Interesting there's near consensus on WC, Adelaide, Hawthorn and Geelong. I wouldn't tip against them either but I feel like one of those sides misses the 8.

The saints are in year 4 of the same coach with mostly the same playing group and played like a top 8 team for a lot of last year. They've added key defenders in Carlisle and Brown and Jack Steele as a rotation midfielder but are really the same core. Gresham and Steele are their most inexperienced players and both can play roles. 

We are in year 1.5 of Goodwin really and are still being aggressive with the best team turnover. We've added Melksham, Lewis and hopefully Hibberd. We're still trying to decide on Spencer or Weeds in to the team and then work out how to get Watts to back up for another year. Oliver, Brayshaw, Petracca, Hunt, Stretch, Wagner, Oscar, Weeds all haven't played much footy yet and there's a chance as the year goes on we add a couple more debutants in Hannan and Joel Smith in to the mix.

We'll get comparisons to the Saints given we were both down the bottom in 2013/2014 but really I'm not too worried about what they do.

21 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Interesting there's near consensus on WC, Adelaide, Hawthorn and Geelong. I wouldn't tip against them either but I feel like one of those sides misses the 8.

The saints are in year 4 of the same coach with mostly the same playing group and played like a top 8 team for a lot of last year. They've added key defenders in Carlisle and Brown and Jack Steele as a rotation midfielder but are really the same core. Gresham and Steele are their most inexperienced players and both can play roles. 

We are in year 1.5 of Goodwin really and are still being aggressive with the best team turnover. We've added Melksham, Lewis and hopefully Hibberd. We're still trying to decide on Spencer or Weeds in to the team and then work out how to get Watts to back up for another year. Oliver, Brayshaw, Petracca, Hunt, Stretch, Wagner, Oscar, Weeds all haven't played much footy yet and there's a chance as the year goes on we add a couple more debutants in Hannan and Joel Smith in to the mix.

We'll get comparisons to the Saints given we were both down the bottom in 2013/2014 but really I'm not too worried about what they do.

Measured and thoughtful as always.

3 hours ago, Dante said:

Just heard John Ralph on SEN and he didn't have us in his final 8 predictions because it was done in January, but now he said he would.

Also reckons we need a star player like Fyfe or Martin and thinks we are THE destination club of the comp. Nice to know we are getting recognised at last.

 

Clayton Oliver says hi...

Why wasn't viney at the captains day? Are you only allowed to send 1 if you have duel captains 

1 hour ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Clayton Oliver says hi...

I think he means established, not potential.

 

51 minutes ago, Dante said:

I think he means established, not potential.

 

Yep that's what he was saying

He was saying dees r a destination club and needed to land an established stat like hawks and cats back in the 0's to become a serious contender 

I actually found myself agrreinf with him for once

flavor of the month atm belting blues buy 90 points

 

In depth article on our prospects this season

http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/03/08/melbournes-are-the-best-of-a-building-2017-afl-middle-class/?utm_campaign=most_discussed

The fact that we're even in the discussion for a Top 8 spot is enough for me at the moment.  Can't be too greedy when you consider where we've come from.

10 hours ago, daisycutter said:

oh, rightio. serves me right for a quick cursory glance. it was swan who got 17

Shows you how much these captains know dc

i know for a fact that Dane Swan won't make the finals this year

1 hour ago, Petraccattack said:

In depth article on our prospects this season

http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/03/08/melbournes-are-the-best-of-a-building-2017-afl-middle-class/?utm_campaign=most_discussed

Great article, it's almost as I've written it myself because I agree with it all (except Weed being our top draft pick in 2015 - I won't ever forget the moment we picked up Clearance).

49 minutes ago, small but forward said:

Shows you how much these captains know dc

i know for a fact that Dane Swan won't make the finals this year

.............but i bet he gets a seat before either of us

As in politics, there is really only one poll that matters.

Not fazed in any way.

Can anyone recall how many  picked Dogs this time last year?

3 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

In depth article on our prospects this season

http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/03/08/melbournes-are-the-best-of-a-building-2017-afl-middle-class/?utm_campaign=most_discussed

Great read.

These arguments and mock outrage are pretty meaningless at this stage. We are just over a week away from the results of the first game. We will all know soon enough....

One of the captains picked Richmond for the flag in last year's poll. They're not the brightest lot. And I'd suggest a portion of the middle tier wouldn't want to readily admit we're a finals chance in front of them. See Collingwood, St. Kilda, Nth Melbourne, Richmond, Essendon, Power . . .

I agree. It'd be interesting to know which Captains thought we'd make the 8.

I suspect it'd be the Captains of the top 4 or 5 clubs (none of whom feel threatened to make such a prediction) and potentially the Captains of the very bottom teams, eg, Carlton and the Lions (again, none of whom feel threatened to make such a prediction).

 

Meh at this stage I would have picked the Saints ahead of us as well. It might have turned out a little different if we didn't finish the season like we did. 

Edited March 16, 20178 yr by Ethan Tremblay

16 hours ago, Dante said:

I think he means established, not potential.

 

Owwwwww.......

16 hours ago, Dante said:

I think he means established, not potential.

 

Reminds me of an old joke.

Punchline is something like " it's only a question of how much".