At this stage I believe there are 18 games we can win given the right conditions on the day. I will concede to the Swans, Geelong, St Kilda and WB all away at this stage. If we win 12 of these 18 or 66% we will have reached par expectations for the season IMO.

The Swans game is at the MCG not an away game.

I will certainly be supporting Bailey if the MFC miss the finals. I think he and the FD have done a superb job in very trying circumstances over the last 3 years.

That said i do expect to sneak into the 8 with our list, but that same list is young over a long season so i would not be sacking the coach for finishing 9th.

To me this year is more about attacking games in the right way.

It was a result of their decisions and strategy. 5 year plans are becoming 7 or 8 year plans. You've got to question how often you can do that. How much latitude can you give a coach. It's so hard to get an handle on whether our coaches are any good when compared with others.

I'm really looking forward to the year. This is the first year I beleive Bailey will be coaching to win. As silly as that may sound I don't really think he cared too much last year about winning, he was still developing and experimenting, playing Scully on Boomer Harvey for experience, playing a skinny Jack Watts a bit wide and loose to give him game time but avoiding injury etc.

This year from training notes he has made a significant switch from developement to concentrating on game-plan. This may take a bit of time and there are still a couple of pieces still to be put in place but I think he might be ready to have a crack this year provided things fall our way. Scully is a setback but I think the sky is the limit. We could finish top four. Don't put restrictions on us. I think this year Bailey will have us play a brand of footy that'll blow our minds. It'll be good enough to beat anyone.

What he will struggle to control is our ability to sustain it. That will be the thing. To repeat it week in week out.

I'm really looking forward to the year. This is the first year I beleive Bailey will be coaching to win. As silly as that may sound I don't really think he cared too much last year about winning, he was still developing and experimenting, playing Scully on Boomer Harvey for experience, playing a skinny Jack Watts a bit wide and loose to give him game time but avoiding injury etc.

This year from training notes he has made a significant switch from developement to concentrating on game-plan. This may take a bit of time and there are still a couple of pieces still to be put in place but I think he might be ready to have a crack this year provided things fall our way. Scully is a setback but I think the sky is the limit. We could finish top four. Don't put restrictions on us. I think this year Bailey will have us play a brand of footy that'll blow our minds. It'll be good enough to beat anyone.

What he will struggle to control is our ability to sustain it. That will be the thing. To repeat it week in week out.

Yes i agree with that DDD,this year is about game plans to win, and whether this list can sustain it for 4 quarters. I am hoping that our new Training facilities put the team ahead of where even they thought they were.

Thinking back to the Junction oval days, it is incredible we ever won more than 10 games a year while in that place.

2011 is very exciting isn't it. (Jack Watts & Liam Jurrah could be ripping up september in about 6 months....could be)

Changing predictions after a Mickey Mouse 1st Round NAB Cup is ludicrous. Many of the players that were involved for all clubs will not get another game for the year come Round 1, and a large number of best 22 players did not play.

I still expect us to make the 8....oh and whoever wins the NAB Cup to finish last B)

It was a result of their decisions and strategy. 5 year plans are becoming 7 or 8 year plans. You've got to question how often you can do that. How much latitude can you give a coach. It's so hard to get an handle on whether our coaches are any good when compared with others.

Did Bailey ever give a time frame of 5 years? i don't remember, but lets face it the list has changed by about 80% since 2007 and topped up by mostly talented but raw kids. So Bails has started coaching from way back. Remember he came to the MFC with the previous board so the club was brittle at best.

It is still growing but the MFC is a proud club now. This year i hope Dean Bailey coaches his Butt off. Coaching to win-to find out what he can do and what his list is capable of.

I also believe if we the supporters rock up to games en masse, WE will help get the team over the line more than once this year...we are all involved.

I think Bails is gonna make it as a coach but because of what has transpired over the last 4 years i am prepared to cut him a little slack for 2011. (But not too much...!)

It was a result of their decisions and strategy. 5 year plans are becoming 7 or 8 year plans.

I would say that is your impression.

You've got to question how often you can do that. How much latitude can you give a coach.

Any latitude from Harrison?

It's so hard to get an handle on whether our coaches are any good when compared with others.

Especially when you constantly doubt them.

Its good to maintain 'reality' when looking at the season at large, but why do you have us losing to Carlton twice at the MCG? Do you really think they are a better side than us? I see Carlton as being one dimensional, and on a massive slide this year. Backline is rubbish, forward line looks fragile, but a solid midfield (albeit an unhealthy reliance on Judd).

Eddie betts will kick his 30-40 goals, but if Jarrod Waite gets injured (again) they are looking at Henderson (recycled) to kicked majority of goals, and Walker (has been on trade table for two years) as back up.

I know I would be a nervous Carlton supporter. And for all the talk of Bailey needing a good year, Ratten is surely under the most pressure

The facts speak for themselves. They've finished higher than us for the past three years. They beat us by 33 Rd 5 2008, by 57 Rd 21 2009 and by 41 in round 11 last year. Two of those games were at the MCG.

Do I think they're a better side than we are? Going on our recent encounters with them it seems they are. Do I think we have far more potential than they do in the long run? Absolutely. On our day we could definitely take them out, but Carlton of late have been one of those sides, like North, that have had the wood over us.

Also, I don't really understand what your point is in labeling Henderson as "recycled"? He is 21, was drafted the year before Watts at No.8 and was exchanged for Fevola who at the time, was one of the dominate forwards in the AFL. He kicked 25 goals from 19 last year, which was more goals in less games then Chapman, Swan, Goddard and Ryan O'Keefe to mention a few. Betts 42, Garlett 39, Waite 36, Setanta 26, Henderson 25. Definitely not a one dimensional forward line? Throw in Kreuzer when he returns and thats a solid forward line to add to their solid Mid field of Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, McClean, Lucas etc. Oh and Warnock starting to show something in the ruck too. They're hardly a threat for the flag, but the fact is they match up well against us.

The facts speak for themselves. They've finished higher than us for the past three years. They beat us by 33 Rd 5 2008, by 57 Rd 21 2009 and by 41 in round 11 last year. Two of those games were at the MCG.

Do I think they're a better side than we are? Going on our recent encounters with them it seems they are. Do I think we have far more potential than they do in the long run? Absolutely. On our day we could definitely take them out, but Carlton of late have been one of those sides, like North, that have had the wood over us.

Also, I don't really understand what your point is in labeling Henderson as "recycled"? He is 21, was drafted the year before Watts at No.8 and was exchanged for Fevola who at the time, was one of the dominate forwards in the AFL. He kicked 25 goals from 19 last year, which was more goals in less games then Chapman, Swan, Goddard and Ryan O'Keefe to mention a few. Betts 42, Garlett 39, Waite 36, Setanta 26, Henderson 25. Definitely not a one dimensional forward line? Throw in Kreuzer when he returns and thats a solid forward line to add to their solid Mid field of Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, McClean, Lucas etc. Oh and Warnock starting to show something in the ruck too. They're hardly a threat for the flag, but the fact is they match up well against us.

Can't argue with that.. All valid points. I think my hatred of Carlton affects my judgement. I had no idea they had the wool over us like that.

(but lets not compare Henderson to Chapman, Swan, Goddard, O'Keefe just yet shall we..)

2. V Hawthorn = L (MCG)

18. V Hawthorn = L (MCG)

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Long time reader, first time poster....

I'm keen to canvass everyone's thoughts on how the Hawks will go this year?

I walked out of the 'G after our second game against them last year thinking that we would beat them twice in 2011.

This was based on us getting another pre-season into some of our kids, and the fact that we had a couple of key movers out that day (Grimes and Petterd didn't play and Davey missed the second half if I remember correctly).

While it will probably be tough for us to beat them in Round 2 with Chip likely to be absent, I would like to think if we were up and running in round 18 we could knock them off.

I am probably a bit overconfident as I don't think much of the Hawks, but I really don't think they will be as good this season as everyone is predicting.

I reckon we will end on 10-12 this year. A slight improvement over last year, which is what you want. The draw we have is good though, so so 11-11 or 12-10 is probably within reach if we play some good footy.

In terms of development, it will be a really good year.