Experts don't pick Sydney in Top 8
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Getting back to the thread, I think that we will do better than many expect. Why? Because outside of Geelong, Hawthorn and St Kilda I can't see any other sides being certainties for the 8.
Eagles - gone without Judd and Cousins
Port - Last year flattered them.
Kangas - ditto
Bullies - Still too small
Carlton - Judd's not enough - no defence
Collingwood - Retirements hurt - especially Clement
Brisbane - Aging list
Adelaide - aging as well
Bombers - Weak list. Flat out in NAB Cup
Richmond - diabolically weak list
Melbourne - Nearly as bad
Freo - Inconsistent - will try to go the knuckle.
Swannies virtually have their two most important players as new recruits given how much they played (fit) last year - Hall and Kennelly. Also Goodes may as well have not played the first half of 2007. I have big hopes for "Fridge" Barlow ("the white Goodes") to take the comp by storm as well.
Also don't forget that the aim of keeping these young guys in the ressies for so long is so that when they make the ones they are ready. How many people thought that Lukey Ablett was no good because he played in the twos for so long?
I'm confident.
Carlton just haven't got Judd, they had 5 years of early picks. Gibbs, Murphy, Kruezer, Judd et al are going to cause some headaches this year. Fevola won the Coleman medal when they were at their crappiest.....just imagine the delivery he'll get now. Not saying they're gonna win a flag or anything, but they'll be big improvers IMO.
West Coast gone? They were without Cousins last year...and Judd was restricted with his groin. They still have a very strong list and some quality midfielders....Kerr, Selwood, Priddis, Rosa, Embley....Comment
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2008
Team Years Days
Carlton 22 146
West Coast Eagles 22 167
Hawthorn 22 220
Brisbane Lions 22 243
Port Adelaide 22 340
Essendon 22 351
Richmond 23 11
Melbourne 23 50
Collingwood 23 56
Western Bulldogs 23 73
Geelong 23 91
North Melbourne 23 99
Adelaide Crows 23 124
Sydney Swans 23 301
St.Kilda 24 1
Fremantle Dockers 24 149
If you actually take a look at the list Brisbane have the 4th youngest team in the AFL.Comment
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Those averages are interesting in the context of Schneider's claim that he is now part of a young emerging team, whereas the Swans are old and crusty. Admittedly the Saints' average age is distorted by having the 88 year old Robert Harvey still playing (and going strong) but they will also be hoping to get significant contributions out of the semi-reluctant Gehrig, the perenially injured Hudghton and a creaky old ruck division of King and Gardiner.
The most striking thing, though, if you look at lists of average ages of squads is how relatively little difference there is between the oldest and youngest. All clubs will have a veritable barrage of players between 18 and 21, many of whom will never play an AFL game and most of the rest who'll not get to 50 games. You only need a handful to emerge each year, and an "ideal" list surely has to be one with a good spread of senior team contributors from ages 21 or so up to their early 30s (since only the pretty good ones last that long), with a handul of younger players pushing their way through.
Some clubs (notably Hawthorn) have been talking up the advantages of having a large number of high draft picks all mature at the same time, but the salary cap is a significant obstacle to making that work in practice, even if all your players come on as you'd like them to.Comment
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And the man who started it all, the Schneiderman . . . . .Comment
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Swans to miss the spring - Sydney - realfooty.com.au
Connolly - 10th
Walls - 11th
We're definitely in!Comment
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