Universal Love 2024 - The Year of the Navy Blues

[keldam22]

The prelim last year was the first ever prelim my mum and I ever went to, together. She passed away just before Xmas, she’s the reason why I’m a mad Blues diehard… This season is going to be so emotional watching the games, riding the wins and losses even harder, I just hope for a wonderful year (cough the flag) this year and for Sam Docherty

15

Sam Docherty

Age

31

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.3

5star

K

15.1

5star

HB

7.2

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

22.6

5star

K

16.0

5star

HB

6.6

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

0.6

1star

CL

0.4

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

CL

0.6

3star

(mums fave) to have a career best season… Let’s go Baggers

 

[Arr0w]

The prelim last year was the first ever prelim my mum and I ever went to, together. She passed away just before Xmas, she’s the reason why I’m a mad Blues diehard… This season is going to be so emotional watching the games, riding the wins and losses even harder, I just hope for a wonderful year (cough the flag) this year and for Sam Docherty (mums fave) to have a career best season… Let’s go Baggers

Best 10th post ever

 

[thylacine60]

Best 10th post ever

can confirm.......

 

[DirtyLeeds]

My son that just turned 17 is so excited and it is certainly contagious.

He is making lists of our best 22, monitoring training reports and telling me any news coming out of
Princes Park with a gleam in his eye. (except JSOS news that shattered us both)

The talk at home is constantly about where we will improve, who is going to play small forward,
where will Doc play , the fact no team ever has had three consecutive Coleman medalists. How good Wilson, Ellijah and Moir look ETC ETC.

He tells me our main goal is to avoid going interstate for a prelim by finishing top 4.
He feels we will finish between one and three.


I have never seen him so pumped about our team and it is brilliant.

2024.......... THE YEAR OF THE BLUES alright !!!!!


Cant wait.

my 16 year old Little Dirty is exactly in the Hava Junior camp, makes my blue blood heart swell hearing him talk up our chances...

It is definitely infectious

 

[Soapy V]

No, let’s shut down the delusion. We’ve performed consistently for half a season. Everything still to prove. Looking forward to it.

Delusion? I gave a number of reasons. Why are they deluded?

 

[Benaly28]

Barring major injuries we should be top 4.Once there need to make sure we finish high enough to stay in Melbourne.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Y Goat]

My son is a bit younger and it has been hard to keep him keen on the Blues in the years before Voss

Dad: "Just wait", "next year will be better", "we are improving"...

But now,
Son: "Let's get to as many games as we can Dad"

2024 is going to be next level - I can't wait

Bounce the ball already and bring us the 17th cup!

Ditto this, exactly, with me too - could have written those same words myself.

Look fwd to the year, and I share the optimism I’m seeing around here… though it’s no fait accompli - they’ll have to maintain the rage of 2nd half ‘23 and work hard ‘cause (and helped by all the media pump up) we’ll be hunted now

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Minimum expectation would be top 4 for the 3 years.

 

[jj1978]

I think a good start to the season will really consolidate the confidence within the group and propel us that little bit more. So having at least 3-4 wins in the first 5 games would be enormous. I'd think they'd much prefer and benefit from a strong momentum carrying start than at the halfway mark of the season start hearing/spouting... "look we saw what we did in the 2nd half last season and we're confident we can do that again!".

 

[gab213]

My minimum expectation this year is to be Top 4 at the end of the Home and Away season (Top 2 would be immense) and I can't see why we can't do it barring a disastrous run with injury. That in itself would be an improvement on last year. Get into that position and we can possibly win the big one. If we aren't premiers this year, it will be my expectation next year.

 

[JustaBattler]

i have no expectations

 

[ianh]

My minimum expectation this year is to be Top 4 at the end of the Home and Away season (Top 2 would be immense) and I can't see why we can't do it barring a disastrous run with injury. That in itself would be an improvement on last year. Get into that position and we can possibly win the big one. If we aren't premiers this year, it will be my expectation next year.

Premierships are too hard to win in the modern era to have an "expectation" to win one at the start of any given year much less the year before. I think we are a genuine flag chance though not the best team in it. We have issues in the ruck, small forwards, spread and only 1 quality tall defender with a big drop in quality after him. Some of these may be addressed by development, recapturing form, recruiting and team selection but only time will tell. But it sure is nice to have premiership aspirations, it has been a long time since we entered a season with a genuine confidence that we might be good enough to go all the way.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

Premierships are too hard to win in the modern era to have an "expectation" to win one at the start of any given year much less the year before. I think we are a genuine flag chance though not the best team in it. We have issues in the ruck, small forwards, spread and only 1 quality tall defender with a big drop in quality after him. Some of these may be addressed by development, recapturing form, recruiting and team selection but only time will tell. But it sure is nice to have premiership aspirations, it has been a long time since we entered a season with a genuine confidence that we might be good enough to go all the way.

Now do the 2023 premiership team....

 

[haveago]

Premierships are too hard to win in the modern era to have an "expectation" to win one at the start of any given year much less the year before. I think we are a genuine flag chance though not the best team in it. We have issues in the ruck, small forwards, spread and only 1 quality tall defender with a big drop in quality after him. Some of these may be addressed by development, recapturing form, recruiting and team selection but only time will tell. But it sure is nice to have premiership aspirations, it has been a long time since we entered a season with a genuine confidence that we might be good enough to go all the way.

Agree so much with what you say however I feel McGov(191cm) is a quality tall defender along with Weiters.

I consider over 190cm to be tall.

Marchbanks (193cm) best is good too but still a way to go and he probably plays more mid-size however he can match up on the 190 to 195cm types. With a full pre-season fingers crossed he can avoid injury and we can see the best of Marchy this year and his best is VERY GOOD. A small taste of it in the Prelim final where he was in the coach's votes.

Kemp (192cm) made big improvements last year and could make similar gains again this year. His combination of pace and athleticism is exciting.
Still much upside IMO.


Small forward and ruck definitely where we need improvement.

We are banking on TDK to change the ruck stocks. Signs are he will big time.

IMO E.Holland can play small forward in the Jamie Elliot mould and
improve us in this area along with the natural progression of Motlop.

The wildcard could be Moir up forward as well........ The kid is very talented and he could play senior football
this year. Would not surprise me.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

I look at the Pies who are the reigning premiers, and while i respect them i don't fear them.

With regards to winning the flag it's an open race this year, and we have as good a chance as anyone.

We've waited long enough for this flag, and winning the flag is what i think we'll do this year. Number 17 is coming home.

 

[katmanblue]

The prelim last year was the first ever prelim my mum and I ever went to, together. She passed away just before Xmas, she’s the reason why I’m a mad Blues diehard… This season is going to be so emotional watching the games, riding the wins and losses even harder, I just hope for a wonderful year (cough the flag) this year and for Sam Docherty

15

Sam Docherty

Age

31

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.3

5star

K

15.1

5star

HB

7.2

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

22.6

5star

K

16.0

5star

HB

6.6

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

0.6

1star

CL

0.4

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

CL

0.6

3star

(mums fave) to have a career best season… Let’s go Baggers

Condolences.

Sent from my SM-F926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[AlecDuncan]

Top 4 & home finals please. Everything flows from those.

 

[BluesFever]

The prelim last year was the first ever prelim my mum and I ever went to, together. She passed away just before Xmas, she’s the reason why I’m a mad Blues diehard… This season is going to be so emotional watching the games, riding the wins and losses even harder, I just hope for a wonderful year (cough the flag) this year and for Sam Docherty (mums fave) to have a career best season… Let’s go Baggers

brilliant post. Thinking of you!

If it helps, good friend who lost her Dad at the end of 2020. It was before she got married (was 28) and she was a diehard Dees fan because of him. And I mean diehard. She watched the 2021 GF in lockdown in Melbourne. Her insta post for her Dad when the Dees ran away with it was one of the most touching things I have seen.

Let's hope your Mum has similar pull up there!

 

[BennyGFunk]

BluesFever I can’t help but think your modest views on where the blues will end up is based on ‘keeping a lid on’ the success we started to have last year.. and maybe a defence mechanism as you don’t want a let down..

20 years of mediocrity.

If you look at Soapy’s reasons and the fact that our list demographic and age profile is a huge plus, that there is still much organic growth in this team, not to mention some handy recruits at worst coming in..

I’m glad the players are more confident than you, it’s about time we aimed for top dog status, we suffered in paltry mediocrity for far too long…

If we can unlock our ball movement, we know we can score heavily at times, it puts us in a tremendous position, even if other clubs are also improving

 

[Arr0w]

BluesFever I can’t help but think your modest views on where the blues will end up is based on ‘keeping a lid on’ the success we started to have last year.. and maybe a defence mechanism as you don’t want a let down..

20 years of mediocrity.

If you look at Soapy’s reasons and the fact that our list demographic and age profile is a huge plus, that there is still much organic growth in this team, not to mention some handy recruits at worst coming in..

I’m glad the players are more confident than you, it’s about time we aimed for top dog status, we suffered in paltry mediocrity for far too long…

If we can unlock our ball movement, we know we can score heavily at times, it puts us in a tremendous position, even if other clubs are also improving

I don't think it's an unrealistic prediction by BluesFever, despite what the communicated confidence levels from club, players or supporters

Without even a preseason hitout, I have us in that 13-16 win bracket at the moment

 

[SurreyBlue]

Worth a read.

Tough, selfless Blues set for a boost in 2024 - House of Footy

Tom De Koning has hinted at the Blues' secret weapon heading into this season and it proves just how far they've come.

houseoffooty.com.au

Some quotes that I found interesting.

“We’ve had 3 coaches (since Buckley left), a lot of different guys in roles, but I think the main thing that’s changed is the environment and culture,” McKay said.

“When I was first at the club, it was nearly not cool to enjoy footy. I remember in my first year as well, I was always big on doing extra touch and stuff… people would take the piss nearly, because you were trying to do something a bit abnormal and get the best out of yourself.”

 

[thylacine60]

yep - that's the bit that jumped out at me as well.....

 

[bradfisher14]

Those quotes are from this interview from 2022 btw.

 

[Arr0w]

In any organisation, people talk of culture in relation to output, but when new people and or a new set of non-negotiables are put in place, it takes time for an uplift in results to become consistent

This has to be the year that we find greater consistency

 

[Soapy V]

Worth a read.

Tough, selfless Blues set for a boost in 2024 - House of Footy

Tom De Koning has hinted at the Blues' secret weapon heading into this season and it proves just how far they've come.

houseoffooty.com.au

Some quotes that I found interesting.

“We’ve had 3 coaches (since Buckley left), a lot of different guys in roles, but I think the main thing that’s changed is the environment and culture,” McKay said.

“When I was first at the club, it was nearly not cool to enjoy footy. I remember in my first year as well, I was always big on doing extra touch and stuff… people would take the piss nearly, because you were trying to do something a bit abnormal and get the best out of yourself.”

100% CORRECT

This is the BIGGEST change at the club. People don't realise how bad it was

Teague especially was about keeping mates rather than standards. Bolton tried but just didn't have the personality to enforce it

Voss along with Sayers & Cook have made the biggest difference to the club in two decades