Merrett, Fantasia, Joe Daniher have significantly improved. Kelly and Leuenburger are more than “sundries”. WADA appeal not hanging over players heads. Speculation about coaching not hanging over the playing group.
You are shocked people think we’d improve this year?
You need to understand the historical significance.
So fc had a spare a kick behind the play yesterday. Where was our +1? At the stoppages? If so then where? Who?
Tippa for much of he second half.
I do.
And, … no, I don’t, … it’s irrelevant to the statement.
Are you’re seriously suggesting I’m some sort of serial lid offer who has predicted we’d win the flag every year - are you mental? I’ve been as pessimistic (see realistic) about our chances as anyone over the last decade. You’re the only person talking about flag certainties, I’ve been talking about top 8 contenders. If you can’t at least understand the difference then again I have to question your cognitive abilities.
Right now we have a group of veterans that include 2 standout stars in Watson & Goddard. Add in Kelly who are all still playing top quality footy & consistently in our best few players. We haven’t had that level of talent since the mid 2000’s. Hird of course played great to the end but much of that 2000 side faded quickly. Our next tier of players has to be better than we’ve had for some time. Remember that great list gap we had from about 2005-2012 as a result of the 99-05 drafts yielding bugger all? Our drafting results improved post Keane in particular & as a result we have quality talls in Hooker & Hurley & some potentially quality mids in Zaka, Colyer & Heppell.
That core group in my opinion is better, at least on paper, than what we’ve had for a decade. FFS our midfield for a long time was the Watson & Stanton show, when you add the younger guys like Zerrett & Parrish who I rate as the best 2 young mids we’ve added since Watson & Stanton, then I think its logical to believe this is the best midfield group we’ve had for a long time. Assuming he can stay fit I rate Leunberger the best ruck we’ve had since Hille at his best as well. I also rate our depth overall as much better than we’ve had for a long time. We have 3 guys on the list who have all played as a stand alone ruckman - that’s gotta be better than NLM as our backup. We’ve got guys like Howlett & Hocking who I haven’t yet mentioned who while not stars have experience & players like Bird, Dea & Myers who haven’t played a senior game yet this year but have all played solid football in their careers. Then of course the big unknown is the group of under 21’s - we have no idea yet what the last 2-3 drafts will yield but we have good reason to believe Francis has star potential & we’d have good reason to believe Laverde & Langford have shown good signs.
Based on all those factors I believe this 2017 list has more top end quality, more depth & more young quality than we have had post Sheedy. You may not agree & I’d be interested to hear when you believe we were better placed buts that’s the reason why I believe we should be expecting top 8 contention. Again that’s top 8 contention not flag certainty.
We’re sitting in the 8, I don’t really see why we can’t finish up there. I just can’t see us doing anything more than that.
And I think it’d be short sighted in the extreme to try and win one with Watson and co around.
That group and the Bellcho/Hocking age groups have missed their chance.
Why don’t we wait till we’re 8-10 weeks in before determining this year hey?
So far what we know is:
Next week will probably confirm we are nowhere near top 4.
And Anzac Day will tell us if we are close to top 8.
Yesterday was one of the worst games I’ve had the fortune of sitting through. Took the wifey to a game, sat in the shithouse rain for the majority with a sht poncho and watched about a thousand times us bombing it to half-forward being out-numbered. I knew we were in for a sh*t day when I saw Daniher and co trying to bounce the ball in the warm-ups for a wet day…fck. Sad part is I predicted pre-game who was going to play well because it was raining “Goddard and Parish”…
Whatever small positives there were, Goddard was good, Parish was excellent early & Zerrett was good mostly despite some bad errors. Ambrose did another good job, Kelly was OK and McGrath battled hard.
Heppell & Watson were slow all day, blind freddy could see we needed quick kicks but both held onto the ball too long resulting in a few holdings and a fair few turnovers, both got the ball heaps but had shockers. Zaharakis was useless, Hocking spent a lot of time on the bench, Stanton was invisible and I even saw him play forward a few times, I don’t know what his role is…Daniher & Hooker both started playing for stupid frees by the third and both were thrashed. Langers and Fantasia were barely noticed bar a bad miskick from Heppell resulted in a decent mark from Langers. Oh and Luey dropping uncontested chest marks and a few airy kicks, Kruezer had a day out.
Our midfield was utterly thrashed. 37-60 inside 50’s our forwards barely stood a chance.
I will never go in confident of winning a game again
Again, where the hell have I suggested anything more than top 8? I think BEST case scenario we get some finals experience into Zerret, Parish, Francis, Laverde, McGrath etc. That’s the legacy I think we must be aiming for while we have those star veterans. I do not believe we are any chance of a flag this year (we are at least 1 quality clearance mid short in the midfield) but I believe we are best placed to start rebuilding a strong side that can become a consistent power again.
So you do think we should be continuing to rebuild, you’re just angry about it.
I’d forgotten how weird you are.
Having seen us play 3 games with a new coach, 6 guys playing their first games after a year off, as many young’ns playing with those guys for the 1st time ever, and the first 3 games this team has ever played together, and under this new coach, . two of which have been wins, and 1 which was a dirty slog loss in a swimming pool, … as a fully fledged armchair expert BomberBlitzer, . I’m prepared to make a judgement on the season, and prognosticate on the future of the team, presume I know what the coach is thinking & that he’s wrong, and pronounce half of the team as variably shitt, soft, pathetic, and /or past it /finished.
With so much info to go on, and my extensive experience playing and or coaching football, . I can’t see how I can be wrong, … or how fkn ridiculous I am.
Someone who has correctly analysed the game. Thank God.
It was a ■■■■ day at the footy.
It was not unexpected though. Had that feeling about it all week.
So you think we should trade Mcgrath & Parish for Zac Dawson. I still remember quite clearly how poor a judge you’ve been.
As I said, plain old weird.
Weird Science.
Barassi returned with grand fanfare to Melbourne with an I’ll fated 5 year plan.
For me the most disappointing thing about yesterdays game came in the dying moments…
Heppell went to kick off the ground and unfortunately missed Kerridge’s face and kicked the ball instead.