Breakthrough, Building block, Benchmark call it what you want.

[Spanish Prisoner]

We don’t have a CHF, CHB, FB or Ruckman and have a dozen + players with ropey skills or suspect talent.

Sure there are prospects in the pipeline but there is a long way to go until we can genuinely say the light is definitely not a mirage.

Agreed. Glimpses have been good but they are just that. I remember putting money on the 2002 finals series at the start of the season, thinking it was a certainty.

The team structure has a number of issues and there are massive gaps. KPP being the most obvious.

But hat off to the Hard man, he has started well....

 

[TT33]

We may not have turned the corner yet, but I glad that Dimma has his hands on the wheel & not Wally

 

[jb03]

I know we have been among the worst tackling teams for that long, surprise surprise............... It is a clear indicator for relishing a contest or not.

No sense of adventure JB ;D

No not here Farace. I tried Bigfooty once that was enough adventure.

 

[cmontiges]

the best or most appropriate coach is the key, and I think we made the best choice in Dimma and did it diligently. but the other thing that I believe is looking better is the way other areas of the club seem to have improved including recruiting, player dev. and financial management. i think these are the other "building blocks" to us becoming a powerhouse again in this decade.

 

[TigerMasochist]

Hardwick has taken baby steps with footballing babies. Character and culture change will take seasons, especially in the current compromised environment.

Character and culture change is actually the easiest task Dimma faces Phar Ace. With virtually all the older generation moved on and fourteen new players added to a very young list Dimma has been presented with as close to a clean canvas as you can get.
Apart from the Geelong game it's been easy to see the effort and input from the players consolidate and grow from game to game, as their understanding of the game structures improves they also manage to stay competitive in games for longer periods.
This years all about setting the basic game requirements for four quarters, those that follow them get games and will remain on the list, the others will leave.
Next year will be time to expand the game structures and polish the skill requirements to further improve the team.

For years there's been players walking around hands on hips, heads down, going at half pace when games have started to get tough and the inevitable blowout has followed. No matter what the game situation this year the boys have cracked in and continued to try their best right till the end. They may not have had the skills or stamina or full trust in the new game structure to stop the opposition whacking them but they haven't stopped trying. Watching the boys they get filthy about their opponents beating them individually and as a team but continue to bounce back for the next contest.

 

[tigersnake]

We don’t have a CHF, CHB, FB or Ruckman and have a dozen + players with ropey skills or suspect talent.

Are you fair dinkum?

If JR is not currently playing like a bona-fide, bankable, classic, text-book CHF you can build a side around, I know zero about footy.

As for CHB, you are not incorrect, but I'd argue we have a few prospects.

FB, as above.

as for the thread, agree scoop. Said the same thing after friday and have said it all year, we are hard at it and don't drop our heads. To me that speaks volumes. We've got plenty of good to very good players, they are just mostly too inexperienced.

Another thing, I get the feeling TC, JR, and BD, (as is NF when fit), are really starting to look like leaders.

Rucks, yeah we need more, But AG and TV are showing a lot for their respective ages.

Bottom line, we have a CHF, which is the hardest spot to fill.

 

[Michael]

Scoop, go back overseas so we can continue to develop

 

[Scoop]

Scoop, go back overseas so we can continue to develop

Righto. Would if I could. Try not watching for three weeks and then come back. You will see it too.