Positives for the Year

[Banger9798]

Disappointing year but if the goal is a premiership in the next 3 years , what are the positives we can take from 2021?

My half dozen are:

1. Sinclair has stepped up and plays that superfit Caleb Daniels role well.

2. Crouch has slotted in and is a ball magnet, clearance and tackling mid we needed

3 Max has developed well through the second half and has started to clunk and Kick goals

4. Higgins has slotted into the forward pocket and looks like a player, another pre season and he could develop very well.

5. Highmore looks a real talent as third tall, courage and marking.

6. Byrnes, Connolly and Bytel have all shown something that tells us we have some good depth in the midfield.

[Impatient Sainter]

%100 to all of the above, plus Cooper Sharman who will be a decent player.

I also believe we have finally drafted a kid who will develop into a decent ruckman in Max Heath.

[Vortex]

COVID devalued the premiership race again and so I'm not disappointed we weren't in contention. A great year to get our shiite together for a crack when full strength competition starts again...

[Yorkeys]

6th in 2020 to 13th in 2021. Fairly positive about that.

Finish season with a flourish of losses. Positive about that.

The two Hs have taken us backwards not forwards. Check.

One positive is a notionally better draw but sides below us look like improving more than us and we will still draw Perth and Adelaide sides away.

Best strong mid - fairly positive not yet recruited.

Best positive - significant deadwood can be delisted and the rebuild started.

Positive I have no idea what Danny Sexton does.

[bangaulegend]

Captain Jack has been amazing ,Max King showing signs he might be a star , Jack Sinclair has gone to the next level Hmmmm that's about all I can come up with & oh yeah we get a better draft pick lets hope we don't f--k that up again

[Waltzing St Kilda]

POSITIVES

Sinclair takes next step, Byrnes looking good, King cured his yips, Connelly and Highmore might have something, Dunstan playing to his strengths, Steele a Brownlow contender, Jones and Crouch warriors, McKenzie improved, Higgins OK, Wood a handy pick-up, Hill spordacially showing some class.

NEGATIVBES

Hannebury continues to be a bust; McKernan, Hunter and Frawley wasting space; Kent and Lonie no comment; Battle, Butler, Clark and Coffiedl inexplicably going backwards; Billings and Ross in their prime and still "unfulfilled potential"; Ryder 34 next season; Roberton and Carlisle finished; other players erratic and unreliable; far too many injuries; uninspiring leadership on and off the field; players picking and choosing; lack of coaching adaptability; virtue-signalling administration; over-reliance on psychologists and other quacks.

[WellardSaint]

Positives for 2020

The season is almost over.
It's been like going to the dentist several times.
The pain comes and goes in regular rhythm, with some relief at times.
But in a few weeks the pain will be over

[shanegrambeau]

For the year as a whole
Sinclair and Highmore…

For a patch
King
Higgins

For this weekend just gone
Matt Parker kicking 2 for Richmond and Harvs getting some respect

[Vortex]

Geary didn't play and it gave Jack a year to learn the Captain role on his own and be one year ahead of the curve when he officially takes over the role in his own right.

That is not meant to be any disrespect to Gears btw.

[groupie1]

Disappointing year but if the goal is a premiership in the next 3 years , what are the positives we can take from 2021?

My half dozen are:

1. Sinclair has stepped up and plays that superfit Caleb Daniels role well.

2. Crouch has slotted in and is a ball magnet, clearance and tackling mid we needed

3 Max has developed well through the second half and has started to clunk and Kick goals

4. Higgins has slotted into the forward pocket and looks like a player, another pre season and he could develop very well.

5. Highmore looks a real talent as third tall, courage and marking.

6. Byrnes, Connolly and Bytel have all shown something that tells us we have some good depth in the midfield.

Great post. I wanna add to it, I think a tonne of positives have come out of this year (that we may not realise til next year)

1. Sinclair has stepped up and plays that superfit Caleb Daniels role well.
YES- Sinclair belongs at the level

2. Crouch has slotted in and is a ball magnet, clearance and tackling mid we needed
100%

3 Max has developed well through the second half and has started to clunk and Kick goals
100%

4. Higgins has slotted into the forward pocket and looks like a player, another pre season and he could develop very well.
He's gonna be a star

5. Highmore looks a real talent as third tall, courage and marking.
Agreed

6. Byrnes, Connolly and Bytel have all shown something that tells us we have some good depth in the midfield.
Byrnes and Connolly are the 2 most positive things to emerge. And teaching Bytel - the Rolls Royce - that he needs to work to earn a spot, will be great for his career

7. Hill has become the 5th highest ranking defender in the game... making the Hill/Gresh/Jones/Sinclair combo potentially the most damaging outside-mid combo in the game (gtiven the inside mids are secured in Steele/Crouch/Bytel)

8. Ben Long in the forward line. This will take time to play out, but he's 23, he can lauch ... we all know his defensive tenacity and aggression. Not saying he becomes Liam Ryan-esque, but he give our F50 an aerial presence and hardness it currently lacks.

9/ Audacious here.... we could get great value for Coffield and Clarke, and be confident in Highmore and Connolly plugging the roles. I say we role the dice.

[cwrcyn]

I have to disagree on Ben Long. He has plenty of vigour, but just lacks class. He is a poor kick for goal and fumbles a lot below his knees. I love his energy, but his lack of composure means he doesn't take advantage of situations where someone like Higgins would.

[cwrcyn]

Trading out Clark would be utter madness. He's a rare talent. Connolly could play the role Billings plays once he gets a bit more experience, but Clark offers what few players possess....great evasive skills, kicks well with either foot, and can create something out of nothing. I don't think many clubs would be banging down the door to get to Coffield

[cwrcyn]

Bytel remains a mystery. Was a gun at U18 level. He's got sure hands and doesn't panic under physical pressure, but his inability to get from contest to contest at this stage means he's of little value. Once he gets properly fit, which I hope is this year, then we'll find out if he's truly up to the task. I think he can do it,but there's a ton of work to do first. I think it's good for him to see someone like Byrnes play ahead of him. Byrnes is uber professional and I think he shows Bytel what's required

[Banger9798]

Keep Clark for sure
Coffield is a mystery to me, I had him pegged to go nuts this year. The trajectory of development he was on was heading towards A grade. Now he is a C-.
Only the club would know if it is a temporary glitch or a trend, and that would determine his trade status.
Agree with cwrcyn, that Bytel will be better with another pre season.

[groupie1]

Clark would be arguably our best player if he got 30 touches a week. But he doesn't. And he needs to if we're to challenge. Agreed on Coffield. I wonder if this year his role was confused. There are times it seemed he didn't really know what his place was in the side this year, and perhaps he lost confidence b/c of that... and it all goes downhill. I think perhaps with Highmore coming into the side and Hill going back and Membrey playing D50 at the end of quarters his role got confused. What is his role? 3rd man up? I'm trying to think of the player he could be - what kind of model is there for him to aspire to? Like.... anyone can think who Coffield is like? Goddard is the first to come to mind; I can't think of a similar other player. Roberton?

[Banger9798]

I gett he horrible feeling that Coffield finds AFL too hard.
Standing in the hole and getting smashed into week after week has him second guessing.
He is not a player that thrives on the physical stuff.

I hope he can respond

[groupie1]

I gett he horrible feeling that Coffield finds AFL too hard.
Standing in the hole and getting smashed into week after week has him second guessing.
He is not a player that thrives on the physical stuff.

I hope he can respond

That's quite a good insight. Perhaps that's been his problem in 2021.

[happy feet]

Collingwood being more shyte than us.