild to challenge phase

[AnnStBomber]

Collingwood Melbourne is huge, Collingwood win we play Sydney, Melbourne win we play Port Adelaide. Most crucial game bar ours in determining what will happen.

Unless St Kilda beats Richmond and Collingwood beats Melbourne then we play Richmond.

I am going for the St Kilda and Collingwood to win, hope Hawthorn win to isolate the incase we lose clause, and Adelaide for the clause.

Then I have it narrowed it down if we want to play Richmond at the G.

To win

Essendon
Hawthorn (Just in case )
Collingwood
Adelaide ( Just in case )
St Kilda

[swooper]

Would love to play Richmond and have the opportunity to show up Trent Notouchin in yet another final.

[Donnington]

Wouldn’t you rather we play port in adelaide than sydney in sydney?
Port are average

edit; jumped the gun and didn’t read the second part of your post

[Donnington]

Guys i’m not big on conspiracy theories but there is a possibility that there will be NO games in melbourne for Week 1 of the finals.
Now we all know the AFL will do ANYTHING to get their way.
I won’t be surprised if there are some odd results in this coming round and we find ourselves playing Richmond at the G .

[BLOODSTAINED_DEVILS]

I was thinking that a while ago, … that they’d love that game, … but somehow I think it’s more likely it’ll end up Melb v Rich for an MCG final,… almost as big a game, . and they’ll somehow make sure we go to Sydney and lose a close one.

[andrewb]

So we can start to think about finals - I have confidence that we’ll do the job on Sunday.
A few comments here about our players folding under pressure and the like.

Given that it’s a generally accepted truism that finals pressure is different to any other, I thought I’d go through the team, loosely based on Saturdays.

No finals track record; McGrath, Begley, Parish, Walla, Hartley, Ambrose, Conor, Laverde, Green/ Fanta, Stewart
Proven finals performers; Kelly, Goddard, Bird?
Proven in our last final (2014); Hepp, Hurley, Daniher (4 goals) - (Colyer & Jobe were also named in our best but not outstanding in the second half)

So it’s a very long bow to say that individual players can’t handle finals pressure - you’re really only talking about Zak, a baby at the time, Zaha, Myers, Bags, and Belly &Hooker (who weren’t disgraced in '14)

Indeed it’s one of the things I’m most looking forward to, win, lose or draw - who will stand up and perform better in a Final?
So long as it’s not just the old blokes we’ll gain more than we lose whatever happens.

no concerns on the bolded.

[bltn]

Best scenario for us is this

We finish 8th
Tigers finish 4th and lose first final

Highly unlikely that Richmond will remain in 4th position.
Either they will win and pass 1 of Geelong or GWS to claim 3rd, or they lose and drop to 6th (almost certainly).

The only way they remain 4th, is if Geelong def. GWS narrowly, and Rich win their game narrowly (each result around 10pts).

[efc1robbo]

Lets beat freo first then worry about the next week.

saying that, if we were to win a final this year- at the final siren i would be all like

http://www.gifsoup.com/view2/1367096/ric-flair-o.gif

[westozziebomber]

If we get port In Adelaide, who’s going?

I’m in

[AnnStBomber]

What is there really a bye week before the finals

[wannabe]

Yeah, last year was the first time.

[AnnStBomber]

OFFS took a weeks annual leave to early, that’s forked my early September plans.

[BLOODSTAINED_DEVILS]

Oh dear …

[bomber_hero]

We have seriously been kissed on the ■■■■ this year with the draw, other teams results going our way and injuries and suspensions to opposition players.

how good is getting kissed on the ■■■■ though

[All_Things_Essendon]

I know it’s fun thinking about various scenarios but Freo is the massive priority this week. Looks like the stars are aligning for a finals appearance … karma, fate (+ a lot of hard work), whatever, has worked in Essendon’s favour. From there anything is possible + I don’t think the boys will be satisfied with just making up the numbers.

Oh, and the teams you’d want to play week 1 of finals would be Port and Geelong. Neither team are traveling that well and are most gettable. Port are the proverbial flat track bullies and the Cats have an unhealthy reliance on Dangerwood.

But first the Dockers, and Essendon need to come out hard and bury them in the first quarter.

Go Bombers!

[Sir_Joe]

Port over there would be absolute fkg madness

Still remember Barnard punching on with a scrum of Port players before the bounce in one of the semis over there ('03?).

[frankston_bomber2005]

I may make the drive

[beastie]

Imagine the song beforehand… ew

[rylandoz]

I actually feel sick thinking that we will cough up this game against Freo.