After 4 rounds...

[ottoman]

If the Dogs give the Crows a bit of a touch up tomorrow we could move to 3rd place and GWS to 2nd. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season.

 

[motr]

A

Thanks for bringing us back down to earth, we needed that.
The last thing we need is for the fans to get excited.

Actually, the last thing we need is fans with over inflated expectations dumping on our team and calling for Buckley's head later in the season.

 

[Vicky Park]

Some observations after 4 rounds:

We appear to be fitter, and running out games better. Yesterday was a very hard physical intense game, and I was fearful we'd stop in the last quarter. But far from it.

Buckley is improving as a game day coach. He outcoached Hird yesterday, and had us playing perfect wet weather footy.

The three talls up forward: I'm confused. Did it work yesterday, or not? Gault struggled. I also can't get a clear view on how White went. Plus we had multiple goal kickers, which is great.

We still need more Witts in the team.

 

[Sloth]

Top 4 baby, yeah! Also highest Victorian team.

 

[rose jam]

Need to remember Brisbane/Saints are both bottom 4 teams and Essendon is currently short on match fitness. It's a good start, but it's going to get much much harder when we have to come up against the Freo/Hawthorn/Sydney/Port's
.

I don't buy this, they've already played 4 games which is at least 1 or 2 more than most players will play prior to round 1. I just think they've got a problem with finishing out games.

 

[eddiebankbalance]

It's called "managing expectations"



Sadly, excited fans have a tendency after a loss to want to sack the senior coach, sack half the assistants, and trade Gault for Dangerfield

Get it right man, Gault is tradebait for Aish.

After rd4 we are top 4. That's some crazy voodoo stuff right there

Next victim is MadMick and his nancy boys.

 

[Chilli Con Incarnate]

Brilliant game yesterday. Courage and intensity! If we play like that all year we're going to take some scalps and maybe sneak into finals. We are still short on polish though.

 

[iGNITER]

Not bad without Reid, Sidebottom or Greenwood either.

This.

Really interested to see who comes out for these players.

At first glance you would think Gault, Oxley and Ramsay. Yep stiff I know but the above 3 are automatic selections for mine when ready to go.

 

[76woodenspooners]

If the Dogs give the Crows a bit of a touch up tomorrow we could move to 3rd place and GWS to 2nd. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season.

If the dogs take enough percentage points off the crows to put the crows below us ...

... that might give the dogs enough percentage points to put the dogs above us.

Probably a moot point but

 

[ace andy]

Its interesting. All champion teams love to work hard and give it their all which the players are currently doing. But champion teams are also very skilful which we clearly aren't. Personally I think working hard elevates a talented team to champion status where as being skilful is the foundation. As much as it gives you pride to know your team tried their best until we are actually skilful I think notions of playing in finals are a bit fanciful.

 

[CFC2010]

Not bad without Reid, Sidebottom or Greenwood either.

........and Witts!

 

[Ricky90]

Some observations after 4 rounds:

We appear to be fitter, and running out games better. Yesterday was a very hard physical intense game, and I was fearful we'd stop in the last quarter. But far from it.

Buckley is improving as a game day coach. He outcoached Hird yesterday, and had us playing perfect wet weather footy.

The three talls up forward: I'm confused. Did it work yesterday, or not? Gault struggled. I also can't get a clear view on how White went. Plus we had multiple goal kickers, which is great.

We still need more Witts in the team.

Three talls up forward works I reckon, just as long as they stay out of each others way (once in the St Kilda game, Cloke and White were right next to each other in the goal square and effectively took each other out of a marking contest that Cloke would've gobbled up) but yesterday they were good.

Gault shows enough for mine. He's a bit slow and needs a few touches around the ground to show some confidence, so I like when he's thrown in the ruck early but still a fair way off. I'd prefer Witts. It's the combination of Witts and Grundy that has me salivating, we need to get games into them both simultaneously.

White is doing enough too, I think. It's not really about the grabs he takes and the goals he kicks, he's getting some footy up the field and taking a good defender each week. He needs to play for that alone. I think he's steadily improving and he and Cloke are finally reading each other well save for a few moments like the one mentioned above. I also like that when he spends time in the ruck (which will happen less and less when Witts and Grundy play together), he turns into a midfielder after the bounce. He can effect the contest, lay a tackle, win a clearance and do it reasonably well. I just think at this stage we don't notice it much because Gault is a preferred second ruck option while Witts is out, and even when White does get some time in the ruck it's a few minutes here and there.

I'm happy with the forward set up, but getting time into Witts and Grundy is a must.

 

[ColinMochrie]

Team playing their guts out, Bucks showing improvement. Hopefully skills will improve with the development of the kids. Add in some experience to the midfield things will look better.

Will still be surprised if we make finals. Predict the team to run out of puff as the year goes on. Still showing good signs for the future!

 

[soreplums]

I'm happy that we are winning the games we should win early in the season. It helps with the development of our younger players throughout the course of 2015

 

[Unknown Identity]

There is going to be some serious competition for spots once Reid, Sidebottom, Greenwood, DeGoey, Freeman, Moore and Scharenberg are all ready to go.

 

[Hardas]

It's called "managing expectations"
Sadly, excited fans have a tendency after a loss to want to sack the senior coach, sack half the assistants, and trade Gault for Dangerfield

Gault for Dangerfield seems fair.

 

[Hardas]

Brilliant game yesterday. Courage and intensity! If we play like that all year we're going to take some scalps and maybe sneak into finals. We are still short on polish though.

This

 

[Hardas]

I'm happy that we are winning the games we should win early in the season. It helps with the development of our younger players throughout the course of 2015

And this too.

 

[Bay Pie]

Rd 1 - looked to be running out of legs but steadied and gutsed out a solid win.
Rd 2 - got polaxed to start the game, but hung in to not get completely blown away
Rd 3 - after poor 1st quarter, dominated for rest of game
Rd 4 - dominated 1st quarter, got dominated in 2nd quarter but wrestled control back for most of the 2nd half.

These guys are playing for each other and the coach so far. They're really showing some great signs in games when the opposition has the momentum. It can be a very difficult thing to get back on you terms but the boys have done it many times.

 

[Rusty22]

WE ARE 3RD ON THE LADDER!!

 

[Black_White]

5th?
4th?
3rd?

Don't care.
Just win the next game.
Especially the next game.

 

[Ricky90]

And I'll post it here too for the sake of it.

 

[Ricky90]

5th?
4th?
3rd?

Don't care.
Just win the next game.
Especially the next game.

Yeah but look at the bottom ten!

 

[PendlePie]

In hindsight we've beaten two bottom 4 sides and Essendon, who are coming back to earth after running on adrenaline the past few weeks. We got pantsed in-between by an Adelaide side who were possibly the hottest side over the first 2-3 rounds.

We all would've taken 3-1 at the start of the season and should be rapt with where we sit at the moment. Dennis Commetti opined last week that the next season and a half for us would be about getting games into kids and developing a young side. I tend to agree. There will be ups and downs this season and finals is still not likely. But to see a young side consistently put in effort and show improvement has been really enjoyable. Here's hoping we can get to 10-12 wins this season, keep improving, and keep blooding the De Goeys, Freeman's and Scharenbergs on our list.

This season is one where we'll tread water and have some highs and lows. But next season we should all expect to see a good young side full of talent contending for finals.

 

[76woodenspooners]

If the Dogs give the Crows a bit of a touch up tomorrow we could move to 3rd place and GWS to 2nd. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season.

Kudos, you called it!

Who'd have thought?