Opposition Camp Non Eagles Discussion Thread

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The Dodger

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I have to say had the Bulldogs not been struck by injuries as they have in the last 2 weeks prior to that game I would have picked them over North. I changed my tip based on the outs the Bulldogs had, and I am still not sold on their type of footy.
 

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Tas

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Ya nah, I don't see another 35% improvement coming from your already overachieving geriatrics.

Good start, so you'll finish well and from there I suppose anything is possible, but you're already getting everything out of the formally spudly Waite, Petrie, Brown you name it. You wouldn't want a lull in form or injury to any of your 28 pluses.
No team really plays anywhere remotely close to 100%, they might for the odd game but that isn't sustainable, I do think around 80% is sustainable though and I think we have that level of improvement from mostly the non-geriatrics.

I think most of our geriatrics are playing well, I think Petrie has some scope for improvement, is only averaging 1.3 goals per game, should be a bit higher. Waite is well ahead of expectation at 3.7 per game and Brown (not a geriatric) is on 2.2 per game. Averaging 16.8 goals per game and the 3 key forwards kicking 45% of the goals is a pretty solid position.

However, there is scope for improvement from non KPFs. Thomas has been underwhelming and we have lost Anderson, Garner and last week Turner so the options aren't great in the short-term for smaller forwards, will have to reluctantly give Nahas a game. Ziebell pushing forward at times has been a positive.

I think the only geriatric playing poor atm is Dal Santo, he has a lot of scope for improvement. Higgins who isn't quite geriatric level also has had a slow start after a NAB cup injury/minor surgery, I think he will play better footy as he gets match fit. Cunnington and Goldstein have been a little underwhelming while Wright and Atley typically play like rubbish first half of seasons but play much better footy later in the season. Oh, Swallow has also been pretty shit most of the time.

Hansen and Jacobs, have had disrupted pre-seasons, Hansen isn't right to go and Jacobs still well below his best. So I think we do have a fair bit of scope for improvement. I think if we were losing games the club would have probably been dropping some of the players. Our VFL team is also undefeated to date, have a lot of younger players playing some decent footy.

Some players may not improve on their current output, others may go backwards, but I still feel we have plenty of scope to improve and will need to improve to beat the other possible contenders, especially on the road.
 

Keys

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Still trying to get my head around North

6-0 is a great start and they're every chance to be 9-0 which means top 4 is probable and in a great position to be top 2

It's fair to say though that their wins haven't necessarily been emphatic and perhaps their percentage of 124 (6th best) is an indication that 6-0 might be flattering. They are winning though which is the most important bit

They've got a good group of tall forwards, an AA calibre ruckman feeding a strong contested ball winning midfield and have plenty of experience

My concerns with them are that overall their mids aren't especially quick nor as skilled as other sides which might expose them and put their defence under pressure as its a little flaky down back

Not convinced about them but if they keep on winning then they will be as good a chance as anyone come September in what's looking like a more open year than usual - a bit like 2005/06
 

Chris_6678

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Still trying to get my head around North

6-0 is a great start and they're every chance to be 9-0 which means top 4 is probable and in a great position to be top 2

It's fair to say though that their wins haven't necessarily been emphatic and perhaps their percentage of 124 (6th best) is an indication that 6-0 might be flattering. They are winning though which is the most important bit

They've got a good group of tall forwards, an AA calibre ruckman feeding a strong contested ball winning midfield and have plenty of experience

My concerns with them are that overall their mids aren't especially quick nor as skilled as other sides which might expose them and put their defence under pressure as its a little flaky down back

Not convinced about them but if they keep on winning then they will be as good a chance as anyone come September in what's looking like a more open year than usual - a bit like 2005/06
Their season reminds me a bit our 2012 season. They will be found out soon enough.
 

DanWCE

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The Saints shouldnt be completely discarded from the conversation of knocking them off this weekend. Full of belief after a couple of great weeks and using the speed of a hard deck at Etihad. They are a sneaky chance, especially if their pressure results in the Kangas coughing it up.

The Dogs have run out of good ball users off half back but the Saints dont appear to be in the same crisis at the moment and might hurt them quickly on the rebound. Or maybe I just want to make the call now in a fence-sitting fashion in case there's an upset.
 

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MrKK

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North made the most of good circumstances so far:
- barely any injuries
- Suns, Freo and Dogs wrecked by injuries when North played them.
- soft draw for a team coming off a prelim, 4 home games and the only 2 away were Brisbane and GC.

I'm still not buying their stock as I don't think their ceiling is high enough for a flag and it's unlikely their old stars will be fit and firing all season.
 

Tas

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The Saints shouldnt be completely discarded from the conversation of knocking them off this weekend. Full of belief after a couple of great weeks and using the speed of a hard deck at Etihad. They are a sneaky chance, especially if their pressure results in the Kangas coughing it up.

The Dogs have run out of good ball users off half back but the Saints dont appear to be in the same crisis at the moment and might hurt them quickly on the rebound. Or maybe I just want to make the call now in a fence-sitting fashion in case there's an upset.
They were impressive on the inside in their game against us in the NAB. There would need to be a royal commission if we lost to them for Drew's 300th game though.
 

Godfather32

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What's with the Dockers victim mentality? It's like they're the only team affected by the gws draft concessions.
Agreed, it's getting old. It's not GWS's fault that the dockers decided to bring in the like of Pearce, Mzungu, Dawson etc etc over drafting and developing their young players. Their own recruiting policies screwed them over, not the expansion clubs.
 

WCEswift

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Agreed, it's getting old. It's not GWS's fault that the dockers decided to bring in the like of Pearce, Mzungu, Dawson etc etc over drafting and developing their young players. Their own recruiting policies screwed them over, not the expansion clubs.
Not to mention we bottomed out when gc got everything
 

SpaceClef

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I reckon North can go all the way this year. They don't have the flashy midfield star power that you normally attribute with flag winning sides, but they are all super hard at it, much like Sydney.

Waite and Higgins make a big difference - they've done well out of the oldies. They have made the last few prelims so it shouldn't be of any surprise if they make the GF.
 

Carbine Chaos

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I reckon North can go all the way this year. They don't have the flashy midfield star power that you normally attribute with flag winning sides, but they are all super hard at it, much like Sydney.

Waite and Higgins make a big difference - they've done well out of the oldies. They have made the last few prelims so it shouldn't be of any surprise if they make the GF.
I thought last year that North were a much better match up (mentally as well, I guess) against the Hawks in the GF and would have gotten a lot closer.
 
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