Oppo Camp Non Geelong football (AFL) discussion 2024, Part I

[Mr Meow]

Somehow....we are 3rd on the ladder still after 3 losses on the trot. And Essendon are 2nd after 10 rounds.

I'm not sure many people had:

Sydney
Essendon
Geelong
Port

As their top 4 (in order) as we approach the halfway point of season 2024.

 

[Mr Meow]

Its an incredibly open year. And if we get our crap together we could win it.

2016 vibes, big time.

 

[Catsace]

2016 vibes, big time.

Hopefully Sydney get tired as the season progresses, vital we beat GSW next week to get back on the horse. But to think we've not beaten them at KP since 2018!

 

[OzeSparky]

Hopefully Sydney get tired as the season progresses, vital we beat GSW next week to get back on the horse. But to think we've not beaten them at KP since 2018!

Is Steph Curry playing?

 

[And_ROOS]

Hopefully Sydney get tired as the season progresses, vital we beat GSW next week to get back on the horse. But to think we've not beaten them at KP since 2018!

Like how last year they started the season very slow, they were 3-2 when we battered them, went on a losing streak, got a 3 point win against North, got on a winning streak.

They could easily drop off as the season progresses.

 

[Catsace]

Is Steph Curry playing?

If he's a small forward we'd find a way for him to kick three. But I like referring GWS as GSW.

 

[And_ROOS]

Cats don't play the Eagles until Round 24. Will be two completely different teams then.

#it'swhenyouplay

Thats about the time they will have run out of fuel in the tank and will drop off unless they sneak into the 8, which while unlikely they have Crows, Saints, Kangaroos and Blues over the next 4 matches and they could beat the Saints and Roos, and Croms isn't a sure thing either.
And who knows what has happened to Carltons form.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Somehow....we are 3rd on the ladder still after 3 losses on the trot. And Essendon are 2nd after 10 rounds.

I'm not sure many people had:

Sydney
Essendon
Geelong
Port

As their top 4 (in order) as we approach the halfway point of season 2024.

It's another year with no stand-out contenders, so it's just a matter of taking top 4 and which one of those sides can head into September with the best form and availability. Even Collingwood are down from last year. Melbourne continue to linger around the top of the ladder this year despite never having been able to recapture 2021 form.

Geelong and Essendon have made top 4 by managing to get a pretty easy run of opponents in the first portion of the year. Geelong are being balanced out from that now, and Essendon will soon as well. Both sides should make finals but I doubt will finish top 4 or do much damage.

 

[Mr Meow]

It's another year with no stand-out contenders, so it's just a matter of taking top 4 and which one of those sides can head into September with the best form and availability. Even Collingwood are down from last year. Melbourne continue to linger around the top of the ladder this year despite never having been able to recapture 2021 form.

Geelong and Essendon have made top 4 by managing to get a pretty easy run of opponents in the first portion of the year. Geelong are being balanced out from that now, and Essendon will soon as well. Both sides should make finals but I doubt will finish top 4 or do much damage.

Good points.

Which sides do we trust to do big finals damage?

Collingwood as reigning premiers who have at least picked up a series of wins and momentum would have to be next after Sydney.

Carlton, GWS and Melbourne could still pull it off if they get their butts into gear. But Melbourne are also only 4 points ahead of 11th, with less %. Carlton aren't in the 8. GWS are close to falling out.

Are Geelong, Essendon and Port really even below those last 3 teams?

 

[Mad_Hatter]

I'm pretty confident in saying I think Reid has the potential to be as good, if not better, than any player of the last 20 years.

 

[Turbocat]

The worst part about HarelyR is that ..he basically is rewarding the worst type performance … when you see them playing now you realise that they have had far more talent than they were playing with unlike North who have been frankly just the worst group …. and with one bad year where WC get the first pick by percentage ….they get a freak. Very Judd like ..in that they got him thru a Priority Pick

 

[PzBlinky]

The worst part about HarelyR is that ..he basically is rewarding the worst type performance … when you see them playing now you realise that they have had far more talent than they were playing with unlike North who have been frankly just the worst group …. and with one bad year where WC get the first pick by percentage ….they get a freak. Very Judd like ..in that they got him thru a Priority Pick

To be fair, 2023 WCE were catastrophically unlucky with injury. Richmond are basically the "2024 Eagles" - not as bad as their ladder position, but injuries have left the playing list stripped bare.

 

[Strange Cat]

Just imagine how much better Norf would be with both JHF and Ried…I can’t get over how bad they are even when they are given gifts

 

[winty]

Imagine losing from here....

 

[Hinkley29]

Would be a good effing start.

Achieving Heeney's 24 or more this season (a slow game for Isaac this year btw) is Holmes, Zuthrie, Miers, Stewart, Duncan, Cameron and Bruhn. One mid among 4 back flankers, a forward flanker and the CHF.

The 4 you list have done it a combined 20 times.
Bowes, Clark, Bruhn, Atkins, Parfitt have done it once.... ONCE.

You really need to stop making this the hill you'll die on, because you are deadset wrong.
Our mids group are s**t and need to be significantly better than they are at present.

Who is praising them? Pls provide examples and not motherhood statements. And make it genuine praise, not “Clark has potential” or “Parfitt has been better than last year”. Statements where posters have explicitly said that our midfield is a strength.

I’ll wait

 

[Hinkley29]

Trade, draft and free agency.
We have support case mids.

We need a younger Dangerfield and Guthrie type at years end. Cam and Patrick are at the end and can't be relied upon.
Put an A grader or two in this team with the bulk of the guys we have and no issues. We'd do alright.

Sounds easy. Just be prepared to suck for 3 years and get top 5 draft picks.

Or cut required players from our areas of strength to free up salary cap to overpay for mediocre free agent mids.

Problem solved.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Imagine losing from here....

View attachment 1994914

I breathed every second from row J and I've never felt so alive

 

[winty]

 

[thejester]

Would be a good effing start.

Achieving Heeney's 24 or more this season (a slow game for Isaac this year btw) is Holmes, Zuthrie, Miers, Stewart, Duncan, Cameron and Bruhn. One mid among 4 back flankers, a forward flanker and the CHF.

The 4 you list have done it a combined 20 times.
Bowes, Clark, Bruhn, Atkins, Parfitt have done it once.... ONCE.

You really need to stop making this the hill you'll die on, because you are deadset wrong.
Our mids group are s**t and need to be significantly better than they are at present.

I take your point but we had 1 player average 24 or more touches in 2022. Lower possession counts is partially a feature of how we play.

 

[Turbocat]

Its an incredibly open year. And if we get our crap together we could win it.

Swans are super hot … but can they maintain that form. Finish P1. Two home finals…. You would bet they make the GF…. and we at least would be able to say …”Hey..we have been here done this before"

 

[Strange Cat]

Swans are super hot … but can they maintain that form. Finish P1. Two home finals…. You would bet they make the GF…. and we at least would be able to say …”Hey..we have been here done this before"

Rather a late form than a early form but Syd are the team in front atm

 

[Catman]

Remember in 2022, Melbourne were undefeated after Round 10 and the consensus was everyone else was playing for second?

We're four months from GF day, there'll be plenty of twists to come.

 

[Hinkley29]

Remember in 2022 Melbourne were undefeated after Round 10 and the consensus was everyone else was playing for second?

We're four months from GF day, there'll be plenty of twists to come.

Yep.

In 2022 after 9 rounds we were miles off being a premiership contender.

There is a long way to go.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Swans are super hot … but can they maintain that form. Finish P1. Two home finals…. You would bet they make the GF…. and we at least would be able to say …”Hey..we have been here done this before"

Swans have got a very good omen - if Richmond keep losing ( lets hope so ) and finish last with just the single one win

1963 Geelong won the Premiership and and Fitzroy finished last - their only win for the year was beating Geel at Brunswick St

Richmonds only win so far - and if it remains that way was against the Swans at the MCG

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I take your point but we had 1 player average 24 or more touches in 2022. Lower possession counts is partially a feature of how we play.

In return, I take the point you're making.
To my mind this lower possession focus is different this time because we've slipped at a couple key metrics.

2022 v 2024

Contested Possession differential - 4th down to 16th
Clearance differential - 6th down to 16th

We simply are nowhere near as good, or even competent for a finals contender at winning the footy in the contest.
If we can't win the ball inside the contest, and we prefer to share the load and accumulate the ball less as well. To me that sounds like a bad mix.