2012 AFL Thread III - Why Do We Even Bother With Our Stupid Teams?

[bono_212]

That's the one.

[Vlad n U 2]

Better that he didn't end up watching that one, to be honest.

[Axver]

Speaking of losses to Port, I'm a bit nervous about Essendon's match this week against them. They've been something of a hoodoo for us lately, and although we've beaten them in our last two games against them (the one last year was a close call!), last round we were shithouse and this game's on Port's home turf. I'm tipping the Bombers but fearing the worst.

[Vlad n U 2]

If Port couldn't get up for a Showdown, then ...

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by Axver

Just so I can come back in a couple of months to see how wrong I was, I'd like to predict right now that the preliminary finalists will be Sydney, Hawthorn, West Coast, and either Collingwood or Essendon. Probably Collingwood, but I expect Essendon to finish the season strongly after the mid-season jitters (will probably be fucked by finishing outside the top four though). West Coast likely premiers. Adelaide to make top four but not the prelims.

Collingwood wins 10 in a row, plays like shit against a backs-against-the-wall Carlton and loses, and all of a sudden they're not top four certainties? Come on. Surely Essendon will not make top four.

I used the ladder predictor on the AFL site, and assuming I get 56/56 from now til the end of the season, and the 1/12/30/60/100 margins correct, the ladder will finish as so:

Sydney 17-5
West Coast 17-5
Adelaide 17-5
Collingwood 17-5
Hawthorn 16-6
Essendon 14-8
Geelong 14-8
Carlton 13-9
Richmond (ahahahaha) 11-11
North 11-11
Freo 11-11
Brisbane 11-11
St Kilda 10-12
Port 7-15
Dogs 5-17
Melbourne 5-17
Gold Coast 1-21
GWS 1-21

On reflection, that is absolute rubbish, but it's what I came up with.

Finals:

Sydney vs Collingwood
Hawthorn vs Carlton
Essendon vs Geelong
West Coast vs Adelaide

Collingwood vs Hawthorn
Adelaide vs Geelong

Sydney vs Adelaide
West Coast vs Collingwood

Which leads to...

 

Sydney vs West Coast

Fuck me, thank god I'll be wrong. This is almost the worst possible way for the season to go after Round 16

[Vlad n U 2]

That and we usually beat Sydney and have their measure, but then that would mean we'd make the GF, which I'm certain we won't. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE COBBLER.

I'm thinking of a Collingwood/West Coast GF at this stage.

[Vlad n U 2]

Buddy's out for 3 weeks, FWIW.

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by Vlad n U 2

That and we usually beat Sydney and have their measure, but then that would mean we'd make the GF, which I'm certain we won't. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE COBBLER.

I'm thinking of a Collingwood/West Coast GF at this stage.

Me too. I just went with the home teams in the qualis and that's what screwed them over.

Imagine if it is WC/Syd though. Those 05/06 GFs were fucking awesome. Would be pretty amazing, just six years after the last one they're playing off again, with Sydney never having bottomed out and WC making a remarkable comeback after a shocking 2010.

[Vlad n U 2]

I loved those two GFs, they're probably my favourite of the ones I've seen during my AFL supporting life. I found '07 enjoyable, don't remember '08 that well, '09 was great, first '10 was excellent and '11 was pretty great too, but above all I found both '05/'06 to be the best. The commentating was memorable too, in particular Anthony Hudson's (I believe it was?) 'who thought the sequel, could be even better than the original!' call at the end of '06.

[Axver]

Originally Posted by cobl04

Collingwood wins 10 in a row, plays like shit against a backs-against-the-wall Carlton and loses, and all of a sudden they're not top four certainties? Come on. Surely Essendon will not make top four.

Collingwood's been winning consistently without winning exceptionally, generally over competition from outside the top six, and its games against Hawthorn, Sydney, West Coast (in Perth), and Essendon will all be tough games. Meanwhile, Essendon's going hot-and-cold right now but should harden up again by the end of season. Collingwood and Essendon meet again in the last round, so unless one of them tanks between now and then, that game will probably determine their fate - and that's why I'm hedging my bet on those two, especially with this season being so ridiculous.

And if Essendon (or Hawthorn) doesn't make the top four while Adelaide does, it's pretty much solely down to the draw.

[cobl04]

Good idea, Vlad... what's the best GF you've seen?

I'd probably say 2011. Phenomenal game of footy.

[Axver]

I admit I'm biased towards 2003 because I was there.

[Vlad n U 2]

Again, 2011 was pretty great but only the final result sticks with me as Geelong pulled away, instead of remembering the incredibly tight battle it was for 3/4 of the match.

[intedomine]

Geelong vs Collingwood was a great Grand Final. Exhilarating stuff, and high quality football as well.

The West Coast-Sydney rivalry is one of the greatest of all time, and one hell of a story. They should make a doco about it, but after this season, as there is a decent chance, they could meet in another GF... So hold the doco for now.

Don't write off the Adelaide Crows for top 4, with a relatively kind draw.

[Axver]

So I just did the ladder predictor thing, and oh god it's laughable, but here we go:

1. West Coast 19-3
2. Sydney 18-4
3. Collingwood 17-5
4. Essendon 17-5
5. Adelaide 16-6
6. Hawthorn 14-8
7. Carlton 13-9
8. Geelong 12-10
9. Richmond 12-10 (aaaahahahaha)
10. Freo 12-10
11. St Kilda 11-11
12. North 11-11
13. Brissie 8-14
14. Port 6-16
15. 5-17
16. Melbourne 4-18
17. GWS 2-20
18. Gold Coast 1-21

West Coast vs Essendon
Adelaide vs Geelong
Hawthorn vs Carlton
Sydney vs Collingwood

Essendon vs Adelaide
Collingwood vs Hawthorn

West Coast vs Hawthorn
Sydney vs Essendon

West Coast vs Sydney

[bono_man2002]

Pies out in straight sets, Nice! I suppose we are due to lose to Sydney at some point. They haven't beaten us since Dustin Fletcher made his debut!

Best Grand Final I'd been to was probably both of them in 2010. The drama that was the draw when Minley probably should have sealed out fate, because we handed that game to the Saints with some shit kicking and well...they did play pretty awesome too. The replay was insane. A lot of it was a blur (I was 110% sober!) and I lost my voice by the end of it. I'd never hugged so many strangers in my life. That whole day was crazy. 2010 was probably the best year of my life in fact, even though I got married last year, that was the was the only shining light in an otherwise horrible year (non sports related)

2002 was a great grand final as well. The best non-Collingwood granny I've watched were probably the '89 one. Obviously not watching it live, but I've seen the DVD. 2005, 2006 and 2009 were all amazing.

2000 was probably the least favourite one I've watched. As the Bombers smashed Melbourne and not a single fuck was given (if you weren't an Essendon fan) as the Olympics were just a few weeks away.

[Axver]

Originally Posted by bono_man2002

Pies out in straight sets, Nice! I suppose we are due to lose to Sydney at some point. They haven't beaten us since Dustin Fletcher made his debut!.

I'll be monumentally surprised if my top eight prediction proves even vaguely correct, but if it does, my logic is that Sydney would beat Collingwood with home ground advantage (since I otherwise see them as pretty even right now), and then the next Pies game could've gone either way but I'm picking Hawthorn will be out for revenge after what happened in that final last year. But it really didn't matter who I tipped to win that game because I'd tip either of them to lose to West Coast in a Perth prelim.

[Vlad n U 2]

I'll bet we'll end up second on the ladder and then YES HOME QUALIFYING FINAL but then OH SHIT COLLINGWOOD and I'll go back to being sadsadaadsadad.

[intedomine]

I had a Collingwood vs Hawthorn Grand Final as my predicted result.

But I also had Richmond in the finals series, which is unthinkable.

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by bono_man2002

Pies out in straight sets, Nice! I suppose we are due to lose to Sydney at some point. They haven't beaten us since Dustin Fletcher made his debut!

Best Grand Final I'd been to was probably both of them in 2010. The drama that was the draw when Minley probably should have sealed out fate, because we handed that game to the Saints with some shit kicking and well...they did play pretty awesome too. The replay was insane. A lot of it was a blur (I was 110% sober!) and I lost my voice by the end of it. I'd never hugged so many strangers in my life. That whole day was crazy. 2010 was probably the best year of my life in fact, even though I got married last year, that was the was the only shining light in an otherwise horrible year (non sports related)

2002 was a great grand final as well. The best non-Collingwood granny I've watched were probably the '89 one. Obviously not watching it live, but I've seen the DVD. 2005, 2006 and 2009 were all amazing.

2000 was probably the least favourite one I've watched. As the Bombers smashed Melbourne and not a single fuck was given (if you weren't an Essendon fan) as the Olympics were just a few weeks away.

Yeah I remember 02 being a great grand final as well. Not so much 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007.