It's not a great idea making decisions about all of these "list cloggers" when there are still 10 weeks of the season to go. Anyone who has watched us over the last 6 weeks couldn't fail to be impressed by the markedly improved attitude, and the emerging game plan (for want of a better term). Like most here I couldn't really care less about the W-L record this year, but I'll take as many Ws as the boys are capable of delivering and love every moment.
What I've really enjoyed is watching some blokes who I've long considered to be below AFL standard play with some pride and passion, but more importantly make some significant contributions for sustained periods of matches. I'm still not convinced about King, White and McGuane but I'd give them the remainder of the season to show us what they're capable of. I never thought I'd say it, but I reckon they've been pretty good lately.
The only players who we can categorically exclude from being a part of "our next premiership team" are the ones who will retire this year or next IMO. (I'm talking about the ones who are playing, btw...not Jordy, Hislop, etc. who probably have run out of chances.)
If you'd told me at the start of the season that we would hold the record for the most tackles laid in a game by the end of 2010 I wouldn't have been able to contain the laughter. If you'd offered me 1M:1 I wouldn't have even invested $1. We've been soft for far too long, but we don't look soft any more. Full credit to Dimma. Full credit to the playing group who are taking the field each week. Put aside your personal biases about certain players and watch the game. We're good to watch, and it's not just our potential A-graders who have come to play.
I still have no interest in rating our list relative to any other club. I don't know any of the other clubs' lists well enough. All I know is that for the first time in a long time I'm consistently enjoying watching us play, and it makes me smile.
