AA selection proves we are on the right track

[blue shark]

Okay so some people think AA doesn't mean much, the two teams that have won three grand finals each since 2007, Geelong I think have had
13 AA, Hawthorn 7 AA. Next year we could have 6 AA running around, and others could be nominated.
Everyone wrote the Cats off in 2011, they were too old, but in the end experience counts when the pressure is on, and how many teams choke
on the big stage?

 

[yoong]

Sigh...
In retrospect, we are not better than Hawthorne or Sydney, but on par with Port, North and Geelong.
I think we are rightfully 3-6, but it's still a little disappointing that we slipped to 6th.

Our attempt at improvement were through recruits Gumbleton and Sylvia, but they didn't have the impact that we hoped for.

I believed the reason for our slide is than our mid tier players went backward. Mayne, Clarke, Spurr, Crowley and Suban played worse than they did the year before. A prime example is Crowley. He used to make opposition players shiver in they pants just by standing beside them (think Harvey and SJ). Not so much this year. Maybe he been found out, or oppositions are just better prepared for him. Maybe the same argument applied for the players I mentioned above. Maybe nursing minor injuries was a factor.

My optimism for next year.

It's not difficult to put the finger on what's the problem on why we lost matches this year, Clearance and set shots. With Sandi, Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy and Neale there is no excuse why we should lose the clearance battle. It has to be effort or game plan. I assume it's being worked on.

Set shots...arghhh. Is it just a lack of practice in pressure situations? Nobody have lunch until all forwards and mids kicks 5 consecutive goals from 45m. Last person foot the bill!

Anyway, my point is I don't see them as difficult problems to fix.

We did not manage to recruit any ready made players this year. However, as long as 2 of Tabs, Apeness, Sylvia, Crozier or Morabito make some significant improvements we are a better team.

Honestly, We are still smokey for the flag at best, but well, I prefer to be optimistic.

 

[Arcassius]

I think we're all fairly pragmatic people who see the good and the bad.

I'm an optimist but I understand that there's work to be done with the club. For instance if we consider our situation with talls - it isn't optimal if we start losing some to injury. That's balanced out by an acceptance that there's nothing much the club can do (now) about the talls (we needed them 3+ seasons ago) and there's no guarantee that having drafted them in the past we'd be in a better position now (having talls back then would mean potentially no suttcliffe or neale or spurr right now).

For me - the optimism is in 'if things work out we will do well' than 'things have already gone wrong, were screwed'. What's there to look forward to if your starting position is that we're mediocre.