Analysis Are we really contenders for the flag?

[Eagleboy68]

I hear some people talk about how we are serious contenders for the flag.
But are we really?

A lot of us post about the kids like Partington etc that need to be brought in and the fact that we are the oldest team in the league as well as the slowest.
The only reason I see Simpson isn't bringing in the kids is he believes we are a serious threat for the flag.

The likes of priddis, Lecras, Masten, Butler and hill would probably be moved on otherwise.
I don't think we are given our deficiencies and failures at the mcg.
Thoughts?

 

[Jootube]

I want threads to be mod approved before they get posted.
At least have a melt thread where all of these wandering statements can live together.

 

[Eagleboy68]

I want threads to be mod approved before they get posted.
At least have a melt thread where all of these wandering statements can live together.

It's not a melt. It's a serious question.

 

[Ochre]

Who's beating us for the flag?

Adelaide who got smashed by Norf, then got beaten by Dees at home?
GWS who should've lost to Pies and Tigers at home in the last two week?
Bulldogs who we beat 8 days ago?
Port who we beat away 15 days ago?
Geelong who have lost to Collingwood and GCS?

We're a flawed team, but so is everyone else.

 

[Jootube]

We haven't been a serious threat to the flag since the Prelim in '15.

If you watch ANY Simmo presser this year, he has constantly reaffirmed that we are an AVERAGE team looking to make the 8.

 

[FLETCH41]

Are we contenders?? The only thing that we are contending for at the moment is absolutely sending us to this ...

 

[Eagleboy68]

Who's beating us for the flag?

Anyone who has leg speed and can play at the mcg??

 

[Matera92]

 

[wotdoiput]

Werent a flag contender at the start of the season. Sure as hell arent one now

 

[eagles rule]

We are home town heroes ..

 

[ioppolo]

If we get a good run in finals and draw an interstate team in the GF we're good.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Is there enough talent on our list to win the flag? Yes i believe so.

Do i have confidence in this very mentally fragile team to be able to make it through 2 finals plus win a grand final? Under that much pressure? Haha! No.

 

[dajesmac]

I can't believe this question even needs to be asked. We're about as much of a flag contender as Richmond or Melbourne.

 

[Eagleboy68]

I can't believe this question even needs to be asked. We're about as much of a flag contender as Richmond or Melbourne.

Lol...that's not very inspiring then.

 

[MWPP]

Of course we are
(But that says more about the rest of the competition than us )
It helps that the most highly rated opposition sides in Adelaide/GWS/Port are non-Vic sides and that we have good records at their home grounds
(If Hawthorn/Sydney were still expected to finish in the top 4, then I'd be less optimistic )

 

[kranky al]

Who's beating us for the flag?

Adelaide who got smashed by Norf, then got beaten by Dees at home?
GWS who should've lost to Pies and Tigers at home in the last two week?
Bulldogs who we beat 8 days ago?
Port who we beat away 15 days ago?
Geelong who have lost to Collingwood and GCS?

We're a flawed team, but so is everyone else.

Id say the teams that can win at the g are a threat

The teams that cant arent.


I didnt have to scratch my head too hard for that one - and only got a couple of splinters as a result

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Nope.

 

[eagles rule]

Only If we get Nicnat back and Lycett to give our slowish midfield first use of the ball ..

oh and Willie crumbing off Kennedy , so Yes but otherwise NO

 

[CM9000]

I honestly don't care about our history in Melbourne or our MCG hoodoo, I'm just glad we still have another gear to go to while other teams have already reached their peak, like Adelaide.

It was just one of those games - a shocking day out really. It happened to us in 2015 when we were destroyed by Adelaide at their home ground late in the year, and it happened again today against Essendon.

IMO Hawthorn at the MCG is the problem in my mind, they're our actual mental demons. Luckily they won't make the finals.

 

[Biggie]

We'll be thereabouts, but not a real threat from what we've seen.

Hopefully this changes as the season is still fairly even and young but gee, the signs are not good.

 

[Crimson King]

Need to keep rejuvenating the team by weeding out the underperformers. IMO, we can still keep clocking up wins at the same time as introducing some more youth in the team which will give them valuable experience along the way and will be something we can build on in the coming seasons.

 

[MWPP]

Could we please add a poll to this one ?
(Since kranky al 's thread was closed)

 

[kranky al]

Could we please add a poll to this one ?
(Since kranky al 's thread was closed)

larrikin ??

 

[MWPP]

8 of our 13 remaining games are at Subi
On the downside , we don't play at Adelaide Oval again, but I'm still optimistic that we'll maintain our unbeaten records at Metricon and Spotless . This might also be the year we beat the Pies in Melbourne (as it's at Etihad not the MCG) but I'm not counting on it .

 

[Moose1414]

Season starts again the minute home and away is over. If we are in the 8, and given a 6/3 start and the flat track that is Subi we most likely will be, then we can win a GF. Its that far away its almost not worth thinking about, anything could happen in September. Maybe we have NN back. Maybe the flag favourite lose key players, maybe, maybe, maybe.

The only thing that is certain is that there are a core group of player in our best 22 that have never stood up on the big stage in their life, and if they are there in September it makes things difficult. But not impossible.

Or, you know maybe break the mould and try a few of the East Perth boys and see what happens when they are out of a shit WAFL side and in an AFL match with their destiny finally in their hands. No player is a known quantity based on WAFL form, and half of the best players we've ever found have come off our rookie list. Expose players to opportunity, and discover who has character and who doesn't, who is willing to work for his team mates out there and who isn't, who is prepared to put his body on the line and who isn't.

And even knowing none of that is even going to happen, even with the same list we've taken to the last 2 finals series and come up short, even then, if we are playing finals we are contenders until we are not. You just never know your luck, sometimes all you have to do is show up on grand final day and the opposition is that shit you should be embarrassed to even hoist the cup [ala Hawks 2013 & 2015]

Get there. See what happens. True contenders are revealed in September, not before.