Opinion Will we win the flag

[Indie_]

Carlton game is huge , I disagree about Tippett to me he is a taller Jesse white , but apart from that not much difference between the two.

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[Punts]

I hate saying it but my thoughts are no they are so hard to win we had stuff all injuries last year which puts u in a good place and with all our injuries to Goodes , Lrt , Reid , Shaw I don't think will have enough time to get them in to the team in time to gel and be match fit to take on the power houses in Geelong , Hawks. Nexted year will have AJ and Rohan back fully fit and hopfully a full list to choose from, I am starting to come with terms now that this year is not our year that's fine we will be a even better team nexted year I think players back and the likes of BJ , Lamb , Membrey , Cunningham will all have another pre season under there belt and be fitter , only person we will lose is Jude which we will cover

 

[Debris]

This post needs to be highlighted. Are you high?

If he was high, he would be talking about Tippett as the greatest player ever.

 

[disgruntled goat]

I hate saying it but my thoughts are no they are so hard to win we had stuff all injuries last year which puts u in a good place and with all our injuries to Goodes , Lrt , Reid , Shaw I don't think will have enough time to get them in to the team in time to gel and be match fit to take on the power houses in Geelong , Hawks. Nexted year will have AJ and Rohan back fully fit and hopfully a full list to choose from, I am starting to come with terms now that this year is not our year that's fine we will be a even better team nexted year I think players back and the likes of BJ , Lamb , Membrey , Cunningham will all have another pre season under there belt and be fitter , only person we will lose is Jude which we will cover

Hold off such grim thoughts for at least another month or so ... we won't see our best form until at least then, so won't know whether we're capable of another flag. But, thinking positively, if by the last 3-4 rounds we can get back Goodes, Shaw, Jetta and Reid (for now I'm not counting on LRT coming back), and they can get back to full form and health by finals I do actually believe we can win it all again. I still see Hawthorn as brittle and vulnerable to a team able to maintain intensity (us, Geelong), and I think we have the ruck/midfield depth and forward options to beat Geelong. The other genuine hope, Fremantle, is, I believe, still another year off, although I respect the defence and pressure of any team coached bY Ross Lyon.

 

[S120]

I agree with the above, but it really does count on a lot going right with injuries and that hasn't been the way things have gone for us this year in that respect.

We can win it, but I think it's unlikely to be honest. Just my opinion. Haven't given up hope by any means, but I'm just not super confident.

However, if we can reproduce the full-ground intensity we brought to AAMI Stadium against Adelaide again come finals, we can beat anyone. But that kind of form doesn't just roll around. If we can get most of Goodes, Jetta, Shaw, LRT, Reid back with 2 or more weeks before finals, I will be far more confident. But I'm hesitant to think all of them will be up and running anywhere near full tilt by September.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I agree with the above, but it really does count on a lot going right with injuries and that hasn't been the way things have gone for us this year in that respect.

We can win it, but I think it's unlikely to be honest. Just my opinion. Haven't given up hope by any means, but I'm just not super confident.

However, if we can reproduce the full-ground intensity we brought to AAMI Stadium against Adelaide again come finals, we can beat anyone. But that kind of form doesn't just roll around. If we can get most of Goodes, Jetta, Shaw, LRT, Reid back with 2 or more weeks before finals, I will be far more confident. But I'm hesitant to think all of them will be up and running anywhere near full tilt by September.

I think finishing in the top 4 by the end of round 23 will be considered a good year given the circumstances of having 5 debuts, i share the same feeling as you mate it feels we are just slightly off the 2 best teams our back 6 won us the flag last year and that's the area we have been hit the hardest but credit to the coaching staff we have been able to restructure it and still be competitive.

 

[Swanee]

I voted after having witnessed our difficulty overcoming Melbourne.

My view will change from week to week according to who we play and how well we play at that point. Our young guns are playing particularly well at present, but the expense of having so many young players (first year) is lack of endurance. Unless we can get some of our injured players back, I believe we will start to falter. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I agree with the above, but it really does count on a lot going right with injuries and that hasn't been the way things have gone for us this year in that respect.

We can win it, but I think it's unlikely to be honest. Just my opinion. Haven't given up hope by any means, but I'm just not super confident.

However, if we can reproduce the full-ground intensity we brought to AAMI Stadium against Adelaide again come finals, we can beat anyone. But that kind of form doesn't just roll around. If we can get most of Goodes, Jetta, Shaw, LRT, Reid back with 2 or more weeks before finals, I will be far more confident. But I'm hesitant to think all of them will be up and running anywhere near full tilt by September.

Very much my sentiment.

One thing '05 and '12 had in common was a very good run with injuries.

 

[Debris]

The issue is that it will be hard getting into the top 4 with the run home we have. The loss against Port and the draw against Fremantle is going to kill our chances. We needed to get a win in one of those. Now we are reliant on Essendon falling apart or a fantastic run of form. Neither looks likely at the moment and history says you can't win from outside top 4.

 

[Jack Lord]

The issue is that it will be hard getting into the top 4 with the run home we have. The loss against Port and the draw against Fremantle is going to kill our chances. We needed to get a win in one of those. Now we are reliant on Essendon falling apart or a fantastic run of form. Neither looks likely at the moment and history says you can't win from outside top 4.

Steady on, mate. We're in fourth. We've got the second best percentage in the comp. And sure we need to play the Hawks and Cats, but we also meet three of the bottom four teams in coming weeks. I think we're more chance of making the four than missing it.

 

[legend166]

I think our injuries are going to catch up to us in the second half of the year. I think we'll finish 5th (unless Essendon get hit with the big stick).

Looking at our run home:

GWS
@ West Coast
Richmond
@ Bulldogs
Collingwood
St Kilda
@ Geelong
Hawthorn

I think the West Coast, Richmond and Collingwood games will be the ones that determine our season. If we can win those three, we'll be in for a shot to make top four and then a crack at the flag. Drop one and I think we'll finish 5th and it's a long road.

 

[Punts]

With no Reid , Goodes , Lrt in the side there is no way we could win it

 

[disgruntled goat]

With no Reid , Goodes , Lrt in the side there is no way we could win it

Why not?

 

[Punts]

Why not?

U take any 3 KPP out of any team and would be almost gone. U take Goodes and LRT ,Reid out of last years Grand Final would have we won

 

[disgruntled goat]

U take any 3 KPP out of any team and would be almost gone. U take Goodes and LRT ,Reid out of last years Grand Final would have we won

That's not the question ... last year was last year. We've already played a large part of this season without LRT and Reid, as well as Mattner, Johnson, Shaw and now Jetta ... we're still on track for top four ... as I said earlier, wait til we get to the last month of home-and-away, and into the finals before making jusgments on our form and finals prospects. There's too much knee-jerk commentary on this board ...

 

[replicant]

Bah, no worries about those guys. By the time finals rolls around we'll have the 6 million dollar Rohan back in the 1s. Try and stop our cyborg-ranga!

But seriously, if we're in the finals, we are a chance. We've still not adjusted to Tippett, Rampe/Everitt look better by the week, Mitchell has slotted in. I think we're really only missing Goodes/Reid, the rest will improve every game they play together, particularly our backline. the way the team has played the past few weeks is no real comparison to how we'll be playing by finals.

 

[Punts]

That's not the question ... last year was last year. We've already played a large part of this season without LRT and Reid, as well as Mattner, Johnson, Shaw and now Jetta ... we're still on track for top four ... as I said earlier, wait til we get to the last month of home-and-away, and into the finals before making jusgments on our form and finals prospects. There's too much knee-jerk commentary on this board ...

Will see how our backline goes against the Eagles in 2 weeks cause that's what will happen against the good teams in the finals

 

[GotTheGoodes]

I always back our boys. I've seen enough to know we support a side you can never ever write off. It's just not in our nature (or culture) to give up. As a member I wholeheartedly adopt the same philosophy and have an unwavering belief that our team is the best in the comp and together we can beat anyone on any day anywhere.

We've got our back up against the wall with injuries and a heap of young inexperienced kids trying to cover the gaps... is there really any other team you'd think could turn such negatives into positives like we can? Our kids are playing out of their skins and give us (yet again) something else to use against opponents.

Show a bit of faith and for goodness sake don't let the negativity cloud your memories. 2005 & 2012 we "probably couldn't win" either. But we did. Why should 2013 be any different?

Cheer Cheer.

 

[Tedeski]

If we keep having to play 2 or 3 different players every week due to injury or poor form, then we are going to struggle. Take Rampe for example, it took him 5 or 6 straight games to get accustomed to his place alongside Teddy, Grundy, Mal & Smith in defence. He now belongs there. Along with Everitt, the back six need to stay the same every week right through for us to have a chance. Should we lose Teddy for a week & then Mal for another week etc, etc, then it just unbalances our defence. Same goes for the forward line. We haven't had the same six in the forward line all year.
If Reid & LRT are struggling to make it back, then the coaches need to make the hard call & get as much consistency as possible into our forward structures.
Should we finish top four, then it's no good bringing LRT, Reid & Goodes ALL into the team for finals because we are just handing the game over to our opponents in the finals.

So we need to get consistency from our fittest & best available players coming into finals & then persist with the same team throughout the finals, with perhaps Goodesy being the only one that can offer something special when under done in a big game.

I personally think we will just fall short because we haven't the game experience in our bottom 4 players, the very thing that got us over the line against the Hawks last year.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

It'll be tough, no doubt, but I'm so proud of how we're doing with such a long list of injuries. I won't write 2013 off though I'm certainly not confident, but either way we'll be contenders for the next 3-4 seasons at least.

 

[alanlau34]

If we can struggle through the next few weeks and make top 4, i'd back us in to go all the way to the last Saturday in September. We play finals-type footy every week (almost), and that will be a big part of how we make it.

Facing the Cats will make it tough, as they know how to win. If we play the Hawks, we know how soft they are in big games. Almost choked in the prelim, and got pantsed by us in the big one.

 

[Syd]

I'm the quintessential "the glass is half full" guy, but I knocked this up at work earlier today;



You take 2/3's of the back 6 from last years grand final out and it leaves us exposed, especially against the Hawks forward line. Remove Goodes and Reid and you lose a lot of strike power and this allows the opposition defence to double-team Tippett\block his space.

At last round we had 4x 2013 debs in the team and almost 1200 games worth of experience, especially finals experience missing. Covering that in SEPTEMBER is a big ask.

My biggest worry now is Hawthorn, really need someone else to take them out IMO. I reckon reshuffled we can mix it with the rest.

 

[Jack2Jack]

Will be very hard, injuries are killing the side. Anyone hope for 2013 depends on whether the inury run can turn around. Cannot afford to lose another best 22 player for the rest of the season (to a long term injury anyway, might be able to cover a week or 2 here and there depending on the opponent).

Tippett and McGlynn are good inclusions to the side, capable of making a big impact in September if in good form. While Everitt, Mitchell and Rampe look like they'll be best 22 for the rest of this season now, and a lot will depend on how these guys stand up in finals.

The key though is obviously to get a few guys back from injury (again without losing anyone else). LRT and Reid look very unlikely now to be able to get back. Shaw, Jetta and Goodes are the big 3, these guys must get back.....the first 2 may (hopefully) be able to get back soonish and will have time to find form. Goodes won't have long to find form, but we will need to hope he can.
Morton is the other one and a bit of a wildcard, should be back soon but he needs to be in the form from last years finals, where he was defending well while also kicking goals. This year (Adelaide game aside) he probably hasn't been troubling the scorers enough.

Right now 2014 looks a hell of a lot more promising. Top 4 even looks like it might even be too tough this year, but if a few things start going right, who knows.

 

[Debris]

Steady on, mate. We're in fourth. We've got the second best percentage in the comp. And sure we need to play the Hawks and Cats, but we also meet three of the bottom four teams in coming weeks. I think we're more chance of making the four than missing it.

We are competing with Essendon and Fremantle for those spots. Have a look at their runs home and see if you are still so confident.

 

[Superstar swan]

Need to beat either Geelong or hawthorn in the closing rounds to be a chance. With our injuries I'm less and less confident with each week