Oppo Camp Non-Essendon Thread XII

[pepsi]

That's not difficult, though.

His career of 2008-2014 was extremely average.

Good to hear he's finally doing something.

Particularly harsh as a young ruckman takes several years to develop in to a quality ruckman in the AFL and he has had difficult and severe injuries to deal with also.

 

[Kong]

Particularly harsh as a young ruckman takes several years to develop in to a quality ruckman in the AFL and he has had difficult and severe injuries to deal with also.

Yeah they can and do often take longer to develop, but he was ordinary even by comparison with other ruckmen his age.

 

[Kong]

Having said that, I'd say Jack Ziebell has been the most underwhelming hyped player of the last 10 years.

Such a consistently middle-range player that doesn't get enough of the ball, and doesn't hurt the opposition enough when he does get it.

 

[eth-dog]

Having said that, I'd say Jack Ziebell has been the most underwhelming hyped player of the last 10 years.

Such a consistently middle-range player that doesn't get enough of the ball, and doesn't hurt the opposition enough when he does get it.

Has been pretty good the past two seasons though. Captaincy seems to have helped him

 

[Zach Package]

If you're Luke 'Igneous rock that walks like a man' Beverage how close are you to just outright saying that they're quite obviously talented but their culture is shit and they like getting on the piss?

This is getting ridiculous now

 

[Eleven 38]

I've never heard so much talk about how the premier from the year before wasn't the best team during, but they were the best team in September.

It's total crap. The AFL season is a marathon and the bulldogs timed their marathon the best. Simple as that. It's a bit disrespectful to say they weren't the best team. Especially when the main reason it's being said is because their form is a bit down this year.

 

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

I've never heard so much talk about how the premier from the year before wasn't the best team during, but they were the best team in September.

It's total crap. The AFL season is a marathon and the bulldogs timed their marathon the best. Simple as that. It's a bit disrespectful to say they weren't the best team. Especially when the main reason it's being said is because their form is a bit down this year.

How is it total crap? They weren't the best team over the course of the season, which is why they had nothing more than a solid record (15-7 and 115%). You can say that everything outside the finals is irrelevant, but that doesn't mean it's total crap.

I'd also dispute that bringing it up is irrelevant in the first place. It doesn't take away the premiership or imply it has less meaning than any other, but I definitely believe a team who has only shown the ability to be the best in a small (albeit important) window is more susceptible to a fall from grace than a standard all-conquering team. It's why a lot more people predicted a drop off from the Dogs than you'd see for most other premiers.

And I don't think an AFL season can be compared to a marathon because the finals series is independent from the rest of the season. There's no equivalent situation in a marathon. You can't perform OK for the first 35km and then qualify for the last part of the race on practically equal footing with everyone else.

 

[JayJ20]

I've never heard so much talk about how the premier from the year before wasn't the best team during, but they were the best team in September.

It's total crap. The AFL season is a marathon and the bulldogs timed their marathon the best. Simple as that. It's a bit disrespectful to say they weren't the best team. Especially when the main reason it's being said is because their form is a bit down this year.

Have to disagree here. They weren't the best team last year (home and away). They were the best team come finals time and thoroughly deserved the flag.

If they were the best team, then a Bulldogs premiership wouldn't have come as a complete surprise.

Round 23 when they lost to Fremantle, did anyone think that they were going to win the premiership?

I thought the Eagles would comfortably beat them in the EF because they just disposed of Adelaide away.

They still have glaring deficiencies in their list. Still young with a list that probably won't peak until 2019.

A good comparison would be Melbourne winning it this year.

 

[DERO]

Put it this way when Essendon wins a flag no one will give a shit and will say they cheated so why should I.

I will run around without pants on for a week.

 

[Eleven 38]

How is it total crap? They weren't the best team over the course of the season, which is why they had nothing more than a solid record (15-7 and 115%). You can say that everything outside the finals is irrelevant, but that doesn't mean it's total crap.

I'd also dispute that bringing it up is irrelevant in the first place. It doesn't take away the premiership or imply it has less meaning than any other, but I definitely believe a team who has only shown the ability to be the best in a small (albeit important) window is more susceptible to a fall from grace than a standard all-conquering team. It's why a lot more people predicted a drop off from the Dogs than you'd see for most other premiers.

And I don't think an AFL season can be compared to a marathon because the finals series is independent from the rest of the season. There's no equivalent situation in a marathon. You can't perform OK for the first 35km and then qualify for the last part of the race on practically equal footing with everyone else.

A 15-7 record is more than a solid record with the amount of injuries they kept winning with. Most teams would have started tanking for draft picks after round 13. The final series is not completely independent from the rest of the season because the higher you finish during the season gives you the best chance of winning. Just like if your leading in a marathon your in the best position to win it with 3ks to go.

I'm not surprised with the drop off either. I just think that by continually bringing up how they finished 7th last year is like saying "oh they only won because they got lucky." I believe there is a lot more reasons they won than just getting lucky and every team needs a little bit of luck to win a premiership.

 

[boncer34]

What drop off? They're only 2 spots below where they finished last year.

3 below where they were in round 12.

They haven't fallen off a cliff.

 

[Mercurial89]

What drop off? They're only 2 spots below where they finished last year.

3 below where they were in round 12.

They haven't fallen off a cliff.

People seem to have not grasped the idea that this season is incredibly close. I would have thought halfway through the year we would have eventually gotten everyone on board with it but maybe it will take a bit longer. Teams are dropping games they should win all over the place.

Dogs haven't been going great but at this stage last year they weren't either, Cats looked like crap then looked unbeatable at home then were average in Perth. GWS lost to Carlton.

The fact the reigning premiers who finished 7th last year are 9th this year (still only % out of 8th) should not be a surprise to anyone.

 

[Killer_Mike]

Easy to dismiss this but could have big implications for Port.

Justin Crow has been significant for us so I think Kochy would be rightly peeved for losing his equivalent.

"The AFL Footy Show said an agreement between Burgess and the Gunners would mean

the 43-year-old leaving the AFL club immediately."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/footbal...l/news-story/39b97258079d6a64f6588ba91311d15e

 

[Laverde2Smack]

Absolutely right. He's a stubborn bastard and when you tell him to lock down on a player he does it.

Gawn and Hogan. Although you could argue that Tom McDonald and Jeff Garlett are just as important

Hogan is a funny one. You could argue he is in their best two players but I actually think they play better when he is out.



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[Laverde2Smack]

If you're Luke 'Igneous rock that walks like a man' Beverage how close are you to just outright saying that they're quite obviously talented but their culture is shit and they like getting on the piss?

This is getting ridiculous now

They won a flag before they we're in the curve, much like Essendon 93 and Hawks 08. Teams that win flags early often struggle to back it up the following season.

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[Laverde2Smack]

I've never heard so much talk about how the premier from the year before wasn't the best team during, but they were the best team in September.

It's total crap. The AFL season is a marathon and the bulldogs timed their marathon the best. Simple as that. It's a bit disrespectful to say they weren't the best team. Especially when the main reason it's being said is because their form is a bit down this year.

It is a bit disrespectful for sure. You don't ever hear anyone slag off Brisbane's dynasty yet they never finished the season on the top of the ladder.

Having said that I do think the pre finals bye was a huge advantage to the teams finishing 5-8.

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[Laverde2Smack]

What drop off? They're only 2 spots below where they finished last year.

3 below where they were in round 12.

They haven't fallen off a cliff.

You just have to watch them play. They are a shadow of what they we're last season.

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[doug85]

#fullyaco

 

[RearNaked]

I've never heard so much talk about how the premier from the year before wasn't the best team during, but they were the best team in September.

It's total crap. The AFL season is a marathon and the bulldogs timed their marathon the best. Simple as that. It's a bit disrespectful to say they weren't the best team. Especially when the main reason it's being said is because their form is a bit down this year.

The bye won them that flag

 

[boncer34]

It is a bit disrespectful for sure. You don't ever hear anyone slag off Brisbane's dynasty yet they never finished the season on the top of the ladder.

Having said that I do think the pre finals bye was a huge advantage to the teams finishing 5-8.

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Yeah because they did it 3 times in a row.

Dogs did it once.

You just have to watch them play. They are a shadow of what they we're last season.

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Shadow of the team that played finals? Absolutely.

But they're tracking very similar H&A.

 

[IHurley]

What drop off? They're only 2 spots below where they finished last year.

3 below where they were in round 12.

They haven't fallen off a cliff.

Massively different. Last year there were seven good teams all at about the same level and then dross. They were indisputably one of the seven. To be comparable to last year they would need to be almost undefeated for the rest of the H&A season. At the moment, there appear to be three pretty good teams (GWS would probably be very good save injuries) and then around 12 ok ones. They are one of the 12.

 

[Beerfish]

Having said that, I'd say Jack Ziebell has been the most underwhelming hyped player of the last 10 years.

Such a consistently middle-range player that doesn't get enough of the ball, and doesn't hurt the opposition enough when he does get it.

Well, not legally anyway.

 

[Doss]

Footscray are not playing as well as they were in the 2016 home and away season.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Footscray are not playing as well as they were in the 2016 home and away season.

Correct and it was glaringly obvious in Round's 1 and 2.

They really struggle to dominate opposition.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

"The AFL Footy Show said an agreement between Burgess and the Gunners would mean

the 43-year-old leaving the AFL club immediately."

I didn't know he's 43.

I honestly thought mid 50's.