What are the question marks over your team in 2022?

[Strapping Young Lad]

Perhaps in keeping with the OP you could list the question marks over the Hawks in 2022.

Already have.

The question mark is over how far Mitchell rolls back the defensively regimented game style that Clarkson ran with, how he changes up the midfield dynamic, and how a more attacking mindset transitions onto the field.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Already have.

Are their questions over your slowish mids' ability to adjust to a fast transition game?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Are their questions over your slowish mids' ability to adjust to a fast transition game?

That’s relatable to how he changes the midfield dynamic.
We were a much better midfield late in 2021 with Mitchell’s influence(addition of Nash and Newcombe).

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Will our female membership numbers plummet now Chris Mayne has retired?

He can go back to being the front man for Twisted Sister and chics love a rockstar.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Too much youth and not enough experience.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

That’s relatable to how he changes the midfield dynamic.
We were a much better midfield late in 2021 with Mitchell’s influence(addition of Nash and Newcombe).

Will Mitch2 and JOM spend more time on the interchange recognising neither have the burst to sustain fast transition.

I ask this because my mob kept JPK on the bench at Nic Nat levels.

Personally I think clearance specialists like your two will be trat increasingly as NFL special teams contributors.

I think teams adopting fast transition and high defensive pressure systems can only carry a maximum of one treacle boots mid in the side.

 

[VinnieB]

Will Mitch2 and JOM spend more time on the interchange recognising neither have the burst to sustain fast transition.

I ask this because my mob kept JPK on the bench at Nic Nat levels.

Personally I think clearance specialists like your two will be trat increasingly as NFL special teams contributors.

I think teams adopting fast transition and high defensive pressure systems can only carry a maximum of one treacle boots mid in the side.

That's the issue the Pies have had. Recruited and played guys who just had average pace and had a game plan which moved the ball slowly as well.
Too defensive which gave our forwards absolutely no chance.

Nice to see the new coaching staff looking to change this completely.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

That's the issue the Pies have had. Recruited and played guys who just had average pace and had a game plan which moved the ball slowly as well.
Too defensive which gave our forwards absolutely no chance.

Nice to see the new coaching staff looking to change this completely.

Long hard road for the Pies, BUT McRae is a brilliant appointment who will position the Pies for a decent rebuild. I expect he will wield the same level of influence as Noble did at North last year (and their list is pretty poor as well).

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Will Mitch2 and JOM spend more time on the interchange recognising neither have the burst to sustain fast transition.

I ask this because my mob kept JPK on the bench at Nic Nat levels.

Personally I think clearance specialists like your two will be trat increasingly as NFL special teams contributors.

I think teams adopting fast transition and high defensive pressure systems can only carry a maximum of one treacle boots mid in the side.

It remains to be seen what Sam does in the middle, and who his first choice group is.
So far at training Tom and JOM have mostly stayed out of stoppage set ups, but that’s probably more about bringing others up to speed over summer.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

It remains to be seen what Sam does in the middle, and who his first choice group is.
So far at training Tom and JOM have mostly stayed out of stoppage set ups, but that’s probably more about bringing others up to speed over summer.

Hmnn I think that is a sign of the times and Mitch1 may be on the right track.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Hmnn I think that is a sign of the times and Mitch1 may be on the right track.

He turned 197cm struggling “small” forward Connor Nash(Irishman with rugby background) into an inside mid at Box Hill in 2021 and when he eventually got played in the midfield at AFL level(Clarkson promoted him but played him a a forward pocket ) there was a distinct change at stoppages against some of the best sides having someone that big and quick in there, so it became quite clear that Mitchell sees things differently to Clarkson and will challenge the status quo.

 

[Obeanie1]

My comment specifically said ‘given a good injury run’ …. then you say ‘Sicily and Gunston returning from serious injury’.

So yes … if Sicily gets seriously injured again and Gunston doesn’t play and Wingard tears his hammy 3 times then I don’t think they will compete for finals either.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Sicily and Gunston coming back from serious injury may play every game in 2022 but struggle to get back to their best. That is more likely than having another serious injury derail a season.

If you are off by 5 or 10% at this level you struggle. In other words don't bank on stars returning from serious injuries to deliver straight away. Look at Yeo last season. Took until the final two rounds to hit 30 possessions and look himself.

 

[Obeanie1]

That's opinions, stats aren't opinion it's facts.

Lol. Now that is funny. I mean REALLY funny. If you really think that you aren't very intelligent.


We will all remember this the next time a politician uses stats to sell their message.

And a player getting a huge contract compared to another player. Thats a fact.......not an opinion.

A player traded twice playing at a 3rd club.......fact not opinion.

 

[buttox]

How do our youth develop?
Can North keep its players on the field and improve our injury numbers?
The first one you would hope comes naturally.
The second may not be fixable in one off season.

 

[00Stinger]

Hawthorn and Carlton supporters are both going to be in for a trough time this year especially with their deluded expectations on 2022

 

[Dominic03]

Lol. Now that is funny. I mean REALLY funny. If you really think that you aren't very intelligent.


We will all remember this the next time a politician uses stats to sell their message.

And a player getting a huge contract compared to another player. Thats a fact.......not an opinion.

A player traded twice playing at a 3rd club.......fact not opinion.

Just because a player has been traded x amount of times doesn’t make them worse.

Completely honest Frost is underrated. He may not be elite as a whole but as a defender one on one and intercepting he is and he does his role any other time.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Hawthorn and Carlton supporters are both going to be in for a trough time this year especially with their deluded expectations on 2022

Do tell, what are Hawthorn supporters deluded expectations?

 

[Gone Critical]

For Collingwood

Some kids doing well so far but a lot of them and we are asking a lot for them to come on quickly. Need to really outperform their draft positions as a group.

The older half of the list, where most of the class lies need to have a last hurrah in a lot of cases, while the kids develop.

Even if we do come on a bit I think will be difficult to have a successful short term rebuild, list is unbalanced and the likely result is will need many seasons to correct. Not impossible to be quicker but difficult

McCrae probably in the difficult position of needing time at a club that wont be patient. May be a coach on a hiding to nothing as his chance to succeed is unlikley to to mesh with the time he is given.

 

[JackOutback]

That's opinions, stats aren't opinion it's facts.

The saying is ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’, the implication being that statistics can be twisted by people or taken out of context to argue almost any narrative.

If you’re looking for the saying about opinions it’s that ‘they are like arseholes, everyone has one’.

 

[Dominic03]

The saying is ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’, the implication being that statistics can be twisted by people or taken out of context to argue almost any narrative.

If you’re looking for the saying about opinions it’s that ‘they are like arseholes, everyone has one’.

Maybe, but if you know anything about footy you'd know the statistics that are shown alot show alot.

Like defensive loss % (as a defender) is good because it shows how often they lose, there's another stat on how many one on ones they are in every game and the rest are pretty self explanatory to roles like intercepting, rebounding, spoiling and so on.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

That is what clubs do with free agents.

Not uncommon.

Barrass was signed to the end of 2022. Reported that the Swans were keen and would have traded for him last trade period. Eagles quickly moved to extend and avoid RFA issues.

Premiership defender spurns free agency to ink HUGE deal at Eagles

Tom Barrass will remain in blue and gold for a further five years after signing a contract extension

www.afl.com.au

Wonder if Nostradamas read the papers / internet too?

Its good you signed Barass

Might have to swing forward now

 

[RedWhite&Blue]

Talking out of my arse - I miss the snow - where's my ski ticket...I say this humbly and with the deepest respect, but you should feel embarrassed about sharing your opinion because you have no idea what you are talking about and you're making it really obvious

Viney demolished Jack Macrae in the grand final. He's a star. He just doesn't get the credit that Petracca and Oliver because they are better and ergo do more work than him.

Benny Brown averaged close to two sausages per game once back from injury, same as Danniher, Tommy Lynch and Aaron Naughton. He'll only get better.

Tomlinson is a best 22 defender, his replacement in J. Smith was also injured, that's very hard to come back from, not only losing a best 22 player but their replacement as well? That's very stiff.

We played Western Bulldogs in the grand final, who were missing only "one season wonder" in Jack Bruce. And what happened? We kicked 100 points in a quarter and a bit, and during that same time, I think they kicked 7 points?

"derp derp some melbourne players had best ever years!"... Well of course they did. Jack Bowey had his best ever season, but that's because he never played before. Harrison Petty less than a dozen games? Sparrow, Rivers, Pickett, Rising Star Winner LUKE JACKSON... did you really think they were going to regress before they'd even played 50 games? What is wrong with you?

Hilarious!! I've got to hand it to you because you are a funny little chap aren't you.
Is this what they discuss in ski chalet at Hothem old chum?

 

[gbatman]

Injuries, we have had a lot of injuries to our best players over the years, currently we are ok but things have gone to shit quickly before. McGovern, DeKoning, Kemp, Philp, Marchbank and C Curnow the last two seasons have been mostly injured. Williams, Cripps, McKay, Silvagni, Martin, Fisher, Pittonet, Cuningham and Setterfield have had reocurring niggles or missed a lot of last season with injury. Stocker currently injured and Docherty recovering from Chemo. It's a huge weak point for Carlton.

Centre half back, who plays there? Jones anti-vax related retirement means we have lost a good, mature experienced CHB. Young has been recruited as a replacement and I feel his recruitment could be a make or break moment for us. McDonald is there to play that role as well, then we get into the smaller tall-medium players.

Midfield and pressure. Our lack of pressure, particularly in the midfield was a major issue last year. We have a midfield that could tend to be on the big, tall, less mobile less quick side so that ability to apply that pressure could be an issue. Though Cerra, Hewett coming in and another season into youngsters like Dow and Carroll could see some quicker shorter types in there.

 

[H00t]

For me the question marks are

Our midfield- has been super poor the last 2 years both offensively and defensively. Can it’s output improve to an acceptable level.

Ball movement- stagnant ball movement has plagued us and we have been happy to let the opposition dictate how we move the ball. Love to see us take the game on.

Focus on youth- with Mitchell as the coach how much opportunities our youth get or will we continue preferring our older guys at the expense of youth.

What I’m not concerned is where we finish. I feel setting the framework for challenging in the coming years as much more important than wins or losses this year.

 

[Timetoroarlike44]

* FAKE NEWS *
* FAKE NEWS *

That the Melbourne Demons did not require any "depth-testing" in the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season is one of the most egregious lies in modern history, akin to the baseless and hurtful conspiracy theories spouted on 8chan by tinfoil wearing arse-hats.

The Melbourne Demons absolutely required "depth-testing". Consider firstly that they commenced the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season without Key Position Forward Big Benny Brown, who ultimately missed more than half the season. Players of Ben's calibre don't simply "fall out of a trees"; his 1.9 goal-a-game average was equal to Joey "Big D" Danniher and Tom Lynch in 2021, his season culminating in a ripper 3 goal game in the grand final.

Midfield stars James Harmes and ex-captain Jack Viney missed a combined total of 17 games (FYI much more than Bulldogs duo Josh Dunkley and Adam Treloar missed throughout the season).

However it is the Melbourne Demons backline, aka the greatest defence in AFL history, which was the most devastated by injuries. We lost high-profile recruit Adam Tomlinson to a season-ending injury in round 3, replacing him with some guy named Harrison who had played less than a dozen games. Jayden "Torpedo King" Hunt's season was tragically cut short on the eve of finals, opening the door for debutant Jake Bowey. The backline was further compromised by Joel Smith's season ending in the qualifying final (after only three games), and injuries during the regular season to Christian Salem and Steven May, who due to lack of available defenders was forced to play the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final with a broken leg.

That we not only won the premiership having endured such a significant injury crisis, but triumphed in an historic, unprecedented demolition of the Western Bulldogs is not only credit to our brilliant team, but a testament to our wonderful depth.

Just because our supporters didn't whinge every single week about missing players like Western Bulldogs supporters did, it doesn't mean we "didn't get injuries".



Melbourne Demons are the best team in the AFL. And our depth kicks arse. We've proven this already.

Dees look to have a very good list without any players about to fall of the age cliff, and some decent cover in terms of depth.

But you had a very good run overall with injuries in 2021.

Most players with a cloud over them had recovered by the finals.

May was injured but played through it and was a bloody good effort to do so.

Tomlinson was playing well and replacing him seamlessly was impressive.

Viney misses game every year so situation normal there. Is Harmes a 'star'? Joel Smith is a squad player, nothing more.

You won the flag and were the best team in it. You opened with a bang, had a little lull, but finished with the best football seen in the season by a good margin.

But as for your year in injuries - you had a very good run and you'd take that every single year, no questions asked.