Dawks and Cats will start 1 and 2. and most likely finish 1 and 2.

3rd-8th very open.

Dogs
Saints
Pies
Crows
Swans
Roos

All very ordinary teams and we are capable of beating them.

So why shouldn't we quickly move to 3rd and Challenge in 2010.

Key is a favourable draw, games at the G and early wins. We can't afford to start zip 3 ever again.

We need to aim for 14-16 wins. (side note Judd will win Brownlow if we win enough)

Required wins in Blockbusters
Pies (Will not improve in 09) x 2 wins (2008 2 wins) -
Bombers (Will go backwards in 09) x 2 wins (2008 0 Wins)
Saints x 2 (Will not improve in 09) x 2 wins (2008 0 Wins)
Tigers x 2 (May improve in 09) x2 wins(2008 1 win)
Total 8 Wins (This years 3 wins from 8 was rubbish)

Then we need to go 50:50 in for the rest of the season.

Now that is 15 wins and 3rd spot, sounds simple.

Our team needs to think big, like the Dawks dared to do.

My Best Side for 2009 (assume Warnock arrives)

FB Grigg Jamison Armfield
HB Bower Waite Simpson
C Walker Stevens Russell
HF Gibbs Kruezer Houlihan
F Hartlett Fevola Betts

Rucks
Warnock
Judd
Murphy

Int
Hampson
Hadley
Carazzo
Cloke

Scotland will need to miss as his butchers the ball too often, lacks genuince pace and isn't hard enough.

Thornton has had his chance, unable to shut down taller & stronger types. Blind turns into trouble far too often.

Fisher had a poor season in 08 and Hartlett must be given a genuine chane to show he talent leading and marking

My team explained.

Grigg is a nice height and has developed well in 2008, delivers ball cleanly and can expose taller forwards with his pace, happy to push forward and get at goal.

Jamison has the level of concentration and skills required to shutdown most forwards. May struggle against Buddy and Brown.

Armfield to be given first crack on small forwards, needs to run forward and expose forwards that will not chase.

Bower cut down by ugly Cats in 08, will bouce back in 09 and show that he is the new WOOF man. Happy to push forward and kick goals

Waite able to play forward and back and shut down Richo, Lucas, Reiwold (the rabbitman) Needs a red hot season in 09.

Simpson to replace Scotland across half back, will use pace to push forward and kick goals, accurate kicking will be a must.

Walker will be pissed that Cooney won Brownlow plenty to prove, will push forwards for plenty of goals, will aim to take mark of the year.

Stevens on last chance needs to play more dominating qtrs, Lots to prove, will shine in finals like previous centreman, Buckly, Johnston & Williams

Russell - The one people love to hate, what he lacks in skill he makes up for in unsocialable football, funny that he was selected in all games in 2008. Ratten is liking 1% work that most fans missed.

Gibbs - The Rolls Royce of the team, will kick more goals and will be damaging wherever he goes in 2009.

Kuezer - Will assume toughest posi and will put head over the ball, wont kick tons of goals but will contest everything. Will Ruck forward line like Kernahan used to.

Houlihan - Will want to prove that he can play a full season. Has skills required to finish from impossible angles. Just what you need on fast tracks late in September.

Hartlett - Now why would Ratten keep him? Well Fisher is not improving, so he needs to take opportunity to show his leading and marking skills. Can move up and play across half forward when required.

Fev - Will need to kick 75 plus goals and tackle hard and lead young forward line.

Betts - Has skills and pace but needs to play 4 quarters, can lead up the ground and suprise opposition.

Warnock - Hmm, 21 games in 4 seasons, hope he is worth it!

Judd - Needs to stay fit, nothing more to say. Will cut up everyone and needs to kick more goals.

Murphy - Will need to gut run more often and paly 4 qtrs and kick more goals.

Hampson to 2nd ruck as Kruez will be more damaging as a forwards as he proved against Port.

Hadley genuine utility (play back, forward, middle or run with roles) Needs to stay fit.

Carazzo to rotate middle or back for taller shutdown jobs

Cloke to fill in at Half Forward when Kruez needs a rest.

Major theme KICK more goals, take risks!!

Go Blues.

I know i'm gonna be alone here in saying...i think Fisher will be very valuable and will be one of the major difference that would determine if we truely play in september and how deep we play in september.

He had enough shots at goal this year, just missed heaps...if he works hard through the preseason, i'm very confident he can regain his accuracy and be a 50 goal player.

plus he was played up the ground alot this year.

+1

I know i'm gonna be alone here in saying...i think Fisher will be very valuable and will be one of the major difference that would determine if we truely play in september and how deep we play in september.

He had enough shots at goal this year, just missed heaps...if he works hard through the preseason, i'm very confident he can regain his accuracy and be a 50 goal player.

plus he was played up the ground alot this year.

Bollocks. The only teams we had trouble with this year were the Roos, Geelong and Hawthorn, the rest we could've and should've beaten.

Top 4 will be achievable if the boys put in a big pre-season and reduce the quarter fade outs we had this year. We have huge scope on our list for rapid improvement, and the biggest area I feel we will improve is our hardness at the contest, Hadley and Browne will be big players for us next year in this area. Browne will become our run with player, he has been groomed in this position when playing Bullants while getting a good taste for the bigtime also.

14 wins should be our target, anything less than 12 would be a failure.

NO THORNTON???

NO FISHER???

NO SCOTLAND???

+1

12 or 13 wins in 2009.

Improvement will come slowly.

12 or 13 wins in 2009.

Improvement will come slowly.

In 2009 we should beat

Essendon*
Collignwood
Melbourne
Port
Fremantle
West Coast

We can beat (with a 4 quarter effort)

Any one else

But particularly

St Kilda
Western Bulldogs
Sydney
Adelaide


A 12 - 14 win year me thinks.

Me hopes

Key is a favourable draw, games at the G and early wins.