Half Full

[Johnny Member]

I can't help but think we (supporters) are panicking and perhaps jumping at shadows.


If we can be competitive against Geelong, Richmond and Carlton whilst being as horribly out of form and reliant on missing players as we are - then perhaps things aren't that bad.

Mid to long term I mean. Obviously short term we're screwed as this season is a third gone already.


But Roo has been ordinary this year, ditto BJ, and our skill level has been horrible. Lenny isn't even playing, we don't have a ruckman at all, we've been belted in clearances, tackles, contested posession and pretty much every important stat! And when we do get the pill forward, we can't kick straight.

But....we're incredibly close to being 4-2 (could even clutch a bit and say we should have beaten Adelaide and be 5-1), and we've blooded 3 decent looking youngsters.

So is the future (late this year, next year and beyond) as bleak and ugly as everyone thinks?

I'm not so sure.



I reckon the glass is half full.

[Bernard Shakey]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

[stinger]

I can't help but think we (supporters) are panicking and perhaps jumping at shadows.


If we can be competitive against Geelong, Richmond and Carlton whilst being as horribly out of form and reliant on missing players as we are - then perhaps things aren't that bad.

Mid to long term I mean. Obviously short term we're screwed as this season is a third gone already.


But Roo has been ordinary this year, ditto BJ, and our skill level has been horrible. Lenny isn't even playing, we don't have a ruckman at all, we've been belted in clearances, tackles, contested posession and pretty much every important stat! And when we do get the pill forward, we can't kick straight.

But....we're incredibly close to being 4-2 (could even clutch a bit and say we should have beaten Adelaide and be 5-1), and we've blooded 3 decent looking youngsters.

So is the future (late this year, next year and beyond) as bleak and ugly as everyone thinks?

I'm not so sure.



I reckon the glass is half full.

i was arguing along similar lines to a couple of carscum supporters at my gym this morning....

[SaintPav]

I think it's a good point.

We will hopefully improve as the season progresses. If we do not win this week, we can kiss the 8 goodbye. We win and we are still a shot for finals IMO.

[SainterK]

You don't kiss the eight goodbye until it's mathematically impossible.

I reckon the boys would of kissed top four goodbye in 2008

[BallBanger]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

So how are we off for tall backs/forwards rucks midfielders quick forwards
small defenders with pace

[Leo.J]

I can't help but think we (supporters) are panicking and perhaps jumping at shadows.


If we can be competitive against Geelong, Richmond and Carlton whilst being as horribly out of form and reliant on missing players as we are - then perhaps things aren't that bad.

Mid to long term I mean. Obviously short term we're screwed as this season is a third gone already.


But Roo has been ordinary this year, ditto BJ, and our skill level has been horrible. Lenny isn't even playing, we don't have a ruckman at all, we've been belted in clearances, tackles, contested posession and pretty much every important stat! And when we do get the pill forward, we can't kick straight.

But....we're incredibly close to being 4-2 (could even clutch a bit and say we should have beaten Adelaide and be 5-1), and we've blooded 3 decent looking youngsters.

So is the future (late this year, next year and beyond) as bleak and ugly as everyone thinks?

I'm not so sure.



I reckon the glass is half full.

Thanks Harf,

I agree, IMO we are still a chance to do some damage in September.

All the external expectations are gone, we can go on our merry way, win 12 H & A games and be primed for the finals.

[spert]

Near enough aint good enough- we have 1.5 wins and until we get four quarters out of our bigger names it will stay that way for quite a while.

[Thinline]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

My thinking too.

It may sound trite, but like it or not this is shaping as a season we needed to have...

[Sainternist]

Absolutely! We are far from gone. Sure, we can all exhale on the idea of winning a flag this year, but I feel the team may have just started to turn the corner in finding some form.

We just need the obvious two players to wake from their slumber and we'll be a good show against most teams in the comp.

Next year should bring plenty of promise. RL will mastermind a new startegy, we'll trim the deadwood from the list and get some useful acqiusitions to boot.

Things are pretty far from looking grim, IMO.

[I Love Peter Kiel]

I don't think the year's gone! maybe top 2 is gone, but we could get on a roll...the draw in the second half of the season is soft!

[Bernard Shakey]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

So how are we off for tall backs/forwards rucks midfielders quick forwards
small defenders with pace

Ruck is the only major problem I see. Plenty of youngsters eager to take up the other roles.

[Johnny Member]

Next year should bring plenty of promise. RL will mastermind a new startegy, we'll trim the deadwood from the list and get some useful acqiusitions to boot.

I think he has already. Well, at least I think he's tinkered with what we already had. I believe this is the main reason for our awkward looking play.

I'd like to think that within a month or so, we may start to see it working more smoothly and more consistently.

Combine that with the other things I mentioned in the OP, and this group may still have a pulse after all!

[OneEyedSainter77]

You don't kiss the eight goodbye until it's mathematically impossible.

I reckon the boys would of kissed top four goodbye in 2008

The five best and worst syllables in the world.

Best because they make me believe that we still have a chance to turn the season around which means I don't have to just give up all hope on 2011

Worst for the same reason.

[3rd generation saint]

I don't care about the eight, premiership is the only thing, big seal if you just make the 8, I'm sure the Bulldogs are happy because they made the eight the last few years.
Our chance at a premiership for this year is gone, so spend the rest of it gearing up for a real crack at it next year, give us a real chance to see who is worth keeping and who isn't.
I just don't want to make the eight, that's simply not good enough anymore.
Funny thing though, if we had won last year, we wouldn't be so depressed about this season so far, we would all be saying who cares we won the damn thing last year.

[Thinline]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

So how are we off for tall backs/forwards rucks midfielders quick forwards
small defenders with pace

Ruck is the only major problem I see. Plenty of youngsters eager to take up the other roles.

Not if Stanley actually does what was planned for.

Digit. Extract. Forthwith.

[bigred]

The future is not bleak at all. This year's gone, baring a miracle, but plenty to look forward to next year. Some good kids coming through this year and the core of experienced guns will still be there and Lenny will be back.

I agree with that 100%

Kinda getting resigned to the fact that we may just be reloading this year.

[noob]

good time to change the game plan now or tweak it or whatever so its ready to go by next year (or little changes necessary).

[widereceiver]

Ruck is the only major problem I see. Plenty of youngsters eager to take up the other roles.

i think midfield in and unders are light on, especially ones who can score.

[suss]

The biggest problem I see is keeping the draft picks to pick up good kids while snaring a quality ruck man at the same time. Maybe we could get an older ruck man at a cheaper price but it's our biggest deficiency that must be addressed before next year. I can't see Stanley or McEvoy stepping up to the degree required to win a flag in 2012.

[Furphy]

You don't kiss the eight goodbye until it's mathematically impossible.

I reckon the boys would of kissed top four goodbye in 2008

When people start quoting "mathematically possible" the year's over

[samoht]

What about mathematically sipossible ?

[Dr Spaceman]

What about mathematically sipossible ?

Is that sipossed to be a joke?

[samoht]

si !

[saintly]

Ruck is the only major problem I see. Plenty of youngsters eager to take up the other roles.

i think midfield in and unders are light on, especially ones who can score.

fast runners like a garlett, would be helpful. Milne is getting older, and we need to begin to replace him.