Discussion 2024 General AFL Discussion

[Nutsngum]

The easy answers are the Swans and the Bombers. The Swans have just been covered eloquently above.

The Bombers, in particular, don't have anything going for them apart from Caddy and a couple of others, do they? No identity on field, I predict them to be bottom 3, and yes I would love it.

Port keep surprising everyone so maybe they will again, but I'm predicting them to drop out of finals and finally hand over to Carr at some stage.

I think Dees will stay where they are which is a big drop already.

Giants and Hawks will fall a little, and the Blues could potentially get found out, they seem a couple of injurues away from implosion.

Blues have lost a decent amount of depth over the off season which is a worry for them if they start to have injuries again. Their problem is they are a very good team who should be genuinely competing in finals right now but are just coming up short which means your depth are going to start looking elsewhere as the allure of trying to beat their way into the best 23 is starting to dry up.

 

[Saints43]

Blues have lost a decent amount of depth over the off season which is a worry for them if they start to have injuries again. Their problem is they are a very good team who should be genuinely competing in finals right now but are just coming up short which means your depth are going to start looking elsewhere as the allure of trying to beat their way into the best 23 is starting to dry up.

The draw alone will ensure the campaigners make the to 4 barring their best 5 missing.
Hopefully they'll hit the finals as softly as usual.

 

[Nutsngum]

The draw alone will ensure the campaigners make the to 4 barring their best 5 missing.
Hopefully they'll hit the finals as softly as usual.

Forgot about their pissweak draw. Wonder how many brown paper bags that took to get over the line.

 

[gringo2011]

Sydney probably psychologically up against it. Geelong surely run out of luck one day. Really could be anyone though. The competition is so even, all sides are a little bit of luck off a fall. Hawks look like they overachieved off the back of a sweet injury run. Surely they get a bit more exposed this time.

 

[StFly]

Blues have lost a decent amount of depth over the off season which is a worry for them if they start to have injuries again. Their problem is they are a very good team who should be genuinely competing in finals right now but are just coming up short which means your depth are going to start looking elsewhere as the allure of trying to beat their way into the best 23 is starting to dry up.

Blues are mentally soft, quintessential looks like Tarzan, everything else like Jane. Until they get a lobotomy (as in board spill to get new people with a clue) they will consistently underperform as internal pressures will break them.
This then leads to the Bombers, as whilst the Blues wilt mentally, the Bombers run away and straight give up. They lack the fortitude to just do the work required, it's all or nothing with them as they never really recovered from Matty Knights "Defense? FORWARD!".

So Cats are the evergreen, they're just well run and all on same page that more often than not, they'll matter in finals. This is generally where "new" Richmond is, Pies, Port, Brissie sit, they dip once or twice to refresh but otherwise they are finals bound more often than not.

GWS are Blues lite, only they get a pass as they're AFL owned so hamstrung from the start as the commission are inept AF at day to day and writing documents. GCS have just never really been a team for example of the two to really matter finals wise.

Then you have the "do the Dogs have the knack?", "Do the Dees shit the bed?", "Do we have a clue?", "Are the Hawks actually competent again?" sort to raffle maybe 2 slots, whilst the current North & WCE figure out what a club is, what people do and how to use the money they get to maybe not suck arse and run a sub 20% win rate across multiple years.

Out of the grouping lets say, Port are the tease, Blues are a tease, Swans are capable but their underbelly is a bit 1 dimensional and luck determines anything 6 down as Cats, Brissie, Pies, Port will generally be in top 4 discussions at one point or another at the end.

 

[Armoooo]

So Cats are the evergreen, they're just well run and all on same page that more often than not, they'll matter in finals. This is generally where "new" Richmond is, Pies, Port, Brissie sit, they dip once or twice to refresh but otherwise they are finals bound more often than not.

Not sure you can include Richmond with the perennial contenders, they're in their first dip since winning their flags and practically everybody that was involved with those flags have left the club now. They're essentially an entirely different club no with no track record to speak of.

I don't see them escaping the bottom 4 in the next few seasons.

 

[stfan]

I don't see them escaping the bottom 4 in the next few seasons.

Nor will they want to.

They have mainly gone youth after letting many of their best go.

They will be chasing the 1st pick next season to go with North's 1st Pick that they traded for, to maintain that thrust and their recent massive draft haul.

They will then need some years of getting games into all of that youth.

 

[Nutsngum]

Nor will they want to.

They have mainly gone youth after letting many of their best go.

They will be chasing the 1st pick next season to go with North's 1st Pick that they traded for, maintain that thrust and their recent massive draft haul.

They will then need some years of getting games into all of that youth.

That trade from North was absolute insanity. In 10 months time we will be sitting here discussing the surprising talent still available between the academy selections and how clubs are definitely going to want a top 5 pick to secure X player.

 

[Sully111]

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Cheeky little paragraph from a Dees training review...

"As the league's premier ruckman, Gawn displayed his accurate tap work but was brought down a peg by St Kilda trade recruit Tom Campbell, who held his own well in match simulation."

Track watch: Star Demon back to his best as electric forward continues midfield trial

A superstar Demon has looked damaging this pre-season after an underwhelming 2024 campaign.

www.zerohanger.com

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Cheeky little paragraph from a Dees training review...

"As the league's premier ruckman, Gawn displayed his accurate tap work but was brought down a peg by St Kilda trade recruit Tom Campbell, who held his own well in match simulation."

Track watch: Star Demon back to his best as electric forward continues midfield trial

A superstar Demon has looked damaging this pre-season after an underwhelming 2024 campaign.

www.zerohanger.com

Hmmm one of them is trying.

 

[Nutsngum]

Cheeky little paragraph from a Dees training review...

"As the league's premier ruckman, Gawn displayed his accurate tap work but was brought down a peg by St Kilda trade recruit Tom Campbell, who held his own well in match simulation."

Track watch: Star Demon back to his best as electric forward continues midfield trial

A superstar Demon has looked damaging this pre-season after an underwhelming 2024 campaign.

www.zerohanger.com

Campbell was always a decent tap ruckman even at AFL level. His mobility was the issue at the highest level though. Its great he's managed to follow on at Melbourne though but sucks Sandy wont have him next year.

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Sydney’s pick in the AFLW Draft

 

[CursingFijian]

Sydney’s pick in the AFLW Draft

Sounds like quite the catch.

 

[StCicatriz]

Hmmm one of them is trying.

feel for gawn. he must be completely over it all.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Sydney’s pick in the AFLW Draft

'It is a true honour': Magpies appoint new president

Barry Carp has been elected as Collingwood's 15th president

www.afl.com.au

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Jeepers, Hayden Young at Freo, already signed till the end of 2027 when he'd hit Free Agency, signs a six year extension to be a Docker till the end of 2033! Sounds like science fiction, but can only mean one thing.

Welcome to the Saints Andy Brayshaw!

 

[Hysteria]

The easy answers are the Swans and the Bombers. The Swans have just been covered eloquently above.

The Bombers, in particular, don't have anything going for them apart from Caddy and a couple of others, do they? No identity on field, I predict them to be bottom 3, and yes I would love it.

Port keep surprising everyone so maybe they will again, but I'm predicting them to drop out of finals and finally hand over to Carr at some stage.

I think Dees will stay where they are which is a big drop already.

Giants and Hawks will fall a little, and the Blues could potentially get found out, they seem a couple of injurues away from implosion.

Essendon's current situation strikes me as similar to where we found ourselves in the Richo and Ratten eras.

They are desperately looking for an A grader amongst a list full of GOPs and B graders that have elite traits but for whatever reason cannot deliver on their potential.

Talking to their fans their shining lights for the future are an undoubtedly talented but possibly undersized forward in Caddy along with a workhorse mid in Durham.

They are still years away from even thinking about being a regular finals team let alone genuine contenders.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Can't quite believe I just read this but check it out...

Bombers president takes swipe at rare Geelong fixture

'I don't want to go'

www.nine.com.au

Here's the doozy, and I quote...

"It will be just the second time Essendon will play in Geelong since 1993."

 

[Nutsngum]

Can't quite believe I just read this but check it out...

Bombers president takes swipe at rare Geelong fixture

'I don't want to go'

www.nine.com.au

Here's the doozy, and I quote...

"It will be just the second time Essendon will play in Geelong since 1993."

View attachment 2190779

Entitled w***ers.

 

[phantom13]

Can't quite believe I just read this but check it out...

Bombers president takes swipe at rare Geelong fixture

'I don't want to go'

www.nine.com.au

Here's the doozy, and I quote...

"It will be just the second time Essendon will play in Geelong since 1993."

View attachment 2190779

You can be assured the supporter would have been laying into Bassat for the bnf speech too.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Makes a mockery of the AFL's "equalisation" measures. It's actually quite hard to believe they've only played in Geelong once since 1993.

 

[dougiemac]

Essendon's current situation strikes me as similar to where we found ourselves in the Richo and Ratten eras.

They are desperately looking for an A grader amongst a list full of GOPs and B graders that have elite traits but for whatever reason cannot deliver on their potential.

Talking to their fans their shining lights for the future are an undoubtedly talented but possibly undersized forward in Caddy along with a workhorse mid in Durham.

They are still years away from even thinking about being a regular finals team let alone genuine contenders.

And long may it be so, until the end of time.

 

[StFly]

Makes a mockery of the AFL's "equalisation" measures. It's actually quite hard to believe they've only played in Geelong once since 1993.

View attachment 2191362

They've an airport they spent a time going "what's with all this noise and vibration, my tea has spilled all over my loin", and they were the "first" to get into the lemon that was Ethiads construction so it's no wonder they spent their time going just to inner Melbourne and back again so they can bitch moan and complain about things they can't control and pre-existed them.

I'm hoping Port go back to maybe India this time and take them instead.

 

[jwikked]

Can't quite believe I just read this but check it out...

Bombers president takes swipe at rare Geelong fixture

'I don't want to go'

www.nine.com.au

Here's the doozy, and I quote...

"It will be just the second time Essendon will play in Geelong since 1993."

View attachment 2190779

If st Kilda supporters showed up to games, we wouldn’t play them in Geelong either.

Don’t really understand getting upset about it. Essendon play Geelong in Melbourne, st Kilda get a larger slice of the revenue from the AFL.