Bring on 2012

[Jade]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm aiming for this:

Did not play in our last game of 2011.....

This man smashed Carlton's midfield in a quarter, on one leg:

This man is about to enter a preseason fully fit for the first time:

and this man might just join him:

I could keep going for a few players yet.

This list has some serious, serious quality.

For all those choking at the cup on the top of the post:

"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."

- Jesse Jackson

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Fair call. If you're not gunning for the cup, you're just dicking around.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Loving it, I was thinking the same. When things fall into place teams can become contenders very quickly.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I am so horribly pumped for 2012, being a first year member, and hopefully seeing the boys come back bigger and stronger after a gruelling pre-season.

 

[Beerfish]

 

[Carlos Herrrnandez]

Hey guys

Your boys have certainly started the pre season early - I saw about 10 of them doing some running training down at Aberfeldie yesterday.

Ryder and Davey amongst them, not sure on the others. Ryder looked great.

Which player is nicknamed Piggy? He was really battling way at the back.

 

[Jade]

Hey guys

Your boys have certainly started the pre season early - I saw about 10 of them doing some running training down at Aberfeldie yesterday.

Ryder and Davey amongst them, not sure on the others. Ryder looked great.

Which player is nicknamed Piggy? He was really battling way at the back.

Think you might mean "Pig", Michael Hibberd.

 

[Kong]

Yeah don't disagree.

I'm not saying "TOP FOUR B!TCHES" or any such nonsnse, but I'm on record as saying I think we can be an outside challenger in 2012, like Carlton and West Coast were in 2011.

We'll need some luck with injuries for once, and I fear McCartney's loss could hurt, but I'm optimistic.

There's no area that we won't improve on, all over the ground. Think about it.

 

[Slattery_20]

Hey guys

Your boys have certainly started the pre season early - I saw about 10 of them doing some running training down at Aberfeldie yesterday.

Ryder and Davey amongst them, not sure on the others. Ryder looked great.

Which player is nicknamed Piggy? He was really battling way at the back.

Shut your clam.

 

[Beerfish]

We'll need some luck with injuries for once

We'll need a truckload more luck than we had this year.

A draw like west coast's wouldn't hurt our chances either.. still, I've always said I'd rather be playing the best teams than getting in by playing all the bottom sides twice. It just smarts a bit when it gets to the pointy end and you see a team like west coast pretty much arse their way into a prelim.

Actually, having said that, we also need to put away the teams we should beat. I'm so sick to death of beating teams like Geelong one week and then losing to teams like Melbourne or Richmond the next.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

The key expectation, I think, is that Dean Robinson will turn Essendon into a team of Atomic Supermen.

Which is pretty realistic.

 

[Beerfish]

 

[Godzke]

2012 - win a final
2013 - make a prelim
2014 - window opens

That's my targets for the next few years.

 

[Tassieboy]

Reading Collingwood's The ox is slow but the earth is patient book by David Buttifant and Malthouse atm. It's struck me how similar Collingwood of 1994-2000 and Essendon of 2005-2010 is. Albeit, we're in a better financial situation then they were (look at things now). Still, we seemingly want success but haven't known how to achieve this - we were still stuck in the 20th century. Hopefully, things are turning and we look to new training methods on top of a developed team to give us that extra few percent. It my only by a small percentage, but it would be the difference from losing by a goal, to maybe winning by a goal or two.

We, as a football club have become stagnant, before Hird; almost a victim of our own success - waiting for it to come to us, instead of striving to the depths to acheive it.

Although it looks like we're on the right track, it's going to be a slow process. Yes Sheedy turned the culture of our great club around in a few years (in a 12 team comp) and Malthouse made a GF in his 3rd season (2002 - this after the start of season where he was told by Neil Balme that some board members wanted him sacked ), but it took him and Collingwood 11 years to eventually reach the summit.

We can do it, and we have to expect success, but first and foremost, we have to be patient, and trust what Hird, Thompson and co are doing.

 

[Heppell21]

Yeah don't disagree.

I'm not saying "TOP FOUR B!TCHES" or any such nonsnse, but I'm on record as saying I think we can be an outside challenger in 2012, like Carlton and West Coast were in 2011.

We'll need some luck with injuries for once, and I fear McCartney's loss could hurt, but I'm optimistic.

There's no area that we won't improve on, all over the ground. Think about it.

I strongly believe that McCartney has left a lasting impression on our boys. I think he's taught them a lot and that they will continue to grow and build on their knowledge.

 

[VelvetSledge]

ahahHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh wow

 

[fishardansin]

2012 preview ... mark II

Ok no disrespect to the other thread but this is one for a pure optimistic premise. Here it is:

In 2012 Ryder, Hurley, Gumby, Hooker, Pears, Carlisle, Melksham, Zaka, Watson, Hocking, Dempsey, Winderlich, Stanton, Hepell and Jetta all play at least 18 games together.

How do you see Essendon going if that is the case? Also this isn't impossible. West Coast had this luck this year and Collingwood last year.

Please don't make this a debate about how likely this is to occur just musings on the outcome if this was to occur.

 

[Kong]

Re: 2012 preview ... mark II

There are already two "2012 preview" threads on the first page alone.

 

[fishardansin]

Ok. Screw you ... but fair enough.

 

[fishardansin]

And beerfish is winning by the way. Melksham phtotshop was good but that gif was excellent.

 

[Beerfish]

But I didn't create the gif.

 

[Slattery_20]

Most optomistic thing about the post was expecting it'd stay!

 

[Thirty_Two]

Winning a final would be our goal for next year.
Making Prelim or Granny will be our goal for for 2013.
And our goal for 2014... Premiership!

 

[Jade]

[youtube]LuJ4hbkLiY0[/youtube]

Tell me we can't beat every side in the league.

 

[JD11]

Arnie made one of his rules break the rules so that no one can ever break all his rules without obeying one of his rules.