What Should Our Expectations Be In 2012?

[Poseidon]

Number 17.
Grand Final is the pass mark.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

I will not be satisfied with top 4... might sound cocky, but #17 and that is all that will satisfy me!

Agree - we have had a couple of building years and we must now strike for the flag.

I think in modern football, it's such as knife edge between success and failure that you have to take your chances.

The gap between us and the top 3 still concerns me - our performance against Hawthorn was the season low point for me despite the final scoreline - but if we can show signs that we have bridged that gap early in the year then I'm hoping for a Grand Final....and then who knows.


We need early wins - something like 8 or 9 out of the first 11 games to give us the luxury of cruising a bit late in the season.

 

[bluekidjoe]

A win in Rd 3

 

[ClassyCarlton]

I think geelong will finish further down the ladder and that collingwood, west coast and hawthorn will be the main players in the final series. With us too of course! Sydney, essendon, Richmond to be fringe???

 

[kingkingston]

Premiership

 

[BrandonG]

Looking at the first 10 rounds we should be 9-1 that's if we lose to collingwood but would love to be 10-0

 

[kingkingston]

Strange, had a dream last night that Cats beat us by one point in the prelim (94-93) and went on to lose to the Hawks (who had beaten the Pies). A dream's a dream, I expect us to make it to the Granny

if that happens i think i will go nuts

 

[GenevaBlue]

Flog Collingwood - twice!!!!

 

[thylacine60]

So much for Swiss neutrality!

 

[SeVi]

I think at the very least we need to aim for a spot in the top3.

History has shown that flags are not won from outside the top3. Winning a flag comes down to many things, but a crucial part of it is how a club is able to manage injuries, which is mitigated by the depth of the list. We have depth in our list, but for us to win a flag in 2012, we will either have to develop Hammer into a Cam Mooney, or get lucky with our other talls in Kruezer and Waite (and possibly Watson/Mitchell). Instead of complaining about our 2011 injuries, I would point out that it was a stronger indication of our strength than anything else. To get within a kick of a prelim after losing Gibbs, Waite, Hammer, Jamo (for long periods) and Carrazzo at times for the year, is a strong testament of where we are heading. We should be aiming no less than a flag. Tonight's draft is going to be crucial though. We saw in 2009 how instrumental Collingwood's drafting strategy was influencing the 2010 flag. I for one would like to see a mature recruit be added to the side, given we have Buckley and a side that is hard to break into.

 

[GenevaBlue]

I think at the very least we need to aim for a spot in the top3.

History has shown that flags are not won from outside the top3. Winning a flag comes down to many things, but a crucial part of it is how a club is able to manage injuries, which is mitigated by the depth of the list. We have depth in our list, but for us to win a flag in 2012, we will either have to develop Hammer into a Cam Mooney, or get lucky with our other talls in Kruezer and Waite (and possibly Watson/Mitchell). Instead of complaining about our 2011 injuries, I would point out that it was a stronger indication of our strength than anything else. To get within a kick of a prelim after losing Gibbs, Waite, Hammer, Jamo (for long periods) and Carrazzo at times for the year, is a strong testament of where we are heading. We should be aiming no less than a flag. Tonight's draft is going to be crucial though. We saw in 2009 how instrumental Collingwood's drafting strategy was influencing the 2010 flag. I for one would like to see a mature recruit be added to the side, given we have Buckley and a side that is hard to break into.

Sam Rowe looks like the mature recruit that you rightly pointed out that we require.
Top four finish is the Blues minimum requirement next year , and questions will be asked if it isn't achieved as we easily have the third best list in the comp after Geelong and Collingwood.
What really irked me was West Coast's soft draw last year and our drawn game, which cost us 4th spot, despite our injuries (which all clubs have). You cant really do much in the finals from outside the top four, it's just too hard.

 

[Pafloyul]

A least top 4 and looking like we are a genuine contender. I still think our absolute peak with 'this' list will be 2013.