- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Posts
- 18,720
- Reaction score
- 29,575
- AFL Club
- Carlton
- Other Teams
- Chelsea FC
The facts
-We have a new coach who has worked under the best football system in the league for the past decade
-We have 5 new enthusiastic young players; many of which have been starved of opportunity and are at the right age for our club's development
-We have 4 first round draft picks to build a solid foundation upon. Weltering is as highly a touted a number 1 as has ever been seen and isn't just a great defender but provides exceptional rebound and smarts around the contest
-We've traded 3 players who didn't want to be there. All are conditional in their efforts, all had problems with their attitude and match-day application and each continued to perpetuate and embellish the problems of the club
-Our midfield on paper stacks up with most top 8 midfields in the league. A starting 4 of Kreuzer, Murphy, Gibbs and Cripps has a good mix of inside grunt, foot skills and class on the outside. If Bolton can fire them up and get the best out of them, we become very dangerous.
-The continued ascension of Patrick Cripps. In 2015 Bontempelli took his game up another gear and Crippa is likely to follow suit. Add some more toe and more accuracy in front of goal and he'll become a Top 20 mid before the year is out.
-The unknowns in Byrne and Sheehan. Both showed tremendous signs when on the park and could lock down positions.
Nobody could have anticipated the rise of the Bulldogs in 2015 and it goes to show how valuable it is letting go of players who don't want to put in to your football club. They invested in their young players and allowed a positive, do-or-die attitude that's infectious and permeates the culture of the group.
With Bolton, you get the impression he'll bring a bit of joy and freedom to the group and won't settle for mediocrity. I also don't think he'll adapt an ultra-defensive gameplay to counteract the inexperience of the group. He'll teach the boys to play two-way football, with precision, a more structured approach and an emphasis on quick ball movement - just like the Hawks.
I'm not saying we'll make a surprise push for the 8 but I'm not so sure we're certainties for the wooden spoon either. If we can find enough avenues to goal, we'll surprise a few teams. Sitting out most of 2015 will have hopefully freshened Gibbs, while Thomas is a complete unknown and if he can get on the park he could be quite valuable.
Overall, stay positive! We're finally on a mission to amend the mistakes of the past and create our own destiny without resorting to shortcuts or relying on a few key figures at the club.
I can sense that the past two weeks has been a big step in deciding the future of the club and I'm eager to see what the new recruits can produce, as well as those lucky enough to make their way onto our list in November.
Lets view 2016 with an open mind and enjoy the little victories, as well as the big ones.
How about we start with Richmond in Round 1
-We have a new coach who has worked under the best football system in the league for the past decade
-We have 5 new enthusiastic young players; many of which have been starved of opportunity and are at the right age for our club's development
-We have 4 first round draft picks to build a solid foundation upon. Weltering is as highly a touted a number 1 as has ever been seen and isn't just a great defender but provides exceptional rebound and smarts around the contest
-We've traded 3 players who didn't want to be there. All are conditional in their efforts, all had problems with their attitude and match-day application and each continued to perpetuate and embellish the problems of the club
-Our midfield on paper stacks up with most top 8 midfields in the league. A starting 4 of Kreuzer, Murphy, Gibbs and Cripps has a good mix of inside grunt, foot skills and class on the outside. If Bolton can fire them up and get the best out of them, we become very dangerous.
-The continued ascension of Patrick Cripps. In 2015 Bontempelli took his game up another gear and Crippa is likely to follow suit. Add some more toe and more accuracy in front of goal and he'll become a Top 20 mid before the year is out.
-The unknowns in Byrne and Sheehan. Both showed tremendous signs when on the park and could lock down positions.
Nobody could have anticipated the rise of the Bulldogs in 2015 and it goes to show how valuable it is letting go of players who don't want to put in to your football club. They invested in their young players and allowed a positive, do-or-die attitude that's infectious and permeates the culture of the group.
With Bolton, you get the impression he'll bring a bit of joy and freedom to the group and won't settle for mediocrity. I also don't think he'll adapt an ultra-defensive gameplay to counteract the inexperience of the group. He'll teach the boys to play two-way football, with precision, a more structured approach and an emphasis on quick ball movement - just like the Hawks.
I'm not saying we'll make a surprise push for the 8 but I'm not so sure we're certainties for the wooden spoon either. If we can find enough avenues to goal, we'll surprise a few teams. Sitting out most of 2015 will have hopefully freshened Gibbs, while Thomas is a complete unknown and if he can get on the park he could be quite valuable.
Overall, stay positive! We're finally on a mission to amend the mistakes of the past and create our own destiny without resorting to shortcuts or relying on a few key figures at the club.
I can sense that the past two weeks has been a big step in deciding the future of the club and I'm eager to see what the new recruits can produce, as well as those lucky enough to make their way onto our list in November.
Lets view 2016 with an open mind and enjoy the little victories, as well as the big ones.
How about we start with Richmond in Round 1
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