Ja Ja's AFL Mid Season Report.
What have we learnt at the half way point of the 2011 AFL Premiership season????
1) The Western Bulldogs are in absolute disarray. Rodney Eade continues to defend his players and let the Bulldog faithful believe that the season isn't over. The truth of the matter is that his players, that he is defending, are doing nothing to defend him. They regularly spectate while opposition players are near enough to chase. They fold meekly in the heat of battle and are well and truly done as a final eight contender.
Opposition supporters remember the Dogs line-ups of past years. The ones that contained outside ball carriers like McMahon and Farren Ray. These same supporters realise that you can't win premierships with too many players playing outside roles. The Dogs currently have too many players that fit that bill. Giansiracusa, Gilbee, Murphy, Griffen, Higgins, Hill, Moles, Sherman and Wood represent a talented group of footballers who run outside more often than they should.
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: The Greatest Surrender of the Season - the 123 point Coach killing loss to the Westcoast Eagles in Round 9.
2) The Geelong Cats are as Good as Ever! The injection of a new coach, and young players Daniel Menzel and Mitch Duncan, has reinvigorated the old firm. Are they a genuine challenger to the Pies? Read point 6 for your answer!
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: The best winning streak so far! Undefeated to the mid point of the season.
3) Are the Saints Broken? Three Grand Finals in a row without a premiership has taken its toll on the Saints mentally. They have been sluggish and incoherent in the first half of the season. Ross Lyon is finally injecting some youth into the side in an attempt to reinvigorate it. Will it work? I think it will. The Saints will be back in the eight by September.
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: The Worst ever ratio of Goals kicked to kilometres ran by a key forward. They say Nick Riewoldt runs an average of 15 kilometres a game. That equates to approximately 150 kilometres to round 11. The return.....14 goals! Reason....opposition defenders have taken a leaf out of Nathan Browns Grand Final performance. They have learnt to work Riewoldt under the ball in marking contests.
4) The Westcoast Eagles are the Biggest Improvers in 2011! Seven wins by round 11, three more than they won during the whole 2010 season. They are the biggest improvers. Woosha is a student of Mick Malthouse and it shows! The game plan and press are similar, as is the rebuilding strategy. The Pies bottomed out in 2005 and took Pendlebury and Thomas with their early draft picks. The Eagles bottomed out in 2010 and took Gaff and Darling. Will they bare the same fruits? Time will tell. They are well on their way!
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: The 123 point slaughter of the hapless Bulldogs was impressive.
5) The Gold Coast will be a Force! An awesome group of young players coached by another student of Mick Malthouse, Guy McKenna. Nothing more to say!
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: Karmichael Hunts first goal was a golden moment in the Suns first season.
6) Collingwood is still the team to beat! Unflappable all season. They have rested players at will. They have injected Davis, Krakouer and Tarrant into a Premiership side. They still have Jolly, Brown, Johnson and Macaffer to return from injury. There is still improvement in this team to come. Mick is working them to peak fitness from round 15 onwards. There is not a team in the league that will come close to them during the final series......not even the Cats!
Call to Fame in the 1st half of the Season: Eleven goals in 15 minutes of the last quarter against Adelaide was unbelievable! Krakouers mark in the same game will be the mark of the year!
Our Final Eight:
1- Collingwood, 2- Geelong, 3- Carlton, 4- Sydney, 5- Hawthorn, 6- Westcoast, 7- StKilda, 8- Melbourne.
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