AFL 2006 - Finals Week One

[Red Bear]

nah go sydney and bulldogs

Seeing collingwood lose is always nice

 

[meltiger]

I hope West Coast win but geez I am sick of the Chris Judd hero worshipping already.


Glad to see the game they identified as West Coast's season defining moment was when Daniel Kerr dragged them back from 9 goals down in Geelong.

 

[meltiger]

Well I have never been a big fan of them or him BUT...


Sydney - What a performance tonight. To win a final on that ground against them is a supehuman effort. Esspecially considering you worked your guts out in the first half and totally dominated your opposition, only to watch the cheating filth with whistles piggyback the home team bck into the contest (At one stage of 5 West Coast goals THREE were from dodgy free kicks)

Barry Hall - The big fella was clearly injured for more than half the game, yet kept working his guts out. Sensational effort by the big man.

Beyond that...

Chris Judd - Good to see the commentators salivating over his 34-35 touch performance. A shame at minimum, TEN of those possesions were turnovers...


Fremantle V Melbourne & West Coast V Footscray/Collingwood next week. Both at Subiaco.

If the Doggies get up tomorrow there could still be 2 Victorian teams alive in the Prelims. They have nothing to fear against the 'superstar' Eagles midfield.


Prelims @ Footy Park and Telstra Stadium.

 

[Red Bear]

Hopefully will go to the prelim in sydney. Great performance by Sydney against West Coast, good to see o'loughlin give it to the west coast merkins sorry fans at the end.

Hopefully Melbourne win next week

 

[CyberKev]

Barry Hall - The big fella was clearly injured for more than half the game, yet kept working his guts out. Sensational effort by the big man.

Yes. Prior to last year's GF there were Swans fans airing seriously deluded bravado about how they wouldn't miss Hall if he were suspended because others would step up. What tosh! Hall is very much the forward conduit for the side and they'll be struggling to win a big game without him on the park.

Chris Judd - Good to see the commentators salivating over his 34-35 touch performance. A shame at minimum, TEN of those possesions were turnovers...

Haha. I've been saying it for years, mate, but you have to remember that it is the 21st century, and looking good when you're running is the be all and end all! Its the present day equivalent of the old eighties saying - "talent don't matter its the way you dress."

Fremantle V Melbourne & West Coast V Footscray next week. Both at Subiaco.

The Dockers have little to fear against a Melbourne side that's gone a good way further than it should have this season. I'd expect the Eagles to rebound with a win, but it won't be easy, and I'd love to see the Hounds roll them.

It's frightening to think of how good the Dogs could be with a couple of quality talls up forward and an extra quality tall down back. They have some guns retiring over the next couple of years which will hurt, but they're still quite well place providing they can rectify their height deficiencies.

Collingwood were destroyed out of the middle today. They lack genuine quality there and will always struggle when they can't enact their favoured gameplan of squeezing opponents through dodgy centre means (i.e constantly holding them at the clinches).

They did much better than I expected they would this season, but they also have troubles coming from 2008 on as ageing key players retire. They desperately need to unearth some promising defender types and find more speed and class for their midfield.

 

[Red Bear]

LOL @ Collingwood. Go Melbourne next week.

 

[lockyno1]

Good to see Judd being absolutely brilliant last night. Kept the Eagles in the match. Sydney did well and thank goodness Collingwood are finished. Rowan Smith deserves his 300th!

 

[Cupid Stunt]

I'm happy yet know it is but fleeting. Least the Dogs showed something this year, never does seem right when they arent in the finals.

 

[AuckMel]

Bulldogs were far too good today. Love the way they play the game. Fast paced with lots of ball movement. Hope they can jag a win over in Perth next weekend.

 

[meltiger]

Good to see Judd being absolutely brilliant last night. Kept the Eagles in the match.

Oh please, you clearly did not watch the game Locky.

Even the commentators were able to cease their rectal tonguing of Judd at halftime long enough to state 'Judd has had 14 posessions, however 7 of them have been ineffective'

Judd was crap, having a mountain of posessions means nothing if you are doing nothing effective with them ...


Collingwood ....... :lol:


Where's CollingwoodStorm now to tell me how crap Richmond are ... PRETENDERS

 

[meltiger]

I'm happy yet know it is but fleeting.

Don't kid yourself ... The Dogs have already beaten them over there once this year. The Dogs have now lined up the best possible path to the GF for themselves.


They are still in this comp. Melbourne are in trouble though I think.

 

[meltiger]

It's frightening to think of how good the Dogs could be with a couple of quality talls up forward and an extra quality tall down back.

Been saying it to my brother all year ... Luke Darcy will be standing in the goalsquare next year, with Johnno leading out and clearing space for him.


On the assumption Darc gets back on the field, they are going to be seriously difficult to beat next season.

 

[CyberKev]

I'm happy yet know it is but fleeting. Least the Dogs showed something this year, never does seem right when they arent in the finals.

This ain't necessarily so.

The Bulldogs have the side to serve it up to West Coast and will carry the support of almost everyone who doesn't barrack for the Eagles.

Playing West Coast (even at Subi) would suit the Dogs more than playing either Sydney or Adelaide.

If they can get over the Eagles they will have considerable confidence and momentum.

They will need it to face their bogey side, the Crows, at AAMI, but Adelaide is not as strong as it would want to be structurally, will be flat after a week off and is still carrying the scars from last year's preliminary final.

The Bulldogs are capable of going further than people think.

 

[meltiger]

Agreed 100% Kev.


The support issue as you mention is a biggie too. Forget this week, looking at the bigger picture, the Doggies would almost have the support of the entire unalligned football world.


Name me anyone that wouldn't be rapt to see the Cup heading out to the Western Oval.

 

[chileman]

What can I say, Sydney were given no hope to win the flag this season and they have just taken a huge step to put egg on many an experts face :alcho:

 

[Cupid Stunt]

I'm as bias as bias can be when it involves Western BUT there is no way known WC will get embarrassed two games running. I dont believe the Eagles can win it all but they will get some form of retribution next week. I'll still be digits crossed in hope of a win but seriously, I'd be betting nought aside from maybe a packet of plain Tasty Jacks. God I love plain Tasty Jacks...

 

[meltiger]

What can I say, Sydney were given no hope to win the flag this season and they have just taken a huge step to put egg on many an experts face :alcho:

Still overated and the luckiest team in VFL/AFL history!

 

[chileman]

Still overated and the luckiest team in VFL/AFL history!

Bitterness is a curse

 

[CyberKev]

Judd was crap, having a mountain of posessions means nothing if you are doing nothing effective with them ...

But actual usage of the ball only counts for other players in the comp and not Juddy, Craig.

Edition 27 of the 'Judd is the greatest player EVER' tugfest is well underway at BF. Basically its the same as the 26 editions preceding it. We have a large clump of teenagers poncing on as if AFL football wasn't invented until 2001 and laboriously lecturing all and sundry about how unthinkable it is for any sane individual to consider any other player from any other moment in history as being better than the Judd-man.

You sort of expect this crap from the junior burger brigade, but there are some older types who really should know better.

It makes you wonder what they'd think of footage of the day Leigh Matthews put a lazy 11 between the big sticks playing as a 21 year old rover!

No doubt they'd see the familiar number 3 on the back of the jumper and think - "Geez, Juddy's lost a bit of weight recently!" :roll:

 

[lockyno1]

JUDD IS A CHAMPION! Kev, he was inspirational a Saturday night. What a player. One of the best in the last decade at least.