02-17-2019, 08:09 AM
(02-17-2019, 07:28 AM)ElwoodBlues1 link Wrote:We can improve but so can everyone else,very hard to forecast when you have to factor in if other teams are improving or falling away...eg Collingwood were looking bottom 4 for a while, Buckley couldnt coach and 12 months later they are playing in a GF and stiffs like Mason Cox are winning finals...
Same could happen to us hopefully, finals contention in 3-4 years is asking a lot of the natives not to get too restless....not sure Bolton would survive on that time frame..
Yes, but given the quality of our kids - and their ages - our prospective rate of improvement should far exceed all others in the next 1-3 years.
If Harry and weiters come of age this year, for example.....
And remember Setterfield and SPS both hit 21 this year - the former lacks games but is an extreme talent as is Samo, whom from all reports has busted it on the training track....
Sure,we're right in not expecting a lot from 18 or 19 year olds - but blokes in the 20-22 yo bracket (3rd or 4th seasons, often with 50 games + under their belts):
21 Garlett, Jarrod 28 22yr 9mth 3 May 1996 180cm 74kg South Fremantle Midfield
Forward
33 Pickett, Jarrod 17 22yr 5mth 18 Aug 1996 178cm 77kg South Fremantle Forward
45 Goddard, Hugh ® 10 22yr 5mth 24 Aug 1996 197cm 96kg Geelong Falcons Defender
22 Marchbank, Caleb 35 22yr 2mth 7 Dec 1996 193cm 90kg Murray Bushrangers Defender
30 Curnow, Charlie 47 22yr 3 Feb 1997 194cm 91kg Geelong Falcons Forward
44 Owies, Matt ® 0 21yr 10mth 19 Mar 1997 183cm 82kg St Kevins
28 Cuningham, David 16 21yr 10mth 30 Mar 1997 183cm 83kg Oakleigh Chargers Midfield
Forward
7 Kennedy, Matthew 31 21yr 10mth 6 Apr 1997 188cm 89kg Collingullie Ashmont Kapooka Midfield
23 Weitering, Jacob 56 21yr 2mth 23 Nov 1997 195cm 95kg Mount Eliza Football Club Defender
1 Silvagni, Jack 43 21yr 1mth 17 Dec 1997 191cm 89kg Oakleigh Chargers Forward
10 McKay, Harry 15 21yr 1mth 24 Dec 1997 200cm 95kg Gippsland Power Forward
43 Setterfield, Will 2 21yr 5 Feb 1998 190cm 87kg Sandringham Dragons Midfield
Forward
5 Petrevski-Seton, Sam 42 20yr 11mth 19 Feb 1998 180cm 74kg Claremont Midfield
Forward
29 Polson, Cameron 13 20yr 11mth 11 Mar 1998 177cm 76kg Sandringham Dragons Midfield
Forward
26 Macreadie, Harrison 8 20yr 10mth 11 Apr 1998 196cm 91kg Henty Defender
42 LeBois, Kym ® 0 20yr 8mth 22 May 1998 175cm 70kg North Adelaide Forward
25 Fisher, Zac 34 20yr 8mth 15 Jun 1998 175cm 72kg Perth Midfield
Forward
36 Kerr, Pat 4 20yr 6mth 31 Jul 1998 197cm 97kg Oakleigh Chargers Forward
31 Williamson, Tom 15 20yr 2mth 12 Dec 1998 189cm 82kg North Ballarat Rebels Defender
19 Schumacher, Angus 0 19yr 11mth 16 Mar 1999 190cm 84kg Bendigo Pioneers Defender
Midfield
12 De Koning, Tom 2 19yr 7mth 16 Jul 1999 201cm 92kg Dandenong Stingrays Forward
10 first round draft picks in that lot - 7 of those 10 in their respective years, top 10 picks.
Not all will go bang, a few never, and certainly not all at once.
But go bang most of them will - that's what the stats strongly suggest....
And then there's a lad like Fisher who already plays like a seasoned 100 gamer.
Finals, then 4 in a row!