Based on the training reports so far, sounds like he hadn’t been involved much. From memory, the reports indicate Rutten and Caracella have taken every session.
I lived through the 70s and they were pretty disappointing. And if you’re thinking of 2016 as more disappointing than last year, I disagree. We didn’t have a team then, and nothing was expected of us by me or anyone else. We won three games and we beat FC. We fought for games. I wasn’t disappointed. I’m surprised anyone was.
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Bulldogs game last year is the worst Game I’ve ever watched.
We have had worse seasons and worse teams but that performance was absolutely shocking.
And when doing these season predictions I’m not discounting that maybe that game revealed something about this list that fully shows next year.
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I think overall we’ll be in a better spot than last year.
Continued improvement from McGrath and Parish, adding to Heppell who will be able to run again and our 2018 b&f winner in Smith back in. I’m tipping Shiel has a better 2nd season too.
Hooker has (finally) had some surgery which may mean 1/2 more good years, and hopefully Zerk comes on too.
Also, Raz looks to be fit and firing again which will be huge.
We won’t have Joe, but we didn’t last year either. Hopefully Caracalla and Rutten can straighten out a few kinks and I’m fairly positive about this season.
I like to post the premiership odds from time-to-time, to cut through the Essendon bias:
Richmond $5
West Coast $6
Collingwood $8
GWS $9
Brisbane $11
Western Bulldogs $11
Geelong $12
Hawthorn $15
Melbourne $26
Essendon $29
St Kilda $29
North Melbourne $34
Port Adelaide $34
Adelaide $41
Sydney $41
Carlton $51
Fremantle $51
GC $251
So we’re expected to come 10th…bang on the middle of the ladder.
My gut feel is that we will finish slightly lower than that, maybe 12th.
Our oldest players, our KPD heroes, are fading physically.
Our mid 20s cohort, particularly our best players in this age group, have accumulated a bit of scar tissue, and I think they are unreliable (JD, Fantasia, Heppell, Smith, maybe Merrett). JD doesn’t even want to be here.
Our youngsters, coming through the pipeline, are nothing special. We’ve given up too many draft picks in trading for this to be a strong demographic on our list.
So, in summary, I expect us to miss finals in 2020, and then drift further down the ladder over 2021-2023 as well.
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But we had Brown for 16 games and Smack played 16 games which is way more than he’s usually good for.
Brown was average at best, Pretty confident Laverde (if fit) can fill that position.
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Ok start. Crap middle. Finish hard, coming in with a wet sail into a solid 8th. Lose elim final by 7 goals.
As is tradition.
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No reason to expect anything more than we have shown for at least the last few years. Obviously a fit and firing Daniher and Fantasia completely change us, but what are the chances of that?
I’m going in this year more pessimistic than I have for a very long time.
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Not that I would take us at $29 but you just never know. Teams tinkering with game plans, fresh messaging, not to mention injuries - most teams get on a roll at some stage. Can it last? Who knows?That is the beautiful unpredictability of it all would not be surprised if we finished top 4, top eight or middle four. If we get off to a good start we could go deep in September. So could a dozen or so teams. It’s all good until it goes pear shaped.
damn, didn’t check the Sportsbet odds!
Ah well, better tell the lads and get preparing for 2021.
I have a sad confidence we will miss the finals this year. Considering I have been very confident of making the finals previously…this might be a good omen
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Anyone heard the urban myth that Alastair Clarkson reckons he would get us a flag within 3 years with our current list?
We will crash and burn . 2021 is the year of improvement
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Better tell the lads, and hope they have enough pride to come out and try and beat the odds.
…
not sure I believe it myself.
I’m a self confessed “clapper”, but I am in no way optimistic about anything. Not a single thing.
To be honest it’s probably the club’s fault for not having “winning flags” in the hit list.
We should discuss that very point.
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I was going to go “we are in for a shocker”
But now that Dyson is getting a haircut, we will be top 4 for certain.
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Still too distressed by the strategic plan objectives to look further into this season.
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I’m in the 6th-12th region.
Would need absolutely everything to go right to finish in the 8 but I can just as easily see us going backwards
Bottom 6 and the media will blame the “succession” and gap year, but truth is we are just plain ordinary and unfit.
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