Dees Down But Not Out

[Demonland 73,120]

Some positivity for your Thursday

[2021 301]

20 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Some positivity for your Thursday

Not sure we have the personnel in terms of tall forwards

[Watson11 2,241]

Did @binman write that article? All true though.  We are in bad form.  We are not as bad as most on demonland think and not as good as binman thinks. Get to finals and be playing our best footy in August and September and that would be good enough for me.  

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,199]

The issue is with Petracca out we've now lost our best player.

The positive of this is we are going to find out which players have the leadership skills and mental aptitude to take the club forward. They can't hide behind our best players now.

[Fromgotowoewodin 1,606]

That doesn’t line up with the narrative that we need to sack the coach, all the assistants, everyone on the board and trade or delist 20 players so can’t be accurate!

It obviously hasn’t gone to plan this year on a number of fronts, and Trac going out for an extended period or even the season makes it hard to see us challenging for a flag but I don’t think we’re dead yet. 

Max, May, TMac and Brown are the only ones pushing retirement. You’d think the first 2 can at least go one more year. The rest have plenty left, and we had 9 players 23yo or younger in the 22 on Monday. We were a full year younger on average than the pies. 

We can still play finals this year, and even if we don’t I reckon the window is still open next year. 
 

edit: I’d also add that the swans played in a GF in 2022, fell to 8th last year and are now favs for the flag. Lions were ~ a goal away from being premiers and are currently 13th. The consistent high level we’ve been at the past 3 years is unusual, and one blip of a year doesn’t mean it’s all over. 

Edited June 13 by Fromgotowoewodin

[hardtack 10,612]

RoCo??? Oh spare me, please!! I suppose he’ll be listing himself as an ‘Influencer’ or ‘Digital Creator’, soon.

[hardtack 10,612]

I’m usually the ‘eternal optimist’, but I cannot see any way out of the hole we have dug ourselves into. We had lost pretty much ALL momentum (not that we had a lot to begin with), even before the loss of Trac!

The only way we could have any hope, would be if Oliver and Viney magically found form and showed some real leadership. Max can’t do it on his own, and even after Lever returns, it’s going to be a big ask. I fear that our chances of making the eight, have vanished with the loss of Trac.  I consider Hawthorn a better chance to play finals, than the Dees.

Edited June 13 by hardtack

[dazzledavey36 55,315]

I remember getting all these articles back in 2019.

[Deelectable 1,043]

If Petracca is out for the season it's going to be nigh on impossible.  If not, we are a glimmer. After round 15 last year Carlton were 15th on the table with 5 and a half wins. Giants were rung above them with 6 wins . Both teams went on to be narrow losers in their respective preliminary finals. GWS extremely unfortunate.  Not withstanding the fact there is an extra round this year, IF we beat North in our next game in round 15 we will be on 8 wins and possibly a one or two rungs higher on the ladder. Therefore, better placed than the aforementioned teams last year. Barring one two players the only way is up for some of these blokes who have been awful. Perhaps I'll lean on the old cliche ' form is temporary,  class is permanent'. Viney and Oliver, to name but two, are not this bad. I'm actually expecting Clarry to step up and show his true colurs in Christian's absence.We had 20+ contested possessions against the Pies. Turnovers and conversion killed us. I must admit lack of depth is a concern.  Having said that, the next block of 4 games should be a focus. If we can't beat North forget everything that I've said. I think we will. Lions at the Gabba is tough. Surely though we should be driven after our tepid performance against them at the G. We certainly owe West Coast and I think Essendon's ladder position flatters them. Win 3 out of the 4 and, hopefully Trac recovering,and things will look very different. 

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

56 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

The issue is with Petracca out we've now lost our best player.

The positive of this is we are going to find out which players have the leadership skills and mental aptitude to take the club forward. They can't hide behind our best players now.

THis for mine is the watch. Its the 2nd tier players behind our 3-4 stars that have really let us down this year. Rivers, Kozzy, Fritta, Petty, Sparrow et al are having really inconsistent years. 

When you add May, Oliver, Viney to the list as having their worst season ever recorded, things start to make sense. 

Will be good to see who stands up that have long hidden in the shadows of our leaders. 

[MrFreeze 1,995]

Dale Thomas talked about how Carlton had the hard conversations with each other at the exact same point in the season last year. Following that, they shot into the 8. We need to do the same, discuss how we are going to make the most out of this year and don't skirt on the hard truths. We may not play finals, but we can't be fixated on results - it's about attitude, intent and commitment.

[Fritta and Turner 4,522]

Have just spent the morning standing in the rain - completly dropped my bundle, sob....

[leave it to deever 17,517]

It's interesting that since 2021, we have had Max injured, Oliver injured and now Tracca.

As much as one wants to be positive, we probably won't see our midfield anywhere near its absolute best.

It used to be our biggest weapon.

Let's face it Oliver, Tracc, Viney and Gawn at the peak of their powers was a great combo to behold. 

And we used to cobble together a pretty good fwd line with Tmac, Bbb, Spargo, Anb and Fritta. Kicking 100 points plus didn't seem so hard.

And now ( certainly with Lever out, Petty moved forward and May getting older( we can't boast the best backline anymore ).

It's another close season ( minus the Swan's) so  we will probably stay in touch of the eight but we've come down to one player being injured, determining if we will make them.

There's a chance we will break into them but it's the slimmest of slims.

Probably likely to cause one or two upsets between now and the finals but imho won't make them.

After our SA success, I didn't think I'd witness our decline like this. Top four seemed assured and so soon we are all pretty sure we won't play finals. What a brutal game.

When we went out in straight sets in 22, I think I was still distracted by all the success of breaking an over 50 year drought. 

Last year, I was gutted. It was  really bad luck on the fwd injury front. Especially when Milkshake had really stepped up. I know we would have won with Jake and Gus. Quite convincingly.

This time the smoke from the whole Maynard event distracted me. 

And now with what's happened to us in the last six weeks, I've settled back into seeing things more clearly again. 

It's just so incredibly hard to win premierships. After 56 years of absence, one would think that fact is seared into my frontal lobes.

It doesn't take much to derail a flag chance. Like last year with Jake's Knee and Maynards agro, a while years sweat and tears are erased away in a week

The problem is We've tasted success and we realise how wonderful it is. 

I just wish watching the 21 GF replay hadn't lost most of its magic for me.

I think the hardest thing to accept is not seeing a flag in person at the MCG. I was really thinking I would be attending one with this list winning more than just one. The whole COVID thing doesn't lessen our flag to me in the slightest. I just so wanted to see one not through a TV camera.

It's definitely not going to happen this year and I doubt if it will in the next few. 

I'm past blaming players and trying to work out where the club went wrong.  

For me it's about accepting that  the window is closed but that we need to get back to making a new one pronto.

 

[Deelectable 1,043]

13 minutes ago, Deelectable said:

If Petracca is out for the season it's going to be nigh on impossible.  If not, we are a glimmer. After round 15 last year Carlton were 15th on the table with 5 and a half wins. Giants were rung above them with 6 wins . Both teams went on to be narrow losers in their respective preliminary finals. GWS extremely unfortunate.  Not withstanding the fact there is an extra round this year, IF we beat North in our next game in round 15 we will be on 8 wins and possibly a one or two rungs higher on the ladder. Therefore, better placed than the aforementioned teams last year. Barring one two players the only way is up for some of these blokes who have been awful. Perhaps I'll lean on the old cliche ' form is temporary,  class is permanent'. Viney and Oliver, to name but two, are not this bad. I'm actually expecting Clarry to step up and show his true colurs in Christian's absence.We had 20+ contested possessions against the Pies. Turnovers and conversion killed us. I must admit lack of depth is a concern.  Having said that, the next block of 4 games should be a focus. If we can't beat North forget everything that I've said. I think we will. Lions at the Gabba is tough. Surely though we should be driven after our tepid performance against them at the G. We certainly owe West Coast and I think Essendon's ladder position flatters them. Win 3 out of the 4 and, hopefully Trac recovering,and things will look very different. 

P.S. Clarry missed eleven games with a hammy last year having been in very good form. Not sure of the exact figures bit I feel that we won a decent majority of games in his absence. Petracca's loss is immense but others have to step up. Not diminishing the seriousness of his injury at all but I wouldn't be listening to Tom Morris for a second. If we are there when the whips are cracking I'm confident Trac will be back!* I have no medical expertise whatsoever. 

[binman 43,717]

1 hour ago, Watson11 said:

Did @binman write that article? All true though.  We are in bad form.  We are not as bad as most on demonland think and not as good as binman thinks. Get to finals and be playing our best footy in August and September and that would be good enough for me.  

It would be well and truly good enough for me too.

It's also what I expect will happen.

Edited June 13 by binman

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,199]

17 minutes ago, Deelectable said:

P.S. Clarry missed eleven games with a hammy last year having been in very good form. Not sure of the exact figures bit I feel that we won a decent majority of games in his absence. Petracca's loss is immense but others have to step up. Not diminishing the seriousness of his injury at all but I wouldn't be listening to Tom Morris for a second. If we are there when the whips are cracking I'm confident Trac will be back!* I have no medical expertise whatsoever. 

The good news is that neither does Tom Morris

[Pennant St Dee 13,301]

29 minutes ago, MrFreeze said:

Dale Thomas talked about how Carlton had the hard conversations with each other at the exact same point in the season last year. Following that, they shot into the 8. We need to do the same, discuss how we are going to make the most out of this year and don't skirt on the hard truths. We may not play finals, but we can't be fixated on results - it's about attitude, intent and commitment.

We do but our personnel is a little more banged up than Carlton’s was last year. That’s not to say that hard decisions and setting things in place don’t assist us to progress and evolve for next year in a similar fashion to 2020/2021

[Pennant St Dee 13,301]

11 minutes ago, binman said:

It would be well and truly good enough for me too.

It's also what I expect will happen.

I love your optimism Bin, but can’t see it myself. However I’m also aware of the big picture and it’s not all doom and gloom. Our flag tilts long term don’t die with the end of May and Gawn’s career’s as others seem to think.

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,199]

15 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

I love your optimism Bin, but can’t see it myself. However I’m also aware of the big picture and it’s not all doom and gloom. Our flag tilts long term don’t die with the end of May and Gawn’s career’s as others seem to think.

We've had May and Gawn on our list together since 2019. So in 5 seasons, 4 other sides have won a flag without a Gawn or May.... but people seem to think once they are gone we won't win another flag again.

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,294]

Oliver is the key.

If he doesn't regain his best form we are absolutely zero chance even if we manage to sort our forwardline out.

And even if Oliver regains his best form we are still no certainty to be challengers now that Trac is out indefinitely.

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

54 minutes ago, Deelectable said:

P.S. Clarry missed eleven games with a hammy last year having been in very good form. Not sure of the exact figures bit I feel that we won a decent majority of games in his absence. Petracca's loss is immense but others have to step up. Not diminishing the seriousness of his injury at all but I wouldn't be listening to Tom Morris for a second. If we are there when the whips are cracking I'm confident Trac will be back!* I have no medical expertise whatsoever. 

Trac impact on games has always been higher than Oliver's IMV. Oliver at his best was the player that took ball from inside to outside so was still super critical - im not trying to undermine his influence. However at their best, Trac is a bigger out than Oliver. 

[layzie 33,989]

Who cares, we got RoCo behind us now. That's all I need. 

Edited June 13 by layzie

[leave it to deever 17,517]

1 hour ago, Deelectable said:

P.S. Clarry missed eleven games with a hammy last year having been in very good form. Not sure of the exact figures bit I feel that we won a decent majority of games in his absence. Petracca's loss is immense but others have to step up. Not diminishing the seriousness of his injury at all but I wouldn't be listening to Tom Morris for a second. If we are there when the whips are cracking I'm confident Trac will be back!* I have no medical expertise whatsoever. 

We covered him pretty well. That's because JV stepped up big time. This year Jack has gone backwards. And add Oliver's slump to the fray and I think it could get very brutal in the weeks to come. Tracca has been one of our best this year and his loss can't be replaced.

[The heart beats true 18,144]

5 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

This year Jack has gone backwards

His shoulder is absolutely shot. He can barely handle a single knock to it. He’s been playing injured for at least 6 weeks. Before that he was very, very good.

If we had more midfield options he’d probably have been rested, but with Gus gone he’s had to keep fronting up when he’s clearly not right.

[Colm 2,183]

4 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

His shoulder is absolutely shot. He can barely handle a single knock to it. He’s been playing injured for at least 6 weeks. Before that he was very, very good.

If we had more midfield options he’d probably have been rested, but with Gus gone he’s had to keep fronting up when he’s clearly not right.

He’s def carrying an injury. Not sure if it’s the shoulder or something else. I noticed a few times last week that he had very little mobility. Hopefully whatever it is will come good with the bye. Agree that early season I think he was in career best form.