Opinion Assorted Ramblings

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The level of optimism about our 2022 ladder position, pre the preseason games, was extreme.

We are still a bottom four side.

It is still so early in what we are doing. People want a Brisbane or Melbourne spike, and hopefully that does happen, but it sure as f*k ain’t happening this year.

Equally extreme is the suggestion that the rebuild will fail when it’s only just begun. I’d say this direction actually started within the club end of 2020. We sure as f*k weren’t rebuilding before then. Shaw said at our 2020 launch he wanted to play finals that year… One full year & 2 offseasons into a rebuild and people think they can determine if we’ve already failed? Nah.

Just be patient and look for small wins.
 
Heaps of fun said:
I think it's a bit pre-mature and I hope you are wrong but you will look like a very miserable genius if this rebuild does completely peter out. I will admit my mistake but I hope I never have to.

I guess what we're still talking about here is player development. How we turn great picks into great players. Average picks into good players etc. Sydney showed us that our football department is far behind theirs but theirs is very settled and ours has just been remoulded.

I think we will learn a lot about the side this year. We're going to want to see big years from guys like LDU, Simpkin, TT and Zurhaar and very good sophomore/debut years from guys like Powell, Phillips, Goater and JHF to get an idea if we're dealing with future champs or also-rans.
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I don’t want to be right on this one but to me like I said in an earlier post Larkey,TT , Jy and LDU are the barometer. If they become top 50 players , we are a shot and if they are going to do it I think they’ll need to show it this year
 

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Le Grille said:
I don’t want to be right on this one but to me like I said in an earlier post Larkey,TT , Jy and LDU are the barometer. If they become top 50 players , we are a shot and if they are going to do it I think they’ll need to show it this year
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We won the spoon last year and brought in another 6 kids and shipped off a number of mature players. Relax
 
ferball said:
LDU is also compared to Petracca. Who was a bit of a waste of space until a couple of seasons ago.

You didn't mention Simpkin in all of that. Was just an oversight or is there some other reason? (Or McDonald.)

Re the six guys who wouldn't get on another list. The thing is all of those guys could play in a GF as well (tho not in the same side.) Every GF winner has some players who wouldn't make another AFL list. The key is that the players you have at that level play their guts out and do something worthwhile in every game, especially finals.
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Those you listed as my omissions were deliberate. We know exactly what they'll bring to the table. Simpkin is are next Cpt without a shadow of a doubt. And 100% the correct choice imo

So it was more about replying to the concerns of the OP, which I believe are justified. Has Larkey @ 23 and 51 games got another gear? I'd like to think so.

LDU @ 23 & 50 has I feel has the natural talent to be a topliner- will he get there? I've said it before and LDU isn't apparently the greatest reader of the play. Oh but Greenwood has taken him under his wing and assisting during game days i.e. positioning.

And yes you're correct and I'm glad you added , " not in the same team". We've a mountain of work ahead of us and fitness will be crucial to us being able to instigate the game plan with some level of success. The expectation is the mids will push back to support the backline adding run and carry in our back half . I'm not so sure our mids did that ( pushing back ) during our two preseason hit outs. Although I didn't really watch all of the games.

I've put a lot of eggs in the Comben basket and the Bonar basket. Both baskets seem to be made of soggy paper.
As the lovely Ms Sharon would say, " oh well'.
 
The acurate one said:
Those you listed as my omissions were deliberate. We know exactly what they'll bring to the table. Simpkin is are next Cpt without a shadow of a doubt. And 100% the correct choice imo

So it was more about replying to the concerns of the OP, which I believe are justified. Has Larkey @ 23 and 51 games got another gear? I'd like to think so.

LDU @ 23 & 50 has I feel has the natural talent to be a topliner- will he get there? I've said it before and LDU isn't apparently the greatest reader of the play. Oh but Greenwood has taken him under his wing and assisting during game days i.e. positioning.

And yes you're correct and I'm glad you added , " not in the same team". We've a mountain of work ahead of us and fitness will be crucial to us being able to instigate the game plan with some level of success. The expectation is the mids will push back to support the backline adding run and carry in our back half . I'm not so sure our mids did that ( pushing back ) during our two preseason hit outs. Although I didn't really watch all of the games.

I've put a lot of eggs in the Comben basket and the Bonar basket. Both baskets seem to be made of soggy paper.
As the lovely Ms Sharon would say, " oh well'.
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Cool.

Personally I think talent isn't as important in winning flags as the desire to win flags. That do or die attitude that some players have and that characterises the best sides, back to our 90s side. This why I rate Turner as a potential finals player despite so many of you pointing out his obvious weaknesses. Same with Mahony, Jed even Lmac. Its why Ms Sharon's side only won one flag in the second half of the 90s and early 00s despite having plenty of talent.

WC sides this century are the same. Talented but lacking that desire/killer instinct.

And probably why we never really won anything under Brad even tho we had some good runs, especially between the middle of 2015 and 2016 where we lost 5 of 25 games. That level of desire to win, especially if its combined with the sort of off field leadership that can channel that same desire into fitness, skills and pushing yourself to succeed is what matters. Its why Richmond could do what they did with a bunch of average players. We were too comfortable. Richmond developed a culture of pushing players outside their comfort zone off field and it translated on field as well.

But as far as other individual players go... I agree with you re LDU actually. He's good but is a tenth of a second behind Jy, TT, Powell and JHF (on very limited showing admittedly.) - so not as quick at reading the play. But strong in the contest and able to move in traffic and break away from the contest. That's invaluable especially with other top line mids around him. I wish he had Turner's intensity tho.

And last year he and Sleevo were both able to push back hard and run the ball out of our backline. Against Freo (i think) they combined with CZ for a memorable **** up but it did show that when they get it right it will be a thing of beauty. It was the first time that run from the backline was on display last year, but they both worked at it thru the rest of the season. Perez, Bonar and even Atu could all complement that beautifully.

By the end of the season we were supposedly second for scoring chain launches from the back half. I know stats sound a bit whanky at times but that particular stat shows our game plan has potential. (If we get fit and keep our skills up.) I was pleasantly surprised when I read it the other day. if we can build our defensive pressure and cause plenty of turnovers then that stat becomes invaluable.

That will work for Larks too, and Chom if he makes it.

Melbourne won a flag with a KPD set up that wasn't any better than Larkey and CCJ. (Their medium and small forwards were very good as was their ruck unit.) Chom coming good would be an upgrade on Larks and CCJ imo.

I can see where we are going with this and it does look promising.
 
Personally I think talent isn't as important in winning flags as the desire to win flags.

Don't get me wrong. Absolutely, unquestioningly elite talent is important. But it will never be more that 4 or 5 players in the best of sides and even they rarely have more than 2 in that "top 10 or 20 players in the comp" category.
 
ferball said:
Simon Black as well. They were a very talented side. Maybe not Brown and Lappin in the actual top 10. But the other three probably were.

What about Geelong?
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Yeah that Brisbane midfield quite likely the best ever (given the impossibility of comparing them with The Machine pies or ‘50s Melbourne). Geelong I’d let you argue that a couple of GAJ/Selwood/Scarlett were top 10. Probably wouldn’t have all of them.
 
just found my 1995 membership with the little clicks in it to show you attended.

Started season 5 of the first 6 at the mcg. 7 of the first 10.

10 of the first 11 in Melbourne... wonderful days they were.. few trips of optus oval western oval and Waverley park chucked in.
 

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