yes its been a very interesting season, and recent form has been awesome if they play as well as they have in last couple years i can see them going deep into this playoff season

meant to say last couple matches NOT last couple years, man im dislexic at times

I agree with u Thomo . If they keep up this form for the rest of season i can see them progressing into the Semis and i think anything can happen once we r there.

But first lets get on with the job ahead of us.

Am I right in thinkking that if we hold 3rd we should play Melbourne and if we drop to 4th then would would play Sydney should we win our Knock out game?

Hope we can hold 3rd myself. Feel we have a stronger chance progressing thru ther Tigers than the Kings. Then Hopefully Wollongong could take care of the Kings for us.

Plus, i quite fancy a Road trip to Melbourne. A lot cheaper to get to than Sydney :-)

3rd!!! Come to Melbourne :-)

"they're also coming off the biggest crowd in four years."

Is that for real Isaac? wow how times have changed.

Due to the commonwealth games being in Victoria and the State Netball and Hockey centre is being used for some events, the Tigers have to find an alternative venue for the play offs. Has any heard what the Melbourne Tigers are going to do about play off games yet?

Last I heard the were deciding between playing in Tasmania and Adelaide, but after debacle that happened when they played the Sixers about 4 weeks ago the plan to plan in Tasmania may have changed (the Tasmanian government only offered the Tiger $2000 for travel expenses and they were rightly PO about it) and I doubt they would play the Semi Finals series in Adelaide if they were playing against the Sixers.

So anyone know?

They labelled former Adelaide 36ers championship winner John Rillie the "Real Deal" but Chris Anstey is the real deal and is a lock for the league MVP award this season.

No offence to Paul Rees but Chris Anstey is a much better player and is a better than Paul when he was in his prime (1994 GF MVP season).

I would prefer the Sixers to play Melbourne to make an upset grand final appearance. Whilst are less even (Sixers v Tigers) we tend to play better against their style of play.

Sydney play a similar game to the Sixers (lots of outside game, motion offence) but have for the past couple of seasons been better at it than the Sixers. The Sixers would struggle to contain the outside scoring power of Sydney over three games.

The Kings also play a physical style defence that tends to put Farley and Maher off their games.

Melbourne is the one to play if Sixers get the choice. Of course, will probably have to get past the Bullets in a knockout game first.

Only the Grand Final will clash with the Commenwealth Games.

As for where they will play, Tasmania was their initial choice but you may be right about a change of plans after the last debacle. where could the go though?!

Dandenong maybe 2,500 seats? Surely they could fit them in somewhere out of SNAHC, MSAC, Vodafone, RLA. But at what costs?!

I thought it was bottom four play knock out then winners match up against 3rd and 4th for another knockout - same as last year.

Winners then go for series against 1st and 2nd and winners of that go for GF.

So, Adelaide will be playing either Cairns/Perth/Bris/Hunter at this stage.
Anyone hoping for Brisbane?

Correct.

So if you predict a final 8 make-up:

1. Sydney (current 25-4)
2. Melbourne (22-6)
3. Adelaide or Wollongong (Ad 19-10)
4. Wollongong or Adelaide (Wol 17-12)
5. Cairns (15-13)
6. Brisbane (15-15)
7. Perth (14-16)
8. Hunter (12-17)

The bottom 4 could change, but it is starting to look like a lock.

On current standings, if the Sixers end up third, you have first round knockouts of:

Adelaide v (winner of Brisbane v Perth), with the winner playing Melbourne in a three game series.

If Adelaide finish fourth, then first round will be:

Adelaide v (winner of Cairns v Hunter), then a three game series against Sydney.

The teams that I think the Sixers would least like to play are Sydney and Brisbane.

If you recall last year, the Sixers lost their last game of the season in a shock (to Cairns away?) to drop to fourth. It was suggested (but denied) that the Sixers threw the game to get a more favourable run in the finals series. If they did throw that game, it backfired, because they came across a red hot Brisbane in the knockouts.

So, assuming the Sixers can manufacture the result, which run through the finals would be better?

I think best would be to finish 3rd, play Brisbane at home, then Melbourne and finally Sydney in the Grand Final.

If DJ is correct and the grand final clashes with the Commonwealth games which team will Brian coach?

Or does it matter, same team different jersey!

" think best would be to finish 3rd, play Brisbane at home"


funny that we were all saying that last year, and im sure we all remember what happened then, and no offence to brisbane of last year but this team if the click is twice the brisbane outfit,

personally i would not like to face brisbane

Brisbane are easily the most dangerous team out of our potential first round opponents. But I don't care, I want to see us play them. It would be a bit of a grudge match from our point of view and the crowd should be fired up. It would be a huge game which is what you want in the playoffs. I can't wait. Bring on the Bullets. I'd rather not think about losing to them again, though.

I have been trying to work the figures and it could be Adelaide finish 3rd, Brisbane 4th and the Taipans 5th, meaning we play the winner of Taipans Wildcats, and if we win Melbourne, therefore avoiding Brisbane and meeting Sydney in the Grand Final series.

But it could also be any other combination, so I give up, but still think the higher we finish the better.

Anthonyb, I think you've forgotten Wollongong.

Would not like to meet Brisbane with their height and potential outside.

Would like to knock out Perth!

But, for nostalgia, would like to see us play Cairns with Cat and Mee.

Going on first knockout round, think Hunter and Perth will be knocked out, leaving Brisbane and Cairns.

I would like to face Kings in Semi's and not match up against the height of Melb.

Tucker is not guaranteed for Melbourne. He's likely to miss a few of the coming games at least to try and have him ready for the finals. With any luck, he'd stay injured and we'd come up against the wounded Tigers...

Tucker imo doesn't really contribute much except somebody else to guard. Can fire up but game is all attitude, get him sooking and game over.
It's the height that worries me, Adelaide's weak point I think.

The Age has reported today that Melbourne will be playing all of its home finals matches at 'home' despite the Commonwealth Games preparation.

The portable floor from Vodaphone arena will be laid at the Cage for home games.

So no advantage/disadvantage getting a match-up against Melbourne in the finals or hoping to have Melbourne's home games in Hobart.

I would definately want to play Melbourne in a semi finals series. I know that we can't guard Anstey and will probably get 20 and 10 each game, but tell me who in their team is going to stop Maher and Farley when they start firing like they have last couple of weeks. I can feel that the sixers have got a boost of confidence, which explains Forman shooting more shots last game and Brad firing up off the bench, as with Nash. Brad Hill could easily beat Corletto from Melbourne and if Forman decides to drive at the basket he is oretty unstopple which begs the question y not do it more often. It would make him a more better player coz u wouldn't have to guard him from the outside. Last time we played Melbourne in Tasmania we only lost to them by 4 and Melbourne were coming off their win against Sydney which ended their 16 game winning streak. I think we have improved since then.


BRING IT ON