Hopes and expectations - what were yours?

[Dangarman]

So, after what would normally be half a season, how does the 6-5 score line and 7th on the ladder compare with what you were hoping to see?

For mine, it is somewhere between my hopes (pushing for top 4) and expectations (pushing for finals)

 

[Cap]

I was always hoping that we would be in contention for finals at the mid Point.

We are there so I'm happy with that.

 

[Danger in Texas]

My expectations for the year were roughly 10 or 11 wins all up, so I’m happy with our progress. Would be surprised if we don’t eclipse that number

 

[AFC979810]

Preseason I thought we had the list to compete for a spot in the 8 and that should be our expectation. I was skeptical that Nicks would be able to deliver on that.

I now 100% believe we have the list. I am much less skeptical that Nicks can take us to finals.

 

[jackster83]

I had hoped to be retired at 30, living in a penthouse in Monaco and married to Megan Gale, but we can't all have what we want.

Oh wait, you're talking about football. Carry on.

 

[Jarman3]

I wanted improvement, and so far we have very clear improvement. 6 wins so far. If we maintain this trajectory and end up with 12-13 wins we'll play finals which would be a year ahead of my expectations.

Even the losses haven't been real stinkers (apart from the Bulldogs one). It's nice just having a team that is watchable pretty much every week even when we lose. Been a long time since we could say that.

 

[hippyhippy]

Better than port.... And port plays in the grand final

 

[croweater 41]

At the start of the year (half way through the GWS game) I sent a message to mates who said we looked good that we'd be a team that either pushed into the 9 or ruined some teams finals hopes and finish 9-10.

I think the majority of us thought this was the year we'd show something. And I think of all people David King summed it up well on first crack that sometimes we will run into speed humps but that doesn't mean shit is hitting the fan. From here I am expecting finals and the beginning of the season I was hopeful of finals.

 

[GreyCrow]

So, after what would normally be half a season, how does the 6-5 score line and 7th on the ladder compare with what you were hoping to see?

For mine, it is somewhere between my hopes (pushing for top 4) and expectations (pushing for finals)

Above expectation.

Though I hadnt put a figure on halfway I had us winning 10-12 games at seasons end. Or was it 10th to 12th spot?

Either way I thought we would improve from last year

I will still stick with the pre-season feel but its a great opportunity to go past that

 

[Golumless]

Better than I expected. I thought we'd improve, but I didn't expect us to be in a position where we're a good shot at finals.

 

[CrowBloke]

Yeah, interesting question.
After last year I was not optimistic and my belief in Nicks was low. I still have remnant PTSD from 2020/2021 .

I hoped we'd get 2 or 3 more wins than 2022; did not think we'd make finals, but finish maybe 10-12th. When we were 0-2, I was very despondent and thought we might be 4-9 or even 3-10 at bye-time.
Surprises:
--- Dawson (even after last year)/Rankine/Michalanney (the latter about whom I knew zilch) have proven to be much, much better players than I expected. Rankine, Oh my stars! Huge tank, freakish goalsneak a la Eddie, and that's high praise. Rachele, wow, but needs to be less selfish.
--- Pedlar looks like he will excel. Fogarty is crashing packs and bringing the ball to ground. Jones seems to have found his mojo/niche. Murray has become a real force.
(serious question: what's all the hype around Worrell? I like him well enough, but Michalanney has starred, is absolute best-22 selection and shown much more than Worrell. On Sunday, one of his early kicks went straight to a Brisbane chest and I thought he was --- meh. Gassed after 3 quarters, yet many want him to be retained. Not ready for AFL imo).
--- Milera danced some magic through and around Brisbane last week and his delivery was very good. I'm very happy to see how much he's come good (but about time?).
--- Nicks. I posted about his great patience previously, but his willingness to experiment with youth as mids is a plus, among other things. Giving Keays a job to do works more often than not (I continue to be mystified by the anti-Keays, Keays-is-crap hating in here. Keays would be one of the first ten players picked, every week).
--- team skills/run-and-overlap are noticeably sharper .

Disappointments:
--- Berry and Schoenberg. Does anybody know what's happened to them? Schoenberg was always slack defensively, but I thought he'd grow out of it (he hasn't). Berry was a tackling beast. If they bounce back and improve to strong AFL level, we'll have a glass full of tough and skillful youth.
--- Himmelberg; had multiple chances. His game in the PA win last year was his best, his zenith. So, ONE great game in a meh-almost-career. Delist.

Sad about:
--- Doedee; lost form. Several posters think he wants to go/be traded. What's the good oil on that, anybody?
--- sad to see Sloane take so long to warm up in games. His last quarters are often strong; people are suggesting he be made sub., but he takes 2 quarters to get going.
--- while Tex is having a good year and might play another, I'm sad that he's coming to the end of his great career. Watching him grow into manhood/leader/family man has been entertaining to say the least, while he's retained some of his goofy boyishness.

Looking ahead:
--- I'm concerned that we'll regress in the last 4-5 rounds and fall back into the pack, but that's more a fear than a rational expectation.
--- well, I think we're a strong chance for the 8 next year, contenders 2025/26/27? Seems a long way away, though.

 

[pjcrows]

I wanted a visible game style. I predicted a ceiling of 10 wins, thought we'd win 8 or 9.

We've been much better than I expected.

 

[Samcro24]

I didn't give much thought as to how'd we go.

However I did note pre-season in the best 22 thread that the side was finally starting to look good on paper. Particulalry the forward line (obviously).

We've gone from very shit to very competitive in a short space of time which is great. Losing had become very boring. The evenness of the comp cant be understated though. The top end seems to lack a bit of bite, which puts us closer to actually contending than anyone could have dreamed pre season. Still a fair way to go for that.