To me that sounds ridiculous. JD wasn’t fit all year which changed the whole dynamic of the forward line, the fact we adapted to become functional with Smack hitting some form and Brown becoming such a good back up, Baguley improving on Green, adding Smith as a forward rotation and only having Hooker forward occasionally was actually progress. I firmly believe that we are better placed with easily more flexibility and depth than 2017; but it has been a work in progress in 2018.
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Lolz you can’t mix one analogy with another… it’s an instant failure 
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Yeah like not making finals.
My two bobs worth. Enough said about the first 8 weeks and the last 14 weeks. Jack Hill the blind miner saw what happened.
Positives were the overall development of the bulk of the players on then list. This was particularly so with Langford and Parish with McGrath also doing well.
The limited displays seen from Redman, Ridley and Francis give cause for positive optimism. All three are ready made to step into the side when required.
The introduction of SSS albeit it took time for the team to gell. All have been very important and huge props to recruiting staff.
Re-birth of Baguley as a forward - has surpassed Green.
Negatives
Injuries to Gleeson and Begley which robbed them of almost the entire season along with Fantasia>
JD - the question needs to be asked as to why we persisted with JD when he was obviously carry OP. Had this been addressed earlier then perhaps he may have got back on the track at the end of the season which could well have resulted in a finals appearance for the team.
Delivery into the forward line was extremely poor at times - especially in first halves of games. Something that need to be addressed through the coaching dept.
Overall the season was a failure as we failed to make finals let along challenge for the flag. However, the re-building of the side is well underway and with one or two astute additions to the team and coaching staff, the future looks rosy.
Bring on 2019 - it’s going to be a long summer.
Prospective employers really shouldnt discriminate against applicants on medical grounds.
(I assume sh/tting your pants is a medical ground?)
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its a tassy thing.
Not sure it’s all been collated, If I get 10 mins today I might collate it…
So apart from p-ssing around in the first post I haven’t really given my thoughts.
After careful consideration I’ve decided I’m not disappointed because we went pretty much exactly how I thought we’d go at the start of the year. From the 2018 Predictions thread:
In my view, we had problems at the start of the year that simply weren’t going to resolve immediately. Our pressure had been terrible for years, our midfield depth was awful, and the addition of the SSS was probably going to cause a few teething problems, at least initially. Any hope that we were going to do well in 2018 was just that, a blind hope, in my view.
However I feel like we’ve made real progress this year. Parish, Langford and Guelfi now give us real depth in the midfield. Our pressure is now one of the best in the comp. All of the SSS have been fabulous, and all are still young.
Our best players, the ones we will build a premiership team around, are all young; Daniher, Smith, Fantasia, Zerrett and Stringer. We’ve got real young guns coming through in Langford, Parish, Francis and Guelfi. Our depth is finally looking good, with players like Dea, Begley, Laverde, Redman and McKernan who will all likely not be in the best 22 but pushing hard for spots.
For the first time in literally decades, I won’t be blindly hoping for success next year, I’ll be expecting it, knowing that the building blocks have finally been out in place.
This year was the building year we had to have. Next year I expect us to finish top 4, while 2020-2024 is our time to have a lengthy, sustained crack at it.
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Including the 8 weeks of awfulness, we improved on inside 50 count this year overall, our efficiency ( goals per inside 50% dropped, this year by about 4%, so, if we assumed the loss of Joes 60 goals minus the goals kicked by his replacements SMack and Brown, and managed the same efficiency as last year ,we would have kicked about 2 goals a game more and won at least 3 more games, had a percentage of around 120 and been in 4 th or 5th position on the ladder.
I dont think many people expected us to be minor premiers, but 4th 5th or 6th would have been possible ,
We will get an easier draw next year and we should make the 4 or just miss out on the double chance.
Anything less than that will be a failure imo.
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No reason for us to get an easier draw. We’re in the middle 6 just like last year.
But if you finished with a HD on the exam, you’d be confident about your chances when you repeat the subject next year.
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Not sure this is correct FWIW. Bottom 6 for turnovers created, mid pack for turnovers +/-, bottom 6 for 1%ers +/-
Top 4 for tackles.
Still an area to work on for mine. Think we can do better in that 3rd small forward spot, and outside mid/wing.
Yeah good correction, I was probably a bit over zealous with that statement.
A more accurate statement would have been that our pressure has greatly
Improved, which is good, but you’re right that there’s still work to do.
and a sweet hecs debt.
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Lot of gloomers trying to get on the bandwagon, it’s a one way ticket folks, no turning back.
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Holy moly we’d have a hell of a hecs debt by now…
donate to the #flightplan
random personal sook that probably only you and a few others on Blitz would know… boomers tell me “mate that hecs debt is interest free, what kind of loans can you get a interest free loan on, you got it good!”. meanwhile my hecs debt increases to equate for inflation or scales upwards as they say, so it rises by $600 or whatever each year. now my required repayments will maybe cover the inflation increases for the loan. unless I make more voluntary repayments my loan will stay the same for a long time.
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even better when they got free tertiary education. absolutely shameless grubs.
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We are that 30 y.o weirdo thats on every campus. The guy that has already completed a degree started 3 others and now been doing some honours degree for about 5 years.
Still drinks with all the kiddies, to scared to start a real life.
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