Fixture 2021 Fixture - R19 & R20 confirmed, Saturday twilight (GWS) followed by Friday night footy (Syd)

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Looking at this im thinking best case scenario we are injury free, have a consistent best 22, and get 12 wins and sneak into finals. Worst case, get some injuries and we'll battle our way to 6 wins and a bottom 6 finish.
I think 12 games and falling into finals is closer to worst case than best.
 

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JayJ20

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 28, 2016
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Looking at this im thinking best case scenario we are injury free, have a consistent best 22, and get 12 wins and sneak into finals. Worst case, get some injuries and we'll battle our way to 6 wins and a bottom 6 finish.
That's worst case scenario. Top 6 with a percentage of 115+ or don't bother making finals. Sneaking into finals (curtesy of an easy fixture), getting thrashed first week and deluding ourselves into thinking we're better is what we've done for the last 10 years. If we do that, I just know we'll trade out our first rounder thinking we're closer than we are.

Top 5 pick in a strong draft or finish high enough to host a final. We're not finishing top 6 so bottom 6ish is better in the long run.
 
Jul 23, 2018
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That's worst case scenario. Top 6 with a percentage of 115+ or don't bother making finals. Sneaking into finals (curtesy of an easy fixture), getting thrashed first week and deluding ourselves into thinking we're better is what we've done for the last 10 years. If we do that, I just know we'll trade out our first rounder thinking we're closer than we are.

Top 5 pick in a strong draft or finish high enough to host a final. We're not finishing top 6 so bottom 6ish is better in the long run.
12 wins would mean improvement from the young group we already have. Id be happy with that.
 

JayJ20

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 28, 2016
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12 wins would mean improvement from the young group we already have. Id be happy with that.
Each to their own. Context is important. If we're beating up on the bottom teams (actual percentage boosters) and if we're competitive against the better teams, then it's an improvement. I'd be happy with that. If our 12-10 record is like it was in 2019, then we're going nowhere.
 
Jul 23, 2018
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Each to their own. Context is important. If we're beating up on the bottom teams (actual percentage boosters) and if we're competitive against the better teams, then it's an improvement. I'd be happy with that. If our 12-10 record is like it was in 2019, then we're going nowhere.
Yeah i know what you're saying. I think it would have to be different to 2019 by default as we now have Truck instead of Woosh, and we dont have Saad and McKenna to play a run and gun game from defence. I think any wins at all or finals played are important for the development of the McGrath/Ridley/Draper/Langford/Parish/Francis/Redman group, and younger, and their confidence in the future. It might only be a few extra wins but id take them over moving up a few spots in the draft. With guys like Stringer, Shiel, Tippa, Merrett and Stewart all still having plenty of football in them, they should be as hungry as ever as well because they're every chance to be apart of some success. I think itll come down to injuries/consistency with the best 22 firstly, and then how well the players take to Trucks gameplan and execute it.
 

fairbump_playon

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Jun 27, 2014
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Yeah i know what you're saying. I think it would have to be different to 2019 by default as we now have Truck instead of Woosh, and we dont have Saad and McKenna to play a run and gun game from defence. I think any wins at all or finals played are important for the development of the McGrath/Ridley/Draper/Langford/Parish/Francis/Redman group, and younger, and their confidence in the future. It might only be a few extra wins but id take them over moving up a few spots in the draft. With guys like Stringer, Shiel, Tippa, Merrett and Stewart all still having plenty of football in them, they should be as hungry as ever as well because they're every chance to be apart of some success. I think itll come down to injuries/consistency with the best 22 firstly, and then how well the players take to Trucks gameplan and execute it.
Totally agree

While I wouldn’t want to finish higher than we deserve to, why hope your rebuild is uglier than it needs to be?

I will go into the year hoping for good wins, improvement & good percentage. Maybe even an unlikely finals campaign. I certainly don’t expect that but I don’t think improvement would be damaging because I feel the complacency and expectation that we have witnessed has been broken by all the departures we have seen. For years it’s been a case of “we will be great once Daniher, Fantasia etc get fit and click”.

Any success this year would be a positive indication that our young list is coming together and playing for their coach, not a band aid over an aging group that doesn’t understand it sucks.

I don’t think hoping for a bottom 4 finish and good draft pick is very wise. If that happens... well it happens and we get a good draft pick. Not sure it’s the best outcome tho.
 
Last edited:

JayJ20

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 28, 2016
17,147
26,109
AFL Club
Essendon
Yeah i know what you're saying. I think it would have to be different to 2019 by default as we now have Truck instead of Woosh, and we dont have Saad and McKenna to play a run and gun game from defence. I think any wins at all or finals played are important for the development of the McGrath/Ridley/Draper/Langford/Parish/Francis/Redman group, and younger, and their confidence in the future. It might only be a few extra wins but id take them over moving up a few spots in the draft. With guys like Stringer, Shiel, Tippa, Merrett and Stewart all still having plenty of football in them, they should be as hungry as ever as well because they're every chance to be apart of some success. I think itll come down to injuries/consistency with the best 22 firstly, and then how well the players take to Trucks gameplan and execute it.
Yeah winning culture is important. Though I'm not convinced it'll be the best thing for us long term, a winning culture is the foundation of success. I just hope we don't do anything stupid like trading away our 2021 first if we scrape in the 8. Bottom 4 is the most likely place though so I don't think we have to worry about that.
 

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In b4 3rd wave. If Joe wants to escape to Brisbane we’ll just bring Essendon to him.

I hope the ‘we are Essendon guy’ parks on his front lawn and chants 24/7
 
In b4 3rd wave. If Joe wants to escape to Brisbane we’ll just bring Essendon to him.

I hope the ‘we are Essendon guy’ parks on his front lawn and chants 24/7
That is a fate worse than death
 
FIXTURE: RDS 9-10
ROUNDOPPONENTVENUETIME/DATE
9Fremantle (H)Marvel Stadium1:10pm, Sunday, May 16
10North Melbourne (H)Marvel Stadium4:40pm, Sunday, May 23
 
Also weird that a few teams have byes in the Doug Nicholls round... They must have the chance to wear their indigenous jumpers in another round.
 

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