Saintmike65 wrote: ↑Sun 03 Dec 2023 1:19pm
shanegrambeau wrote: ↑Sat 02 Dec 2023 6:15pm
I do agree we were lucky to make finals in '23.
We peaked in that narrow loss to Collingwood and by mid-May, after the Adelaide debacle, we were on the slide.
However, we seemed to hang on and hang on thanks partly to other results and having a crack.
I think we might be better next year if injuries do not strike too badly, but we have lost a lot of talent and replaced it with unknowns that are promising.
It makes sense to me that oppo fans expect us to slide.
Obviously we know better.
Owens will be our Pretracca, our Nathan Fyfe and more.
The way I see it, we’ve only lost unfulfilled talent!!
Yeah I get that and I addressed the issue that many of the lost talent barely played
Bytel was picked six times and barely spent 25% of the time on the park so how do we know?
Billings still has more utility than a freshman come Round one
Coffield would be miles ahead of one
Gresh is obviously a major loss
McKenzie is cooked
I think Dow is a Bytel but hopefully more in the coaches liking . I believe Bytel was regularly 30+ possessions player in the VFL
Henry is the wild card and so surprising
Now none of that means we are not better off in the long run, but as the year starts we start behind on paper I would guess…of course anything could happen - like the breaking out of players like Pou Sharman Caminiti windy Nas etc
I’m not expecting miracles from King and Membrey at this stage although King still could be very damaging. And perhaps ‘24 will be his year?
As for Ross Crouch Hill Jones we have to prepare for decline in their output so that will be another offset to account for. Webster is a bit of a miracle in that he just keeps going. Maybe he can be a Michael Tuck ? Looks a bit like one, and go on for ever? Players like Wood and Hayes ? Roll dice ? Paton and Byrnes will battle on as will Battle himself. All in all, it has been a big exchange and I am happy and excited by it, but I think there is a bit of a hole so to speak, right now.