Universal Love 2016/2017 Pre-season Thread

[Elite Crow]

With just one injury it really shows how bog average and thin our midfield group is.

A lot of maybes on top of maybes underpinning our season:
- maybe Brad Crouch will be fully fit this season
- maybe Matt Crouch can become more damaging with his disposal
- maybe Rory Atkins can transition to the inside
- maybe one of our half backs can contribute to the midfield (Laird, Smith)
- maybe Curtly Hampton is an inside midfielder in waiting
- maybe Charlie Cameron can become a full-time wingman
- maybe Gallucci can play matches in his first season
- maybe CEY/Wigg/Gore will get his chance now
- maybe Douglas can shift from half forward back into the middle as a 30 year old
- maybe Thompson still has some miles in the legs
- maybe we'll attract a free agent
- maybe we'll trade for an A Grade mid

I'd hate to think what would happen if Sloane went down.

This year should be called the year of "fingers crossed". If half of those maybes come off we will be ok, if more than half come off we will be a contender, it they don't come off we are ****ed. Fingers crossed they come off.

But the club has to concede this is a major failing. You shouldn't be coming into a season with so many "maybes". We have failed. We have failed to convert some of these maybes to locks before the season started and we failed to mitigate the maybes by bringing players in. In fact we did the opposite, we traded out for peanuts one of our better performed mids just when we had finally seen some decent output after 6 years on the list.

The club has to own this year. If it's a shit season, I don't want to hear or read excuses, I want change and heads to roll.

 

[feenix67]

You seriously think that last preseason plus his dozen or so games hasn't increased his underlying conditioning? Look, feel free to get annoyed that he's injured his hammy again and it won't be a full preseason and his injury means we're not getting the best result, but anyone who suggests that he's not already improved going into this preseason is straight up delusional or a complete moron.

Base fitness is built over preseasons, his games last year wouldn't have added much. I never saw him play an excellent game last year by the way, and the fact you think he can "run on it" shows a lack of understanding of the nature of hamstring injuries.

 

[marty36]

This year should be called the year of "fingers crossed". If half of those maybes come off we will be ok, if more than half come off we will be a contender, it they don't come off we are ******. Fingers crossed they come off.

But the club has to concede this is a major failing. You shouldn't be coming into a season with so many "maybes". We have failed. We have failed to convert some of these maybes to locks before the season started and we failed to mitigate the maybes by bringing players in. In fact we did the opposite, we traded out for peanuts one of our better performed mids just when we had finally seen some decent output after 6 years on the list.

The club has to own this year. If it's a shit season, I don't want to hear or read excuses, I want change and heads to roll.

You don't sound happy with our list

 

[Apsaalooke]

All remarks made under parliamentary privilege. Google if you don't understand what that means.

Yep looked it up and you're right.

Still if I was going to sue someone for saying "It's going to be hard for ROB to overcome the giant obstacle that is standing in his way and stopping him from progressing as a player...", I'd go to a no win/ no fee lawyer.

 

[Elite Crow]

You don't sound happy with our list

It depends on the whether maybes come off, but way too many unknowns going into a season.

We all knew midfield needed to be strengthened and we didn't.

Having said that our recruiters have been hamstrung, to lose picks like we did will hurt any list. Imagine if those 2 first rounders were Talia, Smith or Lever, we would be laughing.

We have been shit at retaining players and we've let a weakness develop, namely our midfield, so there has to be some criticism there.

 

[NTRabbit]

we've let a weakness develop, namely our midfield

The word you're looking for there is fester, not develop

 

[Thetrader15]

With just one injury it really shows how bog average and thin our midfield group is.

A lot of maybes on top of maybes underpinning our season:
- maybe Brad Crouch will be fully fit this season
- maybe Matt Crouch can become more damaging with his disposal
- maybe Rory Atkins can transition to the inside
- maybe one of our half backs can contribute to the midfield (Laird, Smith)
- maybe Curtly Hampton is an inside midfielder in waiting
- maybe Charlie Cameron can become a full-time wingman
- maybe Gallucci can play matches in his first season
- maybe CEY/Wigg/Gore will get his chance now
- maybe Douglas can shift from half forward back into the middle as a 30 year old
- maybe Thompson still has some miles in the legs
- maybe we'll attract a free agent
- maybe we'll trade for an A Grade mid

I'd hate to think what would happen if Sloane went down.

If Sloane went down as well, Greenwood and CEY will step up. She'll be right

 

[SydCrow]

The word you're looking for there is fester, not develop

Is that Thommo's nickname?

 

[Thetrader15]

Is that Thommo's nickname?

That'd be leg arms, not fester

 

[skoobydoo]

It depends on the whether maybes come off, but way too many unknowns going into a season.

We all knew midfield needed to be strengthened and we didn't.

Having said that our recruiters have been hamstrung, to lose picks like we did will hurt any list. Imagine if those 2 first rounders were Talia, Smith or Lever, we would be laughing.

We have been shit at retaining players and we've let a weakness develop, namely our midfield, so there has to be some criticism there.

Steady as she goes. We (afc) have to first ensure that Thommos retirement future is totally in order before we get too dynamic. And as for divesting ourselves of Lyons for a packet of chips.....comeon, you know it makes sense!

 

[Elite Crow]

https://www.zerohanger.com/2017-best-22-analysis-adelaide-9655/

Not a bad article but that side

 

[Mismatched]

This perplexed a lot of people at trade time. Crows needed to get two gun mids, in their prime at trade week to challenge bulldogs, gws, swans but didn't want to give up what was required.

It's going to take at least 3-4 years for gallucci and next years first pick 15-20 to give the same output as Gibbs will next year. By the ship has sailed

By the same token I think Carlton lost a prime opportunity to add to the plethora of young talent your accumulating. Carltons stance on Gibbs wasn't an football decision, it wasn't calculated, it was an ego decision and the whole negotiation become one big pissing contest. Sure it's nice to have an old head to help you out, but that's where you sell Gibbs whilst he has some value and grab an experience 30+ year old on the cheap as a FA such as Michael Barlow.

I think both clubs missed a prime opportunity for a win win situation.

 

[tinman]

Steady as she goes. We (afc) have to first ensure that Thommos retirement future is totally in order before we get too dynamic. And as for divesting ourselves of Lyons for a packet of chips.....comeon, you know it makes sense!

I think Poholke will turn out to be better than a packet of chips, in fact I think he's a fair bet to be a better player than Lyons.

 

[Pea Nut]

https://www.zerohanger.com/2017-best-22-analysis-adelaide-9655/

Not a bad article but that side

If that was our best 22 named for round 1, this board will provide many interesting moments that evening, that's for sure.

 

[Thetrader15]

If that was our best 22 named for round 1, this board will provide many interesting moments that evening, that's for sure.

If it is, it's going to be more of the same

 

[My name geoff]

By the same token I think Carlton lost a prime opportunity to add to the plethora of young talent your accumulating. Carltons stance on Gibbs wasn't an football decision, it wasn't calculated, it was an ego decision and the whole negotiation become one big pissing contest. Sure it's nice to have an old head to help you out, but that's where you sell Gibbs whilst he has some value and grab an experience 30+ year old on the cheap as a FA such as Michael Barlow.

I think both clubs missed a prime opportunity for a win win situation.

Carlton will have completed their 3 year rebuild at the end of this season. Makes absolutely no sense to trade Gibbs considering the plan is to bring in top end free agent at the end of the year and have a real crack next year. Gibbs will be 29 in 2018 and is one of our most durable players. He is also a leader of the club

Would have been a stupid move to trade Gibbs for a pick 15.

 

[NTRabbit]

You're living in a bubble if you think Carlton will be a contender in 2018; won't happen before 2020, if it's going to happen.

 

[My name geoff]

You're living in a bubble if you think Carlton will be a contender in 2018; won't happen before 2020, if it's going to happen.

The plan which was sold to the members is that the club are going to have a crack in 2018.

If the club can bring in a solid free agent or two as they intend on doing, having a crack in 2018 seems reasonable.

 

[marty36]

https://www.zerohanger.com/2017-best-22-analysis-adelaide-9655/

Not a bad article but that side

Fair assessment, gee obviously not a blinded pack mentality or should I say an Adelaide BF board opinion it has Mackay in the team.

 

[Ramify]

The plan which was sold to the members is that the club are going to have a crack in 2018.

If the club can bring in a solid free agent or two as they intend on doing, having a crack in 2018 seems reasonable.

Having a crack at breaking into the 8?

 

[baldandbroke]

Jeez there are some negative nancies on this board ... I know I know, we haven't own anything for a long while - it's the same old same old etc ..

In 2016 we had the most players in the 22 under squad, the most players in the AA squad - finished 1 win off the pace at the end of regular time ....but Brad Crouch is injured and won't be right for the start of the season and it's game over?

There is no such thing as a "lock" in AFL. We are definitely in with as good a chance as anyone - except maybe GWS, but they have been built like a Frankenstein's monster by the AFL and should be left out of all fair comparisons!

 

[baldandbroke]

https://www.zerohanger.com/2017-best-22-analysis-adelaide-9655/

Not a bad article but that side

I thought the article was way off actually. We didn't "shoot up the ladder" in 2016 ... it feels like it's been written by someone who has watched us play maybe once or twice and got the rest from reading "football journalists" opinion pieces.

I really love that our midfield is deemed so weak because we got done by the Swans in Sydney in the final - I suppose Geelong needed to go out in the off-season and get someone to help out their lackluster midfield combination including the Brownlow medalist and the AA Captain, coz they got owned more than we did the next week.

 

[Mismatched]

The plan which was sold to the members is that the club are going to have a crack in 2018.

If the club can bring in a solid free agent or two as they intend on doing, having a crack in 2018 seems reasonable.

Haha, good luck with that one

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The plan which was sold to the members is that the club are going to have a crack in 2018.

If the club can bring in a solid free agent or two as they intend on doing, having a crack in 2018 seems reasonable.

Lol that may be the plan, but it is an unrealistic plan. Carlton are closer to a spoon than making finals. Gibbs probably won't play a final again in his career.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

The plan which was sold to the members is that the club are going to have a crack in 2018.

If the club can bring in a solid free agent or two as they intend on doing, having a crack in 2018 seems reasonable.

Sold to members to sell membership

You are at least five years away and everything will need to go to plan