strap yourselves in for the ride in 2007

[Harro12]

Your 4th point is even more pertinent with the added pace of the game. I am impressed with the bulk that the likes of Deledio and Foley have added to their frames without seeming to have lost pace.

 

[Ian4]

keep a lid on it peoples

 

[TIGEREXTRA]

Have to make the eight or will have gone backwards in the improvement graph.

Don't get carried away peoples, just watch and see what happens.

 

[yandb]

reasons for our improvement

ruck stocks,
with simmonds in career best form, knoble fit and ready to go and patterson continueing to develop ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 7.5/10)

midfield stocks,
we have cogs comming back from a reco and should be fireing on all cylinders by round 8. lids, foley tambling and polo have another year under their belts. kane and tucky are fit and fireing. this combined with a group of young mids all fighting for a chance to get a spot in the team.(2006 5/10 - 2007 7/10)

backmen,
we have had a reasonable set up this season but with gas looking a lot fitter at the end of the season polak to take over the chb role and thursfield maybe comming back towards the end of the season. we also have good depth with our young runing backmen. (2006 7/10 - 2007 8/10)

fowards,
our fowards will be bolstered by a return to full fitness by browny and a more settled setup with sarge at chf. kingsley will give us some much needed depth with hughes and meyer pressing for their chances. ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

coaches,
while terry and co have brought much experience to our club i atribute much of those 100 point losses last season to our tactics on the day. hopefuly terry has adressed this issue and these big losses will be a thing of the past.
( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

feel free to add to or dispute any of these points fellow posters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phar Ace]

Don't agree with your earlier comment on the draw - it's harder in 2007 - not easier!

No question, finals has to be the aim, but it is the same for at least 13 other clubs, probably 14 counting the Bombers ( :hihi) 

reasons for our improvement

ruck stocks,
with simmonds in career best form, knoble fit and ready to go and patterson continueing to develop ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 7.5/10)

Knoble is iffy (isn't he still in the rehab group?), Patto while improving is not 100 min game ready.  Thank god for Simmo and his durability is all I can say .  We are less than 5/10 surely

midfield stocks,
we have cogs comming back from a reco and should be fireing on all cylinders by round 8. lids, foley tambling and polo have another year under their belts. kane and tucky are fit and fireing. this combined with a group of young mids all fighting for a chance to get a spot in the team.(2006 5/10 - 2007 7/10)

We have Cogs coming back from a reco - end of story so far.  Foley will get more attention - has he even been tagged yet?  The rest I buy - though we are no better off than the second half of last year IMO.  But we are improving and we can hope that inertia works our way some more.

backmen,
we have had a reasonable set up this season but with gas looking a lot fitter at the end of the season polak to take over the chb role and thursfield maybe comming back towards the end of the season. we also have good depth with our young runing backmen.  (2006 7/10 - 2007 8/10)

Gas is also a year older .  In Polak - Out Kellaway, did someone say we are better off?  Not on historical form.  But it is a judgement call by TW that I look forward to working, if not in 07, then in 08.  Thirsty still has to return - hope he can.  All the improvement is ahead of us.

fowards,
our fowards will be bolstered by a return to full fitness by browny and a more settled setup with sarge at chf. kingsley will give us some much needed depth with hughes and meyer pressing for their chances. ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

Probably is going to be better in 2007 - if the return of Brown runs to the level of prefessionalism he is capable of, and if TW is correct with Kingsley.  It's now or 'whenever?' Sarge!

coaches,
while terry and co have brought much experience to our club  i atribute much of those 100 point losses last season to our tactics on the day.  hopefuly terry has adressed this issue and these big losses will be a thing of the past.
( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

TW Choco and Kingy - are all good.  The others, quite frankly, we will know more through the year.

feel free to add to or dispute any of these points fellow posters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playing finals is no given.  Our step up the ladder in 2006 was more as a result of others stepping back (Essendon, Port, Brisbane, Kangas, Geelong!)  I still don't think our overall 2006 list improved over 2005, as evidenced by Hughes and JON getting just handful of games and Casserley none (which is OK).  P.Bowden was a good get but he barely replaced Cambo.  But it was the holding pattern we had to have until this draft and trade period.  Geelong, Port and even Essendon will improve immensly, so getting to 8th will be harder than it seems.  We may improve, but will we improve more than other teams?  I hope we do (I'm definately not crossing over ), but it isn't a question to go waging your house on now is it - that's for sure?  It's a 50/50 proposition at best - which frankly is a big improvement over the last few years! 

 

[Rosy]

reasons for our improvement

Glad you've escaped the clutches of the darkside y&b. hew Stick with the light. 8)

 

[RemoteTiger]

There is a crucial point in every AFL season. It is at that point we will know whether the Tigers are going to make it.

That crucial point in the season IMO is rounds 10 and 11 it is then that we will all know whether the Tigers will be in the hunt. If they go into round 12 with 7 wins 4 loses or 8 wins 3 loses then the Tigers only need to win 5 or 6 of their remaining 11 games to make the finals - if they go into round 12 with 6 wins and 5 loses or 5 wins and 6 loses then the run home to the finals needs 7 or 8 wins from 11 games to make the finals)

First 11 rounds are against -

Carlton - must win
Swans - could win as they are traditionally slow starters and it is at the MCG
Collingwood - should win
Western Bulldogs - tough game - 50/50
West Coast - tough game - pen in as a loss
Geelong - at the TD - close game 50/50
Port Adelaide - at AAMI - pen in as a loss
Adelaide - at AAMI - pen in as a loss
Essendon - must win game
Brisbane - at the TD - must win game
Fremantle - at subiaco - pen in as a loss

Wins - Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and Brisbane
Close games Swans, Geelong,  Western Bulldogs
Losses - West Coast, Port, Adelaide, Fremantle

Therefore to be 7 wins and 4 loses after round 11 the Tigers need to beat the Swans, Geelong and Western Bulldogs in what look to be close games at this point in time.

However 1 win interstate - say Port or Fremantle or the ageing Adelaide Crows and the possiblity of a win over the premiership hung over Weagles and the Tigers will be looking very strong for the second half of the home and away season.

Right now, (as the pop group Peter, Paul and Mary sung many years ago) the answer my friend is blowing in the wind!

OR is it a case of - wishin' an' hopin' an' prayin'

Apologies to those who love their '60s music.

:gotigers...........RT

 

[Tony Braxton-Hicks]

Strap yourself in for the ride of your life... Wasn't that St Kilda's membership slogan when Blight took over a coach? It certainly was a ride!

 

[Tygrys]

Don't agree with your earlier comment on the draw - it's harder in 2007 - not easier!

No question, finals has to be the aim, but it is the same for at least 13 other clubs, probably 14 counting the Bombers ( :hihi)

reasons for our improvement

ruck stocks,
with simmonds in career best form, knoble fit and ready to go and patterson continueing to develop ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 7.5/10)

Knoble is iffy (isn't he still in the rehab group?), Patto while improving is not 100 min game ready. Thank god for Simmo and his durability is all I can say . We are less than 5/10 surely

midfield stocks,
we have cogs comming back from a reco and should be fireing on all cylinders by round 8. lids, foley tambling and polo have another year under their belts. kane and tucky are fit and fireing. this combined with a group of young mids all fighting for a chance to get a spot in the team.(2006 5/10 - 2007 7/10)

We have Cogs coming back from a reco - end of story so far. Foley will get more attention - has he even been tagged yet? The rest I buy - though we are no better off than the second half of last year IMO. But we are improving and we can hope that inertia works our way some more.

backmen,
we have had a reasonable set up this season but with gas looking a lot fitter at the end of the season polak to take over the chb role and thursfield maybe comming back towards the end of the season. we also have good depth with our young runing backmen. (2006 7/10 - 2007 8/10)

Gas is also a year older . In Polak - Out Kellaway, did someone say we are better off? Not on historical form. But it is a judgement call by TW that I look forward to working, if not in 07, then in 08. Thirsty still has to return - hope he can. All the improvement is ahead of us.

fowards,
our fowards will be bolstered by a return to full fitness by browny and a more settled setup with sarge at chf. kingsley will give us some much needed depth with hughes and meyer pressing for their chances. ( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

Probably is going to be better in 2007 - if the return of Brown runs to the level of prefessionalism he is capable of, and if TW is correct with Kingsley. It's now or 'whenever?' Sarge!

coaches,
while terry and co have brought much experience to our club i atribute much of those 100 point losses last season to our tactics on the day. hopefuly terry has adressed this issue and these big losses will be a thing of the past.
( 2006 6/10 - 2007 8/10)

TW Choco and Kingy - are all good. The others, quite frankly, we will know more through the year.

feel free to add to or dispute any of these points fellow posters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playing finals is no given. Our step up the ladder in 2006 was more as a result of others stepping back (Essendon, Port, Brisbane, Kangas, Geelong!) I still don't think our overall 2006 list improved over 2005, as evidenced by Hughes and JON getting just handful of games and Casserley none (which is OK). P.Bowden was a good get but he barely replaced Cambo. But it was the holding pattern we had to have until this draft and trade period. Geelong, Port and even Essendon will improve immensly, so getting to 8th will be harder than it seems. We may improve, but will we improve more than other teams? I hope we do (I'm definately not crossing over ), but it isn't a question to go waging your house on now is it - that's for sure? It's a 50/50 proposition at best - which frankly is a big improvement over the last few years!

Right on every point - everything is in a state of flux and relative. It stands to reason we won't be the only team that improves (if in fact we do) and then you have to nominate teams that will drop out of the eight (again no easy matter). All we know for a fact is that despite the hyperbole we were miles off the pace compared to those that finished in the eight, as our periodic massacres and our excessively high percentage of wins against the league cellar dwellers showed.

If we can maintain our position (or there abouts), erradicate the massacres, secure a couple more scalps against quality opposition, and continue the improvement of our young players - then it will be a succesful year. Not much concerned about playing finals at this stage, and frankly couldn't give a damn about 'rewarding our senior players' with immediate success. They get more than rewarded come contract time (and for what it's worth, I don't want Richmonds chances of gradually building toward real success in September compromised by some half-baked idea of giving a couple of players in the twilight of their careers a lap of honour in a fleeting cut throat final. Recruit for sustained success not for some transient feel good moment).

 

[Phar Ace]

If we can maintain our position (or there abouts), erradicate the massacres, secure a couple more scalps against quality opposition, and continue the improvement of our young players - then it will be a succesful year.

Spot on - everything else will be a bonus!

 

[JR8]

Strap yourself in for the ride of your life... Wasn't that St Kilda's membership slogan when Blight took over a coach? It certainly was a ride!

Yeah it was a ride that started in a lowly position and just kept plummeting downwards!!!

 

[Anduril]

Oh I hope that happens to St K again >

 

[geoffryprettyboy]

I've been doing alot of thinking while I was locked up over the last several months. There's no excuses for the RFC not to make the finals this year, and I expect them to.

The corner of Swan & Punt Road is chaos at the moment with a number of RFC players who are at the crossroad of their career, it's digit extraction time and to show us whether they have it.

 

[Redford]

The corner of Swan & Punt Road is chaos at the moment with a number of RFC players who are at the crossroad of their career, it's digit extraction time and to show us whether they have it.

Sheet. Is that what I ran over this morning ? Geez. Oh well.

When is the first full-on practice match, be it against another club or an intra club ?

 

[Phar Ace]

I've been doing alot of thinking while I was locked up over the last several months. 

Harry Potter style I hope

There's no excuses for the RFC not to make the finals this year, and I expect them to.

The corner of Swan & Punt Road is chaos at the moment with a number of RFC players who are at the crossroad of their career, it's digit extraction time and to show us whether they have it.

I 'want' the Tiges to make the finals every year (unlike craig who seems to prefer early draft picks ) and this does border on an expectation at this time of year.  BUT a little pragmatism can also come into it as well.  

Your crossroads analogy is absolutely spot on GPB- third year in to Terry'd first stint, and if he is to have the ultimate success, some tough calls will need to be made if we get more of the same the 9th -13th results.  This year is where the "rubber hits the road" for some of our guys - it has to be.

 

[geoffryprettyboy]

When is the first full-on practice match, be it against another club or an intra club ?

That all depends when CC can finish washing the jumpers from their last training session.  Apprently he's having trouble with the washing, the last load Pettifer forget a whole heap of tissues in the sleeve of his jumper and when CC put all the jumpers in the wash they came out as if they had been snowed on.

 

[evo]

yeah, come on CC.We're hanging out for some footy.

 

[Mr Brightside]

Sorry guys Ive just been working on a new deal with OMO,weve been trying this new product that makes the jumpers come out with a special extra slick coating making it impossible to be tackled,but the problem is certain numbers keep coming back all soft an cuddly :don't know