What Is Your Expectation for 2024?

[tora tora tora]

As the club begins the build up to the 2024 season, I'm wondering what are peoples expectations for the first season under Yze?

Can we rebound from a bottom 6 finish last year and become a genuine finals contender?

Will we be a mid table contender, maybe scraping into the 8 and playing a final but not quite good enough to challenge the best teams?

Do we remain a bottom 6 side as Yze implements a new game style and prioritizes the development of the younger players over short term success?

Are you thinking along the same lines as Yze in his comments since being appointed and not putting a ceiling on what we can achieve in terms of ladder positions?

Personally I'm not putting a ceiling on where we will finish. What I am hoping to see is the youth earning and getting their opportunities to show they belong and establish themselves as AFL quality. In saying that I'm prepared to wear another finish in the bottom half of the ladder in a similar manner to what we achieved in Hardwicks 2nd/3rd seasons, where we win 8-10 games while we're implementing a new game plan as well as developing the next generation of talent. If that is how the season unfolds then I'll enjoy getting to games and seeing it unfold.

However if we're still playing a side built mainly on the remaining premiership heroes with the younger players being the scapegoats at the selection table and we end up finishing in the bottom 6, then it's going to be disappointing on multiple levels. Firstly it will mean that the youth that a lot of us have faith in aren't as good as we believed, it will also signify that it's going to get a lot worse before it improves as it will mean that a more complete rebuild will need to be undertaken to build up that next generation of talent.

Big footy thanks you for your amazing effort.
I love the Richmond discussion too but my nature is more wait and see.
I'm not in Victoria so I don't have the blanket coverage that AFL gets.
I'm never do ladder predictors .
Yze and his assistants look a breath of fresh air
Richmond is capable of good footy, but sadly capable of shocking footy too.
I'll wait until practise matches until I see Lynch and which of the KPPs play with him. How many defensive fwds are selected.
Does Kmac Graham Pickett and grimes get a game?
Prestia and or Hooper?
Jack Ross retain his spot?
Nank and Kosi, Ryan or Naismith?

After The low level of our football 2013 to 2016 Now zero expectations.
I tried screaming support at the recent Gabba final loss. & The Sun's Cumberland debut game.
we could not win a close one for too long.

Coming from Melbourne where they don't mind having Grundy in the VFL, I hope the he brings that philosophy to punt road.
I know myself playing junior sport I'd lose form. Benefitted greatly from going down a level.

 

[tiger_tough]

I expect us to at least contend for finals. Anything less will be a fail.

 

[prodigy1311]

sadly, similar position as 2023
Too many ifs need to go our way for us to improve, that's never been a good sign

 

[Morro]

Not much has to change for us play finals IMO, just need some injury luck and 1 or 2 kids to become best 22 players.

 

[Spagman]

We could easily be bottom 4, but could also make finals but it’s unlikely depending what our game plan evolves into. Last year everyone on talked us up as having the best forward line, all the kids were going to take the next step, Dusty would be back to 2017 levels etc and we were s**t.

It all comes down to game plan. Ours has been outdated for too long

That's key isn't it. Our past success was a simple game plan that worked to the strengths of the players. Everyone knew their role, it was simple and they didn't have to think.

 

[SunshineBoy]

We’ve already got that one

 

[SunshineBoy]

Top 6, at worst, top 2 of the middle 6

We've had a bit of a hangover from 3 flags but it's been cured a nice big bottle of Yze.

Watch the skills and enthusiasm return and anything could happen.

Barbarreso Yze?

 

[Ctl]

I expect we will be somewhere from 6th to 13th, in all honesty I would rather finish bottom 4 than be in the middle rung and miss finals. We finished with 10 and a half wins without lynch for effectively the whole season so i'd expect more wins than last year coupled with the fact that we have a bottom 6 team draw

 

[rfctigerarmy]

I expect us to loose more than we win

 

[Ralll]

I would say 5-8 if minimal injuries.
With Dusty and the large amount of premiership players still on the list, we should be fighting for a spot in the eight.

 

[chriso11]

There is a ceiling by design, it’s finishing 1st
Just saying

 

[Mr Unbelievable]

Top 4

 

[Drunken Wookie]

It really just depends on injuries and how quickly we pick up the new gameplan. There's plenty of talent on the list and they're going to want to prove themselves. Crystal balling it I reckon we come out firing and win a heap in the first half but peter out second half and just scrape into finals. Kane Aumont rising star winner, put your boat on it.

 

[energyquant]

I've got very low expectations this year. A few of the things I expect to see:

• The older guys will keep getting slower and grumpier. Aside from the usual candidates, I'm worried about Vlaustin and Nank.
• We're one-paced in the midfield. Bolton will need to play a lot of midfield minutes to give us some spark.
• We're poor by foot. We'll try an aggressive corridor game and we'll average 6+ goals against from forward-half turnover.
• We have no tall forward targets. Lynch will be injured or double-teamed. Everyone else is second rate.
• Some of the kids will have good games. I expect Ross, Dow, Clarke, Brown, Banks and Ryan to all have their moments.
• Some of our kids are massively overrated. If Gibcus plays 15 games and doesn't get towelled up, I'll be happy. He's very young.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Morro]

I've got very low expectations this year. A few of the things I expect to see:

• The older guys will keep getting slower and grumpier. Aside from the usual candidates, I'm worried about Vlaustin and Nank.
• We're one-paced in the midfield. Bolton will need to play a lot of midfield minutes to give us some spark.
• We're poor by foot. We'll try an aggressive corridor game and we'll average 6+ goals against from forward-half turnover.
• We have no tall forward targets. Lynch will be injured or double-teamed. Everyone else is second rate.
• Some of the kids will have good games. I expect Ross, Dow, Clarke, Brown, Banks and Ryan to all have their moments.
• Some of our kids are massively overrated. If Gibcus plays 15 games and doesn't get towelled up, I'll be happy. He's very young.

I hope I'm wrong.

Sending love your way.

 

[Coach_Required]

I think we will struggle:

• Midfield needs an injection of youth and speed.
• Our kicking skills are below average.
• Older players on their last legs.

Not sure how our fans will handle it if we have another poor year, reckon there will be a few whipping boys each week and our youth will be called useless by impatient supporters.

 

[Mr Magic]

I think too many have too much expectation on Lynch. He is a good player but he is not a God or Wayne Carey like some seem to promote.

Look I am not going to bag our prospects. I have my view, you are allowed to be positive and we all hope for the best.

I will repeat, I am not blaming the players, coaches or anyone else really, the system is designed to bring us back.

Having said this I think many on here underrate opposition squads. How they go is another matter but some teams lists have vastly improved while we have players getting older and youngsters needing to learn. I think Yze needs more time.

However, Brisbane should be better next year, Carlton have a good list, not perfect but they have a lot of talent and they paid for it they should be beating us based on their age profile and talent acquistions.

North should be a lot better, GWS better, Gold Coast better and St Kilda improving to as well as the Bulldogs with Pies not dripping off straight away, other teams should improve as well really in terms of their list composition and where their core talent development within their squads are at

We have valid reasons why it would be very difficult to make finals and if we won the premiership, Yze gets a statue and it would be a greater effort than anything Dimma has achieved so I just think it is wise to temper things a little

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

I think too many have too much expectation on Lynch. He is a good player but he is not a God or Wayne Carey like some seem to promote.

Look I am not going to bag our prospects. I have my view, you are allowed to be positive and we all hope for the best.

I will repeat, I am not blaming the players, coaches or anyone else really, the system is designed to bring us back.

Having said this I think many on here underrate opposition squads. How they go is another matter but some teams lists have vastly improved while we have players getting older and youngsters needing to learn. I think Yze needs more time.

However, Brisbane should be better next year, Carlton have a good list, not perfect but they have a lot of talent and they paid for it they should be beating us based on their age profile and talent acquistions.

North should be a lot better, GWS better, Gold Coast better and St Kilda improving to as well as the Bulldogs with Pies not dripping off straight away, other teams should improve as well really in terms of their list composition and where their core talent development within their squads are at

We have valid reasons why it would be very difficult to make finals and if we won the premiership, Yze gets a statue and it would be a greater effort than anything Dimma has achieved so I just think it is wise to temper things a little

Don't forget about the Crows either!

 

[Tiger_4_Life]

There's no pressure on us.... Port, suns, blues have a weight of expectation on them. One will fail

 

[Not Important]

i'd be okay with getting into the 8.

 

[banzai]

Not sure how our fans will handle it if we have another poor year, reckon there will be a few whipping boys each week and our youth will be called useless by impatient supporters.

That will happen even if we win the Premiership.

Not sure on results, I expect to bring back elite defensive pressure both around the ball and up forward. If we are as soft defensively as last year, bottom 4-6 is pretty much certain. I'd also like to see the squad slowly transition away from our Premiership players now, last year too many games were gifted to players because of what they had done in the past. Cotchin, Prestia, Pickett, even Hopper etc all playing forward at times just to fit them in the team was a joke.

 

[Football Tragic]

Where we finish will very much depend on -
1) Yze's game plan
2) Lynch, Prestia, Dusty and Hopper's health
3) Development of our next tier of players

I think we'll start off poorly but pick up as the season goes on as the team learns the new game plan.

Expecting us to finish 11th but expect we'll lift into finals in 2025

 

[Feraligatr]

Beat Carlton.

 

[Ralll]

I've got very low expectations this year. A few of the things I expect to see:

• The older guys will keep getting slower and grumpier. Aside from the usual candidates, I'm worried about Vlaustin and Nank.
• We're one-paced in the midfield. Bolton will need to play a lot of midfield minutes to give us some spark.
• We're poor by foot. We'll try an aggressive corridor game and we'll average 6+ goals against from forward-half turnover.
• We have no tall forward targets. Lynch will be injured or double-teamed. Everyone else is second rate.
• Some of the kids will have good games. I expect Ross, Dow, Clarke, Brown, Banks and Ryan to all have their moments.
• Some of our kids are massively overrated. If Gibcus plays 15 games and doesn't get towelled up, I'll be happy. He's very young.

I hope I'm wrong.

• The older guys will keep getting slower and grumpier. Aside from the usual candidates, I'm worried about Vlaustin and Nank.

They are also getting smarter and even more experienced.

• We're one-paced in the midfield. Bolton will need to play a lot of midfield minutes to give us some spark.

We have speed on the list, might be a Rioli or Clark, or a game plan that does not require too much speed in the midfield ie. it comes from wings/hff's/fp's etc.

• We're poor by foot. We'll try an aggressive corridor game and we'll average 6+ goals against from forward-half turnover.

Dimma played and coached the way he knew, maybe we had the kicking skill on the list if it was practised and coached the correct way.

• We have no tall forward targets. Lynch will be injured or double-teamed. Everyone else is second rate.

We have the Hawthorn guy, the new young fella and the local country footballer from last year, or maybe a different style forward line strategy that doesn't need the second tall.

• Some of our kids are massively overrated. If Gibcus plays 15 games and doesn't get towelled up, I'll be happy. He's very young.

May have been Hardwick's game plan that suited older players, making the younger guys look bad.


My point is there are arguments against all of your points, and that is where I am right now, I don't know which way it will go. Could be better than we expect with everyone bouncing back to top form under the new regime, could be exactly as you have written. There are so many variables.

 

[energyquant]

I hope you are right, Ralll . I rarely am, so we might be ok