Realistic Expectations

[Exeter]

Where do people realistically think we'll finish in 2004?

My view is that 2004 is a consolidation year. Players like Judd and Sampi will have another year under their belts and should run out the season a whole lot better. Given that we need to uncover new KPPs - and forward is looking beter than back in my view, and to blood new players, I expect that we will finish top 8, but probably no higher than about 7.

Assuming our new recruits and young blokes are up to it, and that we are relatively free of injury, I expect us to move up as of 2005.

 

[Au_Blue#24]

Top 6. Any less and we are stagnating.

We need our young KKP to step up so that they are on song as our midfiled peaks in 2005.

 

[sabre_ac]

All rests on gardiner.
Eagles could finish as high as 5th or as low as 10th.

 

[Hamburger]

IMO most likely is 8-10.
However, unlike the last couple of years I expect us to improve as the year wears on.....and so if we do make the finals we should win one or two.
That would be a very nice change.

 

[no1bankteller]

My prediction is that we will have at least two more threads startign with...realistic expectations, where will we finish, who will play in the back line and why is Carroll still in AFL.

Just taking the pis out of lack of footy conversation and not having a go at you Exter...

FWIW I think we will finish top four. Gasper, Glass and Hunter to suprise everyone and become top four defensive unit...

 

[masai]

Originally posted by no1bankteller

FWIW I think we will finish top four. Gasper, Glass and Hunter to suprise everyone and become top four defensive unit...

What's Michael Caton's phone number?.

7 - 8 if there are few injury problems.

Must blood more youngsters (more game time), they may come up trumps and put egg on my face.

If McDougall, Gaspar, Staker and Lynch????? stand up, you will have a good sniff.

 

[dasler]

Originally posted by Au_Blue#24
Top 6. Any less and we are stagnating.

We need our young KKP to step up so that they are on song as our midfiled peaks in 2005.

As long as the young guys are thrown into the deep end as KP prospects I will be happy wherever we finish....being in the top 8 ofcourse.

We have to bite the bullet and bleed them now for the good of future seasons.

 

[Mr Eagle]

Gardiner is no longer the keystone - Cox is a decent if unspectacular replacement. The new crux issue is whether or not our young talls show any signs of development, particularly in the second half of the season after some regular game time. Traditionally it is only in the second half that we get a real impression of where the team stands. If they stand up, top four is possible but a challenge in terms of who will have to be dislodged to get there. Top eight is likely and indeed probable. Bottom eight? Not entirely out of the question, let's face it. There are plenty of maybes in our 2004 campaign aside from the young talls, have enough of them turn to bite us and we could slip.

 

[Mead]

A lot depends on injuries. I think on paper we're an extremely talented, albeit fragile side. Our Gardiner + Gun Midfield setup can take apart any team in the competition, which should have me talking flags, but the the problem is that there is no plan B. If the midfield stagnates or we get a few injuries (and at some point or another, we certainly will), we'll be right back in the pack.

Top 4 is doable, and no doubt its where we have our sights set, but unless we get a good run with injuries or the younguns develop enough to pick up the slack, we'll probably be just anothey 8 side.

I'll echo what Hamburger said though- the big thing I would like to see is us get better as the year goes on, rather than the other way round. I'd much rather see us as a middle of the road side for 16 rounds because we're blooding youngsters, and watch them come together in time for a decent finals campaign than the way things were last year.

 

[Exeter]

I know this has been done before (sorry about that No. 1) but I want people to nail their colours to the mast and predict where they think the Eagles will finish not where they could finish.

My tip is 8.

 

[Mead]

Always an optimist, I'll say 3rd.

 

[Mr Eagle]

1
2
3
4
5
6 West Coast
7
8

 

[Mr Q]

1. <- if 100% of everything goes right. Unlikely, but you can always hope
2. <- If Trent Carroll becomes a superstar
3. <- If we're injury free and our young KPPs stand up well
4. <- If we don't have any real injuries
5.
6. <- If we have an average run with injuries and form
7.
8. <- If we fall away late in the season again
9. (Reserved for a resurgent Richmond side)
10.
11. <- If we have a bad run with injuries and noone new stands up
12.
13. <- If we lose our entire midfield for several weeks.
14.
15.
16. <- not going to happen

 

[Exeter]

I'll put you down for 6 then Mr. Q

BTW to use the words "resurgent" and "Richmond" in the same sentence is a non-sequitur.

 

[Mr Q]

Originally posted by Exeter
I'll put you down for 6 then Mr. Q

BTW to use the words "resurgent" and "Richmond" in the same sentence is a non-sequitur.

Come on, I used "Trent Carroll" and "superstar" in the same sentence as well!

But yeah, 6 is my tip.

 

[Exeter]

Originally posted by Mr Q
Come on, I used "Trent Carroll" and "superstar" in the same sentence as well!

But yeah, 6 is my tip.

But you used the qualifier "If".

Which is about as likely as me winning a powerball lotto jackpot every week for the rest of the year.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

4th.


-Gaspar to overcome his injuries and become a key player at CHB.
-McDougall to get more game time and kick 40 goals.
-Hunter to become an unorthodox FB for us.
-Staker to move permenantly into defence, starting on a flank and moving into KP roles as the season goes on.
-Seaby to debut, impress, and play a McDougall of 2003 role. Won't have a major impact, but will have us fans creaming ourselves.
-Cox to spend more time as 1st ruck, as the eagles coaching staff take the load off Gardiner in the hope he doesn't wear out.
-Kerr to get back to his best as he shakes off niggling injuries
-Embley to hold his 2003 form, though a slight dip as opposition teams take more notice of him is not out of the question
-Opposition coaches will have sleepless nights trying to counter a more experienced and gelled midfield brigate of Cousins, Kerr, Judd, Fletcher, Gardiner, Embley, Braun and occassionally Chick
and Wirra.



With so many of them, I'm bound to get one right. Expect a couple "I told you so's " in September

 

[bluey17]

At best we will finish 4th, with the young talls fitting in straight away and having a big effect, coupled with no super serious injuries... a normal season will see us finish 6th, with the young talls taking time to fit in and with a couple of serious injuries... at worst we could finish 9th with some serious injuries and lack of game time for young talls etc.

IMO the second equation will be 2004 and the first will be 2005 as they would have settled and we could have a settled spine.

 

[Jabber]

But for a couple of coaching/selection blunders we should have finished 4th in 2003, despite the injuries to Gardiner, Fletcher & Embley all coinciding at the wrong part of the season.

We've lost Milli, Willo & Haynes who were all pretty much dead wood during 2003 anyway. Read will be missed, but should be compensated by a fit Morrison.

Waters is ready to play and should help toughen up our defense.

If Gaspar stays fit for most of the season, we should expect to finish better than last years position. We have plenty of talls who didn't play senior footy in 2003 but are ready, only one of them needs to put his hand up for us to be in a better position than last year.

2004 prediciton - 4th

 

[Milkman]

An optimistic 3rd.

 

[no1bankteller]

Waters is ready to play and should help toughen up our defense.
[/B]

Let not forget he is an 18 year old kid, therefore lets not put too much expectation on him.

He is a tough player however AFL is a in a different league when comapred to SANFL and under age competition. IMO it will take him at least 12 months to fully come to speed and really have a physical influence. I do look forward to the day that it happens though..

 

[LongBombFromOutside50]

It goes without saying that whilst your midfield is strong, your lineup of key positional players is extremely thin. Carrol, Glass, Gaspar, McDougall, Lynch and Gardiner at a pinch would have be close to the weakest spine in the league (and no, 170cm Phil Matera does not count as a key positional player).

If Gardiner has an injury-free season and two of the above players step up to be reliable/quality players (quite possible if McDougall and Gaspar have injury-free seasons) then you will finish 4 - 8. If Gardiner's season is struck by injury (the laws of probability suggest this will happen) and Gaspar and Glass struggle to find form after an injury-interrupted pre-season, I think you will have another quiet or short-lived September.

You have other youngsters such as Seaby, Hansen, Johnson and Staker coming through, however, bar Seaby, none of them can be relied upon to play more than 15 games. Hansen's pre-season has been severely struck by injury which will undoubtedly affect his development, Staker is far too light to play a key positional role at senior level and Johnson is only in his second season. Seaby may step up to be a handy contributor next season but not much more should be expected from him.

 

[cartman]

slight improvement 6th

 

[Juddamania]

Originally posted by |D_J^B_J|
Staker is far too light to play a key positional role at senior level

According to Footygoss rolleyes: ), Woosh's preference for FB while Glass is injured, is, in fact, Staker!no idea how they came up with that

Realistically, I'm thinking 6-8 providing no major losses of key players. But the structure is quite different now, even though there weren't "big" losses, so thats going to takae a while to settle.

But talking to a Brissy supporter the other day, she's actually tipping us for the premiership

 

[Clayton]

A realistic expectation would be a top 4 berth and thats what i'm thinking. However i reckon the upcoming season is going to be a tight one and the side will have to keep their wits.

Hopefully alot of fringe players get valuable game time aswell!