Welsh quits the Crows

[JK]

Probably unfortunate timing for the Crows (although they perhaps should have forseen this), in that I think their decision and plan of attack is the correct one, however this draft has been widely dismissed as average at best.

Still you have to start somewhere and they couldn't really afford to delay it any further - it will also make a nice change to see plenty of kids around the place.

[NFC]

Very positive vibes coming out of West Lakes

Fresh attitude and intensity since the broom

May not make the 8 but expect a competitive young team in 2008 is what I hear

1. We'll make the 8.

2. Will the team really be much younger? Hudson, Welsh and Torney and the only 3 regular players who won't be in the team. Perrie, Ricciuto and the rest barely played in 2007.

[Rik E Boy]

Very positive vibes coming out of West Lakes

Fresh attitude and intensity since the broom

May not make the 8 but expect a competitive young team in 2008 is what I hear

1. We'll make the 8.

2. Will the team really be much younger? Hudson, Welsh and Torney and the only 3 regular players who won't be in the team. Perrie, Ricciuto and the rest barely played in 2007.

1. No Chance. You have to be better than nine sides. Name em. Who will kick the goals?

2. It's not about how young but how good. You're still relying on the same blokes as three years ago.

Gonna be a long year for the Blackbirds NFC.

regards,

REB

[stan]

Very positive vibes coming out of West Lakes

Fresh attitude and intensity since the broom

May not make the 8 but expect a competitive young team in 2008 is what I hear

1. We'll make the 8.

2. Will the team really be much younger? Hudson, Welsh and Torney and the only 3 regular players who won't be in the team. Perrie, Ricciuto and the rest barely played in 2007.

1. No Chance. You have to be better than nine sides. Name em. Who will kick the goals?

2. It's not about how young but how good. You're still relying on the same blokes as three years ago.

Gonna be a long year for the Blackbirds NFC.

regards,

REB

Agree with you there REB. Cant see where the goals will come form. Pretty much the same problem last year but without Welsh its now a bigger problem. Gill is good but still if he gets the number one defender all year expect him to have a quiet one.

[NFC]

1. No Chance. You have to be better than nine sides. Name em. Who will kick the goals?

2. It's not about how young but how good. You're still relying on the same blokes as three years ago.

Gonna be a long year for the Blackbirds NFC.

regards,

REB

1. Geelong, WC, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Port, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane. There's your 8. Goals will be hard to come by but it's our defence that will get us into the 8.

2. No doubting that.

[Rik E Boy]

Ah. I have the Roos, Saints and Freo ahead of you next year as well.

regards,

REB

[NFC]

Ah. I have the Roos, Saints and Freo ahead of you next year as well.

regards,

REB

Paalease! The Roos are good money for the wooden spoon, the Saints injury crises has already started and the Dockers fail to delivery every year, although with Harvey at the helm they could do some unexpected damage.

[Rik E Boy]

It's funny, but every year people say the Roos are going to finish bottom three but the buggers keep on surprising us. They've got a good core, Harvey, Grant, Harris, Thompson, Petrie, McIntosh..they are a fair bit ahead of what the Crows can boast next season. If you are going to bet on the Roos for the spoon I suggest you just send it to REB because you won't be collecting.

I see the Dockers as the team most likely to 'do a Geelong' next year. OK, maybe not win the whole thing but go top four. They underachieved badly last season yet still cleaned up the Blackbirds twice. I think you'll be flat out trying to finish above them.

While I agree the Saints are a team full of lemons and vastly overrated, especially during the off season, what I am saying here is that at the moment, the Crows aren't much to beat and that St Kilda will be one of the teams that will go past you. You'd kill for a Riewoldt or Kosi and the G Train may yet remain a Saint. I can see them going 5-8 which is about four spots ahead of where I've got the blackbirds at the moment.

regards,

REB

[Hondo]

The Roos are good money for the wooden spoon

Here we go again

[NO-MERCY]

Very positive vibes coming out of West Lakes

Fresh attitude and intensity since the broom

May not make the 8 but expect a competitive young team in 2008 is what I hear

1. We'll make the 8.

2. Will the team really be much younger? Hudson, Welsh and Torney and the only 3 regular players who won't be in the team. Perrie, Ricciuto and the rest barely played in 2007.

1. No Chance. You have to be better than nine sides. Name em. Who will kick the goals?
2. It's not about how young but how good. You're still relying on the same blokes as three years ago.

Gonna be a long year for the Blackbirds NFC.

regards,

REB

Agree with you there REB. Cant see where the goals will come form. Pretty much the same problem last year but without Welsh its now a bigger problem. Gill is good but still if he gets the number one defender all year expect him to have a quiet one.

Gill couldn't kick over a JAM TIN.
He showed how good he was in the Grand Final!

[BPBRB]

Gill couldn't kick over a JAM TIN.
He showed how good he was in the Grand Final!

Stupid comment - he can kick the ball just not accurately.

[NO-MERCY]

Gill couldn't kick over a JAM TIN.
He showed how good he was in the Grand Final!

Stupid comment - he can kick the ball just not accurately.

The worse kick for goal ive seen.
Paul Northeast had a better kick on him!

[Psyber]

Gill couldn't kick over a JAM TIN.
He showed how good he was in the Grand Final!

Stupid comment - he can kick the ball just not accurately.

Hopefully, they have a kicking coach working with him NOW! His technique should be able to be improved.

[sydney-dog]

REB

You are right, everyone keeps predicting the Roos for the spoon and they keep producing, however, every year I hear that the crows will finish out of the 8, however, they keep making the finals....

Looking at next years comp, the Cats are the standouts, after that you can through a blanket over 12 sides and make a case for each.

You mentioned the Saints and Freo, both these clubs are very unpredictable and will be interesting to watch, both clubs have target recycled player in the past couple of years, Freo with Solomon, Tarrant, Kepler Bradley and Johnson, the Saints with Gardiner, King, Dempster and Schnider, given the Roos and Pies blueprint I am not convinced on Freo's and St Kilda's strategy, IMO it may come back to hurt them....

What have we lost up forward,
Welsh - who many believe is either a flat track bully or kicks goals when the game is already lost or won.
Roo, Perrie and Bode - in recent seasons all three players have spend more time in the grandstand rather than playing footy

I accept that question marks are over Adelaide's forward line, however I believe Adelaide will have options to kick a winning score.....

[Rik E Boy]

Such as syd? Pothentschell? Gilly? Hurton? Peter Griffen? Scary stuff there mate.

regards,

REB

[sydney-dog]

REB

How many sides out their acrually have scary forward lines.....

The Bombers had Lucas and Llyod up forward and where did they finish

Thevcrows need to develop a structure and game plan that shares the goal scoring, lets look at Port and Geelong, the goals where shared between all the forwards and midfielders

[redden whites]

Hopefully, they have a kicking coach working with him NOW! His technique should be able to be improved.

Working with the goal kicking coach guru Darren Jarman at North has not done him much good .

[smac]

Hopefully, they have a kicking coach working with him NOW! His technique should be able to be improved.

Working with the goal kicking coach guru Darren Jarman at North has not done him much good .

I have a quiet chuckle to myself about D Jarman as a kicking coach from time to time. Whilst he was deadly accurate (about as good as I have seen), his action was far from perfect - fatally flawed in fact. The 'hook' will only work for those with sublime skills. The rest of us need to be taught properly to have any hope of emulating his accuracy with a kick.

[MagareyLegend]

Hopefully, they have a kicking coach working with him NOW! His technique should be able to be improved.

Working with the goal kicking coach guru Darren Jarman at North has not done him much good .

I have a quiet chuckle to myself about D Jarman as a kicking coach from time to time. Whilst he was deadly accurate (about as good as I have seen), his action was far from perfect - fatally flawed in fact. The 'hook' will only work for those with sublime skills. The rest of us need to be taught properly to have any hope of emulating his accuracy with a kick.

Spot on smac - that is also why the elite players are not the best coaches (eg Robran, Ebert, Ablett, Bartlett, Baldock, Bunton Snr/Jnr, Dietrich, Riley, Lindner (whoops, showing my allegiance)