CameronClayton wrote:Keep your head in the sand then.
My head's not in the sand. I'm just asking for you to back up your comments with fact rather than just opinion and what you think. If you can't back it up with facts - then I guess I'll take it as a grain of "sand".
Ever heard of the Lexus Centre?
Yep, what makes it so much better than what Essendon has at, and around, Windy Hill? And, is it really that much more beneficial to them than what we have?
Mark my words, in 2020 the Pies will be regarded as the strongest Vic team year on year for the previous 20 years, purely because they have stability financially off field, plenty of resources (heard of high altitude training, Irish recruits, sports science - something we have just discovered etc), it's well known fact that they have the most members & crowds in Melb & they play all their home games at the home of footy, the place where finals are won & lost, the MCG.
"Strongest team" means diddly-squat if you don't win flags - as has been said many a time on here. A "strong team" is one that wins flags, not has everything under the sun off field. Off-field status/success doesn't necessarily translate into on-field success - look at us, prime example. Essendon is right up there financially and with facilities. You can't tell us ours are second rate. Does it show on the field? At the moment, no, not really. Does it mean we'll never win another flag? Of course not. The way the AFL works now is that every team is going to have their ups and downs - EXACTLY as you've said in your post. The Filth are up at the moment (not the top though), we're somewhere around the middle. We'll go up, the filth will go down, and vica versa. It's the way it works now.
You make it out like the filth are so much better and have so much more than we do. Maybe so, explain to me what and how. We have everything we need and more. The filth can have everything they need and more. It's not what you have, it's how you use it. If the Filth don't win a flag (always seems to be someone better than them), they'll be remembered as nothing. Personally, I don't think the filth are that much better off. If you think I'm wrong, you're right, that's all good and fine - explain how and why.
The Pies may never win a flag in the next 13 years (I farkin hope not),
That we can agree on.
but they are giving themselves the best possible opportunity of doing so.
Right, and everyone at Essendon are just sitting there twiddling their thumbs, hoping a flag falls in their lap.
At the end of the day though, it all relies on the talent you have out on the paddock & atm they can't win it.
Thank god for that!
We, on the other hand (same as the Saints & Doggies), will continue to be nobbled by injuries that will give us no hope of ever winning a flag while we play on that artificial ground.
That's utter rubbish. Where was our home ground in 2000 when we, arguably, had the BEST TEAM OF ALL TIME and WON THE FLAG?? Where was our home ground in 2001 when we made the Grand Final? Yeah, injuries happen, but last time I checked it wasn't exclusive to Essendon and, in fact, ours injury list has been a lot shorter than some other club's lists.
And remind me, where are the Kangaroos on the ladder??
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This has made me rethink my position on Phone Dome vs the G. We don't have to play more games there, maybe a couple more if anything. We play pretty darn well at Phone Dome - so as long as we're winning there, who cares? What we need to do is capitalise on and win the games we DO play at the 'G.
This season:
9 games at Phone Dome - 5 wins from 8 so far. Not a bad return considering our position this time last year and that 2 of these losses were against teams that were or are above us on the ladder.
8 games at the MCG - 1 win from 4 so far. Another, of which, should've been a win. The 3 losses have been against teams above us on the ladder - obviously.
That indicates to me its not a matter of playing more games there, it's just a matter of winning the ones we do play there. Does playing at Phone Dome have an impact? Maybe, maybe not. Let's see how we go tomorrow.