MFC Fans Only Non-Dees AFL discussion - 2014

[RandB]

It's going to be a big year. Opposition analysis can go here.

2013 thread now closed.

Opposition posters be warned, this is for Dees supporters only.

 

[d33my]

Already hanging out for the new season. Cricket just doesn't quite get me interested in the same way.

 

[CWaffles]

Thank God 2014 is here. 2013 was a tough time for us to endure!

I'm looking forward to forgetting 2013 and focusing on the season ahead.

 

[tasmanlvr]

Happy New Year guys

Looking forward to us resuming pre season on Monday morning but footy at the same time is only a month and a bit away! Gotta keep pushing like we did in the first half of pre season.

 

[ponsdale]

2014 HAS to be better than 2013.

Surely...

 

[butters88]

2014 HAS to be better than 2013.

Surely...

Has to be an improvement, everything sounds improved so far, plus the hulk is eligible to play


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dory_77]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-01-02/festival-blues-fell-clarke

*Insert falling at Falls joke here*

Gonna be pretty interesting to see how Freo go this year. I get the feeling they'll be like the Saints a few years back. A very, very good team who are hard to beat, but just lack the offensive edge and flair to break open a GF and win a flag.

 

[ponsdale]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-01-02/festival-blues-fell-clarke

*Insert falling at Falls joke here*

Gonna be pretty interesting to see how Freo go this year. I get the feeling they'll be like the Saints a few years back. A very, very good team who are hard to beat, but just lack the offensive edge and flair to break open a GF and win a flag.

I'd expect Lyon to have learnt from his experiences with the Saints to rectify this.

 

[tasmanlvr]

I think Freo will finish on top this year. I think Ross has learned that you can utilise the wider expanses of Subiaco and kick a score but can also defend as much as he does as well. I think it'll be interesting to see if they can keep their best team on the park this year - they will want to hope that Scott Gumbleton can come in and show a lot, especially with Pav in his final days. Keen to see what they do with their ruck division too - Clarke is now out of action for eight weeks, not sure on Griffin's condition at the moment coming back from that knee reco.

 

[AllenJakovich13]

Teams I will watch in Interest:

Adelaide - Missed finals after being top 4 the year before. With Walker back (not sure if ready for rd1?) and recruits Betts, J Pod up forward will be wanting to be back in finals contention. I rate Sanderson.

Carlton - Micks second year and making the finals by default last year definitely wasn't the best despite that elimination final win. Daisy back from injury

Fremantle - Probably in their best position and one of the favourites, Sylvia also will follow how he goes in a top team.

North Melbourne - Predicting atleast a top 6 finish from this mob. Think they are better than Richmond, Essendon & Carlton but we shall see if they live up to my expectations next year. Scraping into finals or missing them would be a fail imo.

Richmond -Let's see if they can back up from last year.

 

[Dory_77]

I'm interested to see how Port back up from last season. They were fantastic and it'll be exciting to watch how they go. Also the Suns should be pushing for a spot in the lower reaches of the 8. Sides will start taking them a lot more seriously, but I think they could nab 7th or 8th if they improve again this year.
Agree with AJ13 that it'll be a big year for North. It'll be hard without Swallow, but they need to see some finals action soon or it might be seeya to Scott.

 

[Bluelegs]

Already hanging out for the new season. Cricket just doesn't quite get me interested in the same way.

NFL

 

[LeverPuller]

NFL

I'm so angry, the Seahawks game is on Sunday and I have work, bloody hell.

 

[Klyntonius]

I'm so angry, the Seahawks game is on Sunday and I have work, bloody hell.

I'm so angry because because the Falcons sucked this year! Also, I hardly got to watch any NFL games.

The thing of interest to me for the upcoming AFL season is who will be the bolter and the free-faller. It happens every year. Last year it was Port and Adelaide. Port versus Richmond will be interesting, Port having leapt into the top 8, can they back it up or will the opposition work them out whereas Richmond have been slowly building towards it for years, will they keep improving or plateau.

Every year, the thing I always struggle with is an expectation of 6 teams improving and 2 teams going backwards and trying to predict how that can work! I'd expect the likes of us, the Dogs, GWS, Gold Coast, Norf and Adelaide to improve and Carlton and Essendon to go backwards but that doesn't really fit for trying to predict ladder positions!

 

[LeverPuller]

I'm so angry because because the Falcons sucked this year! Also, I hardly got to watch any NFL games.

The thing of interest to me for the upcoming AFL season is who will be the bolter and the free-faller. It happens every year. Last year it was Port and Adelaide. Port versus Richmond will be interesting, Port having leapt into the top 8, can they back it up or will the opposition work them out whereas Richmond have been slowly building towards it for years, will they keep improving or plateau.

Every year, the thing I always struggle with is an expectation of 6 teams improving and 2 teams going backwards and trying to predict how that can work! I'd expect the likes of us, the Dogs, GWS, Gold Coast, Norf and Adelaide to improve and Carlton and Essendon to go backwards but that doesn't really fit for trying to predict ladder positions!

Bolter will be interesting. The two for mine are the Bulldogs and us (yes stop laughing).

The Dogs had a great second half of the year and will build upon that. Their forward line is still question mark central but their midfield has serious depth and their backline is still pretty good.

And for us, well, if we get a midfield together suddenly we have a side capable of challenging for the 8. Our backline is quality with three strong talls and a couple of rebounders coming along. Our ruck division is pretty good and getting stronger in relative terms (since general rucking standards have fallen away over the last 10 years IMO). Our forward line, assuming it gets on the park, will make back lines crap themselves. If the midfield turns around...well now.

The other side of the coin. Essendon once the sanctions come through (insider info here, it's a matter of when not if) will collapse. Carlton still have the same question mark that they have had for the last five years and still haven't tried to fix the bloody thing. KEY. POSITION. FORWARD. But if you want a real slump? I think Geelong may be it. If the heads drop and Tomahawk's back doesn't get right...

 

[tasmanlvr]

There are sides who could bolt enough to force sides like Collingwood out of the eight. I think North Melbourne will bolt a bit (not quite enough into the top four), Gold Coast will push for the eight, the Dogs and I wouldn't rule out the Crows. Along with us, of course

As for slider, well, I don't particularly rate Carlton, I reckon the Eagles will slide a little further too.

 

[RandB]

Pies are an interesting one. Some turnover there but have recruited ok the last couple of years and obviously are expected to perform year in year out. Until the season begins and we have a better idea I'm thinking maybe 7th or 8th.

 

[Captain Jack]

Why does everyone think the Dons will drop away so much? They held up under the most trying pressure for 18 rounds, after which it all became too much for them. IMO their list is primed in most departments... The exception being the tall forwards who are yet to really click. Their midfield runs really deep and their back line is settled. They will win plenty of games and internally would be looking at top 4 I reckon.

 

[LeverPuller]

Why does everyone think the Dons will drop away so much? They held up under the most trying pressure for 18 rounds, after which it all became too much for them. IMO their list is primed in most departments... The exception being the tall forwards who are yet to really click. Their midfield runs really deep and their back line is settled. They will win plenty of games and internally would be looking at top 4 I reckon.

(Seriously, s**t ain't over)

 

[Klyntonius]

Why does everyone think the Dons will drop away so much? They held up under the most trying pressure for 18 rounds, after which it all became too much for them. IMO their list is primed in most departments... The exception being the tall forwards who are yet to really click. Their midfield runs really deep and their back line is settled. They will win plenty of games and internally would be looking at top 4 I reckon.

Fair point and they rubbed my nose in it last season for most of the year when I didn't rate them either. I just don't rate their midfield to be nearly as deep as you do, I think they're only a couple of injuries away from being very pedestrian and added to that they just lost their best forward in Crameri as well as (to a much lesser extent) Gumbleton, I reckon they're real light on for goal kickers. Also, as Striker mentioned, the ASADA stuff is still hanging over their heads and I'm not sure they're 100% united off field, I think it's an uphill battle for them.

 

[Dory_77]

Agree on the Bomber's midfield with Klyntonius. I don't reckon it's that great. They've got some great outside players but lack in the clearance department (aside from Watson). To me they have a lot of B+ type players, with only Watson and Goddard the genuine A-Graders. That said they've still got a pretty young mid group with Zaharakis, Heppell, Melksham, Myers etc who should have a fair bit of improvement left in them. The off-field dramas won't help them though, and they don't seem to be over yet.
I think Adelaide should move back up the ladder a bit. They've got a strong midfield and forward line though a lot of their hopes a riding on Walker coming back strong. Pods is a short term solution; And Jenkins and Lynch aren't really good enough to carry a forward line.
I think the Pies should stay in the 8. Midfield is still one of the best in the league (Swan, Pendles, Ball, Beams, Sidebottom, etc). If Cloke could learn to kick straight they'd be a real threat. Still need some work on the forward line and another KPB wouldn't go astray either, or making the whole team more accountable/harder working, but the talent is there on the list; just a matter of whether Bucks is the coach to get the best out of them.

 

[Captain Jack]

Here's a laugh...

 

[RandB]

Some bad luck for Port...

Power's Redden out for 10 weeks

 

[RandB]

Rumour on Carlton board of Judd out for 12 - 16 weeks due to Achilles strain.

Watch this space.

 

[Franky_024]

I'm expecting the lions and the crows to improve this year and make the 8.

Sliders will be the cats and the roos. Won't drop away too much but might be overtaken by a few sides on the up.