Finals next year?

[Slattery_20]

Impersonally i think Essondon has got a great young up and coming team. I don't think you guys will win the spoon but i don't think you will be a very good team.
The competition these days is very close that almost any team can beat any team on almost any giving day.

I actually rate Essondon High because they have got a impressive Spine and some Kpp i wish we had at the dogs.

The bombers will be a very good team in the first half of the year but might drop of in the second half if their younger players mainly playing in the midfield cant play 22 rounds which i personally think they cant. They will get tired mentally and physically other then that good luck in 08 and I look forward to watching Basher do his thing

Not a bad appraisal
You're probably right about the dropping off, we are lacking a bit in depth in runners. If they're managed right, we can use the youngsters with plenty of rests in between & might be ok

 

[ant555]

We will have to mange the young blokes well. You cant just throw 3 or 4 in and expect them to play well for 22 games. The key will be having a couple of them in each week. Giving them the experience and if they are playing well giving them 8 or 9 games until they start to wear down and then getting a couple of new blokes into the side.
Longy raised a good point in another thread about how Geelong managed Sellwood and their younger guys during the year which included resting them from all footy on a few weekends during the year. Helping give them a chance to get over the niggles and completly refresh without having to play VFL on that weekend.

 

[ant555]

At the end of the day the for us to be a genuine finals contender the following has to happen.
The defensive aspects of our midfield and forwards have to change. The midfield has to be more accountable and help each other out more. The need to be able to rotate the players they are on if needed and pick up the opposition player in the most dangerous position and have confidence that a team mate will pick up their own man in that situation.
They have to start blocking, shepherding and maning the mark a lot better.
They need to tighten up the way they zone the play. It is too easy for the opposition to get kicks in the loose zone defence we have played over the last 6 years or so.
Watson, Winderlich , Monfries and Lovett need to step to a new level. Winderlich showed how important he can be last year and needs to continue that upward trend. Watson needs to go up another level. What he has done in the last two years has been good but he now needs to become a seriously damaging player. Monfries needs a good year in the midfield and Lovet needs to give us more x factor each week and step up to a 20 possession average over the year.
Laycock needs to keep improving on what he did last year. Has now got a good fitness base to build on and must continue to progress.
Hille needs to show his best around the ground form more often and not every 4 or 5 weeks have a good game.
Three or four out of Hocking , Lonergan , Dempsey , Monfires , Slattery , Houli , Reimers and Nash have to really establish themselves as serious senior players who can play consistant footy week in and week out.
The forward line needs to have more than Davey running down players.
McPhee has to find some of his old form now he is clear of the injury problems he has had.

 

[GoldenboyHird_5]

and from ants above comments, we see just how many holes are at Windy Hill plus seriously shocking skill level.

These holes simply can't be filled within 1 years time

 

[Team Chemistry]

Don't mean to come across as a troll, but i don't see you making finals this year, but that might not be that bad a thing. If you were to come last you could get a good draft pick as this years top crop look very good. New coach, trying out new players and new tactics, sounds to me a little like Hawthorn in 05, but atm they look as though they have come out of that very well.

TC

 

[Schmick]

Can't see us taking a backwards step this year, we will only improve, and i think it will be a very decent improvement at that.

So given we managed to win on 10 occassions and you need around 11-13 wins to make the 8, I can definately see us improving and winning those few more games needed to make the 8 this year.

 

[DaSawx]

I'd much rather the young players grow confidence from winning rather than tank for draft picks, couldn't care what pick we get, if there is a good crop next year we'll end up with a good player anyway

 

[dapto]

Don't mean to come across as a troll, but i don't see you making finals this year, but that might not be that bad a thing. If you were to come last you could get a good draft pick as this years top crop look very good. New coach, trying out new players and new tactics, sounds to me a little like Hawthorn in 05, but atm they look as though they have come out of that very well.

TC

I accept that you make your comments genuinely but do not accept that this programme for teams to profitably drift down the ladder in order to rise is okay. Whilst you may not have advocated "tanking" per se, it has becomes part of the strategies adopted by some football administrators. It is fundamentally bad for the game and supporters.

Cheating is one of the dirtiest words and this practice is nothing less than that.

Incidentally I find it funny that Carlton supporters have been able to so readily embrace the "tanking" practice as a means to an end. It continues a long line of activities by the CFC to purchase what they cannot earn. It undervalues spirit and the team ethic in a footy club. Stkilda got the picks but have never delivered. Collingwood and North have no names but seem to overachieve. It is a demeaning, risky venture to tank when draftees cannot guarantee what can be found more positively in prouder ways.

I agree with...

I'd much rather the young players grow confidence from winning rather than tank for draft picks, couldn't care what pick we get, if there is a good crop next year we'll end up with a good player anyway

EFC plays to win

 

[Slattery_20]

I accept that you make your comments genuinely but do not accept that this programme for teams to profitably drift down the ladder in order to rise is okay. Whilst you may not have advocated "tanking" per se, it has becomes part of the strategies adopted by some football administrators. It is fundamentally bad for the game and supporters.

Cheating is one of the dirtiest words and this practice is nothing less than that.

Incidentally I find it funny that Carlton supporters have been able to so readily embrace the "tanking" practice as a means to an end. It continues a long line of activities by the CFC to purchase what they cannot earn. It undervalues spirit and the team ethic in a footy club. Stkilda got the picks but have never delivered. Collingwood and North have no names but seem to overachieve. It is a demeaning, risky venture to tank when draftees cannot guarantee what can be found more positively in prouder ways.

Well put

 

[KingMullet]

I reckon they could make the finals if they have a reasonable run with injury. I dont buy the argument that the club will drop because Sheedy is no longer coach. I think Sheedy ran out of answers in the last 3 years and the team suffered as a result with areas such as skills not being addressed.

I think that if players like Monfries, Stanton, Dyson, Watson, Hislop and Lovett can improve the side could make the finals. Hird will be a loss no doubt although it is not out of the question that this could be covered by across the board improvement from a lot of the young brigade. Especially if they are properly used by Knights.

 

[dapto]

I reckon they could make the finals if they have a reasonable run with injury. I dont buy the argument that the club will drop because Sheedy is no longer coach. I think Sheedy ran out of answers in the last 3 years and the team suffered as a result with areas such as skills not being addressed.

I think that if players like Monfries, Stanton, Dyson, Watson, Hislop and Lovett can improve the side could make the finals. Hird will be a loss no doubt although it is not out of the question that this could be covered by across the board improvement from a lot of the young brigade. Especially if they are properly used by Knights.

and the rest of the 2006/7 draftees knocking on the door from Bendigo. Which makes Bendigo perhaps more relevant to the formation of the 2008 side especially as it gets more competitive for the first 22.