Off season musings!

[graystar1]

With '06 not all that far away, I have started to wonder, as no doubt many on here are, where will our improvement come from next year?

As important as it is to have a solid backline, it is the midfield and forwards that win games. To be brutally honest, 2005 was not exactly a stellar year for our midfield. The one shining light up forward was Richo, who looks like now going onto the veterans list.

So, where is our improvement to come from?? Not sure where Coburg finished last year, but I think it was close to the bottom part of the ladder. Who, therefore will come from those ranks to boost the one's?? Has anyone attending those Coburg games seen anyone who is a future star? Someone who can assist in pushing the Tiges up the ladder. Another Shannon Grant, Adam Yze, Nick Davis type of forward??

The positives are, Deledio, barring injury and being tagged out of the game, should show even better form next year, as should Will Thursfield, who showed enough to impress. Do we expect Bowden 2, to give us a spark up forward? Will the return of DRod give our midfield the lift it needs? Will cogs improve his kicking in '06, which I guess is dependent on his improvement from OP? Will Krakouer show the brilliance that was expected of him? Even the knockers of Pettifer, must admit an improved performance from him in '05, and hopefully he will continue on in that manner.

The way I see it, unless we can improve our forward structure and break out of the middle more often than not, then we will continue to struggle. We just cannot continue to rely on Richo to be our breadwinner up forward.

Ah, musings in 2005!!

 

[Rosy]

I think our half forward line needs addressing bigtime gray. I started a thread discussing it yesterday.

As our list is virtually the same as last years we need to get a lot of improvement from within and some of that could possibly come from positional changes.

I don't understand Greg's warnings not to expect much next year.

I can't see why, with no injuries, an extra pre-season to get to a reasonable fitness level, no injuries etc, we won't improve.

The membership renewal form is at odds with Greg's comemnts.

"Why not strap in for the tiger ride of your life this season?"

I prefer to think along those lines. :clap

 

[johnson2richo2003]

To be honest im not sure where our improvement will come from next year.
Fwd Line:Shouldnt be left to 2 people[Richo & Brown].Pettrified showed improvement but he,s a frontrunner while krak has gone backwards.Im hoping Meyer can get more gametime next year.

Backline:Huge worry no not huge massive!An aging *smile* and kellaway and no doubt a very raw unproven CHB in Shultz with backup from a nervous Hall.Bowden is the positive down back while there are concerns over hartigans injury problems.Im hoping Moore can step up this year while Thursfeild continues his improvement.

Midfeild:One thing i must say it doesnt lack grunt.But needs depth in the skilled dept.Hopefully Tambling can get over his injury concerns and other matters and assist Lids.

Overall im not expecting much from 06 except the expectations of more game time for the cubs.

 

[nitrotiger]

I reckon we,re gonna kick heaps more goals in 2006
A bit more accountability in the backline will help too.Can some-one tell me ....what was the highest score kicked against us?This year i mean....

 

[tiger in the night]

I'd be happy to consolidate in the one's and maintain our competitive ways and see some real improvement with the kids at Coburg - the likes of McGuane, Pattison. Meyer and Jackson. This will create the impetus for significant gains in ladder position in the one's in 2007.

 

[geoffryprettyboy]

I reckon every line on the ground e.g. B, HB, C etc, requires attention. There isn't one line you can confidently say will travel for the next 5 years together.

 

[Anduril]

Don't want us to go backwards in 06, would be happy with a steady improvement. What I'd really like to see is no more big time losses against the top sides, no more spankings please.

 

[craig]

I reckon every line on the ground e.g. B, HB, C etc, requires attention.  There isn't one line you can confidently say will travel for the next 5 years together.

Spot on GPB concise and to the point not to mention appropriate and accurate

 

[TigerMasochist]

Can't really see us going forward on the win loss ratio in 06 as we won the maximum games I hoped we might get to this year.
Where I really hope to see a stack of improvement is in the players that have been on the list for between two and five years. Krack, Drod, Doof Doof, Moore and a bunch of others really need to put the hand up and move from fringe or bit part players and take ownership of a position in the team.
The other area I hope to see us improve some more is % on the ladder, cut back the smackings from the better clubs and give the clubs around our own status a healthy serve of hurry up.

 

[Ian4]

i don't expect we will improve next year, particularly with the horrible draw. i expect next year to be a year of consolidation. but if the kids improve and the guys to to learn more of TW's gameplan, plus browny back, i think 10 wins again will be a very good effort.

 

[Tigers of Old]

All I'll say on the matter is there seems an awful lot riding on Jay *smile* to step up next year.

Either forward or back.

No pressure at all Jay. :wave

 

[craig]

All I'll say on the matter is there seems an awful lot riding on Jay *smile* to step up next year.

Either forward or back.

No pressure at all Jay. :wave

Hes got a few mates there oldie that also need to do somthing but to be blatantly honest i dont think a majority of em actually have another level to go to and wont get any better.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Hes got a few mates there oldie that also need to do somthing but to be blatantly honest i dont think a majority of em actually have another level to go to and wont get any better.

I take it that's your way of saying Jay at least has some upside to his game yet Craig?

 

[RemoteTiger]

Analysis paralysis - I fear that I sometimes over analyse the loves of my life - the RFC and the Races (I have been known to study the print off the form guide!)

So here goes again -
Why did the Swans win the 2005 premiership?

Why did the Crows win the 2005 minor premiership?

Why did the Weagles fly so high in 2005?

At first pass over the facts I would suggest the following -

A solid work ethic from all players on their lists.
A commitment to work as a team.
An abundance of leg speed.
Strong midfields
Solid to strong defences
Swans had classy forwards - Crows and Eagles had workman-like forwards
Depth in their playing lists
Good to excellent ball handling and disposal
Good coaches

There are probably many more reasons why these three teams were successful in 2005! Now how do the Tigers measure up to the points above?

Our work ethic improved immensely in 2005 as compared to 2004 - still room for further improvement from some on the list
Same with our commitment to work as a team - but again there is room for improvement from a number of players
Our leg speed was far superior in 2005 than what it was in 2004 - but again we need more run out of our players
Our midfield is good - but needs one or two more physical players to help the classy young players.
Our defence needs improvement - in some games last year when the flood gates opened through poor pressure upfield our defence was made to look ordinary - most of this was not their fault - but we do need a solid to strong defence that can run the ball out
Our forward line needs a real shake up - lose Brown and Richo through injury and we have no penetration up forward - remember the game against Carlton last season when Brown was out and Richo was knocked out in the first quarter - we could not kick a goal to save ourselves - need a CHF badly - not just a CHF but a a good presenter and ball getter who can make the play - *smile* is not the answer IMO - I am half hopeing young Bowden steps up to the plate.
Our playing list is immature and thus lacks experience - when one of our top 22 go out through injury or suspension we lose too much as the "kid" who takes his place is not up to AFL standard YET - in time he will be!
We simply have to limit or remove disposal errors out of our game - my ol' man use to say "Footy is a game of keepings off - you got the ball the other mob cannot score goals". By making a disposal error we are in essence handing the ball to the opposition and saying have a free run at the goals.
Our coach IMO is up there with the rest in the comp - he has no premiership to hang his hat on - but IMO that is only a matter of time as all he needs is the right cattle on the park!

From all that the four most important areas we need to improve on are
1) Ball handling and disposal
2) Get more games into our young players ( you cannot put an old head on young shoulders) to put depth into our list in the future
3) Leg speed, leg speed and more leg speed
4) A gun CHF would reshape the whole team!

Ah musings late on Melbourne Cup evening....cheers RT

 

[Ako]

Dear Tiger Legend

Excellent post. I am also very worried about our scoring ability up forward, and our lack of pacy good kicking defenders and wingers. I would like us to pick up Cupido or Guerra if we can, in addition to new talent. They may have their negatives, but we are desperately lacking as a potent forward line. We have not had a decent CHF for so long it is not funny. I would be suprised if PB can step up to the plate, but I would love him to do so. Don't know much about Patterson, and I don't think *smile* is a forward; nor am I sure he will make it.

Ako

 

[lamb22]

To be honest im not sure where our improvement will come from next year.
Fwd Line:Shouldnt be left to 2 people[Richo & Brown].Pettrified showed improvement but he,s a frontrunner while krak has gone backwards.Im hoping Meyer can get more gametime next year.

Stratistically Pettifer performed better after round 10 (when Brown was missing) so I dont know why you call him a frontrunner.  FWIW I'd play Kellaway as the interim 2006 CHF, leading up the ground, doubling back and applying some defensive pressure in the forward line a la Hansen/O keefe. This would leave room for Richo and Schulz and Brown to operate in the front 40. Good kick at goal strangely enough.  Agree Meyer should play - probably half forward. I'm thinking round 1 may look something like

Hartigan  Gas   Thursty
Bowden  Hall    Newman
Tambling   Cogs  Lids
Meyer   Kellaway  Pettifer
Brown   Schulz    Richo
Simmonds Tuck Foley

Int Staff  Johnson  Rodan  Polo

Senior emergencies  Knoble Hyde Krakour Tivendale Chaffey Bowden

Dev Tall kids   Pattison  Moore Mguane Limbach
Dev Running kids  Jackson  Raines  Roach

 

[mb64]

To be honest im not sure where our improvement will come from next year.
Fwd Line:Shouldnt be left to 2 people[Richo & Brown].Pettrified showed improvement but he,s a frontrunner while krak has gone backwards.Im hoping Meyer can get more gametime next year.

Backline:Huge worry no not huge massive!An aging *smile* and kellaway and no doubt a very raw unproven CHB in Shultz with backup from a nervous Hall.Bowden is the positive down back while there are concerns over hartigans injury problems.Im hoping Moore can step up this year while Thursfeild continues his improvement.

Midfeild:One thing i must say it doesnt lack grunt.But needs depth in the skilled dept.Hopefully Tambling can get over his injury concerns and other matters and assist Lids.

Overall im not expecting much from 06 except the expectations of more game time for the cubs.

Agree Skipper,excellent summary.