Opinion Do You Think We Will Take A Step Backwards?

[Deep Blue]

Seems that most on the Main Board have us finishing in the bottom two next year! A terrible run with injury aside, I reckon there is no reason why we can't at least garner a couple more wins than we did this year and move a bit further up the ladder. Can't really understand the reasons why we should slip down the ladder? Am I missing something? What can we realistically (lean a little on the optimistic side if you can) expect in terms of wins and ladder position?

 

[HARKER]

I wouldn't worry too much of what others, or even ourselves here, predict..

We have a good coach, systems that will be one year further developed and we have not gone backwards by way of personnel.
i.e. Lost Tuohy....Gain Marchbank & Pickett, along with a quality player at #5.

Plowman & Sumner will have full pre-seasons and last years first year players will be much better prepared for next year.

Depth is still an issue though. That's where some problems may arise from.

 

[KohPhi]

Getting games/more games into Weitering, Cuningham, SOS, Marchbank, Mr. Plough, Charlie, McKay, hopefully Pickett and whoever we grab at 5 and 25 will be more important than where we finish. Winning between 5-9 games would be an added bonus Id reckon..

 

[mediumsizered]

I wouldn't worry too much of what others, or even ourselves here, predict..

We have a good coach, systems that will be one year further developed and we have not gone backwards by way of personnel.
i.e. Lost Tuohy....Gain Marchbank & Pickett, along with a quality player at #5.

Plowman & Sumner will have full pre-seasons and last years first year players will be much better prepared for next year.

Depth is still an issue though. That's where some problems may arise from.

And we will have Murphy back. It can't be underestimated what a loss he was in the 2nd half of the 2016 season.

 

[ParapMarkets]

I just really want to see the young guys develop further, I expect us to win a similar amount of games to this year but with a younger side. I'm not big on the rising star award, but have a look at possible rising star candidates we have:

1. Marchbank
2. Pickett
3. Curnow
4. Silvagni
5. McKay
6. Cuningham

That's a good list of young talent, and of course we will be adding some more draftees to that list in a couple of weeks. Some guys won't make it but we are really building a talented nucleus of young talent.

When you add these kids to the likes of Weitering, Plowman, Cripps and Docherty (who all look like 200 game players to me), there is no doubt in my mind that we are heading in the right direction.

I also forgot to mention Ciaran Byrne (one of my favourites), not quite at the stage where I can say he will be a 200 game player but he really looks the goods.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Hoping Phillips comes into his own.

Got time for him.

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Getting games into our young kids/future champs is more important than wins.

We've had another fairly lengthy clean out of the list, 2E being the biggest loss of them all natch.

Probably not fair to make a proper assessment until after the National and Rookie Drafts, and see whom we bring on board there, but yeah, I'd say another bottom 4 finish next season is more likely to happen than not (and that's not a bad thing, as long as we keep on drafting and developing kids, instead of picking up retreads and crud from other clubs, which we did in the past, then its fine)

Would be very happy with 8 wins next season (and I think it's an achievable goal)

 

[TerryWallet]

Is a very competitive competition now. No real basketcase clubs that you can assume to be bottom 2.

We can easily finish bottom 2 if a few things go wrong, but we could also finish higher if things progress a bit quicker than expected. Which can happen.

It is legitimate for non partisans to have us bottom 3 in predictions though. Someone's gotta be there, and we do still carry a touch of inherent reverse bias by fans of the other 17 clubs lol.

 

[Deep Blue]

I just really want to see the young guys develop further, I expect us to win a similar amount of games to this year but with a younger side. I'm not big on the rising star award, but have a look at possible rising star candidates we have:

1. Marchbank
2. Pickett
3. Curnow
4. Silvagni
5. McKay
6. Cuningham

That's a good list of young talent, and of course we will be adding some more draftees to that list in a couple of weeks. Some guys won't make it but we are really building a talented nucleus of young talent.

When you add these kids to the likes of Weitering, Plowman, Cripps and Docherty (who all look like 200 game players to me), there is no doubt in my mind that we are heading in the right direction.

I also forgot to mention Ciaran Byrne (one of my favourites), not quite at the stage where I can say he will be a 200 game player but he really looks the goods.

Cause for real optimism then - hopefully not misplaced! If none of our sprouts end up turning into spuds then you never know!

Yeah, not a fan of the RS after what happened to PC and JW - the RS just had to go to a KPP in Paddy's break-out year didn't it , and lo and behold when JW came along the KPPs had had their go ! Having said that, if Cuningham gets good, consistent time in the middle next year (will compete with Boekhorst as a classy outside runner) I can see him doing very well in the RS just ahead of SOSOS and then Marchbank. Pickett is a real talent, and if he can secure a HFF position (reckon SOSOS has one HFF position almost locked in with his energy and smarts), then even with low possession numbers he could potentially show a bit!

Lot of potential talent that could jump out next year, and if things go well we could in some ways emulate the WBs of a couple of years ago - why not?

For what it's worth, I think we can garner three more wins than this year - finish with 10 wins and in 11th position; that's with my pessimist's hat on!

 

[btdg]

Other clubs will improve too.

Th problem is that I thought we significantly outperformed our talent for an 8 week period this year - and got very lucky with injuries, opposition and matches in that time. Take that out, and we barely won a game.

We have some very serious structural problems that we aren't even close to solving. We have no established forwards and consequently the worst attack in the league. Our midfield is sorely lacking in depth and pace. Our backline lacks run now that Touhy is gone. Our rucks are woeful. I can't see any of those problems being addressed this year. Throw in the chance of injury, or some of our older guys declining, and it's hard to see us not being in the bottom echelon of clubs.

All things equal, we are bottom 2 along with Brisbane. Of course, someone else next year will have a horror run of injuries and fall away. Another team or two will drop off. So we could be anywhere from 13th to 18th depending on luck, but that's where we are right now

 

[SABlue]

Win lose is a bit irrelevant for me. Improvement in attack and defence. A better percentage is a pretty good indicator of any improvement. Our system to keep getting better with better players and players improving.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

The main board is a cesspit

 

[Deep Blue]

The main board is a cesspit

Must be a masochist! I can't resist going back to the Main Board and having a look, hoping to see some CFC love, and then I get angry - lot of upfront and repressed Carlton hate on the Main Board!!! Angry when PC didn't win the RS, angry when JW missed out as well, very angry when 1AW missed out on the MOTY to that "memorable" Krakouer pack-mark! Need to stop getting angry!

 

[__Bobcat__]

I dont think we will step backwards to much compared to the likes of ColonWood and Ninthmond.
We may struggle at times next year but our list of core young ones need time to Develop at the elite Level.

 

[Azul]

I'm hoping for a premiership, naturally.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

Really hard to judge. Definitely is a development year, and development is the key word. Do Charlie, Harry and Jack (jeez, with names like that is sounds like they're about to board a ship to WW1) come on as expected then our forward line is infinitely better. If Cuningham comes on, and Graham and Boekhorst step up, and with a fit Murphy back, and we get games into #5 - whoever that may be, then our midfield will be infinitely better off.

We could really surprise and threaten the 8 if everything goes right. The realist in me though thinks we're still too young and still lacking depth across the park and our skill still piss poor so we'll have a year similar to last year. Doubt we'll actually go backwards unless we get a horror run with injuries.

 

[Jabba73]

The main board is a cesspit

There is a main board???

This is the main board I spend time on.

 

[TheCoach16]

I have us winning 16 games (OP suggested we lean toward the optimistic)...

We'll have 3-4 less goals kicked against us per week, on average.

We'll score 3-4 more goals per game, on average.

That's a 6-8 goal net gain per game in 2017. Like I said, 16 wins....

 

[Blue By Blood]

I think we will go backwards in terms of the amount of wins. This will be due to getting more games into guys we were unable to last year (McKay, Curnow) as well as continued development from Weiters, SOS, Cuningham. The new additions have also played little footy so they will take time also.

Our year should not be judged on wins and losses. It will all be about getting game time into kids, building upon the system Bolton is trying to implement, team bonding and culture, as well as continuing to bring the kids up to the strength and fitness standards required to compete for 4 quarters. We are quickly building the nucleus of a great team but all these guys need to play together to learn each other's style and to bond. The sooner these guys reach that 50 game mark (and together), the sooner they will be ready to have consistent impact.

 

[Styxx]

With what has been put in place last two years going backwards to bottom two woth less than 4 wins probably is not an option.

I think people are expecting Essendon and Fremantle to roar up the ladder, no one to fall back and Carlton and Brisbane to continue to be awful or get worse.

Silvagni, Charlie, Harry and Cuningham will improve with another preseason/foundation building. Weitering, Rowe, Marchbank, Simmo, Doc and a few others will continue our defensive progression. Draft may build that midfield and we are bringing in Smedts, Pickett and Palmer who have potential to be boon recruits.

Finals? Probably not but an even consistent year may get us closer than we think.

 

[DaVillaBlues]

With what has been put in place last two years going backwards to bottom two woth less than 4 wins probably is not an option.

I think people are expecting Essendon and Fremantle to roar up the ladder, no one to fall back and Carlton and Brisbane to continue to be awful or get worse.

Silvagni, Charlie, Harry and Cuningham will improve with another preseason/foundation building. Weitering, Rowe, Marchbank, Simmo, Doc and a few others will continue our defensive progression. Draft may build that midfield and we are bringing in Smedts, Pickett and Palmer who have potential to be boon recruits.

Finals? Probably not but an even consistent year may get us closer than we think.

Reckon Gold Coast will be big improvers next year too, provided they have a kinder run of i injuries, would give me left nut to have a forward line of Lynch and 2 Metre Peter at Carlton, really don't think they lose much by the departures of JOM and Prestia.

Reckon our fortunes depend greatly on Levi Casboult, the big fella really needs to stand up next season, i understand he doesn't get a La Carte delivery into the forward line, but i felt really annoyed and frustrated with his second efforts/chasing/tackling efforts.

I reckon is capable of kicking 50 goals plus next season, question is, is he 'switched on' or hungry enough to be the key power forward we need ? I really, really hope so.

 

[Styxx]

Reckon Gold Coast will be big improvers next year too, provided they have a kinder run of i injuries, would give me left nut to have a forward line of Lynch and 2 Metre Peter at Carlton, really don't think they lose much by the departures of JOM and Prestia.

Reckon our fortunes depend greatly on Levi Casboult, the big fella really needs to stand up next season, i understand he doesn't get a La Carte delivery into the forward line, but i felt really annoyed and frustrated with his second efforts/chasing/tackling efforts.

I reckon is capable of kicking 50 goals plus next season, question is, is he 'switched on' or hungry enough to be the key power forward we need ? I really, really hope so.

I think Levi probably played a lot of the later part of the year with the discomfort from the injury he got in the Geelong game. Same with Kreuzer in that I think they had to play not being quite right and they suffered for it. Playing under duress can be a confidence killer.

 

[bmaurizio]

It's difficult to predict as others have mentioned quite a few of the 2016 bottom 5 will improved, Freo and Don's will progress up the ladder as will the Suns.
Only Brisbane wiil be keep us company for the next few years .
Depth is the problem and a very young inexperienced side , so injuries wil have a big impact as was evident second half 2016.
We may get a steady go and things fall into place and could end 6th to 8th but realistically I'm expectIng bottom 5 again.
With the great offering of talls in the 2017 draft we'll be so much closer to completing our rebiuding.
Go Blues

 

[thylacine60]

get caught in a rip - swim away from the shore........

 

[ShanDog]

I think we'll win a similar number of games to this year, but the key difference will be who wins it for us. If we come away with 7-8 wins and our best 22 almost every week includes Weitering, Cuningham, Cripps, Docherty, C. Curnow, McKay, Phillips, Plowman, Marchbank and plenty of other inexperienced guys like Sheehan, Boekhorst, Sumner etc, it's a massive year of improvement.