Our worst season ever?

Okay so last year we finished bottom with 27 points, with just seven wins. We conceded 48 goals.

Right now we are on track for defeat, on 28 points, with just seven wins. And before the game we had conceded 50 goals.

I know Ernie Merrick seems like the right choice because of his intelligence, the brand of football he tries to implement, he backs young NZ talent, and just the way he conducts himself. But his record this season has been terrible, and for the first time ever I've found myself losing interest. How many people are even at the game tonight? Plus so many of our players have been kept on when we needed to start fresh, and find a new core.

We also keep getting thrashed. ugh! 

So does everyone else think this is our worst season, or do you still think last year was? I'd love to know the reasons why..

Probably our worst season ever at home anyway. Think I've seen them win once at home in person this season.

I guess Ernie has to carry some of the responsibility. Will be interested to see if he ships out some of the deadwood in the off season.

Signing Lia for 2 years has me worried though.

This maybe is our worst season but it doesn't matter. Last season we were a team which was going nowhere. Herbert had run out of ideas and the squad played boring, predictable football. This year Merrick has tried to change the style of the team and the way they play. I think we can end this season with more hope for the future then we had at the end of last season, even if we end up with the spoon. It's going to take Merrick a bit of time to get the team playing how he wants them too. For me, it doesn't matter that much if we come last in one season as there is no promotion/relegation. As long as I can see the team is making progress then that is all I care about. It's all about the long term goal of winning the league and if we do that in a few seasons where we come this year won't matter. If we come last next season then that will be terrible. I agree that we need a major clear out of players but it is difficult to do that. Unfortunately out squad is already quite locked in for next season. It's clear that major signings are needed to advance this team but I don't know who we can sign.

Positives:

Tyler Boyd

Negatives:

Everything else

We managed to avoid the spoon therefore it is not!

Its simple Welnix got in Ernie to play much better football which they did. They thought that being clever they could do that with the minimum investment and that failed miserably.

Silly as every football club in the Universe figures that investment pays off. 

Christ if they'd said we are writing off the season to build a stadium - fair enough but they didn't, they just bullshitted.

Youth? Signing every man and his dog, and his dog's mate who is a dog, hardly speaks of strategic brilliance when these guys have never played at A league level, the rest jeez.

To make us a popular brand? Circus and being destroyed at home regularly - back-fired - no one is interested anymore.

Christ to kill off a brand - well they are doing a great job.

Pretty spot on FT. Biggest disappointment was probably our home form, and you have to wonder how much the traveling circus affected that, and what the flow on effect on attendences and the general "brand" was. Also, I get that they think encouraging families and young kids at the games is a long term strategy to raise crowds but realistically once these kids make it to teenagehood they'll think all the kidiness of Nixie and the Nixie chicks etc is the lamest thing ever and they won't come back until they're in their mid 20s at least, if they ever come back. I sometimes get the feeling that Welnix are looking so far ahead that they are tripping over the obstacles smack in front of them. Building a stadium and developing fans who won't pay their way for 20years doesn't make sense if the club isn't at least moderately sustainable in the meantime.

Err, we made the playoffs three seasons out of six under Ricki.

We could do with more Aussies. McKain was good for us, and at a good age too, wasn't some old has been journeyman. I don't think they like staying here though. 

I think that Merrick's plan does not have Welnix's dollars or Melbourne's talent base, so isn't going to happen. I hope to be proved wrong. I am deeply worried about the players we have retained. It doesn't have the look of an ambitious club. Melbourne is a club with deep pockets, pride and a f-load of fans who care about the club.  

Reira is a defensive mid. Thompson is an attacking mid. Wouldnt make sense to sign him

I think it's been a crap season, yes. But I see the glass half full - big time.

We have never played this well, EVER in our history. We need to give Ernie and the players credit for that. We have been an attack-minded team, we have dominated (some) games, and won more away games than anyone thought possible.

There were some woeful performances, but I that's no news if you ask me. Ricky got a few spankings too over the years, didn't he?

It must also be said that we've been very unlucky with injuries and, although I think recruitment should have been better, I wonder what our season would have been like if we had the likes of Ifill, Riera, Fenton etc available for the whole season.

I'm just happy I went to the back to back away wins - otherwise it would have been a pretty miserable season.

Problem is next year has the potential to be even more of a travelling circus with the cricket World Cup forcing us out of Westpac from Mid February to end of March. Napier is also likely to be out of the question then.

I actually think I'll be holding off getting my membership until I know what is happening with the games, as even though I did travel to Napier game, it annoyed me having first home game at Westpac and then not playing there again until over a month later.

As for the team, I don't know what needs to happen, but it worries me so many of the same players have be re-signed. I think with Stein on the bench and his contract negotiations going nowhere, he will be leaving us. So if that happens, that'll give us a visa spot and some money to sign someone.

Given poor scheduling at start of season with few home "home" games coupled with poor results before things got better than injuries made it worse again the season's outcome is about right.  Crowds didnt come because results didnt come..till too late realy.

Yes at times it was pretty to watch..and absolutely yes it is benefiting NZ football given the size of our NZ player base.  So I can buy into WelNix vision of helping NZ footbal grow via Nix..but will AFL continue to buy into...Im not sure on that one.  We could of cousre get more Aussies in at expense of the Kiwis but I think there is mismatch between club and country here for WelNix to reflect on.  A stronger Nix.with more quality Aussies would mean fewer kiwi talent getting its chance and AWs not improving.  I guess it comes back to getting that reserve team setup and in the comp?

Ironic then that we got an email saying season tickets on sale by end of April.

I watched Hibs martinb so I didn't see many great things!

Re: the Thomson thing. It was never a choice of him coming as cover for Riera. Riera was signed instead of Thomson. And regardless of the injury that was clearly the right call to pass on Thomson and sign Riera.

We still have the FFA cup to play in, Or is that part of next season?.