Peaking for a premiership in 2010

[Glitch]

I have gone over and over our list and looked at the ages of our team, the balance of our team and in my mind it is touch and go as to wether or not this team could challenge for a premiership. I think the only real chance we may have is next year. Simply because I think there is a couple of players who need to mature before we lose the likes of Bowden, Richo, Cousins, Simmonds and Brown. (Luckily I think we can cover those players for another tilt in about 4-5 years)

Basically it depends on the maturity of Vickery, who I think next year could play a vital role as a CHF. Rance/Post to hold up CHB and that frees up Moore or McGuanne to play on the smaller attacking players.
I think Cotchin may also need one more year before he is completley fit to be dominant. many other players like Edwards, Connors etc will also be better next year than this.

Vickery is the 'big' key. The more I think about it the more I suspect we may well have lucked ourselves into a champion here. But not as a ruckman. At 200cm, with great speed (as fast as any of the forwards today). Decent agility and a strong mark. If he can be a target up forward that brings others into the game, watch out.

Down back, it's Post who intruiges me more than anyone else. The more I review the few highlights of him I can get the thing that starts to stand out is that whilst he doesn't appear overly good in many areas other than marking, and equally he has limited weaknesses, he seems to have good awareness. This is vital with the speed of the modern game. He has enough other good skills to make me think if I was a betting man, I would back that he will fill the CHB post for years.

So here is my 'matured' best team (in a few cases I couldn't decide, so I didn't)

B Bowden Thursfield Moore
HB Newman/White Rance/Post McGuanne
C Deledio Cousins Richardson
Foll Simmonds Tuck/Thomsen Foley
HF Brown Vickery Cotchin
F Riewoldt Morton Tambling/Edwards

There is still a decent amount of depth as well with the likes of Connors, Coughlan, Pattison, Jackson, Schulz, Johnson, McMahon as well as some players with bucket loads of potential, eg Putt.

The thing about this team is that :
- very quick team.
- very good at hard ball gets.
- quality skills in many areas now (cotch, cousins, deledio, brown, morton etc)
- Defensive pressure in the forward is adequte.
- Backs are quick and can cover each other. They are adequte in size though not overly tall - a weakness mainly against the Hawks.

All in all I think this team could definatley be a top 4 team, but Geelong will still be to skillfull and Hawthorn to powerfull in most occasions. We will need some luck that's for sure.

So what are your thoughts?

Do you think we have chance this year?
Do many think we have a chance next year?
Etc.

 

[BILC]

I have gone over and over our list and looked at the ages of our team, the balance of our team and in my mind it is touch and go as to wether or not this team could challenge for a premiership. I think the only real chance we may have is next year. Simply because I think there is a couple of players who need to mature before we lose the likes of Bowden, Richo, Cousins, Simmonds and Brown. (Luckily I think we can cover those players for another tilt in about 4-5 years)

Basically it depends on the maturity of Vickery, who I think next year could play a vital role as a CHF. Rance/Post to hold up CHB and that frees up Moore or McGuanne to play on the smaller attacking players.
I think Cotchin may also need one more year before he is completley fit to be dominant. many other players like Edwards, Connors etc will also be better next year than this.

Vickery is the 'big' key. The more I think about it the more I suspect we may well have lucked ourselves into a champion here. But not as a ruckman. At 200cm, with great speed (as fast as any of the forwards today). Decent agility and a strong mark. If he can be a target up forward that brings others into the game, watch out.

Down back, it's Post who intruiges me more than anyone else. The more I review the few highlights of him I can get the thing that starts to stand out is that whilst he doesn't appear overly good in many areas other than marking, and equally he has limited weaknesses, he seems to have good awareness. This is vital with the speed of the modern game. He has enough other good skills to make me think if I was a betting man, I would back that he will fill the CHB post for years.

So here is my 'matured' best team (in a few cases I couldn't decide, so I didn't)

B Bowden Thursfield Moore
HB Newman/White Rance/Post McGuanne
C Deledio Cousins Richardson
Foll Simmonds Tuck/Thomsen Foley
HF Brown Vickery Cotchin
F Riewoldt Morton Tambling/Edwards

There is still a decent amount of depth as well with the likes of Connors, Coughlan, Pattison, Jackson, Schulz, Johnson, McMahon as well as some players with bucket loads of potential, eg Putt.

The thing about this team is that :
- very quick team.
- very good at hard ball gets.
- quality skills in many areas now (cotch, cousins, deledio, brown, morton etc)
- Defensive pressure in the forward is adequte.
- Backs are quick and can cover each other. They are adequte in size though not overly tall - a weakness mainly against the Hawks.

All in all I think this team could definatley be a top 4 team, but Geelong will still be to skillfull and Hawthorn to powerfull in most occasions. We will need some luck that's for sure.

So what are your thoughts?

Do you think we have chance this year?
Do many think we have a chance next year?
Etc.

i can guarantee you that wont be the team come round 1....wheres cotchin????....surely he gets in ahead of edwards

 

[beaver fever]

A lot of crap in that OP.

 

[lvt06]

i can guarantee you that wont be the team come round 1....wheres cotchin????....surely he gets in ahead of edwards

Cotchin is on the Half Forward Line.

Attention to detail is what makes you a star

 

[Stamps]

A lot of crap in that OP.

Agreed.

 

[Cousins_Tiger]

This is what Terry said basically in the often misquoted talk he gave at the begining of last season. We were building for sustained success, for those that were at training on Wednesday this is obviouse the size of the team has increased a lot we no longer look like a bunch of kids but a bunch of men running around. Give this 2 more years with continued improvement and we will be a very dangerouse team for 5 or 6 years.

Once Richo, Bowden, Cousins, Simmonds and Brown go we still have the basis of a very good team that will compete in the top 8 for years to come.

The Ben cousins thing was the right decision even though we have a youth plan it doenst mean you ignore the obviouse. A fully fit tema with the older brigade of Richo, Cousins, Brown and Bowden could do anything on there day

Keep the faith tigers we are almost there

 

[jonty15]

If Richo stayts on the wing he has 1 maybe 2 years left, forward he has 3, with cousins, thomson and hislop all in the squad, as well as a fully fit Coughlan and 1 year older cotchin, I would assume richo stays at FF for lengthy periods, with Riewoldt and Morton around him. As for the older brigade that we lose, Newman is the heir apparent to Bowden, Simmonds is a good Ruckman, but not a dominant one, Browns output has been pretty limited for a couple of years, while still useful, I don't think these guys leave major holes in the team, not like they would have 2-3 years ago. Anything less than 5 or 6 finals series in a row would be pretty disappointing from here, the rebuilding phase has taken 5 years...