Opinion Are we really that much poorer with the 2017 retirements?

[Godfather32]

Footywire has us at 16th but your point still stands. I also noticed Gaff had highest number of clangers and Shuey had highest average of clangers per game which is a bit concerning when they are the experienced players we are relying on to hold the line.
Don't mind me, my inbuilt pessimism is coming to the fore the closer we get to bounce down.

There was an AFL article a couple of days ago which had us 17th.
You're right though, starting to think we're going to be bottom 6 the way things are looking.

I think it demonstrates how much of an impact Priddis had given how poorly we did during his demise

Mitchell didn’t play a contested role anyway so he shouldn’t really be in the discussion, though I do think he contributed a fair amount in the games Priddis wasn’t playing.

Simple fact is we have struggled to adapt in matches where there is a step up in intensity at the contest. That was happening with Priddis in the side as well, but I think we will struggle even more now without him.

Our mids will be fine against some sides that don’t rely on stoppages as much, but I feel it will become even easier for other teams to blow us out of the water in periods of matches by applying intense pressure and numbers at stoppages.

The thing is though we were only 8th and 9th in the years before that, not like Priddis had us right at the top clearance wise by himself. Reaffirms a couple of things we've all been saying for a while imo, that our midfield has been average or worse in recent times and it shows how much difference having Nic Nat makes to our side. Without him last year competing around the ball we were significantly worse clearance wise.

 

[FKASC]

The thing is though we were only 8th and 9th in the years before that, not like Priddis had us right at the top clearance wise by himself. Reaffirms a couple of things we've all been saying for a while imo, that our midfield has been average or worse in recent times and it shows how much difference having Nic Nat makes to our side. Without him last year competing around the ball we were significantly worse clearance wise.

Oh yeah it’s not like we were dominant with Priddis but that doesn’t mean he won’t be missed given who else is in the shed.

On the other side we wont have 4 vs 3 on fast breaks

It will be 4 vs 4


Thats not to be despised

Because Sheed, Redden and Anus are super fast?

 

[The Dodger]

Yeah NN was the reason we could compete with Cont Poss. Without him we (and oddly enough Priddis) lose the cont poss count miserably nearly every game.

Because Sheed, Redden and Anus are super fast?

Its not so much that they are fast more that they perhaps can't be outrun by a ruckman while looking like they are jogging on the spot.

 

[Astro7]

Don't mind me, my inbuilt pessimism is coming to the fore the closer we get to bounce down.

Yep, know the feeling..swings between that and some wild hope, perhaps delusion, that it will all work out.
We're gonna be crap- we're gonna be great- we're gonna be mediocre?
I think Petrie was the main loss from 2017. But NN, Lycett and Vardy has a lot of currency.
Got dynamic options up forward. A good backline and attacking HB line, arguably the best?
maybe the mid will get off to a wobbly start then settle in and improve over first few games..
it certainly needs to!
one media punter said "the eagles will play 8 teams better than them in the first 11 rounds"

 

[FKASC]

Its not so much that they are fast more that they perhaps can't be outrun by a ruckman while looking like they are jogging on the spot.

Will be interesting to see how they go defensively this year then.

 

[FKASC]

Yeh, comes down to the fact that we still can't seem to do anything to improve our midfield. Still taking 3 forwards with our first 3 picks doesn't really help things. I think we'll come to regret that Oscar Allen pick.

I thought at the time during the melty draft that we will regret both Allen and Ryan (especially Ryan).

But it’s done and we just have to hope that they all turn into stars

 

[Chris_6678]

IF players like Redden and Sheed can dig in and increase out CP numbers we wont be that much worse off.

 

[Gugs9]

There was an AFL article a couple of days ago which had us 17th.
You're right though, starting to think we're going to be bottom 6 the way things are looking.



The thing is though we were only 8th and 9th in the years before that, not like Priddis had us right at the top clearance wise by himself. Reaffirms a couple of things we've all been saying for a while imo, that our midfield has been average or worse in recent times and it shows how much difference having Nic Nat makes to our side. Without him last year competing around the ball we were significantly worse clearance wise.

Instead of continuing to state how bad our midfield was last year, maybe we need to accept the loss of Nic Nat is the primary cause. Is it bad that the ability of our midfield is significantly skewed by the fact 1 player is out. Probably. But lets be realistic here:
- The crows midfield without sloane drops off dramatically, we saw when we smashed them in 2016 and in the games he missed last year how average the unit was
- Richmond without dustin martin probably misses the top 8
- The bulldogs midfield drops off significantly without bontempelli
- Carlton's midfield competitveness fell off a cliff last year when cripps got injured
- Freo's midfield was terrible when Fyfe was out
etc.

It is very rare that midfield is stacked with multiple A-graders (geelong with ablett, selwood, danger is probably one of the few that springs to mind).

If we want to compete this year our two A-Graders in Nic Nat and Shuey will need to be at the best for the majority of the year, but this is no different to most other midfields in the comp

 

[DanWCE]

I thought at the time during the melty draft that we will regret both Allen and Ryan (especially Ryan).

But it’s done and we just have to hope that they all turn into stars

We were incredibly reactive and it seemed a bit rudderless from the outset. I have no issues with Brander as that is astute planning for the future but when you look at the last two drafts as an overall it's a bit of a head scratcher.

Ollen may have been best available but that didn't mean he suited us best. It's too early to tell on some of these kids, but I too hope we don't rue this period in years to come.

The Kelly selection put us in a spin after rightly not wanting to miss out on the value in Brander. Does anyone know how Kelly is going?

 

[ziad]

We were incredibly reactive and it seemed a bit rudderless from the outset. I have no issues with Brander as that is astute planning for the future but when you look at the last two drafts as an overall it's a bit of a head scratcher.

Ollen may have been best available but that didn't mean he suited us best. It's too early to tell on some of these kids, but I too hope we don't rue this period in years to come.

The Kelly selection put us in a spin after rightly not wanting to miss out on the value in Brander. Does anyone know how Kelly is going?

When you look at Kennedy struggling, Emac sadly going down and McG reported on AFL Tonight as back to 50/50 going it is a brilliant strategic draft choice

Time best answers such questions

 

[DanWCE]

When you look at Kennedy struggling, Emac sadly going down and McG reported on AFL Tonight as back to 50/50 going it is a brilliant strategic draft choice

Time best answers such questions

We have a history of finding good talls so at least if we've done well and end up with a surplus we can offload some for the area we struggle - quality mids.

 

[ioppolo]

I'd be hugely disappointed if we finish bottom 6. I have us 7-10 range. We have a lot of new youngsters but we still have a heap of talent. We got rid of mainly dead wood.

 

[kranky al]

Oh yeah it’s not like we were dominant with Priddis but that doesn’t mean he won’t be missed given who else is in the shed.

Because Sheed, Redden and Anus are super fast?

No but priddis was in a league of his own for slow

For instance sam mitchell - considered slow right?

His 20m time was closer to the fastest ever recorded at the draft combine than it was to priddis

Priddis was glacial slow.

Every team has a mix of fast and not so fast mids - we were the only team with anyone that slow

The oppositions slowest mids - Their dom sheeds etc could leave him in the dust

 

[Godfather32]

Instead of continuing to state how bad our midfield was last year, maybe we need to accept the loss of Nic Nat is the primary cause. Is it bad that the ability of our midfield is significantly skewed by the fact 1 player is out. Probably. But lets be realistic here:
- The crows midfield without sloane drops off dramatically, we saw when we smashed them in 2016 and in the games he missed last year how average the unit was
- Richmond without dustin martin probably misses the top 8
- The bulldogs midfield drops off significantly without bontempelli
- Carlton's midfield competitveness fell off a cliff last year when cripps got injured
- Freo's midfield was terrible when Fyfe was out
etc.

It is very rare that midfield is stacked with multiple A-graders (geelong with ablett, selwood, danger is probably one of the few that springs to mind).

If we want to compete this year our two A-Graders in Nic Nat and Shuey will need to be at the best for the majority of the year, but this is no different to most other midfields in the comp

Did you bother reading my whole post because I specifically mentioned that I thought Nic Nat was the main reason for the drop off

 

[china eagle]

We've got arguably one of the best backlines in the league, we can cope with any teams forwards no matter how good. Our key forwards are excellent (JD cops plenty on here but he would get a game at every other club for sure). Our midfield..... You would be struggling to find too many on paper rated lower than ours. Our contested ball numbers have been shite for a while. NN (even on one leg and 50% gametime) is a massive in, we look like a different team. I know its probably not this simple but I feel if we can arrest the contested situation in the middle and at least compete with the more fancied midfields, then the sky is the limit. I don't rekn we are any worse off than last year.

 

[Gugs9]

Did you bother reading my whole post because I specifically mentioned that I thought Nic Nat was the main reason for the drop off

Fair point I was more referring to your first paragraph. It just seems the general consensus is we will finish bottom 6, but I feel like if Nic Nat and Shuey are at their best for most of the year this won't be the case. Not surprised at all we went from 2nd to 17th in Contested Possessions without Nic last year.

I guess my point is while our whole midfield is skewed by 1 or 2 players, I don't think this is much different to most other midfields in the comp

 

[JoshWoodenSpoon]

Hutch not being mentioned enough around here. I know, I know, if we're looking to Hutch to keep us competitive we're in strife limited player blah blah.
Realistically, he's got a big role to assume this year, and I think he'll do pretty well. Eaglespur don't @ me.

 

[eaglesnutcase]

If NN and Lycett stay healthy [ big if ] we can go top six and if Shuey sticks to last years form he can go very close to a Brownlow.

 

[ziad]

We beat Port in JLT 1 playing most of our 'kids'
Port are in the 8 by most fools on TV

 

[flyinghi64]

Yep this "Eagles will struggle now with all the experience they lost" crap is getting old and the only straw people can grasp to try write us off.
WTF!!!!!!
Butler was done. Priddis was pretty much done. Smitch and Petrie were on the list for ONE FN year. Everyone else, I'm sorry, were dead weight.
The two recent recruits we brought in, Redden and Jetts (Yeo to a degree*), have only late last year started showing what we recruited them for.
Our recent draft picks are improving each year and some cementing their starting 22 spot.
Our top 2 rucks look like starting the year together for the first time in over a season.

OK, our Coleman medalist is going to have a delayed start to the year I give the doomsayers that much, Emac will be fighting for a spot when he is back fit as well (yes that hurts to say).

Geez I hope we do another 2015, even better would be bliss.

* Yeo still a fairly recent recruit but came good a little earlier than the others.

 

[frenchconnection]

Yep, know the feeling..swings between that and some wild hope, perhaps delusion, that it will all work out.
We're gonna be crap- we're gonna be great- we're gonna be mediocre?
I think Petrie was the main loss from 2017. But NN, Lycett and Vardy has a lot of currency.
Got dynamic options up forward. A good backline and attacking HB line, arguably the best?
maybe the mid will get off to a wobbly start then settle in and improve over first few games..
it certainly needs to!
one media punter said "the eagles will play 8 teams better than them in the first 11 rounds"

Would have thought we are better than Gold Coast at the very least?

 

[frenchconnection]

Yep this "Eagles will struggle now with all the experience they lost" crap is getting old and the only straw people can grasp to try write us off.
WTF!!!!!!
Butler was done. Priddis was pretty much done. Smitch and Petrie were on the list for ONE FN year. Everyone else, I'm sorry, were dead weight.
The two recent recruits we brought in, Redden and Jetts (Yeo to a degree*), have only late last year started showing what we recruited them for.
Our recent draft picks are improving each year and some cementing their starting 22 spot.
Our top 2 rucks look like starting the year together for the first time in over a season.

OK, our Coleman medalist is going to have a delayed start to the year I give the doomsayers that much, Emac will be fighting for a spot when he is back fit as well (yes that hurts to say).

Geez I hope we do another 2015, even better would be bliss.

* Yeo still a fairly recent recruit but came good a little earlier than the others.

Because we are so JK conscious and without him in the team I just want somebody (or anybody) to stand up and kick some goals, for in the JLT series our absence of goals was very noticeable.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

If NN and Lycett stay healthy [ big if ] we can go top six and if Shuey sticks to last years form he can go very close to a Brownlow.

Valid username

 

[Eaglespur]

lol Shuey wasn t even in the top 20 mids in the league let alone brownlow form

 

[DanWCE]

Shuey has never been popular with Brownlow votes, probably due to some questionable free kicks, particularly in his early days