Training 2025 Pre-Season

Remove this Banner Ad

Assume you are willing to write off Cumming & TT as well?

Not really concerned. Sure had 1 injury interrupted season.

I have concern with Cumming, as I do with Rankine who has pinged a hammy more than once. TT not so much as it’s not really a recurring injury, but understand if that poster is correct, it could deteriorate and we might not get his best for as long.
 
I have concern with Cumming, as I do with Rankine who has pinged a hammy more than once. TT not so much as it’s not really a recurring injury, but understand if that poster is correct, it could deteriorate and we might not get his best for as long.

Its footy. Players get hurt throughout their career.

Posters on here acting like Cerra is bloody Luke Pedlar. Had a horror run in 2024 with hammies - although feels like they rushed him back due to the rest of their side going down like flies (which led to the demise of Andrew Russell).
 

Log in to remove this ad.

You absolute weapon. Yeah Cerra only playing 13 games last year makes him average.

Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewett, Jagga - terrible.

It's not that good. They barely made finals last year and have won nothing with that midfield.

Cerra and Hewett are good players but are not a step better than, say, Jake Soligo and Matt Crouch. Walsh peaked early and has been underwhelming for 2-3 years now.

Most teams don't struggle against us and yet Carlton do. Nicks has an unbelievable 4-2 record against them with a terrible midfield at his disposal.
 
It's not that good. They barely made finals last year and have won nothing with that midfield.

They made a prelim in 2023 and made the finals despite one of the most horrendous midfield runs of all time.

Cerra and Hewett are good players but are not a step better than, say, Jake Soligo and Matt Crouch. Walsh peaked early and has been underwhelming for 2-3 years now.

Walsh was underwhelming in 2023? He finished top 10 in their B&F (despite missing 8 games) and was voted best finals player of 2023. He has as many All Australian jumpers as our best midfielder Dawson.

You might have a point that our midfielders were on par if it is was Walsh, Cerra, Hewettt, Jagga against Dawson, Rankine, Crouch, Draper. But thats forgetting they have a 2 time Brownlow medalist top 10 player in the AFL in Patrick Cripps.

Most teams don't struggle against us and yet Carlton do. Nicks has an unbelievable 4-2 record against them with a terrible midfield at his disposal.

And the last time Nicks won the clearances against Carlton was round 15, 2021 (thanks Froggy).

We certainly match up against Carlton as a unit, but to say our midfield is on par with theirs.

Its just crazy logic. We are 3-1 against Carlton over the past 3 seasons. We are 2-1 over the past 3 seasons against the Bulldogs. You gonna start arguing that a group with Bont, Treloar and Libba is a worse midfield grouping than ours?
 
Last edited:
Our midfield has been a weakness for years now. We've all agreed to that.

However, given the cards they had to play with, the club has had an off season focussed on addressing that weakness. I know we've recruited players who could have and should have become good mids, but sometimes "you've got to kiss a lot of frogs".

Peatling is a player with enough exposed evidence to show he's going to be a worthwhile contributor. Good decision and with immediate effect. Hope he flourishes with the promotion in responsibility he's given here compared to the Giants.

Draper is the risk due to his age. We just don't know what he becomes. But what we do know is that he's highly talented and driven. I hope he becomes our next Rory Sloane personally.

Soligo is maturing into a solid, reliable player. I'm hoping his career takes a Tyson Edwards path.

Rankine is an absolute gun player. We haven't seen his best yet, particularly in the midfield. Remember how recently he started playing more in there. With 70% CBA's, Izak can win a Brownlow or two.

Dawson is the best overall player AFC have had come to the club for years and years. Would be AA every year if he played halfback. But he's in the guts because we didn't have any alternatives when that happened. Perhaps now he can get to use his silk more often. I hope so. Imagine replacing Sholl with Dawson!!

Our midfield will improve. I'm totally sure of it.
And when it does, we've got the team to play and win finals. It's been a long road, but I feel the rebuild, which had teased us with it's occasional buds, is now ready to blossom.

We're not a perfect team and we speak often on here about our pet dislikes in the team. But it's a team which is good enough to now learn how to win and keep winning. I can't wait for this season to start. I'm as optimistic as I can remember for many years now.
 
Our midfield has been a weakness for years now. We've all agreed to that.

However, given the cards they had to play with, the club has had an off season focussed on addressing that weakness. I know we've recruited players who could have and should have become good mids, but sometimes "you've got to kiss a lot of frogs".

Peatling is a player with enough exposed evidence to show he's going to be a worthwhile contributor. Good decision and with immediate effect. Hope he flourishes with the promotion in responsibility he's given here compared to the Giants.

Draper is the risk due to his age. We just don't know what he becomes. But what we do know is that he's highly talented and driven. I hope he becomes our next Rory Sloane personally.

Soligo is maturing into a solid, reliable player. I'm hoping his career takes a Tyson Edwards path.

Rankine is an absolute gun player. We haven't seen his best yet, particularly in the midfield. Remember how recently he started playing more in there. With 70% CBA's, Izak can win a Brownlow or two.

Dawson is the best overall player AFC have had come to the club for years and years. Would be AA every year if he played halfback. But he's in the guts because we didn't have any alternatives when that happened. Perhaps now he can get to use his silk more often. I hope so. Imagine replacing Sholl with Dawson!!

Our midfield will improve. I'm totally sure of it.
And when it does, we've got the team to play and win finals. It's been a long road, but I feel the rebuild, which had teased us with it's occasional buds, is now ready to blossom.

We're not a perfect team and we speak often on here about our pet dislikes in the team. But it's a team which is good enough to now learn how to win and keep winning. I can't wait for this season to start. I'm as optimistic as I can remember for many years now.

I like your positivity and I think most of what you have written is true but probably 12 or more clubs can write the same thing.

We will need alot to go right. Alot under estimate the jump from just outside the top 8 to inside. It's only a few wins but is a big jump.
 
I like your positivity and I think most of what you have written is true but probably 12 or more clubs can write the same thing.

This is it.


We will need alot to go right. Alot under estimate the jump from just outside the top 8 to inside. It's only a few wins but is a big jump.

For once - we really have the talent IMO.

A group of Dawson, Rankine, Rachele, Soligo, Crouch and Draper could be very very good.

This, if the stars align, could be the best midfield group since 2012.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Tyson Edwards path? Sorry, don’t see it.
I see better.

Soligo's first 3 seasons are far better than Edwards 95 96 and 97. Althoygh Edwards was playing defence in thoes years. It was 2000 before Edwards went into the midfield. Edwards was also dropped a few times by blight. Before Ayres turned him around.

Soligo never loses his feet or fumbles. Edwards did it lots in the first few years. Including in the 1997 Grand Final on Winmar leading to a Winmar goal.

People remember Edwards for his 2000 onwards. 1995-1999 he wasnt that flash.
 
I see better.

Soligo's first 3 seasons are far better than Edwards 95 96 and 97. Althoygh Edwards was playing defence in thoes years. It was 2000 before Edwards went into the midfield. Edwards was also dropped a few times by blight. Before Ayres turned him around.

Soligo never loses his feet or fumbles. Edwards did it lots in the first few years. Including in the 1997 Grand Final on Winmar leading to a Winmar goal.

People remember Edwards for his 2000 onwards. 1995-1999 he wasnt that flash.

No, I remember Edwards well enough … just don’t see the similarities for Soligo.

Seems like a very different path to Tyson’s imo.
 
Pretty unlikely Soligo has half the career Edwards had. Nothing against Soligo. A fine player. But Tyson is a great of the club.

Edwardsis a great but had the luxury of playing 3rd or 4th fiddle in an absolutely stacked midfield. Soligo has been one of our best in a historically bad midfield. Soligo is tracking to be a better player than Edwards imo
 
Pretty unlikely Soligo has half the career Edwards had. Nothing against Soligo. A fine player. But Tyson is a great of the club.

The bar Edwards set isn't that high (after all, it's just a club legend, not AFL hall of famer), and if Soligo is anything like what we think he is, he'll reach the same tier as Edwards without too many issues. Currently he's well on track to meet it, and really, this "club great" is the bar for guys you're banking on being key contributors for a decade.

McLeod, Goodwin, Roo, and for the AFLW side, Phillips and Randall? Now they're the balls to the wall calls.
 
Last edited:
Edwardsis a great but had the luxury of playing 3rd or 4th fiddle in an absolutely stacked midfield. Soligo has been one of our best in a historically bad midfield. Soligo is tracking to be a better player than Edwards imo
I'll be ecstatic if he has a better career than Edwards but absolutely satisfied if he's as good and all the indications are he's well on track to this point.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Training 2025 Pre-Season


Write your reply...

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top