Will South improve in 2013?

[SDK]

I agree North seemed to be the team generating interest and had they made the GF the crowd would have been maybe 5,000 to 10,000 more. The vast majority of the crowd at the GF appeared to be Redlegs supporters.
Neutral supporters would have been up expecting a contest and attacking football.
North have more active supporters than West ( as do most clubs bar South ).
As a neutral in non Norwood games I enjoyed watching the North finals games more than any.

[dedja]

Was the 2nd most boring GF I've been to ... only 2nd to 1979.

North certainly generated interest in the finals, due to a combination of their attacking game plan, support base, West's ultra-negative game plan, and the fact that there would have been a few that didn't want to see Central or even Norwood succeed. As for the Eagles, it's not worth discussing them and attendances in the same sentence.

Anyway, back on topic ... South can only improve in 2013, probably not top 3, but in the group above Sturt and Port battling for 4th or 5th spot.

[Jim05]

Was the 2nd most boring GF I've been to ... only 2nd to 1979.

North certainly generated interest in the finals, due to a combination of their attacking game plan, support base, West's ultra-negative game plan, and the fact that there would have been a few that didn't want to see Central or even Norwood succeed. As for the Eagles, it's not worth discussing them and attendances in the same sentence.

Anyway, back on topic ... South can only improve in 2013, probably not top 3, but in the group above Sturt and Port battling for 4th or 5th spot.

You rate them?
Big chance of the spoon IMO

[dedja]

LOL, re-read Jim, Sturt and Port bottom 2 ... they can argue the toss on who gets the spoon.

[Jim05]

LOL, re-read Jim, Sturt and Port bottom 2 ... they can argue the toss on who gets the spoon.

Yeah misread it.
Port to win the spoon by a couple of games

[dedja]

That's fine ... must be hard to bag Maxwell and do something else at the same

[Jim05]

That's fine ... must be hard to bag Maxwell and do something else at the same

Called multi-tasking
At the soccer, listening to the cricket on the radio and trying to post at same time

[dedja]

you too?

I'm lying on the couch, watching the cricket and on the laptop at the same time ...

[Pseudo]

I'm sitting on the couch, Fat Yak in the right hand and dipping into a bowl of pistachios with the left, the ladyboys doco on ABC2 on the telly, and the netbook on the lap browsing FootySA.

Oh, and South won't make the finals because South is South.

Nor will Glenelg, despite not being South.

[CENTURION]

I'm sitting on the couch, Fat Yak in the right hand and dipping into a bowl of pistachios with the left, the ladyboys doco on ABC2 on the telly, and the netbook on the lap browsing FootySA.

Oh, and South won't make the finals because South is South.

Nor will Glenelg, despite not being South.

so then, who will fill the OTHER 2 bottom 4 possys? Sturt & Port? That means top 5 is Norwood, Central, North, Eagles & West?

[Pseudo]

I'm sitting on the couch, Fat Yak in the right hand and dipping into a bowl of pistachios with the left, the ladyboys doco on ABC2 on the telly, and the netbook on the lap browsing FootySA.

Oh, and South won't make the finals because South is South.

Nor will Glenelg, despite not being South.

so then, who will fill the OTHER 2 bottom 4 possys? Sturt & Port? That means top 5 is Norwood, Central, North, Eagles & West?

The other 2 will be out of Sturt Port and West.

[Blacky]

No offence meant to South or their supporters but am I the only one that doesnt want to see teams like West and South in the finals so we get better crowds in September/October?

proves west and south dont have frontrunners

[am Bays]

No offence meant to South or their supporters but am I the only one that doesnt want to see teams like West and South in the finals so we get better crowds in September/October?

proves west and south dont have frontrunners

Nah you've got front runners it is just even with your frontrunners you still don't have the same amount of fans as clubs like Port, Sturt and Glenelg when they have crap season and it is only the rusted on diehards that attend.

North and Norwood not included given they didn't have crap seasons like those three clubs

[saintal]

Only the brave/stupid would make any prediction about South improving. Lets hope for a good year though. Dont know much about the recruits but hopefully they can provide some much needed depth, while despite the attitude of some panther fans, Ainger will be missed. Thewlis and McNamara to sure up the backline.

[RB]

I think South might move a place or two up the table this year, given that they lost a lot of close games last year and are due some luck in that respect. The forward line which contained Wundke, Ainger and Rolfe was always dangerous; it'll be interesting to see if they can cover the loss of Ainger, but I think their defence needs bolstering if they're going to be in a position of winning finals in 2013 as it's just about the worst in the league on paper. If Liddle, Cross and Stribling all have good seasons in the midfield I don't think South will slip backwards.

[CENTURION]

How does one explain their slip from 4th in 2011, to 8th last year?

[Seaford Panther]

Poor recruiting at the end of 2011. Didn't cover the players that they lost let alone add depth. They also missed Thewlis' leadership down back. That said, they didn't have any blowout losses like they usually do, and they looked a lot better side at the end of the year that they did at the start. They seemed to get the right mix at the wrong end of the season. I think they will make the finals this year.

[JK]

How does one explain their slip from 4th in 2011, to 8th last year?

What was the W/L differential?

[am Bays]

I think South won one and a half games more in 2011, 8 wins, 1 draw and 11 wins in the 2011 minor rd compared to 7 wins 13 losses in 2012.

[Free Kick For]

My go;

Norwood - Won't be as clear on top this season with players losses/shorter pre season/minimal recruiting
Eagles - Recovered from the Hangover back end of last season but burnt all their energy just making the finals - Potent forward line in Grocke,Ainger,Staple and good smalls going through there in Goldsworthy, Sumner, Lane etc will see Salter, Thompson and quiet a few AFL players who are outstanding in the SANFL for periods of the season! Not to mention Sandover medallist Kane Mitchell (who should be upgraded but may see time with Eagles first up?)
Glenelg Started strongly last season and have recruited well have excellent depth at the club and good AFL contingent likely to be available for large parts of the season - Kirkby to have a massive year!
Centrals Will drop off but think they will still make the finals - some big outs -but plenty at reserves level that will step up and make the most of long awaited opportunities - Roy Laird's coaching to have a big influence on the clubs fortunes! Guilhouse 3rd time lucky will establish himself as an SANFL ruckman.
Port The smokey for 2013 - have recruited well but seems to have gone unnoticed - Slattery (Essendon) in prime age and Surjan plenty of good football left in him - and cockshell (ff) hardy (chf) and harder (hff) to provide the targets up forward 3 solid defenders will be required to contain them will benefit from a new lease of life under kenny who see the rewards of hard work/dicipline instilled from bamford as unpopular as he was at times.
South I think the bottom 4 clubs will be hard to split - South have lost a bit and also gained a bit and will end up similar to last season! Wundke will need a big year aswel as the other usual suspects in Cross & Liddle. Murphy needs to become more effective/damaging with his disposal.