The Impossible Dream - wakey, wakey! - will we finish 9,10, 11 or 12th? How will the finals unfold?... Ladder predictor in OP

I very much doubt that. The will know they’re in for a fight unless they haven’t been paying attention.

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Buckley’s out-coached us more than once in the past. They won’t be taking us lightly

Obviously us winning our next few games is a given if we want to play finals, but Sydney look very flat right now. They’ve only produced 12 & 14 scoring shots the last two weeks for 20.6. Remarkable conversion which has probably prevented blowout results. Thought they were pantsed the last fortnight. Hannebery, Buddy & Kennedy in particular look sore. Their backs aren’t that good when separated, Harry Taylor role last night was understated. He was a big reason why there was space to operate in and the likes of Hawkins (7shots), Kelly (4 shots) and Dangerfield (3 shots) had good looks at goals in space. He separates the defence and made Grundy & Rampe in particular defend one on one instead of as a tandem where they bring it to ground and overlap run the attack from the back with Lloyd, McVeigh & co. Sure, Aliir got some of the ball, but it’s about picking your poison in the back and of that back 6, Aliir & Grundy are the least damaging with the ball. Smart coaching by Scott and great execution by Taylor. Swans very reliant on Buddy up front too, that’s no secret but their midfield is struggling to get it forward with any potency and the run off the backline has been stifled meaning Buddy has to contend with multiple defenders. We must be taking notes and should be a chance to knock the over in a few weeks.

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Sydney in all sorts of problems IMO…low hanging fruit for several weeks. Any team that can contain Franklin in nearly over the line already

I did the Predictor again with us losing only the last 2 Rounds.
Still difficult to see us getting in, unless the WB, St.K, Freo, Bris can produce at least an upset each on the contenders.

OR, we could drastically improve our percentage with a couple of 100pt wins (unlikely) !

The Dogs will start this week by beating Hawthorn.

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Will leapfrog the crows with a win over pies. I’m almost expecting the win this weekend. Just feel there’s too much at stake to let it slip. We’ll find out what we’re made of at least.

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I think we can get to 13 wins. I can see Swans and Eagles stuffing up big time with but having 10 wins and %already means we probably cant catch them.

Probably too many teams above us. Even if these two drop games we still have to get past Hawks, Norf, Adelaide etc

One less to worry about. Also GWS with injuries.

Things just have to fall our way, we just have to keep on winning and playing good footy.

Just need to focus on winning and getting better week after week. Massive game this one against the pies, a loss and things get astronomicaly harder but a win will only just keep us in the hunt - we will have the scent though.
Each win will only make us hungrier.

If we make it to the finals we will be absolutely battle hardened and full of confidence…

…or completely exhausted.

If port and Richmond are locked into finals, they will start a mini preseason of training. Their form will slump in the final rounds. Actually the last round is a good time to play the top teams.

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If we won the premiership I vow to be the most obnoxious winner in the history of supporters.

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They aren’t locked into the double chance and home finals of too 1 and 2 yet. Only if that is locked away will they take the foot off. Which might be when we play them but equally they may need to win against us to secure it

Well you weren’t coping too well when we were struggling (calling for mass sackings etc.) so that would make sense. :wink:

Dream over now that Dea has been dropped. Apparently.

I reckon I’d get the Essendon logo tattooed on my face.

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I don’t know how you can vow anything if that happens. I’ll probably be a sobbing mess wandering around hugging random people.

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My ladder predictions are still showing very weird outcomes, with my only fanciful tips being us winning the next seven straight.

In the last round if we won, my predictor showed us finishing 4th and Port 9th.

If the only thing I changed was us losing against Port, we finished 9th and they finished 4th.

Me getting every tip right won’t happen, but a scenario like this is possible.

Could you imagine if this outcome was on the cards and Port and EFC knew the winner got a double chance and the loser missed the finals.

It would be a death match at the Adelaide colesseum, and the AFL could well stage it as the last match of the season.

It would be absolutely nuts.

And then they’d make fourth play first on the Friday night…