Opinion Season 2020 - Pessimistic or optimistic?

[ghostdog]

I don't take too much notice of the results in pre season games but assessing the game plan has left me feeling very optimistic.

I don't think we will finish top four or anything but we will have a game plan that is both exciting to watch but not incredibly frustrating at the same time.

Our new gameplan will have the "duds are stars" effect. You know how you look at other teams and you rate 3 or 4 of their players as average players but the supporters of that club rate them as stars? That's what we are building and I love it. Guys like Townsend, Phillips, Redman, Ridley, BZT, Cutler, Snelling, Begley, Clark (I am not saying they are duds) etc are going to be able to play significant roles in this team without any fan fare. We don't have to wait for all of Laverde, Langford, Mcgrath, Parish and Francis to "break out" when we build a game plan that is sustainable with role players.

Hawthorn, Bulldogs and Richmond have all done this in different ways, its the soldier in, soldier out mentality. We have always had to rely on Daniher, Stringer, Merrett, Shiel, Tipingwuti, Smith, Hooker or Hurley to have a blinder to win. Not anymore, they will still be stars but they become the cherry on top when they play a game out of the box. The base will be laid with a solid gameplan that is sustainable even with lesser lights in the team.

I don't want to tell anyone to how suck eggs as you are all educated football watchers but my understanding of the forward handball is to minimize the impact of a turnover should it occur. When we turn the ball over by foot the opposition can mark and therefore kick with no pressure or pick the ball up in space and then hit a target in our open defence. With our handball it takes the marking option out so the intercepting player has less time, its also closer quarters due to the range of a handball so the intercept player has even less time. What I think we will see a lot is what seems like frantic forward handballing until we either break through opposition defence and score, or the opposition intercepts and we immediately pressure the ball to force another turnover or stoppage. I have a feeling we are focusing on tackling and trying to create stoppages, reset and go again.

Once again the greatest thing about this game plan is we don't need superstars, we just need some grunt. If I am right a player like Redman could become one of our most valuable players which would be laughable for opposition supporters. He wont get 30 possessions a game but he will be in the handball link and create massive pressure on turnover. He will also slice open the opposition defence with his kicking into 50 if given the chance.

I am optimistic we will see a much more sustainable game plan, be less reliant on star players, see a bit of grit with guys like Townsend, Smith, Redman, Snelling, Phillips and most of all get rid of those life sapping turnovers that let opposition sides just walk into goal.

I would add Guelfi to that list of pressure and tackle players.

I can see the forward handball leading to some blindturns into a tackler which could hurt. Happened a few times through the middle of the ground last year. I recall Saad selling someone short there as well. High pressure opposition could turn it into a series of scrums.

We still have to be prepared to clear the congestion by foot to good runners. Blokes like Redman, Shiel, Heppell and Merrett will be important. Really like your assessment of Redman. It's hard to believe he was taken at pick 30 and Langers at 17.

Still optimistic though.

 

[Fridge16]

I would add Guelfi to that list of pressure and tackle players.

I can see the forward handball leading to some blindturns into a tackler which could hurt. Happened a few times through the middle of the ground last year. I recall Saad selling someone short there as well. High pressure opposition could turn it into a series of scrums.

We still have to be prepared to clear the congestion by foot to good runners. Blokes like Redman, Shiel, Heppell and Merrett will be important. Really like your assessment of Redman. It's hard to believe he was taken at pick 30 and Langers at 17.

Still optimistic though.

Yes! I should have named Guelfi, he like Redman is that perfect role player (at this stage) that could become crucial in a team that has a good game plan. I agree that we will see errors and still have moments where it doesn't work but I still like what they are trying. Pity the season will probably be ruined.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Yes! I should have named Guelfi, he like Redman is that perfect role player (at this stage) that could become crucial in a team that has a good game plan. I agree that we will see errors and still have moments where it doesn't work but I still like what they are trying. Pity the season will probably be ruined.

Redman will be an All-Australian one day.

I have no doubt in my mind about that.

 

[Vincent Hanna]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

The media seem to love to hype us every pre-season, I'm kind of on the fence about 2020. If we didn't have so many guys that had an interrupted off season, I would be more optimistic. A 6-8 finish with a finals win (finally), I'd be well pleased.

 

[Don Won]

Now when I read the thread title ‘Season 2020 - optimistic or pessimistic?’ it reads as very different question to how it read a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Andronicus]

For all the talk of us conceding red time goals, the ladder from last year with 16.5 minute quarters had us finishing in 13th.

 

[eth-dog]

For all the talk of us conceding red time goals, the ladder from last year with 16.5 minute quarters had us finishing in 13th.

How much was that due to round 1, out of curiosity?

 

[Andronicus]

How much was that due to round 1, out of curiosity?

I didn't do the maths, but at a guess I'd say some of it was to do with that.

 

[Maxabillions]

Footy could be back in about six weeks. Essendon will have benefited from the break with injured players having time to regain fitness. Woosha thinks shorter quarters will suit us and we could win the flag.

How are people's optimism levels about our chances?

 

[Bombers36]

Optimistic


List still has plenty of top class players - Smith, Saad, Tippa, Fanta, Stringer, Hurley, Merrett, Shiel to name a few..just need to gell and a bit of luck keeping all these guys on the park and we'll go a long way - definitely top 8
Add a fit Heppell & Daniher both of whom would have benefited enormously from this break
Plus - Woosha reckons we can win the flag...!!
What could possibly go wrong...??!!

 

[Lore]

Footy could be back in about six weeks. Essendon will have benefited from the break with injured players having time to regain fitness. Woosha thinks shorter quarters will suit us and we could win the flag.

How are people's optimism levels about our chances?

2020*, the year of *?

 

[windyhill]

I'm switching. Equal top. Optimistic.

 

[EnolaGay]

Footy could be back in about six weeks. Essendon will have benefited from the break with injured players having time to regain fitness. Woosha thinks shorter quarters will suit us and we could win the flag.

How are people's optimism levels about our chances?

I want what Woosha is prescribing!

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

 

[Maxabillions]

I want what Woosha is prescribing!

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

Guess that's what happens when a pharmacist self isolates

 

[CBombers17]

If it's not a real season with real game demands we are in with a fighters chance.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

AFL clubs in Vic are allowed to resume training from Wednesday. Thanks Dan the Ban Man!!

 

[Red Black and Blue]

AFL clubs in Vic are allowed to resume training from Wednesday. Thanks Dan the Ban Man!!

but they can’t until the Northern states correct?

 

[owen87]

but they can’t until the Northern states correct?

The AFL itself barred SA and WA teams from training in groups larger than 2, I think VIC was the last state to allow 10? So I'd assume clubs could at least now train in groups of 10 even without additional allowances like VIC has made on the basis of professional sport being a workplace.

 

[ghostdog]

I'm still optimistic now the season is finally about to start, because the injury list has hopefully shortened.

Let's not kid ourselves though; any team that wins the 2020 premiership is going to be looked at sideways unless they produce similar success in an uncompromised 2021.

Part of me would have preferred they can the 2020 season completely. Give all clubs the chance to restart 2021 with a completely fit list and have a really cracking season of footy.

I get financial pressure, but there must be some kind of lesson in running a business with such narrow margins in all of this.

 

[yaco55]

The 2020 premier will be a justified winner - They'll overcome hurdles you don't encounter in a regular season - Of course the season has to continue wherever possible because it is WORK - Society can't survive without working.

 

[ghostdog]

The 2020 premier will be a justified winner - They'll overcome hurdles you don't encounter in a regular season - Of course the season has to continue wherever possible because it is WORK - Society can't survive without working.

I'm sure the 2020 premier will have won fair and square, but any comparative discussion of their premiership season with any other will have them scoffed at until they do it in an uncompromised season.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

Sure you can put an asterisk on the 2020 premiers but honestly this season is a litmus test on which club has their sh*t together the most, as they'll be the ones on top. If anything it will impress me more than a regular season's flag.

 

[pepsi]

I feel more optimistic about our season compared to before it starting in March. If we can keep our main list healthy then I think we'll win a final this year.

On the issue of whether this season will have an asterisk or not it's an interesting discussion. In the era of the AFL there has been no season that has truly been uncompromised.

The western and south Australian teams having to play in Queensland certainly compromise it significantly. If that can be kept to a maximum of around 4 games I think it's not too huge of an impact on those clubs. If every team plays each other once that helps the season retain its value.

I still think the best couple of teams will finish in the top 4 at the end of the 17 rounds.

 

[yaco55]

I'm sure the 2020 premier will have won fair and square, but any comparative discussion of their premiership season with any other will have them scoffed at until they do it in an uncompromised season.

Some will argue that playing each time once makes it a fairer system.

 

[ghostdog]

Some will argue that playing each time once makes it a fairer system.

They could and that would be reasonable. I think it's nigh impossible to compare because the contexts of competition will be so different. Hopefully it's still a decent comp.