Soon come

[Yorkeys]

Steele King Collard
Wilson Caminiti Henry
Wood Dow Hill
NWM Arnie Sinclair
Battle Howard Wilkie

Marshall Owens Garcia

Windhager Hayes Clark Higgins

Top 4.

[Life Long Saint]

Soon?
Henry is at least a month away, as is Crouch...So if you're including Henry then you need to add Crouch - or leave both of them out.
Webster is back after next week...Surely he comes in.
Is Arnie Arie Schoenmaker?

And, to be honest, even with an improved effort that team is not even close to top 4...It is barely a top 8 team.
Who out of Brisbane, Port, Melbourne, Carlton, Geelong, Collingwood, GWS, and Sydney are we going past?
We are fighting with Bulldogs, Essendon, Gold Coast, Fremantle, and Adelaide in the next group and two of those teams have already beaten us.

If the AFL was split into two divisions, we'd be a competitive team in the 2nd division, but we are not a division 1 team.

[mr six o'clock]

After the Richmond win we were 9th on the ladder and at that time I thought that's about right .
We are capable of beating anyone but we are also lacking in many areas.

[Life Long Saint]

After the Richmond win we were 9th on the ladder and at that time I thought that's about right .
We are capable of beating anyone but we are also lacking in many areas.

I think you may have a loose definition of "capable". We can't be lacking in many key areas and still be capable.
If we claim a big scalp, it's generally out of nowhere and we rely on the opposition to do something wrong. Anyone can beat anyone given the right circumstances - e.g. West Coast beating Richmond last week...Out of nowhere.

Collingwood in round 2 were not on their game when we beat them. They may not be still, but they are a much better team than we are. They really only lack a consistent key forward. They have a solid defence, a midfield to die for including a clearance beast and really classy ball users.
GWS, Carlton, Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Port, Brisbane...All much better teams than us...And, after last night, you can add the Bulldogs to the list.

We have a very ordinary midfield at the moment. It will improve, but there is no quick fix to our woes. We have a forward line that is so dependent on one player, that it's almost Lockett-esque. Our next best full forward - one who leads to the right spots - is only 178cm tall and is not a reliable shot at goal. He also arguably leads better than King does...A bit like Milney, a full forward in the body of a forward pocket.

Hate to say it, but September is not on the agenda for a few seasons yet. I really thought we'd continue the improvement, but we are going backwards at a great rate of knots.

[Otiman]

We are a good team.

The difference between a good team and a great team is consistency.

We definitely don't have that yet.

[Life Long Saint]

We are a good team.

Are we though?
What evidence is there to support that this season?
The 2-4 record? No...That's not it.
The scores of 9.14, 14.10, 9.13, 9.13, 12.7, and 9.10? Can't be that.
The accuracy percentage of 48.6%? Can't be that either.
Must be the workrate (the quarters won)? 9/24. Nope.
Our wonderful starts when the game matters? Nope 3 quarters out of 12 in the first half. Two first quarters and one second quarter.
We are -100 points in the first half alone.

Ah...It must be our third quarters...4/6 and a +34 point differential. They say it's the premiership quarter!

[Killa]

We have on our List Steele, Sinclair and Wilkie who all have All Australian blazers

We have Marshall and Hill who are competition class

Then you get to our younger brigade, led by King then Wanganeen-Milera, Owens, Windhager and Phillipou then Wilson and Garcia who all appear up to the level

So that is half a team

To that we add Henry with youth and class

Then to the likes of Battle, Higgins, Crouch, Howard and Clark who are all above “foot soldier” status

So that is 18 - noting that position demographic is absent

To this 18 you could add the likes of Wood, Membrey and you can trawl the remainder on our List for 4 more

We haven’t seen Dow as yet

What this does is highlight the depth of our List which is a problem now under the microscope noting those on our List who have not debuted at AFL level

When contributors bag the List as no good I would suggest that their assessment does not carry merit

Yes, we need more top drawer class including mid resource, KPP’s both forward and back and a versatile ruck option

But, in this, where do we differ from any other side?

So start with the building blocks and go from there

[Scollop]

As long as Monsoon no come.

And as long as Spoon no come, we'll survive

[Life Long Saint]

We have on our List Steele, Sinclair and Wilkie who all have All Australian blazers

We have Marshall and Hill who are competition class

Then you get to our younger brigade, led by King then Wanganeen-Milera, Owens, Windhager and Phillipou then Wilson and Garcia who all appear up to the level

So that is half a team

To that we add Henry with youth and class

Then to the likes of Battle, Higgins, Crouch, Howard and Clark who are all above “foot soldier” status

So that is 18 - noting that position demographic is absent

To this 18 you could add the likes of Wood, Membrey and you can trawl the remainder on our List for 4 more

We haven’t seen Dow as yet

What this does is highlight the depth of our List which is a problem now under the microscope noting those on our List who have not debuted at AFL level

When contributors bag the List as no good I would suggest that their assessment does not carry merit

Yes, we need more top drawer class including mid resource, KPP’s both forward and back and a versatile ruck option

But, in this, where do we differ from any other side?

So start with the building blocks and go from there

None of the AA Blazer wearing brigade are in AA form...What happened to Sinclair? He is a mere shadow of his past presence.
Marshall and Hill are the form players for us this season.
Most of our kids look like they'll be players, but that is still years away before they even get close to above average/elite...Especially the first and second year players.
NWM has played one good game where he's been a weapon this season. Round 2 v Collingwood. Have the other teams worked out how to shut him, Bonner, and Sinclair down? If so, that was too bloody easy.
Other than King, who are the players you build a team around? I'll give you the tip, they can't be midfielders or half-back flankers.
Good teams are built around your bookends. FF/CHF/CHB/FB. We don't have a CHF, and I'd argue that we have a servicable FB, but hardly one that compares to level of Moore, May, Andrews, etc. I'd even settle for a McGovern.

We won't make finals this season, making it harder to attract talent to help us get there.
Trouble is that we have a good coach that makes the team seem better than it is. We continue to paper over the cracks rather than effect real change.