2020 Expectations, hopes and dreams

[BarbieITFC]

I don’t think there’s a similar thread, but with AFLW kicking off this weekend we’re now in the countdown to the new season.

What’s your one expectation, one hope and one dream for the season to come:

Expectation: A clear game plan emerges. My biggest frustration last year - especially after what I thought we saw in Rd 1 - was just the lack of any game plan. Outsiders were still commenting that Freo were a typical Ross team, set up to only score 60-75 points. The truth was that our lack of skills and forward connection was the reason we were scoring low; our inside 50 count was often higher than the oppo. Our game wasn’t typical attritional Ross footy, it was low skill, careless footy. Most new coaches focus on sorting out the defence, so I’m expecting us to look strong at the back and I’m expecting us to have an emerging game plan under JLo.

Hope: That we show the footy world our rebuild has been a very good one on the quiet. I think we do this by comfortably beating the teams likely to be in the bottom half of the ladder and/or with a similar amount of youth; and end up finishing around 10-12. That means we: beat the Suns, Carlton, Saints, Crows, Demons, Sydney; we compete toe to toe with Port, Hawks, Bombers and Lions (who I expect to drop off a bit); and don’t cop a thrashing to any of the Top 6-8.

Dreams: It would be obvious to say finals, but I just don’t see that as likely or even necessary at this stage of the rebuild - but it’s my hope for 2021. So my dream is to win at least one Derby. Back in 2015, we thrashed the Eagles in Rd 3 - the first half was men vs boys. As our season dropped off they then beat us in Rd 20, scoring 7 goals in Q1. We haven’t come close to them since. It was the sign that the tide had turned and they were on the rise, not just against us, but the whole competition. That’s my dream for this year, something that shows we’re coming and the future is really bright.

 

[Scham]

Totally agree with the OP. A very well thought out and written post BarbieITFC

Hopefully 2020 will be a very strong springboard for a massive charge up the ladder in 2021 ala Lions in 2018 and 2019.

 

[MadMundy]

I just want us to be beating teams that we should be beating like Gold Coast, Carlton, Sydney, Melbourne and St Kilda, and we should be beating them convincingly too.

 

[Joao]

I just want us to be beating teams that we should be beating like Gold Coast, Carlton, Sydney, Melbourne and St Kilda, and we should be beating them convincingly too.

Unless we are 100% fit, we are not significantly better than any of those teams bar Gold Coast.

 

[E Shed]

Just instinctive, creative footy.
And getting a look at Liam Henry, Serong and Sam Sturt running around in the forward half at some stage.
And seeing Cerra inside at stoppages with Brayshaw.
And Stephen Hill in full flight again running the lines.
And Fyfe being Fyfe.
And seeing Young drilling 55M bullets up the middle.
And McCarthy playing with confidence and having fun out there.
And Darcy taking ownership of the stoppages.
And Lobb hanging sideways off the pack up forward taking a hanger.
And Aish playing with quiet competency.
And Acres showing the world why he was rated so highly.
And Ryan owning the intercepts.
And Logue bullocking out of the back half.
And Wilson and Pearce getting back on the park and running freely.
And Blakely given license to hunt the ball and distribute.
And Bewley running end to end and delivering the ball on a string inside 50.
And Valente given opportunity to show his wares inside a few packs.
And Darcy Tucker going quietly up another gear as he's done every year.
And Walters consolidating himself as one of the games elite.
And Conca smashing into anything in his way.
And Matera continuing to grow into his potential.
And Hughes running straight through contests and backing into packs.
And Hamling quietly owning whoever is unfortunate enough to play on him.
And Monaro getting a late season debut and running 100M bouncing the ball.
And Pina getting one or 2 games and showing the composure of a 200 game veteran.
And Tobe Watson to keep quietly growing (a real dark horse this young man).
And Butters and Thomas and Carter giving it a real crack at Peel.
And Giro and Crowden to keep developing.
And Colyer to have a good year whether at Peel or in the seniors.
And anyone I forgot just to enjoy the journey.

And the smile on Longmuirs face when he gets to sing the song again.

Footy is about People.

 

[dockerfemme]

Just instinctive, creative footy.
And getting a look at Liam Henry, Serong and Sam Sturt running around in the forward half at some stage.
And seeing Cerra inside at stoppages with Brayshaw.
And Stephen Hill in full flight again running the lines.
And Fyfe being Fyfe.
And seeing Young drilling 55M bullets up the middle.
And McCarthy playing with confidence and having fun out there.
And Darcy taking ownership of the stoppages.
And Lobb hanging sideways off the pack up forward taking a hanger.
And Aish playing with quiet competency.
And Acres showing the world why he was rated so highly.
And Ryan owning the intercepts.
And Logue bullocking out of the back half.
And Wilson and Pearce getting back on the park and running freely.
And Blakely given license to hunt the ball and distribute.
And Bewley running end to end and delivering the ball on a string inside 50.
And Valente given opportunity to show his wares inside a few packs.
And Darcy Tucker going quietly up another gear as he's done every year.
And Walters consolidating himself as one of the games elite.
And Conca smashing into anything in his way.
And Matera continuing to grow into his potential.
And Hughes running straight through contests and backing into packs.
And Hamling quietly owning whoever is unfortunate enough to play on him.
And Monaro getting a late season debut and running 100M bouncing the ball.
And Pina getting one or 2 games and showing the composure of a 200 game veteran.
And Tobe Watson to keep quietly growing (a real dark horse this young man).
And Butters and Thomas and Carter giving it a real crack at Peel.
And Giro and Crowden to keep developing.
And Colyer to have a good year whether at Peel or in the seniors.
And anyone I forgot just to enjoy the journey.

And the smile on Longmuirs face when he gets to sing the song again.

Footy is about People.

Just lovely.

 

[BarbieITFC]

Just instinctive, creative footy.
And getting a look at Liam Henry, Serong and Sam Sturt running around in the forward half at some stage.
And seeing Cerra inside at stoppages with Brayshaw.
And Stephen Hill in full flight again running the lines.
And Fyfe being Fyfe.
And seeing Young drilling 55M bullets up the middle.
And McCarthy playing with confidence and having fun out there.
And Darcy taking ownership of the stoppages.
And Lobb hanging sideways off the pack up forward taking a hanger.
And Aish playing with quiet competency.
And Acres showing the world why he was rated so highly.
And Ryan owning the intercepts.
And Logue bullocking out of the back half.
And Wilson and Pearce getting back on the park and running freely.
And Blakely given license to hunt the ball and distribute.
And Bewley running end to end and delivering the ball on a string inside 50.
And Valente given opportunity to show his wares inside a few packs.
And Darcy Tucker going quietly up another gear as he's done every year.
And Walters consolidating himself as one of the games elite.
And Conca smashing into anything in his way.
And Matera continuing to grow into his potential.
And Hughes running straight through contests and backing into packs.
And Hamling quietly owning whoever is unfortunate enough to play on him.
And Monaro getting a late season debut and running 100M bouncing the ball.
And Pina getting one or 2 games and showing the composure of a 200 game veteran.
And Tobe Watson to keep quietly growing (a real dark horse this young man).
And Butters and Thomas and Carter giving it a real crack at Peel.
And Giro and Crowden to keep developing.
And Colyer to have a good year whether at Peel or in the seniors.
And anyone I forgot just to enjoy the journey.

And the smile on Longmuirs face when he gets to sing the song again.

Footy is about People.

And Mundy to comeback in Rd 4-5 and have a game where he rolls back the years, is BOG, kicking the winner after the siren (preferably against the Tigers)
And Meek coming in for a couple of games when Darcy is bashed up and showing that we don't need to worry about the depth of our ruck stocks
And Dixon proving that the classy goal he scored in R23 wasn't an aberration - he can make it in the AFL

 

[Galapagoose]

Expectations:

With a new coach, the players we’ve lost and our injury concerns it’s hard to have any positive expectations. Also, it’s hard to be positive with our midfield, skill level and our pace all over the ground. I expect that this will be a hard season for us.

Hopes:

I hope we see growth in lots of players and hopefully we can find a midfield star or two. I Hope we don’t get absolutely smashed in the first few rounds!!

Dreams:

• Cerra consistently finds 25+ touches in the midfield and signs a long-term contract.
• Young settles in at half back quickly and wins the best young player award.
• Switta averages 2 goals a game
• Matera averages 2.5 goals a game.
• Luke Ryan gets in the AA squad.
• AP comes back and plays every game for the rest of the season.
• Fyfe wins another Brownlow
• Brayshaw takes the next step and becomes an A grader
• Darcy steps up and gets mentioned with Grundy and Gawn and one of the most influential ruckman in the game.
• All our depth and young players dominate/show something at Peel.
• Serong shows why he was picked as a top 10 pick.
• Tabs stays fit
• Hogan finds his love for footy and dominates the second half of the season.

 

[Freomaniac]

Expectations:

With a new coach, the players we’ve lost and our injury concerns it’s hard to have any positive expectations. Also, it’s hard to be positive with our midfield, skill level and our pace all over the ground. I expect that this will be a hard season for us.

Hopes:

I hope we see growth in lots of players and hopefully we can find a midfield star or two. I Hope we don’t get absolutely smashed in the first few rounds!!

Dreams:

• Cerra consistently finds 25+ touches in the midfield and signs a long-term contract.
• Young settles in at half back quickly and wins the best young player award.
• Switta averages 2 goals a game
• Matera averages 2.5 goals a game.
• Luke Ryan gets in the AA squad.
• AP comes back and plays every game for the rest of the season.
• Fyfe wins another Brownlow
• Brayshaw takes the next step and becomes an A grader
• Darcy steps up and gets mentioned with Grundy and Gawn and one of the most influential ruckman in the game.
• All our depth and young players dominate/show something at Peel.
• Serong shows why he was picked as a top 10 pick.
• Tabs stays fit
• Hogan finds his love for footy and dominates the second half of the season.

luke ryan getting AA would be good