Opinion Expectations for 2014?

[jack_black16]

Port, Bulldogs, North, West Coast, Freo

2X Top 6 - Port and Freo (4 losses)
1X Middle 6 - North Melbourne (2 Wins)
2X Bottom 6 - West Coast and the Bulldogs. 2 Wins and 2 losses (1-1) + (1-1)

Not a huge difference from our draw.

I think winning between 11 and 14 games is realistic. Injuries next year will be a determining factor. Complacency will not be a problem with Hinkley and Burgo in charge. Improvement in guys like Moore, Redden, Young and Hombsh should give us decent depth.

 

[Oliver King]

We beat North Melbourne, Carlton, and Geelong.

And Hawthorn.

 

[Puddy]

I expect a home final

 

[RangaInTeal]

Expectations;

Play the first game at Adelaide Oval
Continue to grow the pie on a corporate level

Being realistic our side isn't that good, our best 5 are good but our next 20 need to improve. After Boak, Wingard, Westhoff, Lobbe and O'Shea we drop away. Sure Schulz is good and so is Hartlet but it's not consistent, we need to have 8-9 top 5 players.

 

[Forzaport]

While we should always aim for a flag, we really do need to back this year up with another solid season and at least 1 home final.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

[quote="RangaInTeal, post: 30159533, member: 54331"......we need to have 8-9 top 5 players.[/quote]

Oxymoron statement??

 

[Janus]

......we need to have 8-9 top 5 players.

Oxymoron statement??

I think he means we need to have 8-9 players who are in the top 5 for their position in the AFL. But as others have said, progression isn't linear - just because we don't have 'elite' players in those positions right now, doesn't mean next year they can't be.

Jackson Trengove is one for mine. I reckon he's going to step up to another level next year, because in the two finals I don't think he put a foot wrong.

Oh, and Ranga...you don't rate Wines as at least being 'good'?

 

[Enviable Tradition]

Top 6

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

 

[RangaInTeal]

I think he means we need to have 8-9 players who are in the top 5 for their position in the AFL. But as others have said, progression isn't linear - just because we don't have 'elite' players in those positions right now, doesn't mean next year they can't be.

Jackson Trengove is one for mine. I reckon he's going to step up to another level next year, because in the two finals I don't think he put a foot wrong.

Oh, and Ranga...you don't rate Wines as at least being 'good'?

What I meant was we need the debate to be hard fought between 8-9 players so our best 5 could be split over those.

No oxymoron, I am just a moron

As for Ollie, I am a harsh marker, too fat, too slow, beginners luck!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

What I meant was we need the debate to be hard fought between 8-9 players so our best 5 could be split over those.

No oxymoron, I am just a moron

As for Ollie, I am a harsh marker, too fat, too slow, beginners luck!

 

[Freomaniac]

I hope for a top 4 finish and even a flag.

I expect a top 8 finish at minimum.

Although I can't say I'd be surprised if we finish in the 9-13 range.

I guess you noticed Ports 2013 season is Similar to Freos 2012 season... both sides finished 7th. Both sides won an away final against the odds in the 1st week and Narrowly away in the 2nd week in the finals.

Yep its a scary pattern isnt it?

Still I expect Port to get a 5th to 8th placed spot in 2014... Keep in mind some teams will benefit of a soft draw. Just like one team did in 2012.

Realistically 5th to 8th is achievable at Port. There will be a lot of teams gunning for those 7th and 8th spots like North, Crows, essendon, Eagles and even the suns.

 

[SupportMe]

My belief was always that we'd improve this year, plateau next year and then explode in 2015.

Hasn't changed.

 

[BIG DADDY]

I expect with natural improvement and the want and desire created by our 2013 finals experience that we will finish top four (probably 4th)

 

[Us against the rest]

The way Ken, Richo and Burgo are building our team, i think it is to be a top 8 side for long period of time, not just a flash in the pan, so i expect us to improve with another pre season under our belt, 5 or 6 new players to the club. Big improvement should come from, Wines, Wigard, Boak, Pittard, Trengove, Redden & Pittard. I would expect to see improvement as each season goes by. I don't expect huge improvement next season but moderate improvement. 2013 season, our injuries were few and our draw was good early, which enabled us to get some wins and gain much needed confidence.

 

[Us against the rest]

I expect with natural improvement and the want and desire created by our 2013 finals experience that we will finish top four (probably 4th)

We raised the bar pretty high in 2013, so it's going to be tuff but i want what you said, i am to scared to say it lol.

 

[Chrizzt]

Not sure if we will be able to get a top 4 spot next year, still quite young with a fair bit of work to do, and there are still quite a few quality sides around us that will be pushing for a top 4 berth.
I'm hoping that we can make AO a bit of a fortress, hopefully taking a top 4 scalp or two at home, along with a few nice wins on the road.

In the end, I just really want to see us win the games that we should win, i.e. more-than-comfortable wins over bottom 4 teams and hopefully no losses against bottom 8-10 teams. Our draw will be harder next year but I'm pretty sure we will step up next year, just how much we step up will determine our fate.

Of course, an extremely favourable run with injuries like we had this year would be fantastic.

 

[Us against the rest]

I see Heath, Salter and D stewart all had good games today, especially Heath. All good signs if they can stay on our list, Heath is a shoe in.

 

[Portology]

There are two unique wildcards that we hold.

The first is Burgess. If anyone can be the fastest to find the optimum fitness/workload for the new cap rotations it should be him. His regime was a big factor getting us over the line late in games this year. The rules change, the best adapt quickest. If we get a few extra wins out of that... great.

The second is AO, it's a brand new ground that our opponents have to learn, and if it "suits a contested footy style" should be OK with Kern and co.

Another new factor is the attention. other teams are actively looking for tactical and positional weaknesses while we've been just trying to learn to play basic good footy (and succeeding at that). Dealing with small forwards, teams that get a run on against us, kick ins... elements of tactical nous and teaching it to the players. If we learn quick, up we go. If not, we plateau against the better teams or quicker learners.

On the balance of those and the other, usual 'factors'... tougher draw, incremental improvement from kids already playing most weeks, someone or two that steps up to be 2014's Ollie or Monfries (Newton, Butcher, 'Hoon, Redden ... Polec?), the law of injury averages (right now, what happens if Schulz goes down...), how vets Kane & Dom hold up...

I think we can earn a home final rather than just scraping in. Anywhere from 3-6 finish.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Since the new teams have come in you need more ins to finish in the top 4. That might back off a game if GWS finally become competitive and win 6 to 8 games. 14 wins might get us 4th spot.

Post    00    ..01    02    .03    04    05    06    07    08    09    10    11    12    13
4th    14.0    15    13.0    14    15    14    14    14    13    15    14    17    16    15.5
5th    12.5    14    12.5    14    14    13    14    13    13    14    13    14    15    15.0

 

[Hong-Kong Phooey]

AI started writing answer, then realised it was an open answer. Every aspect of game needs drastic improvement. It happened this year, it got us I to finals. Next year it's to get us into top 4.

As of this year, I don't want to struggle into finals again for a long long time. I want to once again be one of those teams you just expect to be there. Like hawks and Geelong etc

 

[Zakk Wylde]

Consolidate, make the 8 again and win a final. Go top the year after.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

Depends on how we recruit during the offseason, how we train during the offseason, our attitude during the offseason, and injuries during the year.

Could be a top 4 team but could also be a team that doesn't quite make the 8

 

[Golumless]

From an outsiders perspective: Sando's "Curse"

I've said it for a while, (bay 13) but i do reckon Port will slide a little in 2013 (going to position 10-12) because that is the trend with teams that come out of nowhere, they have a dream run where everything goes right and then next season, things that worked for some reason don't and they fall back a bit.

I do see a Crows/North 2013 season coming up for Port (without draft sanctions...i hope, last thing the AFL needs is more controversy), where there will be a lot of close losses, fade outs, injuries and players dropping off.

That said you'll probably end up seeing that 2014 is the season that will truly give you that hope that Port will be a powerhouse for the next few years because despite all of the hardships, you took it to every team and have discovered a few more potential A graders. As it was said earlier, next season will be learning to walk and cope with the added attention because the competition respects Port now.

Of course, improvement could happen, but that is really breaking the trend here. Do it and Hamishs' comments about a dynasty are looking a whole lot better.

 

[bcswift]

I still have bad memories of 2012 watching a team that had clearly given up on more than one occasion. I never thought I'd see that. If we can remain ultra-competitive next year I think the results will continue to build in the right direction but there may be a few ups and downs.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Top 6 on ladder, top 4 after finals.