What are your expectations for 2017?

[DJC]

That is being a bit selective DJC. As you well know many of us for some extended period had wanted a Thomas type because our list was full of Church Mice. We needed a voice on and off the field, someone who doesn't shrink when they are challenged or highlighted.

Many of us post when we see Plowman or Weitering push back against opponents, recently SOJ as well.

Why is that so DJC, is our club so different?

Some folk may have wanted a "Thomas type" added to our list in 2013, but I suspect their first priority was a bloke who could play footy and hold down a key forward post.

It's interesting to read the "Doubting Thomas" thread.  Indeed, many posters thought that Thomas would be a good addition - because of his football ability.  A few folk felt that it was a poor decision but that became a majority when the season started and most realised how far off the pace he was.

For example, Brettie was in favour of bringing Daisy on board, but then reality set in:

Just showed some footage of Thomas kicking goals from 50m when at the Pies, when he used look like a player to fear. As Garry Lyon then correctly stated, Daisy looks frail these days, which is exactly what I thought when I saw him for the first in a Carlton guernsey in the pre-game warm-up of round 1, whereby I said to my mate that he looked like a school boy having a kick with his idols.

FMD....what have we done???

I have no doubt that Daisy tries his best and his experience may have some value.  However, it seems that his body is not up playing AFL footy at the level he achieved at Collingwood.  You can have the biggest mouth around but it's meaningless if you can't back it up with your actions.

Anyone who thought Thomas played well in his first games for us must not have been paying attention.  He was ordinary, not particularly vocal and definitely not someone our younger players could look up to.  Indeed, one of the criticisms Robert Walls made of Thomas was his tendency to be a clown at training.

Anyway, back to the thread topic: My expectation is that Thomas will be given a couple of games before being overtaken by one of our youngsters.  He may play out the season in the NBs but I suspect that he will develop an injury and go on to the LTI list.