G & Test I have on comment further on your comments from the eye of a West supporter
West supporters (me included) have been guilty of
1 Wearing rose coloured glasses
2 Overating a very ordinary playing list
3 Overating the recruits we pick up at the start of each year
4 Supporting with our hearts and not our eyes
On paper our best side before the season started looked very competitive, but the facts were, we had overated players, aging players that were not up to anymore sadly
Question G, at the start of and the early part of 2008, any teams supporters that predicted Norths would finish 7th with the list they had was a fool, on paper it was a Top 1,2 or 3 side. Half way during the season any honest supporter would have not said Centrals were a monty for the Grand Final, and brush Struts and the Bays aside with the ease that happened. Did you predict this was going to happen????
My thoughts on 2009
We have had a massive player turnover, HONESTLY, who knows if the club can recruit the players that will take us of the bottom, but we as usaual are always hopeful. If i was a potential recruit from the VFL or The AFL, would I choose to play for West (bottom for 4 years) or get the same money in victoria or again the same money at one of the other top 7 clubs here. Sorry Souths people, I think you face a similar hurdle to us, very soundly near the bottom and on top of that, having to drive down South all the way to Norlunga in the cold, windy winters we have to play football wouldnt be my first choice.
Summary
In my heart Im hopeful of getting of the bottom and finishing 4,5,6,or 7th. But in reality at this stage I predict we will fight the spoon out again with Souths and ourselves
Souths supporters as few as they are like Westies supporters, Im not intentionl disrepecting yourselves but thats were I see the upcoming year
PS Wouldnt it be great to see West Beat Souths by 9 points in the 2009 Grand Final