Tigers 2009- What can we expect and what is simply hope?

[rexy]

Call me impatient after 28 years but it seems to me that every thread like this talks about our premiership chances as being 2 or 3 years away. Every year.

in the scheme of developing sides I think we are genuinly 2-3 years away. don't have stats but I'd suprised if most premierships sides haven't been in the finals for a couple of years and probably lost a prelim. I think Geelong will knock out any hopes of an up and coming side stealing a flag this year. If the Cats are on I'd rather not be in the GF and get smashed anyway.

 

[the claw]

IMO this has to be the year given that Richo,Simmonds,Brown,Cousins,Bowden are in their thirties.Enough said there.We have a nucleus of semi and very inexperienced players after that.If the 30-plus players can remain relatively injury free,lending their experience to the younger brigade,and have 3-4 step up to the plate,it just might happen this year.If not,take out the above thirtites,and the list looks very short-on. :'(

whilst understanding the sentiments i just cant agree with this.
we have 28 players who are 22 or more this yr. we have another 7 who turn 21. its only one small area in the age bracket that we are deficient. that is 28 and 29 yr olds. and i would say we are deficient now in the bottom age bracket as well so there goes your very inexperienced theory out the window.
most definately i dont think we can use age gaps as an excuse anymore. but to be generous lets say we have our share of semi inexperienced players we definately wont be able to say that after this yr and thank god for that.

 

[gold1]

whilst understanding the sentiments i just cant agree with this.
we have 28 players who are 22 or more this yr. we have another 7 who turn 21. its only one small area in the age bracket that we are deficient. that is 28 and 29 yr olds. and i would say we are deficient now in the bottom age bracket as well so there goes your very inexperienced theory out the window.
most definately i dont think we can use age gaps as an excuse anymore. but to be generous lets say we have our share of semi inexperienced players we definately wont be able to say that after this yr and thank god for that.

Experience is everything,especially when it comes to finals.If you look at the premiers for the last thirty years,they all had a number of 150 game-plus players.Richmond in 1967,bucked the trend by winning the flag with no finals experienced players.Cannot think of any other team since.