It's now official, The club is overhyped for 2011.

Problem being our list is still too young, our injury list is too long, the club has Scully distractions and we'll most likely get pumped not once but twice in Adelaide on Friday.

Just watch this site go in to near meltdown over the coming weeks.

For those with patience keep your eye on 2013 - 2018, that's when the fun will really start

Agree.

For all the promise in our list, it is very young and we have lost a lot of experience.

We've taken a temporary step back, to take 2 steps forward.

Few seem to recognise this.

Hopefully we can ride it out, but preseason predictions of top 4 are outrageous.

We'll be better this year than last and for an up and coming club there was some exciting stuff happening last year .

Strap yourself in . Go Demons .

Edited February 10, 201114 yr by Fork 'em

I will just remember the words of Jim Stynes at the AGM last week

The Players, Club & Supporters must improve in 2011....How far we improve is the unknown, but that has been the same every footy season in February.

Top 4 i do not subscribe (nice as it looks), but around Position 8, hopefully sneaking in for a taste of september.

Do it for Jimma Demons. B)

It's now official, The club is overhyped for 2011.

What made it official?

Tomorrow night will be very interesting from a team dynamics point of view on a couple of fronts. If we fail to overcome our AAMI hoodo in game 1, we have the opportunity to immediately rectify it

It's actually a really good opportunity to set ourselves up for the year.

I see us with a distinct advantage in the second game because we already will be pumped at game speed while the opposition will still be in physical warmup mode and we could really get a jump on them which in a shortened version of the game could be very very handy

I await the contest/contests with great interest

Agree with the OP.

Talk of finals for 2011 are too premature. Given our list right now I see us as a 10th-13th side. The crappy standard on display at the intra club game last week didn't fuel my optimism.

Edited February 10, 201114 yr by Bring-Back-Powell

The NAB cup game(s) tomorrow night will be no measure of how we will go in 2011, as far as I'm concerned. With some key players out I don't see us overcoming our AAMI blues. I think 10-12 wins is where we will be at in 2011, but I'll be content as long as we finish 10th at the minimum. Yes, we finished 12th last year, but we were unlucky and deserved to be 9th-11th. Finishing 11th or 12th this season wouldn't make me very happy, although I suppose with Gold Coast there's that extra place outside the 8

Agree.

For all the promise in our list, it is very young and we have lost a lot of experience.

We've taken a temporary step back, to take 2 steps forward.

Few seem to recognise this.

Hopefully we can ride it out, but preseason predictions of top 4 are outrageous.

I knew it could not last e25 I cannot agree with most of your comment above.

We have the best draw we have had in 10 years,

Our young guys have more games of experience and we have addressed a couple of problems

Everyone tells me that Watts will have 10 good games this year.

Anything less than 10 wins will be a big disappointment to me.

If we do not get more wins than last year

I think we have to serious consider that our list is not as good as we think.

However I do agree top 4 is ridiculous!

Agree.

For all the promise in our list, it is very young and we have lost a lot of experience.

We've taken a temporary step back, to take 2 steps forward.

Few seem to recognise this.

Hopefully we can ride it out, but preseason predictions of top 4 are outrageous.

I think the proper outlook lies somewhere in the middle between this post and the outrageously positive ones seen on occasion.

Our draw is tip top, and our best players have an extra year under their belt. If injuries don't cripple us, I see no way that we'll take a step back from 12th with 8 and a half wins.

I think the proper outlook lies somewhere in the middle between this post and the outrageously positive ones seen on occasion.

Our draw is tip top, and our best players have an extra year under their belt. If injuries don't cripple us, I see no way that we'll take a step back from 12th with 8 and a half wins.

Agree- the draw is an almighty help to us this year- I'd also be very disappointed if we only matched 2010 success. I truly believe we can make the 8.

I really wish this Scully stuff hadn't happened. Throw in injuries to Morton, Frawley and Petterd and we are off to an unsteady start. Also missing Scully, Jones, Wonaeamirri, Warnock, McKenzie has us pretty damn weakened

Just bear in mind whatever happens tomorrow night simply doesn't matter

I really wish this Scully stuff hadn't happened. Throw in injuries to Morton, Frawley and Petterd and we are off to an unsteady start. Also missing Scully, Jones, Wonaeamirri, Warnock, McKenzie has us pretty damn weakened

Just bear in mind whatever happens tomorrow night simply doesn't matter

It does matter C&B.

I hope we give a good showing after all the hype about TS this week

I hope at the least we see some evidence that a few of our recuits who have had injury plagued starts at the MFC

show us a few glimpses of why they were drafted e.g. Blease and Strauss

as well as a couple of this years draftees displaying some skill that gives us a little confidence.

I really wish this Scully stuff hadn't happened. Throw in injuries to Morton, Frawley and Petterd and we are off to an unsteady start. Also missing Scully, Jones, Wonaeamirri, Warnock, McKenzie has us pretty damn weakened

Just bear in mind whatever happens tomorrow night simply doesn't matter

What other Club doesn't have injuries right now???

Don't you dare chuck in the Towel yet Mate.

If we are to reach the Top it's going to be long and bloody hard. No one is going to hand us the Holy Grail, we will earn it.

Toughen Up C & B!

What other Club doesn't have injuries right now???

Don't you dare chuck in the Towel yet Mate.

If we are to reach the Top it's going to be long and bloody hard. No one is going to hand us the Holy Grail, we will earn it.

Toughen Up C & B!

WYL sometimes it is hard to be tough!

After a lot of very lean years ( the majority of the last 44 years )you do wonder will the worm ever turn.

The pies had one long term injury going into the finals last year.

In my living memory that has never happened at Melbourne.

In a competion that gets tougher and more even by the year

injuries can be the difference between winning the flag and finishing eighth.

Take Swan, Didak and Pendlebury out of the grand final side and they would not have made the GF let alone drawn the first GF.

After being down a long time to loose players like Morton and Frawley to serious injury this early is deflating.

Carn the DEES

WYL sometimes it is hard to be tough!

After a lot of very lean years ( the majority of the last 44 years )you do wonder will the worm ever turn.

The pies had one long term injury going into the finals last year.

In my living memory that has never happened at Melbourne.

In a competion that gets tougher and more even by the year

injuries can be the difference between winning the flag and finishing eighth.

Take Swan, Didak and Pendlebury out of the grand final side and they would not have made the GF let alone drawn the first GF.

After being down a long time to loose players like Morton and Frawley to serious injury this early is deflating.

Carn the DEES

I totally agree, But injuries and all kinds of set backs are part of footy.

Excuses never won anything..we all have to toughen up if we are to go all the way to premiership glory.

I totally agree, But injuries and all kinds of set backs are part of footy.

Excuses never won anything..we all have to toughen up if we are to go all the way to premiership glory.

I have been hanging tough for 44 years WYL not sure I have many "tough" years left in me.

Could we not have an "encouraging" year in 2011?

I totally agree, But injuries and all kinds of set backs are part of footy.

Excuses never won anything..we all have to toughen up if we are to go all the way to premiership glory.

We have no more excuses and I don't think we'll need them, I fully expect to play finals this year and I think the players do as well. Good thing is these kids aren't part of the old guard we had at Melbourne that were happy to accept near enough. Theses kids are mainly winners and are used to success not failure.

Edited February 10, 201114 yr by RobbieF

I have been hanging tough for 44 years WYL not sure I have many "tough" years left in me.

Could we not have an "encouraging" year in 2011?

This is my 40th Year as a Supporter, i hear you-But no one is going to "Gift" us a thing

Aussie Rules is the toughest sport on Earth.

Encouraging is good, means young kids step in when others are injured. i can handle that!

I agree we have been over hyped but recent events such as Frawley's and Morton's injuries and the Scully controversy will have brought us back to earth before the season starts. I think it is good that we are starting our campaign backs to the wall to some extent rather than feeling warm and fuzzy as a result of being flattered by months of ego massaging. I'm starting to feel more confidant we will do well in Adelaide than I was a week ago.

Edited February 10, 201114 yr by america de cali

To be honest I'm quite sick and tired of people saying when our "window" is. Our window is now as far as I'm concerned, we should be aiming to win the flag THIS year. The Hawks weren't in their "window" when they won and hopefully we won't be either.

Frawley will be back in the first couple of rounds, probably 1 so not a big issues. We might miss Morton for a few rounds, but he isn't a massive loss at this stage. A lot of potential that boy, but needs to show some consistency. Watts really needs to show this year; has been promising in patches but its time to bring on his A game. For the record, he is one of the best long passes in a game. Spots and delivers a 30-40m pass very well.

Agree.

For all the promise in our list, it is very young and we have lost a lot of experience.

We've taken a temporary step back, to take 2 steps forward.

Few seem to recognise this.

Hopefully we can ride it out, but preseason predictions of top 4 are outrageous.

I'm keen to know why you think we've taken a step back since I don't see how our list is worse than last year.

In terms of experience, we've lost McDonald to retirement and Bruce, who was fairly close anyway. Most Clubs lose at least 1-2 senior players a year.

Miller, a guy who might have offered leadership around the traps but barely played, has departed but we picked up Campbell. I can't think of anyone else significant.

On the flip side, a bunch of guys will have another season under their belts and our fixture is also pretty decent.

BTW I'd rather be overhyped than what we used to be. People might actually tune in or come to see us play if only to see this wonder kid super hero Tom Scully worth 300 zillion dollars apparently blah blah blah.

For the record, he is one of the best long passes in a game. Spots and delivers a 30-40m pass very well.

Agree with that. He is also excellent below the knees, and has great agility and footwork. Would love to see him played in the midfield