Some irony in the current ladder

[just maybe]

Adelaide 4th, 4-2

Port Adelaide 14th, 1-1-4

At the start of the season, most people would have expected that to be the other way round and you wouldn't get anyone to put money on this kind of thing after Round 6.

Crows really should push for finals from here. No more talk about 'rebuilding' and 'youthful ups and downs'. The fact is we've been competitive to excellent in 6 games (bar a single quarter against the Bulldogs). To drop below that as the season goes on would be a damning indictment of us. I think we can finish with 12-14 wins.

 

[tribey]

There's a lot of 1997/8 in this year's squad.

An ageing gun or two and a few guns in their prime surrounded by an able second tier combined with a gaggle of exciting youngsters.

12-14 wins looks attainable now given the inconsistency of every side bar West Coast this season - really is shaping up to be one of those years where any number of 8 or 9 could stamp their name on the cup come September given a run of sustained form.

 

[Stiffy_18]

There's a lot of 1997/8 in this year's squad.

An ageing gun or two and a few guns in their prime surrounded by an able second tier combined with a gaggle of exciting youngsters.

12-14 wins looks attainable now given the inconsistency of every side bar West Coast this season - really is shaping up to be one of those years where any number of 8 or 9 could stamp their name on the cup come September given a run of sustained form.

I think there is a lot of 2002 in this group.

Good all over the ground except the forward line

This year is panning out like you are suggesting in that any of the 8 could go on to win it in september but I think the club that has a gun key forward will go a long way.

 

[just maybe]

I think the club that has a gun key forward will go a long way.

Which writes off West Coast, methinks.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Which writes off West Coast, methinks.

I think St. Kilda are a good thing this year if they can get Reiwoldt back fit and firing.

 

[tribey]

I think there is a lot of 2002 in this group.

Good all over the ground except the forward line

On a positional level, true that.

How far away would you say 1.21 Ferguswatts and/or Liam Meesen are?

 

[tribey]

I think St. Kilda are a good thing this year if they can get Reiwoldt back fit and firing.

I reckon they're one really good key defender away from being certainties.

Everywhere else they're frightening. With St. Nick in it, their forward line is as perfect as you'll see.

 

[Stiffy_18]

On a positional level, true that.

How far away would you say 1.21 Ferguswatts and/or Liam Meesen are?

I think Watts is at least a year away so is Meesen.

If we could have 2002 version of Mark Stevens along with 2003 Version of Ian Perrie we would be better chances but at this stage we are nowhere near good enough.

I just hope that the likes of Watts and Hentschel become consistenly good performers while the likes of Roo, Goody, Edwards and McLeod are good enough to be key players.

If we can pinch a flag in the next 3-4 years we would have done very well. If we don't then we are back to square one

 

[Mad Dog]

Adelaide 4th, 4-2

Port Adelaide 14th, 1-1-4

At the start of the season, most people would have expected that to be the other way round and you wouldn't get anyone to put money on this kind of thing after Round 6.

Crows really should push for finals from here. No more talk about 'rebuilding' and 'youthful ups and downs'. The fact is we've been competitive to excellent in 6 games (bar a single quarter against the Bulldogs). To drop below that as the season goes on would be a damning indictment of us. I think we can finish with 12-14 wins.

like it or not - we will still get inconsistancy of performance......something you expect from youngsters....a pity though when we get it mostly from our established stars.....

 

[outback jack]

there cant be any 1997/8 comparisons, there isnt exactly the class of macca, goodwin, edwards and johnson coming through with our current midfielders. And we dont have that magic forward either like the great D Jarman. I really think we'll bottom out further within the next three yrs. We are not rebuilding properly i dont think. Skippy, aint the future.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think there is a lot of 2002 in this group.

Good all over the ground except the forward line

This year is panning out like you are suggesting in that any of the 8 could go on to win it in september but I think the club that has a gun key forward will go a long way.

Agreed......I still think there's only one thing missing from our fwd line ATM.




Benny Hill music.........




I reckon NC has lost patience with Welshy and a change will occur this week.

 

[outback jack]

like it or not - we will still get inconsistancy of performance......something you expect from youngsters....a pity though when we get it mostly from our established stars.....

look at the team on the weekend there and how many actual youngsters are there in there?? They are all 20+ atleast and there is no reason for them not to be performing. Brisbane have more youngsters playing than us

 

[Stiffy_18]

like it or not - we will still get inconsistancy of performance......something you expect from youngsters....a pity though when we get it mostly from our established stars.....

I don't know how to really take that. Should we be worried that the likes of McLeod and to lesser extent Roo, Edwards and Kenny are not performing anywhere near their best or should we be stoked that lesser lights are the ones getting us the wins?????

Obviously I am stoked by the performace of the "backbone" group this year but I can't but be disappointed that our big guns (Goody aside) are nowhere near their best.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think Watts is at least a year away so is Meesen.

If we could have 2002 version of Mark Stevens along with 2003 Version of Ian Perrie we would be better chances but at this stage we are nowhere near good enough.

I just hope that the likes of Watts and Hentschel become consistenly good performers while the likes of Roo, Goody, Edwards and McLeod are good enough to be key players.

If we can pinch a flag in the next 3-4 years we would have done very well. If we don't then we are back to square one

Trentschell's and particularly Kenny's form concerns me ATM.......Kenny looks all at sea......and I still can't work out what role Trent has been asked to perform .......

 

[Stiffy_18]

Agreed......I still think there's only one thing missing from our fwd line ATM.




Benny Hill music.........




I reckon NC has lost patience with Welshy and a change will occur this week.

I think you might be right RE Welshy. He was benched early and for a long time. I think Craigy might have lost the patience and we could expect one of Jericho, Watts, Stevo or Bock to come in to replace him.

Maybe its a good thing because it will put a lot of pressure on Hentschel to perform and as they say "pressure builds diamonds"

 

[Mad Dog]

look at the team on the weekend there and how many actual youngsters are there in there?? They are all 20+ atleast and there is no reason for them not to be performing. Brisbane have more youngsters playing than us

....talking about young in terms of games played..

 

[just maybe]

I reckon they're one really good key defender away from being certainties.

Everywhere else they're frightening. With St. Nick in it, their forward line is as perfect as you'll see.

Penny, Maguire and Hudghton are a good combo when on the park, and Fisher is handy. Koschitzke can also go back if necessary.

I think having Penny fit is the key for the Saints' defence, he is a good fullback who can take the gorillas.

 

[just maybe]

"pressure builds diamonds"

Pressure also crushes the human body

 

[Mad Dog]

Obviously I am stoked by the performace of the "backbone" group this year but I can't but be disappointed that our big guns (Goody aside) are nowhere near their best.

.......yep - the vertebrates are getting us over the line ATM.

....and given the room for improvement from our "stars".....it really shows Laidley up for the back-pocket tool that he is....

 

[Stiffy_18]

Pressure also crushes the human body

That too

For those that were at the game, what did you think of Hentschel's game early when he was played deep in the forward line??????

Maybe we should drop Welsh and make Hentschel our leading FF

 

[outback jack]

.......yep - the vertebrates are getting us over the line ATM.

....and given the room for improvement from our "stars".....it really shows Laidley up for the back-pocket tool that he is....

laidley wasnt that far off, you can see what he means, if we dont play with that intensity all the time, then what happened against the bulldogs occurs. And who are these under performing 'stars' we have? Maybe macca, but we cant expect our improvement to come from that direction.

 

[crowsarethebest]

Which writes off West Coast, methinks.

Their nearly sorted out there i think, Lynch and Hansen are there now and McDougall is going to come back. I think after those 3 mature more they will be very hard to beat. You cannot really find a flaw in their line up.

 

[just maybe]

None of those 3 you mentioned are good enough or consistent enough to rip a game open.

You wouldn't label any of them even close to being a 'gun key forward'.

 

[Mad Dog]

That too

For those that were at the game, what did you think of Hentschel's game early when he was played deep in the forward line??????

Maybe we should drop Welsh and make Hentschel our leading FF

IMO we have 4 "talls" not playing to potential ATM - Welsh - Perrie - Trent - Kenny.

We need to mix it up a bit - if Welsh survives this week I'll be surprised.

Maybe Trent to FF, Kenny to CHF, Stevo to CHB, Pez to the bench, and Welshy to Westies.........mix it up even just for a couple of qtrs this week against the Demons.

 

[Stiffy_18]

IMO we have 4 "talls" not playing to potential ATM - Welsh - Perrie - Trent - Kenny.

We need to mix it up a bit - if Welsh survives this week I'll be surprised.

Maybe Trent to FF, Kenny to CHF, Stevo to CHB, Pez to the bench, and Welshy to Westies.........mix it up even just for a couple of qtrs this week against the Demons.

I am against moving Kenny away from CHB. Sure he is struggling and he is carrying an injury but moving him anywhere else will unsettle a very settled defence which is probably our strength.

I thought Perrie played well against the Roos and I gave him votes. While he didn't mark a lot of the ball he brought it to the front every time and he played his role very well. He kicked 1.3 for the day, had he kicked 3.1 or 4.0 no one would think of moving him away from CHF