Everyone I speak to  (they know I am a demon tragic)  are saying they expect us to drop out of top 4.  Bookmaker have us at $9.50 for flag a major drop from last year,   I would have though we were close last year (but muffed   it with injuries bad luck etc)    ...  but window still well and truly open...... am I missing something here

Let them 

13 minutes ago, gregdemon said:

Everyone I speak to  (they know I am a demon tragic)  are saying they expect us to drop out of top 4.  Bookmaker have us at $9.50 for flag a major drop from last year,   I would have though we were close last year (but muffed   it with injuries bad luck etc)    ...  but window still well and truly open...... am I missing something here

well at this time of the year every supporter is optimistic and think their team is going to be on the up

consequently for every team on the up there has to a team on the down

of course nobody really has a clue. just wait until we've had 5 or so rounds and things might look a bit easier to predict

On paper it's a reasonable prediction. Other teams have got stronger over the off-season, where as we're still waiting to see if we've solved our forward connection/forward line issues. We've lost ruck depth and not added any quality tall forward prospects to target. If Petty and Brown were fit, then we'd be on our way in 2024 and possibly would've won the flag last year too. Reality is neither are fit and neither will get through a whole season. We need other options now while we're in our window. 

That said, I see us challenging again this year and I wouldn't be overly surprised if we won the flag. We were desparely close last year and have been underrated/dismissed by the footy media, most of them being brainless sensationalist pelicans. We do have an ageing list though, now 5th oldest I believe. With guns and leaders like Gawn and May getting on, we need top quality replacements coming through or our drop off begins in the next few years.

Perhaps some people are downgrading us as they are uncertain to what degree Oliver may play.

Injuries and bad kicking cost us in the finals. I've got that optimism from the players we've brought in (drafted/traded)

The Window is definitely open but i think the current state of the league is a house with many windows unfortunately. 

Adelaide will continue to improve, GWS were rampant in the 2nd half of the season, Sydney have added well and should have a better season. Who knows what Carlton are capable of with a harder draw.

Didn’t predict last years debacle either.

50 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Let them 

+1.

We should have a good idea sometime around the end of September 2024...

I see us as the next Geelong. Every year people will be predicting our demise but we will annoy everyone hanging around year after year.  

Just go out and play, forget outside noise and stay focused 

There will be peaks and troughs throughout, but trust the group around you and be team first in everything we do.

If we stay fit, perform to our best and see improvement in our 20-50 game players we will be in contention 

At the start of 2021, few had us as even making the 8.  St Kilda were viewed as a more realistic chance of playing and performing in finals.

...just saying.

Edited February 6, 20241 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

1 hour ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Let them 

Agreed.

Something to be said for flying under the radar I think.

Not that the professional football world of our opposition would be taking any notice of the media noise or lack there of in assessing us, but if it means we don't deal with so much external expectations, I don't think that's a bad thing.

In fact I suspect the near misses we've had in recent years, together with the external critisim and questioning of the club/culture will be something of a motivating force behind our players, similar to when the wheels fell off our finals hopes towards the 2020 season.

They’re going to be mad when we finish 1st, yeah I said it. Bookmark this.

Who cares about what people say.

Most experts have No idea.

Who would have thought GWS would be as good as they were or the Dogs miss the finals.

Im glad were flying under the radar.

Most had us missing the finals in 2021.

There arguments are a bit flawed

will drop because no Oliver: well we had no Oliver last year for 10 games and won 7 of those. 
need to fix forward line connection: wasn’t so much the connection but the missed shots that killed us, especially in those finals

i think the only thing that could derail us is if max gets a long term injury

I predict we lose round 1.. watch the media pile on then.. not sure where we end up at the end of year. Way too complicated and too many outside factors. But we have potential and track record of strong performances, what luck we get, we will see.

We could potentially improve too! A fit Salem, Fritta and arrival of McAdam should be positives. Could we expect Pickett, Rivers, JvR, Spargo, Chandler, Sparrow, McVee, Woey and the draftees to improve? I think so.

People are worried about our talls which is fair enough. We need Gawn to stay injury free. 

Then there is Clarry...

 

I’ve been on the pessimistic side of the ledger since last years finals. I think clubs have worked us out to an extent. We have a great list but unless Petty can get himself 100% right we have the same issue as last year and to me that’s a freakin big if! McAdam appears to be not fully fit so a full season from him appears a pipe dream. Then there’s Billing’s, if we’re expecting much from a Saints discard we’re kidding ourselves albeit he’s good depth when fit. I worry about Gawn and May at 32 a piece. So it’s over to Howes, Woewodin and perhaps Windsor to be the youth coming through. Improved years from Bowey, Spargo, Salem, Langdon and Chandler are a must. We need to get Oliver back to his prime at some stage prior to about Round 15. Personally I think Rivers and Neal Bullen could be the players that lift us, maybe Sparrow will go a level?  We know Petracca, Viney, Brayshaw, Lever, Fritsch will get us close. Then there’s the coach and as the saying goes, you’re only as good as your last game, and folks I’ll say it again, it was a howler. We’ll finish somewhere from top to eleventh. 🤓

Edited February 6, 20241 yr by Roost it far

We have now been up 4 years out of the last 6, the opposition preferred us as the easy beats they don’t expect or want us to keep hanging out with the big boys but I think they are going to have to get used to the reincarnated Demons. We have a really good team great coaching group, a number of new players and a whole bunch of newbies coming through the ranks. Our window is very much open and we will refresh again at the end of 2024.!! Let’s hope we disappoint the hell out of all our doubters Including our own pessimists.

Edited February 6, 20241 yr by DeeZone
Added pessimists.

4 hours ago, roy11 said:

Perhaps some people are downgrading us as they are uncertain to what degree Oliver may play.

Injuries and bad kicking cost us in the finals. I've got that optimism from the players we've brought in (drafted/traded)

The Window is definitely open but i think the current state of the league is a house with many windows unfortunately. 

Adelaide will continue to improve, GWS were rampant in the 2nd half of the season, Sydney have added well and should have a better season. Who knows what Carlton are capable of with a harder draw.

In 2024:

• Carltank will be found out and drop
• St Kilda will be botton 6
• Footscray will implode
• Jeelong bottom 10
• The Filth will do what they always do after they win a flag - crash and burn
• Brisbane can't win on the MCG in front of 90,000
• Port are psychos
• Steak and Kidney will run on top of the ground on the basis of home town umpiring
• Essenscum will finish 19th
• Crows will choke on their own publicity or a chicken wing - whichever comes first
• Keep GWS safe - they seem tuff
• Richmond will be relegated to the VFA
• Meth Coke will be charged with crimes against humanity
• Heavy Ho will tread water
• Horeforn will jump up but still 2 or 3 years away
• GC *ums will rise with the bullet as will Norf.

So there you have it.

1. Deez play GC in the granny
2. Maysie runs through the quarter-time huddle and flattens Dimma
3. We win by 17 goals with JVR kicking 9 straight and Trac picking up a second Normie as well as booting 2.7 and 3 OOBOTF.

I also predict the Deez will pick-up Goodstart Childcare Centres as our shorts sponsor.

Edited February 6, 20241 yr by Queanbeyan Demon

We will drop something on the rest of the competition 💩

 

Well said QD and John D. We are not going down in ‘24.

14 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

Essenscum will finish 19th

😂😂

This seriously made me choke on my Coco Pops