old55

TMac 27yo and Gawn 28yo should be hitting their peak over the next 2-3 years. I've rated Lever and Melksham in the B category and I'm comfortable they sit there for some time to come - some may have them as As currently.

I agree Tony. The overall outlook for the players in each of my categories above is upside. Petracca and Brayshaw have the talent to move into the A Grade and if Viney can stay fit he's definitely in there. Weed and Petty have every chance to elevate to the B grade this year. And I've already said I expect 2-3 from the youth group to establish themselves. The only players potentially on the slide are Jones, Hibberd and Jetta, and maybe AVB and May if they can't stay injury free.

Right now OMac is at least pencilled in for R1 considering WC tall forward line and Petty training with the forwards. Quite a few posters here and a particular questioner at the Info night need to come to terms with this reality.

Really great training reports and exciting times because we've got almost the full core having a complete pre season. I think Gawn, Oliver, May and TMac are key to our fortunes in 2020, no surprises there and only May hopefully temporarily interrupted. Then my next core 11: Salem, Harmes, Petracca, Viney, Lever, Brayshaw, Langdon, Melksham, AVB, Fritsch and Jetta all in full training. Only Jones, Hannan, Tomlinson and Smith are in rehab and I have all 4 in the 3rd echelon and Hannan sounds like the only one restricted medium term. I think if we can get that 15 on the ground for the majority of the season and with some solid support from Hibberd, Weed, OMac, Hunt, ANB, Hore, Petty and Brown, all who are in full training, we can give the flag a real shake this year. I think it's quite reasonable to expect 2 or 3 of the 1st and 2nd year players to make a decent contribution too. For example Lockhart, Jordon, Dunkley, Sparrow and any of the 3 draftees could step up. Preuss is there as Max insurance. That's about 30 goers in total. I don't agree with other posters who say we're "6 - 8 good players off challenging". IMO the challenge starts this year.

Agree 50,000 members vs some small proportion of fanatics on here. It's good that the Club provided the update.

I think they'll go in with extended benches and each play more than one ruck.

Have a look at that SA side that @Demonland has posted on page 2 - it's embarrassingly ordinary

Thanks for the reports. Worrying that May was not running with the main group. He's one of our most important players and I think our 2020 fortunes are tied to his performance.

So somewhere between 8 and 14 wins eh @Macca? That's a pretty short neck you have there. And a "happy to be wrong" reserve parachute at the end for icing.

My guess is readin' isn't one of your strong points.

That's a story for another thread Clint, but FWIW it's the "Goodwin era" and I think the current list quality is a big part of my optimism. Here's the Northey 1988 GF team, I've added Steven O'Dwyer who was suspended in the PF for not even touching Steve Da Rui and it happened "right in front of me". He won the B&F that year and everyone walked taller when he was playing. Hawthorn still would have beaten us but it would have been a different match if Strawbs played. The team is pretty evenly strong across all lines and I think it stacks up well against the 2000 side below. B: 9 Alan Johnson 10 Danny Hughes 14 Rod Grinter HB: 34 Stephen Newport 28 Jamie Duursma 17 Brett Lovett ? 12 Todd Viney 7 Brian Wilson 8 Graeme Yeats HF: 3 Garry Lyon 5 Earl Spalding 15 David Williams F: 11 Jim Stynes 27 Sean Wight 45 Ricky Jackson Foll: 1 Steven O'Dwyer 16 Andy Lovell 33 Greg Healy (c) Int: 37 David Flintoff 21 Steven Febey 18 Steven Stretch Coach: John Northey Here's the Daniher 2000 GF team. That forward line is mighty potent, but the backline and midfield are a bit pedestrian. B: 26 Daniel Ward 27 Anthony Ingerson 44 Alistair Nicholson HB: 42 Peter Walsh 28 Matthew Collins 21 Steven Febey ? 13 Adem Yze 22 Shane Woewodin 35 Anthony McDonald HF: 18 Brad Green 5 David Schwarz 7 Stephen Powell F: 24 Russell Robertson 9 David Neitz (c) 33 Jeff Farmer Foll: 34 Jeff White 43 Guy Rigoni 36 Andrew Leoncelli Int: 4 Brent Grgic 16 Travis Johnstone 47 Ben Beams 46 Troy Simmonds Coach: Neale Daniher I think our current list is very competitive with these two lists.

Some off-season musing ... We haven't had much to write home about since 1964, but we have had two moderately successful eras under John Northey 1986-1992 and Neale Daniher 1998-2007. Which one do you think was better and which had the stronger team? FTR, I expect the Goodwin era to eclipse both and deliver a flag.

I'm not "defend(ing) the position we have found ourselves in", I am saying that today's position has nothing to do with what happened in 1965. You made the claim that we were irrelevant when a major new form of media exposure happened in 1965 and that's the root of our problems. I responded that North were extremely relevant when another new form of media exposure happened in 1996-9 and it hasn't done them much good. The issues both clubs face probably aren't related to this factor.

Yep one more shovel and you'll see China.

Norf won the flag in 96 when the www really took off, that's worked well for them hasn't it.

As @McQueen says, you're leading with your chin. If we have a better year this year on the back of a better physical preparation that will prove you were wrong? Seriously, think it through.

I think what is happening is you are trying in vain to defend your total misreading of where we were at the start of 2019. You're digging a deeper hole, just let it go and admit you were wrong, everyone who has an opinion is sometimes, you'll feel better and be free.

None of those things are "the same things over and over". They are all different things. The only same thing over and over is your obsession about what happened in 1965 affecting our performance today.

Jeff White was a very good ruckman but he had hard hands and was a woeful pack mark, it was his greatest weakness and Max kills him in this aspect. Sure Jeff could occasionally use his great leap and soar up for a chest mark on someone's shoulders. Credit where it's due, he was a great kick, particularly for a ruckman.

I'm interested in whether you posted that you were "digusted" with our drafting before or after it was leaked to you. Also keen to hear your explanation for posting inside info from a club official on a public website if you're so concerned with leaking?

"Disgusted"

Yes I recall you said you'd be "disgusted" if we took Jackson and Pickett with our first 2 picks.

Surprised you can leave Oliver out BRFE. He's #1 and daylight second. I agree May and TMac next. I actually think we could cover Max with Preuss but I dont rate rucking.

Maybe we should replace the pokes revenue with a Phillip Morris sponsorship?

The diagnosis in the article posted by Webber doesn't indicate calf tearing soleus muscle injury and associated scar tissue. It's suggesting friction induced inflammatory tendinopathy which sounds quite different. I'm not sure you can draw a line between Bennell's prognosis and "standard" repeated calf tears.