Standards 2009

[76er]

Noticed a few people saying that they feel the standard of footy is down this year. I would agree. Seems like alot more clangers. Last year I reflected on how much things had improved over the last ten years. I suppose we will get a gauge against the sangropers this week. Thoughts anyone?

[JK]

Are people comparing the standard thus far this season with form from the same period last year?

Following an error riddled team year after year makes it hard to judge, so I find it hard to comment either way on this one.

[76er]

I feel the Blues clanger count is much higher than last year. Actually been happy for the opposition shooting themselves a few times as it has let us off the hook. On another thread a dog's man said Centrals, despite dominating, have not played as well. Games I have seen so far have reminded me a little of the mid to late nineties where the ball seemed to be turned over a bit more. I may be wrong just what I seem to remember.

[Dog_ger]

Nothing has changed.

We are a 10 goal better team than WA.

Where are all the central players in this team..?

[SnappyTom]

I feel the Blues clanger count is much higher than last year. Actually been happy for the opposition shooting themselves a few times as it has let us off the hook. On another thread a dog's man said Centrals, despite dominating, have not played as well. Games I have seen so far have reminded me a little of the mid to late nineties where the ball seemed to be turned over a bit more. I may be wrong just what I seem to remember.

Yep, that's the one.
I'd temper that by adding that I suspect we can't see 'improvement' every year. Maybe this is one year where the style is making mistakes either more prevailent, or noticeable.

And yes, a less error ridden Port could have made life much harder for us on the weekend. But night games are slippery, and harder to judge.

ST...

[76er]

Nothing has changed.

We are a 10 goal better team than WA.

Where are all the central players in this team..?

Go figure. The thing I like about the State games is being able to cheer for the Gowans boys! S'pose being undefeated means F^%k all

[FlyingHigh]

Perhaps it is a perception because there is really only one "top" team this year, whereas if you go back to say from 2000 onwards there have generally been two or three teams seemingly closer to each other. Years where Centrals plus Sturt and Norwood (2002), or Sturt and Eagles(2001,04), or Eagles and North(2006-07), or Sturt and West (2003), Sturt and Glenelg last year, albeit Centrals came out on top at the end. Even though Centrals have dominated, the Eagles have had a number of minor round wins against them, as did Norwood in 02, West in 03 and Bays last year.
To me it feels like the other two top teams from last year, Bays and Blues, have weaker lists (albeit starting to put some results on the board), and North haven't quite put it all together yet.
Would argue that it is similar in the AFL, with perhaps only three really good teams (Geelong, St Kilda, Hawthorn) this year.

[FlyingHigh]

Also, the rise of Westies in '03, North in 04-05, Sturt in 07 and Glenelg last year may have given the comp a bit more of an exciting feel.

[Chambo100]

I can't really comment about the Bays, but the Blues have a more inexperinced unit on the park with a new coach and game plan.

All that takes time to gel and is still a work in progress despite a few good wins in recent weeks.

It is early days and North may come up in a similar vein, Norwood better pull their finger out soon to live up to pre-season expectations.

The Eagles have exceeded media expectations and still obviously on the last 2 weeks have improvement to go.

The Doggies have merrily continued along and (I will stand corrected) but only 1 in their last 10.

Reckon we will see how it will start to pan out by 5 or 6 more rounds.

Hopefully a few of the 5 teams that can realistically challenge the Dogs will improve.
I am of course hoping the Bluebaggers are one of them.

[Chambo100]

Sorry - should have said LOST 1 in their last 10.

[FlyingHigh]

I can't really comment about the Bays, but the Blues have a more inexperinced unit on the park with a new coach and game plan.

All that takes time to gel and is still a work in progress despite a few good wins in recent weeks.

It is early days and North may come up in a similar vein, Norwood better pull their finger out soon to live up to pre-season expectations.

The Eagles have exceeded media expectations and still obviously on the last 2 weeks have improvement to go.

The Doggies have merrily continued along and (I will stand corrected) but only 1 in their last 10.

Reckon we will see how it will start to pan out by 5 or 6 more rounds.

Hopefully a few of the 5 teams that can realistically challenge the Dogs will improve.
I am of course hoping the Bluebaggers are one of them.

Chambo, do you think there is enough grunt for the Blues to go all the way without Whiteman, Thomson, Bentley and Feast this year?

[Chambo100]

What Norman brings to the table is a hard nosed edge that we lacked last year when it came to the crunch. However, we have lost a fair amount of experience and our skill level is not where it was.

Let's face it we went within a smidge of beating the doggies in the first final last year, but the hard edge was missing and we lost.

To answer your question, we can if that hard nosed intensity does not drop off and we can get rid of the skill errors that we are making with a high possession game.

I look at the stats in the paper and we must have more of it that other sides, but at times don't use it as well as we should.

By the end of the season if the hard edge and skill comes together then, we can cover the player losses.

Time will tell.

[doggies4eva]

Sorry - should have said LOST 1 in their last 10.

I think the dogs have won their last 13 games.

I think that they have improved this year. They have recruited well and covered their losses from retirement, they are stronger in ruck and in the mid-field and are scoring at a better rate than last year. Compared with where they were at this time last year they are ahead.

[Big Phil]

Having been to all Centrals games this year and at least seeing a replay or attending 1 other "neutral" game a week, I think overall the standard may just be a tiny bit lower than last year.

Having said that, there have been some highly entertaining, quality contests of football so far this year and as most sides start to settle down I think we will se plenty more to come and the quality level will slowly be on the increase.

The Norwood v Centrals game at Coopers was a great, high standard, free flowing, high scoring game of footy, while the recent Centrals v Port game was also a very enjoyable spectacle with a good standard of footy played.

I think Centrals have maybe improved a little on last year but still have a long way to go to reach their best whilst other sides are not even close to firing on all cylinders in terms of consistancy and like I say, I think the best is yet to come.

[Brodlach]

As a Westies supporter, our standard has lifted greatly from that of last year...about bloody time too

[JK]

Having been to all Centrals games this year and at least seeing a replay or attending 1 other "neutral" game a week, I think overall the standard may just be a tiny bit lower than last year.

Having said that, there have been some highly entertaining, quality contests of football so far this year and as most sides start to settle down I think we will se plenty more to come and the quality level will slowly be on the increase.

The Norwood v Centrals game at Coopers was a great, high standard, free flowing, high scoring game of footy, while the recent Centrals v Port game was also a very enjoyable spectacle with a good standard of footy played.

I think Centrals have maybe improved a little on last year but still have a long way to go to reach their best whilst other sides are not even close to firing on all cylinders in terms of consistancy and like I say, I think the best is yet to come.

As with a lot of sports Phil, maybe when teams can "go with" Centrals for more than %50 of the journy, the Dogs are bringing their opposition level up a notch or 2?

[whufc]

The way Central are playing this year and the team we have i don't think we would have been sitting 7-0 last year.

The standard has definatley gone down, but that may be due to the competition being a bit tighter this season therefore more pressure and defensive tactics applied, meaning the skills are harder to apply.

[doggies4eva]

The way Central are playing this year and the team we have i don't think we would have been sitting 7-0 last year.

The standard has definatley gone down, but that may be due to the competition being a bit tighter this season therefore more pressure and defensive tactics applied, meaning the skills are harder to apply.

But whufc, if there is more pressure and defensive tactics applied then that means that the standard has gone up! for example I thought that the dogs played reasonable well (considering it is still early in the season) against Norwood. Norwood nearly won by playing 4 quarters of good footy. Where that went last week when they played Glenelg I don't know but then Port came out and challenged the doggies. Make sme think other sides are improving but inconsistant.

[FlyingHigh]

The way Central are playing this year and the team we have i don't think we would have been sitting 7-0 last year.

The standard has definatley gone down, but that may be due to the competition being a bit tighter this season therefore more pressure and defensive tactics applied, meaning the skills are harder to apply.

But whufc, if there is more pressure and defensive tactics applied then that means that the standard has gone up! for example I thought that the dogs played reasonable well (considering it is still early in the season) against Norwood. Norwood nearly won by playing 4 quarters of good footy. Where that went last week when they played Glenelg I don't know but then Port came out and challenged the doggies. Make sme think other sides are improving but inconsistant.

That could be the problem - the other sides are trying to challange CEntrals, whereas during a lot of the previous seasons, at least during the minor rounds, other teams were on par with them.

[dedja]

When is the SANFL going to create a new team to break the Dogs stranglehold like their '60s attempt with Woodville to combat the 'Pies dominance in the '50s?