The Key Questions

[Dev Tiger]

I think the big question for me is do we still have the pressure and two way running game we had at out peak.

In 2017 to 2020 we had a great bunch of small defensive forwards plus players like Lambo and Edwards who could get back and support the backline. I am not sure we have that now. We need players like Juddy to come on.

We have also had a lot of injuries as well. Pickett and Graham will help the overall pressure but they will be underdone for the first few weeks.

Dusty, Cotch and Prestia were obviously at their peak as well.

Lots of questions to be answered. I just don't think we have the running power to play the pressure game to the level we did. Hopefully I am wrong.

 

[craig]

Injuries (we have a number of injury prone key players), and undiscipline for mine same as the last few seasons, not to mention dumb footy.

Our blokes have been playing with an air of arrogance that they no longer deserve to be playing with.

They are no longer the champs and haven't been for 2 years, it's time to pull their heads in and to knuckle down and get to work.

Problem as others have said is we look to be lacking the speed and fitness to apply the pressure footy we used to.

 

[MalenyTiger]

My question is will the players take the stairs in 2023?

 

[ceehook2]

1. Where will the pressure come from?
&
2. What difference will clearances make?

I'm guessing but not knowing , we'll shift the focus of our game style given our midfield and try and beat the opposition with the number and quality of clearances and forward entries
if they lower the eyes and hit up the likes of Bolton , MJR & Cumberland that will make the defence accountable and spread thin and then pop balls into Jack and Lynch then rinse repeat

3. Can we get into a 'premiership' defence window?

Yes we can , but do we ? Could hinge a lot on Tarrant , Broad & Vlas

4. What will Dustin do?

What Dusty wants, as if you didn't know , wouldn't be surprised to see him float thru midfield time (because he likes it ) , float high half forward because his delivery I50 can be deadly and brings others into the game and then for fun he'll plonk himself deep

 

[TigerPort]

All things being equal, if we don't finish top 4 this year then I think the alarm bells are well and truly ringing that it was a poor decision.

Would agree if we had signed them for 1 year contracts

Will only be able to judge in 7 years time.

Don't do anything this year but win one or two premierships in the next 7 years things will be viewed differently

 

[TigerMad]

(1) Can our disposals improve to maintain possession?
Not talking about 20 metre sideways kicks.
Melbourne opened us up by spreading with pinpoint passes.
Our extra in defence was irrelevant, with next to no intercepts in defence.

(2) Can we stick tackles to force a turnover or stoppage, and improve our stoppage clearances with Hopper and Taranto?

 

[The Big Richo]

Would agree if we had signed them for 1 year contracts

Will only be able to judge in 7 years time.

Don't do anything this year but win one or two premierships in the next 7 years things will be viewed differently

To me, the only justification for bringing in those guys is if we are contending now.

Over the next three years we will lose some or all of Broad, Cotchin, Grimes, Lynch, McIntosh, Nankervis, Pickett, Martin, Prestia, Riewoldt and Tarrant.

We will find it hard to improve much in that period, will will have to do a heck of a lot just to replace those guys and stay where we are now, so if our best isn't good enough now then it likely won't be then.

If that's the case in three years time we will be reassembling with a couple of big bodied midfielders, who don't last as long, both 28-30 and 30 plus when we are really getting going.

If that is the scenario we were much better off getting quality picks in this draft and next to regenerate faster.

We have to get 2 good top 4 looks at minimum over the next 3 years to make the investment smart.

 

[tiger76]

I'm really struggling to form an opinion on how we are going to go this year.

Thought I'd have a go at listing the key questions in my mind that will determine our fate, feel free to add your own or answer mine.

1. Where will the pressure come from?

We've gone from a forward line with D Rioli, Castagna and Butler putting the wind up every opposition to having every egg in the MRJ basket. It's not really Bolton's bag, nor Dustin's so who will bring it? Can Cumberland, Cotchin?

2. What difference will clearances make?

We have been successful for a while now without being a first possession team. With Hopper and Taranto that should change to some extent, but will that be a plus or a minus for us? Can we use clearances as a weapon?

3. Can we get into a 'premiership' defence window?

History shows you need to be top 6 or better in key defence indicators to win the flag. Last year we were 7th in points against but a horrible 17th in scores against per inside 50, where will the improvement come from?

4. What will Dustin do?

If he plays largely forward can he kick 50 goals? Or can he give us the midfield presence we desperately need?

Great thread.

For me the answers to Q1 - 3 are intertwined and are all either directly or indirectly influenced by the additions of Tarranto & Hopper.

We no longer have the same personnel that we relied upon to lock the ball in the forward line and no real way of replicating it with the current playing list, which will be a net loss of opportunities for goal created as a byproduct of choking opposition defences.

However in theory we should be able to apply a different form of pressure that leads to goals, in the way of creating both more and better quality forward entries as a result of winning more contests around the ground, due to the additions of Hopper & Tarranto. As we all know many of our forward entries in 22 were rubbish, and I feel a result of how and where we were winning the ball.

Hence more clearances and more wins at stoppages around the ground should result in more attacking passages of play that will catch the opposition off guard and before they have been able to setup the way they would like.

Our defence is currently not as strong as it was, however my thoughts are that it was made to perform under more pressure than it should have in 22, due to a thin midfield unable to create enough pressure around the ground.

At risk of sounding like I think Tarranto and Hopper are the answers to every challenge known to man; I think they will help with preventing the quantity of avalanches on our defence; purely because we should be winning more of the ball and sending it the other way.

Dusty and Cotch should primarily play as Mids, and rotate through the forward line at will or opportunity. (Dusty more than Cotch)

I think the team will take time to properly gel, and will not be surprised if there are some losses early in the season that will prompt some supporters to write premature obituaries.

 

[spook]

To me, the only justification for bringing in those guys is if we are contending now.

Over the next three years we will lose some or all of Broad, Cotchin, Grimes, Lynch, McIntosh, Nankervis, Pickett, Martin, Prestia, Riewoldt and Tarrant.

We will find it hard to improve much in that period, will will have to do a heck of a lot just to replace those guys and stay where we are now, so if our best isn't good enough now then it likely won't be then.

If that's the case in three years time we will be reassembling with a couple of big bodied midfielders, who don't last as long, both 28-30 and 30 plus when we are really getting going.

If that is the scenario we were much better off getting quality picks in this draft and next to regenerate faster.

We have to get 2 good top 4 looks at minimum over the next 3 years to make the investment smart.

No doubt we've doubled down to go for a flag in the short term, but we kind of had to. We had a glaring gap in both the position and age bracket of these two guys. The alternative was to resign ourselves to a rebuild. Jack would have retired, maybe Cotch too - if not last year then likely this. How would Dusty's motivation have been for the last $2m of his contract? Would Shai have signed a five-year deal to spend his peak in a side rebuilding?

We're talking about Blair Hartley. Succession planning would be well underway. I won't be surprised if we bring in say Harry Himmelberg as a free agent at the end of the year to replace Jack as Lynch's foil. Talk we're into B.McKay as well for the other end, also a free agent. The Superhunks will mature. We'll bring in other players to fill needs. Project to 2027 and we could have Hopper, HH, McKay and Daniel turning 30 (same as Jack, Bachar, Sheds and Grigg in 2018), Taranto and Graham 29, Shai just turned 28, Balta, Ryan and and Miller 27, Ross turning 27, Cumbo 26, MoJu 25, the rest of the Superhunks 24. Tom Green due to come home at the end of the year at 26.

It still might not be enough. We might be already be 10% of the way into our next drought, who knows.

In Blair we trust.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Is it time to divert this thread to the Clarke thread?

A 24yo #1 ND pick or Matthew Clarke taking a ping at the stumps?

Not a tough decision.

 

[momentai]

No doubt we've doubled down to go for a flag in the short term, but we kind of had to. We had a glaring gap in both the position and age bracket of these two guys. The alternative was to resign ourselves to a rebuild. Jack would have retired, maybe Cotch too - if not last year then likely this. How would Dusty's motivation have been for the last $2m of his contract? Would Shai have signed a five-year deal to spend his peak in a side rebuilding?

We're talking about Blair Hartley. Succession planning would be well underway. I won't be surprised if we bring in say Harry Himmelberg as a free agent at the end of the year to replace Jack as Lynch's foil. Talk we're into B.McKay as well for the other end, also a free agent. The Superhunks will mature. We'll bring in other players to fill needs. Project to 2027 and we could have Hopper, HH, McKay and Daniel turning 30 (same as Jack, Bachar, Sheds and Grigg in 2018), Taranto and Graham 29, Shai just turned 28, Balta, Ryan and and Miller 27, Ross turning 27, Cumbo 26, MoJu 25, the rest of the Superhunks 24. Tom Green due to come home at the end of the year at 26.

It still might not be enough. We might be already be 10% of the way into our next drought, who knows.

In Blair we trust.

Himmelberg then Rowan Marshall from the Saints. Than Tom Green.
Thanks.

 

[year of the tiger]

2022 saw a number of young players step up - Gibcus the most obvious but the real surprise was MJ junior who was a revelation and Cumberland and Sonsie late season form was great and Ross‘s performance in the final.

This year the questions are whether
* these five young players continue to grow and develop, and whether
* a young KPF can step up - Ryan, or Young together with Juddy, Dow and Ralphsmith maybe.

To me it’s essential that our youth continue to develop and contribute strongly to the team performances- our old stars need our youth to come through and provide the energy for them to feed off.