Simple: YES or NO

[mjp]

OK. We've gotten to the bye and the ledger is 7-7.

Ladder Position: 9th (2-points out of the 8)
Percentage: 119.7%. (2nd)

Currrent injuries:

Naughton: Short-term
Harmes: Short-term
Coffield: Short-term
Keath: Medium Term
JJ: Medium Term
Gardner: Long Term
Smith: Long Term

The question is:
- Given this simple synopsis, would you have 'taken it' if offered before Round 1 or would you have preferred to play it out with the expecation we would have done better.

[Ozza]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

No.
Expect much better.

[azabob]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

THIS IS STUPID

Prior to the season starting you told me

*We would be playing 6-8 developing players each week in key roles
*4 debutants
*Naughton, Liberatore, Richards, JJ would miss multiple weeks with injuries
*Macrea, Daniel, Dale were not automatic selections

I would have taken our win/loss ratio in a heartbeat and would actually be ok missing finals.

Now, I expect to make finals and will be disappointed if we do not.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

No.

I hoped for better than 7-7 but I've been happy with the change we've seen since the hawks loss. We look vastly different to the 2022 and 2023 versions of this side.

But I wanted to be better than 7-7 given the moves we made in the off-season.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

THIS IS STUPID

Prior to the season starting you told me

*We would be playing 6-8 developing players each week in key roles
*4 debutants
*Naughton, Liberatore, Richards, JJ would miss multiple weeks with injuries
*Macrea, Daniel, Dale were not automatic selections

I would have taken our win/loss ratio in a heartbeat and would actually be ok missing finals.

Now, I expect to make finals and will be disappointed if we do not.

Funny thing is we've actually performed better whilst dealing with the injuries. Our start to the season was the disappointment.

[mjp]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

No.

I hoped for better than 7-7 but I've been happy with the change we've seen since the hawks loss. We look vastly different to the 2022 and 2023 versions of this side.

But I wanted to be better than 7-7 given the moves we made in the off-season.

It's funny right...I also hoped for better than 7-7 so would vote 'no', but I've actually been really happy/satisfied with performances.

I didn't think the Hawthorn lost was the big deal most did...our execution down the stretch was appalling and we lost by a kick. It happens.

I expected the loss vs Brisbane due to the schedule we had played...

[Bornadog]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

I voted it is more complicated.

I did expect to be better than 7-7 pre-season, but, now I realise changing the game plan and blooding so many new kids is always going to be hard to adapt to. I feel finally the group is clicking together and we can go on with it. Although the backline is not leaking too many goals, I am still worried about the CHB role - we just don't have someone that is solid enough to take that role, and God help us if Jonesy goes down (fingers crossed)

I can see Bevo has also changed and listening to his assistants and working as a coercive coaching group. With some of the injured players coming back, we should have a good second half of the season.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

It's more complicated but I've answered 'yes' because my expectations were genuinely quite low and the season as it's turned out has exceeded them dramatically, despite the middling record.

There's barely a single loss this season that can't be well explained by circumstance. Maybe the exception is the Fremantle in Perth game where we were soundly beaten, but even that is a tough task no matter where Fremantle sit.

Melbourne we were disadvantaged by the BS of Round 0.
Geelong we should have won, close game.
Essendon the difference was a difference in conversion.
Hawks a close game, they've since won 5 of their last 6. Much better team than we thought at the time.
Swans best team in it, and we were two down on the bench for the last half.
Lions our injuries and suspensions caught up with us.

Then the wins have been enormous. We're good and if we can keep being good while locking away the one or two close games in the back half of the season, we'll belong at the pointy end of finals.

[Bornadog]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

There's barely a single loss this season that can't be well explained by circumstance. Maybe the exception is the Fremantle in Perth game where we were soundly beaten, but even that is a tough task no matter where Fremantle sit.

.

Even the Freo game we were right in it with 5 points down at 3/4 time and going down by 4 goals

[Happy Days]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

7-7 isn’t too bad in a vacuum. I would’ve expected a positive record, maybe like 9-5, but it’s not a mile off.

But - we’re wrecking everyone when we beat them and generally having a period of sustained dominance in our losses with one or two exceptions. There’s still an element of punching ourselves in the dick with this team that while better than last year is still so annoying and hard to trust.

[mighty_west]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

I voted the complicated option, thought we would have been slightly ahead of where we stand, maybe 8-6, that said maybe we should have seen this happen from the start given Daniel, Macrae and Dale were on the outer and younger players were given the nod, now Jack and especially Dale is back in arguably AA form, brilliant turn around, maybe we also needed to be more patient from the start with a heck of a lot of new coaching additions to a club too and give them time to gel with the players and new structures in place, things seem to be slowly turning around given our best is very good, the loss of key players over the past few weeks hurt.

The rest of our fixture looks tough but with close to our best squad back after the bye i'm backing us to do some damage and take a few scalps along the way, let's see where that lands us!

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

I am definitely in the not satisfied camp with where we sit.

I expected to be sitting top 4 at this point and when I look at what has transpired I still believe we should be safely ahead of everyone bar Sydney.

The season is tight but we gave up wins against Geelong (poor coaching and execution), Essendon (poor execution, Hawthorn (dreadful turnovers).

Win 2 of those and we are 9-5 and in second.

Additionally we were right in the Sydney and first Freo games.

However, we do seem to have addressed a few issues on the run and I am now really happy with the way we are looking.

If the Sydney, Collingwood and Freo games as 3 of our last 4 are the guide we can go deep with our list back to health.

[GVGjr]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

For the sake of just one more win I think many of us would view the season quite differently.
8 - 6 with a game against North to come would provide a lot more optimism for all supporters.
I don't think it's complicated so the results are a bit disappointing from my perspective.
Having a strong percentage highlights we are a good side. Basically losing every 2nd week highlights we are just a bit flakey.
The side has enough star players and the training facilities and coaching this side has available to them should be more than enough to perform as a top 5 or 6 side.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

I went no.

Losses to the Cats in gather round (they aren't that good), Hawthorn and the Bombers are below my expectations.

The Demons game was a debacle.

I think we should have won at least 1 of those 3 probably 2.

Beating the Pies was a bonus, although the worst team in history had them by 9 goals yesterday so not sure that's such a big achievement.

GWS win was the best of the lot I think, the Swans.... what could have been.

I think 8-6 would be more like it. (i know i know fine margins but I had to pick).

[lemmon]

Re: Simple: YES or NO

I wouldn't have taken it - finals was my expectation for this year and I feel that realistically, the first half of our draw was a lot easier than the second.

We get North twice, but also Port away, the Blues, the Cats down the highway, the Swans away, a huge game against the Dees, the Crows away and GWS.

If we're going to get there, it'll be on the back of some big scalps.