Will we win a flag by 2014? Yes or No and the Reasons Why!

[mat073]

2010 Premiers Collingwood.......2006 5th
2009 Premiers Geelong ........2005 6th
2008 Premiers Hawthorn.......2004 15th (4 wins)
2007 Premiers Geelong......2003 12th (7 wins)
2006 Premiers WCE........2002 8th
2005 Premiers Sydney.....2001 7th
2004 Premiers Port Adelaide......2000 14th (7 wins)

[cub]

Just too many variables, any team could win it in 5 years time. Just hoping to F it's us 

[Rodgerramjet]

5 Years away for sure, will have age, maturity, game time and be well and truly intrenched in the eight by then or one would hope.

2014 is not inconcievable but I think just a year short of the mark.

[Stripes]

Stripes, who the eff is Butcher 

I think he means Batchelor 

Yes, sorry

Let's hope that doesn't become his nickname....

[mightytiges]

Way too early to tell yet as apart from half-a-dozen Tiges that appear to have star quality most of the rest of the list is unknown. It's possible that at best this current crop will only be reaching their first finals series by 2014 as the list won't mature until 2013-14 onwards. We have a young core in place that can develop and play alongside one another but it's really how they and the quality of next wave of kids coming through as Ramps would say that will determine if we will play finals and finish top 4 regularly and then push for a flag. How well and fast the 2009-2010 crop develop and even this and next year's draftees will decide our fate. We are still near the bottom of the pile for a reason and will be still down near the bottom this year.

[Judge Roughneck]

It's funny.

We are apparently short of

A) rucks
B) talls / tall defenders
C) one or two talented mids.

In Connors and morton we two talented mids. Would be a big bonus I'd they could get heads out of buttocks and contribute to the senior side.

I think there's a possibility but everything would have to go right for it to become a reality.

Three years on maybe might be a little too soon given the sheer amount of unknown quanities we have on our list.


Here is how to read my convoluted 2014 team -
Bolded Player - 'Certain' Starters/1st Tier
Italics Players - 'Established' Potential Stars/2nd Tier

Letters represent different position that are still yet to be filled/taken.

FB -        A                       B                       C

HB -  Connors    Astbury     Deledio

C -          D                 Martin     Edwards

Foll -        E               Cotchin       Foley

HF -   Morton              F                       G

FF -         H                 Riewoldt           I

Potential Players
A (Midsized backman) - Butcher, Rance, Dea, Farmer

B & C (Tall Backman) - Gourdis, Grimes, Thurfield, McGuane (too old?),

D (Wingman) - Grigg, Conca, Helbig, Webberley, Cotin(sp?), Jackson

E (1st Ruck) - Graham, Browne

F (CHF) - Griffiths, Post, Taylor, Westoff,

G (HFF/Goal-kicking Midfielder) - Houli, White, Farmer, McDonald, Hicks,

H (Tall Forward/2nd Ruck) - Vickery, Post, Derickx
All of our 2nd rucks could ultimately take claim the first ruck spot in the future from Graham who is yet to cement the position himself.

I (Defensive Small) - King (too old?), Nahas, Nason




To claim the major prize in 2014 we would first  need our 'stars' to remain injury free - Jack, Lids, Cotch, Martin and even Foley (Cogs anyone?!  ) . Next we would have to see players such as Astbury, Edwards, Griffiths and Vickery either join the afore mentioned players on the 1st tier or become solid second tier talent.

Next we would need our tall players to come on together.

We still have a huge amount of holes all over the ground that would need to be filled particularly up either end with our talls. I have far more confidence we will have the engine room required to win a premiership, based on their proformance to date, than confidence that we will have the talls. For mine, we only have 2 talls that have shown anywhere near the performance in their short careers to give the feeling they could become premiership players - Riewoldt and Astbury. All of Griffiths, Vickery, Post, Grimes, etc still have not shown enough to date to give anyone but the mst optomistic supporters complete confidence they they will become established players let alone A-graders. I am extremely hopeful that two or three shown enough this year to change that view though  

Stripes