Dees2014

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I understand where Ryan is coming from, but i don't think he is comparing apples with Apples in comparing where we are now with Richmond in 2011. We have a far superior back half and front half than they did in 2011. It was just we were unable to defend or attack because of our poor mid-field, AND our incompetent coaching. I think our upside is far bigger than Richmond, and will come a lot sooner.

He also said: Bleese is crap Toumpas is crap Jamar is past it, and Gawn is not up to it. Well if Roos went into Melbourne with that attitude then we are beaten before we begin. Fortunately he is far far more sophisticated than that. He says he wants to get absolutely the very best out of each player and make them the very best players they can possibly be. We have about 14 first round draft picks on our list yet we are the worst performing club in the land outside the development ones. Clearly we are nowhere near where we could be. To say that two of those very young first rounders are "crap" is just nonsense. Fortunately we have a coach who does not so easily raise the white flag.

Very well said Robbie. Couldn't agree with you more.

M,Mostly agree. No doubt Roos and his team will directly challenge our young, inexperienced, but immensely talented mids that defensive pressure is as important as offence. They need to be challenged to break the lines, but equally to do the gut running and get back and cover and then spread offensively. I think because they have been poorly coached they did not do this enough either out of ignorance or laziness (or both). In my view this is Roos biggest initial task, but his record suggests he is outstanding at it (as his swans coaching videos suggest). If he can get Bleese, Trengove, Vince, Tyson, Jones, Watts, Michie, Grimes, Viney, Howe to really commit to this I think the results could be anything. I also very much agree with you about rotations. Hogan needs to play as a half forward mid where we can use his fast leading, immense engine and strong marking to be the link between the mid field and the exciting forward set up (likewise with Howe). Similarly with Grimes, McDonald and Garland in the back half. Our forward set up has more than enough marking power in Dawes, Clark, and at times Gawn or Fitzy when resting, to cause havoc with defenses. The group needs to be challenged to take the game on defensively and offensively and take a few risks. The Bailey sides of four years ago at their best were outstanding offensively but poor defensively. If we can get this back and have the stamina and commitment defensively, this side could be quite something. Strange as it is to say, given our appalling record over the last 2-3 years, but I think Roos and his team have assembled the cattle to be as good as if not better than our team in the 1990s and late 80s. We have some immensely talented youngsters, badly coached and therefore underperforming. I have no doubt Roos and his team will fix this. It is a mouth watering prospect.

Would Garlett be 40 and Cain be 57? That would be my tip I must say. I agree, it would round out our trade period wonderfully. I'd love to see another Wiz at the "G".

No doubt Roosy and the team are onto this. We will draft according to needs and best available. I for one very much trust their judgement - unlike other years. Nothing like a strong track record to build confidence....

I think you should read the post a bit more carefully. I said 50% from Roos alone, before we add in all the rest I listed. With those there it would be 100-125% if you insist I put a figure on it, but IMHO a percentage of 140% would translate to 12-15 wins which this year would put us well and truly in the 8. Happy now?

Good post. But with due respect I think you have missed the most important difference: Paul Roos. At last we will have a gameplan which makes sense, a coach who knows what he is doing, and a group of players who have confidence in him, and who will respond to his leadership. Has got to be worth 40-50% improvement on last year's lot IMHO, before we start factoring in a competitive mid-field, a potentially devastating forward set up, a rapidly improving and fit Maxy Gawn and Fitzy, and of course wunderkind Jesse Hogan.

I would add task our midfield to long bomb into the forward line. It will be under the roof so dry conditions, where Dawes, Howe, Hogan, Clark, Fitzy, and hopefully Lennon will dominate. I would also play Blease as a crumbling forward unless we are lucky enough to pick up Garlett late in the draft.

Not sure I fully agree. Dawes and Clark are bigger than Hogan (height and weight) and of course more experienced. I think at least initially we will play Clark at FF ( and he will be picked by up no.1), Dawes at CHF (by no. 2) and hogan as a fast leading HFF (by number 3). Throw in Howe on the other flank and then rest Fitzy in the pocket and you have a complete nightmare for match-ups. I think teams will try to counter by first of all winning in the mid field, and then a highly defensive punching game and get their smaller backs to run off our tall guys. If we can break even or better in the mid field with long accurate kicks, it will still be a nightmare for opposition. Roos must be pinching himself with excitement at the strategic fun he will have in directing this particular chess game. One thing he will drum into them though is the defensive pressure all over the ground will be critical. I think that will be his biggest challenge in getting the gameplan right.

Tyson and Viney have that sort of swagger, as allegedly Hogan and Vince. I don't think there is any lack of leadership in our new recruits.I think we should be now going for elite football skills, and if that is in a mid fielder then so be it. It is also the reason my preference is Lennon - he also happens to have outstanding leadership skills as well. We are getting ourselves in a great position I reckon.

I'm not sure Hogan down back at least some of the time is not such a bad thing. David NEITZ says playing on the likes of Carey and Jonathan Brown taught him more about forward play than 10 years of coaching. After all, Carey did famously say Neitz was the best CHB he played on, and I would argue, particularly in the last 5 years of his career Neitz was the most destructive forward in the competition. hogan I think will in many ways be our modern day Neitz (and Clark playing a fit Schwartz, and Howe ROBBO), that is quite some combination.

Great stuff. Boy this new forward line is going to be exciting HF: Hogan. Dawes Lennon FF: Bleese. Clark. Howe OR C: Watts. Viney. Lennon HF: Hogan. Dawes. Fitzy FF: Bleese. Clark. Howe. Extra-ordinarily difficult to match up on, especially on a dry day, or under the roof at etiad. Can't wait for Viney, Vince, Lennon, Watts, Jones, Tyson, Grimes, Garland, Toumpas long bombs into that forward line and see the havoc wrought. It will be ugly - for opposition teams. It is going to be an exciting season I reckon. Will have to get the forward half up and chasing though, specially Bleese and Howe

Don't you think it is more than strange that the senior coach of an AFL club has to get permission to speak to the media. I find that staggering. I know there should be co-ordination of the public utterances to build consistency, but I a would have thought that ought to be set by the senior coach, director of football, and the CEO. No wonder they are in a mess, and how difficult after this will it be for the current administration to build trust with the new coach?

Or Voss or Eade. There are a few competent ones to choose from, and will make our task round 1 so much more difficult. Still rather be in our shoes than theirs.

I saw him play a couple of outstanding games at Casey as an attacking HBF. His link running through the middle was outstanding as was his disposal by hand and foot. My only queries about him is that he was not overly quick (no doubt a legacy of his two hip operations) nor did he seem to be an accumulator of possessions. I'm prepared though to give him the benefit of the doubt as he clearly has silky skills and an outstanding will to succeed. You can't say that about many of our early picks over the last 5 years. I have no doubt he will be in our best half dozen players in our next premiership team.

And it is something that Paul Roos time and time again has proven himself to be very good at at the swans. I have no doubt he will also be good at it for the Dees.

Yes you can see Vince, Tyson, Viney, toumpas, jones, Watts (all good long kicks) pumping the long ball down to Clark, Dawes, Hogan and Howe, particularly under the roof at etiad, and it would be a headache for oppositions to match up on. Add Lennon, either pumping it down long, or taking spectacular marks on the half forward line. Either way it is all good.

Correct!

Sure PAL (to quote you). Sorry that should have been VFL game. My typo - should have checked it more thoroughly, but for what it is worth: http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/1714233/bendigo-gold-stung-by-casey-scorpions-in-vfl/ If you read my original post it was obvious I meant VFL, but I apologise anyway.

Yes

Fair question, but you could ask the Saints the same question. I think Dazzledavey answered my question about the key match ups and where we are going to win it pretty well. He convinced me!

Magna got 38 possessions in an AFL game. All a bit meaningless until you get to the elite level if you ask me. For me, i think it is time to go for a bit of class - we've got four hard inside mids in Tyson, Viney, Michie and Vince, and add an in-form Trengove and we are just about there. Let's get some taller, elite skills like Lennon

I was watching the replay of our match v the dogs under Craig from earlier this year last night. Almost for the first and only time this year they showed some real fight, particularly in the first half. Gawn and Jones starred, as did McDonald and Garland in the back half. There was a lot to like about that performance even though we had no Hogan, Dawes, Clark, tyson, vince (amongst others) and Trengove was badly down on form. With the right coach we will improve hugely. The Saints will go backwards. Demons for a win for mine.