Who will improve?

[The Inbetweener]

have been thinking about this the last couple of days after listening to a review of our game on The Sunday Rub on MMM.

One of the hosts was being negative wondering if we will really improve next year given guys like Dickson and Crameri probably don't have much more improvement left in them. Thankfully another host pointed out that guys like Stringer etc could still improve 25-30%.

Got me thinking, who do I think will improve, stay the same or go backwards next year.

This is my go at it:

Improve
Bont
Dahlhaus
Stringer
Macrae
Z Cordy
T Boyd
Webb
Stevens
Hamling
Dale
Daniel
Redpath
Mclean

Stay the same
Grant (if we keep him)
Wallis (came on so much this year, will it continue with Libba back)
Hunter (see above, I'd be wrapped if he stays the same level)
Crameri
Wood
Hrovat
Campbell
Roberts
Honeychurch
Roughead
Biggs
Prudden
Dickson (think he has another elite season or 2)
Talia
Morris
JJ
Picken
Jong

Go backwards
Murphy (not being disrespectful just saying he may not be at AA level)
Boyd (see above)
Libba (in comparison to how he was before his knee)
Minson

Not sure
Smith
Hamilton

That's my take anyway

 

[GreatSouthWest]

McLean go backwards?

 

[StringyDog]

Why would McLean go backwards? he has by far the most talent of last years draftees

 

[The Inbetweener]

McLean go backwards?

Whoops that's a mistake meant to be on improve list

 

[james1995]

Was going to comment on McLean to go backwards but seen that's already been done.
I think we'll see a lot of Webb, McLean and Daniel next season with the sub rule abolished and all 3 will give it a fair go.
I think Hrovat will make his way back into the first team next season so see a lot of improvement from him. With Liberatore back we might see more forward time from Wallis, which could be a good thing, he has decent forward sense.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

All the ones that take set shot lessons over the next few months

 

[hatescaptcha]

Can see Daniel having a big impact next season.

 

[AFDogs]

Not looking at draftees, because to be quite honest, its imminent they're going to improve.

I see J Grant improving, if he stays with us on our list. Campbell, Redpath and Boyd to make big jumps after another pre-season. Talia could start hitting his stripes like he was at the start of the year. Hamling will keep getting better and has shown plenty so far. Expect Jong to hit another gear too.

In terms of staying the same, don't see how we can get much more out of guys like Dicko, Cramers and the 200+ gamers. Dahlhaus hit his prime this year, don't see him taking his game any further next year. Wallis is a contested bull and could move into his prime next year or after.

 

[King Harold]

Hammlings the one for me , I can see big up side.
Reckon he would have got huge self belief from that final. I think we will see him mark the ball more often next year. By the way he is a very , very good kick as well.

 

[Dazb86]

Really hoping T.Boyd shows significant improvement next year and cements a position in the best 22.

 

[PuzzledfromParkville]

You look at the individual awards and we have no one consistent enough at this stage to be mentioned as a winner. Our depth is so good we didn't need individual brilliance.

This is where our improvement will come I believe. The list will stay even and consistent and the likes of Bont, Stringer, Wallis and even McLean will produce enough to win games off their own boots consistently.

This will produce 3-5 more wins a year.

Throw in Libba, Boyd's development and a set ruckman and I think the glass is half full

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Stay the same
Grant (if we keep him)
Wallis (came on so much this year, will it continue with Libba back)
Hunter (see above, I'd be wrapped if he stays the same level)
Crameri
Wood
Hrovat
Campbell
Roberts
Honeychurch
Roughead
Biggs
Prudden
Dickson (think he has another elite season or 2)
Talia
Morris
JJ
Picken
Jong

I've highlighted players from your 'stay the same' list that I think can improve markedly next year.

Hrovat is an exceptional talent, but his composure and skill were totally absent this year. I thought he was ready to beast it after shedding the puppy fat and with spots opening up in the side, but such is footy. He's still very young, I think he'll be back on track next year.

Honeychurch and Roberts need to bulk up and build some resilience. I don't buy that Honeychurch's decision-making is poor, I think he's physically unprepared for the level and the fatigue wears on his disposal. Roberts had virtually no pre-season and was still our first choice key back when fit. He can be a beast.

Roughead looked good in the ruck despite spending his last three years in the backline. I'm excited to see what he can do if he's trained as a ruck/forward over summer - it's where he's most valuable to our side and our style of play.

 

[Zgope1]

the big one is Tom Boyd. Once he hits afl running requirement he'll be trouble

 

[Dogsman16]

Further improvement in Stringer must scare the absolute **** out of opposition teams. All about taking more inside 50 marks both in an unconteted and contested sense. To get up around that 70 goal mark he needs to kick more easy goals through set shots. He does the hard stuff as well as anyone in the game.

I argue that "playing tall" is not a height or weight division but rather a mentality. Players like Jamie Elliot, Easton Wood, Jeremy Howe play taller than their height suggest because its a mentality (and athleticism thing) that they fly for marks and want to mark the ball not just crash the pack.

Thats next for Jakey. We need him being an aerial threat, especially when we love to rotate guys through the forward line. Can't always have someone like Boyd swallowing contested marks. Need another aerial presence, particularly when Redpath is the old school leadup type.

 

[TimlinOfficial]

Hammlings the one for me , I can see big up side.
Reckon he would have got huge self belief from that final. I think we will see him mark the ball more often next year. By the way he is a very , very good kick as well.

Nah, he's a pretty average kick: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-28/the-inquirer-just-for-kicks

 

[bobby2]

Nah, he's a pretty average kick: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-28/the-inquirer-just-for-kicks

I think his kicking and decision making will improve next year. For a lot of this year, he was adjusting to the pace of the game. I think king was commenting on his kicking technique, which is good.

 

[VitalDread]

The club- increased people at home games, firday nighr footy and overall increase of sponsors and profit
The players- finals footy will place a fire in the belly of the group and will push them harder than ever before. The footscray boys weren't happy how their season finished as well and will do anything to get revenge.

Coach- another pre season under bevo and it will help shape bulldogs into one of the best defense ranked teams in the league with the fast based offense he brought in

 

[Unknown Caller]

Campbell will improve a lot if he gets a good run at being the number one ruckman. I think we can also expect full season from Tom Boyd kicking around 30 goals.

 

[King Harold]

Nah, he's a pretty average kick: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-28/the-inquirer-just-for-kicks

Thanks , but I take no notice of meaningless tables. I work on what I see.
Morris on your list as well , may not be a great kick , but I have no problem when the balls in his hands.

 

[TimlinOfficial]

Thanks , but I take no notice of meaningless tables. I work on what I see.
Morris on your list as well , may not be a great kick , but I have no problem when the balls in his hands.

Meaningless tables... statistical evidence*

The stat says Hamling and Morris miss kicks in situations when they are expected to hit the target, and it suggests they do this most often among key defenders in the league. Hamling doesn't take many risks with his kicks which is good, but his not a 'very, very good kick'

 

[King Harold]

Meaningless tables... statistical evidence*

The stat says Hamling and Morris miss kicks in situations when they are expected to hit the target, and it suggests they do this most often among key defenders in the league. Hamling doesn't take many risks with his kicks which is good, but his not a 'very, very good kick'

No problem Timlin ,you stick to your stas I just go and watch.
Watched plenty of VFL early this year and Hamling was the one to make the switch across the ground on a regular basis. Long and accurate. Very nice teqnique as well. And not in the pristine conditions of Etihad either !
Don't care you don't believe me , but he kicks the ball beautifully and regularly over 50 metres plus.
Does your stats tell you how often a defender as an example has to scrub a kick out under pressure ?
I don't need to look at stats to tell me Grant is a s-house kick because of his s... teqnique .
Morris very rarely misses targets , he is very conservative sure. But if he was so bad you would soon hear about it non stop on this board.

 

[TimlinOfficial]

No problem Timlin ,you stick to your stas I just go and watch.
Watched plenty of VFL early this year and Hamling was the one to make the switch across the ground on a regular basis. Long and accurate. Very nice teqnique as well. And not in the pristine conditions of Etihad either !
Don't care you don't believe me , but he kicks the ball beautifully and regularly over 50 metres plus.
Does your stats tell you how often a defender as an example has to scrub a kick out under pressure ?
I don't need to look at stats to tell me Grant is a s-house kick because of his s... teqnique .
Morris very rarely misses targets , he is very conservative sure. But if he was so bad you would soon hear about it non stop on this board.

Yes, those stats evaluate the context of a kick and the likelihood of the kick hitting the target. The eye test is fine but statistics are valuable in proving/disproving what the eye says. We're clearly not going to agree - I think Hamling will be a good player but I don't think he'll ever be widely lauded for his kicking

 

[King Harold]

Yes, those stats evaluate the context of a kick and the likelihood of the kick hitting the target. The eye test is fine but statistics are valuable in proving/disproving what the eye says. We're clearly not going to agree - I think Hamling will be a good player but I don't think he'll ever be widely lauded for his kicking

Nil all draw then ?

 

[stefoid]

I am hoping for a big year from Roughie as #1 ruck. Would make the world of difference to our team.
IF Big Red continues to improve his..well, everything really, then that would be great too.

Really, we have the smalls situation well in hand - we have so many to chose from its going to be very tight for spots with quality in every line.

But our spine is so inexperienced from front to back. We like to do a comparison of team age/experience, but how about a spine age/experiece comparison?

How does Fletcher, Talia/Hamling, Roughead, RedPath and TBoyd stack up in terms of games played ? - Im willing to bet it would be last with a bullet.

 

[TiAn_]

Definitely improve:

Hunter
McLean
Daniel
Webb
Dale
Boyd
Cordy

Potential to improve:

Hamling
Honeychurch
Jong
Roberts

Any way you look at it, that's a great list of young players ready to take best-22 spots for a team that finished a game outside the top 4.