Player Watch Daniel Wells, (New role at the Club #3261)

[thinking chair]

How have you come up with this conclusion?


GWS - yep, agree, the Frankenstein of the AFL had no peers at this stage. AFL manufactured draft tampering at it finest. Player for player, on paper, this team looks brisbanesque with the scope to be dominant for longer.

Sydney. A very good list. Not dominant though and has a few aging stars and holes. Salary cap hurting. A very beatable team.

Western Bulldogs. Based on the fact thy won last years flag alone, list quality is pretty hard to argue with. Although, ruck is weak, forward line, with cloke in, will struggle. Teams will be much more prepared for them this year. We match up well on them and had them on toast twice last year.

West coast. Meh. Lucky they have Perth and a few out and out stars. Overall list doesn't frighten me.

Adelaide. Best forward line in the comp for mine. Eddie Betts is a freak, walker, Jenkins and the bloke whose name escapes me make a very formidle offense. Overall very good list if the can pull it all together.

Geelong - dangerfield and selwood. The rest isn't great. If not for their massive home ground adavantage I'd be tipping them for bottom 4. Seriously overrated list.

Hawks - the great dynasty on the wane. Cracks starting to appear, might have another left in them this year but it's all downhill from here. No depth at all and many aging stars, omeara and Mitchell will help. But then all will be getting into their defensive 50 much more often and one wonders how long their backline can hold up.

St kilda and Melbourne. Both young and on the rise. Will be very good in a 2-3 seasons.

As for us. I have us behind GWS, DOGS and Adelaide. I don't see any holes in our list provided we can keep close to our best 25 players healthy and playing often.

Our midfield is one of the best, if not the best (champion data agrees), in the league.

Back line, with a fit Reid to lead it, will be more than adequate this year. Schade looks likely, Dunn can hit targets and can play a role. Ramsay will be a revelation, Maynard looks primed and will become the enforcer down back. Would love sinkers back for his jets.
Schazza might be a bonus by mid season....

Forward line is stocked with 2 seriously good medium smalls in Elliot and faz.. mayne will come good by round 4-5. Darcy will continue to grow and cause headaches. Cox, imo, will become a massive win for us this year. Hose long arms and reach will baffle the opposition. He will get plenty of free kicks this year.


I could go on all day, but I won't. But to say there's 9 teams with a better list than us is crazy.

Even being less one eyed than I am, at worst we are the 6th best team going around.

Insanely optimistic post.

My opinion of our list obviously differs to yours. Kp stocks are dangerously thin, especially down back. We are one Ben Reid injury away from being seriously undermanned down there.

The 9 teams I mentioned I feel have more bases covered and better depth in the event of inevitable injuries to personnel as the season progresses.

Time will tell the story

 

[spartan-magpie]

No.. you're extremely biased.

Bet you had us as a lock to finish in the top 8 last year too...

Yep, I am biased, no escaping that. I had us winning the flag, so did some other "experts".

Obviously way off. But there are reasons for us not performing.

 

[unplugged]

We should run a fun sweep first appearance of Wells in the seniors.

Must play in a senior match.

Which round folks?

I'm tipping Round 3!

Who plays a senior game next, Nathan Freeman or Daniel Wells?

 

[spartan-magpie]

Ah yes it makes sense now checking your history...

"I think you will be scarily surprised at how good we become next season. Even though I believe we will win the flag in 2016 I definitely won't be surprised if we fall a final or 2 short. We still have lots of improvement left in this squad over the next 12-48 months. Next year I'm banking on Hawks type 2008 flag pinch before we become something similar to what the Hawks have produced the last 3 years." - From October 2015


"We will be unstoppable in 2016. We will be undefeated to round 11 and finish off the year 18-4 and then smash all comers on to the 2016-17-18-19 premierships. We are due for a 4 peat. - Again 2015 "


"Yeah, in being cheeky. I reckon we will finish 4-6. Still won't count is out provided we can remain free of major injury and get games into Reid and greenwood. We are a smoky, very unlikely, but I think a better chance than many will concede or believe."

That's not being "glass half full"... that's simply being completely unable to accurately rate our list, and you're doing the exact same thing in 2017.

Oh well. You got me. I have high expectations.
And I still think my assessment of this years team will be closer than those writing is off.

 

[spartan-magpie]

Insanely optimistic post.

My opinion of our list obviously differs to yours. Kp stocks are dangerously thin, especially down back. We are one Ben Reid injury away from being seriously undermanned down there.

The 9 teams I mentioned I feel have more bases covered and better depth in the event of inevitable injuries to personnel as the season progresses.

Time will tell the story

I am optimistic. I see much to like about our list. All that's stopping us from being a top 4 contender are injuries.

 

[Kappa]

Oh well. You got me. I have high expectations.
And I still think my assessment of this years team will be closer than those writing is off.

You have shown the last few years you're expectations are delusional rather than "high" or "optimistic".

Do you think we will finish top 6 in 2017?

I am optimistic. I see much to like about our list. All that's stopping us from being a top 4 contender are injuries.

Only problem is there are other teams in comp who also have good lists, a few even better than ours as hard as that is to believe for you..

 

[spartan-magpie]

You have shown the last few years you're expectations are delusional rather than "high" or "optimistic".

Do you think we will finish top 6 in 2017?



Only problem is there are other teams in comp who also have good lists, a few even better than ours as hard as that is to believe for you..

I think we will finish top 5 in 2017.

 

[Spatfers]

Aaaanyway, getting back to Wells, seriously FFS. Our recruiting is so rocks and diamonds, but mostly rocks

 

[jmac70]

Yep, I am biased, no escaping that. I had us winning the flag, so did some other "experts".

Obviously way off. But there are reasons for us not performing.

How does it feel to have Kappa trawling through your history?

Personally I like your optimism, it's the start of a new season so this is the time to express it. Too many kill joys around here.

 

[jmac70]

Aaaanyway, getting back to Wells, seriously FFS. Our recruiting is so rocks and diamonds, but mostly rocks

BS. The club has put together a good squad, no reason why we can't challenge for a finals birth this season.

 

[Spatfers]

BS. The club has put together a good squad, no reason why we can't challenge for a finals birth this season.

except that we have effectively the same squad as last year with a few injury prone players and an over-hyped spud added to it. 1 decent preseason game against an apathetic Richmond hardly defines a successful recruitment.

 

[jmac70]

except that we have effectively the same squad as last year with a few injury prone players and an over-hyped spud added to it. 1 decent preseason game against an apathetic Richmond hardly defines a successful recruitment.

Same squad? Go have a look at how many list changes we made.

 

[Spatfers]

Same squad? Go have a look at how many list changes we made.

yeah I've seen it:
Ins - Wells (came injured, more than likely stay that way for majority of the season)
WHE (great addition, if he stays fit, that being the only reason GWS let him go)
Mayne (please, he's Blair with terrible hair)
Dunn (GOP, nothing more)
Schade (back-up)

I'll reserve judgement on the kids because they won't make a difference this year, but tell me where the difference between 12th and 8th is there?

 

[jmac70]

yeah I've seen it:
Ins - Wells (came injured, more than likely stay that way for majority of the season)
WHE (great addition, if he stays fit, that being the only reason GWS let him go)
Mayne (please, he's Blair with terrible hair)
Dunn (GOP, nothing more)
Schade (back-up)

I'll reserve judgement on the kids because they won't make a difference this year, but tell me where the difference between 12th and 8th is there?

The talent in the squad is better than 12th. All we need is for them to play to their potential.

 

[sr36]

I'll reserve judgement on the kids because they won't make a difference this year, but tell me where the difference between 12th and 8th is there?

Better run with injuries. Improvement from our youngsters - the vast majority of our team are in an age bracket where they should be improving. A defensive unit with better kicking skills. A game plan that the players have some idea about how to execute (fingers crossed). None of that appears unrealistic, in fact I think that it is all very likely and could easily result in 4 more wins than last year. That's without mentioning that if Wells and WHE get or remain fit, we will have injected some genuine pace and class into the team. I'm bullish about our chances.

 

[jonbe54]

I keep coming back to it but injuries is only part of the problem - it's lack of continuity caused by said injury avelanches - and high player turnover ratio.

Players need to play together as a "unit" - something utterly impossible since mid '11.

Too many simplistic yes/no scenario's

Get a young squad with a sensible seasoning of experienced players together, create a gameplan that helps show their strength and pray for low injuries.

 

[Kappa]

I keep coming back to it but injuries is only part of the problem - it's lack of continuity caused by said injury avelanches - and high player turnover ratio.

Players need to play together as a "unit" - something utterly impossible since mid '11.

Too many simplistic yes/no scenario's

Get a young squad with a sensible seasoning of experienced players together, create a gameplan that helps show their strength and pray for low injuries.

Bulldogs had plenty of significant injuries and still won the flag, one day people will realise it's not an excuse.

Every team will get injuries in a long season and the weaker lists will be exposed with a lack of depth (like us If Grundy/Moore/Reid get injured) while the better lists keep moving foward

 

[Stoods]

Bulldogs had plenty of significant injuries and still won the flag, one day people will realise it's not an excuse.

Every team will get injuries in a long season and the weaker lists will be exposed with a lack of depth (like us If Grundy/Moore/Reid get injured) while the better lists keep moving foward

They had injuries leading up to the finals in which they lost a fair few games.

The bye before the first round of finals was the best thing to happen for them. First final against WCE they were basically full strength except for the long term injuries of Murphy and Wallis.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Who plays a senior game next, Nathan Freeman or Daniel Wells?

Daniel Wells

Even he has at least played sometimes

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Bulldogs had plenty of significant injuries and still won the flag, one day people will realise it's not an excuse.

Every team will get injuries in a long season and the weaker lists will be exposed with a lack of depth (like us If Grundy/Moore/Reid get injured) while the better lists keep moving foward

They are not excuses but reasons.
All sides get injuries and you have to cope but generally flag winning teams have the bulk of their better players on the ground finals time

 

[spartan-magpie]

How does it feel to have Kappa trawling through your history?

Personally I like your optimism, it's the start of a new season so this is the time to express it. Too many kill joys around here.

If it floats his boat, good luck to him. If we can't be optimistic we may well give up on the game.

 

[loki04]

They had injuries leading up to the finals in which they lost a fair few games.

The bye before the first round of finals was the best thing to happen for them. First final against WCE they were basically full strength except for the long term injuries of Murphy and Wallis.

Full strength and all those returning players come in fresh with less game fatigue then players who have played all year.

 

[10571z]

2/4 weeks. Then VFL probably another couple of setbacks will be lucky to see him by round 10.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

They had injuries leading up to the finals in which they lost a fair few games.

The bye before the first round of finals was the best thing to happen for them. First final against WCE they were basically full strength except for the long term injuries of Murphy and Wallis.

Timing is everything. As long as Wells is fit by September we will be fine!!!

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Daniel Wells

Even he has at least played sometimes

About 245 times more than Freeman