Toast Reasons for Optimism

[Arcassius]

So many reasons for optimism

 

[Freomaniac]

Disagree. We scrape into the finals in 8th and get comfortably beat in an elimination final and I reckon that’s enough to suggest JL isn’t the guy, especially if this list has as much upside as people reckon it does - FWIW I believe it’s probably the most talented team we’ve ever had

JL is coming into his 6th season but some still act like he’s only in his 2nd or 3rd season. Top 6 and a prelim should be the expectation, but the goal should be top 4 and a flag. It’s been a disappointing 5 years under JL so far and at some point this club needs to take the next step, and I’m confident this team is capable of doing that in 2025.

I think as a fanbase our expectations have been too tempered, which I understand seeing as we’ve ranged from mediocre to shithouse for a long time now, but we are primed and ready to go, and as such expectations should go up.

You are having a laugh if dockers can make top 4 this season after a horrible 2 seasons. You are essentially asking for a Chris Connolly 2006 season. Unlikely but possible.

I can tolerate a home Elim final won in 2025

 

[Purple Jesus]

You are having a laugh if dockers can make top 4 this season after a horrible 2 seasons. You are essentially asking for a Chris Connolly 2006 season. Unlikely but possible.

I can tolerate a home Elim final won in 2025

We were literally top 2 last season until injury ****ed us at the end.

 

[Freomaniac]

We were literally top 2 last season until injury ****ed us at the end.

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

 

[AstonSouffle]

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

Gee aren't you sad sack lol

 

[poshman]

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

This thinking is flawed and bordering on conspiratorial nonsense.

The expectation last season was finals. This year anything less than 15 wins would be poor.

Is it more difficult from WA than Victoria? Yes. Is it impossible? We have proof it isn’t.

Try perhaps to add a touch of optimism friend.

 

[Freomaniac]

Gee aren't you sad sack lol

I want this side to make and won finals again.

 

[Purple Jesus]

I want this side to make and won finals again.

You're in the wrong thread, bugger off.

 

[Dockeroo]

It’s pretty funny reading Freomaniac posts in the optimism thread

 

[Piggy Smalls]

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

Ross Lyon isn't coming back mate. Get over it.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I really think we should be aiming for 7 of the next 8 years in finals.

4+ seasons in the top 4 over the next 8. I don't see a reason why this squad, can not do this providing they all continue to work hard.

It must start this year, with a top 6 finish at a minimum and at least 2 finals.

 

[dont bowl there]

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

This is an insane line of thinking, the team down the road is one of the most successful teams in the AFL era. If the squad is good enough we will win flags and IMO this squad is more than capable.

 

[Minz]

I really think we should be aiming for 7 of the next 8 years in finals.

4+ seasons in the top 4 over the next 8. I don't see a reason why this squad, can not do this providing they all continue to work hard.

It must start this year, with a top 6 finish at a minimum and at least 2 finals.

Quite right.
Always takes some luck to win a flag; gotta be in the top 4 and getting finals games into the boys to get there. This team has the talent!

 

[DQ 4EVER]

We ain't good enough mate. Regardless of where we finish, we will always have a difficult path for any form of success.

AFL will always favour certain Victorian clubs to get a finals spot over us dockers.

Making back to back finals or finals for 2 years in a row, should be celebrated like a flag.

Pardon my harsh words, but that is loser mentality.
We should aim to win every bloody game, & take every loss as a lesson, then improve.
Aim for the stars, I say

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Freomaniac]

You're in the wrong thread, bugger off.

Nope.... If it was that simple, we would of won a flag already.

I hate to bring up comparing our clubs to the other non Victorian sides as examples.

But go look at the dockers history from 1995 to 2010. Only made finals 3 times in 16 years for 2 finals wins.

In comparison... Port Adelaide from 1997 to 2010 made finals 7 times out of 14. They made 2 grand finals for 1 flag. So 50 percent of the time they made finals and got 2 grand finals for 1 flag.

Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and west coast... From 1995 to 2010, all 4 sides got a bare minimum 8 years of finals out of 16. All 4 clubs at least made 2 grand finals and at least got 1 flag.


Dockers were the odd one out of those non Victorian sides in that period.

We are in a league where it's 18 clubs. So it's getting harder to just to make finals, let alone win the flag.

18 years, to be on par we need to make finals 8 times in 18 years and try to get a flag .

Tassie comes in the league in 2028, we might even get a 20th side in 2029 or 2030.

Imagine making finals 8 times over 20 seasons and be Lucky to get a flag or make a grand final in that 20 year period?

I want that flag as much as you, but there are many factors that are against us

 

[Freomaniac]

It’s pretty funny reading Freomaniac posts in the optimism thread

I was very positive in 2017 and 2018 when we had 8 wins and 14th spots in both of those seasons when everyone was miserable or overreacted over a loss on here.

 

[Dockers v Channel7West]

I'm Positive there is a lot of negativity in the positivity thread

 

[Freomaniac]

Ross Lyon isn't coming back mate. Get over it.

I hate to remind you, he is the only coach in our 30 year history to get us back to back finals or make finals for 2 years in a row.

We couldn't do it under Chris Connolly from 2002-07 and we haven't done it under Justin Longmuir from 2020-24

 

[GingerDocker]

I can handle people being negative, but the conspiracy angle just does my head in.

 

[pK75]

I hate to remind you, he is the only coach in our 30 year history to get us back to back finals or make finals for 2 years in a row.

We couldn't do it under Chris Connolly from 2002-07 and we haven't done it under Justin Longmuir from 2020-24

I think you love reminding anyone who’ll listen as often as possible.

Don’t worry, JLo will win us the elusive trophy and you can have a new messiah soon enough.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I hate to remind you, he is the only coach in our 30 year history to get us back to back finals or make finals for 2 years in a row.

We couldn't do it under Chris Connolly from 2002-07 and we haven't done it under Justin Longmuir from 2020-24

While i loathe to engage on this topic, Ross coached two of the most stacked teams in recent memory to 0 premierships. Did nothing here once the greats in Pavlich, McPharlin, Sandilands, etc retired and he's doing nothing with the mediocre list he's now got at the Saints. His public mantra was "anytime/anywhere" but I reckon 'right time, right place' would also be suitable to describe Ross' most successful stints at coaching. His career win record is less than 50%.
I love what he did for this club, but I honestly rate JL higher.

 

[Freomaniac]

I think you love reminding anyone who’ll listen as often as possible.

Don’t worry, JLo will win us the elusive trophy and you can have a new messiah soon enough.

I would love Freo to win a Premiership by the end of this decade.

No issues with Justin Longmuir being our AFL mens Premiership coach. But I can't see it happening

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I would love Freo to win a Premiership by the end of this decade.

No issues with Justin Longmuir being our AFL mens Premiership coach. But I can't see it happening

Have faith. It's happening. We are manifesting it ITT.

 

[Freomaniac]

While i loathe to engage on this topic, Ross coached two of the most stacked teams in recent memory to 0 premierships. Did nothing here once the greats in Pavlich, McPharlin, Sandilands, etc retired and he's doing nothing with the mediocre list he's now got at the Saints. His public mantra was "anytime/anywhere" but I reckon 'right time, right place' would also be suitable to describe Ross' most successful stints at coaching. His career win record is less than 50%.
I love what he did for this club, but I honestly rate JL higher.

Was the dockers side in 2012 to 2015 really that stacked?

Compared to Hawks, swans, cats vs and even Port Adelaide in that 2013-15 era, Freo wast as stacked as those other squads mentioned.

Dockers forward line had an ageing Pavlich, Mayne, Walters and Ballantyne.

Hawks, swans, cats , Port, crows, eagles all had better forward lines and proven winners than us at that time.

Pavlich, McPharlin and Sandilands were at least 30 years old in that 2012-15 finals era. Those blokes were in their prime in 2003-06. We couldn't make back to back finals in that period.

I am not expecting a flag with this mob. I want finals and finals wins just like 2022

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Was the dockers side in 2012 to 2015 really that stacked?

Compared to Hawks, swans, cats vs and even Port Adelaide in that 2013-15 era, Freo wast as stacked as those other squads mentioned.

Dockers forward line had an ageing Pavlich, Mayne, Walters and Ballantyne.

Hawks, swans, cats , Port, crows, eagles all had better forward lines and proven winners than us at that time.

Pavlich, McPharlin and Sandilands were at least 30 years old in that 2012-15 finals era. Those blokes were in their prime in 2003-06. We couldn't make back to back finals in that period.

I am not expecting a flag with this mob. I want finals and finals wins just like 2022

No flags and no draft picks? Ask a Port supporter how Ken's working out for them.