12-29-2017, 12:32 AM
Have to agree with flyboy and cookie. Looking forward with more hope than usual. For me ladder position is not the point - improved competitiveness, and visible player development is.
1. This year the blow-outs were fewer and smaller - even at the end of the season.
2. The number of young players _contributing_ at AFL level is so much better than in the pre-BB days.
3. The hit rate on players _contributing_ after coming from other clubs is easily better than pre-SOS, but also appears to be better than the hit rate for drafted players - a new, welcome net positive.
4. For #2 and #3 to be happening we now have to have a more than functional recruiting and development.
5. No sign of any "fat head" rumblings getting any traction at PP - at all. Communications are low key professional and positive. The change of CEO could have been handled better, but no organisation gets everything right.
So I am looking forward to watching the individual players develop and function as a team even better this season. In past seasons hopes were focused on one or two players making a difference - big surprise it did not.
Now with a whole crew of new and young players who have already shown "baby steps up", this season looks like a positive experience as a supporter, despite loosing Gibbs and Docherty, but may not see much change in the ladder position.
1. This year the blow-outs were fewer and smaller - even at the end of the season.
2. The number of young players _contributing_ at AFL level is so much better than in the pre-BB days.
3. The hit rate on players _contributing_ after coming from other clubs is easily better than pre-SOS, but also appears to be better than the hit rate for drafted players - a new, welcome net positive.
4. For #2 and #3 to be happening we now have to have a more than functional recruiting and development.
5. No sign of any "fat head" rumblings getting any traction at PP - at all. Communications are low key professional and positive. The change of CEO could have been handled better, but no organisation gets everything right.
So I am looking forward to watching the individual players develop and function as a team even better this season. In past seasons hopes were focused on one or two players making a difference - big surprise it did not.
Now with a whole crew of new and young players who have already shown "baby steps up", this season looks like a positive experience as a supporter, despite loosing Gibbs and Docherty, but may not see much change in the ladder position.