Just listened to both the Bartlett and Jackson speeches from last night.

What a breath of fresh air!! As Jaded said PJ is our biggest recruit in years.

Over to you Roosy. Get the boys playing confident football and the members will return.

Thank you PJ for informing us of the actual reality of where we are at.

Had a listen to the boys speaches and was really please to hear the way PJ laid it all out, no spin just the facts. I reckon its also of note that the fundamentles of this club that he he inheritted are good. The financial structure is good and we owe a debt to the people who did that.

Roos just fills me with confidence as do the comments from Vince and Cross that the side is not the basket case they observed on the paddock last year and the talent is there as is the desire commitment and fitness. I think when we come good it will happen pretty quickly and the Dees will rise from the ashes to swat the upstarts back to their proper place in the competition. Can't wait for the new season to start.

  On 03/02/2014 at 23:24, DemonAndrew said:

there's a story on afl.com.au saying that a practice match happened last friday, is that right? watts was bog?

Roos said Watts was in the Top four players, I do not think he said BOG but not 100% on that.

  On 04/02/2014 at 00:26, Bedraggled Dee said:

Had a listen to the boys speaches and was really please to hear the way PJ laid it all out, no spin just the facts. I reckon its also of note that the fundamentles of this club that he he inheritted are good. The financial structure is good and we owe a debt to the people who did that.

Roos just fills me with confidence as do the comments from Vince and Cross that the side is not the basket case they observed on the paddock last year and the talent is there as is the desire commitment and fitness. I think when we come good it will happen pretty quickly and the Dees will rise from the ashes to swat the upstarts back to their proper place in the competition. Cant wait for the new season to start.

Both Roos and PJ said not to expect this and there will be Bumps. IMO none to subtle comment to expect some poor performances in 2014.

"Roos just fills me with confidence as do the comments from Vince and Cross that the side is not the basket case they observed on the paddock last year and the talent is there as is the desire commitment and fitness"......I asked Daniel Cross about this when I spoke to him, he repeated what he said on stage, a lot is in the head, he regards part of his role to be a steadying factor on the field, to keep banging into the players that they are good enough

  On 04/02/2014 at 00:30, old dee said:

Both Roos and PJ said not to expect this and there will be Bumps. IMO none to subtle comment to expect some poor performances in 2014.

I think there will be some vicious bumps...

  On 04/02/2014 at 00:35, Satyriconhome said:

"Roos just fills me with confidence as do the comments from Vince and Cross that the side is not the basket case they observed on the paddock last year and the talent is there as is the desire commitment and fitness"......I asked Daniel Cross about this when I spoke to him, he repeated what he said on stage, a lot is in the head, he regards part of his role to be a steadying factor on the field, to keep banging into the players that they are good enough

It is utterly amazing what confidence can do to a football player.

I hope they have shorter memories than the fans - just get out there and play some football and they will be in a different stratosphere to last year.

Unfortunately, I think they will remember the last few years in a handful of games in 2014...

  On 04/02/2014 at 00:30, old dee said:

Both Roos and PJ said not to expect this and there will be Bumps. IMO none to subtle comment to expect some poor performances in 2014.

I know. It may take this next season or so to happen but when it happens it will happen quickly. I dont expect a top 4 finish this year and I am sure there will be bad losses but once everything gels I think it wil be a steep curve of improvement from there.

I thought Cross spoke really well on the night mentioned that football was as much about the wellness of the mind as it was the body, and in his mind he was still as hungry as ever. Also mentioned that the first day of training, the enthusiasm and energy about training belied the fact we were 2-20 last year. He mentioned that having characters around the place, motioning to Vince standing next to him, made it an enjoyable place to be.

I'd hate to have to sell a used car to PJ.

  On 04/02/2014 at 01:01, rpfc said:

I think there will be some vicious bumps...

It is utterly amazing what confidence can do to a football player.

I hope they have shorter memories than the fans - just get out there and play some football and they will be in a different stratosphere to last year.

Unfortunately, I think they will remember the last few years in a handful of games in 2014...

I will be happy with "a handful of games"

If we dont win 9 or more I will be very annoyed. Unlike some others I think we have the cattle on the paddock to be competetive and all thats required is a decent game plan and confidence and that can happen very quickly. We are probably still 1 or 2 quality mids short but we have some depth now and should be able to match half the sides in the comp.

  On 04/02/2014 at 01:42, Bedraggled Dee said:

If we dont win 9 or more I will be very annoyed. Unlike some others I think we have the cattle on the paddock to be competetive and all thats required is a decent game plan and confidence and that can happen very quickly. We are probably still 1 or 2 quality mids short but we have some depth now and should be able to match half the sides in the comp.

i will be annoyed if we lose any game. i always am.

but i generally get over it (well mostly)

don't worry though BD you will know if we have turned the ship around regardless of number of wins

  On 04/02/2014 at 01:42, Bedraggled Dee said:

If we dont win 9 or more I will be very annoyed. Unlike some others I think we have the cattle on the paddock to be competetive and all thats required is a decent game plan and confidence and that can happen very quickly. We are probably still 1 or 2 quality mids short but we have some depth now and should be able to match half the sides in the comp.

yep im on that tram also

maybe we should have a seperate thread for people that think we will win more than 8 games this year

  On 03/02/2014 at 12:30, Redleg said:

Had a chat with our CEO and got the feeling he is happy to settle in for the next few years.

Gained the same impression,maybe the AFL may want him to stay a lot longer and mentor a new chum in the job,similarly Roos and his role.

Spirit last night seemed very positive yet reserved..

But jut want to say...GO DEES...I will be sticking THICK.

  On 04/02/2014 at 01:42, Bedraggled Dee said:

If we dont win 9 or more I will be very annoyed. Unlike some others I think we have the cattle on the paddock to be competetive and all thats required is a decent game plan and confidence and that can happen very quickly. We are probably still 1 or 2 quality mids short but we have some depth now and should be able to match half the sides in the comp.

If we win 9 games that would likely put us ahead of about 5 other teams. I'd like to know which other teams our list is stronger than because besides GWS (who will also improve from last year) and St Kilda I think every team still has an edge on us. As a starting point I'd argue every team in the comp besides GWS has at least 1 midfielder better than Nathan Jones OR at least 2 or 3 players at the same level as him. Plus GWS have Callan Ward who is equal to Jones.

Until Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Salem get 50 games and a few others step up a notch we really haven't added too much immediate impact. Vince replaces Sylvia, Cross is much more consistent than Rodan and then we've added Michie and Tyson with combined experience of about half a season. Those changes might result in 1 extra win but the improvement of the group in total can still improve by 30 percentage points and get 3 more wins (a significant improvement) and we are looking at 6 wins not 9.

I think talent wise we are on track for a percentage of about 85% with the likelihood over the next few years of developing much more in the midfield and actually being better than the average and making the 8. But the first step for this year will be getting in to games and building confidence.

Mainly I'd ask why would you be annoyed if something doesn't happen when Roos has just come out and said don't expect things to change over night.

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:06, jazza said:

yep im on that tram also

maybe we should have a seperate thread for people that think we will win more than 8 games this year

How about naming the thread "Hearts not Heads" ?

Good to see there were no Blazers worn last night.

gws

brizzy

stkilda

essendon

gc

maybe adelaide?

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:20, the master said:

If we win 9 games that would likely put us ahead of about 5 other teams. I'd like to know which other teams our list is stronger than because besides GWS (who will also improve from last year) and St Kilda I think every team still has an edge on us. As a starting point I'd argue every team in the comp besides GWS has at least 1 midfielder better than Nathan Jones OR at least 2 or 3 players at the same level as him. Plus GWS have Callan Ward who is equal to Jones.

Until Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Salem get 50 games and a few others step up a notch we really haven't added too much immediate impact. Vince replaces Sylvia, Cross is much more consistent than Rodan and then we've added Michie and Tyson with combined experience of about half a season. Those changes might result in 1 extra win but the improvement of the group in total can still improve by 30 percentage points and get 3 more wins (a significant improvement) and we are looking at 6 wins not 9.

I think talent wise we are on track for a percentage of about 85% with the likelihood over the next few years of developing much more in the midfield and actually being better than the average and making the 8. But the first step for this year will be getting in to games and building confidence.

Mainly I'd ask why would you be annoyed if something doesn't happen when Roos has just come out and said don't expect things to change over night.

I could not have said it better tm.

Some people seem to think we have added 5 Brownlow medalists to the squad.

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:23, why you little said:

Good to see there were no Blazers worn last night.

I had forgotten them wyl.

I think they have been put to a better use

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:20, the master said:

Until Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Salem get 50 games and a few others step up a notch we really haven't added too much immediate impact. Vince replaces Sylvia, Cross is much more consistent than Rodan and then we've added Michie and Tyson with combined experience of about half a season. Those changes might result in 1 extra win but the improvement of the group in total can still improve by 30 percentage points and get 3 more wins (a significant improvement) and we are looking at 6 wins not 9.

Vince is street ahead of Silvia, and as for Cross and Rodan...Cross is a good footballer, Rodan has never been that. A good guy yes but not a good player.

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:20, the master said:

If we win 9 games that would likely put us ahead of about 5 other teams. I'd like to know which other teams our list is stronger than because besides GWS (who will also improve from last year) and St Kilda I think every team still has an edge on us. As a starting point I'd argue every team in the comp besides GWS has at least 1 midfielder better than Nathan Jones OR at least 2 or 3 players at the same level as him. Plus GWS have Callan Ward who is equal to Jones.

Until Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Salem get 50 games and a few others step up a notch we really haven't added too much immediate impact. Vince replaces Sylvia, Cross is much more consistent than Rodan and then we've added Michie and Tyson with combined experience of about half a season. Those changes might result in 1 extra win but the improvement of the group in total can still improve by 30 percentage points and get 3 more wins (a significant improvement) and we are looking at 6 wins not 9.

I think talent wise we are on track for a percentage of about 85% with the likelihood over the next few years of developing much more in the midfield and actually being better than the average and making the 8. But the first step for this year will be getting in to games and building confidence.

Mainly I'd ask why would you be annoyed if something doesn't happen when Roos has just come out and said don't expect things to change over night.

Well said.

6 wins is a bare bones pass for me. But i could live with it. Who knows how many points we can snare, other clubs may have significant injuries.

We may win 2 in a row and go "click"

We just have to get better on the park. Wins increases revenue and passion.

5 teams?

GWS, Bulldogs, Saints, then 2 from Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Gold Coast.

That's not to say we'll be better than all, but some are bound to suffer key injuries.

Unless we do also.

But imagine, for instance, GCS if Ablett goes down with an ACL.

That brings them right back.

Not a given, but I think it's silly to completely discount us.

  On 04/02/2014 at 02:25, old dee said:

I had forgotten them wyl.

I think they have been put to a better use

Floor cleaners or Car Wash Cloths?

Surprised to hear neither Roos, Bartlett nor Jackson mention the *cough* impending merger.

*crickets*

Has that trolling thread been locked yet..?