If you told me there'd be only 1 team with less losses than us by the middle of the season I'd have taken it in a heartbeat.
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Review Round 14: Essendon Bombers vs The Bye - Thoughts on the season so far
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Mercurial89
Brownlow Medallist
Lot of good things, few worrying signs.
I still don't think we have played that well, so to have the wins we have and the form of a couple of new guys these are positives.
The qualifier is this year is pretty weak competition wise, and whilst we have significantly improved our floor, the ceiling of this group is pretty low compared to others, though they are more established team builds so the comparison is not a fair one on face value.
Interested to see how we run out the year, if we can avoid any "pack up shop, it's too hard" style losses that will be a big win.
We have some historical demons to exorcise in the back half of this season which will tell us a lot (Geelong, playing out the year, a finals performance, etc).
It's a building year in general and this first half of the year has been a nice foundation. Though It feels a little like much of our improvement will be dictated by list management, trade and draft decisions after the season is done and how our player development goes from here. (Can we improve our skills, can we get much more out of some senior guys, are the young guys going to kick on, injured guys going to contribute anything at all?)
Very incomplete team, but playing an honest style at the moment that makes it so you don't resent them for wasting your time and energy you invest as a supporter which you take after the last decade.
I still don't think we have played that well, so to have the wins we have and the form of a couple of new guys these are positives.
The qualifier is this year is pretty weak competition wise, and whilst we have significantly improved our floor, the ceiling of this group is pretty low compared to others, though they are more established team builds so the comparison is not a fair one on face value.
Interested to see how we run out the year, if we can avoid any "pack up shop, it's too hard" style losses that will be a big win.
We have some historical demons to exorcise in the back half of this season which will tell us a lot (Geelong, playing out the year, a finals performance, etc).
It's a building year in general and this first half of the year has been a nice foundation. Though It feels a little like much of our improvement will be dictated by list management, trade and draft decisions after the season is done and how our player development goes from here. (Can we improve our skills, can we get much more out of some senior guys, are the young guys going to kick on, injured guys going to contribute anything at all?)
Very incomplete team, but playing an honest style at the moment that makes it so you don't resent them for wasting your time and energy you invest as a supporter which you take after the last decade.
Pretty good summation I think.
Happyskeret
Premiership Player
- Jul 2, 2022
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Best Win: Dogs for mine. It was the game after we got belted by Port and I thought we got on a bit of a roll after that win.
Crichton: Merrett, Martin, Durham
Most Improved: Hard to go past Duzza. Well done young man!
Where do we finish at the end of the year?: 3rd to 5th.
Biggest surprise for the year?: Guelfi’s performance on Sicily and Whitfield.
Favourite moment of the year: I did like that winning goal kicked by Jakey Stringer at the end of the Saints game on the boundary line. Especially after trailing for most of the match.
Bold Prediction: we win two finals games!
Crichton: Merrett, Martin, Durham
Most Improved: Hard to go past Duzza. Well done young man!
Where do we finish at the end of the year?: 3rd to 5th.
Biggest surprise for the year?: Guelfi’s performance on Sicily and Whitfield.
Favourite moment of the year: I did like that winning goal kicked by Jakey Stringer at the end of the Saints game on the boundary line. Especially after trailing for most of the match.
Bold Prediction: we win two finals games!
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jannissary
AAAAAAAAAAARGH!
Best Win: beating WB. dominated every facet of the game, that was our highest moment
Crichton top 3 so Far: Zach, Ben Mckay & duz
Most Improved Player: Sam Durham
Where do you think we’ll finish at season end: 6-7 realistically, think we'll struggle going forward against the hard teams
Biggest surprise of the season: Xavier Duursma. wasn't sold on him during the trade period and i was shocked at his professionalism and ability to run all day. important cog in the side
Bold prediction for the 2nd half of the season: Will win some tough ones, but lose some tougher ones close. No end of season fadeout this season
Favourite moment of the season so far: Anzac day draw.
Crichton top 3 so Far: Zach, Ben Mckay & duz
Most Improved Player: Sam Durham
Where do you think we’ll finish at season end: 6-7 realistically, think we'll struggle going forward against the hard teams
Biggest surprise of the season: Xavier Duursma. wasn't sold on him during the trade period and i was shocked at his professionalism and ability to run all day. important cog in the side
Bold prediction for the 2nd half of the season: Will win some tough ones, but lose some tougher ones close. No end of season fadeout this season
Favourite moment of the season so far: Anzac day draw.
raskolnikov
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I did the ladder predictor on the AFL website.
So we play Brisbane two weeks in a row at the Gabba. Which as a Queenslander suits me!
The AFL would be salivating at the prospect of a Collingwood-Carlton qualifying final.
So we play Brisbane two weeks in a row at the Gabba. Which as a Queenslander suits me!
The AFL would be salivating at the prospect of a Collingwood-Carlton qualifying final.
Sorry to rudely post without having read everyone else, I'm in a hurry as a school teacher in reporting time!!
However, as I posted in the Martin thread:
If we had another tall KPD, I'd have Kelly and Laverde fighting over one spot. With McKay and that other person as our talls, Ridley as interceptor, Laverde/Kelly as a taller medium defender, Redman as a smaller medium defender and McGrath as a small defender.
I'd still have Hind and Heppell rotating through there for now, but Hind also has some time on the half-forward line and Heppell has some time on the wing. We need to find another lockdown small with speed and some offensive weapons to give us flexibility with McGrath.
The club should be playing Hayes, for a few games to see if he can settle in. If he can't we can make a better long-term decision on him now.
We also need to be playing Bryan, especially with Draper out. Goldy isn't holding up as a solo ruck, and it is taking away from Wright's ability to find form up forward.
Also, we have seen enough from Jones to see he's a good long-term prospect. We need to be playing Hayes and Bryan to make calls on them. If they play a few good games we can decide whether we are going to keep them and play them or cash in the trade value they will get as young talls with demonstrated potential. Bryan can be given a chance to play forward 50% of the game, because if he doesn't have that in him, we'll struggle to have him share the ruck with Draper long term anyhow.
It is great that we've been able to beat everyone outside the 8. We deserve the amount of wins we have because we were lucky against Adelaide, but unlucky against Carlton, Gold Coast and Collingwood. A little more poise and we could have 6 more premiership points.
However, we're still another preseason (probably 2) away from our young mids and KPPs thickening up enough to be consistent and sustainable. We need to keep our eyes on developing our list for that. Not tanking and throwing away games, but getting experience into young kids. So,
1. don't play Tsatas as a sub. Either have him leading the midfield in the VFL or playing a whole game at HFF or on the wing in the AFL.
2. Get games into Caddy, Hayes, Bryan and Jones (already are with Jones).
3. Give up on Martin in defence. He's learnt what he needs to (combined with his forward ability) to be a high-level winger and Durham moving fulltime into the midfield means there is a spot for him.
4. Use experienced players as the sub (rotate them through the role) to be more experienced on the bench, but also bring them on earlyish to fill a role to try and win the game. Heppell, Hind and Kelly have all proved their flexibility and can impact all over the ground, and could come on and run out the whole game without a substitution.
5. Figure out a method to get the most out of tall forwards when we're playing such a hard forward press. I think that there should be only one remaining near the goal square when we have it inside 50, but the rest should move out to be part of the wall and let the smalls and mediums bring the pressure.
However, as I posted in the Martin thread:
If we had another tall KPD, I'd have Kelly and Laverde fighting over one spot. With McKay and that other person as our talls, Ridley as interceptor, Laverde/Kelly as a taller medium defender, Redman as a smaller medium defender and McGrath as a small defender.
I'd still have Hind and Heppell rotating through there for now, but Hind also has some time on the half-forward line and Heppell has some time on the wing. We need to find another lockdown small with speed and some offensive weapons to give us flexibility with McGrath.
The club should be playing Hayes, for a few games to see if he can settle in. If he can't we can make a better long-term decision on him now.
We also need to be playing Bryan, especially with Draper out. Goldy isn't holding up as a solo ruck, and it is taking away from Wright's ability to find form up forward.
Also, we have seen enough from Jones to see he's a good long-term prospect. We need to be playing Hayes and Bryan to make calls on them. If they play a few good games we can decide whether we are going to keep them and play them or cash in the trade value they will get as young talls with demonstrated potential. Bryan can be given a chance to play forward 50% of the game, because if he doesn't have that in him, we'll struggle to have him share the ruck with Draper long term anyhow.
It is great that we've been able to beat everyone outside the 8. We deserve the amount of wins we have because we were lucky against Adelaide, but unlucky against Carlton, Gold Coast and Collingwood. A little more poise and we could have 6 more premiership points.
However, we're still another preseason (probably 2) away from our young mids and KPPs thickening up enough to be consistent and sustainable. We need to keep our eyes on developing our list for that. Not tanking and throwing away games, but getting experience into young kids. So,
1. don't play Tsatas as a sub. Either have him leading the midfield in the VFL or playing a whole game at HFF or on the wing in the AFL.
2. Get games into Caddy, Hayes, Bryan and Jones (already are with Jones).
3. Give up on Martin in defence. He's learnt what he needs to (combined with his forward ability) to be a high-level winger and Durham moving fulltime into the midfield means there is a spot for him.
4. Use experienced players as the sub (rotate them through the role) to be more experienced on the bench, but also bring them on earlyish to fill a role to try and win the game. Heppell, Hind and Kelly have all proved their flexibility and can impact all over the ground, and could come on and run out the whole game without a substitution.
5. Figure out a method to get the most out of tall forwards when we're playing such a hard forward press. I think that there should be only one remaining near the goal square when we have it inside 50, but the rest should move out to be part of the wall and let the smalls and mediums bring the pressure.
Best Win: Dogs because it was a great win and because Duz really cemented himself in my mind for the potential he has in the middle, and GWS because we hoiked last year's terrible loss off our backs playing excellent football.
Crichton top 3 so Far: Merrett, Durham, Martin
Most Improved Player: Durham
Where do you think we’ll finish at season end: 5th - 8th. We'll win a final this year if we make finals. These guys will be so focused on winning one, just to stop the bullshit.
Biggest surprise of the season: We're a front half team. Martin to hb not being as good as I'd envisioned.
Bold prediction for the 2nd half of the season: As above. We'll win a final.
Favourite moment of the season so far: Durham taking Bont to the cleaners. The Merrett tackle on Chad Warner - right in front of me!
Crichton top 3 so Far: Merrett, Durham, Martin
Most Improved Player: Durham
Where do you think we’ll finish at season end: 5th - 8th. We'll win a final this year if we make finals. These guys will be so focused on winning one, just to stop the bullshit.
Biggest surprise of the season: We're a front half team. Martin to hb not being as good as I'd envisioned.
Bold prediction for the 2nd half of the season: As above. We'll win a final.
Favourite moment of the season so far: Durham taking Bont to the cleaners. The Merrett tackle on Chad Warner - right in front of me!
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