What we've learnt after the first 4 rounds

[mightytiges]

Playing Carlton, St Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood first up has been no picnic but the positive is we know exactly where we are at and where we need to improve.

IMO what we've learnt after 4 rounds .....

Pros:
* Our best 5 players are definitely good enough to lead and build a top side around. Potentially all (but Newy at 28 y.o.) could become elite players in the AFL.
* We can outplay a top side at our peak team form for an extended period.
* Our defensive pressure has improved on last year.
* Young cubs aren't overawed playing against the best and are persistent even if being beaten by their direct opponent. None of them have been "Zac Dawsoned" out there to the point of humiliation.
* We haven't resorted to plonking 18 players behind the ball in the face of an onslaught to save face on the scoreboard. We've stuck to the way we want to play whether it comes off or not. Hurts us now costing goals and % wise but a positive in the long-term development of the side.

Cons:
* Still daylight behind any top side over 4 quarters.
* Can't sustain required level of intensity and skill for nowhere near long enough (a quarter to a half at best)
* Gap between our best and worst is still massive. Worst is still uncompetitive.
* Skills across the team are still subpar too often and we can't compete with the fitness and body size/strength of other sides over 4 quarters.
* (Bottom) half of the side/list still needs to be turned over and replaced.


Thoughts?

[Smokey]

Very good summation MT.  Pretty much spot on I reckon.

[WilliamPowell]

Apart from what you've highlighted

I think we've all learned without a shawdow of a doubt how patient the majority of Tiger fans actually are 

[Penelope]

Fair summation MT.

Even looking at your list of cons, the positive is that except for the last point, the other areas should improve with experience.

[jackstar is back again]

Playing Carlton, St Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood first up has been no picnic but the positive is we know exactly where we are at and where we need to improve.

IMO what we've learnt after 4 rounds .....

Pros:
* Our best 5 players are definitely good enough to lead and build a top side around. Potentially all (but Newy at 28 y.o.) could become elite players in the AFL.
* We can outplay a top side at our peak team form for an extended period.
* Our defensive pressure has improved on last year.
* Young cubs aren't overawed playing against the best and are persistent even if being beaten by their direct opponent. None of them have been "Zac Dawsoned" out there to the point of humiliation.
* We haven't resorted to plonking 18 players behind the ball in the face of an onslaught to save face on the scoreboard. We've stuck to the way we want to play whether it comes off or not. Hurts us now costing goals and % wise but a positive in the long-term development of the side.

Cons:
* Still daylight behind any top side over 4 quarters.
* Can't sustain required level of intensity and skill for nowhere near long enough (a quarter to a half at best)
* Gap between our best and worst is still massive. Worst is still uncompetitive.
* Skills across the team are still subpar too often and we can't compete with the fitness and body size/strength of other sides over 4 quarters.
* (Bottom) half of the side/list still needs to be turned over and replaced.


Thoughts?

would totally agree.
whats worth noting is that people would rate tuck(even some put in our best 10 , although when put on trade table, no takers.
Our best 5-6 players are equal to any in the compp.
The problem is our bottom 6 players that run out each week arent up to it, and therefore let the team down

[wayne]

I'd also add that we aren't having as much trouble getting inside 50 as we did last year, and we have played 4 highly rated sides (St. Kilda might be on the slide, but they're still ultra defensive).

The more inside 50s also means we have more goalkicking options. We'll have a lot more than 1 player kick more than 15 goals this season.

[Con65]

Playing Carlton, St Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood first up has been no picnic but the positive is we know exactly where we are at and where we need to improve.

IMO what we've learnt after 4 rounds .....

Pros:
* Our best 5 players are definitely good enough to lead and build a top side around. Potentially all (but Newy at 28 y.o.) could become elite players in the AFL.
* We can outplay a top side at our peak team form for an extended period.
* Our defensive pressure has improved on last year.
* Young cubs aren't overawed playing against the best and are persistent even if being beaten by their direct opponent. None of them have been "Zac Dawsoned" out there to the point of humiliation.
* We haven't resorted to plonking 18 players behind the ball in the face of an onslaught to save face on the scoreboard. We've stuck to the way we want to play whether it comes off or not. Hurts us now costing goals and % wise but a positive in the long-term development of the side.

Cons:
* Still daylight behind any top side over 4 quarters.
* Can't sustain required level of intensity and skill for nowhere near long enough (a quarter to a half at best)
* Gap between our best and worst is still massive. Worst is still uncompetitive.
* Skills across the team are still subpar too often and we can't compete with the fitness and body size/strength of other sides over 4 quarters.
* (Bottom) half of the side/list still needs to be turned over and replaced.


Thoughts?

Like the others, I too agree.  Our best is right up there eg. 3rd quarter against Carlton, 2nd quarter against Saints and 3rd quarter against Pies.  Problem is we cannot sustain it.

Conca and Batchelor look like they can play. So we have found 2 more players. Helbig is also useful.

I think our tackling has improved but still needs improvement - IMHO we were a long way back to start with.

I also agree with Jack - bottom 6 players are probably not up to it yet.  Either skill wise or body wise.  I think body wise more than skill at this stage.  Some of our guys just look too light and play too light.

[cub]

If we don't beat Norf, NOTHING!

[tony_montana]

great summation MT

I'd also add
- a marked improvement in decision making from our team as a collective unit. Still have brain explosions but we seem to be picking better targets more often.

-our pattern running has also definitely improved, we are far more easily overlapping through midfield and off HB and splitting apart opponents defensive structures

[smasha]

Apart from what you've highlighted

I think we've all learned without a shawdow of a doubt how patient the majority of Tiger fans actually are 

Probably why the AFL give us shyte draws because they know we turn up all the time and don't drop off like flies like Essendon supporters do when they aren't winning.

[Hellenic Tiger]

I don't think its anything to do with the draw or dropping off like Essendon fans as Essendon have not had an easy draw either in the first five in Dogs, Sydney in Sydney, St Kilda, Carlton and Collingwood in the first 5. That's both last years GF sides a Prelim side and the teams which finished 5th and 8th.

We are starting from further back in terms of rebuild and I feel our second and third tier players are not of the same quality as some of those middle of the road sides due to either just not cutting it at this level or just needed more time at this level to show enough development to get us into a position where a significant climb up the ladder is a reality and not just a potential reality.

Another cull must certainly be on the agenda at the end of this season and I think the cull may be more painful in terms of who goes as some of those who have stayed on and helped the long term rebuild will be asked to move on even though they departures will be obvious. We possibly need to dip into the draft for at least another two years to try and get maybe a ruckman another one or two KPP players.

Add to the further development of the players currently on the list as well as the strict managing of rehabs and the list turnover required blowout losses like the last two weeks will become less and less frequent altogether by the second half next year at the earliest.

[TigerLand]

Playing Carlton, St Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood first up has been no picnic but the positive is we know exactly where we are at and where we need to improve.

IMO what we've learnt after 4 rounds .....

Pros:
* Our best 5 players are definitely good enough to lead and build a top side around. Potentially all (but Newy at 28 y.o.) could become elite players in the AFL.
* We can outplay a top side at our peak team form for an extended period.
* Our defensive pressure has improved on last year.
* Young cubs aren't overawed playing against the best and are persistent even if being beaten by their direct opponent. None of them have been "Zac Dawsoned" out there to the point of humiliation.
* We haven't resorted to plonking 18 players behind the ball in the face of an onslaught to save face on the scoreboard. We've stuck to the way we want to play whether it comes off or not. Hurts us now costing goals and % wise but a positive in the long-term development of the side.

Cons:
* Still daylight behind any top side over 4 quarters.
* Can't sustain required level of intensity and skill for nowhere near long enough (a quarter to a half at best)
* Gap between our best and worst is still massive. Worst is still uncompetitive.
* Skills across the team are still subpar too often and we can't compete with the fitness and body size/strength of other sides over 4 quarters.
* (Bottom) half of the side/list still needs to be turned over and replaced.


Thoughts?

would totally agree.
whats worth noting is that people would rate tuck(even some put in our best 10 , although when put on trade table, no takers.
Our best 5-6 players are equal to any in the compp.
The problem is our bottom 6 players that run out each week arent up to it, and therefore let the team down

Agree good thread this 

[TigerLand]

Its worth mentioning this week could be our biggest test.

Its one thing to have sparky moments against good sides when your the underdog when you have nothing to lose.
It's another thing to go out there and win when you should. We should beat north or at worrst never be down by more than 3 goals. North are a rabble. They are coming off a bad loss and travelling back from Perth with only a 7 day break where as we have a 8 day break.

We have virtually a full squad with Moore, McGuane and Rance chances to return.

I'm looking forward to see where we are at against a equivalent opposition and whether we have the ticker to beat a team we should be more than competitive against.

[tony_montana]

Its worth mentioning this week could be our biggest test.

Its one thing to have sparky moments against good sides when your the underdog when you have nothing to lose.
It's another thing to go out there and win when you should. We should beat north or at worrst never be down by more than 3 goals. North are a rabble. They are coming off a bad loss and travelling back from Perth with only a 7 day break where as we have a 8 day break.

We have virtually a full squad with Moore, McGuane and Rance chances to return.

I'm looking forward to see where we are at against a equivalent opposition and whether we have the ticker to beat a team we should be more than competitive against.

Im not expecting much tbh - historically these are the exact types of games where we come out and STINK

[Tigermad20011]

Need a CHF big time.