Captains Dismiss The Pies As Finals Contenders

[daics cousin]

Article in today's Age,spoke the annual Captain's meeting yestyerday,and among the topics,15 captains have agreed that collingwood will not make the final eight,all were in concenus that Freo will be the taem to beat and likely to play off in the Grand Final.
How quickly they right-off the pies.
I hope we surprise and scare the living daylights out of all the teams in the AFL this year.Here's my messege to all opposition sides.....HERE COMES THE PAINNNNNNNNNNNNNN .......GO PIES

 

[toommy]

Article in today's Age,spoke the annual Captain's meeting yestyerday,and among the topics,15 captains have agreed that collingwood will not make the final eight,all were in concenus that Freo will be the taem to beat and likely to play off in the Grand Final.
How quickly they right-off the pies.
I hope we surprise and scare the living daylights out of all the teams in the AFL this year.Here's my messege to all opposition sides.....HERE COMES THE PAINNNNNNNNNNNNNN .......GO PIES

they could be right. all the warning signs are there for the pies.key players with limited preseason preparation.and key players with poor preseason form. to me it looks like 2004 all over again.the proof will be how we go against north.i hope i'm wrong but the signs aren't good

 

[Madd Matt]

Agree with the captains.
Freo, WC, Syd, StK, Adel, WB, Geel, Melb are favouries for the 8.
Port is expected to be better this year, as are Carlton/Essendon/Hawthorn.

What have we done to improve on last year? Lost our main forward, and gained an extremely erratic one. Our best players are all a year older (Bucks, Jimmy, Scotty, Presti, Wakes, Pebbs), Dutchie is not starting until Round 6, and Dids probably won't be in AA form until about then also. Therefore the wildcard for us to make the eight will be the kids.

I'm expecting a 10-12 finish, 8-10 with very few key injures, 6-8 with half a dozen players standing up and improving.

 

[The_Analyst]

Am I just the eternal optimist, but I believe that of the 8 teams favourite to finish in the top 8 we would be able to replace atleast 1 of them?
Where has the improvement in Adelaide and Melbourne come from? Which is supposedly moreso than the improvement that has occurred at the pies. Also after watching Geelong in the preseason, have they peaked to early? Will they be able to maintain that standard?
While a top 4 finish may be too optimistic, finishing between 4th and 8th I believe is realistic. And with momentum anything is possible..........

 

[Nickelass]

I'm predicting Adelaide to be the big slider. Wont make the 8. They've been ravaged with injuries, relying on aged stars and have less ruck stocks than the Pies, and that's saying something.
Geelong and Melbourne are also 50/50.

 

[CarnCrows]

I'm predicting Adelaide to be the big slider. Wont make the 8. They've been ravaged with injuries, relying on aged stars and have less ruck stocks than the Pies, and that's saying something.
Geelong and Melbourne are also 50/50.

I would believe everything about Adelaide's injury woes. From our last game we are missing Clarke (Saints) and Biglands (our for a year) that's it. Hudson is back from a knee and was our #1 ruckman before his injury. By round 6 ( and barring new injuries) most but Biglands & Hentschell will be back.

For what it's worth I think Collingwood will finish out of the eight, but was surprised that all other captains thought so.

 

[BoundforGlory]

Article in today's Age,spoke the annual Captain's meeting yestyerday,and among the topics,15 captains have agreed that collingwood will not make the final eight,all were in concenus that Freo will be the taem to beat and likely to play off in the Grand Final.
How quickly they right-off the pies.
I hope we surprise and scare the living daylights out of all the teams in the AFL this year.Here's my messege to all opposition sides.....HERE COMES THE PAINNNNNNNNNNNNNN .......GO PIES

I really couldnt careless what opposition players think! I mean we smashed so many teams last year & for them to come out and show us no respect well that fine.

I am talking about geelong (102 points), North (over 10 goals both games), calrton (smashed them twice), Sydney (beat them in Sydney), West coast (beat them & came within 14 points in WA). Adelaide beat us by a kick, bulldogs we smashed in H &W game. The list goes on...

They will be eating there words!!

 

[doppleganger]

I really couldnt careless what opposition players think! I mean we smashed so many teams last year & for them to come out and show us no respect well that fine.

I am talking about geelong (102 points), North (over 10 goals both games), calrton (smashed them twice), Sydney (beat them in Sydney), West coast (beat them & came within 14 points in WA). Adelaide beat us by a kick, bulldogs we smashed in H &W game. The list goes on...

They will be eating there words!!

seems t.shaw isn't the only person that doesn't rate our chances in 07

interesting the only bloke who would like to be proved wrong would be t.shaw tho

fact is we aren't the flavour of the month and the capitualtion against the dogs is what sticks in peoples memory, better people are writing us off then proclaiming us as good things anyway i reckon

 

[BoundforGlory]

seems t.shaw isn't the only person that doesn't rate our chances in 07

interesting the only bloke who would like to be proved wrong would be t.shaw tho

fact is we aren't the flavour of the month and the capitualtion against the dogs is what sticks in peoples memory, better people are writing us off then proclaiming us as good things anyway i reckon

I really cant wait to let lose this year at all this negative crap going around..I have many people in sight to target & your one of them

 

[Bonuspoints]

I think the general consensus about the Pies for 07 is that we've been hit by suspensions and injury to some important players and our main guns are too old to maintain that level for an entire season. Everyone expects Rocca to be more like the second half of 06 and Buckley to have minimal time. Plenty of question marks over our speed in the middle and our forward line not as strong. So I can understand why we're not being predicted as a top 8 side. I think that we are a fighting chance to get in there, but its gunna take some luck and a lotta good footy from guys that need to step up. I think at the very least we're in for an interesting year.

 

[Senior Analyst]

Am I just the eternal optimist, but I believe that of the 8 teams favourite to finish in the top 8 we would be able to replace atleast 1 of them?
Where has the improvement in Adelaide and Melbourne come from? Which is supposedly moreso than the improvement that has occurred at the pies. Also after watching Geelong in the preseason, have they peaked to early? Will they be able to maintain that standard?
While a top 4 finish may be too optimistic, finishing between 4th and 8th I believe is realistic. And with momentum anything is possible..........

Thanks for that update. I suggest you don't discount those sides too easily though. End we may struggle in the midfield as our lack of due diligence in recent times has seen us become one-paced in the stomach.

Ta.

 

[BoundforGlory]

I think the general consensus about the Pies for 07 is that we've been hit by suspensions and injury to some important players and our main guns are too old to maintain that level for an entire season. Everyone expects Rocca to be more like the second half of 06 and Buckley to have minimal time. Plenty of question marks over our speed in the middle and our forward line not as strong. So I can understand why we're not being predicted as a top 8 side. I think that we are a fighting chance to get in there, but its gunna take some luck and a lotta good footy from guys that need to step up. I think at the very least we're in for an interesting year.

OK so lets analysis what you have written:

We have been hit by injury & suspension: Only two key playes are hit by injury suspension. One is bucks (back in round 3) & the other holland (round 6). If we cant cover a 35 year old & Holland for 6 rounds then there would be no way we could of finished 5th last year

Everyone expects Rocca, Clement, Bucks, Burns, Wakelin, Lica to fall away: Well Rocca is only 29 & has had a full preseason, Bucks is a class act but we didnt rely on him last year & he will still have an impact, Clement is a star & he far from finished (FFS), Lica had no preseason last year & battled injury, he is in fine peseason form & looking good (still only 28!), Wakelin is a back-up defender, but he is very capable of doing a job still, Burns is an off the bench player & always puts in!

People forget that young stars like: Didak, Fraser, H shaw, Swan, MAxwell, Johnson, Thomas, Pendelbury, T Cloke are the reason why we improved last year!

We have a strong list with weaknesses, but which team doesnt???

With 15 MCG games we will play finals, no doubt about it!

 

[doppleganger]

I really cant wait to let lose this year at all this negative crap going around..I have many people in sight to target & your one of them

?? i have said all along that i think the pies will make the eight

i can just see why other people think we wont

 

[Palmer Stoat]

Thanks for that update. I suggest you don't discount those sides too easily though. End we may struggle in the midfield as our lack of due diligence in recent times has seen us become one-paced in the stomach.

Ta.

I think with Johnson, Davis, Thomas, and H Shaw all set to rotate through the middle of the ground that pace isn't our main concern in the middle. The real concern is that we don't win enough hard ball. That's where the decline of Buckley and Burns and the poor form of Licuria last year really hurt us. O'Bree was by far our best winner of contested ball and didn't get enough help from the rest of our mids. I think most of our young mids are willing enough, but don't yet have the size to stand their ground against more seasoned opposition mids. A couple of powerful inside mids has to be high on our list of recruiting priorities.

 

[Jabso]

?? i have said all along that i think the pies will make the eight

i can just see why other people think we wont

Because it's the easiest thing in the world to think. With Tarrant gone, who bigfooty didn't rate anyway, who is going to kick our goals? Which apparently we struggled with last year anyway despite being the highest scoring team.

 

[Coin_Toss]

Leon Davis, Scott Pendlebury and Heath Shaw will get gametime in the midfield. If we are going to improve the improvement will come from these players who aren't "established" midfielders (in the best 22) as yet.

The alarm bells aren't ringing. We don't necessarily have to make the eight to have a good season next year or the next. We are rebuilding for the time being.

 

[doppleganger]

Because it's the easiest thing in the world to think. With Tarrant gone, who bigfooty didn't rate anyway, who is going to kick our goals? Which apparently we struggled with last year anyway despite being the highest scoring team.

think it is more to do with the poor game against the dogs that sticks in peoples minds..........fair enough to we were terrible.

People forget how good we looked early in the season running rampant over teams like Geelong

 

[Jabso]

think it is more to do with the poor game against the dogs that sticks in peoples minds..........fair enough to we were terrible.

People forget how good we looked early in the season running rampant over teams like Geelong

Or the Bulldogs who were in hot form, and we ran them off their feet and were actually quicker than them. People forget Geelong were in even hotter form. These 2 games were highly pumped up as season defining games.

 

[toommy]

Leon Davis, Scott Pendlebury and Heath Shaw will get gametime in the midfield. If we are going to improve the improvement will come from these players who aren't "established" midfielders (in the best 22) as yet.

The alarm bells aren't ringing. We don't necessarily have to make the eight to have a good season next year or the next. We are rebuilding for the time being.

if we are rebuilding then the smartest and the quickest way to re establish your team would be to bottom out totally, where you have access to the best rated juniors in the land and the best uncontracted talent.worst thing we can do would be to hover around 7th, 8th ,9th 10th just look at richmond

 

[doppleganger]

Or the Bulldogs who were in hot form, and we ran them off their feet and were actually quicker than them. People forget Geelong were in even hotter form. These 2 games were highly pumped up as season defining games.

i agree that we are not slow, that we can match it with the best, hence why i think we will finish top8

but unlike others i can see why people would think we may fall away a little bit, and have no problem with it

 

[Jabso]

if we are rebuilding then the smartest and the quickest way to re establish your team would be to bottom out totally, where you have access to the best rated juniors in the land and the best uncontracted talent.worst thing we can do would be to hover around 7th, 8th ,9th 10th just look at richmond

I don't believe anyone has ever completely gone into a season with the thought of bottoming out. It happens naturally.

 

[goalpie]

Who cares. Most off them are dimwhits smoking drugs. Not the soft ones. I bet Lance had to sms his answer.

 

[toommy]

I don't believe anyone has ever completely gone into a season with the thought of bottoming out. It happens naturally.

but malthouse isn't stupid either he knows in his own mind where he thinks this team is in the scheme of things because he has been to the top and has reference teams to compare to. lets just see after about 6 rounds if we aren't travelling that well, what kind of team selections he is coming out with. if he starts going young then he is prepared to bottom out

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Matthew Pavlich is an idiot.

To a lesser extent, so are the other fourteen captains.

 

[Dj Chriss]

Matthew Pavlich is an idiot.

To a lesser extent, so are the other fourteen captains.

Pavlich?? MCKEE??? but thats another topic