Universal Love Optimism for 2019

[TDay]

I'm feeling the most optimistic i have since post season 1999 (when i was 11 years old and full of blind optimism).

For the first time in forever:
- we are playing legitimately good footy, mostly on our terms.
- the deficiencies of our playing list are managable enough to be addressed in one trade period.
- A healthy JD will end this painful run of intercept defenders dominating us.
- Our list has some genuine depth.
- Fringe players are stepping up - Langford, Mckernan
- We have promising youth - Draper, Ridley, Mutch
- We have a full trade hand
- We are attractive to free agents
- The age profile of the list is in good shape.

I have a feeling that this is is going to be a ripper trade/draft period. My top priority would probably be to find a guy to start training as a Hooker replacement, and maybe some inside depth (Wallis).
If the boys can keep their heads from inflating over the offseason and put in a good preseason... i'm actually feeling... is it hope?
But i say that every year

 

[JayJ20]

To be honest, I'm pretty sick of saying next year.
I'll just wait until round 23 2019 to assess whether I'm excited or not.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

To be honest, I'm pretty sick of saying next year.
I'll just wait until round 23 2019 to assess whether I'm excited or not.

My mum tells me there is always next year and I just laugh I feel like I been saying that for 10 years haha

 

[vast]

With no injuries im condident enough to say we will be a 5-8 side next year, with luck hopefully better.

Thankfully after cluster* that was the first 8 weeks they seem to have got their s**t together so that should continue but there is also room for improvement, especially amongst our younger players like Langford, Parish, Mcgrath, Redman, Ridley, Francis etc.

Getting Joey and Gleeson back will also be a big plus.

Be interesting to see if Joey and Smack can function together.

 

[MattyB3150]

I'm feeling the most optimistic i have since post season 1999 (when i was 11 years old and full of blind optimism).

For the first time in forever:
- we are playing legitimately good footy, mostly on our terms.
- the deficiencies of our playing list are managable enough to be addressed in one trade period.
- A healthy JD will end this painful run of intercept defenders dominating us.
- Our list has some genuine depth.
- Fringe players are stepping up - Langford, Mckernan
- We have promising youth - Draper, Ridley, Mutch
- We have a full trade hand
- We are attractive to free agents
- The age profile of the list is in good shape.

I have a feeling that this is is going to be a ripper trade/draft period. My top priority would probably be to find a guy to start training as a Hooker replacement, and maybe some inside depth (Wallis).
If the boys can keep their heads from inflating over the offseason and put in a good preseason... i'm actually feeling... is it hope?
But i say that every year

I agree with you. I feel like this is the best list we have had since the early 2000's. If only we had a 25 year old Jobe Watson on our list right now!
Smith, Saad and Stringer have all been massive inclusions this year and I am very optimistic for next year.

 

[Macca18]

I don’t think the club and supporters are going to accept another “We are going to be great next year!” come this same time next year...

There will be massive, massive pressure on all at the club to deliver in 2019. And if they don’t? Things will turn ugly pretty early very quickly.

Massive pressure and Essendon are two things that haven’t mixed well over the last decade so it’s certainly a statement year.

A 2-6 start in 2019 would be horrific but hopefully lessons have been learnt.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

I don’t think the club and supporters are going to accept another “We are going to be great next year!” come this same next year...

There will be massive, massive pressure on all at the club to deliver in 2019. And if they don’t? Things will turn ugly pretty early very quickly.

Massive pressure and Essendon are two things that haven’t mixed well over the last decade so it’s certainly a statement year.

A 2-6 start in 2019 would be horrific but hopefully lessons have been learnt.

We said "next year" about this year. We all thought, going into this year, that we would be making a run deep into September. Massive pressure needs to stay on the club in the off-season and some things need to turn ugly in post-season reviews. I fully understand that not everything has been perfect for the club this year, with our all-australian forward being missing and whatnot, but there are some glaring issues in our game that are just inexcusable. Our tackling is good in quantity, not quality and our delivery inside forward quickly turns to blind hope and loopy kicks.

I too am very sick of saying "next year".

 

[Wangawuti]

There are so many controlled and uncontrolled variables within each season that it's really pointless trying to set any expectations. Just enjoy the games and hope the football gods decide to kiss the team on the #### some day.

 

[doug85]

Thread title seems ironic given the content of this thread so far

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Massive pressure and Essendon are two things that haven’t mixed well over the last decade so it’s certainly a statement year.

The reason we’ve struggled for so long is lack of contested midfielders and impotence up forward. Pretty much every team that has been a finals mainstay (Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong) has had been strong in both areas despite often carrying significant weaknesses elsewhere.

 

[Bombers36]

If we can put a 22 together that looks like below I’ll be very optimistic;-

Francis Hurley McGrath
McKenna Hooker Saad
Zakka Wallis Parish
Fanta Joe Smith
Smack Stringer Tippa

Bellcho Heppell ZMerrett

Langford Gleeson Redman Begley

Depth;
Ambrose Guelfi McNeice Margaret
Ridley Draper BJ Myers Bags
Brown


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Stopher]

I agree. A bit of luck with injuries next year will go a long way.

 

[GEEitLONG]

Love the way you guys are playing footy. Looks like this team has begun to find its 'identity'. Fast, mobile skillful footy. The players look like they have finally bought in to the Worsfold design and they look energised. Stringer is a reflection of that. Seems to have found his mojo again.

When things go wrong everyone looks to the coach. Now that things are going right, the coach needs some credit.

Wish you guys n gals all the best for the remainder of 2018 and 2019.

 

[Towno78]

We said "next year" about this year. We all thought, going into this year, that we would be making a run deep into September. Massive pressure needs to stay on the club in the off-season and some things need to turn ugly in post-season reviews. I fully understand that not everything has been perfect for the club this year, with our all-australian forward being missing and whatnot, but there are some glaring issues in our game that are just inexcusable. Our tackling is good in quantity, not quality and our delivery inside forward quickly turns to blind hope and loopy kicks.

I too am very sick of saying "next year".

We didn't "all" expect to go deep in September. With such significant change to our list, I thought it was likely we weren't going to click until the 2nd half of the season. I thought we would be inconsistent to the start of the season, but I didn't foresee us being the complete basket case that we were.

I was always looking at 2019 after our 2017/18 off season, and now that we have definitely clicked, I see no reason not to be very excited for 2019. The list will be very settled this off-season. We will be a contender for top 4.

 

[ant555]

Will be the first time in 10 seasons I can say I think we have improved our defensive mindset and it is being driven across the board from the older group to the young guys.

I said pre season we had the ability to make the bottom end of the 8 and win a final but we had to improve our mental approach to
defence . Sadly the improved mental attitude did not happen until it was too late in the season. If we had of played the whole year in the style we did in the last 11 weeks then we would have been more of a show. In saying that we have to get better as I still think we need to improve to get to top 4.

I can understand the disappointment . It has been a long time since we did anything and even longer than the 9 years I waited as a young Bomber in the mid 70's to early 80's before we won a final.I remember the anger back in the day so I understand supporters being a bit mad right now.
Maybe being older now days I can accept the reality of it and the fact their is really nothing I can do to change it so I just go along most weeks and hope we can win or play well most weeks.

 

[MarkG]

Would like to finish 2018 with 3 wins in our remaining games before worrying about 2019.

 

[ant555]

Would like to finish 2018 with 3 wins in our remaining games before worrying about 2019.

I can not see anyway we beat the Tigers. Our mistakes that cost us yesterday will see us get beaten again. Simply can not afford to drop marks and turn the ball over easily by foot. Should beat the Saints and you are always some sort of chance against Port although we may be heading there aft the Tigers dust off our season.

 

[eth-dog]

Hmm. Next year we need a big year from a lot of players still, need to put the effort of the last 10 weeks across the full season. Best 22 wise:

Francs - Hooker - Gleeson
McKenna - Hurley - Saad
Zaharakis - Langford - Merrett
Smith - Daniher - Walla
Fantasia - Stewart - Stringer
Bellchambers - Heppell - Parish
McGrath - Myers - Guelfi - Redman

The Riddler, Baguley, Laverde, BJ, Begley (injury based), Smack, Brown, Ambrose all unlucky. But the thing that sticks out there is that there are very few midfielders/potential midfielders there

 

[MarkG]

I can not see anyway we beat the Tigers. Our mistakes that cost us yesterday will see us get beaten again. Simply can not afford to drop marks and turn the ball over easily by foot. Should beat the Saints and you are always some sort of chance against Port although we may be heading there aft the Tigers dust off our season.

Teams that we have played ok against (Hawks, Cats, Eagles) have played well against the Tigers. Why can't we?

If we enter the game believing we will get crushed by them, we will. I don't reckon we have arrived as a team until we play well against the best.

Hawks bumped lots of our players off the ball (Zaka, McGrath, Merrett, Fantasia etc). Smith came in to bat for them. If we continue to have our players softened up like this, we will continue to be easy beats against the Tigers.

 

[ant555]

Teams that we have played ok against (Hawks, Cats, Eagles) have played well against the Tigers. Why can't we?

If we enter the game believing we will get crushed by them, we will. I don't reckon we have arrived as a team until we play well against the best.

Hawks bumped lots of our players off the ball (Zaka, McGrath, Merrett, Fantasia etc). Smith came in to bat for them. If we continue to have our players softened up like this, we will continue to easy beats against the Tigers.

We could but I just do not seeing us fixing the turn over issue in 2 weeks.
We lost yesterday because we missed some very simple targets by foot and dropped some marks we should have taken. We also kick down the line too much.
All of this would have to turn around in 2 weeks. I just do not see it right now.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Teams that we have played ok against (Hawks, Cats, Eagles) have played well against the Tigers. Why can't we?

If we enter the game believing we will get crushed by them, we will. I don't reckon we have arrived as a team until we play well against the best.

Hawks bumped lots of our players off the ball (Zaka, McGrath, Merrett, Fantasia etc). Smith came in to bat for them. If we continue to have our players softened up like this, we will continue to be easy beats against the Tigers.

They all play a fundamentally different game, slow ball movement not to get hurt on the break and have the forwards to capitalise on slow entries. It makes them always competitive but doubt any will best the tigers if they bring close to their game from last final series.

 

[maskmcgee]

If we were playing this way all year we'd have at most only 5 losses, so less than top 4 is inexcusable.

 

[Blind Turn]

I’m most interested in how we cope with the Tiges. The last few times we’ve played them we’ve done exactly the same thing - kicked hurriedly out of our crowded back half to a wall of Tiger defenders. If we show that we’ve finally learnt from that then I will be more positive.

 

[Blind Turn]

...and a win at the MCG would be nice...

 

[Jesse Custer]

Lots of potential but we've been saying that for years. Now its time to start deilvering and rise up the ladder. I think we have the list to do it and the boys have been playing some really good footy.