1 hour ago, Diamond said:

It's definite not definate.

Definitely. 

There's definitely cautious optimism from me. I don't think we'll have quite the rise that the dogs had but I hope we'll be in the hunt for the 8 come round 18-19. 

I think the deficiencies have been well identified on here and in those articles. Lack of class in defence is an issue for me, hopefully Salem will hep with that, but we need to become one of those sling shot teams that can take a turnover 10m for our defensive goal and turn it into a goal for us. Ball movement sounds like it's been a focus for the preseason, I hope it gets transferred into the real deal. 

Also we can't become Hogan focused, we need others presenting and for the mids to be looking at all options. Garlett, Petracca, Watts, and Vanders I see trying to fill this role, Pedo as well. Dawes is cooked I reckon. 

Edited March 9, 20169 yr by Pates

unconvinced by Brayshaw

there's a good one

14th after a mid season poor patch and a strong finish. 

Our best chances to move up the ladder is in the first half of the season.

We must start fast and hard.I see about 8 wins from the first 12 games.All winnable and if we do we could push the 8 with 13 wins. If we start slow and have no momentum then we will be bottom 4 again.

I see this as a side capable of winning against all but the best but they will need self belief and above all momentum from good wins

16 hours ago, It's Time said:

The answer is Injuries Injuries and Injuries. 

There are real positive signs already from NAB games that there is definite improvement in ball movement and game plan knowledge and execution.

Our best 22 could do some real damage this year. However, the list is still clearly very light on for depth with talent and experience. We have very few players who can step in and not cause a weakness when anyone in the top 22 drops out. 

snip

Pretty good assessment overall - I agree, our best 22 is starting to looking pretty strong but injuries will kill us as our depth is still quite poor. 

I think we will hit the season running and claim 5 or 6 of our first 10, and then hit the wall and claim only a few cheap wins at the end. Finish with 10 wins and around 10-12th.

To pin our hopes to the doggies out of the blue season last year is a bit optimistic and unlikely I would have thought.

Edited March 9, 20169 yr by Forest Demon

Harmes Neal Bullen Pederson will add forward depth this year . 

3 minutes ago, CityDee said:

Harmes Neal Bullen Pederson will add forward depth this year . 

Well this is it in a manner.  They say its often your bottom third of a list that defines you over a season.  In past seasons pickings were mighty slim  in that respect. No offence to players but some just werent up to it and its taken a while to change the list .  Many of our players in our bottom 1/3 may still not be world beaters and or projects  but they are a cut above what we had. Our ability to plug holes has gone up quite a few ranks.. In some games this will count heavily.  With some permanently knocking on thedoor and indeed occasionally getting games  them there ought to be some healthy competition for spots. That's good , as it should be.

Comparison of approximate best 22's

Wood I Roberts I Morris

Murphy I Hamling I M. Boyd

Johannisen I Liberatore I Macrae

Dahlhaus I Redpath I Hunter

Dickson I T. Boyd I Stringer

R: Roughead* I Bontempelli I Wallis

IC: Picken I Mclean I Suckling I Stevens

E: Biggs I Adcock I Daniel

* Minson or Campbell

 

Jetta I Dunn I Garland

Salem I T. McDonald I Lumumba

Vince I Viney I Brayshaw

vandenBerg I Hogan I Kent

Garlett I Pedersen I Petracca

R: Gawn I Tyson I Jones

IC: Trengove I Harmes I Watts I Oliver

E: Frost I Stretch I Bugg

 

Average Age and Games Played as at 26 March, 2016

Dogs: 24.64/83.95 (3 x 33 year olds)

Dees: 23.82/73.64 (oldest player 30)

Italics = top 10 quality talent (taken or bid) ~ Dees x 9; Dogs x 4

Conclusion:

They're 12-18 months ahead in development and we need a gameplan that will match the best teams in the competition

We have a better ruck/spine and a developing midfield that should at least become the equal 

that 99 year combo is going to have to be nursed through the season somewhat though

23 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Comparison of approximate best 22's

Wood I Roberts I Morris

 

Murphy I Hamling I M. Boyd

 

Johannisen I Liberatore I Macrae

 

Dahlhaus I Redpath I Hunter

 

Dickson I T. Boyd I Stringer

 

R: Roughead* I Bontempelli I Wallis

IC: Picken I Mclean I Suckling I Stevens

E: Biggs I Adcock I Daniel

 

* Minson or Campbell

 

 

 

Jetta I Dunn I Garland

 

Salem I T. McDonald I Lumumba

 

Vince I Viney I Brayshaw

 

vandenBerg I Hogan I Kent

 

Garlett I Pedersen I Petracca

 

R: Gawn I Tyson I Jones

 

IC: Trengove I Harmes I Watts I Oliver

 

E: Frost I Stretch I Bugg

 

 

 

Average Age and Games Played as at 26 March, 2016

 

Dogs: 24.64/83.95 (3 x 33 year olds)

 

Dees: 23.82/73.64 (oldest player 30)

Italics = top 10 quality talent (taken or bid) ~ Dees x 9; Dogs x 4

Conclusion:

They're 12-18 months ahead in development and we need a gameplan that will match the best teams in the competition

We have a better ruck/spine and a developing midfield that should at least become the equal 

It's well and good to say that but I don't buy the bit it all. People werent saying that this time last year. They had lost their Captain , their coach, a bunch of key players, no-one wanted to coach them. They were a basket case and most were saying they were bottom two.

What Beveridge has done is nothing short of sensational. Another Clarkson alumni that has implemented an outstanding modern gameplan. In one summer no less. West Coast are similar. When Roos came on board he talked about players, mental scars and learning how to defend etc. That it would take 3 years. Sure we were a long way back but footy is a simple game and the fact that two of Clarkson's alumni have done so well in such a short space of time speaks volumes. This is why I am very happy for Goodwin to take more control this year. Nothing against Roos but we need a more modern game plan.

Are the Doggies ahead. Yes probably, now. But in talent I would say we have them matched and I think our best will be better than their best.

4 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

It's well and good to say that but I don't buy the bit it all. People werent saying that this time last year. They had lost their Captain , their coach, a bunch of key players, no-one wanted to coach them. They were a basket case and most were saying they were bottom two.

What Beveridge has done is nothing short of sensational. Another Clarkson alumni that has implemented an outstanding modern gameplan. In one summer no less. West Coast are similar. When Roos came on board he talked about players, mental scars and learning how to defend etc. That it would take 3 years. Sure we were a long way back but footy is a simple game and the fact that two of Clarkson's alumni have done so well in such a short space of time speaks volumes. This is why I am very happy for Goodwin to take more control this year. Nothing against Roos but we need a more modern game plan.

Are the Doggies ahead. Yes probably, now. But in talent I would say we have them matched and I think our best will be better than their best.

You don't buy what at all ?

We won 7 games last year and lost more games to teams below us than we won. If we had a bit more consistency that 7 wins could have very easy been 10-11 wins if we had beaten StK(x2) Ess and Carl. Theres no reason to think we couldn't all things going well win 12-13 games this year with general improvement and consistency. 

6th.

13 hours ago, DeeZee said:

You wait till Hogan, Petracca and Brayshaw start ripping it up together, you

Yea I can't wait for JKH and Weideman to kick 50 goals between them and Melksham to dominate for us along with Spencer who we missed so badly against the doggies.

Honerstly half those players you mentioned will be at Casey for majority of the year.

Your statement was ridiculous. 

The interesting thing about the bulldogs is all the hype about them losing coach and captain last year leading to a poor year made the year stand out even more, but they had stripped back and started the process with McCartney 3 years back. Have even heard from McCartney himself that he was gutted that his time was up at the Bulldogs as he knew they were about to rise, he did say after the comment that he expects Melbourne to rise and that they are going to be something "pretty special" over the next 5 years.

I think we will steadily improve again this year, teams who rise rapidly often fall back on expectations the next year (e.g. Port the year before), if we can get 10-12 wins it puts us in a position to play finals the year after.
Would really like to see us beat a top 4 side this year and thump a couple of teams by 50 + points.

1 hour ago, ProDee said:

You don't buy what at all ?

Sorry, having a lot of trouble posting and getting a bit frustrated with the double posts and editing.....

I don't think we are that far behind the Dogs. Our gameplan is the thing that needs improving and it looks like under Goodwin may be. Talent wise I think we stack up and with some momentum, confidence and a no excuses approach we can pass them quickly. They had a bunch step up last year like Easton Wood. We need a couple to do that and our stocks will be looking a lot better than theirs.

13 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

can we please fix the quoting issue.

And the duplicate posting issue?

Anything can happen this year.

I think we'll finish either 11th, 10th or 8th. We all know that 9th is already reserved.

57 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

I don't think we are that far behind the Dogs. Our gameplan is the thing that needs improving and it looks like under Goodwin may be. Talent wise I think we stack up and with some momentum, confidence and a no excuses approach we can pass them quickly. They had a bunch step up last year like Easton Wood. We need a couple to do that and our stocks will be looking a lot better than theirs.

So when I said we were 12-18 months behind in development this is what you "don't agree with at all" ?

I'm not sure how you could disagree.  They're a year ahead in developing their game-plan (ours has been revamped for this season) and their age and games experience puts them 12 months ahead.  Their elite junior talent (Bontempelli, Stringer, Macrae, Liberatore) is also 1-2 years ahead in the system.

Btw, I don't think we're that far behind either and can see us catching them within a year or two.

29 minutes ago, ProDee said:

So when I said we were 12-18 months behind in development this is what you "don't agree with at all" ?

I'm not sure how you could disagree.  They're a year ahead in developing their game-plan (ours has been revamped for this season) and their age and games experience puts them 12 months ahead.  Their elite junior talent (Bontempelli, Stringer, Macrae, Liberatore) is also 1-2 years ahead in the system.

Btw, I don't think we're that far behind either and can see us catching them within a year or two.

yes and no.  It just depends how adeptly they adapt ( us )

The OP went to the idea could we surge ? I think the answer is yes..What happens to the pups this yer I couldnt care about, but ti think they might not hold their lofty heights with teams like us beating them 

On 08/03/2016 at 10:58 AM, Curry & Beer said:

sorry if posted elsewhere, I didn't see it anywhere

very rare opportunity to read some nice things about us

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/could-melbourne-have-western-bulldogslike-resurgence-in-2016/news-story/ba64fbba636e590dde6e152c13f29b07

lets take it in blocks of 3 games,,, 

 

I'd like to see us blitz slowly in the first half,  then if we ease off, I won't be too disappointed.  after we've been thru,  firing for early part of season,  will be enough taste test to excite de buds.

they say, another gem awaits in movember just a cherry.

I agree that we're twelve-eighteen months behind in development but it's hard to quantify in just months as I think we'll be launching from a more solid base in 2017. Dogs recorded 8 wins in 2013 to bring up the rear of the mid-table crew and followed it by 7W in 2014 before hitting their straps. Last year we had the Dogs 2013 - moving out of the bottom-rung basket-cases to the arse-end of the pretenders. But if we steadily improve to 8-10 wins for 10-12ish on the ladder this year then 2017 could see a serious assault on the top 5 from a better launch-pad than what the Doggies had established.

Edited March 10, 20169 yr by Skuit

I agree that we're twelve-eighteen months behind in development but it's hard to quantify in just months as I think we'll be launching from a more solid base in 2017. Dogs recorded 8 wins in 2014 to bring up the rear of the mid-table crew and followed it by 7W in 2014 before hitting their straps. Last year we had the Dogs 2013 - moving out of the bottom-rung basket-cases to the arse-end of the pretenders. But if we steadily improve to 8-10 wins for 10-12ish on the ladder this year then 2017 could see a serious assault on the top 5 from a better launch-pad than what the Doggies had established.