Review Thoughts on 2017.

[brizrider]

This time last year my wife and kids weren't that keen to renew membership after a couple of really hopeless years of Lions footy. The other day at dinner they all said they want to be members next year and hope we can catch another game or two in Melbourne as well because seeing that win against Essendon and going to the Captain's run the day before was a fantastic fan and family experience.

 

[Saucery]

Hope you're right but word I got (third hand) was that the club health/fitness gurus don't expect him to fill out much at all and what we see is pretty much what we've got.

Imagine him with an extra 10-15kg, immense extra strength and not losing any of his pace and flair. Buddy!

Same weight as Dustin Fletcher with a greater reach, don't try and fix what isn't broken.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Biggest take away from 2017 for me is that we're still a long way away from finals but there is finally a solid foundation being built.

Witherden, Andrews, Berry, McCluggage, Hipwood, Matho, Squizzy, McStay, Mayes, Cox & Dow/Rayner (Getting pick 1), are the players who can take us to a premiership. You can add Charlie Cameron to this list if we get him.

That's 12/22 players who should be locks already (Minus a few), 100% lock for the future though barring a catastrophe.

Schache, Keays, Barrett, Robertson, Cutler, Allison, Ballenden, Smith, Skinner & Gardiner are the second string, some will join the first group, some will become depth and the remainders will get cut.

That's 10 there as well, our future is bright but the sad realisation is that our current crop of "veterans", most likely won't win a premiership for us, their ages going into next year are: Zorko(29), Rocky(28), Beams(28), Rich(28), Martin(31) (Leaving anyway), Robinson(29), Bastinac(27) & Christensen(27).

Rocky, Beams & Rich might have a slight chance as 31-32 year old veterans if we make a quick climb in the next 3-4 years, not sure if Christensen's body will hold up and Zorko at 32-33 might not be the same player as his current prime.

Paparone, Lester, Walker, Close, C. Beams, Bell & Freeman will all get the chop in the near future with only Lester & Walker the most likely to survive the longest.

Getting the spoon sucked for 1 day but we'll get a top player and reload into next year, which will be getting more experience and time into that first crop of players and second crop, for the rest it's just about collecting a pay check.

6 wins in 2018, 9 in 2019 and hopefully first finals in 2020.

...and flags in 2021, 2022 & 2023. (Okay that was tongue in cheek .)

 

[Zhesty]

First season I've genuinely enjoyed watching the Lions play regardless of winning or losing in a few years.