- Jul 15, 2012
- 4,270
- 15,040
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
- Other Teams
- There are other teams?
I think we are entering an interesting season next year. Arguably most clubs are stronger, on paper at least, than this year and I suspect that the standard required to make finals will be higher.
In that environment we are going to need to move up within a general frame of upward movement by clubs in the bottom half. That will be tough to do but certainly not impossible. There will be a few clubs who slide as the season wears on but I think we will have to really earn every win in four quarters, especially because we have probably reached ‘danger game’ status for most other clubs - games against us will be treated as ones they should still win and can’t afford to lose if they hope to make finals. But we won’t be a surprise anymore.
Clubs are going to come at us fully prepared and focussed in ways they haven’t needed to until recently. Up until this season most clubs with finals aspirations knew they could blow us away for a quarter or less and then cruise to victory, or better yet, pile on points and build their percentage. Those days are, hopefully, gone.
The challenge for us now is to go up to the level where we win the close ones. We have the talent, we need the toughness and endurance to build so we can respond to those three and four goal surges that other clubs have hit us with.
Eight wins would be great. Any more than that would be excellent, and if we can get to 12 wins then I think we will have over-achieved given our list experience.
In that environment we are going to need to move up within a general frame of upward movement by clubs in the bottom half. That will be tough to do but certainly not impossible. There will be a few clubs who slide as the season wears on but I think we will have to really earn every win in four quarters, especially because we have probably reached ‘danger game’ status for most other clubs - games against us will be treated as ones they should still win and can’t afford to lose if they hope to make finals. But we won’t be a surprise anymore.
Clubs are going to come at us fully prepared and focussed in ways they haven’t needed to until recently. Up until this season most clubs with finals aspirations knew they could blow us away for a quarter or less and then cruise to victory, or better yet, pile on points and build their percentage. Those days are, hopefully, gone.
The challenge for us now is to go up to the level where we win the close ones. We have the talent, we need the toughness and endurance to build so we can respond to those three and four goal surges that other clubs have hit us with.
Eight wins would be great. Any more than that would be excellent, and if we can get to 12 wins then I think we will have over-achieved given our list experience.