The Hard Road To The Premiership

[ItsOurTime]

We're particularly notorious

[DJC]

Agree - there's a lot of good vibes around at the moment. There is too close a link between optimism and complacency. We are in no position to be cocky.

There's a close link between pessimism and despondency too, as we witnessed last season.

Bolton's challenge is to strike a balance between condifidence and, hence, optimal arousal levels, and realistic expectations.

[flyboy77]

They probably think the same thing. We're all riding on hope ATM and I'd rather our mind's focussed on the fact that we''re a long way behind and need to work very hard to be competitive for four quarters against a team like Brisbane instead of already a monty.

As the Dogs showed in 2015 - no team is that far behind. Get the head in the right space/place - the rest takes care of itself...

[LordLucifer]

Reckon we will be doing quite well to hold on to our ladder position from last year. Can't see us getting past that given the number of new faces we have on the list.

[DJC]

Reckon we will be doing quite well to hold on to our ladder position from last year. Can't see us getting past that given the number of new faces we have on the list.

I can't understand that logic Sheik  :-\

Yes, we have an inexperienced list but the blokes we brought in are streets ahead of those who departed (on their 2016 form). 

[LP]

Reckon we will be doing quite well to hold on to our ladder position from last year. Can't see us getting past that given the number of new faces we have on the list.

Yes I agree.

I don't think we will see the winning / losing streak we saw last season, at least I hope we don't, if we do we haven't progressed.

I'm hoping we see us winning some close ones, with a balanced mix of expected wins and losses. Along with fewer games like those ones last year in which we never looked like a serious opponent.

I suspect our defence might be a little weaker this year, as much as Tuohy is maligned by many supporters he was a very effective negator. Plus the retirement of Jamison removes an experienced head on and off the field.

I'll be interested to see the effect 1AW has on the young players, if he's effective we should see them rapidly looking fitter and stronger by mid-season. I suspect he'll either make them or break them in this regard, he punished himself at times from a endurance and aerobic fitness perspective which is not always a good thing.

[Thryleon]

I can't understand that logic Sheik  :-\

Yes, we have an inexperienced list but the blokes we brought in are streets ahead of those who departed (on their 2016 form).

Zach Tuohy (irrespective of his 2016 form) will be missed, and young Byrne might be tracking nicely but his absence from our team really stifled a lot of our run.  I also think that young Cripps with a hindered pre season might be doing well to reproduce any of his form from last year, let alone firing from round 1.

I think that too many people are being labelled as pessimists, when they are being realists just because too many are being optimistic.

[northernblue]

I can't understand that logic Sheik  :-\

Yes, we have an inexperienced list but the blokes we brought in are streets ahead of those who departed (on their 2016 form).

They have yet to kick a ball in anger... how can you claim them to be "streets ahead of those who departed"? ????

Do you mean that any of them can kick 50 goals a season, be capable of playing forward and back and will play 200 games ?

Every year we delist and retire players and we recruit replacements... and we hope they are all upgrades.
Guess what ? 17 other teams do the same thing !
No guarantees...

[DJC]

Zach Tuohy (irrespective of his 2016 form) will be missed, and young Byrne might be tracking nicely but his absence from our team really stifled a lot of our run.  I also think that young Cripps with a hindered pre season might be doing well to reproduce any of his form from last year, let alone firing from round 1.

I think that too many people are being labelled as pessimists, when they are being realists just because too many are being optimistic.

Yes Tuohy was a best 22 player, as was Walker, although wear and tear rendered him a shadow of his best.  The other players we shed, including Jammo, did nothing in 2016.  Marchbank is a more than adequate replacement for Jammo (at his best) and we know Palmer and Smedts can play.  That's one reasonable HBF and two struggling players out and one exciting KPP and two reasonable players in, making a stronger list.  Of course, if a couple of SPS, Pickett, Lebois, Fisher, Macreadie, Polson, Williamson and Kerr make the grade, we're well ahead of 2016.  Then there's the development of last year's draft crop.

Holding on to our ladder position should be achievable as the lower end of acceptable outcomes.  That's based on a considered, realistic assessment of our list changes - and Bolton's call for fans to be patient   An optimistic view would have us playing finals, and I think that the chances of that happening are very slim. 

[LP]

Yes Tuohy was a best 22 player, as was Walker, although wear and tear rendered him a shadow of his best.  The other players we shed, including Jammo, did nothing in 2016.  Marchbank is a more than adequate replacement for Jammo (at his best) and we know Palmer and Smedts can play.  That's one reasonable HBF and two struggling players out and one exciting KPP and two reasonable players in, making a stronger list.  Of course, if a couple of SPS, Pickett, Lebois, Fisher, Macreadie, Polson, Williamson and Kerr make the grade, we're well ahead of 2016.  Then there's the development of last year's draft crop.

Holding on to our ladder position should be achievable as the lower end of acceptable outcomes.  That's based on a considered, realistic assessment of our list changes - and Bolton's call for fans to be patient   An optimistic view would have us playing finals, and I think that the chances of that happening are very slim.

I think we saw last year that Weitering and Plowman didn't quite have the size to deal with the KPFs, which is why Rowe had such a good season in my opinion. Rowe wasn't filling gaps around Jammo as Jammo was out, Rowe was the main man and it showed in his performances.

Not sure Marchbank or Plowman are a Jammo type. Whether supporters like him or not Jammo was an exceptional fullback dealing with opponents far bigger than him.

Perhaps Weitering will develop far greater upper body strength in 2017, he's got the legs, he needs the core, arms and chest. This idea of developing core strength is not as straight forward as doing the training, some people just never get it, the don't have a body wired the right way!

I don't see Smedts as a heavy defensive hitter, he can play, but he plays more like we want Boekhorst to play. I see them both as running options. Smedts reminds me of Simmo pressing forward, but without Simmo's attack on the football. If Casboult is fit and firing up the field, or McKay, I expect to see Boekhorst or Smedts hitting the front and square on the wing to receive and delivering the footy inside F50 or even finishing. They should model themselves on Breust or Gunston. I'll be very disappointed if I see Smedts and Boekhorst always forward of the contest looking for a cheap handball.

To me Palmer is McLean Mk.II, he'll do the grunt stuff, be the link man, put himself in the right positions to pop up regularly when required. You should not expect too much flash, just a job doer getting a job done.