Will a team improve enough to challenge us next year?

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,762]

3 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

Let's face it we done it in a canter this year beating Brisbane impressively we would have smashed them if not for Charlie Cameron's 5 goals belted Geelong and belted the Bulldogs. Is there a team out there that can improve enough to challenge us?

We should remain in the mix for the next couple of years at least but there are too many variables to suggest we are a shoo-in for another premiership.

This year, we were probably best placed, in terms of injuries, out of all the teams competing. If we have an average year injury wise, we'll come back a little and if we have a rough year on the injury front, we'll be right back with the pack.

That said, I think we still have as much room for improvement as any side out there, so I like where we sit.

I think Richmond will be competitive again, barring injury.

I like Port's list but injuries to their young talent may cruel them.

The Bulldogs could have made a better fist of their campaign late in the season and they are certainly capable of beating us but I'm more bullish about our scope for improvement than theirs.

The Swans have done everything right and are loaded with young talent. If they continue to progress quickly, they could be next in line.

I'm so glad we made it count in 2021. We're unlikely to have such a good run with injuries in the future. That said, we're favourites right now and hopefully, we can taste success on the G' next year.

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,762]

2 hours ago, The Stigga said:

Yep fully fit Brisbane are a worry,

Finals experience now and have got same great young kids with Rayner a virtual new recruit.

 

Yep. Harris Andrews was also nowhere near his best and we're still more than competitive.

[durango 1,976]

MFC has to improve by younger players going to the next step, players like Bailey Laurie, Fraser Rosman, Oskar Baker, Kade Chandler, Deakyn Smith, Sam Weideman, James Jordan, Toby Bedford along with Jayden Hunt, Luke Dunstan, Jake Melksham, Joel Smith and Adam Tomlinson pushing for selection.

If the bottom 6 players in the team don't improve or lose form they will be replaced by players who perform at Casey.

Players in the team like Michael Hibberd, Tom Sparrow, Tom McDonald, Charlie Spargo, Jake Bowey and Harrison Petty have to perform to keep out others.

The competition for places has never been better is the reason we improved over the season and we need players to improve to maintain the status quo.

I said before the season to win a premiership you need luck with injuries and have most of your best 22 playing most games for the season and finals.

For the season the Demons used 34 players with 10 players (including James Jordan ) playing 25 games, 4 players playing 24 games and 2 players playing 23 games, players like Bowey, Jones, Vandenberg, Chandler, Weideman, Tomlinson, J Smith, M Brown, Jetta and Baker played less than 7 or less games whilst the 8 others played between 12-21 games.  

The Bulldogs had a good run but lost Josh Bruce just before the finals.

The Gaints were gutted by injury during the season and Toby Greene self distructed.

The Lions lost 2 tall forwards to injury just before or during the finals.

Port seems to be able to play 1 final ok but always fall in the preliminary final.

 

[adonski 9,137]

We have the biggest scope for improvement.

Reckon the 2021 dogs are the best version of themselves, and hit their ceiling given the gaps on their list. Wouldn't be surprised if they drop back to the 5-8 spots.

Brisbane, GWS ones to watch.

[Fritta and Turner 3,650]

The team with a young and up and coming mid field will be the ones to watch.

Not sure how the Blues players will take to Voss.  Essendon?

[deelusions from afar 1,608]

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

First of all we have to make top 4.

Two games out from finals this year we were staring at fifth position.

We had a magnificent finals series.

While we won the home and away comp a quiet review of several matches shows we were often scratchy and off target. We rode our luck on the back of a decent gameplan supported by a great backline.

Looking forward to 2022 but in no way drinking the bathwater

While I agree, no team is solid for the whole season and we were unlucky in some ways as well - eg the Adelaide game where we were robbed by some suspect umpiring calls.

We were blessed with injuries (which is unlikely to occur to the same extent again) but we also were incredibly inaccurate.  Leading into finals people thought we had a weak forward line ... but if they looked at scoring shots I'm fairly sure we would be at the top of the ladder.

While it's fair enough that that be factored in (you do have to kick the goals) I think after our strong start Goody and Burgo had us primed for september all year - so it's probably no coincidence the goal kicking largely clicked in the finals.

But otherwise agree with the sentiment - its never as good (or as bad) as you think it is!  As Goody says "AFL footy is a game of small margins"

[rpfc 27,436]

30 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

injuries, bathwater and no burgess

It’s the new CLR.

IB&NB

[adonski 9,137]

2 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

While I agree, no team is solid for the whole season and we were unlucky in some ways as well - eg the Adelaide game where we were robbed by some suspect umpiring calls.

We were blessed with injuries (which is unlikely to occur to the same extent again) but we also were incredibly inaccurate.  Leading into finals people thought we had a weak forward line ... but if they looked at scoring shots I'm fairly sure we would be at the top of the ladder.

While it's fair enough that that be factored in (you do have to kick the goals) I think after our strong start Goody and Burgo had us primed for september all year - so it's probably no coincidence the goal kicking largely clicked in the finals.

But otherwise agree with the sentiment - its never as good (or as bad) as you think it is!  As Goody says "AFL footy is a game of small margins"

The forwardline talk always frustrated me. We were the 4th or 5th highest scoring team for the regular season, but had the worst accuracy. Didn't take a genius to realise what our issues were but the media conveniently seemed to miss it.

[robbiefrom13 877]

Even when Bontempelli kicked his third, I had little concern - we were the fittest, we were stronger and we had more stars.  I was sure we'd run it out better than the Dogs.  I said to the young Bulldogs fan next to me, "you watch, they'll put Jackson in the ruck, Harmes will go onto Daniels and shut him down, it's what they do."  he laughed and said something about living in hope - but then it all kicked off.  We were so far a different article, the doggies looked absolutely astonished - and then they folded.  Anybody would have. 

We have got a list nobody can match.  Gawn Oliver and Petracca - who beats that?  but then there's Jackson as well!  Not forgetting Viney and a queue of rising strong learners.  The best backline, able to shut down anybody.  Who has got hold of them in the past twelve months?  Kozzie is only starting, so is Ben Brown really.  Fritsch is pretty good!  We have arrived, and I have never seen a more capable set of players at Melbourne, including 1964; never mind the competition-leading fitness and the team ethos.  We've got the wings sorted, and we can kick goals.  Bowie and Salem are rock-sloid, smart, skilled - absolute guns.  

You hesitate to look over-confident, but the objective facts seem to me to point at MFC being the benchmark by quite a margin.  Short of us stuffing it up, why would anyone think we're going to be looking back later and saying "i'm not surprised"?  This is the  box-seat!   

Clearly the most gifted and well organised team in the competition.  And young enough for it all to be in front of them! 

Max shows the way - hard-working to the nth degree, but with that in place, it's all about fun.  I loved the way Petracca spoke so unselfconsciously about knowing he had the talent.  It's simply a fact.  This is all new for us, but it's real and we should enjoy!

[Panamapapers 60]

Port for me. Extreamly even across the ground. GWS always a chance but I've said that for at least 3 years. Dogs of course. I don't rate Brissy honestly and think Sydney will pass them. Can't see anyone else really 

[mauriesy 6,787]

52 minutes ago, Jontee said:

The team with a young and up and coming mid field will be the ones to watch.

That would be us.

[Jibroni 4,042]

Richmond, Dogs and maybe West Coast would be the only dangers IMO.

[radar 1,848]

Since 1984  - only three  “breakthrough” flag sides backed up

crows 97/98
Lions 2001/2

Goodwin was there

Its about a one in 12 year event if we include 84/85 Bombers

 

I thought early this year MFC got a few games against injury/report weakened sides. 
Freo, St K, Geel, GWS

[Smokey 4,126]

4 hours ago, Salems Lot said:

Beware the hubris my friends.  This sort of thinking never won anyone a flag.  Stay hungry, stay humble!

Commentary on a fan forum never actually won or lost a game either, for what its worth 

[PaulRB 5,919]

Our improvements that came late in 2020, continued into 2021 and put us into top 4 and minor premiers, with scalps for most top 8 teams over the year.

Late in 2021 we stepped up another level, and that level put us well above our top 4 peers, each of which we dispatched by good margins in the finals. There's no reason to believe we can't carry this new level into season 2022.

No reason to believe we'll backslide given the last few seasons we've gone from 17th to 9th to 1st... in fact given that improvement we should be 1st by a good margin in 2022. 

So to answer your question... "No, no team will catch us next year. We will have a season like the Dons in 2000. Dominant, hungry,  bloody hard to counter and at its best brutal, sublime and unstoppable."

Not being arrogant, just looking at what's just happened and extrapolating on the form lines...

Go Dees.

Edited October 29, 2021 by PaulRB

[leave it to deever 15,317]

Dogs with their full compliment are still a threat. Its hard to quantify what effect their finals travelling had upon them. ..but we should be able to get the job done again. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by leave it to deever

[deelusions from afar 1,608]

Will be really interesting to see how a number of teams cope with getting smashed in finals - Geelong, Port and Dogs.

Will they review their last game - remember when people were still talking about our 2018 preliminary final not being reviewed and that being the reason why we weren't performing.

Port and Dogs especially should be able to bounce back but some players may have some mental scars!

[deelusions from afar 1,608]

24 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

just looking at what's just happened and extrapolating on the form lines...

... but conveniently leaving out the drop from 2018 to 2019 in said form line.  

[Clintosaurus 6,421]

Anyone mentioning bathwater can get in the bin, as can the term itself.

[DubDee 20,550]

I understand people thinking GWS will be a threat next year based on some of their stars and their second half of this season but I don't see them as anything more than an also-ran:

• They lack culture and professionalism - no coincidence their injury list is the longest every year. 
• Their captain has fallen off a cliff the likes of which I have never seen. 
• Their VC will miss a third of a year at least
• their senior leadership in Ward and Davis are past their best
• They lack tall fwds - as much as I wish Hogan the best I doubt he can perform consistently
• their backline is inexperienced, although they found some good youth down there, you don't win a flag with a young backline
• they have 5-6 stars of course but their bottom 6 is poor

[WERRIDEE 5,209]

Am I the only one that doesn't see us losing a game next year?

[The Riv 55]

Is this a seriously a question?

Of course teams will improve, and there'll be one that'll jump out of the box like Melbourne did this year.

Clubs will not only hunt us but try and implement a similar game plan as well. It's been the trend of premiership teams.

1 hour ago, Panamapapers said:

Port for me. Extreamly even across the ground. GWS always a chance but I've said that for at least 3 years. Dogs of course. I don't rate Brissy honestly and think Sydney will pass them. Can't see anyone else really 

Port are cooked. Their 2 best players are 28 and 34 years of age. After Boak and Wines there's a significantly drop in midfield depth of inside ball winners.

Grand finals are won through the midfield contests mainly. We proved that. Port got shot to bits in the final because their midfield depth was extremely light and was left to Boak and Wines against a much better and deep doggies midfield.

Charlie Dixon is just about cooked as well.

[tiers 2,761]

1 hour ago, PaulRB said:

 We will have a season like the Dons in 2000. Dominant, hungry,  bloody hard to counter and at its best brutal, sublime and unstoppable."

They won one only flag in a dominant period. 2000 was their only year. Waste of talent.

Take nothing for granted.

[John Crow Batty 8,252]

Achieving success is susceptible to inflation. If we don’t improve 10% next season we will be back to the pack and overtaken. Cant rest on our laurels and expect the same results next season. 

[Deemania since 56 6,132]

5 hours ago, Caligula's cohort said:

Doggies, Swans and Giants will challenge us for years to come. They make me nervous whenever we come up against them. They're all young sides with star players about to hit their peak and with young guns emerging. I think Carlton and Freo will make finals next year. They both have good lists and will be giving the top sides a run for their money. 

In saying that, I still think Melbourne should dominate the competition over the next 6 years. And hopefully we can snag another 4 Premierships. 

Swans and Giants, yes. Doggies? I reckon we blew their whole gameplan out of the water for a long, long time.