I ask myself, what did we expect from this season? The most optimistic of us thought that maybe a top 8 finish was not out of reach, but the overwhelming majority seemed to be of the opinion that we would be somewhere around 10-12.
Has a little bit of early success artificially raised our expectations? I think so. When you analyse the year so far, what have we really done to make us believe that we are better than 10-12 on the ladder?
1. We have beaten a Port Adelaide who were massively undermanned and suffering from one of the greatest premiership hangovers in recent memory.
2. We beat Collingwood, who are currently bottom of the ladder and now firming as spoon favourites.
3. We beat the Kangaroos in a game that was so ugly and devoid of skill that the Flagstaff Hill C grade could have been competitive.
4. We beat Sydney convincingly after an ugly struggle for 3 quarters.
I personally can't see anything other than signs of an inconsistent team that is in a rebuilding mode and doesn't have the right cattle for the job. We have been competitive, which means that the attitude and the mindset is OK, but we still lack in confidence and class. i think many have been hoodwinked by the fact that we have won a few games and also by the fact that we aren't getting caned each week.
I would go as far as to say that the Crows are 8 quality players short of a threatening team ATM and that we are lucky that the comp. is currently full of sides playing terrible, un-natural football. To be competitive we need:
1. A CHF who can at the very least pick up a ball on the ground and who knows how to direct the play. We don't need a genius, just a Mark Stevens type with a healthy body. Maybe Fergus, but who really knows?
2. A second wingman (to Reilly) that can deliver the ball inside 50 with a kick that doesn't go 40 metres in the air. We need a wingman who understands that a forward can mark a ball out in front if it is delivered toward his chest.
3. We need a second roving ruckman(to Hudson). Too much is being asked of Hudson and to expect him to deliver with only Biglands for support is not realistic. Meesen hopefully will deliver, but who knows?
4. Another onballer that is willing to get under and dish out the hard ball. Again too much is expected of too few and another Thommo must be a priority.
In addition to this we need replacements for Roo, Goody, Macca, Edwards and Hart in the near future. I guess this is a long winded way of saying, have we been sucked into believeing that we are better than we are and are we expecting far too much from quality of cattle we have. There have been only 3 great revelations- Thommo, Mattner and Rutten. Some sporadic surprises-Skipworth, Doughty and then the cupboard is bare.
I hope my reality check is proven wrong, but I think we are seeing an inconsistent season from a team that doesn't yet have the capability to deliver any more. Prepare to be frustrated.
Has a little bit of early success artificially raised our expectations? I think so. When you analyse the year so far, what have we really done to make us believe that we are better than 10-12 on the ladder?
1. We have beaten a Port Adelaide who were massively undermanned and suffering from one of the greatest premiership hangovers in recent memory.
2. We beat Collingwood, who are currently bottom of the ladder and now firming as spoon favourites.
3. We beat the Kangaroos in a game that was so ugly and devoid of skill that the Flagstaff Hill C grade could have been competitive.
4. We beat Sydney convincingly after an ugly struggle for 3 quarters.
I personally can't see anything other than signs of an inconsistent team that is in a rebuilding mode and doesn't have the right cattle for the job. We have been competitive, which means that the attitude and the mindset is OK, but we still lack in confidence and class. i think many have been hoodwinked by the fact that we have won a few games and also by the fact that we aren't getting caned each week.
I would go as far as to say that the Crows are 8 quality players short of a threatening team ATM and that we are lucky that the comp. is currently full of sides playing terrible, un-natural football. To be competitive we need:
1. A CHF who can at the very least pick up a ball on the ground and who knows how to direct the play. We don't need a genius, just a Mark Stevens type with a healthy body. Maybe Fergus, but who really knows?
2. A second wingman (to Reilly) that can deliver the ball inside 50 with a kick that doesn't go 40 metres in the air. We need a wingman who understands that a forward can mark a ball out in front if it is delivered toward his chest.
3. We need a second roving ruckman(to Hudson). Too much is being asked of Hudson and to expect him to deliver with only Biglands for support is not realistic. Meesen hopefully will deliver, but who knows?
4. Another onballer that is willing to get under and dish out the hard ball. Again too much is expected of too few and another Thommo must be a priority.
In addition to this we need replacements for Roo, Goody, Macca, Edwards and Hart in the near future. I guess this is a long winded way of saying, have we been sucked into believeing that we are better than we are and are we expecting far too much from quality of cattle we have. There have been only 3 great revelations- Thommo, Mattner and Rutten. Some sporadic surprises-Skipworth, Doughty and then the cupboard is bare.
I hope my reality check is proven wrong, but I think we are seeing an inconsistent season from a team that doesn't yet have the capability to deliver any more. Prepare to be frustrated.
...hopefully Reilly stops reading the Pre-Season press clippings he pasted on his ceiling ....and rolls his sleeves up.
