10th from the top is achievable.

If you look at 2016 form, I can easily see a scenario in 2017 where we finish above all these teams:

Lions
Suns
Tigers
power
freo
pies
bombers
Norf


Dees and Saints are predicted to crack the 8 this year, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of them slips back again.
Bombers are a bit of an unknown quantity.

The chances are we will finish 13th ... but I don't think we should aim lower than 9th/10th.
I don't think it's worth putting psychological pressure on the players to make the 8 this year - but next year (2018) that should definitely be the pass mark.

True.

I wonder if the players believe in Bolts' mantra there is no ceiling?

I'm sure if the boys look around and see what has come into the club over the last 2 years, including the coach, led by a midfield group of Murphy Gibbs Cripps Curnow Simpson ty would be quietly confident they could at anyone...and they just might surprise.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I think 14 to 16 is probably is probably where we'll land.
Long way to go yet but things are looking a lot more positive and objectives are in sight.
Stronger team culture , player development , nurturing our young team for more success and next challenge.
We need two more strong drafts and trade periods and we'll be up there.
Go Baggers

_________________
Go Blue Boys

I would hope to win 9-10 games but expect that 7 wins is par.

Ideally:
- Don't drop any matches we (genuinely) expect to win (e.g. against bottom 4 teams such as Brisbane etc...)
- Win 30-60% of those against our ladder 'peers' (e.g. against lower-middle 6 teams such as Port, Rich, Coll, StK)
- Pinch 1 or 2 against top 8 teams.

Most likely:
- We replace a couple of our unexpected wins from 2016 (e.g. Vs Geelong) with a couple of wins against teams we should have beaten this year but didn't (e.g. Brisbane)
- If luck, momentum goes our way, I'd still hope to win one or two 'unexpectedly'....

Am looking for:
- More green sprouts (e.g. SPS, McKay, Pickett)
- Continued development of those breaking through or on the edge... (e.g. Silvagni, CC, Cunningham, Buckley, Sumner, Boekhorst, Marchbank)
- Good players proving they belong and taking the next step (e.g. Plowman, Kerridge, Lamb, Casboult, Kruezer going up a level)
- Competitiveness, consistency of individual and team performance.

To be honest, I will be pretty happy if Pickett gets through the year without his foot falling off.
I think we've taken on a fair amount of risk.
But if he can build up an uninjured run in the 2's and start snagging a few slick goals, and have a game or two in the firsts toward the second half of the year, then that's a pass.

Not sure that Kerridge or Kreuzer have much more in them to take 'the next step' ... I would just like to see them play well consistently. I hope Casboult is paying for a good goal kicking coach this summer

I reckon that's a reasonable expectation.
That would give us maybe 7-10 wins.
I'd take that.

_________________
Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

12 to 15 games ...

_________________
I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

Time to beat Hawthorn who could slide after letting Lewis and Mitchell go. Roughead could come back or quickly disappear like Mitch Clark. O'Meara hasn't played in ages. We were only a good kick-in away from taking it up to them last year. Docherty's clanger gifted them a red time goal and took the wind out of our sails.

Yep, key for me is beating teams we should beat and snagging a couple we're not expected to.

_________________
Congratulations CK95

Yes, time to beat Hawthorn.

_________________
"our electorate seeks less to be informed and more to be validated." Sad times.

the club stated at the members forum that we will go backwards this year

This club has a strong recent history of misjuding its list so this bodes well in my opinion.

JGUTFC

_________________
Congratulations CK95

The kind of talk that annoys me to no end.

Did they actually say we 'will' go backwards rather than we 'might' go backwards? If so that is an extraordinary thing to say ( and must have sent the marketing/membership department into conniptions...)

words weren't exactly used , the Herald Sun around 29th- 30th November quoted sos that we might not win 7 games next year ...can any one put that article up?

7 days later, I sensed at the meeting and members around me as well that the club was deliberately trying to buy time ...that is we might not win the same 7 games as this year etc etc...we are on the journey for sustained success etc etc ...we are doing a whole of club reset...etc etc ..that is they were lowering the on field expectations

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/n ... =anonymous

my previous post

'We will go backwards in 2017' and 'We are building for sustained success' are vastly different statements

_________________
@cecil_anderson

Of course , but in their context of the Herald sun article and members forum there is a clear message by the club that expectations are being lowered to effectively go backwards by winning less than 7 games in 2017

Pelchen on fox footy said a month or so ago that carlton is in for alot more pain in the next few years

Agree with you guys...we should take Pagan's approach before season 2003: "I expect September action"

_________________
#DonTheStash

That settles it then. If the Herald Sun and bloke who cant get a job for an AFL club are giving that impression, its beyond debate.
Keep plucking them out of your arse MF. With no footy about your imagination is providing entertainment value to the site.

_________________
Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.