Lol, people think that without fev we'll just kick no goals.

_________________
#23: Lachlan Henderson

..we could keep him, remain a club with a shocking culture, and run a good risk of losing alienated players cos we pander to a player that continually disrespects and exhorts high salary out of the club for a few more years.. ..and stand a very good chance of remaining too fev centric in the fwd line [if players kick to him], and be easily stifled come finals..

..no idea where we'll wind up next year ladder wise with Fev.. ..he could get injured, he may serve a long term suspension off the club and miss a month or two, and be down on his personal goal tally.. ..what i do know, that the two time coleman medalist got his first in a wooden spoon year, and his second when he finished 7th.. ..he finished 1 shy of the tonne last year and we didn't make finals..

.. ..he's very good, but us winning games hasn't hinged on him when you look at his career.. ..yes i know we were a terrible team before, but now we're good and fev has been mostly constant.. ..the rest of the team has improved our win-loss ratio.. ..IF he's got offside with the rest of the team [and it looks that way, too gutless to face up to them],, then quite simply the team comes first.. ..it's the team that has improved, much more than fev..

_________________
..if you can't be good, be good at it..

With Fev - 4th
Without Fev - 4th

If we lose Fev, opposition backlines won't know what to do. Opportunities abound.

This is just a rubbish point that people keep repeating. We won't just randomly have forwards running around and people miraculously kicking it to them without any prior thought. With or without Fev clubs will watch our structure for the first few rounds next year and then work out ways to combat it. The key will be which teams game plan holds up better on match day. We won't be winning games because of some chaotic and obtuse forward set up that not even the coaches or players are expecting.

But as one door shuts, another one opens. If the Doggies can manufacture a forward setup, surely we can. We have Waite and Kreuzer, who are better marking targets than anyone the Dogs have.

+1, they both have the X-Factor. Betts, Garlett, Yarran, Walker, Robbo etc and classy mids who are proven goalkickers that are young and will get even better - we are very well placed.

Problem is we don't even have a solid backline structure yet or a defensively minded midfield. We relied on our goalkicking potential to get us through this year.

The real fear though is our lack of a plan B. We lost to Essnendon and Collingwood at the back end of the year because we only went to Fevola. Teams like Hawthorn zoned off the likes of Fisher, Cloke and others and they just didn't have the talent to capitalise on the space and opportunties. This is the biggest issue I have with the decision. It's the frustration with a lack of list managaement where we don't have any real developing forward options.

For all this talk of options in other teams, you need decent prongs for a good multi-pringed forward set-up! If Fev goes we don't have anyone in the class of Mooney or Hawkins OR EVEN T Cloke and Anthony. Now that's a sad state of affairs!

_________________
In WADA we trust

Lets just wait and see what happens after the Trade and Draft period. I am very confident with the list we have.

Waite>>>>>>Mooney
Kreuzer>>>>>Hawkins

Don't get me wrong, I love Fev in the team, he's a great character, but we have to look at the team as a whole, and if we're a one man team, what's the good of that if that one man is triple teamed in a GF or he goes down with an injury?

Lets get a bit of realism in here. The glass is half full.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

You have not heard of Waite and Kreuz? You telling me you would prefer Jack Anthony and Mooney running around in Navy Blue?

Yeah but will we know what to do when going forward...

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

So let me get this right. We weren't creative in the forward line with a gun Full Forward but all of a sudden they trade him and our forward line is going to function better and we we will be able to kick big scores.
The Dogies and Pies have absolutely no clue about football why chase a gun forward that will make you predictable.

_________________
Beware the BLUES !

You do have a point there MD.

Hall & Fevola, whether they are flower or not they do have something to offer for teams on the cusp of a Flag and in need for a power forward.

I don't know whether Hall or Fevola will make a difference to the Doggies chance at winning the flag; it just seems that way. They may not even make the GF. The Hall Fev types may tip the balance of the team the other way and they become wayward. No one knows.

We'll never know the impact with Fev gone, till he's gone.

_________________
Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

So......

_________________
WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

I expect us to make the top 6.

The challenge is before the coaching staff to develop a forward line and strategy around Waite and Kreuzer, with the likes of Yarran, Carrazzo, Walker, Robinson, Houlihan etc creating space and co-ordinating leads around them. Henderson, Austin and O'hAilpin will get opportunities.

I reckon we'll struggle early to get it right - major change without Fev, but once the adjustment's made we'll be ok - Waite if fit is capable of being a great forward target.

There is so much improvement in Kreuzer, Grigg, Gibbs, Yazz, Garlett, Grigg, Joseph, Army, Bower, Austin, Hendo, Setanta, Warnock, Hampson, Robinson, o'Keeffe etc.

Add Waite and Walker after a full preparation, McLean and Jamison and we have the strength and depth in the list to go fine.

Judd should return to his destructive best running free and kicking goals (in rnd 4 ).

I think 8-10 next year. Back into a development phase. I'm sure we'll come up with a different game plan etc but it will take time to implement and time for our kids to grow into their positions and bodies. Essentially we've been set back 2-3 years and lets hope Waite and Warnock get over their respective injuries and are durable for next year.

I'm not sure about the forward set up. If we had Alex Ferguson setting things up for us I would almost be confident. With our lack of alternatives when things dont go our way, even when we had the best forward in the comp, I'm not confident Matthew Lappin is going to be able to mould a bunch of mostly 19-20 yo kids, albeit highly rated and talented ones, into one of the premer forward combinations going around. Sorry if I'm not bursting with the rabid enthusiasm expected but that's how I see it.

_________________
"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

You could be right - I agree that much depends on our coaches. Neil Craig was able to change a game plan mid season, a good coach can do amazing things. An ordinary coach can't.

I'm expecting a similar performance next year or maybe a slight improvement.

The loss of Fev should be offset by the improvement in the kids and the recruitment of McLean who will give us a hard edge we badly lacked this year.
Hopefully Waite makes a speedy recovery from his knee reco.
Looking forward to Yarran giving us another avenue to goal. A full preseason should do him wonders.

_________________
There is no footy god

We will continue to improve....we will find ways to score.

We had a good draw....we could be a better team with less wins.

I reckon the bottom 8 teams will still be crap next year which in itself should see us make the 8...now what we do once we've made the 8 depends entirely on what gameplans we take into 2010. It's all about the coach next year and his assistants...

_________________
"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

We may suffer a slight fall in ladder position next year, more due to a complete change of game plan, in the absence of Fevola and Judd in the early rounds. However the Fevola trade has the potential to seriously extend our premiership window, as our forward line will peak with our midfield. Pick 12 adds more youth again.