2009 - Can we handle it??

[Xie Shan]

New year's resolution not to procrastinate.

Haha, good one!

[johnno]

I cant believe some people here. We will easily make the 8, somewhere between 5-8 I believe, and with a little luck a top 4 spot is not out of the question.

[Jewels]

It's one thing for the clueless media and opposing supporters write us off, it's another when our own supporters are sticking the boot in, without a minute of football being played.

I personally think this year is going to be very exciting, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

Totally agree with all of these sentiments.

[Legs Akimbo]

It's one thing for the clueless media and opposing supporters write us off, it's another when our own supporters are sticking the boot in, without a minute of football being played.

I personally think this year is going to be very exciting, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

Who is sinking the boot in?

[Hartijon]

I hope the football in the season proper is a bit better than what we have to watch in this NAB cup or whatever it is called. It's like basketball! No time to appreciate anything,no time to watch two guys go for a mark, just one end to the other ,your turn then ours unless you turn it over. When they changed the rules ,they screwed the game. How will we cope with this?

[ROK Lobster]

We will play some crap footy this year, but hopefully begin to see the core of the next premiership side.

[Triple B]

I cannot understand the pessimism of some posters either

Year in, year out we hear the same from the Melbourne media and pundits predicting our demise, yet every year in the middle of August we are jostling for a spot in the top 4. Now it appears some of our own are jumping on board.

I've always put it down to a general lack of knowledge of the younger guys playing in Canberra that they never see, it appears if they don't see them play, they are no good.

I cannot see why we will drop to the depths some here are predicting.

Our midfield has always been very 'Cortina'ish' but with Bird and Jack now established and with another pre-season under their belts, McVeigh obviously blossoming last year and could reach even greater heights, I see our midfield as being superior to last year. Not to mention a certain dual Brownlow Medallist winning midfielder who was restricted to 60% output last season due to injury.

I am just as confident of making finals this year as I have been in any year over the past 5 or 6 seasons, all seasons in which we comfortably made September action.

[ShockOfHair]

We will play some crap footy this year, but hopefully begin to see the core of the next premiership side.

Best 20-word season preview I've seen.

A lot rides on the second-year guys like Bird, Jack, Vespa and the new guns like McVeigh, Bevan and Malceski.
We need them to provide the pace and drive and footskills that we lacked even with Kennelly in the side.

[liz]

We will play some crap footy this year, but hopefully begin to see the core of the next premiership side.

We played some crap football in 2005 (how can anyone forget that St Kilda game) but it didn't stop us doin' OK overall.

[goswannie14]

We played some crap football in 2005 (how can anyone forget that St Kilda game) but it didn't stop us doin' OK overall.

That was the worst game of football I have ever been to. It also gave me a hatred for St Kilda supporters that far outweighs even Collingwood supporters. They were just so arrogant.

BTW I quite liked how that season finished overall

[ROK Lobster]

We played some crap football in 2005 (how can anyone forget that St Kilda game) but it didn't stop us doin' OK overall.

We play some crap footy every year. The first third of 2006 springs to mind also. I think we will be competitive, win a couple of thrillers, but generally struggle to be considered a genuine threat. Finals footy would satisfy me this year. Week 2 of the finals would be brilliant.

[connolly]

I cannot understand the pessimism of some posters either

Year in, year out we hear the same from the Melbourne media and pundits predicting our demise, yet every year in the middle of August we are jostling for a spot in the top 4. Now it appears some of our own are jumping on board.

I've always put it down to a general lack of knowledge of the younger guys playing in Canberra that they never see, it appears if they don't see them play, they are no good.

I cannot see why we will drop to the depths some here are predicting.

Our midfield has always been very 'Cortina'ish' but with Bird and Jack now established and with another pre-season under their belts, McVeigh obviously blossoming last year and could reach even greater heights, I see our midfield as being superior to last year. Not to mention a certain dual Brownlow Medallist winning midfielder who was restricted to 60% output last season due to injury.

I am just as confident of making finals this year as I have been in any year over the past 5 or 6 seasons, all seasons in which we comfortably made September action.

True enough with the usual caveat. Injuries. If Jolly is injured our ruck strength is really exposed and also whether Malceski recovers his form pre-injury. The loss of Kennelly is huge as our counter attack was built around him. This season hopefully Malceski returns fit and confident. Otherwise we depend very heavily on Shaw. And heaven help us.