The battle for the bottom 4 of the top 8

[Tigeritis™©®]

We will finish 11-11 or 12-10 at best.
Not enough to make finals.
We won't beat the sides above us.
It pains me but that is the truth unfortunately.

The truth hurts sometimes Tucker's especially when we get too excited and our hopes raise far and above the teams capabilities.
We still come to these games and continually our hopes are shattered.

I'm starting to wonder if we all may need some kind of therapy or are we just plain algolagnists.

We truly have put up with too much poo for far too long.

the answer is kids like Vlastuin and Ellis and Conca not Maric or Houli or Grigg or Knights or Chaplin or Lonergan or Stephenson. As long as the likes of Nahas and McGuane and Jackson etc etc get games in our in 22 we wont ever amount to anything and we wont play finals. I feel sorry for the boys in question, they try but they cant take us to finals.

We must improve our recruiting & development over & above what we've already done as a club.
Our own reserves team should be a big help.

Getting our second round picks right even our 3rd round also. This is where teams like Geelong are so far ahead of the game they never look like falling down the ladder.

Last night was disappointing because I feel that Essendank aren't that good and their list isn't much better than ours. We rock up to another big game and our team doesn't even show up.
You could see it in the first quarter that once again they were overawed by the big game stage. Our team has a long way to go but we've seen them play well plenty of times before and for some reason if its a big game they all go to pieces. This issue is purely mental.
You can't tell me that the bums are that far ahead of us.

Sadly they are a fair way in front of us IMHO. There 2nd tier players are much better than ours.

Is this a recruiting issue?
We should get a better one. FJ has had his time lets get someone who knows something more than first round picks.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

We will finish 11-11 or 12-10 at best.
Not enough to make finals.
We won't beat the sides above us.
It pains me but that is the truth unfortunately.

Currently 2 and 4 with the eagles to come.
Wait one more round uncle tuck tuck

[one-eyed]

At least we're not ninth 

[Hellenic Tiger]

Final 8 starting to have a familiar look to it now with West Coast and Adelaide getting in.

[Yeahright]

Can't see many of them falling out except Crows, but can see Collingwood just jumping straight in. Gonna be a struggle

[tigs2011]

At least Norf are cooked. 

[Rampstar]

At least Norf are cooked. 

they may be cooked but they are ahead of us in terms of real talent and depth and that will probably show up before the end of the season.

[yellowandback]

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 28 points 142%
2. Freo 26 points 126
3. Collingwood 24 97%*
4. Weales 20 points 123%
5. Crowbots 20 points 120%

6. Blues 20 points 112.6%
7. Power  20 points 108%
8. Richmond 20 points 107%
9. Norf 12 points 107%

Gold Coast are ahead of Roos on 16 points but with Cats, Roos, Crows and Vombres in the next month will fall away from the pack.
If they beat either Roos or Crows, it might be different.

Bombres appear safe and secure but have won something like 2 games in June since Hird has been coach and with Swans, Blues, Gold Coast and the Eagles away - will prove if there is something in this June curse.
Freo have Crows, Lions, Roos and Cats. Win 3 of these and it would be near impossible for them to miss finals. Beating Crows and Roos probably in our interest now.
Pies have beaten Lions and then 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 Tigers, Saints, Bombres and Hawks. Reality is this game Monday night is a bit of a season shaper. We win and the Eagles face a real battle to even make the 8 with a number of tricky games in the run home.
Crow bots have Dockers, Tigers, Swans and 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 have Giants before copping Bombers, Hawks and Swans. Ideal world sees them lose those last 3 to keep our season open.
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 already and with Bulldogs, Giants, Pies and Swans look vulnerable to an upset or 2 to complete the unravelling of their season.
Tigers have Eagles, Crowbots, Bulldogs and Saints. We need to win at least 3 and probably all 4 to keep open the spots Weagles and Crows currently have.

Not impossible but we have to start playing bette football - starting Monday night.
There is still hope!

[Eat_em_Alive]

Agree y&b that we must win 3 of the next 4 as a minimum. We then have nought at etihad which is a tough game, then the cairns game and freo at the G which all of those are tough games.
And as ive said in the past cairns is a must win as we seem to play crap after returning from the heat and get beaten last two occasions, and always play good opp... carl, nought, freo .

[Phil Mrakov]

At least we're not ninth 

Good screen capture skills OE 

[dwaino]

I'm pretty scared about the Suns game this year. Last two years they sucked and we should have won but we sucked more. Lately they've been playing like a team that beats the sides they should and takes it up to anyone else that treats them lightly. Having never lost to us they'll be pumped and unless we bring our best footy they won't start losing to us now.

[Eat_em_Alive]

Agree Dwaino, I actually think we will lose that regardless of whether our form picks up or not.
Your suck o meter will go from suck to blow by then 

[Hellenic Tiger]

Agree Dwaino, I actually think we will lose that regardless of whether our form picks up or not.
Your suck o meter will go from suck to blow by then 

I'm pretty scared about the Suns game this year. Last two years they sucked and we should have won but we sucked more. Lately they've been playing like a team that beats the sides they should and takes it up to anyone else that treats them lightly. Having never lost to us they'll be pumped and unless we bring our best footy they won't start losing to us now.

I think a Dyson has more power than an Electrolux.
By then the suck o meter will be at max power if we go down to the Suns again.

[one-eyed]

Freo have Crows, Lions, Roos and Cats. Win 3 of these and it would be near impossible for them to miss finals. Beating Crows and Roos probably in our interest now.

Crow bots have Dockers, Tigers, Swans and 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.

Freo has beaten Adelaide which does us a favour. So if by some miracle we beat the Eagles then we'll go back into the Eight.

[Chuck17]

Freo have Crows, Lions, Roos and Cats. Win 3 of these and it would be near impossible for them to miss finals. Beating Crows and Roos probably in our interest now.

Crow bots have Dockers, Tigers, Swans and 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.

Freo has beaten Adelaide which does us a favour. So if by some miracle we beat the Eagles then we'll go back into the Eight.

Get it done Tiges