The Opposition

[To the top]

Limiting any progress any side will make will be the Opposition.

So:-

WB - I am of the view that they "got under the guard" in 2016 and they will be very hard pressed in 2017 as the hunted.

Sydney - 2016 fade out showed that there time is past

GWS - The real problem, with a class list and the required experience

West Coast - Will win most at home, but struggle on the road

Hawthorn - May get back their most valuable player and have some recruits but 2016 showed they have further than that to go

Geelong - Will not improve

Richmond - Enough said. The Coach will be under pressure and Martin will distract

Collingwood - ditto Richmond The pre-season Premiers - every year.

Fremantle - Get their most influentual 2 players back - but will need a lot more than that.

Gold Coast - Last chance for the Coach who will be under pressure very quickly

Brisbane - Will be more disciplined, but will need a lot more.

Adelaide - Another that will be formidable at home, but struggle against good opposition away

Port Adelaide - ditto Adelaide, except not as formidable at home. Support base will fall off very quickly.

Melbourne - Hype, but performance will not match the hype. Too many deficiencies.

Carlton - GWS Seconds.

Essendon - Another with hype over returning players - but why should they be any better than before suspended?

North Melbourne - On the post Lyon St Kilda path.

The summary is that we are in with as much of a chance as anyone with a Caveat over GWS, who could dominate.

[terry smith rules]

Wow will you give me a price Melbourne to make the 8!

Or at least explain their deficiencies.

Gawn -arguably the best ruck
and a midfield of Viney, Lewis, Jones, Brayshaw, Tyson, Vince etc

Hogan Watts and Petracca
and Mcdonald down back

Not sure what deficiencies there are

[saynta]

Limiting any progress any side will make will be the Opposition.

So:-


Carlton - GWS Seconds.



The summary is that we are in with as much of a chance as anyone with a Caveat over GWS, who could dominate.

Love that comment.

Suck s*** pigs arse.

Payback's a bitch.

[desertsaint]

Very optimistic ttt.
Alternatively...

WB - a year older and stronger. may not enjoy quite the same run with the umps, may enjoy a better run with injuries.
Sydney - 2016 saw a lot of youth earn their spots. Likely to be a little better for the experience.
GWS - espect them to improve further
West Coast - With the smartest footballer added to their list they have two years to make good on the gift.
Hawthorn - lost quality, but have Roughie, O'Meara, and Mitchell. Have a habit of turning overrated trades like Vickery into premiership material.
Geelong - Top four to top eight material
Richmond - Treading waterbut will thrash the waters briefly at some stage of the season.
Collingwood - Drowning, but may take down another with them. beware.
Fremantle - A long way off it.
Gold Coast - Could be a surprise. Unlikely
Brisbane - Deservedspoon favourites
Adelaide - Near unbeatable at AO, which is where we play them.Top six team.
Port Adelaide - not a contender, but a clear top eight side at home, which is where we play them.
Melbourne - More quality than us, but not the evenness across the park. our main contender, along with north for that eighth spot.
Carlton - Will disappoint after last years effort
Essendon - Not near it - schadenfreude for opposing fans who've had to wear the arrogance of their supporters for so long.
North Melbourne - Will be thereabouts at seasons end, pushing for a top eight spot.
and
St kilda - overachieved with a light injury list and friendly fixture. Will be making progress just to make ninth again.

The summary is that we are in a real fight to make the eight.

[To the top]

TSR

I think you answered your own question!

[Impatient Sainter]

I hate them all but Sydney the most...

[Impatient Sainter]

I hate them all but Sydney the most...

[WellardSaint]

I worry about the following:
GWS
WCE
PA
Adelaide
GC
I don't believe we will do well interstate and think Geelong will beat us this year.
Melb, I feel, should be our easiest opponents. Same with Essendon.
We could finish 9th same as last year,
but I will be rapt if we win more than last year.
I will be excited if we can beat Geelong again, as well as Hawks and North, but those 3 are our kryptonite, in my opinion.

[Con Gorozidis]

Wow will you give me a price Melbourne to make the 8!

Or at least explain their deficiencies.

Gawn -arguably the best ruck
and a midfield of Viney, Lewis, Jones, Brayshaw, Tyson, Vince etc

Hogan Watts and Petracca
and Mcdonald down back

Not sure what deficiencies there are

Their Backline. Is s***.

[AeonFlux]

The Opposition???
We're Just Not Good Enough???

I'm still sticking with Rodger's The FORX Report – Seasoned 2017 assessment.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92083#p1648824
16 wins - top six finish. With a touch of luck - top four finish.
We will replace North Melbourne, as the only change to 2016's top eight.
Unfortunately, Con is correct again. Those Melbourne bitter tankards still won't make the finals. So that will mean Hawthorn (and our first rounder gifted pick) will stay in the top eight. Slightly disappointing, but not to worry.

And don't rule out us pinching this year's flag ahead of time.


To the naysaying 'kool aid' jibing brigade out there, yes, we can beat those privileged clubs. (And whilst hating Sydney is an admirable sentiment, there's still another sixteen teams whom should not be 'missing out'. There's a lot of hatred to go round, and it should be shared around. ) Yes, we can beat those bastards, despite their ill-gotten money and influence, and despite their ill-gotten AFL patronage.

Why?

Because in the words of Kinky Friedman (as echoed by both Rodger and P66)
"Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail."

[magnifisaint]

Wow will you give me a price Melbourne to make the 8!

Or at least explain their deficiencies.

Gawn -arguably the best ruck
and a midfield of Viney, Lewis, Jones, Brayshaw, Tyson, Vince etc

Hogan Watts and Petracca
and Mcdonald down back

Not sure what deficiencies there are

McDonald - Turn over merchant. Defence is their achilles heel

[To the top]

So, 6 weeks in?

[meher baba]

Six weeks in, GWS and the Dogs still look a cut above everyone else. The Crows also look reasonably good, but I don't think they've got enough to seriously threaten in the finals: a Preliminary Final is the best possible result for them, but is by no means certain. Geelong will probably make the prelims. Richmond's current position on the table is flattering, but they will also almost certainly make the finals. We're still a reasonable chance for the eight, but not much chance of getting to the last two weeks. Port and Carlton will be nuisances all season and are also chances for the eight.

That's about all I can work out so far.

[Bluthy]

Next week is a really brilliant test seeing as we will get a lot of confidence out of how we won today. Our pattern is beating our underlings, but not being able to take a big scalp. I don't even need a win next week but just a fierce contest against a highly probable top 2 team. WE'll find out then how good this new look midfield is. They won't let us dominate like we did against hawks weak inside.

[borderbarry]

The Dogs and GWS play a faster brand of footy than everyone else. Geelong and Adelaide play steadier games, but Geelong rely on a handful of players, the rest are pretty ordinary. Richmond undefeated now, but that wont last long.

[To the top]

Don't forget NM were 10-0 in 2016 and finished 12-10

There are a couple of undefeated sides in 2017 where the same fate may await

Despite the close call at Manuka I still think GWS are the side you need to beat

WB will be interesting

You don't need to be at your best in April and I think some sides are

The first half of the season is about getting enough wins on the board

So winning when not at your best

[SaintPav]

Last quarter against Geelong still burns in my brain.

[To the top]

So Richmond and Geelong confirm the assessment

WB and Adelaide are the over performers to date

On St Kilda to date, the losses to Melbourne and Geelong may hurt

We really needed to win at least one of those games to fortify our position