I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t see the point at all of the last 20 years. It’s a totally different coaching panel now. Surely it’s only worth assessing the current coaching panel.
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That what some coaching panel did development wise in 2002 has absolutely zero relevance to what another coaching panel is doing 15 - 16 years later?
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I think we have hit some speed bumps related to the saga and 2017 in particular. If not for the need to consider the returning players, 2017 could have played out differently and we probably would have had a better 2018 and @Henry_s_Angry_Pills would have been a lot calmer. But I think we are in a good place now, and can’t wait to see how we have evolved in 2019.
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Then can I at least use Myers as my argument or is that out of the question as well?
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I didn’t say 20 years ago.
I said the last 20 years which includes last year, and the year before that, etc…
The last 20 years includes 2003.
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I’m not convinced this is possible. 
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2003 is the exception.
We developed good that year
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Myers had a better season than Rioli in 2018 and will most likely also exceed him in 2019.
Myers has been important for our midfield last year and will at least be important depth this year. Throwing Langford in the deep end all year last year or the year before wouldn’t have helped him. More likely we would have burned him a la Neeld at Melbourne bringing in junior players in senior roles too soon.
Looking after the banned players as much as we reasonably could, has been an important part of healing us as a club and enabling us to move forward, without that we would be a rabble.
Now we have the best under 25 list in the comp and it is by and large ready to go.
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It was interesting to note the praise McGrath had for Myers in the recent fluff piece about McGrath.
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I’m bullish about our prospects, don’t get me wrong.
In fact I think we can win the flag.
I just don’t believe that everything at the club is or has been perfect.
Some love to have a crack at Dodoro but I think our future prospects are largely down to how he has put this list together.
Now it’s up to the coaches and players to capacitize on it.
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Rioli could have been Leroy Jetta mkII, with the quality of our club back then
Or Darcy Daniher mkII , Matthew Lloyd smashed Darcy’s shoulder at an early training session and James Hird broke Rioli’s collar bone in a tackling drill when Cyril was a teenage guest at our training before his draft year.
Apparently the drill meant Cyril wasn’t allowed to evade Hird, as he could have, and he suffered the Alwyn Davey like consequences (Alwyn had his body smashed for being too courageous).
People forget how promising Laverde looked in his first few years, before the injuries set in.
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Myers will play an important role for us in the midfield next year, albeit in the VFL
This year our midfield won’t need protecting, teams will need to be protected from our midfield.
Myers will get plenty of AFL game time this year. But he will hopefully by years end, be superfluous to needs. But for that to happen someone else has to step up. The talent is there, the opportunity is there, someone just has to provide a viable option.
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Clarke,Begley,Laverde,Mynott.
Hopefully one takes it.
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I have never seen it with Laverde.
To be honest I am tired of the whole injury excuse with him and why he is not performing.
If injury is holding him back then why does he keep getting picked in the ones?
He needs to start delivering.
Shiel is obviously going to push somebody out, Langford should be more established, Parish could be calling for more time in the engine room too, which should be enough to push Myers out.
If we add Stringer making more of an impression in the midfield and if Begley and / or Laverde can come on as inside midfielders during the year, then there is no more space for him.
Myers will have a big role in supporting these players, and if it is at VFL level, we are in for a good season.
Very happy to have him on board this year, which means his contract length was a good call and important for the club’s development.
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Injuries to other players who play similar positions, combined with a lack of depth in the forward half and his own good form in the VFL is why he gets picked in the seniors.
When elevated he is forced to play a awful role where he is essentially the 4th tall and the 4th small, I’d much rather we allowed him a good chuck of time in the VFL midfield, unfortunately when the coaches had a decision between Jayden and Jerrett, to play on the HFF, it’s a fairly easy one for them.
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