Now I'm worried

[Steve]

I wasn't phased by the retirements of Kelly, Dunks, Schwass, Lockett - it was time to move on and give the younger players some responsibility.

I wasn't worried by the largish number of players rehabilitating from off-season surgery - most will still get a couple of games in before Rd 1 and will at least be fairly fresh for a long season.

But this article has really dampened by spirits

Is it really possible to make the 8 with Robert Walls predicting us to do so?

[barry]

Every scrape of evidence is pointing to a mid table finish. Walls is basing it on Ball having a 2001 type year which may be unrealistic.

Last year we finished 11th for-against, 5th on %.
This year we have lost dunks, gained Ball, Davis, Bolton.
Preseason we have won 2, lost 2.

It all points to a finish between 5th and 11th. 7th is in there.

[bricon]

Is it really possible to make the 8 with Robert Walls predicting us to do so?

Caroline Wilson predicted that we will finish 15th in that article; as she gets everything wrong by 180 degrees - it looks like we'll be runners up!

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by bricon
Caroline Wilson predicted that we will finish 15th in that article; as she gets everything wrong by 180 degrees - it looks like we'll be runners up!

Dammit, why couldn't she have tipped us for the spoon?!?!?

[Steve]

Originally posted by bricon
Caroline Wilson predicted that we will finish 15th in that article

Yeah, we have that working in our favour, but I still don't think that even that overides the Walls jinx.

Although maybe Walls is just doing what he did on Brownlow night last year, and will over the next couple of weeks predict that all 16 clubs will make the finals.

Then next September: "I predicted this! I predicted this!"

Rohan Connolly has always taken a deeper look at Sydney when most other journalists just skimmed the surface, so his prediction is disappointing.

Although really from a neutral perspective Sydney are very difficult to assess at the moment - the conservative thing is to talk a young side down (in terms of results at least).

[Mike_B]

Having read the article, it makes you wonder about who proofreads these things - in the space of 4 words they have 2 misspellings - Shauble and Matthews...

[Mike_B]

Caro shows her intelligence yet again...

Can someone please explain to me how 2 teams can both finish 15th?*

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/10/1047144924446.html

WHERE THE ROOS WILL FINISH ? OUR EXPERTS SELECT

ROHAN CONNOLLY 14
ROBERT WALLS 15
TIM WATSON 16
CAROLINE WILSON 15
DERMOTT BRERETON 16

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/11/1047144970704.html

ROHAN CONNOLLY 15
ROBERT WALLS 7
TIM WATSON 15
CAROLINE WILSON 15
DERMOTT BRERETON 14

*Yes I'm aware of the equal wins but differentiate on percentage option, but just trying to show up Caro again

[penga]

thats a crock, for starters they cant leave out doyle, o'keefe and stevens out of the 22! and they included mcveigh in the 22??? i think they dont know too much about the swans lineup! mcveigh would have to be about 10th in getting a spot on the team... ie behind sunny, ablett, schneider, thewlis, macleski, dempster, buccy, LRT, Hunt, Powell at least and then there is warfe and mcpherson. presume matthews is in the team (top 10 in best and fairest spose he deserves it) i would definitely dump barry, seymour and mcveigh...

theyve also rated the roos as getting the spoon... theyll do better than that!

imo (ive avoided doing this coz its overdone but) this is what the ladder will end up looking like:

brisbane (too strong, back, mid, forward)
collingwood (deep midfield)
melbourne
port
geelong
adelaide
roos
swans
--------------
weagles
fremantle
essendon
hawthorn
st kilda
richmond
bulldogs
blues

its so dependent on injuries! if we have an injury free year we could be knocking at 5th-4th but u know anything could happen!

[penga]

what worries me more:

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=78496

RISING STAR: Steven Salopek (Port Adelaide)

[Doctor J.]

Whilst we are predicting!!!!

Collingwood to finish bottom half of the 8
Adelaide to win the premiership
The final eight to have 4 interstate teams in it. (the fourth will be eithe Sydney or Freo)
Again an interstate team will be shafted and denied the right for a home final.
Essendon will not make the eight.

My final 8
Adelaide
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Melbourne
Hawthorn
Geelong
Collingwood
Freo
------------------
Sydney
After that who cares

Hey this is only my prediction, so don't hang me, and I have thought about this for approximately 5 minutes. (which is about 4 minutes and 59 seconds longer than the thought process that goes into any Carolin (bloody) Wilson articles

[Mike_B]

Caroline Bloody Wilson - any relation to Kevin????

[Doctor J.]

None at all
Kevin has a brain, personality and credibility.

Caroline has a lisp

[Cheer Cheer]

I've really got no idea where we are going to finish atm, and i am excited about the prospect of that

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Cheer Cheer
I've really got no idea where we are going to finish atm, and i am excited about the prospect of that

I agree - I think it will be exciting to see how the young guys go and whether the more senior players can really step up this year.

[Reggi]

Geez I have spent a day in hospital after seeing Walls in that article.

Caro is clueless, Walls on pre-season form should have given Stevens a guernsey.

But a couple of crucial injuries and we could be very sorry.

I think our best will be good but am tipping we will get blown away by some of the top sides.