Good news is if we continue the WLWL form then we'll end the season 14-8 and comfortably in the 8. And I don't think our 3 losses in the last 5 are indicative of loss of form. Collingwood: lost a critical part of the team structure in the first few minutes where we were already way down on numbers, still could have nicked it if umpires had done their job. Richmond: blundered strategically early, then outplayed the opposition but came up short. St Kilda: team playing for survival, we still dominated scoring opportunities and would have won easily with a mediocre set shot return. In between, we thrashed a top four side while we were down to bare bones in terms of personnel. I'm not nearly as concerned as the TC vocal majority, we are still very good and have key personnel set to return.

If it’s 13 then we ‘just’ need to beat the sides we should, WCE, Adelaide and GWS.

Should we then win one of Geelong, Brisbane, Melbourne or Collingwood then we’ll definitely make it.

Miss out and we have nobody to blame

After the weekends results, I'm leaning more toward 13 wins being enough, regardless of %.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Sydney and Saints miss out with 12 wins each. Dogs in .

Obviously everyone will rate games differently but FWIW IMO if we end up with 13 wins I have us missing by %. I have Swans narrowly edging us out on %.

In any event I think we all agree if we win the 3 games we ought to win (which let it be said are no certs!) and pinch a win against the better sides we will likely make it.

I actually think we'll beat Geelong and the Pies, and will give Melbourne a good shake .
I suspect WC will be a bigger challenge. They have a good record against us and I suspect Adam Simpson will present their best team available to date before putting the cue in the rack for 2022.
If we win in, it shows we have matured into the team we'd hoped.

I actually think we'll beat Geelong and the Pies, and will give Melbourne a good shake .
I suspect WC will be a bigger challenge. They have a good record against us and I suspect Adam Simpson will present their best team available to date before putting the cue in the rack for 2022.
If we win in, it shows we have matured into the team we'd hoped.

I actually think we'll beat Geelong and the Pies, and will give Melbourne a good shake .
I suspect WC will be a bigger challenge. They have a good record against us and I suspect Adam Simpson will present their best team available to date before putting the cue in the rack for 2022.
If we win in, it shows we have matured into the team we'd hoped.

I suspect the Pies game will be massive. Wouldn't it be ironic if we have to beat them to make the 8 and then we play them again the following week?

If we don’t get enough wins to make the finals then we don’t deserve to be playing finals.

If we don’t get enough wins to make the finals then we don’t deserve to be playing finals.

13 wins will definitely get us in the 8. In the history of the Final 8 system, no team has ever missed the finals with 13 wins:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/136353/unlucky-13-finals-race-could-make-history

Geelong came the closest in 2018, finishing 8th on 13 wins, with 4 teams on 12 wins sitting just outside the 8:

https://www.google.com/search?q=2018+afl+ladder&rlz=1C1GCEA_enAU978AU978&oq=2018+afl+ladder&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i433i512j0i512j0i22i30l3j0i390.3926j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#sie=lg;/g/11gbwxtc_1;10;/m/0ckh09;st;fp;1;;

Funny that....

If we beat West Coast and Freo defeats St Kilda this weekend then we should play finals.