Purple Jesus
not jess
Get out of here with your well reasoned analysis and logic.Putting aside injury, can't predict that...
Our new faces in defence aren't new anymore. They will at the least be as competitive as the last 2 years, but will probably work even better as a team. Logue back in and we have an extra and excellent, long kick out of defence and he will give tackles that you wouldn't want to be on the end of. But a better forward line will help the defenders, less rebounding from there helps them and scoreboard pressure will make for a few frazzled opponents which always helps. I think we give away 9 points less with these things combined.
As for the forward line... What I've seen of Lobb and Hogan, they are mature enough and thrive on teamwork and aren't solitary heros, it will take a while for the players to all gel, but I think they'll get there sooner rather than later. The structure changes for the better and McCarthy will thrive and the smalls will finally be able to crumb to effect. Based just on the addition of skill we are improved by a goal a game, once the chemistry is there between players, that will improve further. So starting with 6 points for and improving to the end of the year for 9-12 points. As good as Hogan is, it is a team game and our forwards will perform in periods like a rabble instead of a well oiled team.
The midfield is well covered. We lose a talented, calm and capable head with Lachie, but the likes of Brayshaw and other babes in swaddling come in with an extra year in the system, stronger, better built and knowing the system. If there are no more accidental surfs instead of visits to training (slipped and fell into the ocean a few hundred km away, a good thing he had his surfboard in hand or he might have drowned), Blakely will step in and monster the role. Sandi/Lobb/Darcy along with Fyfe and Blakely give us a big bodied and strong midfield, but the youngsters will still underperform unless the midfield spots require merit rather than being given for training purpose like this year (Brayshaw and others have a while to go before they can match Lachie Neales output). But can the midfielders send the ball forward better - that will be the deciding factor on which our fortunes are built for the year methinks.
The minimum we'll get is PA 1843, PF 1754, which makes 95% in 2019 up from 2018's 76% and we will have enough wins to come anywhere from 7th to 12th (spanked soundly a few times by the better teams) - we won't have the chemistry, tank, mans bodies or enough maturity in the team, will still fade out in q4 and the end of the year (not as much). Vastly improved on the last 3 years and set for a ripper year in 2020.