Are we contenders in 2012?

[Industrial Fan]

Seems its back to business as usual, with one expert now predicting us to slide out of the eight.
Brad Hardie Says The Cats Can Still Get The Cream| Geelong| AFL

Based on that, I'd say we're contenders again...!

[DamY]

I think Seaby's inability against Maric or whoever he is was most telling. That made it harder for our midfield, which made it harder for us over all. Midfield looked spooked and turned over a lot. Defence was struggling being under attack so much. The stress obviously got to the players, they made a lot of uncharacteristic errors. Defenders running into each other. Midfielders passing/kicking to no-one in particular. It's tough watching back 2005 and 2006 games, the forward line was so dangerous back then.

[R-1]

Weird week. A lot of what I thought I knew about the league this year is pretty much out the window.

[bodgie]

Fair enough Jewels if the midfield was a one off failure. I can see Longmire on gameday changing things around but I guess that's more of a plan C than plan B. I acknowledge the injuries but Rohans not back this year. Mumfords a while away. I did not say the coaches weren't aware of the forward problem but it it is taking an awful long time to commit to something. We are all assuming TDL will get a full run but that has been assumed many times. Reid has been off for over a month.

The thread is about being contenders in 2012. I don't think it's bollocks at all.

[longmile]

A mono ruck plan where Mumford/Seaby at the moment are vulnerable after 2 or 3 games.

After 3 or 4 years a lot of people here are pretty alert to the fact our coaches haven't developed the forwards or the personell is simply not there!

I think the ruck problem was the most prominent lesson to be learnt from the Richmond game. Our below par forward line was already a known issue, seen in our midfielders being our leading goal kickers. But our so-called deep ruck stocks have been exposed. I think when Mumford returns we should consider playing two ruckmen like Mumford and Seaby/Pyke and leave White at full forward to develop his game and hopefully add some structure with Reid and TDL, who are all young players and will develop a good forward line in the near future. The majority of the top teams have played with two ruckmen, something we've tried very little of since the sub rule