Pre-Elim final: Pies v. Swans - all comments here

[Cam]

Will be a huge plus if we can get over the Swans in a final. Being at the MCG at least gives us a chance.

[Arges Tuft]

(Edit - posted in wrong topic)

[swooper]

I'm thinkin (and hoping) that we will go in as underdogs. Sydney were (apparently) awesome today, and we were ordinary on Fri night.

I'm nervous and excited already - but no way am I arrogant about this one (never am..). Sydney will probably be at full strength too. They would have learnt a bit from playing us a couple of weeks ago, so I wouldnt take anything for granted against them, they are a very good side.

Just worried a bit as I am still scarred from that final against Doggies last year...

[Culprit]

This will be the first final I am not going to since 1970. I am over football this year and come the 14th I will be overseas. Amazingly out of my group of friends most of us will not be in Melbourne come prelim week. If we happen to make the GF my son gets to go. This could be an omen we may jinx the pies.

Hard to win from out ot the top four and I don't rate us on our up and down form. A lot needs to go right, we are there so we are a chance.

Cheers all

[M@®©]

I am not happy at all!!!!!!!!!!

I have a dam wedding in Mildura on Sat night & cant go!

Who in their right mind gets married in September? Especially here in Victoria.

Don't these idiots know that people would rather attend or watch a finals game than attend a happy go lucky wedding?

ME LOL

15th for me

[RudeBoy]

This may well be the hardest game we face in the finals. If we get over the swans it will be a huge psychological boost for our boys, and they could well go on to bigger and better things. Apart from goodes, the man we must squash next week is that weasel Nick Davis. Either of the Shaw boys should do the trick. Josh will be a huge inclusion for us and Rocca usually lifts (when he's not rubbed out) in the finals, so I expect a bag of 5 from the big fella next saturday. Pies by 47 points.

[DaVe86]

Look, we did a great job on them a couple of week ago, but it is fair to say they will have learnt a lot about us, and have got some confidence up after their big win against the Hawks. Also Barry Hall will come back. Therefore we have to be really prepared for anything they will throw at us.

I think the Swans will have taken note of how the crows knocked us over. The crows and swans are similar sides, and I think Sydney will really try and stop our goal scoring by chucking heavy numbers back. The return of Roberts-Thompson and Barry gives them versatility as well, cos it means Bolton can play the whole game on Cloke, LRT on Rocca, and Barry probably on Rusling. They seem to have us covered, whereas 2 weeks ago they were short and were forced to put a few duds on our stars.

However these guys will be slightly underdone and we should really pepper the goal-square. I think Rusling on Barry and Rocca on LRT are good matcups for us. Bolton is their best defender but was exposed by having to do too much cover work and when he was led up the ground.


Further, despite my hatred of Adam Goodes, we simply cannot let him get 30 touches at will like he did last time. We must have a plan for him. From the existing players, Swan and O'bree did quite well on him when they moved onto him, but Goodes was able to take over when Harry moved onto Goodes.

However, id be strongly considering bringing back Licuria. Id prefer Lonie, but unfortunately i did not see his named mentioned amongst the best at willy (assuming he played) whereas Licuria has been named in the best 3 weeks straight. Licuria like Lonie has history on Goodes and could be an option. The key is making Goodes work for his footy. 2 weeks ago he was able to get it at will. If he wants to go into our defense to get a few cheapies then so be it, but as long as the pressure in the middle is tight on Goodes then ill be happy. Licuria will not allow slipped tackles, and is a born and bred finals player.

My suggestion would be to include Licuria who has the heart of a lion, and drop an out of form Harry who is a fantastic talent, but not a guy i would back my house on to hold down a champion in a final.

With Goldsack, Clement, Wakelin and Maxwell, we have the swans forwards covered. Jimmy should do the job on Davis, Wakelin on Hall, Goldsack on O'Loughlin and Maxwell covering anyone else. Harry O has no spot.

The return of Josh Fraser should spark us, as will Didak and Rusling. 4 changes seems a lot, but i think we need to really get our best side on the park. I truly think Licuria will be handy against the Swans who are not quick or highly skilled.


I think O'bree should be responsible for Kirk, and Swan for Jude Bolton. ABlett is their best tagger and will probably go straight to Buckley, however i think he suffered an injury today so this may free up Bucks who must be peaking about playing finals. I say put him in the centre from the opening bounce.

Our starts have been our problem. We cannot afford to let the swans start off next week the way they finished against the Hawks. We need to be with them or infront at quarter time. Catch up footy will not work in finals against a team that has made 2 gf's straight. Bucks must start in the opening bounce along with Fraser and O'Bree and Burns. Pendlebury and THomas can come off the wings. I dont want to see Burns, Thomas, Swan and Buckley sitting on the pine in the opening bounce. Our starts have been our liability, and resting our stars at the beginning of matches is not the answer.

ins: Fraser, Rusling, Didak, Licuria
outs: Bryan, Reid, Harry O, Rhyce Shaw

Our bench to start

[STOKA35]

new season starts this week , whatever we have done to the swans in the minor round is done and dusted. We are both nil all, if we play the chip game this week our skills need to improve but why when we were down in the last qtradelaide we go long to rocca and cloke and we seem to score my opinion lets move the ball quicker and give them a chance.

[Morrigu]

This will be the first final I am not going to since 1970. I am over football this year and come the 14th I will be overseas. Amazingly out of my group of friends most of us will not be in Melbourne come prelim week. If we happen to make the GF my son gets to go. This could be an omen we may jinx the pies.

Hard to win from out ot the top four and I don't rate us on our up and down form. A lot needs to go right, we are there so we are a chance.

Cheers all

Snap Culprit - we fly out Sept 10th and on the 16th will be at Estoril watching Casey Stoner be crowned World Champ *finger toes and evrything else crossed*

I expect to be able to hear the Collingwood chant from our balcony in Dubrovnik if we get there though

[EBB]

Snap Culprit - we fly out Sept 10th and on the 16th will be at Estoril watching Casey Stoner be crowned World Champ *finger toes and evrything else crossed*

After tonights win, it's pretty much in the bag. Now let's cross our fingers for the mighty pies.

[Leggie]

I watched the Sydney Hawks game and not taking anything away from The swans but I thought the hawks had a shocker.

There skill level was crap and alot of their turnovers resulted in goals. (Sounds like us last week)

I think we can beat the Swans but its not going to be easy.

[swooper]

Leo Barry and Kennelly are significant IN's for the swans - the fact that we have beaten them twice this season accounts for nil now. They are a good side and I'm sure they have learnt something from our previous encounters this season.

There will be plenty of Swans support (and we know how many South supporters have come out of the woodwork in the last couple of years...) so the MCG will hardly be a hostile environment for them. They will be full of confidence after their massive win over the Hawks.

Sorry for the negative post, but I'm worried , and just hoping my 'feelings' on this one are wrong. Can someone put these 'bad feelings' to rest please?!

[ktszyu1]

Look, we did a great job on them a couple of week ago, but it is fair to say they will have learnt a lot about us, and have got some confidence up after their big win against the Hawks. Also Barry Hall will come back. Therefore we have to be really prepared for anything they will throw at us.

I think the Swans will have taken note of how the crows knocked us over. The crows and swans are similar sides, and I think Sydney will really try and stop our goal scoring by chucking heavy numbers back. The return of Roberts-Thompson and Barry gives them versatility as well, cos it means Bolton can play the whole game on Cloke, LRT on Rocca, and Barry probably on Rusling. They seem to have us covered, whereas 2 weeks ago they were short and were forced to put a few duds on our stars.

However these guys will be slightly underdone and we should really pepper the goal-square. I think Rusling on Barry and Rocca on LRT are good matcups for us. Bolton is their best defender but was exposed by having to do too much cover work and when he was led up the ground.


Further, despite my hatred of Adam Goodes, we simply cannot let him get 30 touches at will like he did last time. We must have a plan for him. From the existing players, Swan and O'bree did quite well on him when they moved onto him, but Goodes was able to take over when Harry moved onto Goodes.

However, id be strongly considering bringing back Licuria. Id prefer Lonie, but unfortunately i did not see his named mentioned amongst the best at willy (assuming he played) whereas Licuria has been named in the best 3 weeks straight. Licuria like Lonie has history on Goodes and could be an option. The key is making Goodes work for his footy. 2 weeks ago he was able to get it at will. If he wants to go into our defense to get a few cheapies then so be it, but as long as the pressure in the middle is tight on Goodes then ill be happy. Licuria will not allow slipped tackles, and is a born and bred finals player.

My suggestion would be to include Licuria who has the heart of a lion, and drop an out of form Harry who is a fantastic talent, but not a guy i would back my house on to hold down a champion in a final.

With Goldsack, Clement, Wakelin and Maxwell, we have the swans forwards covered. Jimmy should do the job on Davis, Wakelin on Hall, Goldsack on O'Loughlin and Maxwell covering anyone else. Harry O has no spot.

The return of Josh Fraser should spark us, as will Didak and Rusling. 4 changes seems a lot, but i think we need to really get our best side on the park. I truly think Licuria will be handy against the Swans who are not quick or highly skilled.


I think O'bree should be responsible for Kirk, and Swan for Jude Bolton. ABlett is their best tagger and will probably go straight to Buckley, however i think he suffered an injury today so this may free up Bucks who must be peaking about playing finals. I say put him in the centre from the opening bounce.

Our starts have been our problem. We cannot afford to let the swans start off next week the way they finished against the Hawks. We need to be with them or infront at quarter time. Catch up footy will not work in finals against a team that has made 2 gf's straight. Bucks must start in the opening bounce along with Fraser and O'Bree and Burns. Pendlebury and THomas can come off the wings. I dont want to see Burns, Thomas, Swan and Buckley sitting on the pine in the opening bounce. Our starts have been our liability, and resting our stars at the beginning of matches is not the answer.

ins: Fraser, Rusling, Didak, Licuria
outs: Bryan, Reid, Harry O, Rhyce Shaw

Our bench to start

Great post, I agree with everything except Licca. You make very valid points about him coming in, but the thing that won us the game against Sydney 2 weeks ago, was our pressure, and excellent disposal. Licuria has terrible disposal, and I honestly think that these days, he is a liability. Against the Swans, footspeed isn't a problem really, but his disposal is. Maybe he could come in, negate Goodes and it will be his last hurrah. I hope so for his sake, but I don't think it will happen.

[stui magpie]

There's some valid points made about who to play on Goodes. For his height, he plays more as a midfielder and doesn't get that much ball using his height.

So don't try to match him for height, play a tagger on him who will stop the cheap possessions and force him to play tall to win the ball, which is something he doesn't like doing.

[DaicosMagic]

We're the only team in the comp. not to have lost two games in a row all season ... and it ain't going to happen this week!!!

We will bounce back. Guaranteed.