Lid On 2022, Season in tatters . Bin it. Roll on 2024

Why wouldn’t we have a fantastic year and get the double chance, or at worst consolidate a spot in the lower half of the 8, to springboard into the top 4 in 2023?

Was 2021 a false dawn?

Well, we have a great midfield. Don’t they always say the team that wins in the midfield will win?

No they don’t because you need to kick goals and stop your opponents from kicking goals.
So our issues are not just a carry over from last year, where our defence leaked, but our forward line kicked plenty of goals.

Heres the thing. Between them Hooker and Tippa kicked 67 goals. It looks like we will have to find 67 goals from someone else. Who are they ? We do not have a dominant key forward.

Our defence leaked goals. We do not have a dominant key defender…

Lets get real, as a team, we will play really well, but a great midfield will not get us the chocolates in 2022. Just ask Bucks how Collingwood’s great midfield era delivered them to the promised land without a great key forward and key defender.

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balanced as all things should be.

Not to mention to the difficult fixture we have - I really believe it’s a factor - not as significant as injury/depth but almost. If we have a good run with injury, we should finish between 7-10. If not, we’ll finish bottom 4 for sure. And that’s okay considering our age demographic.

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Is this the thread where you suggest merely a 3peat instead of the next 5 flags?

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Yes, that is a suitable use for this thread.

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Sorry… Got nothing to support this.

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Lol.
You stole my line.
I’ve got nothing.

We are a team on the improve.
Oooh, love that grammar.

The draw is rough, and no team can overcome injuries.

I think we’ll be better than the draw.

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Ignored content

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Close this thread is my instinct.
Not what Blitz is about surely

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Last season, we were all a bit down; expectations were low. We over performed.
So now we have to deal with the hangover of a year in which we did well and becasue we will have a great midfield, we are going to “go great”

Just wait until the Anzac Day game when we are 1 and 5 or maybe 2 and 4. If at that stage we are 6 and none, OK, I will personally gurge this thread. ( with a bit of help from those in high Blitz places)

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I feel safe in this thread.

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We haven’t played finals in consecutive seasons since 2003-4

I think breaking even in 2022 with 2021 is incremental yoy improvement given the harder draw.

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A thread is safe in the harbour
But that’s not what threads are built for

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Nonetheless, this threads going to be a lonely place during the preseason, but just wait for the folk knocking pretzels off tables as they enter during the first 6 rounds.

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You must be new here.

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OK here goes:

  • Baldwin and Hobbs are man childs who domianted at junior level but will be found out as plodders at senior level
  • We dont have a key forward
  • Harrison Jones will get so much attention he will be forgotten about
  • Our great white midfield hope in Caldwell is injury prone AF and shouldnt be relied upon
  • Parish has a huge whiff of ‘one season wonder’ about him
  • We have squandered a first rounder on a beanpole in Reid who has serious injury concerns at this point
  • Draper is good at the ruck but essentially useless everywhere else, he will get substantial game time but Bryan wont resulting in him leaving
  • Truck has shown absolutely nothing to suggest he is a good game day coach
  • We will get monstered by teams with a gorilla forward as we have zilch defenders who can take them
  • Our best small forward is injured, overweight, getting old and battling mental demons and we have noone to replace him
  • We only looked semi decent last year because Stringer went beast mode, no guarantee he will hit those levels ever again

I reckon 9th-10th

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Stringer more forward, love too have him in the midfield but our lack of presence in the forwardline is where he is needed.

67 goals is a hell of a lot for Jones and 2MP to make up.

I think Ridley will be the best defender in the game by years end, and Lav was magnificent last year, and there’s no reason he can’t improve further.

The weakness in our backline was against small / mid sized forwards, and we just recruited a specialist for that role. Fingers crossed he works out.

Agree on the forward line though, we have a lot of goals to make up for, and a reliance on 2MP that isn’t ideal.

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Ridley is quality.

I’m not sold on Dodoros recruitment of Cox/Perkins and Reid yet. The whole could be anything hype for me is settled down with these boys.

Cox has something true, concerned Perkins is too one sided and it’s impossible to get a gauge on Reid other than I didn’t think recruiting his type fulfilled a need we didn’t already have covered.

  • Finally Essendon have drafted man child’s who are ready to impact at senior level straight away (Hobbs, Baldwin)
  • We don’t have a outstanding key forward so the opposition don’t know who to double team each week, every player will be a threat. And we will spread the load.
  • Harrison Jones will out run and out work his opponents, plus no defender will be able to spoil when he marks at the highest point.
  • Caldwell is surely due a injury free year, like LAV last year playing every game, this year its Caldwell’s turn and we will worship our fitness and conditioning department.
  • Parish is just easing into the preseason like a rolls royce
  • Reid wasn’t going to play much last year, more about developing his body to play a KPP role in the future.
  • Draper is great in the ruck, and contested marking around the ground, add in some goal kicking practice and he will be a threat forward as well.
  • Truck has been working on the fundamentals of the A plan and rarely changed things in the heat of battle, this year in close matches he now has the opportunity to show some more flair and move the magnet pieces and show he is also a good game day coach
  • Ridley has taken it upon himself to be the number 1 key defender, We now may have a answer to the gorilla forward if Laverde (Glove) matchup doesn’t work.
  • Tippas injury may be a blessing in disguise as might uncover a new small forward while he is recovering.
  • last year Stringer went beast mode, and he has added another preseason and is in the best shape of his career, the only thing stopping him from winning the brownlow is Parish and Merrett stealing votes
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