Opinion 2018 Expectations

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JayJ20

JayJ20

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts
Aug 28, 2016
17,243
26,335
AFL Club
Essendon
There really is no reason that we can't win it next year.

Tigers were one of, if not the lowest pressure team in the league last year. Dimma made it clear that he wanted to fix the pressure and defensive aspect of the game. They did exactly that.

They had an excellent off season by bringing in Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis. They started the year very well, winning the first 5 games to build belief in the playing group. Despite some successive chokes throughout the year, they never gave up.

- First of all, our gameplan needs a revamp. I've always said that Adelaide are a better version of us. Clearly, that type of game goes to water when a team closes down space. Richmond were undersized all of the ground, yet still competed relentlessly. They're not exactly a big bodied team like Sydney, but they can stick tackles and hunt as a team.They dismantled us like that earlier in the year as well. We really need to base our gameplan on pressure. Looking at Richmond's pressure, if we were playing them instead of the Crows, we'd get demolished.

- Secondly, we need to learn team defence and run both ways. Our midfield is far too front running. Our forwardline doesn't apply anywhere near the amount of pressure that the Tigers applied today.

- Third is personnel based. We need one or two extra inside mids and hope that Langford and Laverde come on.

- Fourthly, we just cannot drop games against bottom teams. It simply has to stop. Only West Coast (Gold Coast) and Sydney (Carlton) lost to a bottom 4 side out of all the top 8. It costs us any chance of a top 4 finish/home EF final.

If we get it right, we can win it for sure. Richmond are proof
 

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We need an A grade mid. Without it we can't win the flag.

Stringer and a good midfielder, and no reason why we can't contend.

Our midfield crop is not yet good enough. It'll get there, but to contend next year we need a great midfielder. Richmond are where they are today due to Dusty essentially having one of the all time great individual seasons.
 
footylover18 said:
ive never understood why making finals is considered an achievement? you play one extra game. congratulations.

only diff between 8th and 9th is that you get a worse draft pick.
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Well going by few on here making finals this year was. Must say wasn't really a fan of the club celebrating 'making the finals' as an achievement all it does is create mediocre the club/players should be fuming how the season ended imo.

We were embarrassed by Sydney.
 
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footylover18 said:
ive never understood why making finals is considered an achievement? you play one extra game. congratulations.

only diff between 8th and 9th is that you get a worse draft pick.
Click to expand...
Because 10 other clubs would kill to be in the 8 instead of you.
 
footylover18 said:
ive never understood why making finals is considered an achievement? you play one extra game. congratulations.

only diff between 8th and 9th is that you get a worse draft pick.
Click to expand...
I talked with Jack Viney yesterday. Try telling him that.
 
boncer34 said:
Because 10 other clubs would kill to be in the 8 instead of you.
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So? good for them if that's their goal.

We ****ed up this year not giving more of a go to the kids as we strived to make the 8 so we could have the privilege of being destroyed in the first week.

Being happy with making the Finals is like getting a participation award. It only satisfies losers.
 
footylover18 said:
They wet the bed. That's why they're so disappointed.
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They're also a club that haven't played finals since 06. Believe me, disappointed doesn't cover it
 

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The advantage we have over Adelaide (which they desperately could've used today) is speed off the back line to break down a forward press. So I don't believe our game plan needs to the change, we just need better cattle to execute it.

Target is to win a final next season but whether that's my expectation or not depends on how we approached trade week and the draft.
 
footylover18 said:
So? good for them if that's their goal.

We ****** up this year not giving more of a go to the kids as we strived to make the 8 so we could have the privilege of being destroyed in the first week.

Being happy with making the Finals is like getting a participation award. It only satisfies losers.
Click to expand...
Yeah you're right.

Should've strived to lose more games.
 
Godzke said:
The advantage we have over Adelaide (which they desperately could've used today) is speed off the back line to break down a forward press. So I don't believe our game plan needs to the change, we just need better cattle to execute it.

Target is to win a final next season but whether that's my expectation or not depends on how we approached trade week and the draft.
Click to expand...
Our speed off half back didn't help us when we played Richmond this year. They completely shut our run by closing up space. They've done it time and time again this year.

Problem with us is that our gameplan relies on something that can be countered pretty easily. It's also highly punishable. Looks really good when we're on, but oh so terrible when sides don't allow us to play that way.

In a sense, sides like Adelaide, GWS and Essendon get too caught up in trying to play the "perfect" game. It's why we are exposed by high pressure sides that don't allow us to play on our terms.

Our target has to be a flag next year. Every top 8 side has to aim for a flag next year. We've learned all that we needed to learn in the Sydney final.
 
JayJ20 said:
Our speed off half back didn't help us when we played Richmond this year. They completely shut our run by closing up space. They've done it time and time again this year.
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Our run wasn't the problem, it was lack of creating space further up the ground (to kick the ball to) which was the problem.

It will be interesting to see if the Tigers bring the same ferociousness next season. The emotive never-say-die brand of footy can disappear as quickly as it appears (eg. Dogs).
 
JayJ20 said:
Our speed off half back didn't help us when we played Richmond this year. They completely shut our run by closing up space. They've done it time and time again this year.

Problem with us is that our gameplan relies on something that can be countered pretty easily. It's also highly punishable. Looks really good when we're on, but oh so terrible when sides don't allow us to play that way.

In a sense, sides like Adelaide, GWS and Essendon get too caught up in trying to play the "perfect" game. It's why we are exposed by high pressure sides that don't allow us to play on our terms.

Our target has to be a flag next year. Every top 8 side has to aim for a flag next year. We've learned all that we needed to learn in the Sydney final.
Click to expand...

Yep Goddard said training at a 'Grand Final' standard is what the team will be doing in the off season so hopefully we see a better all over the ground defence next year.
 
Godzke said:
Our run wasn't the problem, it was lack of creating space further up the ground (to kick the ball to) which was the problem.

It will be interesting to see if the Tigers bring the same ferociousness next season. The emotive never-say-die brand of footy can disappear as quickly as it appears (eg. Dogs).
Click to expand...
Yeah that was a problem because Richmond closed down the space we had, which exposed our major weakness. That's what I was getting at.

Run is of course an asset. Tigers themselves are a quick side. It's not something we should base our gameplan on though. At the moment, we're very one way running. We don't need to throw everything away, but our game plan does need a major tweak.

It'll be hard for Richmond to back it up next year, but they know the MCG very well. I think that alone should see them win enough games to qualify for finals. Or they could suffer from a massive premiership hangover.
 
JayJ20 said:
There really is no reason that we can't win it next year.

Tigers were one of, if not the lowest pressure team in the league last year. Dimma made it clear that he wanted to fix the pressure and defensive aspect of the game. They did exactly that.

They had an excellent off season by bringing in Prestia, Caddy and Nankervis. They started the year very well, winning the first 5 games to build belief in the playing group. Despite some successive chokes throughout the year, they never gave up.

- First of all, our gameplan needs a revamp. I've always said that Adelaide are a better version of us. Clearly, that type of game goes to water when a team closes down space. Richmond were undersized all of the ground, yet still competed relentlessly. They're not exactly a big bodied team like Sydney, but they can stick tackles and hunt as a team.They dismantled us like that earlier in the year as well. We really need to base our gameplan on pressure. Looking at Richmond's pressure, if we were playing them instead of the Crows, we'd get demolished.

- Secondly, we need to learn team defence and run both ways. Our midfield is far too front running. Our forwardline doesn't apply anywhere near the amount of pressure that the Tigers applied today.

- Third is personnel based. We need one or two extra inside mids and hope that Langford and Laverde come on.

- Fourthly, we just cannot drop games against bottom teams. It simply has to stop. Only West Coast (Gold Coast) and Sydney (Carlton) lost to a bottom 4 side out of all the top 8. It costs us any chance of a top 4 finish/home EF final.

If we get it right, we can win it for sure. Richmond are proof
Click to expand...

4 points that we are a million miles way from doing.
You start by saying there is no reason we can not do it. Well I stated at the start of the season what we did and how far we would go would depend on the mental attitude and if our top end players could get their heads around playing a team game and develop some sort of roll over defense. It did not happen and really watching our blokes play I can not see it happening either. We have too many players that run their own race.
It is easy to say if we get it right then we will win but the same goes for any number of clubs including Melbourne , Bulldogs , Saints , GWS (the side that would smash everyone if they worked both ways) and Geelong.

Until I see it then I do not see us being anything but a middle of the road side floating just in or just out of the 8.
It is obvious to say we need young players to find a new level but Heppel , Goddard , Zaka , Myers , Z Merrit also have to find a new level as leaders. One only has to look at Cotchin and Martin. Both where very good but both have gone to another level this year. Cotchin as captain has been unbelievable . His hardness and work rate both ways for a super star level player and captain is second to none. Martin also went from top 5 gun to best in the game.
We have 6 or 7 that need to lift like that.
 
ant555 said:
4 points that we are a million miles way from doing.
You start by saying there is no reason we can not do it. Well I stated at the start of the season what we did and how far we would go would depend on the mental attitude and if our top end players could get their heads around playing a team game and develop some sort of roll over defense. It did not happen and really watching our blokes play I can not see it happening either. We have too many players that run their own race.
It is easy to say if we get it right then we will win but the same goes for any number of clubs including Melbourne , Bulldogs , GWS (the side that would smash everyone if they worked both ways) and Geelong.

Until I see it then I do not see us being anything but a middle of the road side floating just in or just out of the 8.
It is obvious to say we need young players to find a new level but Heppel , Goddard , Zaka , Myers , Z Merrit also have to find a new level as leaders. One only has to look at Cotchin and Martin. Both where very good but both have gone to another level this year. Cotchin as captain has been unbelievable . His hardness and work rate both ways for a super star level player and captain is second to none. Martin also went from top 5 gun to best in the game.
We have 6 or 7 that need to lift like that.
Click to expand...
Yes I completely agree with you here. It definitely won't be easy unless we introduce some major changes to our mindset and playing style, but it isn't unachievable.

Richmond is the best example for us. They, like us, have been a side deep in mediocrity for even longer than us. A club riddled with laziness, folding under pressure and mental weakness. They hadn't won a final since 2001. That all changed in literally one off season, which is why I said that we can do it if we make the appropriate changes to how we approach the season. Some bad habits need to be stamped out

If we don't change anything and only rely on natural progression, then we'll find ourselves out of the premiership race pretty quickly.
 
footylover18 said:
So? good for them if that's their goal.

We ****** up this year not giving more of a go to the kids as we strived to make the 8 so we could have the privilege of being destroyed in the first week.

Being happy with making the Finals is like getting a participation award. It only satisfies losers.
Click to expand...

Beautifully put. You could see the celebration of the players and club the week we made it and it was a given we were going to get flogged as our final had already been played.

The ruthless mentality within the playing group and club is not there.

Brent Stanton got more games than Laverde and Langford. Ben Howlett got more games than Begley and Mutch. Mitch Brown got more games than Aaron Francis.
 
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