It’s amazing how 18 years can pass since a premiership.
Sheedy was always going to go out kicking and swearing, had to go sometime after a period of not winning. 3 years of not playing in the finals was probably about right in the end.
That gets us to 2008, over 7 years since the previous cup.
Knights was not a glorious appointment, but at the time it seemed to be nurturing a young crop of players and drafting did improve - We still have Hurls, Hooker, Zaka, TBC, Myers, Colyer. All of Sheeds men have gone now.
That gets us to 2011 (2010 draft)
There really was so much promise under Hird, although we have only retained Heppell, Jerrett and Bags from the 2010 and 2011 draft and we got going a bit better in 2012 with getting BJ under free agency, Joe, Gleeson and Ambo. So in the 2 x 3 year periods when we had of unpenalised access to the draft (other than GCS and GWS concessions) post Sheedy we have retained an average of about 2 players a year between 2007 and 2012 drafts.
So the other 32 players on our list have been secured since our draft sanctions kicked in in 2013 which means in the past 5 years we have gotten Zerrett, Raz, McKenna, Walla, Stewart, Green, Parish, McGrath, Smith, Stringer, Saad who are mostly clear best 22 players plus up and comers Begley, Langford, Laverde, Francis, Ridley, Mutch, Hartley, Brown, Zerk, Guelfi, Clarke, Dea, Draper and a number of others whose potential may still be realised.
I think we will have quality players in Begley, Ridley, Zerk and Draper at this point. Which probably means a strike rate of about 3 quality players at least in each of the past 5 years and hopefully several more, and certainly several more solid citizen role players who will be vital to our success.
While I have glossed over the picks we have got for the likes of Crameri, Ryder, Melksham, Carlisle, Hibberd and Gumby; other than Zerrett and Raz, these haven’t fully born fruit as yet, and we ideally would have gotten these draft picks and more if not for the penalties, and not have lost most of the senior players we did in this period.
Nevertheless, and quite remarkably really, other than a bull mid or 2, I think our list is very strong. Rather than players, what we need to address most in coming years is more likely our coaching panel. Woosha may be the man, but other than being happy with having Kelly on board, I am not convinced by any of our line coaches.
I am still open to some convincing this year given the side isn’t settled and familiar with each other yet, but unless there is a clear trajectory of improvement, I would be looking at an overhaul of our line coaches next year, and get some proven quality in of the likes of Caracella and other proven quantities or at least very respected past players who have an obvious aptitude for coaching in for 2019.
We do need to realise the potential of this current group of players if we don’t want another 18 years to pass without a premiership.
