I thought we looked better (relatively, it was still scheizen) on Saturday when Fanta and Tippa rolled up onto the ball. I think there’s a hint there that we need to heed. Our legit pace this year was on the periphery. A bit of that needs to transfer to the stoppages.
3 Likes
Extra extra small quick guys. Like… Really small. No taller than 4’ or so.
3 Likes
Where are we headed? I don’t know. There is so much of the same old same old happening, so much uncertainty. I think of your honest with yourself, you cannot say we are 100% going in the right direction. Because I’m not sure. We have talent, but there’s still huge holes in the list. I wasn’t.
I’m worried. I’m utterly, utterly flat right now. I’m unsure where we’re going and that worries me.
5 Likes
You are looking at it all wrong then WOB. Instead of focusing on the negatives of that loss start looking at what were the positives for the year. If you can’t list them then you really are in a bad way. And I am not having a go at you.
A lot of that stems from playing older guys who have lost a yard or were never quick to begin with.
We have a bunch of youth who are quite a bit quicker waiting in the twos and flanks. Some quick of mind and still have their first few steps others with genuine pace. What we have to do over the summer is migrate that to the coal face and find replacement flankers.
I think if you add in Parish, McGrath, Langford, Begely, McKenna and Laverde full time midfield we should change the way we go pretty easily.
1 Like
Well the season is over now and I think the announcements are coming in the next few days. I’ll add my two cents worth first. I think a lot of our players may be saved by the fact that so many of the older players are moving on. We could easily sweep out 10-14 but I think 2 or 3 may survive for a bit of stability sake.
Had a quick look at the contracts thread and this is what I’d do -
Retire/Delist:
Watson, Kelly, Stanton, Bird, J.Merrett, Hocking, Howlett, McKernan
Of those still out of contract:
Baguley - 1 year
Green - 1 year. Had his moments this season but I don’t think he’s earn any more than that yet.
McKenna - Long term deal.
Morgan - 1 year. Probably very lucky to survive and hasn’t shown that much in 2 years. The last few weeks of the VFL he did show he has tools that could be useful in an area of the ground we need players. Rather give him another year than a pick 80+ in the draft.
Draper - I’d give 2 years and promote to the senior list for ruck coverage now that Mckernan is delisted.
McNeice - 1 year on rookie list.
Long - This is the hardest one of all. Maybe I’m sentimental about it but I think he does show flashes of being a damaging player. Pretty sure the rules state he has to be promoted if we keep him. With that in mind I probably promote him on a 1 year deal.
So that would be 7 senior list deletions, 2 rookie list promotions and 1 deletion. 5 spots open on the main list and 3 on the rookie list.
I’d be waving our pick 11 around to see if anyone bites on it for a top end player.
With our later picks I’d be looking at midfielders from other clubs not getting senior opportunities and just going after them We need to be smart about it but there are some good players out there that would come cheaply. Offer them an extra year on the deal they are being offered by their current club.
With the early picks we have left in the draft after the trade period we just go best available talent. With the later picks and rookie draft I’d like to see us go for a ball magnet/clearance player from one of the second tier comps. A Sam Menegola type. Not sure who this is but if they are under 25 and tearing it up we should look closely. They will be hungry to make it and play in a position we are losing players in and were weak in all season anyway.
I think some of this is valid WOB. But I’m nkt necessarily worried. Like you I just have an eye to what more they are going to do.
For example our forward line has been a debacle for the best part of a decade. Even with a crap team last year we didn’t find scoring too difficult and this year it was our strength.
Now if Worsfold can alter the chemistry in the midfield for next season and we are a top 8 midfield we are probably a top 4ish team.
Now that is a big leap. But let’s say like saladin says below
Then we may get that better balance. People are saying we don’t “need” Stringer. I agree, but we should want him. And there is significant value in having Stringer, Fantasia and Walla playing 66/33 fwd every game. This would create major headaches and they have the ability to have huge impact plays through the middle.
So that is some pace.
We then need some more grunt. That is the biggest question mark… Where does that come from. But if we got that then I think a large leap in midfield chemistry is absolutely achievable.
But I 100% like you am not totally sold on direction and gameplan. But I’m not unsold either, and expect with a proper clean canvass and the ability to remodel the midfield we may be able to address this quicker than expected because we do have some serious quality young mids imo. Not many teams have multiple young mids as promising as McGrath and Parish who I think are TOP TOP shelf.
1 Like
Anyone who doesn’t have some worries isn’t looking hard enough
Equally though, anyone who doesn’t have some hope isn’t looking hard enough.
9 Likes
The usual disappointment will subside when the ‘insert name’ is burning up the track pre Christmas articles are rolling out. And the shinny new toys are rolled out post trade/draft period.
Still not convinced about McKenna. Lacks any subtle defensive awareness causing damage when he turns it over. May learn. Not there yet. Colyer would be disappointed at his overall year given the heights he reached prior to the Saga. Fumbling far more than I’ve seen before which affects his game strength being to clear away with speed and then steady to hurt the opposition. No doubt he’ll endeavour to rectify this issue in 2018, but given the difficulty of having a line up (particularly in finals) with more than two “ultra smalls” he starts back in the pack next year.
i would have agreed with you re mckenna early in the season, but he is one of the better users by foot and hand, and hardly turns the ball directly over these days.
Have a look at a replay of Saturday’s game ( if you’re a sadist!) and you’ll see him cost us 3 goals in the 2nd Qtr! 
ill take your word for it!
4 Likes
The problem is…we need a rebuild but we don’t have the time. We only have a 4yr window of having both hooker and hurley at either end and we absolutely must capitalise on it. Look at how hard it is to find great AA key position players.
We must be agreesive in the trade period to boost our midfied stocks…we need a clearance machine and we need one now.
We don’t need a rebuild, we need to adjust the midfield. A rebuild is where you replace most of the list over a few years. We don’t need to do that, we just need to fix a few spots and the main structure is already there.
1 Like
McKenna is still learning the game, he improved drastically this year. Best 22 and plenty of improvement left in him. One we really need to hang on to
1 Like
Don’t Mention that in front of BakerWasAStar…!!
1 Like
OK, if we pushed it too the extreme what could we do? I’d like to do the below.
FA Rockliff who replaces Watson
This years first for Gaff, replaces Myers
This years second for stringer, replaces Raz who pushes up and takes colyers spot
Next years first for Lever replaces Hartly
So out of last weeks team: Watson, Hartly, Myers, colyer
In: Rockliff, Gaff, Stringer, Lever
Not sure if that fits in the cap, but I’d pay the draft picks.
1 Like
First two would work.
No one is getting Stringer for a second rounder, Dogs will want a top 15 pick minimum for him.
Lever will command a top 10 pick
1 Like
I don’t think ■■■■■■ handballs to him should count as his ■■■■ ups.
2 Likes