Is this the most talented list you've seen in your lifetime?

[Twodogs]

We've turned the ship around fairly quickly to make the finals with a bullet from the wreckage of a failed prelim in 2010. Especially given the mismatch in resources and draft picks compared to the start up clubs in that time.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

This list is the best I've seen in our colours. The evenness of the talent is such that very good players won't get picked and that is very telling. If your bottom six players win you premierships, then we are well placed. It has been drafted for character so it's talent is reinforced with mental strength that can perform when needed most and backs up team mates. Its coach seems to be one of our best. He can bond the group, earn respect, communicate well and is a good tactician. The youth of the group, with a lot a similar age yet with some great senior players is a great addition to this team. The team is supported by a stable administration of a club with a good image for playing by the rules.
This team is a chance to win the flag this year, I don't expect it but it wouldn't surprise me. However it would seem that it won't peak for a few years yet.

[bornadog]

One thing about this crop of players is they are not only stars, but they are a team.

They are united in their cause and they have hunger for success not hunger for individual accolades.

Read the article on Tory Dickson (Team first ) and listen to him on 3aw here

In the past we had stars, and plenty of Brownlows but not many TEAMS

[lemmon]

I say yes with a caveat-we really are desperate for Boyd to become an elite full forward. We will have a lot of cap space tied up in the big man and we don't have anyone on the list with the same elite potential as a mark taking full forward. Chris Grant was the pivot around which the 97 and 98 sides functioned, I'm not saying Boyd will have to be the same player but he will have to take on that same importance within the club - very much like Hawkins did at Geelong and Kennedy has now at West Coast.

I'm content with the progress the big man has made but the reason for the caveat is that Stringer, Macrae, Bonti, Libba, Hunter etc have all starred consistently at AFL level which is where Boyd has to get too

[craigsahibee]

There is no doubt that this crop has the "potential" to be the best. Dangerous word that, and it will be up to the coaching staff to keep them in check. When Libba, Wallis, Stringer, Hunter, Macrae, Boyd, Bontempelli, Wood, Roughead, Dahlhaus, etc hit that 24 - 28 year old age bracket, look out. We will be feared and respected by every other club and their supporters.

Apologies to JJ. I should have added him to that list.

[Twodogs]

One thing about this crop of players is they are not only stars, but they are a team.

They are united in their cause and they have hunger for success not hunger for individual accolades.

Read the article on Tory Dickson (Team first ) and listen to him on 3aw here

In the past we had stars, and plenty of Brownlows but not many TEAMS

I genuinly couldn't care less about our players winning Brownlows any more. Good luck to any player who does but I want a flag.

[Remi Moses]

Easily for me. No disrespect to other sides we've had, but this side has some elite talent in it.
I think 85 had Doug as our elite talent, and some very good players.
Injuries,attitude, and the big boy standing up at full forward will be telling .

[LostDoggy]

In terms of talent this side for mine is best by a margin. That is tremendously exciting, but just hope to hell that we don't look back at them and say that they were simply talented. Talent means SFA, it's all about realisation.

[1eyedog]

We have the talent. It is potentially the most talented list I've ever seen wearing the red, white and blue. It really could be a team of champions in a few years, but much comes down to what Bevo can do with it. Can he turn a team of champions into a champion team ala. Hawthorn of the 80s. That's what I want to see, three premierships in 5 years.

[comrade]

We have the talent. It is potentially the most talented list I've ever seen wearing the red, white and blue. It really could be a team of champions in a few years, but much comes down to what Bevo can do with it. Can he turn a team of champions into a champion team ala. Hawthorn of the 80s. That's what I want to see, three premierships in 5 years.

I'll take 1 and reassess from there

[Dry Rot]

I agree there's plenty of talent there, but question the distribution of it.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like teams with good spines. Including a good CHF, which we don't have. And a good ruck man.

We'll know a lot more about our spine at the end of next season.

[FrediKanoute]

For all out talent, 1985 still floats my boat. The best spine, the best rover, one of the best ruckman, a mean lean backline that hated having goals kicked against it, Beasley out of the goalsquare kicking the ton, Jimmy Sewell marking everything at CHF Bamblett cleaning up anything he mised. Wallis in the middle, Dougie on the wing. That team had it all.

What this list has better than any other list I've seen is a better bottom six on the list and in the 22. I can't even figure out a best 22, let alone who the bottom six are.

Agree......1985 how that list never achieved more than 1 Prelim is beyond me.

[jeemak]

I say yes with a caveat-we really are desperate for Boyd to become an elite full forward. We will have a lot of cap space tied up in the big man and we don't have anyone on the list with the same elite potential as a mark taking full forward. Chris Grant was the pivot around which the 97 and 98 sides functioned, I'm not saying Boyd will have to be the same player but he will have to take on that same importance within the club - very much like Hawkins did at Geelong and Kennedy has now at West Coast.

I'm content with the progress the big man has made but the reason for the caveat is that Stringer, Macrae, Bonti, Libba, Hunter etc have all starred consistently at AFL level which is where Boyd has to get too

It will be interesting to see whether going hell for leather for Boyd as our pivotal forward will be a master stroke in two ways - gun forward, or second ruck that can kick a few a game (almost the most valuable player on any list) or a bust, or a bad investment. I'm prepared to wait a few years to find that out.

That's one of the most exciting things about our list for mine. Whilst we're all thirsty for quick improvement and potential to be realised soon, we're still a good two or three years away from it in my view.

What I will say in relation to the thread title, is that this is the best list I've seen from a talent profile perspective. The deeds of these men are yet to be seen and that talent is yet to be realised in full however, we have drafted/traded-in these men as genuinely talented players who can do the things that make footballers great.

I've been hell bent in my list assessments through the most recent draft and trade periods stating we need to lift our talent profile irrespective of the draft position and needs. In my view, we've done that spectacularly.

[bornadog]

double

[bornadog]

I will add to the discussion by saying, we have a pretty good coach as well. If we win the premiership, then we can say the best coach since Sutton.


I will also stick my neck out and say Peter Gordon must be ranked as one of the best Presidents we have ever had. The club is truly in one of the best states in our 130 year history.