Is this the team to push for a flag in 2018?

[cityslick1]

Ramsay Hurley Marsh
Sharenberg Reid Howe Crisp
Sidebottom Pendles De Goey
Moore Fasolo
Elliott Cox Broomhead

Grundy Treloar Adams

Greenwood Sinclair Maynard Thomas

Emg. Oxley Williams Keefe Smith


Giants and Bulldogs will be hard to stop, but this team COULD be just as good in every position. Hawks, Freo and Geelong topped out by then, and hopefully Sydney and Buddy too...

There is one surprise pick in there, and is more hopeful than anything... so if he doesn't come, Brown or Keefe will have to do.

Key Forwards might look a bit light, but Moore and Cox are capable of anything, and Fasolo and Elliot both ironically play like a third tall forward, so could run rings around opposition backs. Bucks may make a strong play for a marquee forward, but I'm not sure there are many worth going after for big $'s.
Broomhead to play the small forward... and hopefully develop into our Robbie Gray. Even a poor man's version of I'd take.

If Goldsack plays like he did Saturday in two year's time, he's in the side, but I'm picking Marsh to be better, and Goldy as backup or Gone by then. Happy to be proven wrong. Swan also gone, along with Blair and possibly Brown. [/list]

[magpieazza]

I like the team

Bring it forward one year if we land a marquee mid to go with Swan on top of this squad. (if Swan plays next year)
We should be selling next year to Swan to have a crack at it.



Varcoe will be 30 in '18 and still dominating.

Aish will be there

Keep tabs on Sier and Crocker

Philips, Smith, and Wills.... could be one out of them

[cityslick1]

Forgot Aish! Happily have him on the bench...

Would love any of the other youngsters to push up as well... so Wills, Crocker or Phillips as backup for any injured similar types is my thinking

[Pies4shaw]

No, it isn't.

[cityslick1]

It's wishful thinking, but I count 8 or 9 current or potential AA's in there, so if they all fire in the same season, we're a more than good chance...

[Pies4shaw]

Let's crawl before we can walk. Wins in 2017 against St Kilda and Melbourne would be a start.

[mattys123]

Depends;

Who is the senior coach?

Who are the assistant coaches?

Who are the fitness/sports science staff?

Who is in charge of the football department?

Answer me that and I'll get back to you with a more definitive answer because if we stay with everyone in the same positions above, we can't win a flag in the next 10 years.

[RudeBoy]

F*ck Hurley.

[qldmagpie67]

To win a flag you need many things and luck with injuries is one of them
In a perfect world let's say we don't have a injury issue next year
We need the following

Minimum 4 elite players
Dominate tall forward
Dominate tall defender
Good to very good ruck who can pinch hit forward
Then a posse of 8-12 players all in the B to B+ category who form the role playing type
Then leadership on every line

We have 1 elite player in Pendles that's it. Treloar is getting close but still a ways off but has the ability to make it. So we're 2 short there
Moore & Cox are babies in terms of being a dominate key forward. They both show good sons but need much more consistency so we don't have that
Reid is getting back to his AA best but is still a bit off it but he's closer than the forwards so he could be a pass mark in that capacity
Grundy can be the ruck man we need he is young still learning his craft but has shown enough to be classed as good
As for the 8-12 B to B+ players we have them if they play to there potential each and every week. And that's the big question mark is potential and consistency. The gulf between our best and worst is massive. When we are on we look good and competitive against any team but when we're off we stink the place up.
The biggest concern I have is the more experienced players who's performance is inconsistent. The likes of White Varoce Sidebottom Howe Cloke Greenwood Brown have all had more ordinary days than good days this season. Howe has been a lot better since going into defence but before that was ordinary and lucky to hold his spot, Varcoe has been hampered early on by hammies but still was in and out of games and his disposal at times has been well below acceptable standards, Cloke has been ok the past 2 weeks but before that he was horrid, White looks world beater one day and dunce the next. With all his athletic gifts he should be a very hard match up but isn't often enough, Greenwood tags well and gets a bit of it but his disposal and kicking for goal is below average, Sidey gets any sort of tag and is out of the game. He played one of the best halves of footy against Essendon on Anzac Day torn the game open but then was shut down after half time by a 15 game player, same thing against the Dee's a couple weeks ago 9 touches in term 1 with a goal and set one up then Bugg goes to him and he has 8 touches in 3/4 of footy with 3 turnovers and gives away 2 frees while his opponent had 20 touches and 5 score involvements. Brown has been beaten badly a couple times this year. While he's not on his own his experience should hold him in better stead than what has happened to him.
As for leadership we are in a hole there as well. Pendles is a great player but only a so so captain. We need more players stepping up and showing leadership. I think the likes of Adams and Moore show it but we need more
If you look over the Hawks sides of the past 4-6yrs they have all those things above and in many cases they have them in spades.
Not winning the ball in the middle send in Roughie, Hodge or Burgoyne. Not kicking goals send Mitchell or Burgoyne forward. Defence being tested Lewis goes back with Gunston. They just know when the time is right to make a move on the field through there leaders.
Look we have the basis of a good team with a big upside but right now we are light years away from a flag

[Piesnchess]

With finally, finally, a good run with chronic injuries, no long termones, this young team we have now, is definitely capable of anything around that time, next year, we must, must make the finals though, no iffs, butts or maybes.

[Bob Sugar]

Sack Buckley and we're a chance.

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]

im sure we're going in circles again....

[stui magpie]

F*ck hurley, Sack Buckley,

Who gets teabagged and who gets bukkakied?

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

perhaps, if we don't have a Premiership hangover.

[Piesnchess]

After today, all I can say is, SHHHIIIITTTTT YEEEEEEEEAAAHHH. !!!!!