Lets not write off 2016

[Dramoth]

Can't even get excited about our future prospects let alone our 2016 prospects. Cripps, Docherty, Graham, Buckley and supposedly Weitering - outside those guys I simply see a list of guys carrying the same hope as Watson/Lucas etc did with every chance to follow suit.

This draft doesn't project as the strong draft we would have needed at a minimum.

I've always been delusional in my optimism but just can't see it anymore. Perhaps if that helps take a step back from afl for a while there's the silver lining.

Cya then...

 

[serenityNow]

2016 will be hard watching....but the youth pushing up will be the enjoyable part to watch.


Heard the other day its been like 3840 days since we last beat Hawthorn .....safe to say that number will swell by another 365 days.

 

[Sin City]

Nothing happens for us at all until we get that injury list sorted out.

If we can do that then I have a lot more faith in the current coach to get the team playing effective modern day football than I did in the previous coach. Whatever they're doing at Hawthorn works and it's not just the playing list. The Bulldogs and Eagles flew up the ladder this year while Richmond and GWS improved as well all with ex-Hawthorn assistants.

We'll see, but a midfield of Cripps, Murphy, Thomas, Gibbs, Curnow, Graham can perform a lot better with some good coaching and is a lot better midfield than quite a few other teams can get out on the park.

 

[ESKIE]

Ucan't see how we won't improve next year...

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Unfortunately the lack (at this pre-draft stage) of a potent, if not functioning forward line will be telling .

We are bottom 3 locks again (along with Brisbane and probably Gold Coast) Bolton himself has gone on public record and said improvement next season shouldn't be measured on wins, and i concur. 2016 is very much going to be a development year. If we can draft at least 3 young players who will go on to play 15 plus games in 2016, i will consider the season a success.

 

[ESKIE]

Bolton is also hosing down expectation, opposite to MM

Fresh approach, new start, a good run with injuries, not saying we will push for the 8 but I feel we'll improve significantly, how can we not

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Bolton is also hosing down expectation, opposite to MM

Fresh approach, new start, a good run with injuries, not saying we will push for the 8 but I feel we'll improve significantly, how can we not

We've had to go backwards to go forwards. There will be no significant on field improvement next season (in terms of wins) but that's okay, I think our improvement is going to be a slow gradual process, similar to Alan Richardson's rebuild of St Kilda.

You can't replace the quality of players we lost with most kids/unknown quantities and expect immediate results in the short term.

 

[newblueo]

I want to eat humble pie, atm I think our 2014 picks all look failures,

but heck if they all click an improve we have a key full forward ,foster.. and great flankers..

 

[Faz 2000]

Make no mistake, we're going to be a terrible football team in 2016.

BUT.... we'll be a YOUNG terrible football team with upside and growth potential. That's infinitely more watchable than an old terrible football team that's supposed to be at its peak.

Rinse repeat next offseason and we'll be a VERY young terrible football team with its whole future in front of us.

 

[thylacine60]

Gee, I'm feeling so much better now.

 

[KohPhi]

With a hopefully healthy list, 2nd chance recruits wanting to prove a point, trading out of soft utensil players, a modern, young coach with strong educational and people skills and influx of young exuberant top end talent, there is no reason why we couldn't win between 5-8 games.
On the flipside, we might feel the pleasure/pain associated with having a young, developing list on the park. (Some unlikely wins mixed with some huge shellackings).
I cant wait for the season to start tbh...

 

[Faz 2000]

Gee, I'm feeling so much better now.

You should be! It has absolutely changed from a depressing time to be a Carlton fan to an exciting one! The turning point has been reached. I'm sure of it.

 

[Blue__Balls]

I want to eat humble pie, atm I think our 2014 picks all look failures,

but heck if they all click an improve we have a key full forward ,foster.. and great flankers..

Based on...?

Boekhorst improved dramatically as the season went on. By year's end he was taking the odd hanger and really starting to take the game on.
Clem started the first two games as sub and was on-field within the first minutes of each. He should never have been put in that position.
DVR was a twig, and while not huge is looking noticeably stronger this year. Not sure on his tank, but he's coming from a little ways back.
Foster was a late, speculative tall. He needs 2-3 seasons of development minimum before being properly assessed.

I've said it before, what's with people expecting and demanding kids come in and perform from day one? Give them a bloody chance to settle in before declaring them "failures".

 

[newblueo]

Based on...?

I've said it before, what's with people expecting and demanding kids come in and perform from day one? Give them a bloody chance to settle in before declaring them "failures".

ehhh I was saying it's my view at this point of time *sigh*

 

[Blueboy75]

There is a lot to look forward to 2016,just think the quality picks we'll get in this draft/SOS & the hopeful growth of our current crop Jaksch,Cripps,Smith,Boeky,Vojo,Doc,Graham etc etc.The additions of Plowman,Lamb,Gorringe,Sumner etc etc yes I know they have obvious question marks on them but they come with clear potential as well.

Just saying guys there is a fair bit to look forward in the new season/year.

 

[Blue__Balls]

ehhh I was saying it's my view at this point of time *sigh*

Well, 2014 must have been a pretty awful year for talent.

Of the first round picks, only Brayshaw, deGoey, Lever and Heeney played more games than Boekhorst. The rest struggled to have an impact, even though they were playing in better drilled sides. Delist them all - McCartin, Petracca, Pickett, Marchbank, Ahern etc. Spuds, the lot of them.

 

[newblueo]

Well, 2014 must have been a pretty awful year for talent.

Of the first round picks, only Brayshaw, deGoey, Lever and Heeney played more games than Boekhorst. The rest struggled to have an impact, even though they were playing in better drilled sides. Delist them all - McCartin, Petracca, Pickett, Marchbank, Ahern etc. Spuds, the lot of them.

*sigh* more games means they are good? must of missed that memo! anyway feel free to reread my post..

there is a name ahern! went at pick 7 he would of played 15 games for us, another reason I am super keen for the year to roll on to see how that trade plays out,

 

[Iamcarlton]

Great to see all the positive messages in this thread. I think it's clear that next year will just be a hold your breath and see what happens year . But it's also clear that their is a real air of excitement all through the club not a manufactured air of excitement but a new beginning that carlton probably has never seen before or atleast in my lifetime . I would doubt we would have had a younger list then what we will see next year and all I ask is to see our team fit and having a red hot go . I don't expect too many wins but I want to feel that tingle going up my spine again when I see carlton players swamping the opposition with fierce tackling and pressure, and above all else i want to see us beating that mongrel mob from essendon!!
That's all I ask .

 

[Blue__Balls]

*sigh* more games means they are good? must of missed that memo! anyway feel free to reread my post..

there is a name ahern! went at pick 7 he would of played 15 games for us, another reason I am super keen for the year to roll on to see how that trade plays out,

Enough with the sighing - back up your position that our 2014 draftees are failures or find someone else to hang s**t on.

As I said, Boekhorst improved as the season progressed, Clem was thrown to the wolves way too early, most accepted DVR would need a year or two to bulk up, and Foster is a key forward and will need even longer. Not sure how you can write off that lot as failures after their first season. And to do so shows massive disrespect to a group of players who we need to come on and play a role for our club.

 

[Wickzki]

The team make up that we'll have next year reminds me of the Baby (Los Angeles) Lakers in the mid-1990's before they got in Shaq and Kobe.

The final result on the scoreboard isn't what will matter most.

But we'll have

• Pick 1, 8, 11, 19 = 4 players
• SOSOS (assuming he doesn't get picked in the teens) = 5

18 other players under 24 to watch develop (oldest to youngest) - Dan Gorringe, Jed Lamb, Mark Whiley, Dylan Buckley, Sam Kerridge, Liam Sumner, Blaine Boekhorst, Sam Docherty, Nick Graham, Lachie Plowman, Kristian Jaksch, Matthew Dick, Ciaran Byrne (r), Patrick Cripps, Jayden Foster, Clem Smith, Dillon Viojo-Rainbow, Billy Gowers (r)

Plus anybody else we draft in and our rookie draftees.

When was the last time that we had at the very least 23 players to be very excited about!? Obviously some of them have a greater likelihood to make it big than others but there's not one player in that list that you can quite frankly state will clearly not make it to the very least a fringe AFL quality player.

We're vastly ahead of where we've been at any other point of the past decade.

Furthermore, we still have the likes of Murphy, Simpson, Walker, Jamison, Armfield, Daisy, Everitt, White, Gibbs, Kreuzer, Curnow and Tuohy to guide the youngsters through their development.

Personally, SOS and co have given me more reason to be excited about our future than at any point in recent years.

It's going to be ugly early on - it should be at least - but we've got reason for hope.

 

[Schrempfian]

Surely our side is better then Essendon's!!

 

[La Dispute]

Surely our side is better then Essendon's!!

It's an interesting comparison.

Essendon's midfield is fairly poor with only an ageing Watson and Heppell as their A-Graders. They've got a few young guns coming up in Laverde, Langford, Merrett and whoever else they nab in the draft, probably Parish.

Leuenberger strengthens them in the ruck, while their forward line is pretty barren. Their backline is fairly strong.

I'm backing us the finish ahead of them.

 

[Amers]

It's an interesting comparison.

Essendon's midfield is fairly poor with only an ageing Watson and Heppell as their A-Graders. They've got a few young guns coming up in Laverde, Langford, Merrett and whoever else they nab in the draft, probably Parish.

Leuenberger strengthens them in the ruck, while their forward line is pretty barren. Their backline is fairly strong.

I'm backing us the finish ahead of them.

As long as we beat them twice....

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Q: What would people consider a successful season ? A solid season of improved wins, and a better injury win with a core group of players from the last 2-3 years and say 6,7, 8 wins, or a similar win/loss tally to last year, with marked improvement and development from Boekhorst, Graham, possibly DVR and getting in 3-4 draftees from this year's draft who are good enough to play 15 plus games ?

See I'm not actually convinced we can win many games with a squad of kids/draftees plus Simmo, Murph, Gibbo and a couple of the GWS quatet.

If Plowman and Sumner can fit right into our best 22 by end of the year (as I hope) plus Weitering and picks 8 and 11 also play 15 games plus, than I am thrilled with next season, no matter how many wins/losses we end up with.

 

[passmark]

It's an interesting comparison.

Essendon's midfield is fairly poor with only an ageing Watson and Heppell as their A-Graders. They've got a few young guns coming up in Laverde, Langford, Merrett and whoever else they nab in the draft, probably Parish.

Leuenberger strengthens them in the ruck, while their forward line is pretty barren. Their backline is fairly strong.

I'm backing us the finish ahead of them.

Just need Boekhorst to be better than Laverde and I'm happy.