Our last 6 games just happen to be...

[SainterK]

Sides that could all be still trying desperately to play finals....

Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, North, Richmond, Adelaide.

People have said our run home is soft, and while I am confident of our boys putting in a good showing, I'd almost rather play sides that have long since secured a good ladder position than those who still may be hovering for one of the last spots.

It's quite strange it's worked out that way, and will at least ensure our boys arrive to September on the back of some tough matches.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Hawthorn yes - Essendon are a rabble at the moment, Port are even worse, North yes - RICHMOND?!!! they've won three in a row sure but pushing for a finals spot.... hardly?! Adelaide, yes.

I'd say three and three.

We really should beat them all though, no excuses from here.

I don't think our draw is that soft - but playing five games in a row at Etihad is nice and cushy for us. That's almost Collingwood-esque... so we better bloody make the most of it!

[SainterK]

If you agree Adelaide are a chance, so are Port and Essendon who sit on the same amount of wins.

Not looking for excuses, it's a good thing, because we will arrive to the finals hopefully on the back of some good challenges.

[OneEyedSainter77]

So they are... still Adelaide are a good side that should have been in the finals this year (they were for me pre-season)

They have probably the best draw of the teams fighting for a finals place and are not far behind at the moment. but Essendon and Port are in an aboslute rut at the moment which is why I don't rate them.

HOWEVER, both are our bogey teams. We need to defeat them if we are going to finish top two, simple as that. Bury that DAMN bogey!!!!

[Wrote for Luck]

Nearly any team you play toward the end of the season will have something to play for.
Be it for a top four or to secure finals or to get into finals. It's all pretty desparate.
Fringe players in teams sure to play finals are interesting to watch.
For us from now it will be very competative between the likes of Gears, Eddy, Steven, Peake, Dempster, Dawson, Raph, Armo.
Good times for supporters I reckon.

[St.Rob8]

Yeah, this thread strives hard for a glass half empty view, but fails to deliver it. Anyway you look at it the run home is pretty good.

Reality is that top 8 is pretty settled with the exception of North who may sneek in at the expense of Swans. Everyone below North is 2 games and heaps of percentage outside. Not impossible, but simply won't happen if history is any guide. If you have only won 5 games out of 14, which is max all teams below North have won, you'd need to win 7 out of 8 to get to 12 wins, which is borderline Top 8. Can't see it happening.

Saints for Premiers.

[saint66au]

Yeah, this thread strives hard for a glass half empty view, but fails to deliver it. Anyway you look at it the run home is pretty good.

Reality is that top 8 is pretty settled with the exception of North who may sneek in at the expense of Swans. Everyone below North is 2 games and heaps of percentage outside. Not impossible, but simply won't happen if history is any guide. If you have only won 5 games out of 14, which is max all teams below North have won, you'd need to win 7 out of 8 to get to 12 wins, which is borderline Top 8. Can't see it happening.

Saints for Premiers.

This

Gotta look at % as well as games....and everyone below North (and even North) have dreadful percentage. At this stage of the season even a 10 goal win wont move your % that much

Anyone below North would have to seriously smash all the sides they beat to make up the gap

Oh and hark back to that game in 2005 just shown on TV this arvo. Round 22, we were cemented into a final at AAMI the following week, so rested Gehrig and Goose. Brisbane were playing for a finals spot, so had everything to play for.

Saints by 138 points

[OneEyedSainter77]

Yeah, this thread strives hard for a glass half empty view, but fails to deliver it. Anyway you look at it the run home is pretty good.

Reality is that top 8 is pretty settled with the exception of North who may sneek in at the expense of Swans. Everyone below North is 2 games and heaps of percentage outside. Not impossible, but simply won't happen if history is any guide. If you have only won 5 games out of 14, which is max all teams below North have won, you'd need to win 7 out of 8 to get to 12 wins, which is borderline Top 8. Can't see it happening.

Saints for Premiers.

This

Gotta look at % as well as games....and everyone below North (and even North) have dreadful percentage. At this stage of the season even a 10 goal win wont move your % that much

Anyone below North would have to seriously smash all the sides they beat to make up the gap

Oh and hark back to that game in 2005 just shown on TV this arvo. Round 22, we were cemented into a final at AAMI the following week, so rested Gehrig and Goose. Brisbane were playing for a finals spot, so had everything to play for.

Saints by 138 points

That's not the point of the thread though. I think what K is trying to say is we will be getting a better challenge heading into the finals than we did last year.

Last year the last four rounds we played a pathetic hawthorn team who had a chance of making finals but frankly didn't deserve it and were pitiful agains us, an Essendon side who had a chance to make finals also - I'll concede that was a good test and we didn't win. North and Melbourne who had NOTHING to play for.

this year, even if it is only three of our last six, we'll have some teams with a little more than pride on the line which is a better lead into the finals series.

But I think lead into a finals series is overrated.

You don't need to be challeneged on the eve of the finals to make an impression.

[Moods]

At the moment most of the clubs mentioned appear in finals contention - just. By the time we play them, which is from Rd 18 onwards, most of them will be out of contention, as they will have dropped a couple of games.

[saintsRrising]

Sides that could all be still trying desperately to play finals....

Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, North, Richmond, Adelaide.



It's quite strange it's worked out that way, and will at least ensure our boys arrive to September on the back of some tough matches.

Not sure how playing a group with only one top 8 team in it could be considered a tough run home......

..yes for some their season is still live. But only the Hawks would consider themselves a possible real finals threat this year.

[StSteven]

Would have liked a tougher run home with some MCG games in there.

[Bernard Shakey]

I'll make the call now, only one of those teams will play finals.

[SainterK]

Yeah, this thread strives hard for a glass half empty view, but fails to deliver it. Anyway you look at it the run home is pretty good.

Reality is that top 8 is pretty settled with the exception of North who may sneek in at the expense of Swans. Everyone below North is 2 games and heaps of percentage outside. Not impossible, but simply won't happen if history is any guide. If you have only won 5 games out of 14, which is max all teams below North have won, you'd need to win 7 out of 8 to get to 12 wins, which is borderline Top 8. Can't see it happening.

Saints for Premiers.

This

Gotta look at % as well as games....and everyone below North (and even North) have dreadful percentage. At this stage of the season even a 10 goal win wont move your % that much

Anyone below North would have to seriously smash all the sides they beat to make up the gap

Oh and hark back to that game in 2005 just shown on TV this arvo. Round 22, we were cemented into a final at AAMI the following week, so rested Gehrig and Goose. Brisbane were playing for a finals spot, so had everything to play for.

Saints by 138 points

That's not the point of the thread though. I think what K is trying to say is we will be getting a better challenge heading into the finals than we did last year.

Last year the last four rounds we played a pathetic hawthorn team who had a chance of making finals but frankly didn't deserve it and were pitiful agains us, an Essendon side who had a chance to make finals also - I'll concede that was a good test and we didn't win. North and Melbourne who had NOTHING to play for.

this year, even if it is only three of our last six, we'll have some teams with a little more than pride on the line which is a better lead into the finals series.

But I think lead into a finals series is overrated.

You don't need to be challeneged on the eve of the finals to make an impression.

That is kind of what I was trying to say...

[bozza1980]

Sides that could all be still trying desperately to play finals....

Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, North, Richmond, Adelaide.

People have said our run home is soft, and while I am confident of our boys putting in a good showing, I'd almost rather play sides that have long since secured a good ladder position than those who still may be hovering for one of the last spots.

It's quite strange it's worked out that way, and will at least ensure our boys arrive to September on the back of some tough matches.

You are right at Round 14 Essendon, Port, Richmond and Adelaide still have mathematical claims.

By the time we hit Port, Richmond and Adelaide they'll need a dodgy accountant to come up with an equation that sees them play finals.

That said using the Mick Malthouse whinge, each of these sides (apart from Hawthorn) will see their game with us as their Grand Final.

If we don't win 5 of those games we will be disapointed, but we'll start favourite in, and should win each of them.

[markp]

Sides that could all be still trying desperately to play finals....

Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, North, Richmond, Adelaide.

Good!

I love watching us crush the hopes and dreams of others.

[bozza1980]

Sides that could all be still trying desperately to play finals....

Hawthorn, Essendon, Port, North, Richmond, Adelaide.

Good!

I love watching us crush the hopes and dreams of others.

Gold!!

[SainterK]

Still maintain we have a tougher run home than we anticipated, not that it's a bad thing, just didn't seem like it on paper.

Hawks, Richmond, Adelaide....especially, playing good footy.

[DownAtTheJunction]

Yeah, this thread strives hard for a glass half empty view, but fails to deliver it. Anyway you look at it the run home is pretty good.

Reality is that top 8 is pretty settled with the exception of North who may sneek in at the expense of Swans. Everyone below North is 2 games and heaps of percentage outside. Not impossible, but simply won't happen if history is any guide. If you have only won 5 games out of 14, which is max all teams below North have won, you'd need to win 7 out of 8 to get to 12 wins, which is borderline Top 8. Can't see it happening.

Not sure that Adelaide agrees with that judgment after beating the Cats. The Crows have now won 5 of their last 6, and have very winnable games against Port and Richmond in their next 2. They could give us a real finals tune up in Round 22.