Is it me being biased or does 90% of our team seem to be in form at once?

[94_Eagles]

I guess passengers are hidden more when you're winning, but I can't think of too many Eagles that haven't made an impact during this pre-season.

 

[theorangeapple]

i think you are right. everyone seems to be in red hot form (well everyone that has played so far).

interesting because woosh said he wanted an even effort for the whole year. i just hope we havent peaked too early.

 

[bunsen burner]

i think you are right. everyone seems to be in red hot form (well everyone that has played so far).

interesting because woosh said he wanted an even effort for the whole year. i just hope we havent peaked too early.

Everyone is in form. There's a lot of competition for spots so people are not only going hard at it, but also playing team football rather than individual football that might be prevalent when players are playing not to lose their spots in an out of form team.

There's every likelihood that we have either peaked to early or will not be able to go the full distance due to the early start and the large percentage of young players we have. But that's ok with me. We have to take it one step at a time and making that step into the real contender category comes first. And we're in a good position now to step into that group. If we fade out at the end of the year, not to worry as next year we won't need to prove ourselves (to others and ourselves) in the WC and can time the run for September.

This year is about first and foremost putting ourselves into that elite flag contender group. Anything past a PF is a bonus.

 

[Total Package]

I guess passengers are hidden more when you're winning, but I can't think of too many Eagles that haven't made an impact during this pre-season.

Jeremy Humm.

 

[Geonet]

This year is about first and foremost putting ourselves into that elite flag contender group. Anything past a PF is a bonus.

We should go for the flag now. It may not be achievable but why wait to assert ourselves as contenders ? That's why I have always hated the word "rebuilding". This word should only be accepted in the context of continuous rebuilding, day by day, month by month and NOT "this year we can't aspire to win anything because we're rebuilding". I'm sure Leigh Matthews won't use this word at any time. In fact I feel he's now planning to win another flag with Brisbane in 2005. And so is Woosha. He may have not told us about his aspirations but everything he's done so far points to Worsfold strong ambition to go for the flag. I still have doubts about our chances of winning the flag from Perth without a super team, but who knows if we, by luck or excellent planning, have already that kind of team.

 

[bunsen burner]

We should go for the flag now. It may not be achievable but why wait to assert ourselves as contenders ?

You're not quite picking up what I'm saying.

I'm all for going for the flag either way, but there's two ways of going about it from our situation:

1. Purposely starting the preseason late which might mean dropping a few early games but peaking in September

2. Coming at charging from the start with the risk of running out of steam come the last two weeks in September.

Option number 1 is too risky. We haven't proven ourselves to other teams let alone ourselves. If we start slow our players might not get the confidence the step up into the top group. The first option gets us to the first step with a shot at the flag if all goes well. This is the year to come out charging and if we fade at the end, then so be it.

If we do fade out this year, we start slow next year as our team is already in that top group and will not need expend energy early to realise that.

That's why I have always hated the word "rebuilding". This word should only be accepted in the context of continuous rebuilding, day by day, month by month and NOT "this year we can't aspire to win anything because we're rebuilding".

Completely disagree from a supporter perspective. If your team is trying and somewhat succeeding at trying every year you just chase your tail. You expect that effort from a coach but from a supporter perspective you rather a team have a few bad years, recruit well, and then get a good coach who will get momentum.

The Eagles spent a good 5 years in no man's land. It's no coincidence that it wasn't until Ken Judge finished with us that we turned it around.

 

[Geonet]

Completely disagree from a supporter perspective. If your team is trying and somewhat succeeding at trying every year you just chase your tail. You expect that effort from a coach but from a supporter perspective you rather a team have a few bad years, recruit well, and then get a good coach who will get momentum.

The Eagles spent a good 5 years in no man's land. It's no coincidence that it wasn't until Ken Judge finished with us that we turned it around.

This "rebuilding" mentality is very much associated with australian rules and it is often used as an excuse for failing. You don't see much of that in other team sports. The idea that a club should be subjected to be a second rate team for a few years, for the benefit of the future, is often a pre-emptive justification for failure and good for those coaches "a la" Ken Judge who can't coach and have no ambition. For example, you don't see great coaches in soccer do that, and we've seen teams underperforming in one year and fight for the title the next, with basically the same players. Woosha is like that. You've never seen him talking about rebuilding. This is a word that is not part of his vocabulary. He didn't use it in his first year when everybody thought we'd be the wooden spooners and to the surprise of everybody, he finished 8. He also refused to use that word or in fact any other excuse, when he finished 8 in the last couple of years when we expected more from him. And for what I've seen so far you can bet that he's now looking for the highest prize in the land but if he fails he'll never mention anything near the word "rebuilding".

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

This "rebuilding" mentality is very much associated with australian rules and it is often used as an excuse for failing.

I'm "rebuilding" at school.

 

[94_Eagles]

Jeremy Humm.

He was one who come to mind.

He won't get a game in the reg season. Everyone bar Kasey Green is ahead of him.

 

[bunsen burner]

This "rebuilding" mentality is very much associated with australian rules and it is often used as an excuse for failing. You don't see much of that in other team sports. The idea that a club should be subjected to be a second rate team for a few years, for the benefit of the future, is often a pre-emptive justification for failure and good for those coaches "a la" Ken Judge who can't coach and have no ambition. For example, you don't see great coaches in soccer do that, and we've seen teams underperforming in one year and fight for the title the next, with basically the same players. Woosha is like that. You've never seen him talking about rebuilding. This is a word that is not part of his vocabulary. He didn't use it in his first year when everybody thought we'd be the wooden spooners and to the surprise of everybody, he finished 8. He also refused to use that word or in fact any other excuse, when he finished 8 in the last couple of years when we expected more from him. And for what I've seen so far you can bet that he's now looking for the highest prize in the land but if he fails he'll never mention anything near the word "rebuilding".

All due respect, I really don't think you properly understand the draft and understand the difference between a coach's perspective and a supporter's perspective.

As a supporter, to want your team to realise it's full potential every year is quite frankly, sh it for brains. The draft is designed in such away that your team would most likely get stuck mid table.

No judge = no judd.

 

[Geonet]

All due respect, I really don't think you properly understand the draft and understand the difference between a coach's perspective and a supporter's perspective.

As a supporter, to want your team to realise it's full potential every year is quite frankly, sh it for brains. The draft is designed in such away that your team would most likely get stuck mid table.

I understand the draft quite well. In theory the draft is an equalizer so that in theory all the teams should have similar abilities to fight for the flag. That is not so, not because of the draft but due to poor planning, bad choice of players, bad coaches, terrible psychology, lack of confidence and I would add excuses like "rebuilding" and "injuries". The draft should be the reason those excuses shouldn't exist and those coaches who use them are destined to failure. Cheers.

 

[bunsen burner]

I understand the draft quite well. In theory the draft is an equalizer so that in theory all the teams should have similar abilities to fight for the flag. That is not so, not because of the draft but due to poor planning, bad choice of players, bad coaches, terrible psychology, lack of confidence and I would add excuses like "rebuilding" and "injuries". The draft should be the reason those excuses shouldn't exist and those coaches who use them are destined to failure. Cheers.

I was clearly talking about from a supporters perspective rather than a coaches perspective.

From a coaches point of view, "rebuilding" means "We need to improve" or "we need to get players". It's not really an excuse. I'm sure Denis Pagan quite rightly used the rebuilding term in recent years. When a coach first gets a job, the liklihood is that the team isn't doing well and that the coach has a plan in place on how to develop the list and gameplan/style of footy he wants. Hence the term "rebuilding".

Comparing AFL to soccer (who can rebuild with the help of a cheque book at anytime within a short time), or using Mathews who has had the benchmark team for years is pointless.

 

[theorangeapple]

Jeremy Humm.

humm wasnt bad against the pies. 16possesions and did some nice things in limited game time. actually, i thought he showed abit, which suprised me.

 

[patsmith]

humm wasnt bad against the pies. 16possesions and did some nice things in limited game time. actually, i thought he showed abit, which suprised me.

Agreed. He kicked a goal with a 65m kick, which I was surprised with, and he did his usual in-and-under stuff, so I didn't mind his game at all.

 

[Geonet]

From a coaches point of view, "rebuilding" means "We need to improve" or "we need to get players". It's not really an excuse. I'm sure Denis Pagan quite rightly used the rebuilding term in recent years. When a coach first gets a job, the liklihood is that the team isn't doing well and that the coach has a plan in place on how to develop the list and gameplan/style of footy he wants. Hence the term "rebuilding".

For a few coaches "rebuilding" means "hey people we're playing crap but it's not my fault! It's just that we're rebuilding". It's often an excuse to justify bad results. Ken Judge used this excuse extensively and that's probably the main reason I hate this word. Every week KJ asked for forgiveness for the beatings we were getting week in week out, because he was "rebuilding" the team. He even had the temerity to suggest that Malthouse was at fault, when he had basically inherited the same team which had finished 6 in the previous year.

It's interesting that you mention Dennis Pagan. I remember that he changed North Melbourne overnight. No need for rebuilding. The previous North Melbourne coach was sacked because he took a 200 point beating from Adelaide at the beginning of the season. North Melbourne was playing really bad footy, but under Dennis Pagan in that same year, they finished 3rd on the ladder and as you know he went on to win two premierships.

 

[Total Package]

humm wasnt bad against the pies. 16possesions and did some nice things in limited game time. actually, i thought he showed abit, which suprised me.

Yes... but really... would you play him ahead of nearly anyone else in our team? He is not in the same class as Butler/Waters etc.... He is a hard at it player.. and would probably do quite well at another club.. but I get the feeling Brett Jones and Beau Waters have his spot covered

 

[Bestbird]

Who are the 10% that are out of form

 

[bunsen burner]

For a few coaches "rebuilding" means "hey people we're playing crap but it's not my fault! It's just that we're rebuilding". It's often an excuse to justify bad results. Ken Judge used this excuse extensively and that's probably the main reason I hate this word. Every week KJ asked for forgiveness for the beatings we were getting week in week out, because he was "rebuilding" the team. He even had the temerity to suggest that Malthouse was at fault, when he had basically inherited the same team which had finished 6 in the previous year.

It's interesting that you mention Dennis Pagan. I remember that he changed North Melbourne overnight. No need for rebuilding. The previous North Melbourne coach was sacked because he took a 200 point beating from Adelaide at the beginning of the season. North Melbourne was playing really bad footy, but under Dennis Pagan in that same year, they finished 3rd on the ladder and as you know he went on to win two premierships.

We';re pretty much talking about different things from different angles. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Phoney McRing-Ring]

Who are the 10% that are out of form

The ones not playing.