Realistically, where do you see us finishing this year?

[GapInIkonPark]

We are short of a KPD and looking at proverbial stop-gap solutions.
Our midfield is improved with the inclusions of Cerra and Hewett, however we do not have a top 6 midfield.
Our ruck division is rather thin. TDK is not there yet (I think he will be really good) and Pitto is pedestrian. Mirkov is raw. JSOS as back up ruck tells one a lot.
Our forward line might develop into a potent mix of dangerous talls and small forward pressure.
9-10 IMO, also, injuries will most likely prevent us from being a threat to the Top 8. We won’t have Walsh, Cuningham, Marchbank, Stocker and Honey in the first part of the season, with Harry and Doc in doubt for round 1.

 

[Red_man2008]

I’m not too fussed if we do or don’t make the finals and not too concerned about the overall W-L, I’m more interested in toppling some good teams and making sure we beat bad sides.

If we make 7th or 8th we’re going to be making up the numbers in the same way Essendon did last year. A nice milestone, but pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Making finals is achievable. You look at the middle band of the ladder and it is as you’d expect - mid-range sides who are a clear tier (if not a couple of tiers/if not 3 tiers) - below the best. We beat plenty of sides around us who will now cop harder draws for finishing slightly above us. We have to capitalise on the games we’re expected to win.

Again though, it’s not make our break. The levelling out of the competition has also impacted the upper and lower reaches of the ladder, the best teams are no longer dominant and the worst teams aren’t terrible. That creates the conditions for a slide to slingshot pretty quickly (Swans 2021, Saints 2020, Lions 2019) if they’re capable.

How good will it feel though if we win a final before Essendon. That will make me extremely happy.

 

[Revenant1965]

How good will it feel though if we win a final before Essendon. That will make me extremely happy.

For me, whilst that would be nice, I would like to see another premiership. My grandfather was a Cats fan, and he died just before their 2007 premiership. Waited over 40 years, and didn't get to see it. We're approaching 30 years without, a milestone I hope we don't make...

 

[JustaBattler]

We are short of a KPD and looking at proverbial stop-gap solutions.
Our midfield is improved with the inclusions of Cerra and Hewett, however we do not have a top 6 midfield.
Our ruck division is rather thin. TDK is not there yet (I think he will be really good) and Pitto is pedestrian. Mirkov is raw. JSOS as back up ruck tells one a lot.
Our forward line might develop into a potent mix of dangerous talls and small forward pressure.
9-10 IMO, also, injuries will most likely prevent us from being a threat to the Top 8. We won’t have Walsh, Cuningham, Marchbank, Stocker and Honey in the first part of the season, with Harry and Doc in doubt for round 1.

Yep - KPD is a missing piece
Yep- ruck division is pedestrian
No - forward line with Harry/Charlie/Martin/Honey and whoever is finals quality
No - our midfield - despite lack of proven depth is finals quality Cripps/Walsh/Cerra/Hewett/Kennedy can all hold their own - not top3 midfield but certainly good enough to be a finals midfield.

The games we lose in '22 will because we get done on the outside - soft underbelly is wing positions - if we put Walsh/Cerra on wings the on-ball rotations suffer for lack of burst - which is why it is imperative that both Dow and Fisher come on.

 

[Juice030103]

Our forward line could end up being the best in the comp and I’ll stand by that. Come at me

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

Someone being realistic
You finished 13th last year with a relatively good injury run(compared to other teams around you) you have a new coach, likely a new complete game plan I think 6th-10th for your mob is most definitely best case scenario but I can’t see it
If you take out mckay, you had Eddie who kicked 25 odd goals, he’s gone now, and your next highest was 15(owies) and this is all with an extremely attacking gameplan
Curnow can potentially become a 1-2 goal a game player but other then that is there anyone else on your list that I can see getting into that range? To win games you need to kick goals, and to kick goals you need a decent forward line, without mckay and curnow there’s nothing and you can’t realistically rely on either of them to play a full season, let alone carry you to finals.
13th-15th for me.

Good injury run? Christ. Use your brain mate. If you have one.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

We were bottom 4 for missed games due to injury and we had a good injury run apparently. He does raise good points to be fair and everyone’s entitled to their own opinion

The missed game ladder didn't include long term stuff. The ladder didn't have marchy cunners doch etc on it from memory. It's done so badly.

 

[thylacine60]

Our forward line could end up being the best in the recovery rooms and I’ll stand by that. Come at me

 

[Brighton_Diggins]

It's always a log jam from 6th to 12th position about 4-6 games out from the end of the season. I think we'll be neck and neck with a few other teams in this period and it will probably come down to a couple of close wins and losses for all teams concerned to decide these last spots. Can see us being agonisingly close finishing just outside in 9-10th spot with someone like the bombers edging us out.

This really is a do or die season for big Charlie C. Another set back and it may as well be curtains for him. Hope 2022 is his big break out 'what we've all be waiting for' period. The loss of jones cannot be understated and I can see McGov doing a decent job of fulfilling/replacing him in this role.

Kicking goals? We've got a coleman medalist. As for back up? See above Mr Curnow.
Smalls? Fisher will do some damage as well Martin. Walsh is also handy in front and Jack Also.
Can see a fit T Papley would be really good about now.

9-10th. Harrowingly close. burn in the guts leading into 2023

 

[gbatman]

With a perfect injury run I could see us pushing 4-5, it's easy to forget that we have plenty of elite talent when they are fit. Cripps, Curnow, Walsh, Mckay, Weitering and you could probably add Cerra into that are elite players. Plenty of talent below them as well. But we are already not having a perfect run with injuries. Can we win enough games in the early stages then come good? Who knows.

I think with a good normal run thought we will finish around the 8-6th mark. If we have a run similar to last year we will be around 12-8th.

The list has improved because of new recruits and maturity so it should go forward regardless.

One thing you need to succeeded is luck. We haven't had that, had a lot of players and top players miss through injury. No one wins a premiership with a bad run of injuries. No one finishes top 4 with a good chunk of their better players out for too long. IMO we are a team that can go a long way with a bit of luck but that is going to have to happen first. I think the talent is there now to not just make finals but progress into finals but the maturity, injury and depth of quality hasn't been there in the past. Is it now? It's vastly improved.

 

[JuddgementDay]

With a perfect injury run I could see us pushing 4-5, it's easy to forget that we have plenty of elite talent when they are fit. Cripps, Curnow, Walsh, Mckay, Weitering and you could probably add Cerra into that are elite players. Plenty of talent below them as well. But we are already not having a perfect run with injuries. Can we win enough games in the early stages then come good? Who knows.

I think with a good normal run thought we will finish around the 8-6th mark. If we have a run similar to last year we will be around 12-8th.

The list has improved because of new recruits and maturity so it should go forward regardless.

One thing you need to succeeded is luck. We haven't had that, had a lot of players and top players miss through injury. No one wins a premiership with a bad run of injuries. No one finishes top 4 with a good chunk of their better players out for too long. IMO we are a team that can go a long way with a bit of luck but that is going to have to happen first. I think the talent is there now to not just make finals but progress into finals but the maturity, injury and depth of quality hasn't been there in the past. Is it now? It's vastly improved.

Agreed!

I would like to add that both the game plan and the players attitude (effort, role, team first) would also make a huge difference to our success.

You can already see the change in game style, but this will take a bit of time to gel.
So, as long as we break-even by the bye I'll be happy.

Finals bound for 2022

 

[jj1978]

All above the shoulders with this lot.

LOB, Dow, Martin, McGov and Setterfield... if the coaches can get these 5 to be mentally switched on for a whole game and give it 100% then it's huge. Having all 5 of these on means we have depth as possibly not all of these will play every round.

Our keys are, Charlie, Harry, Weits, Cripps, Walsh - having these 5 stay fit and healthy is paramount particularly for the 2nd half of the season (Walsh we already know will miss some early games).

Decent footsoldiers: Saad, Williams, Cerra, JSOS, Hewett and Kennedy - these are our blue collar workers (granted some can play above that level as well) but should factor in as the blue collar core in every game (Kennedy/Ed-Curnow can possibly interchange).

Jones is a bigger loss than Walsh for us for the start of the season. He and Weits clicked and played well in tandem, those 2 have been fantastic for us for 2 years. Can O-Mac, Parkes, Marchbank fill some of that void? Time will tell... but we need 2 of those to at least step up and be available ready to play the whole season.

The injury curse: how many of our players played through pain and battered bodies the last few years (Cripps, Harry, JSOS to name a couple), so it's not just the ones who are missing to more serious injuries. If this continues this year, a complete rehash of our fitness and wellbeing department will have to occur. If our injuries are few and controlled that's the most important part.

Playing for spots - see that Voss and the coaches are applying this - Dow not playing last weeks practice game in the senior side is testament (even with all of Diesels gloating about him off season)... we have a whole host of interesting players fighting for spots now and things like our early talented draft picks aren't even considered walk up starts anymore. This is healthy.

I've seen stranger things in 40+ years of footy... remember 93! In comparison our list is capable of doing what the baby * did in that era.. we surely can win the premiership.. Voss and the coaches gameplan may be that releasing shackle to get the players to gel and play as we know they've been capable of just never mentally get to it as a collective.

I did vote 9-10 as statistically speaking rising up the ladder tends to be a slow burn and my faith in our fitness and medical department, consistent injuries plaguing us this century worries me. Particularly with the new coach putting in a more 2 way and harder edge, with the conditioning we've tended to have, I fear lots of soft tissues happening this year.

But don't rule us out for top 4.

 

[thylacine60]

Bang.

 

[bmaurizio]

Agree there’s a sensational feel brewing, it’s palpable , being part of fresh footy season and being a Blue Bagger, the enthusiasm is superb. Luck is so important in footy , don’t we know it , things are due may to start falling in place for us.
Campaign 2022 will be a positive step forward, to the our 17th , I can just feel it.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

Anything is possible.

Our midfield will be hugely better - Cerra, Hewett, a revitalised Crippa.

Charlie back is huge up front. Really huge.

Takes the heat off the back line if the midfield doesn't go missing.

Brisbane 2018 - 5 wins, 15th (1825 for, 2049 against)
Brisbane 2019 - 16 wins, 2nd (2004f, 1694a)

All they added of note was Neale.

Carlton 2021 - 8 wins, 13th (1746f, 1972a)

Cats, 3rd in 2021, scored 1845 points (for). 5 points a game more than us. Peanuts.

All the top teams had circa 1500 or less points scored against.

Can we reduce our points against by 472 odd? Sounds a lot but over 22 games, roughly 21 points a game.

But in 2019 (a 'normal' season), only 1 team had 1500 or less agst., most of the top 6 about 1650 against (loose average).

That's a gap (1972 - 1650) of 322 points agst. - or 15 points a game (are teams being more defensively minded or less fit?)

If we can do that, top 4.

If not, top 8.

 

[Blues90]

We are short of a KPD and looking at proverbial stop-gap solutions.
Our midfield is improved with the inclusions of Cerra and Hewett, however we do not have a top 6 midfield.
Our ruck division is rather thin. TDK is not there yet (I think he will be really good) and Pitto is pedestrian. Mirkov is raw. JSOS as back up ruck tells one a lot.
Our forward line might develop into a potent mix of dangerous talls and small forward pressure.
9-10 IMO, also, injuries will most likely prevent us from being a threat to the Top 8. We won’t have Walsh, Cuningham, Marchbank, Stocker and Honey in the first part of the season, with Harry and Doc in doubt for round 1.

We have a better midfield than port where did they finish

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

How good will it feel though if we win a final before Essendon. That will make me extremely happy.

I'd happily trade winning a final first for winning a flag first.
So they can win a final on the Friday night of the first week of finals this year. We'll then win on the Saturday night.
The following week, we can go on to knock them out of finals, then go on to win the flag. Simples.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Anything is possible.

Our midfield will be hugely better - Cerra, Hewett, a revitalised Crippa.

Charlie back is huge up front. Really huge.

Takes the heat off the back line if the midfield doesn't go missing.

Brisbane 2018 - 5 wins, 15th (1825 for, 2049 against)
Brisbane 2019 - 16 wins, 2nd (2004f, 1694a)

All they added of note was Neale.

Carlton 2021 - 8 wins, 13th (1746f, 1972a)

Cats, 3rd in 2021, scored 1845 points (for). 5 points a game more than us. Peanuts.

All the top teams had circa 1500 or less points scored against.

Can we reduce our points against by 472 odd? Sounds a lot but over 22 games, roughly 21 points a game.

But in 2019 (a 'normal' season), only 1 team had 1500 or less agst., most of the top 6 about 1650 against (loose average).

That's a gap (1972 - 1650) of 322 points agst. - or 15 points a game (are teams being more defensively minded or less fit?)

If we can do that, top 4.

If not, top 8.

That 5 win season they had a great run with injuries and were reasonably competitive most weeks, despite losing. They managed to lock in a pretty consistent best 22 made up of a lot of younger players.
Went a long way to getting them where they are now. Hodge and Fagan were just what they needed at the time too.

 

[Jimmyonesix]

I don't feel Jones going was as big a loss as most - he was suited to one on one style - he gave up two to three goals every week through simple errors which full backs can't afford and would often get caught up in no man's land - A fit McDonald is probably his Eqaul and maybe more reliable .. but yes we are a missing few key talls in support for a tall side overall ..
I predict 7-8 and would be disappointed with anything more than a win and percentage outside the top 8

 

[Manhattanite]

We have a better midfield than port where did they finish

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We had the 17th best midfield in the entire competition last year. We should be better with Cerra and Hewett but not as good as Port which have Butters and other young players taking the reins from Boak. But I can see us having a top 8 midfield by 2023 once our younger players show some consistency. But we are coming off from rock bottom and that takes time and patience.






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[Doro]

7 - 10. It'd be nice if we exceeded expectations one year. Just this once..

 

[Sector 7G]

With a perfect injury run I could see us pushing 4-5, it's easy to forget that we have plenty of elite talent when they are fit. Cripps, Curnow, Walsh, Mckay, Weitering and you could probably add Cerra into that are elite players. Plenty of talent below them as well. But we are already not having a perfect run with injuries. Can we win enough games in the early stages then come good? Who knows.

I think with a good normal run thought we will finish around the 8-6th mark. If we have a run similar to last year we will be around 12-8th.

The list has improved because of new recruits and maturity so it should go forward regardless.

One thing you need to succeeded is luck. We haven't had that, had a lot of players and top players miss through injury. No one wins a premiership with a bad run of injuries. No one finishes top 4 with a good chunk of their better players out for too long. IMO we are a team that can go a long way with a bit of luck but that is going to have to happen first. I think the talent is there now to not just make finals but progress into finals but the maturity, injury and depth of quality hasn't been there in the past. Is it now? It's vastly improved.

With the run with injuries it is more so who rather than how many. We didn't win a game without H last year but were 8/18(counting the WC as him not being there). We can't afford to be missing H or JW.

 

[Arr0w]

At this stage, JW is more important than Harry

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We had the 17th best midfield in the entire competition last year. We should be better with Cerra and Hewett but not as good as Port which have Butters and other young players taking the reins from Boak. But I can see us having a top 8 midfield by 2023 once our younger players show some consistency. But we are coming off from rock bottom and that takes time and patience.






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Let's look at that - best 6 mids for 2022:

Port (in order) : Wines, Boak, Duursma, Amon, Drew, one of Bergman/Dumont/SPP

Carlton - Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewett, Kennedy, one of Fisher/Dow/Curnow/Cuners

Either way you carve it, our top 4 are clearly superior. That is, so are our top 6.

 

[Beyond Blue]

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We had the 17th best midfield in the entire competition last year. We should be better with Cerra and Hewett but not as good as Port which have Butters and other young players taking the reins from Boak. But I can see us having a top 8 midfield by 2023 once our younger players show some consistency. But we are coming off from rock bottom and that takes time and patience.






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I agree there is no way we have a better midfield than Port even with the new additions. Despite the introduction of Cerra and Hewett we need the likes of Setters, Cunners, Fisher, Dow, Stocker and Kennedy to significantly lift to become a top 8 midfield. Fortunately a lot of those guys are coming out of contract so that should be the inspiration for them to lift their game and conversely if they don't then they will probably face the consequences of not getting another contract (Stocker aside who should get a new contract based on what he's done already). Patience is required but there is no doubt this has taken longer than anyone imagined due to a combination of poor coaching, injuries and the players not improving.