this time last year

[brad]

We were only one win better off (8 wins).

Why does it feel as though this year has been a hell of a lot worse though?

We've had a tough fixture (in comparision to last year), injuries and suspensions at the wrong time and have lost a number of players with experience (Lloyd, Lucas, Lovett and McPhee).

Win 3 of the last 4 (big ask I know as it would mean a win against either Pies or Dogs) and we'd just about be where we were last year.

With games under the belt of Gumbleton, Melksham, Hardingham, Colyer and the extra year under the belt of Hooker, Zaharakis, Hurley (not to forget his indiscretion that has been a distraction for half the season) surely we can only go UP next year??????

[Gimps]

It's because we expected the team to improve. The fact that we have beaten a few top teams, but struggled against the shit teams is why this year feels worse.

We SHOULD have won 3 out of the 6 straight that we lost, without a doubt. We were playing average teams, we should have taken care of them if we were fair dinkum.. That's the thing that has compounded things.

[brad]

their attitude sucked during the West Coast and Melbourne games and Adelaide/Geelong were disasters BUT we are yet to develop depth to cover losing players like Fletcher (when suspended twice), Monfries (who provides regular output in our forward line - and a decent opponent) and Hille (who we missed for 7 weeks). Throw in Pears and his season ending injury it's no wonder we were down and out there for a while and now have close enough to our best 22 on the park.

[Windy_Hill]

Win 3 of the last 4 (big ask I know as it would mean a win against either Pies or Dogs) and we'd just about be where we were last year.

If we do this, then it will feel, and rightly so, that this year has been an improvement. But right now, we have gonr backwards this year

[Gimps]

It's true we had a couple of players out. But, the players had a shit attitude - and the coaching/selection was woeful..

[little_ripper]

Had we won 2 out of Adelaide/WC/Melb then IMO we would be lining up for finals.

I think 11 wins will do it this year(make the , and we will fall 2 games short.

[paddyl90]

Haha! I don't know how people expected us to improve after losing the players we lost last year. The losses were far worse this year, in margin and performance, but to be able to play good footy in big games this year has been promising. The only killer of our season was misfortune, e.g. injuries to Pears & Hille and loss of confidence after some losses against Swans & Hawks. The first 5 rounds of the year were terrible and I was becoming extremely worried but against Hawks, Port, Tigers, Dogs we showed we could play to the same standard we showed last year when we had those players. But the benefits for me a far greater this year than last year. Players like Hardingham, Colyer, Melksham were able to shine in some key positions where many were wondering who could fill that spot. Relatively full season for Gumby was fantastic and another season for Zaharakis and Hurley who will be stars and just get better and better.

At the beginning of the year I had us finishing 10th with 8 wins. We are 11th with 7 so right on the mark at the moment. It's amazing and slightly worrying the importance of Hille for our side and the importance of having leadership on the field to guide this young team forward. Don't care if you people don't care that saying this team is young is just an excuse, it's not it is fact! You may not like to hear it and kick them when their down but this team is so promising for the future and are only going to get better and better each year, and unrealistic expectations need to be dropped or there will be more "heartache" for those who expect us to be better than what has been shown this year. Regardless of what happens this year results wise, there are many other positives to take into next year where I think we should be a 6-10th team yet again. Get back to me in a years time and I'll be happy to admit I was wrong if we are shit.

[little_ripper]

Haha! I don't know how people expected us to improve after losing the players we lost last year. The losses were far worse this year, in margin and performance, but to be able to play good footy in big games this year has been promising.

You mean like how essendon played on Anzac Day this year? or perhaps the game in Adelaide when our finals chances were on the line?

Or the effort against Melbourne after that debacle...

regarding the players we lost, I think most people would agree that 3 of the 4 were probably clogging the list. And the 4th? well despite being good on field but he must have been pretty destablising off it.

I think its reasonable for a young team, getting games into its players should be expecting to move ahead and improve. its not like we are an ageing team towards the end of its 'premiership window'.

fwiw I think the bombers are going forward, but there are some concerns still. we desperately need a quality mid or two to come on and I'd love to see the coach perform a little better on match day. eg I'd love to see an Essendon again which could come back from 4-5 goals down to get a win on the back of some great moves from the coaches box.

[paddyl90]

Haha! I don't know how people expected us to improve after losing the players we lost last year. The losses were far worse this year, in margin and performance, but to be able to play good footy in big games this year has been promising.

You mean like how essendon played on Anzac Day this year? or perhaps the game in Adelaide when our finals chances were on the line?

Or the effort against Melbourne after that debacle....

I left out "some big games". LOL.

[little_ripper]

oh, i'd probably add that Lloydy *might* have found a second wind if played out of the goal square. but thats at a stretch, he was a shadow of himself when he gave it up. i don't think the club is any poorer for losing Lucas(body done..finished), Mcphee(average for years) and Lovett(head case)

[uptick]

It's true we had a couple of players out. But, the players had a shit attitude - and the coaching/selection was woeful..

One led to the other , I reckon. Hocking who was interviewed on the Radio after friday's win, thought that the players had been playing selfish footy during the horror stretch. No wonder they were, they were getting dropped for no reason, given no chance to cement a spot, so, I a gree the coaching/selection was woeful..[/quote

[robrulz5]

Also like this time last year it has been losing games we should have won that has hurt us.

[Sismis]

It is clearly a case of confidence. Both periods where we were poor this year we lost a few in a row. We did not have the experience to dig ourselves out as easily. The game against North was a better win than the Saints IMO for this very reason. They had to tough it out after weeks of performing below par.

The WC game was a very low point and I definately felt the pain. but i don't think it was lack of trying, it was simply a lack of experience of how to fight their way out of the doldrums. We will be better for this. As the great philosopher Linus Van Pelt once said, "You learn more from losing than you do from winning" to which Charlie Brown replied "Then I must be the smartest person in the world!"!

[brad]

It is clearly a case of confidence. Both periods where we were poor this year we lost a few in a row. We did not have the experience to dig ourselves out as easily. The game against North was a better win than the Saints IMO for this very reason. They had to tough it out after weeks of performing below par.

The WC game was a very low point and I definately felt the pain. but i don't think it was lack of trying, it was simply a lack of experience of how to fight their way out of the doldrums. We will be better for this. As the great philosopher Linus Van Pelt once said, "You learn more from losing than you do from winning" to which Charlie Brown replied "Then I must be the smartest person in the world!"!

I think Matthew Knights made a similar comment after the West Coast game.

[Crazyman]

I can't speak for others, but even given the loss of the experienced players mentioned, I thought that given their respective outputs, the only player that we may have missed was NLM because I think I expected the likes of Hurley, Pears, Hooker, Gumby to step up as key players and IMHO, they have for the most part...

I am also pleased with the likes of Colyer, Howlett, Hardingham and a few other young kids coming through and as such, I think the future is promising, but now they need to start delivering.

Also, as stated above, some of the coaching selections boggles the mind and I hope that Knights decides to bite the bullet, take a hard stand and say 'if you come back from injury, you play at least one game in the magoos'

Finally, the most disappointing thing about this year is that a) we should have won at least 3 more games (Dawks the second time, Port & Sydney) all of which would have put us in the 8 now...and b) when we have lost big, the teams apparent lack of effort has been glaring and I have to say, even Richmond put in more effort in the first 9 weeks of the season than we did on Anzac Day, against Adelaide and West Coke respectively...

P.S. I also acknowledge that Buddy killed us and Sydney was with 1 fit bench player for the last quarter and we still nearly pinched it, but they are both still close losses...