- Jan 13, 2004
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Dust has settled on Season 2021 and we have our new draftees.
After a good season this year that ultimately ended in disappointment in the Grand Final, these are, for me, the questions looking ahead:
1. Can we contend again?
Simple answer to this is yes.
The majority of the team are in their prime and we spent most of 2021 in the top 2 before a form slump saw us slip out of Top 4 right when we didn’t want to.
Of players that were potential first 22, we have lost Lipinski (talented but a fringe player) and Wood (very good defender and club legend but probably the right call to retire)
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of our team?
Midfield - obviously a big strength. Nothing at all wrong our midfield. Top quality.
Defence - Our half backs (Daniel, Dale, Duryea) are top notch, and we also have other options to play there like Johannisen, Richards.
Alex Keath
is a gun key defender, but it’s our second defenders that are a cause for concern.
Cordy is a reasonable defender but can have his days when he is very well beaten.
I have Gardiner a level below Cordy - he can be solid, but I’m a log way from sold on him.
Losing Easton - although probably the right call from him - also means one less option for a 2nd defender.
I don’t confess to having seen a lot of Tim O’Brien, but he seems a good pick up and replacement for Easton.
We also saw Schache play in defence at times late in the year and do pretty well, so maybe Keath as the number one defender and O’Brien and Schache as the second and third?
Forward Line - Not worried about it as long as they stay healthy. Naughton is great, Weightman is a an excellent small forward, and hopefully we get Bruce back in reasonable time. There’s also supporting acts like Hannan, Jamarra, Treloar, JJ and English that contribute well up forward.
Ruck - For me it’s the weakness and a glaring one. I like Stef Martin and think he did well this year but he is 36 and injury prone as we saw this year.
Sweet did well this year in his limited games, but is young and would need to step up significantly.
English is a good player for mine - he cops it on here, but I’d prefer to have him in the side. His ruck work leaves a lot to be desired though - he gets dominated by the likes of Gawn, Nic Nat, Goldstein and Grundy
We also drafted Sam Darcy, but not sure putting this sort of expectation on him in his first year is warranted.
The good news is that our midfield are so good they still manage to win clearances without having us having a dominant ruck.
Do we keep backing our midfield to get it done, or do we need one of our rucks to step up?
3. The other teams. Who are the other contenders?
The very nature of the competition means that while the other good sides this year (Melbourne, Port, Brisbane, Geelong) are likely to be good again in 2022, there is usually a bolter that comes from outside the 8 to challenge.
Melbourne themselves won the flag this year after being average in 2020z
Adelaide - A long way off it. Rebuilding.
Brisbane - Think they’ll be good again, but their finals record is suspect. Maybe they can make good next year after a couple of year’s of disappointment?
Carlton - I don’t really rate them, but with a new coach and with a lot of heat on in them in recent years, they could be the bolter I mentioned above. But i think they’re just not up to it.
Collingwood - Could be a chance to be a bolter with the new coach as a bounce, but I doubt it.
Essendon - If I had to pick a bolter right now, I’d choose them, Richmond or West Coast.
Fremantle - Nope. Not good enough. Need more time.
Geelong - It will be the same old for them. Good home and away, no good in finals.
Gold Coast - Will be s**t, yet again. They have serious problems.
GWS - For me they are the hardest side to predict. I’m leaning towards thinking they had their chance in 2016-19.
But they made finals this year and won one, so they have to be a chance.
Not having Greene for 6 matches will be costly though.
Hawthorn - List not good enough. New coach but highly unlikely for finals.
Melbourne - I only see them not being a contender if they have injuries and/or a premiership hangover.
Whilst they undoubtedly overwhelmed us in the GF, we were one of only four sides to beat them this year.
Norf - Nope. Long way off it.
Port Adelaide - I think they are a good side, their PF effort against us notwithstanding. But they’ve been similar to Geelong the past few year (minus an average player age of 200 million) in that they just can’t get it done in the finals.
But they have the quality to at least finish top 4 again.
Richmond - Very much a chance to be a bolter, and very much a chance their window has closed.
What if Dusty returns to his best? If he does then they should easy be back amongst it.
Sydney Swans - Was very impressed with them this year and they were unlucky in the finals.
Probably have them in bottom half of the 8.
West Coast Eagles - Was disappointed with them this season, after our cracking match against them in Round 2, I was certain they’d be a contender this year, but they were well disappointing.
But they have shown before they can bounce back, and with hone ground advantage, plus Kennedy, Darling, Nic Nat and Shuey, think they‘re a good chance to be a threat.
So in summary:
1. I think there’s every reason to think we’ll be a contender.
2. I have some concerns over our 2nd and 3rd defenders.
3. I’m mainly concerned about our rucks, and hope that one of the players mentioned in my summary can become a consistent and good ruckman.
4. I think Melbourne, Brisbane and Port will still be good nest year, and a potential new threat/challenger could come from about 6-7 different sides.
Feel free to argue my points or add your own!
After a good season this year that ultimately ended in disappointment in the Grand Final, these are, for me, the questions looking ahead:
1. Can we contend again?
Simple answer to this is yes.
The majority of the team are in their prime and we spent most of 2021 in the top 2 before a form slump saw us slip out of Top 4 right when we didn’t want to.
Of players that were potential first 22, we have lost Lipinski (talented but a fringe player) and Wood (very good defender and club legend but probably the right call to retire)
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of our team?
Midfield - obviously a big strength. Nothing at all wrong our midfield. Top quality.
Defence - Our half backs (Daniel, Dale, Duryea) are top notch, and we also have other options to play there like Johannisen, Richards.
Alex Keath
PLAYERCARDSTART
42
Alex Keath
- Age
- 32
- Ht
- 198cm
- Wt
- 93kg
- Pos.
- Def
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 14.0
- 4star
- K
- 8.9
- 3star
- HB
- 5.1
- 4star
- M
- 5.1
- 5star
- T
- 1.5
- 3star
- MG
- 206.7
- 3star
- D
- 11.0
- 3star
- K
- 7.3
- 3star
- HB
- 3.8
- 3star
- M
- 3.6
- 4star
- T
- 0.6
- 1star
- MG
- 193.4
- 3star
- D
- 11.4
- 3star
- K
- 6.2
- 3star
- HB
- 5.2
- 4star
- M
- 4.6
- 5star
- T
- 2.6
- 4star
- MG
- 165.0
- 3star
PLAYERCARDEND
Cordy is a reasonable defender but can have his days when he is very well beaten.
I have Gardiner a level below Cordy - he can be solid, but I’m a log way from sold on him.
Losing Easton - although probably the right call from him - also means one less option for a 2nd defender.
I don’t confess to having seen a lot of Tim O’Brien, but he seems a good pick up and replacement for Easton.
We also saw Schache play in defence at times late in the year and do pretty well, so maybe Keath as the number one defender and O’Brien and Schache as the second and third?
Forward Line - Not worried about it as long as they stay healthy. Naughton is great, Weightman is a an excellent small forward, and hopefully we get Bruce back in reasonable time. There’s also supporting acts like Hannan, Jamarra, Treloar, JJ and English that contribute well up forward.
Ruck - For me it’s the weakness and a glaring one. I like Stef Martin and think he did well this year but he is 36 and injury prone as we saw this year.
Sweet did well this year in his limited games, but is young and would need to step up significantly.
English is a good player for mine - he cops it on here, but I’d prefer to have him in the side. His ruck work leaves a lot to be desired though - he gets dominated by the likes of Gawn, Nic Nat, Goldstein and Grundy
We also drafted Sam Darcy, but not sure putting this sort of expectation on him in his first year is warranted.
The good news is that our midfield are so good they still manage to win clearances without having us having a dominant ruck.
Do we keep backing our midfield to get it done, or do we need one of our rucks to step up?
3. The other teams. Who are the other contenders?
The very nature of the competition means that while the other good sides this year (Melbourne, Port, Brisbane, Geelong) are likely to be good again in 2022, there is usually a bolter that comes from outside the 8 to challenge.
Melbourne themselves won the flag this year after being average in 2020z
Adelaide - A long way off it. Rebuilding.
Brisbane - Think they’ll be good again, but their finals record is suspect. Maybe they can make good next year after a couple of year’s of disappointment?
Carlton - I don’t really rate them, but with a new coach and with a lot of heat on in them in recent years, they could be the bolter I mentioned above. But i think they’re just not up to it.
Collingwood - Could be a chance to be a bolter with the new coach as a bounce, but I doubt it.
Essendon - If I had to pick a bolter right now, I’d choose them, Richmond or West Coast.
Fremantle - Nope. Not good enough. Need more time.
Geelong - It will be the same old for them. Good home and away, no good in finals.
Gold Coast - Will be s**t, yet again. They have serious problems.
GWS - For me they are the hardest side to predict. I’m leaning towards thinking they had their chance in 2016-19.
But they made finals this year and won one, so they have to be a chance.
Not having Greene for 6 matches will be costly though.
Hawthorn - List not good enough. New coach but highly unlikely for finals.
Melbourne - I only see them not being a contender if they have injuries and/or a premiership hangover.
Whilst they undoubtedly overwhelmed us in the GF, we were one of only four sides to beat them this year.
Norf - Nope. Long way off it.
Port Adelaide - I think they are a good side, their PF effort against us notwithstanding. But they’ve been similar to Geelong the past few year (minus an average player age of 200 million) in that they just can’t get it done in the finals.
But they have the quality to at least finish top 4 again.
Richmond - Very much a chance to be a bolter, and very much a chance their window has closed.
What if Dusty returns to his best? If he does then they should easy be back amongst it.
Sydney Swans - Was very impressed with them this year and they were unlucky in the finals.
Probably have them in bottom half of the 8.
West Coast Eagles - Was disappointed with them this season, after our cracking match against them in Round 2, I was certain they’d be a contender this year, but they were well disappointing.
But they have shown before they can bounce back, and with hone ground advantage, plus Kennedy, Darling, Nic Nat and Shuey, think they‘re a good chance to be a threat.
So in summary:
1. I think there’s every reason to think we’ll be a contender.
2. I have some concerns over our 2nd and 3rd defenders.
3. I’m mainly concerned about our rucks, and hope that one of the players mentioned in my summary can become a consistent and good ruckman.
4. I think Melbourne, Brisbane and Port will still be good nest year, and a potential new threat/challenger could come from about 6-7 different sides.
Feel free to argue my points or add your own!
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