Opposition Camp Non Eagles Discussion Thread

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frenchconnection

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Hawks will finish top 2 and I don't see anyone beating them at the G. They will win 4 in a row.
Think Adelaide could give them a run for the money providing they stay fit. Adelaide are playing a good style of football at the moment (have won 8 on the trot) and dont appear to have too many weaknesses. Also from memory they appear to be able to play on the 'G' without going into decline!!
 

frenchconnection

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Dees AND Saints have so much more talent than us
BUT not so much when they have to travel? We annihilated St Kilda when they came to town. Remains to be seen however how Melbourne will go next week - in the past they haven't gone too well when coming to Subi. I guess we will find out next week, but the boys will need to show some improvement from today and a change in the midfield personnel is also required.
 

SpaceClef

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Although hoping your youngsters will break the 8 in the near future isn't much worse than knowing your much more experienced side is in there just to make up the numbers
 

EagleShore

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More delusion in that article than a Donald Trump rally.
To be honest I don't think he's far off the mark with our problems, but the delusion sets in when he discusses the Dockers' key position talent. IMO, their ruck stocks along with key forward talent are very thin. This changes if they get Hogan; and McCarthy...well he could be something.

No Eagles fan could seriously say that, going forward, our midfield is better placed than Fremantle's. Fyfe, Bennell, Neale would regularly murder us at stoppages. Throw in Blakely and Weller and it's good night nurse.

Our current team will be lamented in years to come as one that could not capitalise on the fantastic key position talent (including Naita) due to a largely inept midfield filled with one-dimensional players. Of our now-regular best 22 mids, Hutchings, Redden, Jetta, Priddis, Gaff and Masten all have significant shortcomings; be it speed, evasiveness, defensive pressure, kicking efficiency, poor contested ball-winning ability, lack of predictability, or marking, they all tend to let us down a few times per game.

A few times a game for each of those players is problematic from a team perspective - in my opinion, this is a critical mass of soft, slow, or otherwise unreliably good midfielders. Priddis' limitations can be worked around when he's surrounded by in form players with complementary skills, because he's damn good at getting his hands on the ball, firing out handballs, and tackling. But when he's surrounded by Redden, Hutchings and co. it's too much ineptitude to overcome.

I hate to put Gaff into that group, but he's not fast/evasive enough to render his inability to kick on his right side a non-issue (ie. if he could regularly evade would be tacklers, it wouldn't matter so much that he'd have to swing around onto his left).
 
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EagleShore

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Weller is a little over hyped at this stage. Had good games against the Lions and Bombers (flat track?) but rest of the year he hasn't done a whole heap.
So, a little like Duggan then, only he's not supposed to be the saviour of their midfield.

Sorry, not disagreeing with you, and I'd prefer Duggan over Weller at this stage. I'm just pissed off because I think we're witnessing a very big waste of key position talent due to our middling midfield.
 

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Would you rather be in the Saints/Demons position then?
If I didn't already support a side and had to pick one - and none of the history of failure or the manner in which they were able to get the players in their side was factored in, it'd honestly be a coin toss.

I will never stop supporting us but just don't see how we can be a flag threat in the next few years. Melbourne most likely also won't win one any time soon, but one of the things I enjoy most about sport is the excitement of developing young players, so seeing how guys like Petracca and co continue to develop would be exciting.

I can see this side plodding along, like other recent ageing sides (NM last 5 years, WB in the late 2000s), playing finals on the back of flat tracking at home, but like those sides just missing some critical components to ever be truly dominant.

The Redden trade has kind of encapsulated the feeling - as much as people joke about playing the youf, we would not be any worse playing an 18 year old in his place and it would be a hell of a lot more interesting.
 

kane249

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Thread starter #18,690
I don't disagree our midfield is shizen, but the Freo youth love is a little over the top as well.

The interesting stat I heard on the radio today, 18 of the Freo 22 from Friday night played in their prelim team from last year.
 

Forward Press

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If I didn't already support a side and had to pick one - and was none of the history of failure or the manner in which they were able to get the players in their side was factored in, it'd honestly be a coin toss.

I will never stop supporting us but just don't see how we can be a flag threat in the next few years. Melbourne most likely won't win one any time soon, but one of the things I enjoy most about sport is the excitement of developing young players, so seeing how guys like Petracca and co continue to develop would be exciting.

I can see this side plodding along, like other recent ageing sides (NM last 5 years, WB in the late 2000s), playing finals on the back of flat tracking at home, but like those sides just missing some critical components to ever be truly dominant.

The Redden trade has kind of encapsulated the feeling - as much as people joke about playing the youf, we would not be any worse playing an 18 year old in his place and it would be a hell of a lot more interesting.
We've stuffed up with Redden and Jetta so far - but a couple of years ago I thought we stuffed up with Wellingham and Sheppard, amongst others.

Have faith, the recruiters are paid for what they do and I am confident we can still compete for flags in the near future. I would rather prefer a side coming off a Grand Final last year than a plethora of high draft picks that may or may not fulfil their potential. It might be that we won't win a flag with the current crop but given we've made a prelim and a GF with this team it's far better than a shitload of other teams.
 

SpaceClef

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We've stuffed up with Redden and Jetta so far - but a couple of years ago I thought we stuffed up with Wellingham and Sheppard, amongst others.

Have faith, the recruiters are paid for what they do and I am confident we can still compete for flags in the near future. I would rather prefer a side coming off a Grand Final last year than a plethora of high draft picks that may or may not fulfil their potential. It might be that we won't win a flag with the current crop but given we've made a prelim and a GF with this team it's far better than a shitload of other teams.
Yeah. Admittedly I am just making up for lost melt time after watching the game at the G with the Mrs's dad, so had to bottle up the frustration a bit.

Got a bit jealous of the Blues supporters' excitement when Weitering and Silvagni snagged some goals
 

Avalor

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Pity we don't play brissie again. Can't see where we can up our % now. Today was our chance for that and we muffed it.
 

frenchconnection

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Cox was a smart footballer, is a businessman and an assistant coach who pretty much was at every Eagles stoppage discussion for last 15 years. Is cox not better only because he looks more goofy? Why wouldn't he be in same ballpark. Stoppages aren't some rocket science thing to be honest. U can't make up some special moves as opposition will catch on.

For me it's just lack of ability. A number of players are down this year, we tried other players in there like redden who haven't worked out and missing players like sheed.
Not all good footballers make good coaches though. Have seen champion footballers try out the coaching caper, only to fail. Not saying that Coxy is a bad coach, just inexperienced, and think the Club should have gone for a midfield specialist coach once they knew Pyke was leaving. Yes there are other reasons why things aren't going well this year but still think the Club erred in appointing Coxy the midfield role as well as being the ruck coach so early in his coaching career.
 
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