Played 1,2,4,6,7,8,11 Not played 3,9,10,12,13,14,15,16

[Milan Faletic]

Of course we are 5th.

So 6 top 8 sides in our first 7 games, and one bottom 8 side in our first 7 games.

Maybe that puts some perspective on our first 7 games.

[SaintWal]

Good post Milan. But don't think that logic will get in the way of insanity

[thejiggingsaint]

Its how we play in each game of the H&A that will determine our fortunes

[GeorgeYoung27]

what's more we only play 4 more games for the rest of the season against teams in the current top 8!

[Spinner]

Of course we are 5th.

So 6 top 8 sides in our first 7 games, and one bottom 8 side in our first 7 games.

Maybe that puts some perspective on our first 7 games.

Great post!

[Fidelis]

I aree that there are more important things than the draw to worry about

but

there's no doubt that we've had the toughest draw of any team to this point.

When you add up he ladder positions of opponents to round 7 you get:
ST KILDA 39
ESSENDON 46
RICHMOND 49
BRISBANE LIONS 50
ADELAIDE 53
NORTH MELBOURNE 53
HAWTHORN 58
WEST COAST EAGLES 58
CARLTON 61
GEELONG CATS 61
COLLINGWOOD 67
PORT ADELAIDE 68
WESTERN BULLDOGS 70
SYDNEY SWANS 72
FREMANTLE 73
MELBOURNE 74

By this measure, the other 7 of the top 8 have had the 7 of the top 8 easiest draws. The other - Melbourne.

As far as the draw goes, there are rosier times ahead.

And expect to see the feathers fly when the top 8 begin to come up against each other from this point.

[Bernard Shakey]

How many of the next eight games are gimmes?
Essendon
West Coast away
Adelaide
Richmond
Fremantle away
Geelong at the G
Melbourne
Brisbane away

I see only one.

[dcstkfc]

what's more we only play 4 more games for the rest of the season against teams in the current top 8!

Love to see that!

[Saint Bev]

Good sides beat everyone and thats what we did last year. Yes I know Carlton beat Geelong the other week, but they beat us by nearlly twice as much.

[degruch]

Good sides beat everyone and thats what we did last year. Yes I know Carlton beat Geelong the other week, but they beat us by nearlly twice as much.

Geelong didn't panic the next week, don't expect us to either. Unfortunately, we have no Ablett to stick back in the team.

[Milan Faletic]

Good sides beat everyone and thats what we did last year. Yes I know Carlton beat Geelong the other week, but they beat us by nearlly twice as much.

Yes and we lost to North in Rd 21 last year but beat them by over 100 points this year. Collingwood beat Carlton. Freo beat Geelong. We beat Freo. We beat Coll.

We lost to Essendon last year in Round 20. What if they beat us this week?
What if we beat them this week?

My point is that our first 7 games have been as hard as they could be. We have had no cheap wins and other teams have.

We are reshaping the team. As Roo said, we are a work in progress, and we may see some more pain, but I am confident that the group will be stronger from this experience.

[Teflon]

How many of the next eight games are gimmes?
Essendon
West Coast away
Adelaide
Richmond
Fremantle away
Geelong at the G
Melbourne
Brisbane away

I see only one.

when I look at that the perspective of how many bottom 8/top 8 sides weve played changes dramatically.

I too see Richmond as the only gimme to be honest :


Essendon - not confident...but should win.....
West Coast away - should win
Adelaide - should win
Richmond - win
Fremantle away - Loss
Geelong at the G - Loss
Melbourne - should win
Brisbane away - Loss


so 5 - 3 from that lot has us 10 - 5 at Rd 16??

[goods]

that lot has us 10 - 5 at Rd 16??

Enter stage left... NICK R

[OneEyedSainter77]

Five years ago we were in a similar situation at around this time. After starting at 4-2 we were playing great footy and looked like we had rediscovered our form of the previous season.

Then we lost to Geelong, West Coast and Adelaide to be in real strife at 4-5 with our season on the line. We had an easy win over Sydney the following week, got thrashed by Port at Aurora, then had an unconvincing win over a deplorable Hawthorn before losing to Essendon and finding ourselves 9th or 10th on the ladder with 6-7 and looking likely to miss the finals.

From this position we pulled our finger out and on the back of one of the most impressive four games in a row I've seen from a St Kilda player in Juatin koschitzke, we win seven in a row, lost unluckily to Freo at Subiaco, before slaughtering Brisbane and knocking off the minor premiers for what was at the time just our Fourth win ever at Footy Park.

In the end I maintain that with a full list and had we not lost so many players to injury at crucial times, the flag was ours to lose in 2005.

Now it is only round seven, we are only 5-2 (we were 4-3 that year) and there is still plenty of time to turn this season around. Apart from losing Riewoldt, we have been otherwise blessed with injury this year. Now is the time to come out and fire up.

We've had a terrible loss which will really hurt the boys so we need to consolidate out position now and start playing a more attacking brand of footy. Rediscover our 2009 form and get some wins on the board. If we can be 10-5 when Roo gets back, (or better if we can steal a win against either Geelong, Freo or Brisbane) we have seven rounds to give ourselves a better position and put ourselves ahead of the competition.

It can be done.

[Saint Bev]

If everyone thinks its ok to be in the bottom half of the 8 you are delusional. Only thing it achieves is some finals footy and definately not good enough to get you into a GF.

[plugger66]

If everyone thinks its ok to be in the bottom half of the 8 you are delusional. Only thing it achieves is some finals footy and definately not good enough to get you into a GF.

100%. You must finish top 4 or you cant win the GF. I dont even think anyone outside the top 4 since this version of the 8 has even made the GF. And on the OP it doesnt matter who you play if you are out of form. If we get our form back it is a dream draw but at the moment it is as hard as anyone else.

[Milan Faletic]

If everyone thinks its ok to be in the bottom half of the 8 you are delusional. Only thing it achieves is some finals footy and definately not good enough to get you into a GF.

100%. You must finish top 4 or you cant win the GF. I dont even think anyone outside the top 4 since this version of the 8 has even made the GF. And on the OP it doesnt matter who you play if you are out of form. If we get our form back it is a dream draw but at the moment it is as hard as anyone else.

Of course, we need good form. Thought that was pretty obvious. Was aiming the OP at the people who are using words such as pathetic and useless to describe our form. We had a bad one on Monday, and anyone who think the group are not hurting, should think again.

But it is not the end of the world and I wish some posters would realise that. If we lose the next 4, or even the next 2 then it could start to be a worry.

[aussierules0k]

[Sam23]

Its how we play in each game of the H&A that will determine our fortunes

insightful stuff.

[St DAC]

Its how we play in each game of the H&A that will determine our fortunes

insightful stuff.

Unlike your own good self of course ... Dave is a natural ray of sunshine. You appear to be the grey bit of that silver-lined cloud.

[OneEyedSainter77]

Five years ago we were in a similar situation at around this time. After starting at 4-2 we were playing great footy and looked like we had rediscovered our form of the previous season.

Then we lost to Geelong, West Coast and Adelaide to be in real strife at 4-5 with our season on the line. We had an easy win over Sydney the following week, got thrashed by Port at Aurora, then had an unconvincing win over a deplorable Hawthorn before losing to Essendon and finding ourselves 9th or 10th on the ladder with 6-7 and looking likely to miss the finals.

From this position we pulled our finger out and on the back of one of the most impressive four games in a row I've seen from a St Kilda player in Juatin koschitzke, we win seven in a row, lost unluckily to Freo at Subiaco, before slaughtering Brisbane and knocking off the minor premiers for what was at the time just our Fourth win ever at Footy Park.

In the end I maintain that with a full list and had we not lost so many players to injury at crucial times, the flag was ours to lose in 2005.

Now it is only round seven, we are only 5-2 (we were 4-3 that year) and there is still plenty of time to turn this season around. Apart from losing Riewoldt, we have been otherwise blessed with injury this year. Now is the time to come out and fire up.

We've had a terrible loss which will really hurt the boys so we need to consolidate out position now and start playing a more attacking brand of footy. Rediscover our 2009 form and get some wins on the board. If we can be 10-5 when Roo gets back, (or better if we can steal a win against either Geelong, Freo or Brisbane) we have seven rounds to give ourselves a better position and put ourselves ahead of the competition.

It can be done.

Or better yet all three!!!!

[dcstkfc]

Five years ago we were in a similar situation at around this time. After starting at 4-2 we were playing great footy and looked like we had rediscovered our form of the previous season.

Then we lost to Geelong, West Coast and Adelaide to be in real strife at 4-5 with our season on the line. We had an easy win over Sydney the following week, got thrashed by Port at Aurora, then had an unconvincing win over a deplorable Hawthorn before losing to Essendon and finding ourselves 9th or 10th on the ladder with 6-7 and looking likely to miss the finals.

From this position we pulled our finger out and on the back of one of the most impressive four games in a row I've seen from a St Kilda player in Juatin koschitzke, we win seven in a row, lost unluckily to Freo at Subiaco, before slaughtering Brisbane and knocking off the minor premiers for what was at the time just our Fourth win ever at Footy Park.

In the end I maintain that with a full list and had we not lost so many players to injury at crucial times, the flag was ours to lose in 2005.

Now it is only round seven, we are only 5-2 (we were 4-3 that year) and there is still plenty of time to turn this season around. Apart from losing Riewoldt, we have been otherwise blessed with injury this year. Now is the time to come out and fire up.

We've had a terrible loss which will really hurt the boys so we need to consolidate out position now and start playing a more attacking brand of footy. Rediscover our 2009 form and get some wins on the board. If we can be 10-5 when Roo gets back, (or better if we can steal a win against either Geelong, Freo or Brisbane) we have seven rounds to give ourselves a better position and put ourselves ahead of the competition.

It can be done.

Or better yet all three!!!!

Steal