Prediction New Connolly article

[Cousin of Daicos]

Too early. I'm weary after last year.

Having said that, there's 2 major differences to this year and the last 3:

1) Far less injuries. If anything, we'll spending the next 2 months with a major selection headache given the players coming back (Assuming no more big names drop off)

2) Easiest draw we've had since the mid 2000s.

I've been saying since before the season started, if we can stay relatively injury free, our easy draw should sneak us into the 8. Hopefully this young side can go the distance. Injecting experience like Reid, Sidebottom, Macaffer and Sinclair should go a long way to not dropping off. But we'll wait and see. The Essendon game was a good one structurally. Really liked the way we defended in that game.

 

[Kirby]

I've been saying since before the season started, if we can stay relatively injury free, our easy draw should sneak us into the 8. Hopefully this young side can go the distance. Injecting experience like Reid, Sidebottom, Macaffer and Sinclair should go a long way to not dropping off. But we'll wait and see. The Essendon game was a good one structurally. Really liked the way we defended in that game.

I really like this point Ed.

I was at the game then watched the replay the next day and the thing that really stood out for me is how we kept our structures. There were only a couple of times early in the game when they broke down a little but we adjusted.

It seems to me that the players have bought in so far this year. I just hope we can keep it up.

 

[loki04]

The AFL have grouped early round games against similar opposition, so all the top teams play each other, likewise the poor and middling. It's clever because the season won't be a lost cause by round 8-10. Average teams will have an illusion of finals success for a fair chunk of the season and top teams will lose a lot more than usual.

The Essendon win was a good one because they look to me like a top 8 side and certainly did a job on the Hawks. Still, I still us finishing in that 7-12 realm but given the younger players seem to be picking up the slack this could be a great development year. Think the worm is starting to turn.

Essendon are a midling side, same as us but we are younger.

They are a 6th to 10th side, so yep a good win but people are misguided if they think we are a flag chance this year.

 

[golazo]

I'm usually more optimistic than most, but I can really see us finishing top 6 this year, providing key players stay fit. We have a great draw and will always put a load of pressure on teams this season. Our KPP's are generally good and our ruckman is as good as any we've had in the last 15 years since Monkhurst. The teams finishing outside the finals won't have a good KPF like Cloke, coupled with a premiership full back like Brown (who is easily 1 of the best going around, when fully fit). They also don't have players like Pendlebury running around...which is why I think we can go fairly deep in the finals, only if we stay fit of course

Obviously, I'm expecting a drop off at some point and we could easily collapse like last season, however after looking at the draw I can also see us going into the BYE round with 8, 9 or even 10 wins. Don't get me wrong... I'm still calling this a development year (next year too), but there's no reason we can't play with the big fish before we inevitably get knocked out of finals

 

[Old Spice]

Essendon are a midling side, same as us but we are younger.

They are a 6th to 10th side, so yep a good win but people are misguided if they think we are a flag chance this year.

Does anyone think that though?

I reckon Essendon are not top 4 material but in that 6-10 vein too, whereas I see us as 7-12ish. Still, they're a side most, including me, expected to win against us on Saturday.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I really like this point Ed.

I was at the game then watched the replay the next day and the thing that really stood out for me is how we kept our structures. There were only a couple of times early in the game when they broke down a little but we adjusted.

It seems to me that the players have bought in so far this year. I just hope we can keep it up.

Yeah I'm liking the effort more often than not. I think I need to calm down a bit and remember how young this team is and there are most likely going ot be more downs than ups for at least one season more.

I think being in finals for so long spoiled me a bit so I get pissed if we don't win almost every week like we used to. I think the Adelaide game being the first game I attended also really soured me after a long off season. That first half was just sooooo deplorable.

 

[loki04]

Does anyone think that though?

I reckon Essendon are not top 4 material but in that 6-10 vein too, whereas I see us as 7-12ish. Still, they're a side most, including me, expected to win against us on Saturday.

Yep I have seen it floated as a possibility on another board. Personally think they are dreaming!

We play a brand of footy that restricts opposition and grind out wins this will hold up vs mid to poor sides, against better sides it wont as all the ball butchering we do will only create goal scoring opportunity.

I do agree Ess were favourites to win being they are more advanced in their list cycle then us but I think people jumped on the Essendon are a good team too early.
Don't get me wrong it was a good win but make no mistake this footy team has a major skill flaw problem and until we inject more class at the expense of work horse favourites (board and coaches) then it will remain an issue.
I guess the issue is most of the new "class" are simply not performing/ready so we are where we are.

 

[Maggie5]

respect? or good for business. my employer used to make me wear t-shirts sometimes and i changed back to my own clothes at the first opportunity...

Not the body for a T-shirt?

 

[Old Spice]

Yep I have seen it floated as a possibility on another board. Personally think they are dreaming!

We play a brand of footy that restricts opposition and grind out wins this will hold up vs mid to poor sides, against better sides it wont as all the ball butchering we do will only create goal scoring opportunity.

I do agree Ess were favourites to win being they are more advanced in their list cycle then us but I think people jumped on the Essendon are a good team too early.
Don't get me wrong it was a good win but make no mistake this footy team has a major skill flaw problem and until we inject more class at the expense of work horse favourites (board and coaches) then it will remain an issue.
I guess the issue is most of the new "class" are simply not performing/ready so we are where we are.

With a bit of fine tuning we could improve a fair amount. It will take time but I reckon once we get a Maynard and Reid in defence, Sidebottom and Scharenberg in the middle then we'll look a lot better.

 

[loki04]

With a bit of fine tuning we could improve a fair amount. It will take time but I reckon once we get a Maynard and Reid in defence, Sidebottom and Scharenberg in the middle then we'll look a lot better.

Yeah I think we have the core grunt players its the outside class and x-factor types we are lacking. As well as genuine KPF with small forward pockets in Leon or Betts mold.

I agree long term I think we will be fine, Maynard and Shaz a long way off so we wont see that this year. Who knows with Reid.

We should get Sideass and Greenwood back around the same time this then in turn will put pressure on selectors as the easy and default option is to drop kids ie Broomhead (etc) instead of players with a limited skill cap but offer a more consistent game from week to week like Blair.

Imo we need to play the youth that we see as long term best 22 to get them used to the level which can't be done at VFL level you see it all the time with players too good for VFL then only get a week or 2 at AFL before going back to VFL to dominate again. Karnezises is a recent example.

 

[Old Spice]

Yeah I think we have the core grunt players its the outside class and x-factor types we are lacking. As well as genuine KPF with small forward pockets in Leon or Betts mold.

I agree long term I think we will be fine, Maynard and Shaz a long way off so we wont see that this year. Who knows with Reid.

We should get Sideass and Greenwood back around the same time this then in turn will put pressure on selectors as the easy and default option is to drop kids ie Broomhead (etc) instead of players with a limited skill cap but offer a more consistent game from week to week like Blair.

Imo we need to play the youth that we see as long term best 22 to get them used to the level which can't be done at VFL level you see it all the time with players too good for VFL then only get a week or 2 at AFL before going back to VFL to dominate again. Karnezises is a recent example.

I think Broomhead needs to stay in as he's a clean player and Karnezis I think needs a go too but am still suspect on his defensive consistency. I think the weekends game showed the value of a team defence where players would go off their man and then another player would cover the person who went off. There was also that rushing up to the ball carrier which led to looping handballs and high kicks which are easier to defend.

The worry with a Karnezis is that he potentially provides a weak link in the chain. In one game he did get stuck in which was great but he needs to consistently do it almost as the first port of call and the skill will be the icing on the cake.

 

[Markfs]

Not the body for a T-shirt?

i have nice breasts but I need to find a bra that fits...

 

[Maggie5]

i have nice breasts but I need to find a bra that fits...

There you go, boasting again.

 

[Vicky Park]

Rohan Connolly is OK. He comes from a family of Bombers supporters. Its in his blood.

His dad, Keith Connolly was a film critic for various newspapers. He died in 2005:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/closing-credits-for-keith-connolly/2005/12/22/1135032136034.html

His sister Sharon Connolly was - or still is - the CEO of Film Australia.

But perhaps the most talented of all was his brother Steve Connolly, who was a guitarist for Paul Kelly, and died in tragic circumstances in the 1990s.