Opinion Will you be disappointed with anything less than a premiership

[Macca81]

I actually want a premiership this year. Cox really looks on the decline now, and Glass is probably not going to be as good next year as he is this year. Kerr has hit rare form and currently injury free. We've had a couple of injury setbacks, but with Hawthorn, Collingwood and Geelong faltering allowing us a genuine chance at top 2, I'd be disappointed if we didn't make the GF after a home prelim.

 

[Hairy Lager]

No, patience young padawans...this process has been perfected by our club...

 

[Marlin01]

The season has hardly even begun.

50% of winning a premiership is winning the GF.

Of the remaining 50%, half is winning the prelim.

Of the remaining 25%, half is winning the semi.

Of the remaining 12.5%, half is winning your first final.

The remaining 6.25% is the home and away season, so we're currently about 1.5% of the way toward winning a flag.

To answer the question in the OP, the closer to flag we get, the more disappointed I get when we drop out.

 

[Macca81]

The season has hardly even begun.

50% of winning a premiership is winning the GF.

Of the remaining 50%, half is winning the prelim.

Of the remaining 25%, half is winning the semi.

Of the remaining 12.5%, half is winning your first final.

The remaining 6.25% is the home and away season, so we're currently about 1.5% of the way toward winning a flag.

To answer the question in the OP, the closer to flag we get, the more disappointed I get when we drop out.

Disagree. Your maths are quite inaccurate.

Firstly, finish in the top 2, win first final, and then skip semi straight to prelim.

No team wins the premiership from outside the top 4, so the 22 game regular season accounts for a lot more than 6.25%.

You can even lose the first final (like we did in 2006) and win the premiership, so you're 6.25% for the first final, can actually be worth 0%.

But you're point of it being early days, and keeping a lid on the excitement after our flawless start to the season has some merit.

As a crude estimate, I'd say we are 5% of the way to winning the flag this year, and each subsequent win puts us 1% closer. Finish top 2 by the end of the regular season, and depending on injuries, we are around 25-30% of the way to a flag.

 

[Marlin01]

You're right about the skipping the semi and tbh I realised this whilst I was doung it but was trying to keep the permutations to a minimum.

Either way, the point I was really trying to make is, when you're talking premierships, the season doesn't start until the finals.

 

[Kaboodleer]

The good thing about where the list is at we should keep improving after this year, or at least not fall off. That gives us quite a few more cracks at it should we fail this year. So no, won't be too disappointed.

We look good. I think Essendon will be a good test at Etihad, 2 week from now I think? If we win that I'll start getting pretty hyped.

 

[EagleShore]

Too early to tell at this stage, but at this point in time I believe we can beat anyone, anywhere.

I genuinely think we're better than people, even those on this board, give us credit for. And further to that, we should be a next level better again by September. The question by then will be what other clubs are up and going at that point.

Did anyone else sense our players not panicking yesterday? They all ran so hard to fill the gap made by Brown's injury and Kennedy's one-leggedness (30 less rotations in the 4th quarter), yet they seemed in control. I love that feeling. Even Geelong in their halcyon days of 2007-2011 would have lost that game to the Tigers if they were in our position.

The Tigers will be vying for the last 4 positions in the Top 8 with North, Essendon, Adelaide, Fremantle, and St Kilda, and whoever misses the Top 4 out of WCE, Sydney, Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong and Collingwood. Basically only 6 teams out of it IMO.

WCE gameplan and structures are good, pace worries me a little, but I just hope we don't all drop our bundle when we lose a game this year, coz it will probably happen.

 

[wce4premiership]

Yes, only because the club has proven a winning culture and this group does a lot under woosha. They seem like they're all best friends, loving life and loving being professionals.

I expect the best

 

[bunsen burner]

To answer the OP:

Yes. Whilst I think we're heading into a golden era and will win multiple flags, you just don't know. You don't get chances often and when you get them have to take them.

The game might pass this team by next year so whilst we have a shot we have to win it. Coming second is still losing.

 

[Gazeah78]

Would be pretty disappointed to not at least make a prelim - and hopefully a home one. Then I guess if we did have a home prelim would be massively disappointed if we dropped that game for sure.
Also, finishing outside the Top 4 would be a massive disappointment.
Not going all the way this year will not be the end of the world considering our relative youth and sudden rise however we have a red hot opportunity that doesn't come along all that often.

 

[Roobs321]

While I dont think it would be the most convincing flag, and LeCras's almost certain absence makes it somewhat bittersweet, we are in premiership mode. And my god wouldnt it be sweet after our last few years. Spoon to flag in 2 years would be unforgettable.

Then again, 1991 and 2005 were similar years for us, and the first GF of each era was a loss. I can also sense a situation like Rnd 22, 2007 on the horizon. Dont want the last round to decide whether we finish 2nd or 3rd again.

We should manage top 2 on the ladder unless we suffer more serious injuries. Any less than a home prelim would be mildly disappointing.

 

[dajesmac]

I'd be happy with another prelim.

I feel like 2013 is where it happens.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

A home prelim would be sweet, anything above that is a cheeky bonus. Anything less than a prelim will be frustrating yes, home or away.

 

[Cuzz09]

Well seeing as I just did that ladder predictor and had us 5th Id be over the moon with a Premiership

I think Adelaide will get top 4. They have a ridiculous draw.

 

[bodazoka]

I am completely happy just with Masten, Schofield, Scooter, Hill's improvement.

My season would be capped off if either Swift or Sheppard bob up and cement a spot in the side.

Constant improvement and kids keep coming through is what I want to see each year.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

I don't know how good Westcoast 2012 are yet, to win a flag we need to finish top 2 and to do that we need 17+ wins. That's another 12 wins out of our next 17 games, make no mistake our next two matches are huge and we aren't going into them with our best available players from the way things are looking so if we find ourselves 7-0 ill be over the moon.

Getting Premiership number 4 just six years after our last and after we rebuilt 75% of our list would be something sweet.

 

[Patron]

Still feel this year is not the year. Next year is. ATM i would be dissapointed if we missed top 4/prelim but would be happy if we got top two/Made the GF.

 

[EagleShore]

If we don't get any more major injuries (big assumption), we will be legitimately competing for the flag this year. I couldn't stand Adelaide ending up higher than us, or Sydney for that matter.

It's gonna be an awesome season.

 

[jdisc]

i have that feeling that we're in that awkward phase where we have the talent, structures and form to win one but we're not psychologically prepared yet, and is only looking at 'improvement' and a week by week win plan. i feel 2013, especially in the pre-season, is where the team groups together and says "we need to win a premiership this year, lets give it all we've got, we can do this"

 

[WCEbrody]

I think our depth and some players in our 22 have improved A LOT, if someone said to me last season we'd be without Lecras,Nicoski,Embley,Emac with Mitch Brown and Kennedy going down during a game i would've given us no hope at all unless we were playing GCS.

I dont think we have any holes in our team either,although i want to see our midfield vs the best before i'm 100% on that.

So i think we CAN win the flag this year, but im not sure if we will.. a lot has to go right but thats the case for most premierships.

 

[Double the Fist]

No way. Another finals game or two will be great. Not ready yet. Next year maybe when Lecca is back

 

[Toshowyouwhy]

I don't understand why people are saying that a home prelim is good enough? If we are good enough for a home prelim, we are good enough to win the flag. It's never been the West Coast way to settle for 2nd or 3rd or 4th, so I see no reason why we should this year either.

We can go with everything next year as well as this one, you know? I don't want to end up 5 years down the track, wishing we had have gone a bit harder in 2012. Flag chances are incredibly rare, and we've got one this year. Anything less than that would be an unsuccessful season.

 

[Alexwce]

I don't understand why people are saying that a home prelim is good enough? If we are good enough for a home prelim, we are good enough to win the flag. It's never been the West Coast way to settle for 2nd or 3rd or 4th, so I see no reason why we should this year either.

We can go with everything next year as well as this one, you know? I don't want to end up 5 years down the track, wishing we had have gone a bit harder in 2012. Flag chances are incredibly rare, and we've got one this year. Anything less than that would be an unsuccessful season.

Exactly and you would find the players agree with this as well.

I don't want to get all analytical on each aspect around the ground but we match up well against all the other favourites. Now that Scooter has finished his apprenticeship, he has been freed up and is really showing us the other side of his game, we always knew he had.

Hate to get all analytical on this but I'll do it anyway.

Scooter - Do we not remember Woosha repeatedly stating that he believes Scooter will be one of the key midfielders down track? I blood do, everyone criticised him saying that a tagger wasn’t going to take us to our next premiership.

Daniel Kerr - could have his best footy ahead of him, the way he is going over the last couple of fortnights, interviewed the other day said his body is feeling 25 again. Last two games and finals last year is self explanatory regarding Kerry.

Matty Priddis - Still improving, heavily malinged around these boards but the team sees the importance of him, this is what matters and my oaf he will be a premiership player.

Luke Shuey - It's scary to think what he could be if he starts pulling these 30 possession, 3 goal games out every single week.

Chris Masten - Worst #3 pick ever, right? He was picked at no.3 for a reason. Why try to recruit players from outside of our club to complete the list when this guy has so much room for improvement. He is playing some magnificent footy and if he keeps going the way he is, he will be more than just a "star".

Andrew Gaff - Cruises through matches having 30 effective possessions a game. Need more be said?

Then you have midfielders like Andrew Embley (when he returns) and Matt Rosa who will probably be forced to play well or risk losing their spot in the team. Worst case scenario we have 7 effective midfielders, which is generally what other premiership contendors have as well.

Geelong (7); Selwood, Corey, Chapman, Bartel, Christensen, Hunt, Johnson
Hawthorn (7); Hodge, Mitchell, Sewell, Lewis, Shiels, Smith, Savage
Carlton (7); Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Scotland, Simpson, Robinson, Curnow
Collingwood (7); Swan, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Beams, Wellingham, Johnson, Blair
Sydney (8); Kennedy, Jack, Goodes, Bolton, Parker, Hannebery, Bird, Jetta

We match up exceptionally well in the midfield against all of those teams. Especially now that Masten has come along and Gaff/Shuey are another year older. Whilst you could argue they need more time to mature - also ask yourselves. Did Collingwood need another year to mature? 2010 they won a premiership with Beams, Wellingham, Sidebottom, Blair all at a young age. Swan, Pendles and Ball really there only older players and we've got older players in there.

Then there is our forwards and our midfields and provided we are fit come finals and Nicoski is back and kicking goals there isn't a need to get to analytical anyways, we already know how good our backs and forwards are. We've lost LeCras but you go tell any of the boys that it will stop their goals and they'll laugh at you, same at any other club. Ball losing Collingwood, Geelong losing Rooke (laugh all you want but go ask them how important he was to their structure), Hawthorn losing Roughead, Gillham and Stratton (3 points away from a granny, dominating 90% of a game and only having themselves to blame).

Saying we need players like Matera etc to complete our list is a myth. We have enough players as soon as this year to compete for a permiership.

This is our year, anytime between now and when this current midfield group begins to age too much is our year. Up the mighty ****ing eagles

 

[kane249]

Threads like this make me cringe

There is still a long way to go in this season and so far all we've beaten is:
Bulldogs - not that great
Melbourne - Close to the worst team in the comp
GWS - Cannon fodder
Hawks - Severely out of form
Tigers - Improved but still a Jekyll and Hyde team

We've already racked up long term injuries to good players in Lecras, Nicoski and Embley which stretch our depth and Kennedy looks underdone coming into this season even before his knock on the weekend.

To use an old cliche let's focus on one week at a time and the rest will take care of itself IF we prove ourselves to be good enough over the entire season and not just 5 weeks worth,

 

[Patron]

With kennedy out i will now be stoked if we make top 4.