Which side is closer to a premiership - Carlton or Essendon?

[Arr0w]

That was a great win against GWS, kudos

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

That was a great win against GWS, kudos

Could be a big win for them in the grand scheme of things.
Even a loss to Blues (not saying that it will happen, just hypothetically) most likely sees them at 10-3-1 heading into the Cats game.
Sets them up for their tougher run home.

 

[Ambrosia]

Could be a big win for them in the grand scheme of things.
Even a loss to Blues (not saying that it will happen, just hypothetically) most likely sees them at 10-3-1 heading into the Cats game.
Sets them up for their tougher run home.

Think GC away is far from a certainty

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Think GC away is far from a certainty

For sure, but if you want to be taken seriously, you'd have to at least split one of Blues and Suns games.
Lose them both and you could still have a decent win/loss record, but it will still leave questions heading into the toughest part of your draw.
Get on a roll and anything can happen.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Could be a big win for them in the grand scheme of things.
Even a loss to Blues (not saying that it will happen, just hypothetically) most likely sees them at 10-3-1 heading into the Cats game.
Sets them up for their tougher run home.

we were top 5 going into the last ~6 weeks in 2023.

Anything could happen with us; we are irrelevant until we are not.

 

[Worm4]

For sure, but if you want to be taken seriously, you'd have to at least split one of Blues and Suns games.
Lose them both and you could still have a decent win/loss record, but it will still leave questions heading intot the toughest part of your draw.
Get on a roll and anything can happen.

Mate, they smacked us last legitimately last year during our 1W/8L trot and have improved significantly since then. Admittedly we have at least improved since then as well, but the bombers are 3rd for a reason . Respect to them

 

[Chief Hopper]

How about now?
Carlton are meant to be in a premiership window while Essendon are meant to be a middle of the road side, yet Essendon are higher on the ladder.

Having said that, Essendon would want to improve their precentage - although they get to play North next week which will be their best chance of a percentage boosting game.

I haven't seen enough of Carlton this year tbh to say one way or another.
Every team, apart from Sydney, seem up and down after a few matches.
Essendon are playing very well, I do fear though that if Durham or Stringer gets injured the whole mids will deflate, and the rest of the team will wilt. Saw that with the earlier Port match.
We most likely will win against the up coming bottom teams, not enough to win against the best later on the year, as yet. I'd expect Carlton to win a final again this year.

 

[Taper]

I haven't seen enough of Carlton this year tbh to say one way or another.
Every team, apart from Sydney, seem up and down after a few matches.
Essendon are playing very well, I do fear though that if Durham or Stringer gets injured the whole mids will deflate, and the rest of the team will wilt. Saw that with the earlier Port match.
We most likely will win against the up coming bottom teams, not enough to win against the best later on the year, as yet. I'd expect Carlton to win a final again this year.

Carlton v Essendon elimination final this year is a real possibility.
Right now people are asking whether Essendon have gone past Carlton.
Would you say this is true?

 

[Chism]

Carlton v Essendon elimination final this year is a real possibility.
Right now people are asking whether Essendon have gone past Carlton.
Would you say this is true?

When the Bombers get a top 4 finish opposition schedule and an injury run to best 22 players like this come and talk.





Best 22 by team that have missed games so far. Our list is only going North as well.

 

[Taper]

When the Bombers get a top 4 finish opposition schedule and an injury run to best 22 players like this come and talk.



View attachment 1994317

Best 22 by team that have missed games so far. Our list is only going North as well.

I remember Carlton having injuries last year too.
How many of those are to important players?
Curnow and McKay have been fit and firing.

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

Carlton v Essendon elimination final this year is a real possibility.
Right now people are asking whether Essendon have gone past Carlton.
Would you say this is true?

Carlton are in the 9th year of their rebuild.

Essendon are in the 4th year of their rebuild.

Injuries and schedules aside Carlton should be clearly ahead of Essendon on just that basis.

 

[Taper]

Carlton are in the 9th year of their rebuild.

Essendon are in the 4th year of their rebuild.

Injuries and schedules aside Carlton should be clearly ahead of Essendon on just that basis.

How long have North been rebuilding for?

 

[Worm4]

Carlton are in the 9th year of their rebuild.

Essendon are in the 4th year of their rebuild.

Injuries and schedules aside Carlton should be clearly ahead of Essendon on just that basis.

Not all rebuilds equate to success , Carlton are testament to that.
Every side should be looking at improving lists every year.
Essendon have done a good job getting 4 into the side straight away makes a big difference to morale as well.
Carlton tried with Fantasia but he has been a bust.
I would have bombers in front at the moment but things can change quickly in this day and age

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

How long have North been rebuilding for?

Who cares?

 

[Zephyr Effekt]

Not all rebuilds equate to success , Carlton are testament to that.
Every side should be looking at improving lists every year.
Essendon have done a good job getting 4 into the side straight away makes a big difference to morale as well.
Carlton tried with Fantasia but he has been a bust.
I would have bombers in front at the moment but things can change quickly in this day and age

I don’t believe Essendon is ahead of Carlton but like you said things can change quickly in this day and age especially in a competition thats trending towards becoming more of a week to week league.

 

[Taper]

Not all rebuilds equate to success , Carlton are testament to that.
Every side should be looking at improving lists every year.
Essendon have done a good job getting 4 into the side straight away makes a big difference to morale as well.
Carlton tried with Fantasia but he has been a bust.
I would have bombers in front at the moment but things can change quickly in this day and age

St Kilda is the best and most recent example of a failed rebuild.
After the 2011 season they tried to rebuild on the run like us but failed, so in 2014 they decided to go the traditional rebuild route and ended up building a side that peaked with a semi final appearance in 2020.
Since then, they've been wallowing in mid table mediocrity.

Carlton should be peaking now but I'm not convinced they have what it takes to go all the way.
I mean we're in a rebuild year and have been on par with Carlton who are supposed to be contending for a flag.
Carlton ticked a box this week with a big win on the road against a top 8 team, but next week is a big game and Carlton need to win if they are looking to rubber stamp their credentials.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

St Kilda is the best and most recent example of a failed rebuild.
After the 2011 season they tried to rebuild on the run like us but failed, so in 2014 they decided to go the traditional rebuild route and ended up building a side that peaked with a semi final appearance in 2020.
Since then, they've been wallowing in mid table mediocrity.

Carlton should be peaking now but I'm not convinced they have what it takes to go all the way.
I mean we're in a rebuild year and have been on par with Carlton who are supposed to be contending for a flag.
Carlton ticked a box this week with a big win on the road against a top 8 team, but next week is a big game and Carlton need to win if they are looking to rubber stamp their credentials.

We're 5th on the ladder currently going through the toughest 9 week stretch of fixture you could find across the comp, coming out the other side of a mid season injury crisis and haven't been beaten by more than 2 goals by anyone but the Swans.

I think we're going just fine given our fixture to the end of the year eases up dramatically. Geelong on the other hand have already been through their easy stretch and are 4% above us on the ladder.

 

[Blue1980]

St Kilda is the best and most recent example of a failed rebuild.
After the 2011 season they tried to rebuild on the run like us but failed, so in 2014 they decided to go the traditional rebuild route and ended up building a side that peaked with a semi final appearance in 2020.
Since then, they've been wallowing in mid table mediocrity.

Carlton should be peaking now but I'm not convinced they have what it takes to go all the way.
I mean we're in a rebuild year and have been on par with Carlton who are supposed to be contending for a flag.
Carlton ticked a box this week with a big win on the road against a top 8 team, but next week is a big game and Carlton need to win if they are looking to rubber stamp their credentials.

Thing is with this discussion of windows etc it’s kind of assuming no club will add to what they have now, and what they have and every other club has will remain static for 3-5 years with only growth from what is on the list currently.

I think we are in a good spot, we aren’t perfect (don’t think anyone is and hard to be with a draft and salary cap), but we can keep adding to what we have with free agency, trading and drafting.

We can take advantage of being an attractive place to go for trade and FA targets too, if we are playing finals again.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

We're 5th on the ladder currently going through the toughest 9 week stretch of fixture you could find across the comp, coming out the other side of a mid season injury crisis and haven't been beaten by more than 2 goals by anyone but the Swans.

I think we're going just fine given our fixture to the end of the year eases up dramatically. Geelong on the other hand have already been through their easy stretch and are 4% above us on the ladder.

No, our easy stretch leads into finals.

Next 3 games are hard. Then we've got Hawks at home, Pies, Dogs at home, North, Crows at home, Dockers away, Saints, and Eagles at home. Only one of the current top 8, two interstate trips, 4 true home games and 3 games against the current bottom 4. We are in the midst of our most difficult run, and we've come back to the pack as I'd expected. Though, taking out the aberrant Alice Springs game, we've been in every loss at the end.

 

[PizzaPie]

Who cares?

Sustained

 

[bourbons]

We're 5th on the ladder currently going through the toughest 9 week stretch of fixture you could find across the comp, coming out the other side of a mid season injury crisis and haven't been beaten by more than 2 goals by anyone but the Swans.

I think we're going just fine given our fixture to the end of the year eases up dramatically. Geelong on the other hand have already been through their easy stretch and are 4% above us on the ladder.

Said before the run of GWS Geelong Pies Melbourne Swans and Port if we split those games 3-3 we'd be in pretty good shape heading into the bye, and we've managed that, plus beating a vaguely up and about Gold Coast. Although back 7 weeks ago I wasn't exactly anticipating yet another crunch game against Essendon, thought that would be a comparatively easier one but things seem to change quickly this season.

Our draw over the last few months has been even tougher than it looks I reckon - every week we seem to play a team that is playing well and has momentum, would be interested to see the ladder positions of those teams at the time we played them.

 

[Taper]

We're 5th on the ladder currently going through the toughest 9 week stretch of fixture you could find across the comp, coming out the other side of a mid season injury crisis and haven't been beaten by more than 2 goals by anyone but the Swans.

I think we're going just fine given our fixture to the end of the year eases up dramatically. Geelong on the other hand have already been through their easy stretch and are 4% above us on the ladder.

Carlton's best win was against Port in SA, and even then it comes down to Carlton having the wood over Port due to Voss knowing Hinkley's coaching like the back of his hand.

Adelaide have the wood over Port as well because of how well Nicks knows Hinkley's coaching.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Carlton's best win was against Port in SA, and even then it comes down to Carlton having the wood over Port due to Voss knowing Hinkley's coaching like the back of his hand.

Adelaide have the wood over Port as well because of how well Nicks knows Hinkley's coaching.

This is a laughable attempt at discrediting our season so far

 

[Taper]

This is a laughable attempt at discrediting our season so far

I've said this elsewhere, but Richmond people will point to their win over Port in SA in 2017 as their season defining win where they knew the Tigers were legitimate premiership contenders.

Do you think it could be the same with Carlton, where Carlton people will point to their win over Port in SA in 2024 as their season defining win where they knew the Blues were legitimate premiership contenders?

 

[Jeremias]

Carlton's best win was against Port in SA, and even then it comes down to Carlton having the wood over Port due to Voss knowing Hinkley's coaching like the back of his hand.

Adelaide have the wood over Port as well because of how well Nicks knows Hinkley's coaching.

Good lord...