3 wins to go!

[Nails]

I have a great idea tyvm Quinny.

Coming 2nd overall in afl.com.au's tipping.

Pls stop I can't tell if you're the best internet troll ever or just really stupid

Lol maybe you shoulda tipped the tigers and you would be first  ;D

Who says I didn't? ;)

[powersuperkents]

Great win by the tigers :) I thought after the GCS game they were in poor form, but now it seems I should be more concerned with the form of my own team (Port Adelaide).

Looks like Cotchin is fit and firing again :) Happy I've held him in my dream team all season :) Nice to see him pay me back over the last three weeks ;D Another big step towards Richmond's future as a top 4 team if you ask me ;)

Overall a great win. The scoring was low for the first 3 quarters and I though Freo would come back but the tiger's didn't just hold them off, they managed to overrun them in the final term :)

[AFEV]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?
Same goes for Essendon if they make top 4.

Good win by the Tigers today, look forward to seeing them play Collingwood week 1 of finals (please!).

[Toga]

Great win by the tigers :) I thought after the GCS game they were in poor form, but now it seems I should be more concerned with the form of my own team (Port Adelaide).)

I think the GCS game couldn't be used to measure Richmond's form, or any team's form for that matter. Terrible footy conditions with blustering winds, greasy conditions, it was always gonna be a scrappy affair and be closer than it should have been... Think most games up north end like that, Brisbane vs Melbourne last night in Darwin was closer than it should've been as well TBH.

Those sold home games up north should be taken with a grain of salt IMO.

@Sid good question! Hard to say really, it kind of depends who they draw in finals. Same with Richmond; really hoping we can scrape into 5th spot (I know its unlikely ATM) but that'd see us draw Carlton or Port who I am more confident we can beat than a Collingwood or Freo...

[powersuperkents]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?
Same goes for Essendon if they make top 4.

Good win by the Tigers today, look forward to seeing them play Collingwood week 1 of finals (please!).

I think Richmond would beat Collingwood. I expect Collingwood to be with the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda next year. Their time is over  :)

[Nige]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?
Same goes for Essendon if they make top 4.

Good win by the Tigers today, look forward to seeing them play Collingwood week 1 of finals (please!).

I think Richmond would beat Collingwood. I expect Collingwood to be with the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda next year. Their time is over  :)

Collingwood rebuilding as of next year? Surely not. They still have Swan, Beams, Pendles, Ball. Then they have Cloke up forward. Their defense is pretty solid with guy like Maxy, Harry O etc and their younger guys like Josh Thomas, Jarryd Blair, Jamie Elliott and Paul Seedsman look the goods.

That said, I think the Tigers would be in with a genuine shot of beating the Pies come finals if we drew them with wherever we finished on the ladder.

[AFEV]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?
Same goes for Essendon if they make top 4.

Good win by the Tigers today, look forward to seeing them play Collingwood week 1 of finals (please!).

I think Richmond would beat Collingwood. I expect Collingwood to be with the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda next year. Their time is over  :)

Wow, really?
I still think Collingwood has one of the best lists in the competition, reckon they could make a prelim this year and should be back in the top 4 next year.

[Toga]

Yeah I agree Sid C'wood are still a top side IMO and are still young enough to avoid a saints-like slide...

Still definitely would prefer facing off against a Port or Carlton in finals, not sure we are up to the 'Pies standard yet. :-X

[powersuperkents]

Really? Do you think their new players are good? I always was under the impression that Elliot, Thomas, Seedman, Dwyer etc would be discarded like a used condom (i.e. Liam Anthony, Gyberts etc.) in the years to come hahaha :) I haven't really seen them and I guess it's partly because the matching haircuts really piss me off (why can't they each have their own look, I can barely tell them apart)

Pendles still in my opinion has 5 or so years left in him but I think they will be relying almost solely on Beams in the future. Sidebottom good but cannot keep up form, I think Cloke's accuracy is horrible in front of goals and in actual footy I don't really see Swan as a threat. When Pendles has the ball you know it's 90% likely a goal will be set up no matter where he is on the ground, when Swan has the ball it'll be more frequent, but it is usually a completely useless disposal and sometimes it's even to the opposition (haha did you see Harbrow's goal in Q1 ;) )

Overall imo they still have an abundance of talent in Beams, Pendles, Shaw etc. but I think the tigers have a much better prospective list ;) Dusty, Cotchin, Lids, Jroo, Ellis, the reformed Vickery, Foley, Conca, King, Grigg, Houli, Rance etc. looks much more enticing. Even Morris due to the amount of effort he puts in deserves a mention, this is a team where Robin Nahas doesn't even get a game :P and Grigg and Tuck struggle to. Also the Petterd, Chaplin & Knights (if he actually starts playing) additions make it that tiny bit more convincing :)

[AFEV]

Yeah, I reckon that Elliot, Thomas, Sidebottom, Broomehead and (although I haven't seen as much of him, so not as sure) Bennedy will/can all be A graders I think. If 2 of them make it to add to Beams, Pendlebury, D Thomas (I think they'll retain him) that will make 5 A grade midfielders, easily rivalling other top teams at the moment.

On top of that they have pretty good KPP stocks, and Witts/Grundy will be a good combination by the time Jolly is ready to leave.

Just my opinion of course, can see it going the other way as well and definitely understand why you think that, just think this is more likely (as much as it pains me to say!).

[PowerBug]

Collingwood are still and will continue to be a very good side. Remember this year they are yet to have had their best 22 playing at any one time, do that, and i think they are still a genuine premiership threat for 2013.


Congrats Richmond for making finals, don't think it's possible to come ninth now. (Wouldn't count you out of still making that happen though :P) Chris Newman will finally get to play a final too!

[Clyde Frog]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?

I think you are underestimating Fremantle and what they've achieved so far this year given the injuries to such key players.

We drew with Sydney (SCG) after having kicked inaccurately, a man down on the bench (Walters), no key forward in Pav, no Hill and Zac Clarke as the No. 1 ruckman in his first game for the season.

Geelong turned it on against us at Skilled Stadium, but again we were without Pavlich, Sandilands, Mundy and Barlow, 4 of our top 5 players.

We were outclassed by Hawthorn (Aurora) in the 1Q but managed to stick with them for the rest of the game without Pavlich and Sandilands.

We would of beaten Essendon had McPharlin not been knocked out in the opening minute and Mayne hadn't hit the post.

As for Richmond (MCG), they played some good footy. But again there was no Pavlich, Sandilands, McPharlin, Ballantyne and Suban.

I'm not trying to say that Fremantle are the only team to have been hit by injuries, but I do think their depth has been tested the most by losing players so vitally important to the team, plus their 2nd in line players such as Griffin and Bradley.

Come finals, when we get our best 22 on the park, look out.

[quinny88]

Collingwood and freo will be fine. Freo I rate very highly and understand that we were lucky to get them at a time when they had such a large number of key players out.
The pies I rate very highly. I still think their midfield is the best in the comp. they have been very unlucky with injuries. Next year they will have a full pre season out of ball, beams, daisy. Toovey to come back into their defence. They will push for top 4 again next season

[AFEV]

Here's an interesting question - How much damage can Fremantle (and Essendon actually) realistically do in September?

So far they have failed to beat Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Essendon and have just lost to Richmond as well.

With their run home they should make top 4, but will they get bundled out in straight sets?

I think you are underestimating Fremantle and what they've achieved so far this year given the injuries to such key players.

We drew with Sydney (SCG) after having kicked inaccurately, a man down on the bench (Walters), no key forward in Pav, no Hill and Zac Clarke as the No. 1 ruckman in his first game for the season.

Geelong turned it on against us at Skilled Stadium, but again we were without Pavlich, Sandilands, Mundy and Barlow, 4 of our top 5 players.

We were outclassed by Hawthorn (Aurora) in the 1Q but managed to stick with them for the rest of the game without Pavlich and Sandilands.

We would of beaten Essendon had McPharlin not been knocked out in the opening minute and Mayne hadn't hit the post.

As for Richmond (MCG), they played some good footy. But again there was no Pavlich, Sandilands, McPharlin, Ballantyne and Suban.

I'm not trying to say that Fremantle are the only team to have been hit by injuries, but I do think their depth has been tested the most by losing players so vitally important to the team, plus their 2nd in line players such as Griffin and Bradley.

Come finals, when we get our best 22 on the park, look out.

So after struggling with injuries all season you'll just magically get your best 22 back for finals? :-X

Look, I think Freo is a very good side, they are top 4 quality and I fully expect them to finish top 4. We can make all the excuses we want but the fact is this side is 1-5 against the teams sitting around them on the ladder. That kind of one-sidedness is fairly difficult to ignore.

Essendon has the same issue, they've been comprehensively beaten by other challengers.

[Mailman the 2nd]

To be honest I don't think Fremantle can continue to hide behind the excuse that they have more injuries than other top sides when looking at it its just not really true.

Hawks: Consistently missing Franklin, Birchall, Ellis, Shiels and Suckling

Geelong have some various midfield depth injuries

Collingwood are missing Thomas, Toovey, Brown, Fasolo, Jolly

Sydney missing Goodes, LRT, Shaw, Mumford (in/out), Jetta, Reid, Johnson, Rohan

I mean Mcpharlin is class and Ballyntine as well but neither Pavlich nor Sandi are anything special these days.