What are our chances for 2024?

[Presti35]

Stay hungry Pies!!

[Magpietothemax]

I

He is exactly the ruthless operator that we have needed for decades..

Yep, compassionate yet ruthless. But the ruthless streak is combined with empathy and a rational explanation to all those who might suffer from it.
The perfect coach.
Interesting that we have shown interest in Chad Wingard. We are clearly creating a new type of forward line model, no longer based on a power forward but based instead on speed and infinite mobility, with medium talls to provide the pivot points- the 5G network of F50 configuration.
I am all in favour of getting him if we can. We lost Ginni, but Wingard would be - for one or two years - a supreme replacement.

[Jezza]

^ Good points, MTTM.

One thing that concerns me about Wingard is he'll miss most of 2024 due to an achilles injury sustained late in the season.

His talent is undeniable, but it's something worth keeping in mind if we're serious about recruiting him.

[Magpietothemax]

^

Yes, this is definitely true. But i think he is being considered as a second half of season ace up the sleeve. As such, he would be an absolute gem.
I

[Jezza]

^ Considering we're in the window to hopefully have further success, and Fly and the club think we can contend again then I don't mind the move if it eventuates.

The Schultz acquisition on its own is already an excellent one.

[Magpietothemax]

^ Considering we're in the window to hopefully have further success, and Fly and the club think we can contend again then I don't mind the move if it eventuates.

The Schultz acquisition on its own is already an excellent one.

Absolutely.
And we also have Ash Johnson. He is a brilliant athletic mobile forward - exactly the kind that we require for the revolutionary forward line we are creating. It is a forward line based on speed, mobility, chaos, marking pivot points based on creating space. Checkers, McStay and Ash Johnston are exactly the kind of mobile forwards that we require to complement the armada of small forwards.
I think the main issue for us is the midfield.
McInnes, McCrae...their development will be crucial.

[LaurieHolden]

Not really worth another thread, but are our kick-ins another area we can improve?
I long for the days of the quality of Leon Davis's kick-ins, he simply did not miss his targets.
Post Davis, Heath Shaw effectively took over this role, albeit in a different style, he'd tend to take off / play on from the goal square to gain extra meters before kicking to his target.

Who do we see as our most effective option for kick-ins?
Do we need to change up who takes these or in turn improve or offer more versatility in the way we move the ball from defence?

[Kingsofclutch]

Schoenmaker could be there at our 2nd pick, he'll just cut out the middle man and kick goals from the kick in.

[Boot]

Not really worth another thread, but are our kick-ins another area we can improve?
I long for the days of the quality of Leon Davis's kick-ins, he simply did not miss his targets.
Post Davis, Heath Shaw effectively took over this role, albeit in a different style, he'd tend to take off / play on from the goal square to gain extra meters before kicking to his target.

Who do we see as our most effective option for kick-ins?
Do we need to change up who takes these or in turn improve or offer more versatility in the way we move the ball from defence?

I think Nick Daicos does this job well when he is playing in defense. I'm not too fussed as long as it's not Brayden Maynard, he has too many brain farts to be trusted with this role.

[LaurieHolden]

I think Nick Daicos does this job well when he is playing in defense. I'm not too fussed as long as it's not Brayden Maynard, he has too many brain farts to be trusted with this role.

Undoubtedly Nick or Josh would be the automatic preferences, but we need them up the ground as the midfield link players.
Of the players in our established back 6 mix, we're lacking an elite distributor by foot.
Is it essential? Maybe not. But having clean and fast distribution to the likes of the line breakers in Markov, Noble, Maynard in order to get it to our midfielders compliments the subject at hand, can we improve in '24.

[Harrysz]

Teams have won flags without great forward lines - as per Melbourne in 2021.
I'm sure also that teams have won flags without a great defence. But you can't win a flag without a great midfield.

Our elite players in the midfield are Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos. Include Josh Daicos and Jack Crisp if you regard them as midfielders. There are other players who go through the midfield such as Mitchell and Pendles but we don't have the quantity of elite midfield talent as say (dare I say it) Carlton. Finn Macrae, Ed Allan and Reerf McGuiness have to be fast-tracked. And maybe Beau McCreery.

[Take_a_Screamer]

Draftees most likely to debut immediately at every AFL club in 2024
by Ben Waterworth and Ben Cotton from Fox Sports. November 23rd, 2023

Collingwood

The Pies only took two players across all three drafts in speedy midfielder Harry DeMattia and athletic defender Tew Jiath, so there’s not a lot of options, but the club seems bullish about both.

Source :

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/draft/ ... e57aeb3df3

[LaurieHolden]

Teams have won flags without great forward lines - as per Melbourne in 2021.
I'm sure also that teams have won flags without a great defence. But you can't win a flag without a great midfield.

Our elite players in the midfield are Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos. Include Josh Daicos and Jack Crisp if you regard them as midfielders. There are other players who go through the midfield such as Mitchell and Pendles but we don't have the quantity of elite midfield talent as say (dare I say it) Carlton. Finn Macrae, Ed Allan and Reef McGuiness have to be fast-tracked. And maybe Beau McCreery.

^but Melbourne was the exception rather than the rule over the past decade.
Not many sides have won flags without great defence.
I reckon we've got the balance pretty good at present, despite not having a gun forward.

As far as our midfield depth, I don't see us in deficit to Carlton. I'll happily put JDG, Naicos / Pendlegoat and Mitchell over Cripps, Cerra and Walsh anytime over the next 5 years.
Cripps I can't see doing another 9 seasons which he'd need to do in order to get close to Pendles as he enters his 19th. I reckon a warrior like Cripps will be done by end of 2026 / his 13th season.

Macrae will be given chances this year and IQ and McCreery appear destined to evolve from their respective roles. With that Allan and DeMattia may well find themselves in those vacated positions before they get their chances to push into the middle to fill future voids left by Pendlegoat and Mitchell.
If Macrae can't force his way in, then we'll be relying on Allan to come through.
Jaicos does offer a rotation option.

McInnes on what we've seen to date appears unlikely to be put through the middle. He looks like lead up forward is more his go. His job is to take over the third tall role he's battling with Johnson over.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Kind of like to know which players are getting things done over the off season such as surgery and if any are rehabbing.

[Take_a_Screamer]

How many days to the start of Round 1? (Friday, March 15th)

113 days

Calculator:
https://www.timeanddate.com/date/durati ... =3&y2=2024

Obviously I can't wait to see the start of the new season...
I think we can all expect back-to-back success (Harry does!)