2021 and beyond

[Strapping Young Lad]

I've been saying for a while that we clearly had the hardest fixture this year, and it wasn't close.
This table also points out a few more things:
- Credit to Geelong and Collingwood for dealing with more difficult fixtures (and for the Pies their injury issues too)
- Adelaide were awful in 2020
- AFL still want the Tigers to do well

It was made mention during the PCM last night that the club thought they were headed up to Sydney for 30 days only, so they were unprepared for then having to hub in WA and the Barossa.

They only got to see family again in SA. Hard to know what level of discontent that stirred within the group towards the season and football, but we certainly didn’t seem to relish it.

 

[Pessimistic]

Outside run, carry and smart use is possibly the weapon in todays football. Since the loss of Brad Hill Hawks havent really moved past a makeshift affair.

If Smith goes, its our biggest challenge.

Its something which can be rectified quickly, We recruited Smith in 2010 (from VFL) pick 19 and Hill in 2011 pick 33. They were essential team members in 2012.
We already have a couple of young candidates and could add an A grade one in 2020

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Couldn’t possibly get much worse

2020 saw us uncompetitive for games, and then the cherry on top was the acl to our best defender

Bringing in elite young talent is required if we are to compete at the highest level

Surely Will Day finishing top 10 in our B&F will convince our recruitment team to get back into drafting and not trading top picks for players past their best.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[cryptor]

"low-risk COVID states". Well ain't that a polite way of saying "everyone but Victorians"

 

[Brant]

"low-risk COVID states". Well ain't that a polite way of saying "everyone but Victorians"

Yeh & not sure why you'd bother being polite about it!

 

[macdaddio]

While

Winning culture is winning full stop. That's not something we can offer potential FA's currently.

But prior to being permanently lockdown we were sitting pretty at 3-1 in the top 4

 

[Judd2Sewell]

But prior to being permanently lockdown we were sitting pretty at 3-1 in the top 4

We got flogged by Geelong and barely scraped through against North. Two good games, one terrible game and one poor game. Then we went on to only win two more games for the season.

Blaming the lockdown is weak. No one enjoyed it.

 

[KermitJagger]

We got flogged by Geelong and barely scraped through against North. Two good games, one terrible game and one poor game. Then we went on to only win two more games for the season.

Blaming the lockdown is weak. No one enjoyed it.

I agree you can't just blame the lockdown but there are details beyond it - we were in a less appealing hub in SA, played in the most outright away games against other teams at their home ground, had the most short breaks (4 days) in between games.

We spent the majority of the season playing on small grounds we don't train for, when we would typically play a lot at the MCG or in Tasmania which are both expansive grounds. It's not a good year to judge.

If we're bad next year I'll concede that things need to change.

 

[Bugs1977]

We got flogged by Geelong and barely scraped through against North. Two good games, one terrible game and one poor game. Then we went on to only win two more games for the season.

Blaming the lockdown is weak. No one enjoyed it.

Also the game we beat the Tigers they had no Dusty playing. Its awesome that we beat them but that win needs to be taken into perspective.

 

[cryptor]

Also the game we beat the Tigers they had no Dusty playing. Its awesome that we beat them but that win needs to be taken into perspective.

If the perspective is that the difference between being premiers by 5 goals and losing to a bottom 4 side by 5 goals is Dustin Martin, then I think we need to put more work into shutting him down next time we play.

 

[Stratton24]

Also the game we beat the Tigers they had no Dusty playing. Its awesome that we beat them but that win needs to be taken into perspective.

So any game we lose with injuries you would also take into perspective.

 

[Bugs1977]

I agree you can't just blame the lockdown but there are details beyond it - we were in a less appealing hub in SA, played in the most outright away games against other teams at their home ground, had the most short breaks (4 days) in between games.

We spent the majority of the season playing on small grounds we don't train for, when we would typically play a lot at the MCG or in Tasmania which are both expansive grounds. It's not a good year to judge.

If we're bad next year I'll concede that things need to change.

Let's get serious here in that we're in the process of a rebuild wether the club calls it that or not. We've just lost over a 1000 games of experience from 5 players that were in our best 22-25 players through retirement and FA assuming Smith leaves.

Frawley - 239
Stratton -202
Puopolo -196
Henderson -159
Smith -210
_______________
1006 games

It was obvious that we had a lot of factors go against us this season (ground advantage / turn arounds etc) but with so much turnover this offseason all that will no longer matter moving forward. I reckon we'll see a much more simplified game plan in 2021 because we'll have so many new faces. Anyways the point I'm trying to make is that the time to concede things need to change has come and gone was admittedly before this season even started. We lack quality all over the park. We are clearly at a point where we need to add quality youngsters through the draft which is obviously what we will be doing. It's imperative that we hit on a couple of our picks and just as important as doing that I feel our game plan must be reviewed / tweaked too. Hopefully with Craig McCrae coming over from Richmond as an assistant its something that will happen as we turn the page on our 3peat era.

The game has changed and our players have changed so it only makes sense that the game plan evolves too.

 

[Bugs1977]

So any game we lose with injuries you would also take into perspective.

Yes an no

 

[HODGEYROAD]

We went 5-12 yeah a few things didn't go our way, but the reality is quality sides find a way, the biggest issue we have isn't hubs or ground size it's the fact we aren't a quality side.

 

[macdaddio]

We got flogged by Geelong and barely scraped through against North. Two good games, one terrible game and one poor game. Then we went on to only win two more games for the season.

Blaming the lockdown is weak. No one enjoyed it.

Agree, but our two wins against Tigers and Lions showed we do have potential.

 

[Holy Rioli]

We went 5-12 yeah a few things didn't go our way, but the reality is quality sides find a way, the biggest issue we have isn't hubs or ground size it's the fact we aren't a quality side.

I agree, but we statistically had the worst draw from a travel/break/home ground advantage perspective (by a long way) and had the worst free kick differential, and lowest # of free kicks paid in the comp. There were a lot of factors that conspired against us. Our percentage was pretty damn good for a 5/12 team that went through what we went through.

In saying that, if things went well and we were a 9/8 team, it would have been another year papering over the cracks, at least this gets us moving now.

 

[WWSD]

• McEvoy back into the ruck
• Greaves and Scrimshaw as the two half backs
• Impey and Jiath as the two small defenders
• Hardwick as a small forward
• Wingard in the midfield permanently
• Day and Downie on the wings

 

[Hot Diggity]

• McEvoy back into the ruck
• Greaves and Scrimshaw as the two half backs
• Impey and Jiath as the two small defenders
• Hardwick as a small forward
• Wingard in the midfield permanently
• Day and Downie on the wings

I like it!

 

[The hands of stone]

Not sure if anyone else has heard Craig Jennings on SEN, he does a weekly stratergy segment and is great to listen too.

On Monday he basically said we are in and going to continue to be in a surge/territory era .
He said if in the first few games next season your chipping the ball around the backline sidewards and backwards , well your in for a long season .
Will be interesting to see what strategic changes we make .

 

[OnTheRocks]

Agree, but our two wins against Tigers and Lions showed we do have potential.

early maybe, but then the losses against the scum and crows showed just how much

 

[Blackhawk42]

• McEvoy back into the ruck
• Greaves and Scrimshaw as the two half backs
• Impey and Jiath as the two small defenders
• Hardwick as a small forward
• Wingard in the midfield permanently
• Day and Downie on the wings

Yes.
Yes.
Not completely sold on Jiath yet. I'm hopeful we bring in a Phillips (Collingwood) type to play on the wing to allow Day 1 more year to develop his run and carry game from defence.
Would like to see Hardwick tried for a fair block of games. Think Moore has a bit to offer as a high half forward too.
Yes.
If Downie is ready then yes. If we end up with him (I still remember passing on Mosquito) then it would be amazing if he could turn into our Xavier Duursma

28

Xavier Duursma

Age

23

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.5

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

8.5

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.1

4star

CL

1.6

4star

D

13.0

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

4.3

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.3

3star

CL

0.5

3star

D

16.8

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

8.4

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

1.6

4star

and nail down a spot from the beginning.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

• McEvoy back into the ruck
• Greaves and Scrimshaw as the two half backs
• Impey and Jiath as the two small defenders
• Hardwick as a small forward
• Wingard in the midfield permanently
• Day and Downie on the wings

All things I'd be pretty happy to see, as for how many of those we see only Clarkson knows.

 

[Hot Diggity]

Not sure if anyone else has heard Craig Jennings on SEN, he does a weekly stratergy segment and is great to listen too.

On Monday he basically said we are in and going to continue to be in a surge/territory era .
He said if in the first few games next season your chipping the ball around the backline sidewards and backwards , well your in for a long season .
Will be interesting to see what strategic changes we make .

Cue the drafting of a couple of 191cm flankers with a nice kick...

 

[TylerDurden]

Not sure if anyone else has heard Craig Jennings on SEN, he does a weekly stratergy segment and is great to listen too.

On Monday he basically said we are in and going to continue to be in a surge/territory era .
He said if in the first few games next season your chipping the ball around the backline sidewards and backwards , well your in for a long season .
Will be interesting to see what strategic changes we make .

No doubt. Was our undoing in losses against Collingwood, GWS and Melbourne. Pretty much sunk our season right there.

We're not gonna copy Richmond, but Jennings is right. The chip chip keepings off game is dead. Was dead 4 years ago to be fair.