Let's head back to 2009 - when Michael Voss took over the helm at the Brisbane Lions and after a slow start, the players began to realise who was in charge, and ended up winning an elimination final. Since then their team has hardly changed, yet their on field results have tumbled.
Example 2 is late last year - Five rounds to go and Sydney had just been thumped by the Demons by over 10 goals, and it was Paul Roos' worst ever defeat as a coach. The Swans were tipped to miss the eight, but started playing to send Roos out on a high, stormed home and narrowly missed playing in a preliminary final.
The final example is Essendon of 2011. The grips were tightened when James Hird arrived, and no-one was guaranteed a game. All of a sudden their average list was playing matches at an extremely high intensity, no doubt to impress the man in charge. It worked for eight rounds, but it can only continue for so long. If the Bombers lose this week to North, their finals chances could be gone.
Also I was wondering - where have all my midfielders gone? Collingwood's bye this week rules out Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas and Steele Sidebottom, and then there are the injuries and suspensions like Joel Selwood, Brent Stanton, David Mundy and Leigh Montagna.
Add to that the teams that have byes late in the year, and for SuperCoach finals SC teams will be missing Jobe Watson, Marc Murphy, Chris Judd, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson, Joel Corey, Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman, Daniel Wells, Andrew Swallow and Brent Harvey - just to name a few! It's probably too late now, but you should definitely contemplate preparing for finals and adjusting your team accordingly.
It is a very exciting week coming up in the AFL - like mentioned North play Essendon in a cracker on Saturday Night, Brisbane play at home to Richmond, Carlton take on Sydney, the out of form Dogs play the up and down Crows and Melbourne play Fremantle in Melbourne.
I'll say it now - if you get eight next week in tipping I'll mention your name in the next Shout!
Until then,
Keep Shouting!