Or you could get on here and provide a balanced view on where we're at, but when you're looking for the worst at the best of times, thats going to be difficult.

Did you celebrate when we won our last flag, or complain we didn't go on and win by a hundred?

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

I wonder who it could be. When you say young how young do you mean?

its no hidden Secret, We are going to average 10-12 Goals a Game this year, so whichever team kicks more than that will beat us, and whoever kicks below it, will lose it lol


7-8 Wins is a very realistic expectation, and 10-13th Finish is reasonable, given that we have no key Forwards

so many negative people on here but hey that is talking carlton for ya.
i think its really hard to judge a team on practice games , we were or i hope we are trying lots of things and it will actually take a few games to get it all right, well im flower hoping anyway, we have to beat richmond and be around 4-5 after round 9 then maker our run, thats what i think but people relax the season starts in 2 weeks.

I'd rather be where we're at than when we won those NAB Cups under Pagan; then finished nowhere in the real season.

_________________
No ones listening till you make a mistake.

Blueman you are a @#$%&! weirdo. And I say that with utmost respect. I'd rather read your sincere multidimensional speculation than the flat drivel of a gathering band on here.

Too true Warbs.

I am surprised noone commented on the fact that if you look look at our last quarter effort in isolation we dominated play and nearly snatched a win when we had no right to. I dont want to use the umpiring as an excuse but it hurt us in the last quarter. Too many line ball decisions went Adelaide's way when it counted most. Having said that Adelaide were deserving winners.

Dont know what I can put it down to but when we got sniff and lifted our intensity we made Adelaide look quite ordinary.

Having watched the team now three times in the space of a couple of months, our form leading into the proper season may be indifferent but it does not warrant some of the negativity from some of the posters. Way too early to start writing off the team just yet.

Observations from the game

Still a substantial gap in our disposal (both by hand and foot). It will take greater time and greater effort to match the top 4 teams.
When we had the acendancy and the scores were level we overpossessed in defence which brought us unstuck. I tend to worry when we play the short chip game down back.

There was a piece of great play from Walker who burst though the middle in the second quarter and kicked long to Setanta. The pass ended up being a half volley. Pretty confident if it was Fev or any other leading forward for that matter, he would have anticipated the placement of the kick out in front and lead strongly for what would have been a simple mark. Instead Setanta who is still developing as a forward was expecting a long ball into a contested situation and misread the flight. Without Stevens who is going to provide our forwards with weighted balls out in front?

We are such a better side with Kreuzer in the ruck. We play with the advantage of having another midfielder such is his groundwork. If he could run off his opponent and present himself in our forward line he will do lots of damage. Hopefully they dont try to convert him as a forward.

The one thing I noticed about Adelaide's kick ins is how much more quicker they are in bringing the ball back into play, catching us off guard. Our designated kickers tend to take the time. They certainly lack urgency. Their zonal offence tend to look more effective. We helped them with our slow decision decision making and very few moving options. I saw very little hard running unlike Adelaide where theyir players constantly ran hard to present as options and the kicker duly kicked to advantage. It seems as though with exception of a few, our players arent accustomed to running hardoff their opponent for some uncontested possession. Maybe the stats dont support this observation but it certainly feels that way.

Conundrum

Your point regarding our ability to remain in the contest right to the end of the game is very true.

The club has made great ground in that since Ratts took over. There are very few games where we arent in with a real show in the last 1/4. This wasnt the case in the pre Ratts days.

We can make even the best sides (saints, cats, bulldogs, pies) look ordinary at times, its is just getting the consistency for the whole game sorted that holds us back.

I have no doubt that as the team continues to play together, we will see more cohesion and commitment to team directives.

A few have mentioned this and I agree. I think this was very noticeable at times that they had the ball well on it's way when some of our guys were still thinking about the defensive set-up.

see you wednesday night mate.

_________________
dane's trolling again

I concur.

_________________
STURDYISM!!

So you have only negative things to say about our side?

I'm stunned![/quote]


Well I can get on here "like a dog with two dicks" and tell everyone how great the season is going to be because robinson has improved and waite got through a game and Hendersen will be a player but unfortunately if large portion of the team can not kick, the backline can not kick out and game plans are not executed or developed----then unfortunately the bottom line is we will not play finals....and that is pretty negative.[/quote]

Or you could get on here and provide a balanced view on where we're at, but when you're looking for the worst at the best of times, thats going to be difficult.

Did you celebrate when we won our last flag, or complain we didn't go on and win by a hundred?[/quote]


That is the whole point, if you make a an honest appraisal, we are long way off a premiership. You can not win until the negatives are improved. What basket of postives are you thinking of? It is about making accurate assessments. If we make the eight its postive but my bet is we won't ---and that in the fourth season post pratt (2007-2010) is very negative. Whats you prediction?

Just on the radio, Joseph guilty of striking and offfered a reprimand.