Ladder at the end of this round

[WellardSaint]

If we lose to the Dees,
we could drop from 4th to 6th.

Sydney to beat Suns (Swans are favourites)
Blues to beat Crows (Bluebaggers are favourites too)

[SunnyErnie]

We are going to finish 9th this year. Out by percentage to Port in 8th place

[WellardSaint]

We are going to finish 9th this year. Out by percentage to Port in 8th place

We'll miss the finals, sure, but I think we'll be 10th-12th.

I imagine King and Higgins kicking 1 goal 6 every game, Membrey will be the same.

Inaccuracy will cost us games.
Last year, Swans and Cats games were lost through rubbish kicks for goal.
It's happening again.

[meher baba]

We are going to finish 9th this year. Out by percentage to Port in 8th place

Why?

[Vortex]

We are going to finish 9th this year. Out by percentage to Port in 8th place

Why?

It's all to do with Uranus aligning with Saturn and disrupting the radius of gyration here on planet earth to create instability in the way the ball behaves at different geographical locations.

[Yorkeys]

Well here's the thing, we will still be in the 8.

Sunday is going to be good for us at this stage of the campaign. Either way we will learn a lot on every line. Some excellent one on one duels, as well as coaching battles. Be fascinating.
Dees centre line is elite. Mc Kenzie on Langdon should be a beauty. Nasiah will find out about himself as well on the other wing against Brayshaw - it will be hot in the kitchen.
Who will mind Fritsch? Jimmy? Callum? I guess Jimmy because of his pace.
May, Lever and Petty look impregnable on paper, what will our tactics be - can't bomb to Max, he will have to lead those two/three away from other scorers, but after Higgins we are a bit thread bare. I am hoping this is where Brad Hill will come into his own, and Tim. This is when we really miss Hayes. Nevertheless Max could run Lever and May into the ground if he decided to because he can score from the 50, so they can't afford to just hang back.
Elsewhere I think we can trouble them as much as they trouble us.
I guess the tall Melb. forward line really tempted the selectors to include Joyce, possibly for Long but perhaps that was considered a Peter/Paul move.
Brown, McDonald, Fitsch, Gawn when going forward, give them a big height advantage. But I think we can go around them and use team defence to make it difficult.
They are a class team and it will give us a fair read - great to win, but if we lose there is time to recalibrate, reassess players that can or can't perform against the best. Find out if Butler can score when really needed or whether he is window dressing. Will need a couple from him.
However as Lethal says, if they bleed....... and the bleeding might be when Ben tackles either or both of Oliver and Petracca. Not sure they have been fronted by someone that tackles like Ben yet this year - they seem to swan around untouched, because they are fast and they are strong. We shall see if they can steam roller us too.
And when we wake up we will still be in the eight, either way.
And we have already beaten the team currently on top of the ladder.

[meher baba]

We are going to finish 9th this year. Out by percentage to Port in 8th place

Why?

It's all to do with Uranus aligning with Saturn and disrupting the radius of gyration here on planet earth to create instability in the way the ball behaves at different geographical locations.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[meher baba]

Well here's the thing, we will still be in the 8.

Sunday is going to be good for us at this stage of the campaign. Either way we will learn a lot on every line. Some excellent one on one duels, as well as coaching battles. Be fascinating.
Dees centre line is elite. Mc Kenzie on Langdon should be a beauty. Nasiah will find out about himself as well on the other wing against Brayshaw - it will be hot in the kitchen.
Who will mind Fritsch? Jimmy? Callum? I guess Jimmy because of his pace.
May, Lever and Petty look impregnable on paper, what will our tactics be - can't bomb to Max, he will have to lead those two/three away from other scorers, but after Higgins we are a bit thread bare. I am hoping this is where Brad Hill will come into his own, and Tim. This is when we really miss Hayes. Nevertheless Max could run Lever and May into the ground if he decided to because he can score from the 50, so they can't afford to just hang back.
Elsewhere I think we can trouble them as much as they trouble us.
I guess the tall Melb. forward line really tempted the selectors to include Joyce, possibly for Long but perhaps that was considered a Peter/Paul move.
Brown, McDonald, Fitsch, Gawn when going forward, give them a big height advantage. But I think we can go around them and use team defence to make it difficult.
They are a class team and it will give us a fair read - great to win, but if we lose there is time to recalibrate, reassess players that can or can't perform against the best. Find out if Butler can score when really needed or whether he is window dressing. Will need a couple from him.
However as Lethal says, if they bleed....... and the bleeding might be when Ben tackles either or both of Oliver and Petracca. Not sure they have been fronted by someone that tackles like Ben yet this year - they seem to swan around untouched, because they are fast and they are strong. We shall see if they can steam roller us too.
And when we wake up we will still be in the eight, either way.
And we have already beaten the team currently on top of the ladder.

A pretty good summary of our challenges, and I agree with all of it.

I would put it this way: our defence could conceivably keep their forwards under control, and our underrated midfield could conceivably match theirs, but that leaves the major challenge posed by their defence. We will struggle to keep the ball inside their 50 and will thereby be at constant risk of getting smashed on the rebound.

King will be strongly shut down and I will be astonished (and mightily impressed) if he somehow manages to kick a bag. You are right that Hill, Membrey and Butler need to step up in attack and you should add Paddy, Marshall and Gresham to that list as well. If they all fire on the day, then perhaps we can give the gold class Melbourne backline a few headaches.

And I think it might also be worth considering some unusual tactics to disrupt the Melbourne defence, especially Lever and Brayshaw. Probably a crazy idea, but perhaps have Marshall or even Battle play a sort of tagging role on Lever, at least in the first quarter? Anyway, we've got to do something to keep the ball in our forward 50 as much as we can. I think the challenge will ultimately prove too much for us, but it will be fascinating to watch us try.

[kosifantutti]

If we win tomorrow, we would’ve beaten the top two teams away from home. Still nobody will rate us.

[SunnyErnie]

Well here's the thing, we will still be in the 8.

Sunday is going to be good for us at this stage of the campaign. Either way we will learn a lot on every line. Some excellent one on one duels, as well as coaching battles. Be fascinating.
Dees centre line is elite. Mc Kenzie on Langdon should be a beauty. Nasiah will find out about himself as well on the other wing against Brayshaw - it will be hot in the kitchen.
Who will mind Fritsch? Jimmy? Callum? I guess Jimmy because of his pace.
May, Lever and Petty look impregnable on paper, what will our tactics be - can't bomb to Max, he will have to lead those two/three away from other scorers, but after Higgins we are a bit thread bare. I am hoping this is where Brad Hill will come into his own, and Tim. This is when we really miss Hayes. Nevertheless Max could run Lever and May into the ground if he decided to because he can score from the 50, so they can't afford to just hang back.
Elsewhere I think we can trouble them as much as they trouble us.
I guess the tall Melb. forward line really tempted the selectors to include Joyce, possibly for Long but perhaps that was considered a Peter/Paul move.
Brown, McDonald, Fitsch, Gawn when going forward, give them a big height advantage. But I think we can go around them and use team defence to make it difficult.
They are a class team and it will give us a fair read - great to win, but if we lose there is time to recalibrate, reassess players that can or can't perform against the best. Find out if Butler can score when really needed or whether he is window dressing. Will need a couple from him.
However as Lethal says, if they bleed....... and the bleeding might be when Ben tackles either or both of Oliver and Petracca. Not sure they have been fronted by someone that tackles like Ben yet this year - they seem to swan around untouched, because they are fast and they are strong. We shall see if they can steam roller us too.
And when we wake up we will still be in the eight, either way.
And we have already beaten the team currently on top of the ladder.

Since when did they get pregnant?

I'm assuming you meant impenetrable!!!!

[Yorkeys]

Sunnyernie quote "Since when did they get pregnant? I'm assuming you meant impenetrable!!!! ..."

I guess English is not his/her first language.

Strange, strange cat the sunster. May/Lever/Petty pregnant? come on, you go too far. What sort of mind conjures that stuff up. This is a football forum not a deviate chat room.

[saynta]

Well here's the thing, we will still be in the 8.

Sunday is going to be good for us at this stage of the campaign. Either way we will learn a lot on every line. Some excellent one on one duels, as well as coaching battles. Be fascinating.
Dees centre line is elite. Mc Kenzie on Langdon should be a beauty. Nasiah will find out about himself as well on the other wing against Brayshaw - it will be hot in the kitchen.
Who will mind Fritsch? Jimmy? Callum? I guess Jimmy because of his pace.
May, Lever and Petty look impregnable on paper, what will our tactics be - can't bomb to Max, he will have to lead those two/three away from other scorers, but after Higgins we are a bit thread bare. I am hoping this is where Brad Hill will come into his own, and Tim. This is when we really miss Hayes. Nevertheless Max could run Lever and May into the ground if he decided to because he can score from the 50, so they can't afford to just hang back.
Elsewhere I think we can trouble them as much as they trouble us.
I guess the tall Melb. forward line really tempted the selectors to include Joyce, possibly for Long but perhaps that was considered a Peter/Paul move.
Brown, McDonald, Fitsch, Gawn when going forward, give them a big height advantage. But I think we can go around them and use team defence to make it difficult.
They are a class team and it will give us a fair read - great to win, but if we lose there is time to recalibrate, reassess players that can or can't perform against the best. Find out if Butler can score when really needed or whether he is window dressing. Will need a couple from him.
However as Lethal says, if they bleed....... and the bleeding might be when Ben tackles either or both of Oliver and Petracca. Not sure they have been fronted by someone that tackles like Ben yet this year - they seem to swan around untouched, because they are fast and they are strong. We shall see if they can steam roller us too.
And when we wake up we will still be in the eight, either way.
And we have already beaten the team currently on top of the ladder.

Since when did they get pregnant?

I'm assuming you meant impenetrable!!!!

"Some Synonyms & Antonyms for IMPREGNABLE | Thesaurus.com
https://www.th'
thesaurus.com › browse › impregnable
synonyms for impregnable · fortified · impenetrable · indestructible · invincible · invulnerable · unassailable · firm · secure ."

Think Ukraine's soldiers in that Steel works S E.

[Scollop]

If we win tomorrow, we would’ve beaten the top two teams away from home. Still nobody will rate us.

Freo are on top of the ladder at the moment.

I wonder if Justin Longmuir will be idolised and considered as the best current coach going round in the AFL from the Freo fans if they make finals this year and next year. Especially if they are comfortably in the top 2 this year and if they maintain a game or two PLUS percentage ahead of the clubs at 3rd and 4th spot.

Freo is a very well funded and well run club. If the Freo first time coach gets Freo to a couple of Grand Finals - but they still lose- I wonder if Fremantle fans will regard Longmuir the same way Saints fans regarded Lyon. Will they be starting threads to rate all the current coaches and have Justin ahead of Damian Hardwick and Beveridge and the Swans Longmire

Just relating back to the years after Lyon jumped ship from St Kilda and all his disciples on this forum were singing Ross’s praises and had him ahead of the Swans Longmire and also Clarko (who had only ….’only’ won 1 premiership at that stage!)

I think the flock of Lyon true believers need to revisit their thinking.

It will be an amazing coaching effort if they can get to the last week in September in 2022. I don’t think they will do it this year. Personally, I think Freo need to earn their stripes because ALL their younger players haven’t even played any finals. Next year could be a different story

[WellardSaint]

We lose tomorrow (anyone really think we're a chance?)
and if we beat the Cats, we remain 4th next week, due to our better % over Shitney.

I think.
Someone do a ladder predictor please.
Not you, Sunny Ernie

Edit

Carlton playing Crows tomorrow, Blues are $1.31 favourites.
So they win, they push us down a spot.
Next week, BlueBaggers play GWS.
I give up. Too hard to work it out

[SaintWiki]

It's bad enough doing one week at a time, I am temporarily happy enough with the way things are going so far. If we keep playing the way we have been we'll keep getting better, and finals will take their course.

If we lose to Melbourne but keep playing with the same spirit (apart from round 1 and 7) it doesn't mean we can't beat them later in the season.

With injuries and covid etc, it's impossible to see the future for any team.