Author Topic: Can the Tigers go back to back?  (Read 4643 times)

Offline yellowandback

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Can the Tigers go back to back?
« on: January 05, 2018, 08:20:51 PM »
The obvious question now everyone is back on Monday but it's a fair and reasonable challenge to the wider AFL community - was 2017 an aberration or are Dimma and the boys onto something repeatable?

My view is that hunger and an injury free run to our core and key position players (I'll add Benny G for flexibility and hope he can use his natural athletic gifts) will make us an serious back to back threat.

I loving the way the AFL community are almost disrespectful of our incredible final series and GF win......sometimes in life you go looking for something that's staring you right in the face the whole time.

For me, that's a once a generation goal to goal line, incredible commitment to each other, a game plan that suits our strengths and minimises our weaknesses and a generally poor spread of talent across the comp (all the young talent is at fledgling clubs, all the ageing champs at clubs past the premiership window).
We just happen to sit in the middle which is a unique opportunity is we remain as committed and can stay healthy.
What do you all think?
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Offline Eat_em_Alive

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2018, 09:26:45 PM »
Yes they can, despite winning the flag there are still doubters on the outside that we will make finals.
I have full confidence in this group, their maturity, confidence and poise under pressure was unmatched and thwy reaped the ultimate reward.
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Offline Beans

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2018, 11:00:35 PM »
I guarantee that we are the only telam that can get it done!
« Last Edit: January 07, 2018, 11:25:50 AM by Beans »

Offline Slipper

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2018, 11:18:39 PM »
I think the answer is yes purely because we proved in 2017 that anything is possible. But the Bulldogs in 2017 also proved that anything is possible a year after winning a flag.

I am confident about next season. If Cotchin, Martin, Riewoldt and Rance stay healthy and in the same form, then we could well move forward from 2017.

Prestia will be better with a full preseason under his belt. Guys line Graham, Broad and Townsend might develop further with another preseason and the opportunity to cement a spot in the side. And we have a number of very capable players who will be desperate to force their way into the team like Short, Bolton, Miles and Lloyd. I am really hoping Bolton shows us what he can do, he looks to have enormous potential, and Stengle fits that bill to less of an extent as well.

To top it off, we drafted two kids who could play next year in Higgins and Coleman-Jones, the later in particular who fills an important capable tall forward ruck pinch hitter need.

The question  is will other teams work us out. They might, but then it is one thing to know how to stop a team, and an entirely different proposition to actually doing that. I think that if we can stick to our game plan and bring the same intensity in 2018, we are going to be a very difficult proposition because our gameplan is built on footy fundamentals. There is nothing fancy about the way we play or our set-up.

There are only two things that concern me. The main issue I have is that we didn't really get coverage for Nankervis. We have ruck options on our list, but none strike me as having the competitive streak he has, and the around the ground ability to influence the contest.

And I will really worry if Kane Cornes starts tipping us for big things.

Offline cub

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2018, 07:45:28 AM »
Like I've said before the team to win the Grand Final needs a bit of luck always with injuries and form in the lead up, that's why I was as confidant as I could be.
Anyway if we can keep our stars fit and firing and get a nice lead up to finals stuffing oath we can.
Going to be interesting watching the battle for spots this year and who can put the pressure on, gunna be great times to be a Tiger 🏆

And I've always said the mental part of it is huge, we certainly cracked that last year and they seem to be carrying that over also, good signs

Offline Hard Roar Tiger

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2018, 08:39:33 AM »
The obvious contenders are GWS and the Crows - both had a better system of ball movement which was broken down under pressure in finals.
Melbourne have some talent but the pre Christmas farce of the players wanting to abandon the training camp highlights a trust issue.
Bombers built talent into the off season but who is going to step up
Their defensive effort? They leaked goals too easily last year.
Cats suffer from the God mentality which might work in basketball and the Swans might be a threat but they look a little slow.
What the above highlights to me is that it's anyone's cup at this stage of the year but there are 3 or 4
Who should contend along with the Tigers
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Offline Slipper

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2018, 10:22:01 AM »
The Crows are over achievers IMO. Easy to say in hindsight I realise.

I don't think they have the depth to be a genuine premiership threat. They lost Smith and McGovern prior to the GF, and on the day they had no positional flexibility. Flat track bullies for me. When they could play the game on their terms all was fine, but when they couldn't, they just fell apart.

I wouldn't discount Port Adelaide. If their defence can stand up in 2018, they can take some big steps. They have a lot of genuine midfield options and a nice mix of potent forwards, and pace around the ground. They also have a ruckman in Ryder in a similar mode to us, mobile and capable of having a big impact around the ground, especially up forward.

I personally think we have their measure because of our superb back 6, but I reckon a lot of teams can't match them.

tony_montana

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2018, 01:18:50 PM »
Absolutely we can - I think our win in '17 was eerily similar to the pies in 2010, where the pies really hit their straps in the latter part of the season as the young guys grew in confidence and realised they belonged. And like they did in 2011, I feel that in 2018 we will go to another level(Pies were awesome up to the finals and only lost to one side all year) -

belief is finally embedded and a part of our club and from what i can see, the hunger is as strong as ever - Gale mentioned the almost disrespectful surprise the media and footy public still have about our win and said that is whats driving the club to get better again this preseason and prove the footy world in 2018 that it wasnt a fluke.  Unlike the pies, we dont have a rubbish coaching plan in place to impact the playing group and coaches.

Also, I dont buy the parallels with the doggies, their older players were much older than ours, hence the horrible injury toll on most of them was not a complete surprise in 2017, plus they came from the clouds to pinch it. Hindsight will eventually paint the story that we were hardened by the disappointment of losing 3 elim finals in a row, finals in 4 out of 5 years is no fluke and it really wasnt that big of a shock.

Biggest challengers will be
GWS: amazing talent but Im sceptical they can win a flag with the current setup. I've always thought they had a soft underbelly, they get bullied by teams in high pressure games, I noticed 4-5 occassions where some of their players took short steps and didnt go hard enough in the prelim.
Syd: They'll be thereabouts

I think Adel and Geel are overated - but both will be therebouts for top 4 bc of home ground advantage. Crows lost smith, cameron and lever in the offseason, hard to replace your best pressure acts player, your most metres gained player and a quality young tall. Cats looks like pox outside their midfield.

Melb have cultural issues so forget them, saints have lost too much experience.

Offline Slipper

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2018, 01:29:34 PM »

GWS: amazing talent but Im sceptical they can win a flag with the current setup. I've always thought they had a soft underbelly, they get bullied by teams in high pressure games, I noticed 4-5 occassions where some of their players took short steps and didnt go hard enough in the prelim.


They are just not a team, are they. Great collection of talent given to them by the AFL, but lack the cohesion of a real team. When the chips are down, they don't have the bonds that drive them forward together.

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2018, 04:10:13 PM »
Sure we can but once again a lot of things need to go right. No complacency and we bring that manic pressure and intensity most weeks, a strong connection between the playing group, few injuries, continued improvement amongst our younger players so we keep improving as a team and have even more tactical options up our sleeve, and those in the VFL squad playing well to keep pressure on spots in the AFL side.

The reality is some players will fall away from their 2017 form and so others will hopefully rise in their place. The 22 that won it last year won't be the same 22 that wins it this year if we are to go back-to-back.

We'll obviously have a target on our backs this year as reigning premiers but we should also have now the belief and confidence in ourselves that at our best we stand up in big games and can beat anyone and achieve the ultimate prize. As always with the Tigers, it's going to be another interesting and unpredictable ride :yep  ;D.
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Offline Chuck17

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2018, 07:20:03 PM »
If Rance goes down we are no chance

Online Damo

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2018, 10:05:18 PM »
If Rance goes down we are no chance

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We need to be injury blessed

Offline tdy

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2018, 08:29:41 AM »
The odds of having two years with no KPP  injured have to be pretty small. Though you could argue Griffs was down last year. IMHO he wasn't best 22 anyway.

Offline MADTIGER2010

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2018, 10:38:39 AM »
We are chock full of talent now. We needed talls and we got some of the best available. Balta, Coleman Jones and Miller. We also have Garthwaite who is very promising. All four are 95-100kg and have the size to play pretty early on. Higgins and Naish are more than handy pick ups too. Our guns have 4-5 years left at least. We should have won the reserves premiership. Our depth is close to the best in the afl. I'm expecting a top 4 finishing. We are confident and our list is in great shape. Get a home final and we can definitely go back to back.

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Re: Can the Tigers go back to back?
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2018, 12:26:29 PM »
Size has stuff all to do with being able to play early.
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