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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL Rd 9 2024 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Melbourne
Last post by Baggers -Yes, one goal in the four games BP and and five in the four WP games is a fair improvement.
I tend to agree that we're not doing too much wrong and a tweak here and there should get us back on the winning list. However, I do think that our personnel comes into it too. We've gone about as far as we can go with the "next man up" and need to start replacing some of those next men with the likes of Martin, McGovern and Motlop.
Agree... and disagree to a degree, David.
There was a reasonable expectation that after 33% of the season played we'd find ourselves in the top 4. Yes, the season is still young. But we find ourselves hanging on in 8th place with 2 real tough games ahead.
If we zoom out and be objective, we're a much better side than recent years, but any papered over cracks our now obvious. We've not taken the next step... yet. We have it in us. As an aside, it was a very strange feeling being in the crowd last Friday evening. Bagger fans were strangely pensive. Like a collective unconscious doubt. I couldn't feel any optimism. Others around me had the same feeling. None of us were surprised we lost. Weird.
We have the personnel, no doubt - players and coaches (though I still firmly believe we need a coaching influence on game day from someone with strong strategic ability - Hodge? Ratts?). But we still have a midfield, forward line connection issue. Not helped by 'bombing' onto the heads of H / Charles... not kicking to where they're leading to or should be. Lacking efficiency - over possessing/stuffing around with the aggot.
Seeing Martin & Motlop as being the Messiah's is fraught with danger. Though the absence of Fantasia would be a positive step. We can't afford the luxury of carrying anyone. Last Friday evening seeing Fantasia in the starting 22 ...again, along with Martin on the last line and Chugga being the emergency were absolute howlers. And most of us knew just that before the ball was bounced to start the game.
I still firmly believe that going into the Go Dees game on Thursday evening with a strong, committed and ruthless mindset of being the 'hunters' (for all 120 minutes) will resolve many an issue.