Expectations for 2003

[Jerome]

What are your expectations for the AFC in 2003? Where do we need to improve?

Here are my thoughts from last year on where we needed to improve in 2002:

I believe we can make the finals. To do that we need to do the following:

Win a minimum of 13 games. * Done. We won 15 in the minor round*

Get 2 or 3 wins on the board by Round 4. I'm sick of us losing the first 3-5 gamesof the season. *Done*

We can't experiment too much in the preseason games - particularly in attack. We have to develop a forward line structure that works, so that the team is confident and settled by Round 1.
*Injuries did'nt help our structure, however our forwards worked their backsides off last year. I'm was very happy with their workrate*

A more positive game plan. *Our workrate and confidence in our second tier players in 2002 produced some of the best footy we have played for years*

Improvements in skill level and kicking for goal. *kicking for goal still needs some work*

More four quarter efforts. *still a bit of a problem area*

Win more games at Football Park. Our record at home this year was terrible. *Done*

Win one or two more games away than we did in 2001. I was pretty happy with our away record this year and if we can improve on that it would be a bonus. *away performances were pretty good in 2003*

My expectations for 2003 are:

I believe we can make the finals. To do that we need to do the following:

Win a minimum of 15 games.

Play attacking football from the start of the Wizard Cup

Get 2 or 3 wins on the board by Round 4.

Continued improvement of second tier players and rookies at SANFL level.

We can't experiment too much in the preseason games - particularly in attack. We have to develop a forward line structure that works, so that the team is confident and settled by Round 1.

A more positive game plan.

Some big strong blokes at full back and full forward. Those two key positions were problem areas for us at various stages of 2002.

Improvements in skill level and kicking for goal.

More four quarter efforts.

Win more games at Football Park.

Win one or two more games away than we did in 2002.

Improve our finals performances! In 1998, 2001 and 2002 we lost our first round final and put ourselves under more pressure than we need to be under. It has to stop. We have to make the moset of our chances in the finals. Win the first one and keep winning!!

Thoughts?

Jerome

 

[Stiffy_18]

Cannot go against any of those observations.

Furthermore I would like to see us improve our delivery inside 50. Although we had the highest number of enteries inside 50 (I will stand corrected) a fair few of them were pretty ordinary. I think with Carey in the line up there is more chance of kicking it to a leading player (Carey) than we did in 2002. Our forward line structure in 2002 was fairly predictible. We kept bombing it to the top of the square and asked for our forwards to make a contest and our crumbers to do the rest. While there is nothing wrong with this we need a bit more 'variety' in our forward line

 

[snakebite01]

IMO we need to have won a minimum of 3 games in our first 4 with the emphasis on being winning all 4. Games against Freo (home), St Kilda (away), Sydney (away) and West Coast (home) should all be considered very winnable games and if we can't beat these opponents at the respective venues then we will be behind the eight-ball when it comes to the 4 week period when our matches include games against Port, Collingwood and Brisbane.

I'd also like to see us finish off games a bit better and not relaxing in 'junk' time as Ayresy calls it. A lot of games this year we conceded the last couple of goals which can mean a huge difference in percentage come the end of the season.

I'd like to see our second-tier players improve further with matty Bode and Tyson Stenglein becoming an integral part of the midfield like Goodwin, McLeod, Riccuito. I'd also like to see the improvement of the younger players with them hopefully getting a couple of games experience throughout the year.

Finally, I'd just like to see us improve on last year and officially become the most successful club of the AFL era (i.e. bring home that 3rd flag)

 

[MarksGirl-kbcrowgirl]

Premiers of course!!!!!


Come on be honest guys.............thats what we all want!


On a serious note We need to keep winning at home. We only lost 2 home games last year......and we should have beaten the bloody Powder ! We have to make coming to AAMI Stadium a real chore for the interstate teams. I am always confident when we play in Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane & Perth still worry me slightly!

Top four after the minor round.

WE WILL GET A HOME FINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The rest is up to the imagination.........I am dreaming of a premiership in 2003!

k
xx

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by snakebite01
IMO we need to have won a minimum of 3 games in our first 4 with the emphasis on being winning all 4. Games against Freo (home), St Kilda (away), Sydney (away) and West Coast (home) should all be considered very winnable games and if we can't beat these opponents at the respective venues then we will be behind the eight-ball when it comes to the 4 week period when our matches include games against Port, Collingwood and Brisbane.

I'd also like to see us finish off games a bit better and not relaxing in 'junk' time as Ayresy calls it. A lot of games this year we conceded the last couple of goals which can mean a huge difference in percentage come the end of the season.

I'd like to see our second-tier players improve further with matty Bode and Tyson Stenglein becoming an integral part of the midfield like Goodwin, McLeod, Riccuito. I'd also like to see the improvement of the younger players with them hopefully getting a couple of games experience throughout the year.

Finally, I'd just like to see us improve on last year and officially become the most successful club of the AFL era (i.e. bring home that 3rd flag)

Good post and reflects my own thoughts on the subject. The relaxing in 'junk' time applies right throughout a game and there were games that we lost as a result of that, with one of the showdowns in particular coming to mind straight away. Another objective that we should have is to win both showdowns ( not just because of the local rivalry) as that could be the difference as to whether we get a top two spot or not. If we had been 9 points better in both showdowns last year, we would have finished second (17 wins) and the Powder third (16 wins) at the end of the minor round in 2002 and who knows what would have happened then with the likelihood of 2 home finals before the GF at the MCG, rather than travel, travel, travel.

Bode and Stenglein will become a very integral part of the midfield in 2003 as will Edwards IMO. Reilly, Hentschel, Rutten and Schubak are the young players likely to play some games in 2003 and will push to become regulars in 2004.

We are a genuine chance for the flag in 2003 and if those "footy gods" that Malcolm Blight always used to refer to choose to smile on us, or at least not frown, then IMO the flag will be ours!!

 

[Damp Squarie]

Geez... I hope you all get your wishes.
There is some real astute observations there in where we can improve.

The expections from where I sit include:

1. We must beat Port (to take up Maccas point) and clean up Collingwood - Now whether its a good thing to knock the Pies off so close to the major round or not is another debate but Id feel far more confident if we win that game at Colonial, coming into the major round.

2. I expect to get off to another good start. Having a poor start always puts pressure on a side and we should be "teamed" enough to win the first 5 at least

3. Bad kicking is bad football, Id expect the fruits of Darren Jarmans labour to start reaping rewards. With a full season of observation behind him our accuracy MUST improve.

4. To summarize, Id expect to finish in the top 4 (3rd) and go on from there.

 

[Nige_Bix]

From last year for the team to improve I expect them to do better in..

1. intensity - especially in time-on. end of games etc

2. delivery into 50m

3. win at least one showdown

dzm

ps - and hopefully not too many major injuries

 

[macca23]

Originally posted by topjars
3. Bad kicking is bad football, Id expect the fruits of Darren Jarmans labour to start reaping rewards. With a full season of observation behind him our accuracy MUST improve.

It started last year TJ and hopefully will continue from there. I heard Mark Mickan on 5AA this morning and he was saying that we improved from 50% accuracy in 2001 to 60% in 2002. Darren Jarman is spending a lot of time at training doing goal-shooting practice with the forwards even at this stage of the year - they've been listening to you TJ!!!

 

[noddy]

I'm about the same as you guys [& kb] for my expectations for this year ,

Definitely a top 4 finish regardless if Wayne Carey comes up big time or not as i believe he is the icing on the cake the bit that you can lick your fingers with,

Never mind about one showdown win it has to be two no buts, no lame ducks [pardon the pun] we have to put the paps back in their place or else i can't see myself working for my present employer any longer than this year,

I also expect us to kill off sides when we have them down especially in the last quarter, to many times in the past our killer instinct has gone missing & we have let teams back in with too many late quarter goals,

Last but not least i expect to hang up on my wall the Herald Sun 2003 Crows premiership poster to go alongside the ones from 97 & 98.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Originally posted by noddy
Definitely a top 4 finish regardless if Wayne Carey comes up big time or not as i believe he is the icing on the cake the bit that you can lick your fingers with,

Heh Heh, my thoughts exactly.
To all those doomsayers out there that hope Carey doesnt deliver; take heed on noddys comments

 

[Stiffy_18]

I agree with all of you and will add my 5 cents worth on the lapses in junk time. I think the major reason for this is the fact that we play VERY intense type of footy. If the reports are correct that we are fitter than ever then this should go a long way in correcting this.

I also think that at times we went missing due to personel that we rotated through the middle. I am not sue if you noticed but in a few games teams were able to srting together a few goals when we had less experienced blokes in the middle. I am hoping that those players will take another step forward and with another solid pre-season under their belts and more experience they should be more comfortable in those situations.

Bring on season 2003!!!!

 

[napsyd]

I agree with everyones expectations above. Let's hope they all come true!

Last year, I think we only managed to beat two of the other seven top eight teams in the minor round. We got into the eight by being undefeated in games against bottom eight teams.

My additional expectations are:

- that we beat AT LEAST 4 (and preferably all) of the 2003 top eight teams.

- that we really punish some of the bottom eight teams rather than allowing them to kick back into the game once we all but have it won.

Classic case was the Sydney game at the SCG last year. We were up by eight at half time and somehow Sydney got back to within three in the last quarter. We must not let this happen.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Some great observations in this thread & you guys haven't really left me with much to add. My expectations:

1. Top-4 given a decent run with injuries & to give the flag a real shake.

2. To play attacking & fierce style of play.

3. Win all showdowns against the Power - including one in the finals.

4. A more consistent & potent forward line (including more marking inside the forward 50), as we know the midfielders are going to give them good supply.

5. More 4-quarter efforts, including killing off some sides from the contest early.

6. Macca & Roo both back to their vintage best form & threaten the Brownlow medal.

7. Ben Marsh to become the AA ruckman ... better wake up from that dream now!