1 hour ago, wheaters31 said:

Ummmmm Gary Buckenara had a few interesting takes........

He rated Oscar Baker as a B grade player amongst players such as Grundy, Langdon, Pickett and Fritsch

He also says that he expected us to offload some players for salary cap relief to bring Grundy in, and suggested Ed Langdon as one of the players we could/should have offloaded.

Wow.

That bloke turned into a real goose a number of years ago

2 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

That bloke turned into a real goose a number of years ago

In 1987 I believe.

48 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Great. Love lettuce and hate cabbage

33 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We’ve made an exchange of Jackson for Grundy that might give us marginal to moderate short term improvement.

We’ve added Hunter for Hunt and Bedford. Not a bad move but we now have to replace some half back and small forward depth.

Significant bounce backs: Lever, Salem, Late season Gawn and Langdon, McDonald, ?Tomlinson ?BBB

Can they find another gear: Brayshaw, Harmes, Sparrow, JJ, Chandler, Spargo, ANB 

Natural improvement: Bowey, Pickett, Rivers, JVR, Turner (JJ, Sparrow, Chandler)

Surprise improvement candidates: Petty as a fwd, pick 13, Schache, J Smith, Howes, Laurie, Woey, Nizard

Areas for concern: lockdown back, tall back/tall forward (if Petty goes forward), mid/fwd class, mid/fwd depth.

 

One day you may be optimistic about the club you follow.

I think we do. The perfect list doesn;t exist and most premiers have chinks in their armour.I think we did as much as we could possibly do at this trade period with the cards that were dealt to us and addressed some serious needs. The only thing that would have made it perfect was snaring a stud key forward but they don't grow on trees and everyone knows that. We may need a little luck with keeping T-mac and Brown healthy but I'm confident if they do we will have at least another good year of footy out of them as we make our plans for the next spearhead gem. 

We do need another lockdown defender to play small/medium but I think apart from that we have a very strong side that could wreak some serious havoc. Bring on 23 the year of the Dee!

18 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Casey had injuries mostly to kids. Smith and Turner missed but Casey is super strong down back. Daw retired and McDonald/Melksham slotted back in for finals with Weid rucking.

We had a very healthy run of afl injuries. Or at least of afl injuries that didn’t prevent guys playing. How often was our official injury list more than 5? Maybe early in the year.

Our first choice depth afl players from outside the premiership 23: Dunstan, Weid, Melk, Smith, Bedford, Hunt, Tomlinson really didn’t have to play much and/or are now gone and/or are no more exciting heading in to 2023.

The only depth players I am excited for next year are JVR and Turner. Maybe a faint hope that Chandler gets some speed and composure. Howes at 4-1 to be ready for serious afl footy too. 

Anyone else feel any differently about any individuals?

I think you are missing the wood for the trees.

The point that was being made is our depth is no worse than any other AFL team - and arguably better than most other AFL clubs.

Talent is spread pretty thin across the AFL

5 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

One day you may be optimistic about the club you follow.

Excellent comment. I feel like slashing my wrists after reading his posts. I really don’t know why he follows the club. 

9 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

One day you may be optimistic about the club you follow.

One day you’ll understand there’s a difference between feelings and analysis.

I am optimistic. There’s a lot of reasons to believe our best 25 +/- some surprise improvements can achieve success.

As it currently sits my analysis of the list is we’ve got a solid core, we’ve got some areas of concern that we didn’t do too much to fix, we’ve got a bunch of development prospects most of which probably need at least 12 more months but our mature depth options are a bit lacking.

Improving our draft hand, making a couple of improvements that might be really good but didn’t cost the earth and staying in contention seemed to have been the aim. Overall that’s better than last year and I’m ok with staying around the mark list wise with some bigger moves next year (draft and trade).

There is no question that if we can bring that intensity and dare back we can win it again.

We lost our way mid year, injury, stubborn coach and our players looked cooked this year.

Our mids have two of the best tap ruckman in the comp, we need to become less predictable with our ruck taps and win back that dominance in clearance work.

7 minutes ago, binman said:

I think you are missing the wood for the trees.

The point that was being made is our depth is no worse than any other AFL team - and arguably better than most other AFL clubs.

Talent is spread pretty thin across the AFL

That’s fair. I’d say Geelong (unachievable for everyone else), Coll, Rich, Port and Brisbane probably go in to next year with a stronger best 30 to pick from. 

Of course Rich, Port and Bris are now in debt a first rounder, whilst we are 2 picks in the positive.

How much does a best 30 matter? Our top 7 are still very good. I like our middle 7. And our bottom 7 can all play and many of them are young. Plus who knows with the next guys after that, I didn’t predict ANB, Spargo, Sparrows impact in 2021 but they were physically ready, and certainly not Bowey (who wasn’t but was good enough)

The state of our tall forwards, the lack of polish of our flankers (2 areas we made peripheral moves to help fix btw), the lack of action to turn the list over and the reality that all our good young players who were on the list to start 2021 played in the 2021 flag are the things that concern me list wise.

None of it can’t be overcome. They won it in 2021 with a similar list they can win it again.  But we haven’t gone chips in for the trade period. 

I actually think the thin talent pool is a really big issue for the AFL, particularly with a tassie team on the horizon.

The game is aerobically demanding now that in addition to requiring elite footy skills players also need to be elite athletes.

And they need to be prepared to train to a level probably not a million miles from say Olympic level 40 metre runners. 

That's a pretty demanding combinations of requirements. 

 

1 hour ago, Demon Disciple said:

Great. Love lettuce and hate cabbage

Vat, you don't like sauerkraut? Was ist los mit dir?

Never been more confident for a top 4 finish before a new season and thus another crack at a flag.

Many reasons rounded off by trade performance inputs.

I will make a prediction watch Andy Moniz-Wakefield this year he will improve out of sight may become the next Farmer?

I know he has shown very little but in one match towards the end of the year he had 18 disposals and took a mark Farmer would be proud-off.

25 minutes ago, drdrake said:

There is no question that if we can bring that intensity and dare back we can win it again.

We lost our way mid year, injury, stubborn coach and our players looked cooked this year.

Our mids have two of the best tap ruckman in the comp, we need to become less predictable with our ruck taps and win back that dominance in clearance work.

Agree, but I personally temper the expectations of Grundy/Gawn and ruck dominance v clearances and wins.  I can almost read now the gnashing of teeth when we a) win ruck taps b) dont win clearances c) dont win the game.

Pies lost a game to the Lions winning the ruck taps 63 to 4, barely winning the clearances. Every team tries to be less 'predictable' but once the ball hits the ground its too random. Thats why tap ruckman aren't that valuable.  Doggies, Lions have been the best clearances for 2 years. (Mfc 5th)

Grundy's benefit will be around the ground where he's a genuine 4-quarter contested midfielder unlike present day LJ (and marking target through the corridor) and freeing up Gawn to clunk a few marks inside 50. Gawn will draw 2 defenders every time the ball is kicked forward into 50, he's simply too good one on one under a half decent kick.   I think the duo is being undersold right now, its going to give opposition coaches and ruckman nightmares. 

3 hours ago, SPC said:

I would say absolutely yes…. But…

As we know premierships require a lot of things to click and fit players is one. Do we have the depth, I’d argue we run a bit thinner than some. We certainly don’t expose enough depth players to see if they meet the standard, this will need to change. 
 

Port, Bulldogs, Tigers, Brisbane will all improve next year. We need some growth from below to feature on the last game in September.

Given final 8 changes by at least 2 every year you're tipping two of cats dees swans freo and pies will drop out of 8.

Who?

If Rod 'The Tilt' Carter was bought in as our orange boy, we'd have The Tilt cutting up the pieces for the tilt. Take that to the bank for sure.

32 minutes ago, binman said:

I actually think the thin talent pool is a really big issue for the AFL, particularly with a tassie team on the horizon.

The game is aerobically demanding now that in addition to requiring elite footy skills players also need to be elite athletes.

And they need to be prepared to train to a level probably not a million miles from say Olympic level 40 metre runners. 

That's a pretty demanding combinations of requirements. 

 

I agree. The draft pools each year are shrinking due to lack of players who have the right dedication (huge) and physical traits (also huge). Even as skills training is better

List flexibility and with preseason and midseason pick ups help, but clubs aren’t funded well enough or allowed to train a bunch of VFL players up to afl standard over summer or mid season. 

4 hours ago, Docs Demons said:

Two Words. Bloody Oath.

One word: K'noath!

Ironically, the Herald Sun is Australia's leading listicle paper, which makes Bucky a listicle clogger.

So what do we expect the ideal balance between Max and Grundy? I've not seen a lot of Grundy over the last few years to be honest, so not sure how he fares up forward. Maxy can obviously clunk a few marks but his kicking is suspect. 

Personally I thought Maxy and Jackson worked really well together when Max was floating back and intercepting pretty much everything that came his way. Will they try something like that?

37 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

Given final 8 changes by at least 2 every year you're tipping two of cats dees swans freo and pies will drop out of 8.

Who?

Could see Freo missing, Pies also. Port could improve quite a bit and still not make it. More of a post trade observation on others who have improved their lists.

52 minutes ago, Monbon said:

Vat, you don't like sauerkraut? Was ist los mit dir?

Nichts

51 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

ruck dominance

I think I interpret you correctly, so I think you know this...and perhaps I am hammering home the same point.

Bringing in Grundy - the priority would be around the ground and what he can do, rather than the really unique and hyper specific skill of tap work... that would be wayyyyyy down the list of reasons he was employed by the club.

sorry... not making much sense here am I... 😵

Edited October 13, 20222 yr by Engorged Onion

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

One day you’ll understand there’s a difference between feelings and analysis.

I am optimistic. There’s a lot of reasons to believe our best 25 +/- some surprise improvements can achieve success.

As it currently sits my analysis of the list is we’ve got a solid core, we’ve got some areas of concern that we didn’t do too much to fix, we’ve got a bunch of development prospects most of which probably need at least 12 more months but our mature depth options are a bit lacking.

Improving our draft hand, making a couple of improvements that might be really good but didn’t cost the earth and staying in contention seemed to have been the aim. Overall that’s better than last year and I’m ok with staying around the mark list wise with some bigger moves next year (draft and trade).

I don't have any emotion in football, the only things I have feelings for is family, friends and the Australian Military. Every time you post something there is always criticism or pessimistic remarks attached.

I realize you are entitled to an opinion but as far as I am concerned your opinions are meaningless.