2021 all over again

[year of the tiger]

Are we seeing a repeat of last year happen again.

Our pre game bye was away against a fellow bottom 8 team, the eagles, we controlled the game, should have won easily but didn’t. We went into that game with a couple of soft kills in the weeks before (Dreamtime and before that the crows).

The warning signs were already there but we now point to that game as the point we all knew we had lost it.

- the swans had smashed us
- we were no match for the other top 8 teams (Melb, cats and lions smashed us with the doggies our only win against this group)
- we struggled to put away mid table teams like GWS and just lost to port.

After the bye it was a disaster
- we could only score 22 pts against the saints and then bottom teams like the suns and pies beat us - season over
- we lost Dusty, the question is can he impact the back half of the season

We were 6 wins, 5 losses at the half way mark and around the bottom of the 8 - same as now

So what has not changed
* we tried Balta and Baker as forwards but that didn’t work so they are back in defence.
* game plan - not much that I can tell apart from defending the stand rule a little better
* discipline and free kicks - no change
* our older players struggle to carry the team, they occasionally play to their standard, but it’s now fewer and farther between
* we hand over momentum to the opposition far to easily during games when we should be icing the game
* can’t run out games properly nor stop teams when they have a run on
* we still don’t know whether our kids have it (or do we now know the cupboard is actually empty)

What has worked
* short into the middle has worked
* gibs in defence and junior in attack has worked
* Dan Rioli in defence has worked

Is this enough to keep us hanging on to 8th spot - not sure but I am pretty confident it’s not enough for us to climb back up the ladder.

Can we stop a repeat of last year happening again.

I think this is why Dimma looked like he had seen a ghost at the presser last night.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

We lost before the bye in 2017, 19 and 2020

 

[Ice]

i reckon we are playing much better than last year

 

[CarnTheTiges]

i reckon we are playing much better than last year

We are better than last year, and we don’t have as many injuries. However, we’re now a middle of the road team. We could fall into 8th, but we’d be making up the numbers. More likely 10 - 12.

 

[TigerFurious]

Our 2021 season was dead before the West Coast loss but that was the final nail in the coffin. First warning we were not right was losing to Sydney at the MCG in round 3. The fatal blow came in round 8 against the Cats, again at the G’, when we were up by 9pts at half time but ended up losing by 10+ goals. To be so comprehensively overrun like that was unheard of in the previous seasons.

Anyway, we are now a decidedly mediocre team but the worst part is we are trending downward. We may yet scrape into the finals this year but won’t trouble any serious contenders. The worst part is that things are going to get worse in the next couple of seasons before they start getting better.

 

[DuD_Delist]

Our 2021 season was dead before the West Coast loss but that was the final nail in the coffin. First warning we were not right was losing to Sydney at the MCG in round 3. The fatal blow came in round 8 against the Cats, again at the G’, when we were up by 9pts at half time but ended up losing by 10+ goals. To be so comprehensively overrun like that was unheard of in the previous seasons.

Anyway, we are now a decidedly mediocre team but the worst part is we are trending downward. We may yet scrape into the finals this year but won’t trouble any serious contenders. The worst part is that things are going to get worse in the next couple of seasons before they start getting better.

Don't think it'll that bad.
Think all our 5 picks from last year will be players for us.
Smart recruiting via trades/FA combined with a few more draftees i see us ahead of Hawthorn/Ess/North/Geel/Coll already.

 

[seven]

We were spent last year. I don’t think we’ll fall away like last season.
We do not look like a top 4 team. Maybe 10 to 6 at best.
So do we keep pushing to make finals or do we trade out for a rebuild

 

[tiger76]

We were spent last year. I don’t think we’ll fall away like last season.
We do not look like a top 4 team. Maybe 10 to 6 at best.
So do we keep pushing to make finals or do we trade out for a rebuild

I would forget finals as we won’t impact them meaningfully.

Problem is I’m not sure that last years draft pics (apart from Gibcus) are physically ready to withstand AFL.

It may be an unpopular view but I wouldn’t be unhappy to finish outside if the 8 by a few positions. Draft pics, draft pics, draft pics.

 

[Ice]

dont like laying down for draft picks, especially if in finals contention, and we have Dusty

 

[TigerForce]

Are we seeing a repeat of last year happen again.

Our pre game bye was away against a fellow bottom 8 team, the eagles, we controlled the game, should have won easily but didn’t. We went into that game with a couple of soft kills in the weeks before (Dreamtime and before that the crows).

The warning signs were already there but we now point to that game as the point we all knew we had lost it.

- the swans had smashed us
- we were no match for the other top 8 teams (Melb, cats and lions smashed us with the doggies our only win against this group)
- we struggled to put away mid table teams like GWS and just lost to port.

After the bye it was a disaster
- we could only score 22 pts against the saints and then bottom teams like the suns and pies beat us - season over
- we lost Dusty, the question is can he impact the back half of the season

We were 6 wins, 5 losses at the half way mark and around the bottom of the 8 - same as now

So what has not changed
* we tried Balta and Baker as forwards but that didn’t work so they are back in defence.
* game plan - not much that I can tell apart from defending the stand rule a little better
* discipline and free kicks - no change
* our older players struggle to carry the team, they occasionally play to their standard, but it’s now fewer and farther between
* we hand over momentum to the opposition far to easily during games when we should be icing the game
* can’t run out games properly nor stop teams when they have a run on
* we still don’t know whether our kids have it (or do we now know the cupboard is actually empty)

What has worked
* short into the middle has worked
* gibs in defence and junior in attack has worked
* Dan Rioli in defence has worked

Is this enough to keep us hanging on to 8th spot - not sure but I am pretty confident it’s not enough for us to climb back up the ladder.

Can we stop a repeat of last year happening again.

I think this is why Dimma looked like he had seen a ghost at the presser last night.

Nowhere near it. Early signs we were tired and gassed last season. Different this season.

 

[Scoop]

A very easy draw is our best weapon. We need Balta & Lynch back.

Winning on Friday would’ve made us all feel super upbeat.

Be nice to see another kid breakout and show something besides Gibcus.

Our midfield is still super shallow.

 

[Gazmatron]

I would forget finals as we won’t impact them meaningfully.

Problem is I’m not sure that last years draft pics (apart from Gibcus) are physically ready to withstand AFL.

It may be an unpopular view but I wouldn’t be unhappy to finish outside if the 8 by a few positions. Draft pics, draft pics, draft pics.

We finished there last year and got 5 possible good players. Good chance that drop out of the 8 may happen again. If we finish there we have to stop persevering with players who will not be part of the future and at least try some of the VFL players to see whether they might be. We know the Gibcus will be a star and there are a few possibles. MRJ has made significant progress this year (would we have said that this time last year) so who knows if we give say Cumberland as an example a run of games will have assessed his potential. I know some here think that most of the earlier drafts are not much chop but we know there are a few currently playing (including Aarts) who whose form does not warrant a place. We would be the only team going around flogging that dead horse hoping for a miracle. If we at least try new blood we will not "die" wondering?

 

[TigerMasochist]

We finished there last year and got 5 possible good players. Good chance that drop out of the 8 may happen again. If we finish there we have to stop persevering with players who will not be part of the future and at least try some of the VFL players to see whether they might be. We know the Gibcus will be a star and there are a few possibles. MRJ has made significant progress this year (would we have said that this time last year) so who knows if we give say Cumberland as an example a run of games will have assessed his potential. I know some here think that most of the earlier drafts are not much chop but we know there are a few currently playing (including Aarts) who whose form does not warrant a place. We would be the only team going around flogging that dead horse hoping for a miracle. If we at least try new blood we will not "die" wondering?

Gibber, Moju, Raaallph, Dow, Rossy, R2D2, Miller, Stacky, Nigel, Delilah, Martyn, Biggie,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, even Cujo. We've been trying plenty of the youngsters over the last two years. So far only Gibber n perhaps Raaallph look like they've put the hand up n claiming their place. Still think there's another few of these that will claim a spot in the side as the year wears on and there's the rest of last years draft still finding their feet.

It's bloody funny, but we're deriding some of our youngsters at times for not yet taking over from our premiership stars. Yet the meedjia look down at Crapdinia park n sing n dance about the moggies young kids who are suddenly stars n carrying their future. Like Wombat Stengle who's 23 n at his third club. Brandon Partfit who's 24. Sam the King who's 21 n played a whole 10 games. Chicken Coop Stephens who's 21 n played 4 games. Cryan who's 24. Henry Gibson who's 24. *smile* Narkle who's 24 n the other Guffrie who's 23.
There's hardly anything in the way of fresh new youngsters at the moggies by comparison pushing their way into the team, most of their young blokes all seem to have a good 3 to 6 years under their belts already.

 

[footballmonk]

One nice similarity to 2021 - last year we had two top 20 draft picks and this year we most likely have the same.

One nice difference to 2021 (and many years before that) - we have a first round draft pick who already looks a bona fide star - when’s the last time we could say that - Rioli? Vlaustin?

 

[BillyJean17]

If we can get back lynch and Balta for a sustained period , we re a formidable unit ,,,buddy was the diff Friday night , our effort was a very good one in a game that has been hyped as one of the best of th year so not sure why the pessimists would be so downcast on the result ,,,

 

[UKTiger]

We haven't been really good enough overall although in a few games we have shown a spark of things to come so I am not ready to call off the season just on Friday's appalling capitulation

 

[spook]

We're going ok. It's definitely the midfield. Put Cripps or Oliver in the side and we'd win the flag.

 

[Tigers2011]

We're still a good team and possibly a very good team playing poorly & inconsistently. I don't think the coaches are having a great season either - persevering with players that are either too old (e.g. Edwards); not ready (Biggie) or not good enough (Ross) plus have been found wanting against the top teams - (e.g. didn't try anything radical in run downs by Carlton & St Kilda, plus failing to go one on one against the Swans on a tiny ground was a mistake.

However, we have 11 home and away games to focus on and bring our best to each.

To me, we must address the following over the bye break to take into these 11 games:
- winning centre clearance and contested ball. Short has helped, but what else can be done?
- what to do with Edwards? Can't play a full game and looks slow as game goes on. Sub at best for me.
- what to do with Tarrant? Also related, what to do with Balta?
- the second ruck/forward role - disappointingly it cant be Soldo. But who? Balta is too short and better as a back. Ryan not up to it (yet?). Not many other options & we can't go down Pickett option again.
- ball use into F50 - no more bombing like we saw on Friday night. A bad and poor habit that came back to bite us.
- Related - forward structure. Which players and what roles? We need to be more dangerous and have more go to options. For that reason Rioli Jnr and Castagna can't play in the same team hereon.

I wish I had answers to the above, but like all of us have hunches. One things for sure, I'll be at every game I can get to.