Roost it far

Surely any serious competitor would make light work of a tigers seconds team?

Spargo’s carrying an Achilles injury, has been for awhile.

As I said it’s triggering. I’ve also said we can win it. It’s just my belief that we’re on a knife’s edge. By the reading of the replies to my posts and the private messages I’ve received I’d say some don’t agree.

I don’t agree that I’m glass half empty. We just need several things to change if we’re to win it.

Find it interesting that so many on here deny the fact we crumbled under pressure in the last 2 years of finals, especially 23 and that our culture is not all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe take a listen to Christian Petracca talk about it. He flat out admits both. I know many of you can’t bare to think we’re not the best and talking about it triggers you but we’re not. We’re in it but we need a lot to go right and some very important things to change.

Spot on however I’m not worried about other clubs.

Petty has had very poor preparation for the season and could easily be out for the next few months. On top of that everyone seems to forget that he’s played a handful of games for us as a forward, he’s still a forward in progress. TMac…..if he’s in the team we’re playing a man down. McAdam, I’d love him fit and in the team but that seems unlikely to be consistent enough for true synergy to develop. Melksham is 32 and coming back from an ACL, he’s 50-50 at the very best. On top of all this you’ve got our heavy reliance on Gawn and also May. I actually still think we can win it but with the improvement of clubs around us we can’t afford much to go wrong. For mine our season is on a knife edge. I know that triggers people around here but that’s my thoughts.

It's also exactly why we might be headed for a fall. The margins are so fine and with Petty, Melksham and likely McAdam out who exactly is going to kick the goals?

I think you're forgetting the costly reversal due to poor discipline, several 50's gifted and Viney burning Petracca and instead setting up carlton's final play. Not to mention the basic kicking for goal errors in the QF. You're way to kind IMO.

This is what I’ve been talking about! Not a natural reporter but they’ve had a good honest crack.

I'm really not. What you're conveniently forgetting is there's 4 or 5 other clubs who have had better preseasons than us, have a not dissimilar level of talent and aren't carrying the baggage or the injuries that we are. Plus they're not relying on their 32 year old ruckman to literally carry them to the top 4. If you think I'm being over the top in relation to Gawn's importance take a look at the QF against Collingwood. He played out of his skin and we couldn't win. I've been very bullish the last 4-5 years but we're on a knife's edge atm. Personally I'm ok with that but I also recognise it. I will say having read the training reports I believe the club is taking a different approach to the year ahead. For the last few years we've been training with a higher level of intensity than this year. I think we've recognised the difficulties in playing our brand for a full season. I've got a hunch, all going well getting players on the park we might just come home like a steam train. I'm expecting a hearts in your mouth kind of ride, or a complete trainwreck.

Was always likely with Hardwick joining. JUH is the target for mine

We followed that game up with?

I’m certainly not giving up. I just don’t think Petty, Melksham and Oliver can be relied upon.

McAdam is 29 in May. He's a talent that's for sure. Can he play close to a full season and find his mojo......that's the million dollar question

S So you're banking on Petty, Melksham and Oliver to be pivotal in us winning the flag and you're bullish about our prospects?

There's every chance that Petty won't play for 3 Months. At the very least he's probably 8 - 10 weeks away from being fit enough to impact, that's if his foot/toe are ready to start serious training. I'm not sure why people are hanging our forward line hopes on a defender with a serious Lisfranc injury who's played a handful of games forward who's had no preseason. You're setting yourselves for disappointment. TMac and Brown are pipe dreams. Then there's Schache, Tomlinson, Turner and Fullarton. If Fritsch or JVR go down it's season over. We're going to have to either play Schache or hope McAdam can actually get on the park for the bulk of the season, something I also think is wishful thinking. Then there's Oliver's absence robbing our forward half of Petracca unless Sparrow can step it up a gear.......2024 is going to be the toughest challenge for awhile. It's what makes it so interesting for mine, we're right up against it. So do we have that real burning inner strength and desire to climb the mountain again? The drive is going to have to come from the likes of Rivers, Bowey, Sparrow, Chandler and also from guys pushing hard like Woewodin, Howes, Turner and hopefully Windsor. One thing's for sure it's going to be entertaining.

Yeh Baby!! :)

I think there’s a few around here who are in for a ruder shock

Who’d take 3-3 right now?

No real star power! No wonder I didn’t listen

I just noticed several posters alluding to the fact he wasn’t picked ahead of Schache because of some prearranged agreement or he “‘checked out” I’d say it rare for a player to not want to play in a big final but who knows??

Heresay at best

And won't Harley Reid and JUH/Ben King round that next group off nicely.

Is that a less than subtle dig at Binman's love of loading? If we get busy on it now we can have the loading issue sorted prior to the start of the season. :)