Oppo Camp 2014 General AFL Thread

[Stan_Darsh72]

I have not seen a thread about other teams so i thought that i would make one.

I am really looking forward to this season is seeing how Tex Walker will return and how Dangerfield goes.
But i do feel that the Hawks will probably go back to back this season and that they will play much better footy without Buddy.

 

[Mindtraveller]

has anyone grown a mullet that we need to look out for?

 

[Hayes4PM]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

 

[Grav]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

If there are no more sanctions placed on the club or players, IMO Essendon will be the team to beat, they'll definately have something to play for. A bit like Melbourne Storm a couple of years back.

 

[Defacto]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

They'll be around the mark but I think there's inherent problems in that group. Always start of amazing and then die by the end of the season.

Haven't they had some key injuries as well?

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

I think they'll be fine they'll play finals if they don't do the usual fade out. Good coach with Bomber in charge.

 

[holllywood]

Don't see Hawthorn going back to back this year. Losing Buddy Franklin can't be understated as this will now increase the attention given to Roughy and Gunston. I also don't see much internal improvement coming from their younger players and can see players such as Hodge, Mitchell, Burgoyne slowing down due to their age. There are other teams that will be hungrier as well that I can see knocking them off; Geelong (if they have a good run with injuries), Sydney (if they can get their forward line functioning) as well as Richmond and North, both who I believe will give this year a good shake up.

You also can't discount Freo, because with RL at the helm you can guarantee that they will be there abouts again this year.

 

[Bull3tblitz]

Don't see Hawthorn going back to back this year. Losing Buddy Franklin can't be understated as this will now increase the attention given to Roughy and Gunston. I also don't see much internal improvement coming from their younger players and can see players such as Hodge, Mitchell, Burgoyne slowing down due to their age. There are other teams that will be hungrier as well that I can see knocking them off; Geelong (if they have a good run with injuries), Sydney (if they can get their forward line functioning) as well as Richmond and North, both who I believe will give this year a good shake up.

You also can't discount Freo, because with RL at the helm you can guarantee that they will be there abouts again this year.

Freo are the team to beat, if Morabito can stay fit and Sylvia slots in nicely, they will be firing on all cylinders. Gumbleton will give them another target up front and provide a foil for Pav.

If they dont finish top 2 and play in the Grand Final i'd be surprised

 

[Hayes4PM]

Freo are the team to beat, if Morabito can stay fit and Sylvia slots in nicely, they will be firing on all cylinders. Gumbleton will give them another target up front and provide a foil for Pav.

If they dont finish top 2 and play in the Grand Final i'd be surprised

Gotta disagree, Hawthorn and Sydney are the proven contenders, how Freo (and some of their players that performed badly) bounce back from losing that grand final will be interesting.

 

[StFly]

I'm struggling with Henrieta Lumbaba's name change. Damn multiculturalism... choose a name and stick with it people, even if it's atrocious.

 

[Defacto]

Freo are the team to beat, if Morabito can stay fit and Sylvia slots in nicely, they will be firing on all cylinders. Gumbleton will give them another target up front and provide a foil for Pav.

If they dont finish top 2 and play in the Grand Final i'd be surprised

Great post and Interesting view. I think you're right they'll be around the mark, but I just don't know if they'll have enough to get it done

My concern is with who will replace mcpharlin. He is at the age now where he is just breaking. He is their most important player. If he doesn't stay fit and firing they're in some poo, unless they reshuffle but i can't see who they would use.

Ruck I'm not sold on either. Sandi can't play 22 games, if they do they'll break him again. So then you start looking at griffin, who will be returning from an ACL and full knee reco. So then you look at clarke, who currently has a PCL and just came off the worst grand final since Brett Peake. Maybe a green hannath?

Fwd line, how long can they rely on Pav and then mayne as a key fwd. Mayne should be in a hamil defensive fwd role or third tall. He shouldnt be playing FF or CHF. Pav should be transitioning into a third tall role as well, similar to goodes in 2012. So who do they go for? They have a very green KPF, whose name I forget, that my old man says is very good for peel. Kepler is coming back from a knee reco and is on the outer. Z clarke is about as useful as a utensil flavoured lolli pop up fwd. So then were stuck with keeping gumby at FF, hoping he stays fit, then putting mayne as the third tall and Pav stays at CHF. That fwd line is extremely vulnerable. Hawthorn/Sydney/Geelong defenders won't be troubled by it

Midfield is amazing. Mundy, Barlow, Hill who will be ok with Sylvia/Pearce around him. Crowley his usual annoying self. Little Neale will only get better and will be like Steven for us in a few years time. They lost some depth in Michie. Fyfe will go to another level but I think he should be protected and played off HFF.

Sonny had some interesting company over the offseason. Ballas out of the leadership group, has a new baby, so might be a sign of some sluggishness. Simpson who has been talked up is on the verge of walking out on them.

They could have had Dunstan or acres this year. Grundy, wright, spencer, mason shaw last year. Instead of Simpson and apeness. They've ****ed it darn good and I can only see them going backwards now

 

[okeydoke7]

I'm looking forward to watching Sydney's forward line.

Franklin, Goodes, Tippett, Rohan, Jetta and a resting mid.

Unbelievably talented in the air and the ground. Will be hard to contain if they get space.

 

[Hayes4PM]

Great post and Interesting view. I think you're right they'll be around the mark, but I just don't know if they'll have enough to get it done

My concern is with who will replace mcpharlin. He is at the age now where he is just breaking. He is their most important player. If he doesn't stay fit and firing they're in some poo, unless they reshuffle but i can't see who they would use.

Ruck I'm not sold on either. Sandi can't play 22 games, if they do they'll break him again. So then you start looking at griffin, who will be returning from an ACL and full knee reco. So then you look at clarke, who currently has a PCL and just came off the worst grand final since Brett Peake. Maybe a green hannath?

Fwd line, how long can they rely on Pav and then mayne as a key fwd. Mayne should be in a hamil defensive fwd role or third tall. He shouldnt be playing FF or CHF. Pav should be transitioning into a third tall role as well, similar to goodes in 2012. So who do they go for? They have a very green KPF, whose name I forget, that my old man says is very good for peel. Kepler is coming back from a knee reco and is on the outer. Z clarke is about as useful as a utensil flavoured lolli pop up fwd. So then were stuck with keeping gumby at FF, hoping he stays fit, then putting mayne as the third tall and Pav stays at CHF. That fwd line is extremely vulnerable. Hawthorn/Sydney/Geelong defenders won't be troubled by it

Midfield is amazing. Mundy, Barlow, Hill who will be ok with Sylvia/Pearce around him. Crowley his usual annoying self. Little Neale will only get better and will be like Steven for us in a few years time. They lost some depth in Michie. Fyfe will go to another level but I think he should be protected and played off HFF.

Sonny had some interesting company over the offseason. Ballas out of the leadership group, has a new baby, so might be a sign of some sluggishness. Simpson who has been talked up is on the verge of walking out on them.

They could have had Dunstan or acres this year. Grundy, wright, spencer, mason shaw last year. Instead of Simpson and apeness. They've ****** it darn good and I can only see them going backwards now

Some good points regarding Sanidlands and McPharlin, the team has peaked but several of their best players are past their peak and are now struggling to keep up the tempo with age. I think Zac Clarke will become important for them and though I don't know his specific case for his injury, a PCL is not the same as an ACL, a successful return from a PCL is very do-able.

I still think the attitude of a lot of individuals and the team after losing the grand final will be critical. Ballantyne is probably feeling pretty shitty after his Grand Final performance, a few others choked a bit as well.

 

[Defacto]

Some good points regarding Sanidlands and McPharlin, the team has peaked but several of their best players are past their peak and are now struggling to keep up the tempo with age. I think Zac Clarke will become important for them and though I don't know his specific case for his injury, a PCL is not the same as an ACL, a successful return from a PCL is very do-able.

I still think the attitude of a lot of individuals and the team after losing the grand final will be critical. Ballantyne is probably feeling pretty shitty after his Grand Final performance, a few others choked a bit as well.

Totally agree on the PCL, my point more was that he now has an interrupted preseason and is every chance not to be ready round 1, which means more pressure on sandi, griffin. Less than ideal and not something Ross would have planned for/preferred.

I'm still not convinced clarke will make it. Terrible at reading the play

 

[karaoke]

I have not seen a thread about other teams so i thought that i would make one.

I am really looking forward to this season is seeing how Tex Walker will return and how Dangerfield goes.
But i do feel that the Hawks will probably go back to back this season and that they will play much better footy without Buddy.

I get the admiration for Danger, but Sloane is the one that impresses me.

FWIW, I reckon he'll go up a notch this year and be considered one of the elite midfielders in the comp.

Whilst I would love to see a deal get done to get him here to Seaford one day, listening to him speak, he seems like he has a good head on his shoulders and will end up being a one club player for the Crows.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I'm struggling with Henrieta Lumbaba's name change. Damn multiculturalism... choose a name and stick with it people, even if it's atrocious.

Yes, Beau Wilkes! (... er... wait...)

 

[Defacto]

heres my best 22 on freo. really struggled with where to put mzungu, crowley, spurr. unlucky deboer, sutcliffe, ibbotson:
FREO
B Spur Dawson Johnson
HB Duffield McPharlin Fyfe
C Hill Crowley Pearce D
HF Sylvia Pav Ballantyne
F Walters Gumbleton Mayne
R Sandilands Mundy Barlow
I/C Mzungu Neale Crozier
SUB Suban

 

[Bull3tblitz]

heres my best 22 on freo. really struggled with where to put mzungu, crowley, spurr. unlucky deboer, sutcliffe, ibbotson:
FREO
B Spur Dawson Johnson
HB Duffield McPharlin Fyfe
C Hill Crowley Pearce D
HF Sylvia Pav Ballantyne
F Walters Gumbleton Mayne
R Sandilands Mundy Barlow
I/C Mzungu Neale Crozier
SUB Suban

Would have Morabito in there ahead of Mzungu tbqh, if/when he can stay out on the field for the majority of a season where he doesn't blow out a knee etc, he will prove the hype.

Hell he was getting along nicely before he did his knee the first time.

Pretty much agree with the best 22 other than that.

 

[gringo2011]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

I have this bad feeling that they could win the GF or at least make it if the ASADA thing comes to nothing. It will just about be the end for Demetriou if it happens. people will be booing them off the ground. They are probably a bit forgotten while people look to Richmond and north as the probable next in line teams. Essendon are probably a season ahead of those two. the only clause is how they cope with the pressure of scrutiny.

 

[Baldur]

How do people think Essendon will do this year with Hird no longer involved and anymore repercussions for their cheating or is that all forgotten?

My best guess is that a number of Essendon players will receive doping infraction notices. Essendon will refuse to accept them. Players will not stand down. The hearings will not be until after September. Essendon will go into the finals in a good position, with number of players under a doping cloud. Just what the AFL was trying to avoid last year.

If Essendon does win and players are suspended afterwards. Will the AFL have the balls to take the flag off them, like they should have done in 1993? I doubt it. No wonder the Storm thought they could get away with cheating, they just looked at the biggest game in their town and what was done or not done in reagrd to cheating for flags.

 

[mysainters]

Collingwood will be good, very good IMO...unfortunately

 

[gringo2011]

Collingwood will be good, very good IMO...unfortunately

I'm not sold on them yet. Daisy was missing most of last year anyway but they didn't really look in contention to me. Shaw is a very good rebounder, a kid is going to have to carry their ruck stocks and they are a little unbalanced generally to me. Geelong and Collingwood should both be there abouts but in my opinion the teams like Richmond, North and Essendon should step past them. WCE and the SA teams will be challenging in any game you play against them, GWS and GCS are both going to be better, Brissy could be anything, melbourne will at least be competitive.

Collingwood and Geelong could both be struggling to make the 8 if they get injuries piling up like Geelong seems to ATM. Collingwood has drafted well but probably won't get full benefit for another 2 years.

 

[Defacto]

Would have Morabito in there ahead of Mzungu tbqh, if/when he can stay out on the field for the majority of a season where he doesn't blow out a knee etc, he will prove the hype.

Hell he was getting along nicely before he did his knee the first time.

Pretty much agree with the best 22 other than that.

agree on morabitto. hopefully the kid can stay fit.

ive tried doing the eagles one and gee they have some issues in the midfield

 

[Defacto]

heres my eagles best 22:
B Smith Glass Schofield
HB Yeo MacKenzie Hurn
C Wellingham Selwood Masten
HF Hill Darling Ellis
F Lecras Cox Kennedy
R NicNat Priddis Shuey
I/C Rosa Hutchings Gaff
SUB Cripps

normally waters would take smiths spot. wasnt sure about the bench

 

[The Jet]

Hi Guys, don't mind me even though I'm a Dons man for life. Got to post in this forum section seeing how I have a kind of soft spot for Saints, as my 2nd team. You see, there is this lady i'm sort of seeing, she is a decent Saints fan so I should really have them as my 2nd club for obvious reasons.

Hope Saints go alright in 2014.

No doubt youallwill see me around these parts from time to time during the 2014 season.

Go Saints?