2018 - What do you expect from the club?

[Tragic]

10+ wins. 
no excuses. 
start the season raring to go rather than limping into it, and finish stronger, rather than limping out of it.  attack more.

ride the wave of youthful enthusiasm boys.  stick it up 'em.

[flyboy77]

Kennedy, Lang and Lobbe were fringe players at their previous clubs..Mullet was dumped for being soft....Garlett is a unknown quantity for several reasons...not to say these players wont grab their opportunity

Can't agree EB.

Kennedy - played 16 games in 2017. At age 20 in the best midfield in the comp. All but guaranteed to be an A grader.

Lang - wants to be a midfielder but after several injury setbacks in 2017 played a major role in Geelong's semi final win over the Swans. in their best and 4th highest disposal winner.

Lobbe - we'll see but clearly was capable of being a bloody good #1 ruck.

Garlett - he'll be in our top ten come season's end.

Mullett - who knows, his best looks good....hard to believe he's "soft".

[LP]

..Mullet was dumped for being soft....

Was Mullet dumped for being soft?

His highlights don't seem to suggest that, at least not relative to some of our players.

But he certainly wasn't the mongrel player like Ziebell that Ol' Pudding Face likes.

[LP]

I'd like Alex S. in there too - gives a bit more hardness to the backline and can pinch hit forward too.

Interesting we've left ACoS a rookie though, maybe that is a tell.

[Inboltswetrust]

The harsh reality is that in some respects the SOS drafting program has been an exercise in compromise. In the past two seasons we went after and failed to get: Tomlinson, Kelly, Rockliff, Smith, Lynch, Saad and maybe another 'name' or two... We were told that in 2017 we would attract and secure a marquee player - didn't happen. None of the blokes we settled on were tried and true winners like the before mentioned. So SOS can hardly say to BB that he's given him A graders to work with... he's given him potential and maybe's. Fingers crossed for 2018.

Yeah that is an interesting post Baggers actually.  You are right- in terms of attracting good players to the club, with the exception of Marchbank, I don't think he has delivered really.  But what he has done is picked a few rippers in the draft, and possibly a few recycles with a big upside.  That was better than the last bunch of buffoons led by Rogers/Hughes.  The issue we have is when you are excrement, no one wants to come to you.  This will not change next year either if we are uncompetitive.  We must win at least 8-10 games and show stars that we are a place that can make them into better footballers.  It is not all about cash.  Players these days have enough of that.

I think SOS has done an okay job so far, but this draft has me raising my eyebrows a bit.  I really think we should have taken UDL at pick 3, though Dow may be a great player for us I will concede.  Pick 10 looks questionable, and I don't really think taking a ruck at pick 30 is a great idea, given there were other good mids available at that time.  Again, I could be proven wrong, and I hope i am.  Of the ones SOS has drafted, Charlie looks like a potential superstar, Seton is a gun in the making, and I think the 'project picks' - Pickett and Garlett could be very useful for us.    Kennedy should be handy, Plowman is very consistent, and SOSOS has a big upside.  Harry too, and Cunningham seems ok.  Fisher and Williamson great late picks, and I rate Macreadie too.  So not bad from SOS.  But this year and next will be the big tester.  The fact remains, we have still balked at recruiting forwards- this could well be our biggest issue.  It would be interesting to see how a true gun FF and small forward would change our win-loss ratio.  Would it change it immediately?  I think it might.

[Gointocarlton]

Haters gonna hate

[ElwoodBlues1]

Can't agree EB.

Kennedy - played 16 games in 2017. At age 20 in the best midfield in the comp. All but guaranteed to be an A grader....Very good Blue Collar worker but not silky like Gibbs..

Lang - wants to be a midfielder but after several injury setbacks in 2017 played a major role in Geelong's semi final win over the Swans. in their best and 4th highest disposal winner...unproven midfielder

Lobbe - we'll see but clearly was capable of being a bloody good #1 ruck....tap ruckman only, no forward impact

Garlett - he'll be in our top ten come season's end.........agree has talent and I like his selection but unproven over the journey..
[/color]
Mullett - who knows, his best looks good....hard to believe he's "soft"......cut from a weak Nth small defensive unit and working class midfield due to poor contested work, replaced by Marley Williams who got booted by Collingwood....

They can all improve and some will but I'm not prepared to presume they will have a major impact in 2018.....
Kennedy will be a good player and gives me the most confidence.....

[PaulP]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-30/ad...r-the-ages

We have the 5th youngest list in the comp.

[LP]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-11-30/ad...r-the-ages

We have the 5th youngest list in the comp.

Not much in it though when you consider we have ACoS as a rookie, Simmo going strong, and Murphy, Daisy and Rowe entering their 30s. Lobbe, Kreuzer, Wright, Curnow and Casboult in their late 20s.

Not offsetting the averages but highlighting their somewhat deceptiveness. Liam Jones is like a 3rd year player in his new role after years in the wilderness.

Knock off Simmo and ACoS from the averages for draftees and you take more than 150 days off our average, we become the 2nd youngest.

[PaulP]

Not much in it thought when you consider we have ACoS as a rookie, Simmo going strong, and Murphy, Daisy and Rowe entering their 30s. Lobbe, Kreuzer, Wright, Curnow and Casboult in their late 20s.

Not offsetting the averages but highlighting their somewhat deceptiveness. Liam Jones is like a 3rd year player in his new role after years in the wilderness.

Knock off Simmo and ACoS from the averages for draftees and you take more than 150 days off our average, we become the 2nd youngest.

Yes, I guess an age bracket breakdown would be better.