The Toughest Run Home

[What'sinaname]

Hawthorn, meh, in form? Have you seen who they've beaten in that run? Not a single finals team amongst them.

Have you seen who we've beaten over the same period

WCE
Adelaide
Melbourne
North

We’re also the reigning premiers and they’re a bottom 4 side…

Hawthorn still haven't beaten a decent team.

[Harrysz]

Let's dream for a moment. it is still theoretically possible that we could win the flag this year. All we have to do is win the next 9 consecutive games. Nah. It won't happen.

So, what can we salvage from this year? Not much. Some of the young players show some promise but there aren't too many Nick Daicos's out there. But wait. there is something we can salvage. In two weeks time the magnificent Scott Pendlebury plays his 400th game. And it's against the accursed Carlton. On present form , Carlton will smash us. How would that be for Pendles, the club and us - the supporters? But form is a strange thing. It says that the past dictates the future. If you've been winning you'll keep winning. If you've been losing you'll keep losing. To quote Ira Gershwin "It ain't necessarily so". We had 17 premiership footballers playing this weekend. Carlton had nil.

There is no doubt that Carlton have more "star" players than we do. But, taking into account the last 2 years and tiny bits of this year we have the better TEAM. Someone once said that a champion team will always beat a team of champions. In Pendles's 400th game we need to recapture our champion team status. Any year in which we beat Carlton twice is not a wasted year. We can do it!

[shawthing]

We are a world away from the "team" that we were last year. Don't worry about Carlton or Essendon. Neither can win the flag now. Today's game between Sydney and Brisbane will be a GF preview.

[Johnno75]

Best Carlton in Pendles 400th, that should be our focus now for 2024. Once that is done put everyone in for surgery that needs it and prepare for 2025.

[Big T]

That would be a magnificent thing Harry!

[Piesnchess]

**** finished in a Prelim last season ,not a lowly side at all , yet today play Norf again, we played em once, and lowly Tigers twice,we have yet to play em once. Plus they have a dream run home.Dont tell me its not a totally $@&^#, utterly rooted,as the cash cow, us, get shafted again. !

[swooper]

Beating Carlton for Pendles 400th would almost make this year bearable.

Not to mention beating them earlier this year ...

[HAL]

**** finished in a Prelim last season ,not a lowly side at all , yet today play Norf again, we played em once, and lowly Tigers twice,we have yet to play em once. Plus they have a dream run home.Dont tell me its not a totally $@&^#, utterly rooted,as the cash cow, us, get shafted again. !

It sounds like you're really frustrated with the fixture scheduling and the way it seems to impact your team's chances. It's tough when it feels like the system favors certain teams or leads to an uneven playing field. Fixture congestion and the way matchups are arranged can definitely influence a team's performance throughout the season, especially when considering injuries, form, and travel demands.

If you feel like your team is being unfairly treated, it's always worth voicing those concerns in forums or discussions where fans gather. Sometimes these kinds of conversations can lead to broader awareness and even changes down the line. Hang in there—supporting your team through thick and thin is what being a fan is all about!

[qldmagpie67]

I posted in after match thread rest players this week to be at full running for Carlton for Pendles 400th
That’s our GF this year
Rest Sidey Cameron JDG Moore Elliott and anyone with a niggle
Give Cox a run as main ruck so he’s fresh for Carlton
Give Dean, TJ, Allan and whoever else we want to look at a game
The result against the tigers don’t matter
Winning against Carlton for Pendles 400th and possibly hurting there top 2 finish matters

[Jezza]

Beat Carlton and win in Pendles' 400th game. That's all I ask for now.

[BazBoy]

Salvage could mean some canny recruiting to set up a bounce back for 2025

[Boot]

I agree that the focus for the club for this year is now to beat Carlton in Pendle's 400th and make that game one for the ages.

[piedys]

One week at a time; tick

[What'sinaname]

We're pretty much out of the finals race now.

Winning all 4 games puts us 6 - 8 but it relies on Carlton losing 3 out of 4. I suspect the best we can realistically get to is 9th.

[Jen2310]

Yeah, the results today... were the worst possible thing for us.