We will still finish in the top 8

[SunnyErnest]

If you look at the ladder carefully you will realise that if we beat Hawthorn we will still scrape into the final 8 even if we lose our last 2 games to Eagles and Giants. Everyone just cool your jets until next Sunday. I just hope that they have learned their lesson to not just bomb the ball to the top of the square. It worked early in the season but teams have worked out how to stop that style. Just lower your eyes and hit Membrey or King on the chest is what Ratts should be telling them all week.

[The_Dud]

Hopefully our percentage helps us, I haven’t looked at the ladder too closely, just know beating the Hawks is a must! Then hopefully roll GWS in the last round to go into finals with some form

But after the last few weeks I could see us easily going 0-3 if we don’t fix our forward entries.

[bangaulegend]

Holding on to faint hope but we need to start a lot better & get a bit of spark back, way too many passengers in the last 2 weeks leaving the work load to too few. Steele was fantastic Marshall good again Hill had his best game so far but not a real team effort. It has been a gruelling schedule for all clubs we need to stick fat & share the load or it we be another year outside the 8

[The Fireman]

Nice to play finals but if we have to scrape in you know what will happen next.

[saintsRrising]

If you look at the ladder carefully you will realise that if we beat Hawthorn we will still scrape into the final 8 even if we lose our last 2 games to Eagles and Giants.

You best look again as I do not believe you looked at it carefully at all.

Also take note that we have played 14 games.

GWS and Dees have only played 13. So while we are on 32, they are on 28 with a game in hand.
Dees also have a very soft run home. Swans, Dockers, Giants and Dons. So they are very likely to stay in the 8. If they win 2 games well they will be level with us on 36, and may slide above us on %.

GWS could well win all 4 ( Blues, Crows, Dees and us). (If they win 3 they are on 40 points) So if we only beat the Hawks we are in trouble as we are will be on 36..

Dogs are also a chance.

Our % may help re GWS and Dogs, but the Dees is almost the same as ours.

Even if we win 2 we could still possibly miss. Only beat the Hawks and we are likely to miss.

[johnearljames]

GWS plays Melbourne in the second last game. That helps a lot.

[saintsRrising]

GWS plays Melbourne in the second last game. That helps a lot.

Not if we only win one game.

[SunnyErnest]

If you look at the ladder carefully you will realise that if we beat Hawthorn we will still scrape into the final 8 even if we lose our last 2 games to Eagles and Giants.

You best look again as I do not believe you looked at it carefully at all.

Also take note that we have played 14 games.

GWS and Dees have only played 13. So while we are on 32, they are on 28 with a game in hand.
Dees also have a very soft run home. Swans, Dockers, Giants and Dons. So they are very likely to stay in the 8. If they win 2 games well they will be level with us on 36, and may slide above us on %.

GWS could well win all 4 ( Blues, Crows, Dees and us). (If they win 3 they are on 40 points) So if we only beat the Hawks we are in trouble as we are will be on 36..

Dogs are also a chance.

Our % may help re GWS and Dogs, but the Dees is almost the same as ours.

Even if we win 2 we could still possibly miss. Only beat the Hawks and we are likely to miss.

As I said, if we beat the Hawks we will get in by percentage. The only caveat is we don’t get smashed by the Eagles nor the Giants.

[saintsRrising]

If you look at the ladder carefully you will realise that if we beat Hawthorn we will still scrape into the final 8 even if we lose our last 2 games to Eagles and Giants.

You best look again as I do not believe you looked at it carefully at all.

Also take note that we have played 14 games.

GWS and Dees have only played 13. So while we are on 32, they are on 28 with a game in hand.
Dees also have a very soft run home. Swans, Dockers, Giants and Dons. So they are very likely to stay in the 8. If they win 2 games well they will be level with us on 36, and may slide above us on %.

GWS could well win all 4 ( Blues, Crows, Dees and us). (If they win 3 they are on 40 points) So if we only beat the Hawks we are in trouble as we are will be on 36..

Dogs are also a chance.

Our % may help re GWS and Dogs, but the Dees is almost the same as ours.

Even if we win 2 we could still possibly miss. Only beat the Hawks and we are likely to miss.

As I said, if we beat the Hawks we will get in by percentage. The only caveat is we don’t get smashed by the Eagles nor the Giants.

% is irrelevant if:
Dees win Swans, Dockers and Dons = 40 points
Giants win Blues, Crows, Dees and us = 44 points
Saints only beat Hawks = 36 points

Also % is irrelevant if:
Giants only win 3 and Dees win 3 (ie they lose one each)

% kicks in:
- if Dees only win 2 and we only win 1 and GWS win 3
- if Dees only win 2 and we only win 1 and GWS win 2, but WCE and GWS pumo us enough that GWS % goes above ours.

If StKilda only wins one game we are unlikely to make the 8. We need one of GWS or Dees to tank their run home, and also hope they Dogs do not finish well.

[SaintPav]

Dees are still not certainties and are known for dropping games they are expected to win.

[saintsRrising]

Dees are still not certainties and are known for dropping games they are expected to win.

Yes and I will be barracking hard for the Dockers. We probably would need too the injectors to get us over the line though if we only win one game. Hopefully Daniher will fire them up.

They play Swans, Dockers, Giants and Dons

[saintsRrising]

Dees are still not certainties and are known for dropping games they are expected to win.

PS. I am expecting Clarko will have watched our games and am expecting him slow down the game as much as possible. It is good that the the Hawks have to play before we meet them and they will be 5 days between games. Whereas we are 8 days and will be fully rested.

[Yorkeys]

Recent history suggests we will not. We as a club have been incapable of winning a crunch game for a decade - there is no lived experience of triumph in the face of serious challenge and opportunity. Knowing we have to win next week and probably one of the other two is the cue to bring out the don't panic tees. We cannot score sufficient goals now clubs realise blanket Butler and there is not much else in the Saints arsenal. Saturday's match was our Waterloo. May as well use the remaining games to blood youngsters and try out different positions. The scenario is so darn predictable; tough decisions were needed a month ago and now its too late. Ironically after we lose to Hawthorn, if injuries allow them to field a side, we will probably knock over GWS in the last game dead rubber and give ourselves bruises patting shoulders. With similar irony Melbourne will be flogged in their final while we watch from stage 3 isolation. Have we sold our draft pick.

[WellardSaint]

we've dropped, and will keep dropping.

Melbourne plays Sydney, if they win, they will be on 32 pts like us, but we'll have a better %
The round after, they play the dockers.
I can't see us winning again this year, based on yesterday's debacle.

[samuraisaint]

If you look at the ladder carefully you will realise that if we beat Hawthorn we will still scrape into the final 8 even if we lose our last 2 games to Eagles and Giants. Everyone just cool your jets until next Sunday. I just hope that they have learned their lesson to not just bomb the ball to the top of the square. It worked early in the season but teams have worked out how to stop that style. Just lower your eyes and hit Membrey or King on the chest is what Ratts should be telling them all week.

Correctamundo. So long as we win, and one of Collingwood, Melbourne, or GWS lose, we are in.

It might pay for us to have a big win and shore up the percentage on Sunday though.

[Otiman]

Home finals won't mean anything. 5th-8th may as well be the same.

[samuraisaint]

4 of our losses have been by 1 goal or less.
I think we'll beat Hawthorn easily and will win against the Giants - they haven't been world beaters this season.

A lot of teams above us, or around us, have just won a lot of their matches. We have won most of our victories convincingly.

I'm not giving up yet. Win Sunday and it's game on.

[Impatient Sainter]

I truly think we have hit the wall. Opposition teams have worked us out, tagging Jones limiting his impact and picking us off when we go forward. We are now struggling to kick the same scores as earlier in the season. Hence unlike other finals aspirated teams we are not starting to play our best footy rather the opposite.

I dont want to be a complete pessimist but I see us going out backwards. Even if we do fall in, we will be an easy kill as we are a team with too many players and a game plan now out of form.

[cwrcyn]

GWS will take our spot in the eight. Melbourne will scrape in. We won't beat GWS or West Coast. The Melbourne loss was the nail.

[SunnyErnest]

GWS will take our spot in the eight. Melbourne will scrape in. We won't beat GWS or West Coast. The Melbourne loss was the nail.

If you are going to be like that then go and post on the Essendon site ffs.

[Ghost Like]

I hope we've lost our last game for the year.

[SunnyErnest]

Recent history suggests we will not. We as a club have been incapable of winning a crunch game for a decade - there is no lived experience of triumph in the face of serious challenge and opportunity. Knowing we have to win next week and probably one of the other two is the cue to bring out the don't panic tees. We cannot score sufficient goals now clubs realise blanket Butler and there is not much else in the Saints arsenal. Saturday's match was our Waterloo. May as well use the remaining games to blood youngsters and try out different positions. The scenario is so darn predictable; tough decisions were needed a month ago and now its too late. Ironically after we lose to Hawthorn, if injuries allow them to field a side, we will probably knock over GWS in the last game dead rubber and give ourselves bruises patting shoulders. With similar irony Melbourne will be flogged in their final while we watch from stage 3 isolation. Have we sold our draft pick.

Are you sure you barrack for St Kilda?

[Scollop]

Recent history suggests we will not. We as a club have been incapable of winning a crunch game for a decade - there is no lived experience of triumph in the face of serious challenge and opportunity. Knowing we have to win next week and probably one of the other two is the cue to bring out the don't panic tees. We cannot score sufficient goals now clubs realise blanket Butler and there is not much else in the Saints arsenal. Saturday's match was our Waterloo. May as well use the remaining games to blood youngsters and try out different positions. The scenario is so darn predictable; tough decisions were needed a month ago and now its too late. Ironically after we lose to Hawthorn, if injuries allow them to field a side, we will probably knock over GWS in the last game dead rubber and give ourselves bruises patting shoulders. With similar irony Melbourne will be flogged in their final while we watch from stage 3 isolation. Have we sold our draft pick.

Are you sure you barrack for St Kilda?

the op is trying to make a prediction and so is Yorkeys. What makes your crystal ball more reliable than his?

If anything, the prediction by Yorkeys is more accurate based on a track record provided by him of over ten years

[Devilhead]

I am backing us to make the 8

Then enter every Finals game as the underdog with nothing to lose

[older saint]

one win will need the other cards to fall our way and the win need to be significant and losses small.
2 wins should be fine, so therefore fate in our own hands.

West Coast off 4 day break - rest key personnel if needed