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What do you want out of season 24?

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Dunno myself but sometimes when you believe something should or will be a certain way in life there comes a time when you just have to take a few quiet breaths and accept what is. And make the most of that.

I'd say there's no one with a chance of selection who'll want to miss out this week. Answerth has played himself back in to the best 22 but in reference to my first paragraph i.e. the belief bit ,I'm still not on board. But in terms of effort yeah , at least he and Ah Chee would keep the pressure up.
I'm sort of thinking out loud here, but a guy like Zorko is somewhat discerning with his kicks and decision making. Whereas a Rayner type coming from a similar spot might allow us to play with more of that change of pace between the arcs, allowing us to move the ball quickly through the middle. Which I think we need to do more at times.

So the two in tandem might provide a compelling contrast to our transition through the middle third of the ground.

Rayner also showed at least a willingness to be accountable to an opponent during his brief stint in defence early last year. This option ideally gives us the best of several worlds... it gets him more involved in the game without requiring him to play in a midfield role. It invokes his ability to break tackles. And if his half forward opponent wants to run him up the ground, well he becomes an attacking threat, with a guy like Answerth able to drop in behind to fill his half back position during those brief periods.

Zorko and McKenna and Reville and Brain are the guys we should look to when we want to change angles and spread the defence. Rayner and Wilmot are the guys we should look to when we want to get the ball inside 50 quickly. Both methods have their time and place and we should look to employ both depending on how the field looks in front of us at that point in time.
 
I'm sort of thinking out loud here, but a guy like Zorko is somewhat discerning with his kicks and decision making. Whereas a Rayner type coming from a similar spot might allow us to play with more of that change of pace between the arcs, allowing us to move the ball quickly through the middle. Which I think we need to do more at times.

So the two in tandem might provide a compelling contrast to our transition through the middle third of the ground.

Rayner also showed at least a willingness to be accountable to an opponent during his brief stint in defence early last year. This option ideally gives us the best of several worlds... it gets him more involved in the game without requiring him to play in a midfield role. It invokes his ability to break tackles. And if his half forward opponent wants to run him up the ground, well he becomes an attacking threat, with a guy like Answerth able to drop in behind to fill his half back position during those brief periods.

Zorko and McKenna and Reville and Brain are the guys we should look to when we want to change angles and spread the defence. Rayner and Wilmot are the guys we should look to when we want to get the ball inside 50 quickly. Both methods have their time and place and we should look to employ both depending on how the field looks in front of us at that point in time.
Well we've got all options on the table for Cam except ruck.

Fwiiw I thought he went ok when we played him in the back half and was assured enough there.

We've got half back flankers coming out of our ears haven't we.
 

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It's going to be a ridiculously close season. The next ten or so rounds will be frustrating in terms of our ladder position. There's not much separating the top 12 or so teams. Oh to have Kiddy available.
Kiddy is such an integral part of our system. His season ending injury has impacted significantly with our set-up and ball movement. Indeed "Oh to have Kiddy."
 
It's going to be a ridiculously close season. The next ten or so rounds will be frustrating in terms of our ladder position. There's not much separating the top 12 or so teams. Oh to have Kiddy available.
Kiddy is such an integral part of our system. His season ending injury has impacted significantly with our set-up and ball movement. Indeed "Oh to have Kiddy."
While not at Kiddys level Dayne Zorko has been a good replacement for him, Shadeau Brain's disposal/vision in the reserves has been very good, looking forward to seeing if he can translate that to the seniors.
 
Finding next gen players with potential is what I was after. We found 3 players already in my view - Reville, Brain and Morris. This is great news considering Tassie coming in and you don't want to be at the bottom end rebuilding and trying to find players in 2 years time.
 
Finding next gen players with potential is what I was after. We found 3 players already in my view - Reville, Brain and Morris. This is great news considering Tassie coming in and you don't want to be at the bottom end rebuilding and trying to find players in 2 years time.
Yep, I still believe we are in a very good spot for long term top 4 contention, Joe and Charlie the hardest to replace in the next 2-3 years. Hopefully one of Logan Morris, Luke Lloyd, Ty Gallop, Charlie Hewitt step up to take over once Joe is gone, not many around with Charlie's weapons though.
 
It's going to be a ridiculously close season. The next ten or so rounds will be frustrating in terms of our ladder position. There's not much separating the top 12 or so teams. Oh to have Kiddy available.
Kiddy is pivotal …. And imagine Doodee supporting Andrews and Payne
Unreal.
 
Build the depth and experience in our squad to have a real run at the flag next year.
I’m not willing to give up hope yet. If everything clicks, we could still make a late run for the flag.

The even competition helps us. In 2019, ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22, I always felt that there were teams who were better than us. I thought that teams like Richmond, Melbourne, and Geelong would beat us if they played reasonably and we played reasonably.

I don’t feel that this year. If we play to a reasonably standard (for us) and any other team plays reasonably (for them), I think we can beat them.

Anyone… anywhere! I still believe!
 

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Rayner also showed at least a willingness to be accountable to an opponent during his brief stint in defence early last year.

I genuinely wonder if this was the attempt to force consistency? There's no where to hide back there and it makes sense to try and get concentration and effort through change than punitive measures. Unfortunately we walked away from the experiment not knowing the outcome.
 
While not at Kiddys level Dayne Zorko has been a good replacement for him, Shadeau Brain's disposal/vision in the reserves has been very good, looking forward to seeing if he can translate that to the seniors.
Zorko a great kick although you not getting 40-50m kicks.
Also Zorko not the intercept mark or dropping into hole type like Kiddy was.
So yes I hope for Brain to come on.
 
I genuinely wonder if this was the attempt to force consistency? There's no where to hide back there and it makes sense to try and get concentration and effort through change than punitive measures. Unfortunately we walked away from the experiment not knowing the outcome.
I said the same we needed him in the forward line for a game.
He had one of his good games so we never moved him back again.
Now back to his old bad habits of just getting lost again.
Either we drop him to VFL or work out a better spot as having him the 3rd or 4th forward not working.
I feel for Cal AhChee as well never getting a spot that works for him.
You prob add Dev when he plays as well.
Or Berry I think better inside then outside player..
We do have a few players who do not seem to be played in their best spots.
 

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Mid season review time.

The good:
  • Not a whole lot, although a few of the kids that have come in have shown a bit. Special mention to Morris & Kai. Harry, Bruce and Brain have also shown a bit after being given a chance.
  • Harris and Lester have been pretty good for us down back, both probably in close to, if not career best form and have saved us a number of times.
  • Berry’s form since being thrown into the middle has definitely been a positive comparatively to how he was tracking out on the wing.
  • Zorko has shown a bit down back at stages during the year.

The bad:
  • Injuries. I was on record saying I was shitting myself about this before the season given how lucky we’ve been. And shit hasn’t that luck turned?!
  • Special mention here to Kiddy going down in the first game. Season felt done from that moment;
  • Charlie showing signs that age is catching up to him. Sad to see when a guy loses that top end speed he once had;
  • McCluggage, Starcevich etc, that next tier group who just haven’t kicked on as we hoped. I’m hopeful this is temporary but we shall see.

The downright ****ing ugly:
  • where does one start? So many of our players either haven’t kicked on or have regressed this year; The main culprits have been spoken about as nauseam so there is no need rehashing names, but maybe some big decisions need to be made at the end of the year;
  • momentum swings. Whether this is a player/coaching or both issue we can’t seem to halt momentum whatsoever this year and when we give it up we look like a bottom 4 club;
  • seemingly less motivation in the group. I hope if this is a thing internally they work out whatever the issue is during the offseason and resolve it. I think we have enough to push again next year, but we need everyone back on the same page from top to bottom and everyone in between.
 
This is a good piece from Gerard Wately, and aligned with what i hope we do for the remainder of the season:

I hope we take the bye to reframe the rest of the season. Acknowledge we’re struggling, put some serious time into finding out why. Try new things, take the pressure off wins and losses and use the second half of the season for real learning (rather than learning from our mistakes).
If players are playing with niggles, rest them, and certainly send for early surgery when it’s 100% we’re not making finals.
Let players who are struggling on the field have a break. Without a doubt there’s mental struggles after missing out on the GF by 4 points, and this is reflected on the field. The good news is losing sides in GF’s recently have bounced back after a bad year. We can do the same.
Continue to play young guys and give them proper blocks of time in the seniors to see if they really belong… but don’t throw them to the wolves!
If Charlie has lost a step, help him see how he can modify his playing style (and the teams playing style) to get the best out of his skills - and get confidence back in his kicking for goals.

Edit: and if all that happens, use press conferences to let supporters know we’re trying something new. It makes losses easier to take if we have the feeling we’re now focussing on the future!

Edit2: alternative… i hope we go on an unbeaten run for the rest of the season, and claim an against the odds grand final win!!
 
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This is a good piece from Gerard Wately, and aligned with what i hope we do for the remainder of the season:

I hope we take the bye to reframe the rest of the season. Acknowledge we’re struggling, put some serious time into finding out why. Try new things, take the pressure off wins and losses and use the second half of the season for real learning (rather than learning from our mistakes).
If players are playing with niggles, rest them, and certainly send for early surgery when it’s 100% we’re not making finals.
Let players who are struggling on the field have a break. Without a doubt there’s mental struggles after missing out on the GF by 4 points, and this is reflected on the field. The good news is losing sides in GF’s recently have bounced back after a bad year. We can do the same.
Continue to play young guys and give them proper blocks of time in the seniors to see if they really belong… but don’t throw them to the wolves!
If Charlie has lost a step, help him see how he can modify his playing style (and the teams playing style) to get the best out of his skills - and get confidence back in his kicking for goals.

Edit: and if all that happens, use press conferences to let supporters know we’re trying something new. It makes losses easier to take if we have the feeling we’re now focussing on the future!

Edit2: alternative… i hope we go on an unbeaten run for the rest of the season, and claim an against the odds grand final win!!
If Fagan still believes we may do a GWS or Carlton run of last year, it's hard to change his view at this stage.

May be if the players stink it up and we do another 0-4 against Dogs, Saints, Power and Demons - that might finally convince the coach to give up and try something different.
 

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