Optimism - why your team will improve in 2013

[GarnerSmash]

Players in the 30 - 70 game, 19 - 22 age bracket Macmillan, Atley, Wright, Harper, Ziebell, Cunnington and Bastinac look to be stepping up and adding to our midfield rotations. These guys are starting to look like footballers. Hopefully Jacobs, Greenwood and Gysberts can put pressure on these guys to perform.

The defence is settled and the forwardline is progressing well with Tarrant and Hansen assisting Petrie as strong key targets with Black, Curran and Daw putting pressure on these guys to perform. It looks like its going to be a promising year.

 

[BrandonG]

Suma, surely you are aware by now that Carlton in 2012 were the most injury decimated team in the history of the competition?

Fadge i don't think i stated this at all ?Collingwood had more players with season ending injuries than Carlton did , essendon also had more injuries then us and i think goldcoast had the most! all i pointed out is we did have quite a few and with some luck and good management i think that is an area that will improve for us in 2013.

 

[hailblighty]

Tex Walker and a young fella named Brad Crouch.

 

[slowedawg]

Can it really get much worse?

 

[free at last]

Pav to play a full season as a key forward flanked by two (ballas & walters) outstanding small forwards.

Mundy & Barlow having an uninterrupted preseason.

Brett Kirk coming to the club to improve our midfield group.I must say I'm pretty excited at the chance of watching mundy,Barlow,fyfe,hilly and sandi combining together.I think we'll go pretty well at the clearances this year.

 

[underthestars]

Lenny's heart is even stronger!

 

[Schache It Off]

Shrewd Vossy.

 

[Plugger35]

We got rid of that passenger Goddard.

 

[Rack Watts]

Because we cheat.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Because we cheat.

have you improved your doping regime this year?

 

[jko'neal]

I just think we will be mentally stronger as a team overall, cost us several games last season.

 

[Balance]

Port will improve because:

1) We will have numbers in-front of stoppages and not position ourselves too defensively relative to where the ball is,
2) We will stay away from turnover central (CHF),
3) Kosch .

 

[aussierulesrules]

I believe that this will be the year that the older ones in our team who have "carried it" for so long have been looking forward to. The year when some of those under 25 start to really step up and carry more of the load, headed by McEvoy, Armitage, Geary (who are all now in the leadership group), Steven, Stanley, Siposs, Milera, Saad, Ledger, etc and helped by a couple of the new additions, who ought to be ready to go pretty much from the outset, like Hickey and Lee (if/when required).

Plenty more reasons (like better depth/greater competition for spots and implementing the game-plan better/getting a better balance between attack and defence- we were too defensive under Lyon and too attacking in Watters first year, but I'm expecting more of a middle ground this year), which I've outlined before in other threads, but that is a start for this one.

 

[KeilorUnder9s]

Because Dustin Martin.

 

[Dry Rot]

Because we've learnt from the Bombers and engaged Dr Ageless and our Rd 1 side includes Johnson, West, Grant, Wynd, Whitten (we engaged a medium for that), Wallis and Libba (both fathers and sons in an AFL first) and all our assistant and part time coaches King, Grant, Smith, Mooney and Scarlett.

Amazing what a few vitamin injections can do.

 

[drummond2fevola]

 

[aussierulesrules]

That's as good a reason as any I guess!

 

[drummond2fevola]

I didnt actually mean to post that, I was after the URL for the smiley

But alas,

 

[Iason]

-The list is a year older.
-We'll have a much easier time with injuries (Losing Bock and Swallow really hurt)
-Improved defense with Broughton and Murphy
-Jaeger O'Meara
-Harley Bennell will build on last year's season
-Charlie Dixon will announce himself to the league
-Gary Ablett Jr. will still be Gary Ablett Jr.

 

[Dry Rot]

-Gary Ablett Jr. will still be Gary Ablett Jr.

Hey, a trip to Dr Ageless and you could have the original back!

That would be pretty cool.

 

[LeverPuller]

- Forward line that is more than Mitch Clark marking or crumbling the pill.
- Frawley gets a full preseason
- Jack Viney.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

Because we cheat.

That was last season.

For us the inclussion of some further experience on the coaching panel (Choco) and a KPP (Chaplin).

 

[Leslie_Chow]

Fyfe is a year older

 

[Bender571]

Strong finish to last year showed we were starting to get a hang of the game plan and we've now had a great pre-season to really iron out the creases.
Mundy, Barlow and Fyfe have all have shown patches of AA football and are now close to 100% for the first time together.
An injection of speed and skill with Danyle Pearce (as well as new recruits Simpson and Duffy) should help to free up Hill and Pearce of their usual tags.
Three quarters of our list comes from the 2007 draft onwards so still plenty of improvement from that group.
Sandi had a PB in the 3km, hopefully a full season from him.
Full season of Pav up forward.
Full season and proper pre-season for Walters (kicked 22 goals in 10 games last year after being sent away for a poor pre-season)
Good depth in most positions and able to put pressure on the 22 this year (compared to last years long term injuries to Forster, Crozier, Mellington, Michie as well as short term injuries)

Is that positive enough

Here is a list of which clubs had how many players play 20 + games
(During the Home and Away season)

1. Richmond 14 (12th)
2. Hawthorn 13 (1st)
3. Sydney 13 (3rd)
4. West Coast 12 (5th)
5. Adelaide 12 (2nd)
6. Fremantle 12 (7th)
7. Geelong 12 (6th)
8. North Melbourne 11 (8th)
9. St Kilda 10 (9th)
10. Brisbane 9 (13th)
11. Port Adelaide 9 (14th)
12. Collingwood 8 (4th)
13. Melbourne 8 (16th)
14. Essendon 7 (11th)
15. Carlton 6 (10th)
16. Western Bulldogs 6 (15th)
17. GWS 5 (18th)
18. Gold coast 4 (17th)

This ladder copped some criticism before, so here it is without finals.

 

[Belnakor]

This ladder copped some criticism before, so here it is without finals.

not sure that ladder adds much. bottom teams will rotate more players