Sydney - Armchair ride

[Tigerdog]

Sydney in another GF. Same as West Coast. Past winners Brisbane and Port. The AFL have got what they want and are now realising the imbalance they have created and have made some changes to compensate. But how long before those changes take an effect? 3 years? 5?

I am with Mutton and Tigerjoe on this one. The draw makes a massive difference. But either way, we didnt deservre to make the finals this year.

 

[lamb22]

Saturday will tell the tale Oldie

 

[Tigers of Old]

Saturday will tell the tale Oldie

Indeed.
I just hope whatever the result, it's another close game and not a blow out.

 

[lamb22]

While I am not a fan of West Coast (midfield geniuses excluded) I hope and trust for the sake of the competition a real top two team wins - otherwise it just erodes confidence in the code.  thankfully West Coast should rodger them royally on saturday

Ignoring every other result for a minute, do the results above not indicate that these sides are extremely evenly matched?
I think Sydney can safely call themselves a top two side if WC are.

Adelaide was the other top two side TOO but unfortunately injuries and Maybe a bit of Hubris with Craig flirting with their form (with the over training and the Macleod operation) brought them undone.  Great PF last week.  I thought should have been the GF.  Mind you Adelaide play from the Paul Roos rulebook flood, nullfy, hard running and good kicking skills , rebound and counter attack with an open forward line.  Effective game plan but the romantic in me hopes the team with the great players who win the one on ones and pull off the high skill  plays and play man on man win out!

 

[Ian4]

Sydney are a champion team, and fully deserve to be playing off in the GF, having said that, they've certainly had an armchair ride....

2006:

Against top 8 teams: Won 3 from 8 played.
Against bottom 8 teams: Won 11 from 14 played.

The only top 8 team they played twice was Melbourne who finished 7th.
Of the 8 games against top 8 teams, only 2 were played away (WCE & Melb)

certainly makes a difference. remember they only made the top 4 in the first place because melbourne lost in round 22

 

[GoodOne]

Sydney are a champion team, and fully deserve to be playing off in the GF, having said that, they've certainly had an armchair ride....

2006:

Against top 8 teams: Won 3 from 8 played.
Against bottom 8 teams: Won 11 from 14 played.

The only top 8 team they played twice was Melbourne who finished 7th.
Of the 8 games against top 8 teams, only 2 were played away (WCE & Melb)

certainly makes a difference. remember they only made the top 4 in the first place because melbourne lost in round 22

and Melbourne drew in Round 21 with Geelong, and they lost to Swans in Round 19 convincingly, and they lost to Carlton in Round 18. I dont think they ONLY made the top 4 because Melbourne lost in rd 22.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Swannies certainly proved they deserved to be there and talk of an armchair ride is ridiculous.

However full congratulations to the Eagles, they played very well and set up the win in the first half.

A match for the ages. Hard to believe you could top last year. :fing32

The last five games have seen the two teams finish 2 points apart.


GF 2006 - West Coast- 12.13 (85) bt Sydney - 12.12 (84) at MCG 1 point win to West Coast

LAST FIVE CLASHES

1QF 2006 - Sydney 13.7 (85) bt West Coast 12.12 (84) at Subiaco Oval 1 point win to Sydney

R15 2006 West Coast 9.13 (67) bt Sydney 9.11 (65) at Subiaco Oval 2 point win to West Coast

GF 2005 - Sydney 8.10 (58) bt West Coast 7.12 (54) at MCG 4 point win to Sydney

2QF 2005 - West Coast 10.9 (69) bt Sydney 10.5 (65) at Subiaco Oval 4 point win to West Coast

R17 2005 - Sydney 13.10 (88) bt West Coast 9.13 (67) at SCG 21 point win to Sydney


It's incredible that only 1 point seperates the two sides in their last 4 clashes.

 

[the claw]

draws aside i would rate sydney a top 4 side. lamb chops you complain about melb draw they lost to the wooden spooners twice in a tight season they only have themselves to blame.
in fact the bottom 4 sides in he 8 all lost games to low sides late in the season which allowed the frockers to finish 3rd.
anyone who thinks sydney arent the real deal are fools.

 

[Nico]

Swannies certainly proved they deserved to be there and talk of an armchair ride is ridiculous.

No one has mentioned that Sydney didn't deserve to be in the GF, they are a champion team, no doubt about it. I certainly admire them, and my admiration increased after their great effort yesterday. In addition, no one here believes that the Tigers derserved to be in the finals...just watching the game yesterday shows how far we're away from those two teams.

But fair dinkum ToO, even my Sydney supporter mates think they had a dream run as far as the draw went, and to say otherwise is....ridiculous.

A mate of mine is a huge Aston Villa fan in the EPL, and I asked him how it would sit with him if Chelsea, for instance played only a couple of the top 10 teams twice, and only a couple of them away, yet Villa played half a dozen of them twice. After laughing at me, saying it'll never happen...he said there'd be an absolute riot.

The AFL draw is an absolute laughing stock....no one can dispute that, and there will never be a level playing field until this is rectified.

 

[Larrikin]

I'd like to see a new blockbuster tradition created by seeing a grand final replay perhaps on Anzac day or Easter weekend.  Perhaps make the game at the MCG even if two interstate teams were in the grandfinal.  If both are interstate teams, both could be compensated with an extra game at home (although most end up playing more than 11 or 12 in their home ground anyway).  Besides, I wouldn't think interstaters would mind a blockbuster at the MCG and they would get good revenue from the game anyway.  It all makes for a great experience and more practice at playing at the G. 

It would also be good to ensure that the grand finalists always play each other twice the year after.  All this talk about how there has been a new rivilary created between West Coast and Sydney, and they only played each other once in the H&A this year.   

 

[cagedtiger]

draws aside i would rate sydney a top 4 side. lamb chops you complain about melb draw they lost to the wooden spooners twice in a tight season they only have themselves to blame.
in fact the bottom 4 sides in he 8  all lost games to low sides late in the season which allowed the frockers to finish 3rd.
anyone who thinks sydney arent the real deal are fools.

Spot on.

 

[lamb22]

Well done to the Coasters and to the Swannies.