Unles a couple of their kids come roaring out of the blocks and some guys like Wright, Martin have massive career years, they are going to be historically, monumentally terrible.
They have a lot of young talent on their list, but they’ve ALWAYS had a lot of young talent on their list. Nothing new there. Their problem has always been how to turn young potential into proven talent with no mature onfield leaders and a garbage coaching/support staff.
Time will tell on the former, and the latter they’ve TRIED to address with Miles etc, but jeez, its hard to see fringe players from other clubs helping them THAT much.
Unbackable for stone cold motherless last IMHO. No ‘they’ll be better than many expect’ line here. Nup. They’ll stink. Only bad match day coaching will stop them getting smashed even by FCFC.
They are going in the right direction. Just start again and give players the opportunity to play and don’t overpay stars just to get them in. Keep getting rid of the rubbish on the list and go to the draft.
They are the worst team in the league.
And have had terrible injury list problems the last four years.
Until they get through a year without a heavy injury list, they’ll continue to be bottom 4.
IMO they are a clear bottom of the ladder team. I can only see them winning 3 or 4 games at best and that’s if they have a dream injury run. They won’t get that, so 1 or 2 wins is about right.
One factor no one has mentioned thus far is the draw they ad this season, it was from hell. They were punted all over the place, and it is no wonder they could not get settled in any way shape or form. So much so that the first half of their season should be regarded as an anomaly. By then they were shot. They will still sit comfortably in the bottom 4 in 2019, but will improve over this season. Dew has them moving in the right direction, but it is baby steps for now.
The way GC built that club should be a case study taught in universities on how to build a toxic culture for the next 20 years. The two name recognised leaders they brought to the club were Ablett and Hunt. It was always going to be a challenge engaging with 40 young, impressionable, high achieveing men that have all just left home when the captain is leading a prayer group as a legitimate extra curricular activity. Who could blame them for choosing linears’ with Karmichael.
I rate Saints list as worse than GCS. They have so many busts from recent years it’s hard to see where a rebuild starts and can be classed as complete. Even Carlton you can see what they are trying to do. The saints is just a mess.
I would say St. Kildas list is just painfully mediocre. No superstars is what might make them look worse than they are. The closest thing they have is Jack Steven, whos a boring haircut away from commentators forgetting who he is.
But the Suns list is going to be something pretty spectacular to see. Trading in other club rejects, several draft blunders, Any good player they come across requesting a trade, the West Coast pick swap which saw them lose picks 21, 26, 37 and a future 2nd round, for Pick 50 and West Coasts 1st rounder, Lachie Weller for pick 2 and im sure theres more ive forgotten.
Yeah St Kilda I rekcon will bounce back.
Admittedly didn’t win many, but only need to find a few forwards useful enough to give them a structure, which would improve them a lot.
Freo have 3-4 good players, and pretty abominable outside that.
GC and Carlton are just abominable.
GC have a chance to improve in the next few years because they got rid of Scott Clayton - He was their biggest impediment in the first few years with his drafting failures - Try to build a team with outside runner types.
The kids need to suck it up. It’s a national sport. Play anywhere or don’t nominate.
Gold Coast needed to take best available. I expect Lukoskius, Rankine and King to get out ASAP. Not a great show of character, but it’s the harsh reality of the current generation of kids who can’t handle being away from home.
The King boys have never been apart. Ben looked shattered. St Kilda showed poor form saying he can come home in a year after being drafted by Gold Coast on social media.
GC need to do what Brisbane did. Make a culture that players want to be at. If you are terrible on field and a miserable place to be off field, then people will leave. If the future looks bright and people are having fun, they will stay. It says nothing about the character of the young players, if they aren’t happy then by all means look for an escape.
I think it was Brisbane that spends a significant amount flying families to games. They all know each other, are all in the rooms after a match, a real social vibe to the place. Players don’t miss home because they see people they love regularly.
Bit hard when you have players leaving in their drove but not just any, top draft picks since their induction. That killed them because they have never been able establish a great group and make a run to the 8.
So yes it does link to a kids character if they cannot commit to the long haul and help rebuild. Obviously any player in draft interviews cannot say no I wont play for you and stay for the long haul as it is draft tampering, but they need to realise that they are entering a professional sport and need to show loyalty and put the hard yards in for Gold Coast to succeed, not just play a year or 2 and demand to go home.
The Lions have history and some solid players to build off that came through their academy and zones like Zorko, Andrews, Hipwood. If Lukoskius, Rankine and King leave within 2 years that will be a massive disaster.
They have had alot of high picks the last 2 years. If they can improve their facilities I reckon they’ll get better. Should be able to get 5-6 wins this season, but desperately need to recruit guns in their prime.
Personally think they should have got Goddard as an on-field assistant but they obviously felt they didn’t need it.
They have ■■■■ off-field facilities and a really poor medical department. Where that Fat ■■■■ and his cronies ■■■■■■ up was they pumped heaps of money into it but didn’t set up a decent base to work from.
AFL got too greedy I mean was it neccassry to bring in 2 new teams? yes GWS made a couple of prelims but time is running out for them and they won’t have the AFL giving them draft concessions when they go crap.
Bringing in 2 teams was the worst idea the AFL has ever done their was just no need.