Perceptions and expectations

[The Crows Truth]

The Caymans Islands are a helluva long way from footy park and I was wondering what the general feel in 'the street' and in media outlets re the Crows early form. No articles (besides that d:ckhead Rucci) I have read actually mention the Crows forms this year

First question - is the media 'sitting up' and taking notice of us? Talking footy, on the couch etc - I was wondering if the Crows are getting some credit after being written off this year

Secondly, have our own expectations lifted? I know we take it 'one week at a time' but things are certainly looking up right now. Our preseason predictions of 7-11 were based on what we could reasonably have expected. Noone could see the marked improvement in the backboners or the impact of Scotty Thompson. And we still have Bird, Hart and M Stevens to come back into the mian team also. I am starting to think top 5-6 is a real possibility

Thoughts?

 

[baaaallllll]

To answer the second question first..

I think perhaps a lot of peoples expectations have gone up. Many punters had us finishing in the bottom 4 and expectations now are that we will do better than that. However there has not been talk of going all the way or anything like that. Only 4 rounds have been played after all.

To answer your first question , talking footy is no more, I haven't watch much of the footy show and have not seen the couch but have listen to SEN and the bits and pieces they have spoken about the Crows is NC has got the players playing for him and have been impressed by the Crows start but the jury is still out on how good we are.

 

[- PC -]

The Caymans Islands are a helluva long way from footy park and I was wondering what the general feel in 'the street' and in media outlets re the Crows early form. No articles (besides that d:ckhead Rucci) I have read actually mention the Crows forms this year

Rucci is what you deserve for swanning it up in the Caymans ...lucky bastud

First question - is the media 'sitting up' and taking notice of us? Talking footy, on the couch etc - I was wondering if the Crows are getting some credit after being written off this year

I live in perth so I think I can give a better answer than most. There hasnt been any outright '' oh my gosh Crows are on their way'' but their has been some positive comments more to do with who we have beaten more than anything. Its the old underhanded compliment.'' We didnt expect Port to lose'' or ''its a real funny start to the season ''

Secondly, have our own expectations lifted? I know we take it 'one week at a time' but things are certainly looking up right now. Our preseason predictions of 7-11 were based on what we could reasonably have expected

I think they have lifted more towards the top end of the 7-12 prediction than the lower end.Instead of thinking 11-12 a lot are now thinking 7-8

. Noone could see the marked improvement in the backboners or the impact of Scotty Thompson. And we still have Bird, Hart and M Stevens to come back into the mian team also. I am starting to think top 5-6 is a real possibility

It has been an eye opener for sure..even for us who have bagged certain players. We are all getting fat on humble pie

My personal expectation is still a 7-12 finish, but as I noted I would think 7th is achievable

 

[RoosterLad]

I doubt many teams would really respect us now, we have only won three games of footy after all. All three were great wins but most people are more concerned with the Ports, Brissys and Sainters... Melbourne won their first three and were suddenly made premiership favourites, next game they got belted.

Let them underestimate us, it doesnt bother me if we get talked about in the media a lot or not, i would prefer it if everyone was waiting for us to fall. If teams go in without showing us respect they will be belted, other teams can think we're sh1t all year if they like

 

[jo172]

To put things in perspective we must realise -

The Crows and Richmond have both won 3 games

and

Port and Brisbane have only won one each.

My point being it's a long season!

 

[RoosterLad]

Absolutely mate, if we lost our next two and Port win theirs, they will be above us just like that.
I think we are a chance to make the finals... a "Chance".. it looks like being a tight competition so a lot of teams will be pushing for a spot... i would rather concentrate on the doggys

 

[ok.crows]

Perceptions:

To me, there is far more speculation going on that Collingwood, or Port, or Sydney are "in trouble".

There is the odd mention that the Crows might have a bit of form going, or that NC has got the players on-side and working together ... but it is far more common to think of the Crows as "lucking out" in coming up against sides who did not play well.

There is some suggestion that the Crows might make the 8, but the near-universal implication that goes with that is that that is as far as the Crows can possibly get and even if they make the finals they will be eliminated in the first round.

 

[just maybe]

Which is a fair assessment. Premiership sides have a forward who can stamp themselves on the game in finals. Which is why Adelaide won't go far (unless Perrie miraculously finds consistent goalkicking power, or M. Stevens relives his heyday) and why I don't think West Coast can be a serious premiership threat. Or even Geelong for that matter, unless Ottens plays to his potential (unlikely).

The real premiership threats, of the likely finalists, will be St Kilda (Riewoldt/Gehrig), Brisbane (J Brown, possibly Bradshaw but probably not), Port (Tredrea), Sydney (B Hall, possibly O'Loughlin), Melbourne (Neitz). Kangaroos are a bit of smokey, depending on Sav.

Look at the premiership sides of the last 15 years and the gun forwards they had:

Port (Tredrea)
Brisbane (Brown/Lynch)
Essendon (Lloyd...93 kind of breaks the sequence, but we'll say Salmon)
Kangaroos (Carey)
Adelaide (Jarman)
Carlton (Kernahan)
West Coast (Sumich)
Hawthorn (Dunstall/Brereton)

 

[- PC -]

Which is a fair assessment. Premiership sides have a forward who can stamp themselves on the game in finals. Which is why Adelaide won't go far (unless Perrie miraculously finds consistent goalkicking power, or M. Stevens relives his heyday) and why I don't think West Coast can be a serious premiership threat. Or even Geelong for that matter, unless Ottens plays to his potential (unlikely).

The real premiership threats, of the likely finalists, will be St Kilda (Riewoldt/Gehrig), Brisbane (J Brown, possibly Bradshaw but probably not), Port (Tredrea), Sydney (B Hall, possibly O'Loughlin), Melbourne (Neitz). Kangaroos are a bit of smokey, depending on Sav.

Look at the premiership sides of the last 15 years and the gun forwards they had:

Port (Tredrea)
Brisbane (Brown/Lynch)
Essendon (Lloyd...93 kind of breaks the sequence, but we'll say Salmon)
Kangaroos (Carey)
Adelaide (Jarman)
Carlton (Kernahan)
West Coast (Sumich)
Hawthorn (Dunstall/Brereton)

Adelaide (Jarman/Ellen)

 

[just maybe]

Adelaide (Jarman/Ellen)

That was a one-off masterstroke, I don't think Ellen really counts as a consistent power forward

 

[- PC -]

That was a one-off masterstroke, I don't think Ellen really counts as a consistent power forward

Neither was Jarman

 

[just maybe]

I'd say he was. Whenever he was put in the forward line he delivered. A lot more so than Ellen anyway!

 

[- PC -]

I'd say he was. Whenever he was put in the forward line he delivered. A lot more so than Ellen anyway!

Perceptions Define POWER forward without using Tredrea. What do you think of when you say power forward.. I agree Jarmans output was excellent,.. I see power forwards as ones who used their bulk to smash through packs

 

[just maybe]

OK gun forward then. Wrong word in respect of Jarman, I admit. But one who could take a game by the scruff of the neck and break it open.

 

[baaaallllll]

Perceptions:

To me, there is far more speculation going on that Collingwood, or Port, or Sydney are "in trouble".

There is the odd mention that the Crows might have a bit of form going, or that NC has got the players on-side and working together ... but it is far more common to think of the Crows as "lucking out" in coming up against sides who did not play well.

There is some suggestion that the Crows might make the 8, but the near-universal implication that goes with that is that that is as far as the Crows can possibly get and even if they make the finals they will be eliminated in the first round.

great post

 

[crowsarethebest]

Long way to go... also i think this year is a very open field, meaning that lots of teams can win the premiership. All the teams are very very close together.