How Has Our NAB Cup Changed Your Expectations?

[Windy_Hill]

OK, so here's the thing, Earlier in the year many on this forum were predicting a Bottom 8 finish for the Bombers in 2008. Given the team's performances in the NAB Cup, do you think we can expect a better outcome than previosuly predicted. Or is it dangerous to draw any conclusions from an experiemental pre-season competition.

Positives for me

1) Form of Dyson and Dempsey - 2 guys who really needed to show something early and they have
2) New Game Plan - a new look team with an exciting, running and tackling game plan.
3) No Lloyd, No Fletcher - arguably our two best players and we performed admitably without either
4) Youth - its all upside


Negatives

1) Gunbleton's injury

I still think we will finish 6th which was my earlier prediction - our form in the NAB has simply confirmed what I already thought. We have a team bristling with some of the best young players in the land and if we can keep our key players on the park, injury free, we a re a real show.

[Rossoneri]

Other negative is Courtney Johns.

My expectations are still the same, we will finish anywhere from 10th-13th. Problem with the NAB cup is that if you lose the first game, people make assumptions that nothing will improve because they dont get to see you on TV. Also, some teams take the competition more seriously than others. Our reserves beat Brisbanes reserves and then we disposed of a team who will be bottom 4 this year also. Against the Saints, they were missing a couple, so were we, I think our players to come back in are better than theirs.

Our gameplan looks ok, and it is much better suited to the MCG. If we can pick the proper team for the MCG (no JJ and probably no Pev) then we will do ok.

Our depth will only get better if we give them proper game time. There are definitely some great signs, but thats all they are, signs.

Midfield looks quicker and more skilled, so thats a plus. Rama's cool head in defence is a plus also.

Rucks are still a big worry, we can not seem to win a hit out, though on Friday night against two experienced ruckman, the did better. Around the ground theyare nearly as good as anyone going around (bar the obvious Cox, Lade, Charman etc) and the rotating ruckman/forward will be tough for opposition teams.

I like the fact that Knights mixes things up a bit. On friday night, he threw Davey in the middle and Ryder, who was getting beaten down back, up forward and he kicks to goals at the start of the quarter. Its something Sheedy introduced, then dispensed with in his final couple of years.

[Gossy7]

[quote="Rossoneri"]Other negative is Courtney Johns.

My expectations are still the same, we will finish anywhere from 10th-13th. Problem with the NAB cup is that if you lose the first game, people make assumptions that nothing will improve because they dont get to see you on TV. Also, some teams take the competition more seriously than others. Our reserves beat Brisbanes reserves and then we disposed of a team who will be bottom 4 this year also. Against the Saints, they were missing a couple, so were we, I think our players to come back in are better than theirs.

Our gameplan looks ok, and it is much better suited to the MCG. If we can pick the proper team for the MCG (no JJ and probably no Pev) then we will do ok.

Our depth will only get better if we give them proper game time. There are definitely some great signs, but thats all they are, signs.

Midfield looks quicker and more skilled, so thats a plus. Rama's cool head in defence is a plus also.

Rucks are still a big worry, we can not seem to win a hit out, though on Friday night against two experienced ruckman, the did better. Around the ground theyare nearly as good as anyone going around (bar the obvious Cox, Lade, Charman etc) and the rotating ruckman/forward will be tough for opposition teams.

I like the fact that Knights mixes things up a bit. On friday night, he threw Davey in the middle and Ryder, who was getting beaten down back, up forward and he kicks to goals at the start of the quarter. Its something Sheedy introduced, then dispensed with in his final couple of years.[/quote]

Great point. When i saw Ryder forward at the start of the first quarter, my old man said to me straight away "Its something that Sheeds would have done in his early years, but didnt do in his last few years". As a new coach, he is probably going to take some risks, which is what we need.

As a supporter, you cant help but be encouraged by our NAB cup start. There were a lot of positives and with McPhee, Fletch, Lloyd, Dyson and others to mention out on Friday night, and with Alwyn being rested at a critical time, we played brilliantly against a pretty good St Kilda outfit.

[swoodley]

My overall perception has improved but I still think everything needs to go well for us to make the eight, especially with injuries.

Likes so far:

1. We attack, and put pressure on, the man with the ball meaning no more easy entries inside 50 for our opposition.
2. The early season form of Dyson, Houli, Dempsey, Reimers and Neagle
3. Mal looks fit and hungry...should be a much better player this year
4. Resting rucks taking big marks and kicking goals
5. Increased options (potentially) for our midfield rotations

Dislikes:

1. Gumbleton's latest injury (although I don't see him as being a major part of the team yet)
2. Our rucks still seem to get themselves into the wrong positions, especially at boundary throw ins

Potential Worries:

1. Will our game plan holdup to the better defensive sides such as Sydney and West Coast?
2. Can our young guys sustain the effort over a long season?

[andrewb]

Not really. Good question, though. I think we'll be up and down all year and while we have the players to knock any team off on our day we're going to cop a few thrashings.

Disappointed not to see much of Hislop or Gumbleton but expectations exceeded so far with Houli, Reimers, Dempsey, Dyson, Jetta, Myers, Pears and Neagle. Magin was a pleasant surprise, too - seems to have a lot of time and really didn't expect much from him. Our rookies all look OK, too.

It also looks like we've got most of the spine for 2011 now:

Pears
Ryder
Watson
Gumby
Neagle

Also nice to hear some supporters from other clubs talking up our kids for a change.

[BenDoolan]

The most positive thing I've seen isn't necessarily for this particular season. What I saw was a nucleus of very talented youngsters who will hopefully blend together a rather exciting midfield and an attacking defence. This will take time to gel and develop consistency, but when they get it all together, we will have a strong midfield basis in 2 - 3 years time. However, what I suspect will happen is that they will play some excellent games this year, but also make some mistakes along the way. It is important to persevere with the talented youth and give them more responsibility and ownership of delivering a new and exciting game plan. If it means we lose a few games because of it, then so be it.

I still think we can make the 8. There's nothing to suggest that we can't or won't at this point in time.

[robrulz5]

I expected us to lose in the first round so very happy we got so far. It has been good to see the younger players doing so well and if they can be kept fresh maybe we'll have a chance of playing finals.

[billyduckworth]

There have certainly been more positives than negatives:
form of rookies (especially Magin and Atkinson)
new game plan
better defensive pressure

But it is only the plastic pre-season comp so I'm not getting carried away. Plus, many of those players are very young. Can they keep up this intensity for a whole season? Will we get found out against the top teams?

Overall, I think my expectations are about the same as they were before:
this year: better game plan but sometimes it will come unstuck, some thrashings (both ways), finish 8-9-10
2009: aim for top four
2010: aim for the big one

[jimmyc1985]

The NAB Cup has given me more reason to have faith that some of the younger players like Dyson, Houli, Dempsey and Reimers will form the nucleus of a good team from about 2010 onwards, and in that respect Knights was justified in his belief when presenting for the job of Head Coach that we already have enough potential on our list, but it's just a matter of developing them properly. I was already sold on a couple of the other young players that played well during the NAB Cup like Nash and Hocking, so nothing's really changed as regards those players. I've also mentally crossed off two players in the wake of the NAB Cup as not being part of our future plans - Chartres & Johns.

Prior to the NAB Cup, i would've said that anticipating us as finishing 13th-14th was objectively realistic. I'd now say that us finishing in the bottom 4 (assuming a reasonable run with injuries) would be a disappointment, and i'd say we'll finish within one spot either side of where we finished last year, with a smattering of good, mediocre and dreadful performances to come through the year. The difference will be that we won't be relying on Hird to win us 3 or 4 games off his own boot like he did last year, so 9-11 victories this year will be a step in the right direction.

[Doctor Fish]

It depends. If St Kilda are as good as everyone supposedly thinks they will be this year, then yes. It has changed my expectations. NAB Cup is just a glorified scratch match. But for us to go toe to toe with them the way we did whilst resting our best players from the previous week, was pretty bloody impressive. The Doggies and Bris Vegas games were a cakewalk. But five minutes into the Saints game you knew you we were up against some quality opposition.

I can't remember a more positive start to a season in recent memory... But then I do have the memory of a er... fish.

[tom9779]

Carlton won the preseason comp in 2005.

Carlton also won the wooden spoon in 2005.

NAB cup I take with a grain of salt. My expectations won't be up for change until about round 3 or 4.

Currently I still have us in the bottom 4 unfortunately i just can't see 4 teams worse than us at the moment...

[hillchaser]

Swoodley
My overall perception has improved but I still think everything needs to go well for us to make the eight, especially with injuries.

Likes so far:

1. We attack, and put pressure on, the man with the ball meaning no more easy entries inside 50 for our opposition.
2. The early season form of Dyson, Houli, Dempsey, Reimers and Neagle
3. Mal looks fit and hungry...should be a much better player this year
4. Resting rucks taking big marks and kicking goals
5. Increased options (potentially) for our midfield rotations

Agree - think We erally missed Bacha and Dyson on Friday .. they will add a lot this year.

Think we can make the 8 if Fletch, Lloyd and Lucas can stay fit