The battle for the bottom 4 of the top 8

[mightytiges]

Before the season started, 5 "locks" for the Top 8:-
Magpies, Hawks, Swans, Cats and the Eagles.
Still going to leave Pies and Eagles in this mini ladder for the time being.
Bombers and Freo becoming "locks" for the 8 in the next month.

Current status
1. Essendon 32 points 129%*
2. Freo 30 points 125%
3. Blues 24 120%*
4. Tigers 24 111%
5. Pies 24 points 97%**

6. Eagles 20 points 116%**
7. Crows 20 points 108%
8.  Power  20 points 107%
9. Suns 20 points 96%*
10. Norf 16 points 111%*

* Played this round already
** Play this weekend

Gold Coast are ahead of Roos with 20 points but after scaring the Cats, beating the Roos and having the Crows, Bombres, lions and tigers  in the next month become relevant - particularly if they beat us and the crows which are 8 point games.

Bombres appear safe and secure and with  Gold Coast and the Eagles away - should only have a drug conviction and the integrity of the AFL competition to impact them playing finals this year.
Freo have Lions, Roos and Cats. Win 2 of these and they look in finals.
Pies have the dream run of Demons, Bulldogs and Power to gain points and lost %. Beating Power helps us but also starts ruling out another top 8 spot.
Weagles have Saints, Bombres and Hawks and now face a real battle to even make the 8 with a number of tricky games in the run home.
Crow bots have  Tigers & GC - another key game for us. Crows lose to us and it impacts their top 8 chances significantly. They have a very tough run home.
Blues Hawks and Swans. Ideal world sees them lose those last 3 to keep our season open and the loss to the Bombres was the first of hopefully 3 straight losses
Nort have Saints, Dockers, GC and GC - this draw is why I leave them on the ladder for the time being. They must win every game in the next month if they want to win 10 of the next 13.
Power look stuffed with the loss to the Bullies but just need a few more losses to put paid to their hopes psycologically.
Tigers have Crowbots, Bulldogs and Saints. 3 of the biggest weeks of our season for a few years.

One point to those who think we are "stuffed" "not good enough" "rebuild a failure".
Having watched a fair amount of footy this year, I would say we are definitely good enough to play finals.
What isn't yet proven is if we are good enough to play several years of finals.
The Crows, Eagles and Roos have all proven that they are good enough to play finals one year before seemingly fallen straight back out again this year.
I might be proven wrong but right now could anyone defy my point that we aren't good enough to come out and beat the crows and the roos if we bring our a game?
Having said that, we are guaranteed the crows "A Game" at the G next Saturday.
It will almost be opposite circumstances to our game against the Eagles last Monday night.
It will be interesting to see how we respond.

On form so far this year it can be argued the top 8 will now stay as it is by the end of the H/A season. Eagles, Crows & North have been major disappoints this year based on what the 'experts' were predicting which has been good news for us. However, as you say Y&B, it will be interesting to see how we respond after the bye. The genuine finals sides usually step up another gear in the second half of a season and drive towards the finals while the pretenders stutter, slip up and fall away. If we are genuinely finals material then we won't have rely on other sides losing for us to make it. Our destiny is in our own hands. 

[yellowandback]

Way too early to worry about it yet imo, footy is a funny game

Agreed TM which is why I've tried to chunk into 4-5 week sections.
Back after the Cats loss, most posters were seeing a 4/6 split and it was clear we'd need to turn into the bye at 6/4.
We have achieved this which is a good milestone.
The next 4-5 weeks will either set up the entire season or have us trying to make up ground in the last 7 weeks.
If the Pies win today there will be 6 clubs who have just 4 points between them.
It's incredibly tight, I'm tipping that the final 8 will be still be unresolved before the final round.

[Phil Mrakov]

9th again! Tanks Weagles and Collingwood

[Yeahright]

And that the rebuild has failed

yes thats right chucky ... not enough A grade talent on our list Im afraid. Need at least 3 more A Graders. No point just making the finals. Premiership Cups is what this business is about. 

Has it failed, or is it still in progress?

[Rampstar]

the rebuild is actually a train line that runs through a tunnel. we just dont know what the light is at the end of the tunnel yet 

[yellowandback]

the rebuild is actually a train line that runs through a tunnel. we just dont know what the light is at the end of the tunnel yet 

 

You need to get a seat next to the driver because I can see some silverware shining brightly under that light   

[Judge Roughneck]

And that the rebuild has failed

yes thats right chucky ... not enough A grade talent on our list Im afraid. Need at least 3 more A Graders. No point just making the finals. Premiership Cups is what this business is about. 

Has it failed, or is it still in progress?

I would argue its too early to call.

If we come 8th and lose the first final by ten goals. With mgune. Edwards. Jackson. Petterd.. lonergan long term gws and GC willgo ppast us.

If we come 9th yet play play gtiffiths. Deaa. Helbig. Ellis. Mcbean etc. The future is more bright.

I fear hard wick and co. Will be selfish and do what's best short term.

Towards the end of the Wallace era there was a stage when Richmond was fielding the oldest side in the AFL. How can a rebuilding side have the oldest average of players? To me it cannot.

[gerkin greg]

just focus on beating the crows thanks,

gg

[yellowandback]

Our record vs others when playing sides in the top. 8 so far


2013 Ladder sorted by Premiership Points
Position   Team   Played   Win   Loss   Draw   %Won   Points   For   Against   Percentage   Movement   Streak
1   Hawthorn Hawks   5   4   1   0   80.00%   16   616   439   140.32%   +0   Won 4
2   Geelong Cats   5   4   1   0   80.00%   16   545   479   113.78%   +0   Lost 1
3   Essendon Bombers   5   3   2   0   60.00%   12   426   443   96.16%   +2   Won 1
4   Sydney Swans   5   2   2   1   50.00%   10   472   439   107.52%   -1   Won 2
5   Fremantle Dockers   5   2   2   1   50.00%   10   422   413   102.18%   -1   Drew 1
6   Richmond Tigers   6   2   4   0   33.33%   8   517   579   89.29%   +0   Won 1
7   Collingwood Magpies   6   2   4   0   33.33%   8   512   664   77.11%   +0   Lost 1
8   Carlton Blues   4   1   3   0   25.00%   4   364   378   96.30%   +0   Lost 1
9   St Kilda Saints   5   1   4   0   20.00%   4   388   462   83.98%   +0   Lost 1
10   Port Adelaide Power   3   1   2   0   33.33%   4   243   304   79.93%   +0   Lost 2
11   Brisbane Lions   5   1   4   0   20.00%   4   369   507   72.78%   +0   Lost 2
12   North Melbourne Kangaroos   5   0   5   0   0.00%   0   471   535   88.04%   +0   Lost 5
13   West Coast Eagles   3   0   3   0   0.00%   0   243   345   70.43%   +1   Lost 3
14   Adelaide Crows   5   0   5   0   0.00%   0   352   514   68.48%   -1   Lost 5
15   Western Bulldogs   3   0   3   0   0.00%   0   231   350   66.00%   +0   Lost 3
16   Gold Coast Suns   4   0   4   0   0.00%   0   290   454   63.88%   +0   Lost 4
17   GWS Giants   6   0   6   0   0.00%   0   421   826   50.97%   +0   Lost 6
18   Melbourne Demons   6   0   6   0   0.00%   0   306   877   34.89%   +0   Lost 6

[Rampstar]

the rebuild is actually a train line that runs through a tunnel. we just dont know what the light is at the end of the tunnel yet 

 

You need to get a seat next to the driver because I can see some silverware shining brightly under that light   

Ill pay that  - good comeback line from you

[mightytiges]

Our record vs others when playing sides in the top. 8 so far


2013 Ladder sorted by Premiership Points
Position   Team   Played   Win   Loss   Draw   %Won   Points   For   Against   Percentage   Movement   Streak
1   Hawthorn Hawks   5   4   1   0   80.00%   16   616   439   140.32%   +0   Won 4
2   Geelong Cats   5   4   1   0   80.00%   16   545   479   113.78%   +0   Lost 1
3   Essendon Bombers   5   3   2   0   60.00%   12   426   443   96.16%   +2   Won 1
4   Sydney Swans   5   2   2   1   50.00%   10   472   439   107.52%   -1   Won 2
5   Fremantle Dockers   5   2   2   1   50.00%   10   422   413   102.18%   -1   Drew 1
6   Richmond Tigers   6   2   4   0   33.33%   8   517   579   89.29%   +0   Won 1
7   Collingwood Magpies   6   2   4   0   33.33%   8   512   664   77.11%   +0   Lost 1
8   Carlton Blues   4   1   3   0   25.00%   4   364   378   96.30%   +0   Lost 1
9   St Kilda Saints   5   1   4   0   20.00%   4   388   462   83.98%   +0   Lost 1
10   Port Adelaide Power   3   1   2   0   33.33%   4   243   304   79.93%   +0   Lost 2
11   Brisbane Lions   5   1   4   0   20.00%   4   369   507   72.78%   +0   Lost 2
12   North Melbourne Kangaroos   5   0   5   0   0.00%   0   471   535   88.04%   +0   Lost 5
13   West Coast Eagles   3   0   3   0   0.00%   0   243   345   70.43%   +1   Lost 3
14   Adelaide Crows   5   0   5   0   0.00%   0   352   514   68.48%   -1   Lost 5
15   Western Bulldogs   3   0   3   0   0.00%   0   231   350   66.00%   +0   Lost 3
16   Gold Coast Suns   4   0   4   0   0.00%   0   290   454   63.88%   +0   Lost 4
17   GWS Giants   6   0   6   0   0.00%   0   421   826   50.97%   +0   Lost 6
18   Melbourne Demons   6   0   6   0   0.00%   0   306   877   34.89%   +0   Lost 6

Interesting that we've played top 8 sides six times already which is the equal most. So we haven't had an easy draw. Your ladder Y&B also shows we've beaten every side outside the top 8 so far so we are winning the games we should. With 5 more matches against top 8 sides out of the remaining 12 games, if we keep that trend up then we'll finish with 13 wins just beating the sides below us and any wins against top 8 sides will be a bonus on top of that.

[tony_montana]

Bloody blues are in front and have looked like winners most of the night.  Will throw a spanner in the works if they get an unexpected win over the hawks

[tony_montana]

Go hawks, blues lose another one,  with a few more tough games to come, if we
 can beat the crows and take advantage of a few easier games after that we could set up our season.  Make it count tiges!

[Judge Roughneck]

Bloody blues are in front and have looked like winners most of the night.  Will throw a spanner in the works if they get an unexpected win over the hawks

Umpires screwed em

[Loui Tufga]

Bloody blues are in front and have looked like winners most of the night.  Will throw a spanner in the works if they get an unexpected win over the hawks

Umpires screwed em

Yep, it was GOLD to watch!!!!