General discussion/predictions - in lead up to 2016 season

[Lightning McQueen]

Aren't the players appealing the decision via a Swiss court or something?

I heard something on the radio but generally switch off when I hear the word Essendon.

Don't anyone respond to LM's question, he started switching off as he wrote Essendon and he's unlikely to read your response

Stop following me!!

Dogwatcher, not Carwatcher.

[Dogwatcher]

You read it!

[Lightning McQueen]

You read it!

Yeah, I tend to get sick of it on the radio, it's past tense, I'm not happy with the punishments handed down and I think the fans of the game are the ones at a loss here.

[Dogwatcher]

Here's something interesting:

1 in 4 AFL club supporters watch the pre-season on TV

(Fox) Footy’s back! The AFL’s pre-season NAB Challenge kicks off on February 18—and 26% of club supporters (14+) now say they watch the games on TV, down from around 31% in 2011-13 when there was still a Cup to win, Roy Morgan Research shows.

By a wide margin, North Melbourne Kangaroos supporters are the most likely to say they almost always or occasionally watch pre-season games on television (45%), with the Melbourne Demons in clear second place on the ladder (37%).

Pre-season viewership ranges from 28% to 33% among supporters of another 11 clubs, and is just below the norm at 24% among fans of the Gold Coast Suns, Fremantle Dockers, or Richmond Tigers.

But the norm of 26% is heavily weighed down by lack of interest among supporters of two particular (and large) clubs: just 11% of the 1.1 million Sydney Swans supporters and 16% of the 550,000 or so Brisbane Lions supporters tune in for pre-season games. Take these so-called supporters out of the mix, and it’s 29% of all other AFL club supporters who’ll be watching over the coming month.

[Rik E Boy]

100% for fantasy football addicts.

regards,

REB

[bennymacca]

100% for fantasy football addicts.

regards,

REB

Haha yep. The only reason i pay attention is to see which rookies will get enough game time to pick


Here's something from left field:

what, instead of having a pre season competition, they start the season earlier, and have some sort of cup competition during the season, FA Cup style. Even if it doesnt include lower teams, you could have a knockout comp between the afl clubs

Not sure what you could do to make teams care about it though - big cash bonus maybe? A middling team, as they do in the FA or League Cups in England, might see that as an attainable goal if they know they wont be a premiership threat this year?

[whufc]

100% for fantasy football addicts.

regards,

REB

Haha yep. The only reason i pay attention is to see which rookies will get enough game time to pick


Here's something from left field:

what, instead of having a pre season competition, they start the season earlier, and have some sort of cup competition during the season, FA Cup style. Even if it doesnt include lower teams, you could have a knockout comp between the afl clubs

Not sure what you could do to make teams care about it though - big cash bonus maybe? A middling team, as they do in the FA or League Cups in England, might see that as an attainable goal if they know they wont be a premiership threat this year?

I agree with the theory behind it but like you not sure how it would work

Even with a top eight there are far to many dead rubbers in an afl season and teams with nothing to realistically play for in that season aka Carlton, Brisbane, melbourne, st.kilda

[Dogwatcher]

The Foundation Cup in the SANFL, at one point, was run in a similar fashion.
The cup started in the traditional pre-season but then, in the mid 90s, the final was played between the top two sides at the halfway mark of the season.

[woodublieve12]

I find it amusing that some people in the media and some others on here are so quickly to write off the swans... We may have been bundled out of finals last year early, but injuries cost us that. Also just wasn't good enough...

Our midfield is still very good, our forward line is very hard to match up on but our back 6 are ok...

I reckon we'll be around the mark again... Thoughts?

[JK]

I find it amusing that some people in the media and some others on here are so quickly to write off the swans... We may have been bundled out of finals last year early, but injuries cost us that. Also just wasn't good enough...

Our midfield is still very good, our forward line is very hard to match up on but our back 6 are ok...

I reckon we'll be around the mark again... Thoughts?

Yep I reckon so too

[bennymacca]

Also just wasn't good enough...

Probably this part of it

Nah seriously I reckon they will be around the mark again. They look better than freo imo

[stan]

I find it amusing that some people in the media and some others on here are so quickly to write off the swans... We may have been bundled out of finals last year early, but injuries cost us that. Also just wasn't good enough...

Our midfield is still very good, our forward line is very hard to match up on but our back 6 are ok...

I reckon we'll be around the mark again... Thoughts?

And made some good additions to the squad with only a few losses. Miles will be a star in the future no doubt and with Heeny into his second year he will also improve. Him and Miles were expected to be top 5 picks in there respective drafts so really the Swans have added some excellent young talent to there list.

Will be around the mark.

[woodublieve12]

Also just wasn't good enough...

Probably this part of it

Nah seriously I reckon they will be around the mark again. They look better than freo imo

Kick straight against freo we get a home prelim, a fully fit side would have accounted for north quite comfortably. We didn't so get off

[Spargo]

Also just wasn't good enough...

Probably this part of it

Nah seriously I reckon they will be around the mark again. They look better than freo imo

Kick straight against freo we get a home prelim, a fully fit side would have accounted for north quite comfortably. We didn't so get off

Would'a, could'a, should'a - DIDN'T.
Will struggle to make the 8, this year's "slider".

[woodublieve12]

Also just wasn't good enough...

Probably this part of it

Nah seriously I reckon they will be around the mark again. They look better than freo imo

Kick straight against freo we get a home prelim, a fully fit side would have accounted for north quite comfortably. We didn't so get off

Would'a, could'a, should'a - DIDN'T.
Will struggle to make the 8, this year's "slider".

You obviously missed the last bit of the sentence... Haha! You must have started drinking early today spargo.

[Booney]

I too think Sydney will drop a little, I think they'll make the 8, but I don't think they'll be the dominant force of recent times, I think they've become a little more beatable over the last 18 months - 2 years for the sides that are genuine finalists.

[stan]

Also just wasn't good enough...

Probably this part of it

Nah seriously I reckon they will be around the mark again. They look better than freo imo

Kick straight against freo we get a home prelim, a fully fit side would have accounted for north quite comfortably. We didn't so get off

Would'a, could'a, should'a - DIDN'T.
Will struggle to make the 8, this year's "slider".

Really you think North will struggle to make the 8 this year. Bit harsh on your own team there mate

[carey]

I find it amusing that some people in the media and some others on here are so quickly to write off the swans... We may have been bundled out of finals last year early, but injuries cost us that. Also just wasn't good enough...

Our midfield is still very good, our forward line is very hard to match up on but our back 6 are ok...

I reckon we'll be around the mark again... Thoughts?

End of minor round- 2nd

[carey]

I find it amusing that some people in the media and some others on here are so quickly to write off the swans... We may have been bundled out of finals last year early, but injuries cost us that. Also just wasn't good enough...

Our midfield is still very good, our forward line is very hard to match up on but our back 6 are ok...

I reckon we'll be around the mark again... Thoughts?

End of minor round- 2nd