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Topkent

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I can understand some posters conservative views on how many wins we'll achieve this year, but I'll be disappointed if we don't win 8.

I don't rate many teams in the competition and don't believe you need a lot to go right to chalk up wins against mediocre opposition. Last year Richmond went on a roll and won 9 in a row to finish with 12 and play finals. Richmond are crap. They have their talented core of Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, and Riewoldt, but the rest are not competition flag-bearers. Even Dean Bailey's last two years achieved 8.5 wins each. We have far greater talent now than what Bailey was exposed to.

The key is elevating our top 6 players and bridging the gap between our top 6 and other sides top 6. I'm not suggesting overall depth and that the standard of the bottom 6 isn't important, but its teams' top end talent that elevates them up the ladder.

People don't like hearing this, but Hogan will be a revelation in his first year and will impact games of footy and our fortunes. Hawthorn went from 5 wins in Clarkson's first year to 9 the next. Port went from 5 wins in 2012 to 12 the next. There are bog ordinary teams in the competition. FFS, even North made top 4 last year and they're very ordinary.

As we know, it depends on the midfield and we need a bit to go right. Viney is set for a break out year, Jones is Jones (can still improve), Tyson will be better again and the depth is as good as it's been for a long time.

We need some luck and belief, but I'll be very disappointed if we don't have 8-10 wins in 2015.
How are north ordinary? They beat every team inside the top 10
We don't even know what it's like to be in a game against hawthorn
 

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Trav 20

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How are north ordinary? They beat every team inside the top 10
We don't even know what it's like to be in a game against hawthorn
Having watched footy for perhaps a bit longer than you I can only give my opinion. I reckon they're just a side.

Name their best 6 players for me.
 

Topkent

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Having watched footy for perhaps a bit longer than you I can only give my opinion. I reckon they're just a side.

Name their best 6 players for me.
They aren't norths greatest ever side but they have even contributions all over
Lets not forget we got beaten by 10 goals by GWS last year, you think they will win 10 games as well?

I think next year will be more even than other years but north knocked off Geelong in a cut throat semi

We can barely dream of that
 

Dory_77

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I agree with NG here. Yeah we had some close encounters last year and could've had another couple of wins but we also got absolutely dicked by GWS at the 'G and comfortably beaten by a shitty Brisbane team in Melbourne. The Saints game was another coulda/shoulda won but we didn't. Throw in our performances against Collingwood and Hawthorn et al. and we aren't much of a side to really be boastful of. Yeah we've got some good players and should be better, but other teams haven't been fanning their nuts over the off-season either. 'Doing a Port' isn't a common occurrence, for good reason.
 

Theseventhhamster

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I think we'll win 8 or more. Last season was a big step and we'll get another one this season. There was lots of work undoing the previous 2 years, we are shitloads better now.
 

Topkent

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Don't get me wrong , I'm not capping what we can do next year because I seriously believe the bottom teams and top teams are closer than before
We COULD win 8 games, but to underestimate teams who made prelims is silly even for our supporters
 

Bluelegs

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Don't get me wrong , I'm not capping what we can do next year because I seriously believe the bottom teams and top teams are closer than before
We COULD win 8 games, but to underestimate teams who made prelims is silly even for our supporters
We didn't do half badly against two of those teams but I see your point. The comp is pretty even, the thing we need to work on is having games like we did against Port at AO every week.
 

Trav 20

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They aren't norths greatest ever side but they have even contributions all over
Lets not forget we got beaten by 10 goals by GWS last year, you think they will win 10 games as well?

I think next year will be more even than other years but north knocked off Geelong in a cut throat semi

We can barely dream of that
Name North's top 6 players ?

I'm not saying they aren't quite even, or that they're a bad side, but outside 2 or 3 sides I reckon most are ordinary and not separated by much. In other words, as Port have shown, a quick climb up the ladder isn't that hard for a club when they get everything right. Port are better than North and came second last 3 years ago with 3 wins. You severely overrate some of the top 8 sides.

And comparing us with anyone over the last 3 years doesn't strengthen your argument.
 
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youngbear

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Norf are only as good as the side they are playing. When they play top sides they turn it on; and when they play poor sides they jog through the match and either fall over the line or come up short. Through all the frustration we've been put through as supporters, that must be as bad for Norf fans.

Port are a young talented side who were seem cocky against poor sides. The two games against us, we pushed them to the limits except when they turned it on for all over about 15 minutes.
 

Topkent

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Name North's top 6 players ?

I'm not saying they aren't quite even, or that they're a bad side, but outside 2 or 3 sides I reckon most are ordinary and not separated by much. In other words, as Port have shown, a quick climb up the ladder isn't that hard for a club when they get everything right. Port are better than North and came second last 3 years ago with 3 wins. You severely overrate some of the top 8 sides.

And comparing us with anyone over the last 3 years doesn't strengthen your argument.
I agree with you for the most part, I don't think north are much better than Adelaide or west coast for example
I'm just not bullish about us after being burnt so often

There top 6 is hard to pick because they are inconsistent much like someone said above

Swallow, Harvey, wells, atley, Thompson and Thomas
They don't have the consistency to be premiers but they turn it on enough to be a class above us
 

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Trav 20

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I agree with you for the most part, I don't think north are much better than Adelaide or west coast for example
I'm just not bullish about us after being burnt so often

There top 6 is hard to pick because they are inconsistent much like someone said above

Swallow, Harvey, wells, atley, Thompson and Thomas
They don't have the consistency to be premiers but they turn it on enough to be a class above us
I think you're jumbling up thoughts on us with thoughts on them. Treating them in isolation, they're OK, but there are not many strong teams in the comp at full strength, which is why they were able to play a prelim. For me, it says more about the competition than it does for North.

As an aside, I envisage a better Melbourne team in 2015 than you.
 

Topkent

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I think you're jumbling up thoughts on us with thoughts on them. Treating them in isolation, they're OK, but there are not many strong teams in the comp at full strength, which is why they were able to play a prelim. For me, it says more about the competition than it does for North.

As an aside, I envisage a better Melbourne team in 2015 than you.
Note to self don't drink and post
 

Demon 16

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You would be pretty certain we are going to win more games this year than last.

If we are lucky we'll win a few close ones and get that 7 or 8 wins, but I cant see us doing any better than that for another year or 2.
 
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I think you're jumbling up thoughts on us with thoughts on them. Treating them in isolation, they're OK, but there are not many strong teams in the comp at full strength, which is why they were able to play a prelim. For me, it says more about the competition than it does for North.

As an aside, I envisage a better Melbourne team in 2015 than you.
Yeah good points, there are a lot of mediocre to good teams in and around finals - the only serious flag chances at the moment seem Hawthorn, Sydney and Port... possibly Freo, but I'm not convinced.
 

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Why do people keep using isolated games this year as a basis for next year?

We got beaten by 10 goals by GWS? Yeah we also got within a bee's dick of Port Adelaide twice so all that you've proven is we're a young team prone to inconsistency, congratulations.

I've got no doubt we are going to better than some people here think we are, some people are going to shocked by the progress we will make next year.
 

youngbear

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Why do people keep using isolated games this year as a basis for next year?

We got beaten by 10 goals by GWS? Yeah we also got within a bee's dick of Port Adelaide twice so all that you've proven is we're a young team prone to inconsistency, congratulations.

I've got no doubt we are going to better than some people here think we are, some people are going to shocked by the progress we will make next year.
Probably because it was the worst of the nine games we lost to end the season. Excluding the Port game at Adelaide Oval, all were pathetic efforts on the whole.

To be fair 6 games against finalists and a trip to Perth weren't ideal, but the drop in effort for the majority of games to finish the season was clear, frustrating and enraging.
 

Dez!

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Probably because it was the worst of the nine games we lost to end the season. Excluding the Port game at Adelaide Oval, all were pathetic efforts on the whole.

To be fair 6 games against finalists and a trip to Perth weren't ideal, but the drop in effort for the majority of games to finish the season was clear, frustrating and enraging.
The reason was clear though, a team with a lot of young players that didn't have the legs yet to run out a full season and with another pre-season (and some added depth) I highly doubt we will see that sort of drop off in 2015.

Enraging? Definitely. Alarming? Most certainly not.

Remember last year we had the most stability in our line-ups that we've had in years and that definitely took a toll on some of those younger players as the year went on.
 

Dory_77

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Why do people keep using isolated games this year as a basis for next year?

We got beaten by 10 goals by GWS? Yeah we also got within a bee's dick of Port Adelaide twice so all that you've proven is we're a young team prone to inconsistency, congratulations.

I've got no doubt we are going to better than some people here think we are, some people are going to shocked by the progress we will make next year.
And in 2010 our net difference in two games against the eventual premier was -1 point. We must've had a blinder the next year, surely?
GWS are roughly similar in terms of list/ladder position to us and so are Brisbane. Getting comfortably beaten by both teams late in the year, at home, says a lot about where the team is. We should improve, the list is looking better and there are plenty of middle of the road sides we could beat, but we're still outsiders in most games next year for good reason. We're shit until proven otherwise in my mind (that's not to say I don't hope/think we can improve though).
 

Demon 16

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The reason was clear though, a team with a lot of young players that didn't have the legs yet to run out a full season and with another pre-season (and some added depth) I highly doubt we will see that sort of drop off in 2015.

Enraging? Definitely. Alarming? Most certainly not.

Remember last year we had the most stability in our line-ups that we've had in years and that definitely took a toll on some of those younger players as the year went on.
I've got to hand it to you Dez!, you are the most pessimistic optimist I've met.
 
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