Rounds 1-8 2012 vs 2013

[Syd]

There's been a fair bit of negativity over the past couple of weeks, so I thought in the interest of perspective I'd compare the results of this years start to last being we had such a soft\gifted draw and all.

The comparison showed as follows;

So in essence by round 8 last year, we had played 4 of the eventual other 7 finalists.
Thus far this year the same ratio (using last years top-8) applies. Simply replace Adelaide with Geelong.

We are 5-2-1 compared to 6-2-0 over the same period.

Points for are almost identical.

Points against are up by just over 2 goals per game. Not too shabby given the injuries to our backline at the moment, BUT even taking 2 goals off every score this year would not change a single result!

So the positives?

Injuries heal. We will see Shaw, LRT and Mattner in the backline again and hopefully soon.
Suspensions end. We will get to add Tippett into the forward line and this will help Reid + others by having another stronger presence.
Improvements. Pyke has gone up a cog and so has Hanners.
Midfield. Hopefully with some key defensive personnel returning they can spend more time being an offensive than a defensive unit.

Negatives?

I'll leave it to you all to cannibalise the above, but to me we are basically at the same point in terms of W\L and ladder position despite a much tougher run with personnel and lack of quality depth currently being tested.

But put me on record as saying I'm not prepared to run up the white flag alongside the 2012 Premiership Flag just yet.

 

[The King!]

The biggest two differences for me are

Negative: we have not had a good win - havent beaten a good team, last year that win at Aurora was such a big season lifting game

Positive: there is more quality to return to the side than at the same time last year (which is obviously also a negative) but they should be back, though AJ and Rohan wont well rohan unlikely i assume. But to be 4th with tippett, lrt, shaw, mattner to return and a lot of players who could and should improve as the season goes, Jetta, Reid, Goodes (freed up by tippett)


Yesterdays effort annoyed me, the season so far is frustrating, why? Because i think we can win back to back this year, i think we have the talent and skill to do it and that why i find the start frustrating. The cats and dockers at home frustrate me heaps.

But im with you, no way ive written the year off at all, i think this side is sitting 4th playing average footy, if they turn it on they can beat any of the other sides in this comp

 

[balldman]

I think a comparison of that kind just paints the picture you want to see.THe biggest point of difference I see with this & it's the same when people deride an eventual premiers draw in comparison to their teams ,saying Team A only had a 5-2 record ,or whatever against the Top 4 or top 8 etc..it's a biased comparison comparing result at the end of the season to when the event took place.i see you used the word EVENTUAL,so you acknowledged their round 23 position
If you look at the 1st 8 round of 2012,more specifically rounds 2 -8 (as all teams start the year in the same spot.)

Round 2 Fremantle 8th v Sydney 1st WIN
3 Port 12th v Sydney 4th WIN
4 North 6th v SYdney 3rd WIN
5 Hawks 9th v Sydney 2nd WIN
6 Crows 4th v Sydney 2nd LOSS
7 Tigers 12th v Sydney 3rd LOSS
8 Demons 18th v Sydney 5th WIN
You can see we only played 1 top 4 team (crows) A loss & 2 top 8 2wins
.If you compare our first 8 games of this year to the 1st time we played that opposition in 2012 when we 1st played them it paints a totally different picture.

2012 For Against. 2013. For. against . Tot
V GWS. 100. 37. 106 (+6). 76 (-39). -33
V Suns. 126. 54. 114 (-12). 73 (-19). -31
V North. 113. 77. 131 (+18). 92 (-15). +3
V Cats. 80 74. 103(+23). 124(-50). -27
V Saints 83. 111. 79(-4). 63(+48). +44
V Lions. 110. 63 115(+5). 55(+ 8). +13
V Hawks. 106. 69. 82(-24). 119(-50). - 74
V Dockers. 94. 81. 70(-24). 70(+11). -13

*the bracketed numbers is the score compared to 2012.a + number is optimum in both for & against.
So from these results you can see the total is negative in 5 games(GWS,Suns,Cats,Hawks & Dockers)&
positive in 3 games (North,Saints & Lions )
Also, of note we have kicked 120 goals in both time periods, but have been more efficient in conversion this year kicking 80 behinds to 92 last year.
Something that isn't often noted statistically is the games experience we're missing.
LRT,Johnson,Shaw & Mattner to a lesser extent a total of 630 games.
You don't replace that overnight.
For mine were just going, & although there's been improvement in the likes of Pyke,Hannebery,Parker & the usual group of hardened reliable most notably,Jack,Kennedy,McVeigh,Goodes,Richards & co it's our depth,esp in the back line, where when we're on song our momentum comes from that has been the major cause for concern.We're always going to get enough ball from the middle to create scoring momentum.If conversion drops or we don't win the 50/50 we get scored too easily against.
Just my thoughts.Happy to hear others.

 

[Punts]

I'm not so worried about were we are now 5-2 can handle that with team form only to get better and the players to come in LRT , Shaw , Tippett , maybe Rohan , its were we are at the bye Im worried about we drop 2 out of the 3 of the nexted 3 games with the comp being so tight u could drop out of the 8 and have to play catch up footy in the second half which is a big ask to make top 4 and to go back to back u have to finish in the top 4 no doubt, MASSIVE 3 WEEKS maybe the most important of the year due to getting through them with the injuries we have, if we can win all 3 could set us up for top 4 being stronger again in the second half ,we lose well Im not shaw what could happen 15 wins this year I think can get u top 4 , we all might be looking to far ahead just want the win this week