We could try assessing it as good, see how that makes us feel, then see how we feel effects the team, then the same process but assessing it as bad, then as middling. Then we’ll have some data on which to try and proceed.
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Nobody is forcing you to post in here
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I’m interested in the discussion; just tired of the sack Xav in every thread when there’s already a thread for that, same for Rutten, Dudoro etc. and there’s already an overall club is farked thread too.
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Ok, why would you do for the rest of the season then?
If I could have the club do one thing it would be to have an honest review at all the non-player positions and ask this simple question:
“Why is this club always 3-4 years away from success?”
They might not like what is staring back in the mirror.
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In terms of some specific things we need to do this year:
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Don’t rush players back from injury, as results don’t matter anymore. Focus on building strength and conditioning to prevent future injuries.
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set the standards. Drop players if they aren’t setting the zone properly, aren’t bringing defensive pressure or aren’t fit enough. If that means the Ham’s or the Cutler’s of the list have to be brought in to replace them, so be it.
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drop Shiel or at a minimum, swap Shiel and Perkin’s positions. Time to give Archie as much midfield time as possible. Let’s fast track his development.
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keep giving Caldwell and Hobbs midfield time. That means keep Andy in defence.
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when Phillips returns, give him some games in the VFL as the main ruck. This will allow Bryan to work on his forward craft there. It’s the only way he can get into the seniors.
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we’re going to have a high mid-season draft pick this year. If there’s a player we rate there, have a chat with Hurley about where he’s at, and open a list spot so we can get the player on the list. You would point to what Grigg did at Richmond to get Pickett on the list.
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invest a lot of time in the draft, in particular the later rounds of the draft. We need to get as many hits in the draft as possible. No more speculative later picks. Pick players on the basic fundamentals of football - not upside. Look at what they are, not what they could potentially become.
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most importantly, at a minimum steal some IP from a Sydney/Geelong/Hawks’ recruiting department. We need to get some new ideas and a fresh perspective looking at the list. Have we hired anyone who’s been at another club in the last 10 years?
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Take pain. Check!
Finish bottom three. Check
Pick legit gun player. Hmmm… more like pick another midget who interviews well or an injury-prone disappointment
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That’s a small cannon.
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Finals chances are likely done but we were in just a bad position last year (2-6). Things can turn around quickly, not that im banking on it.
Reckon we end up with ~8/9 odd wins and hopefully doing it continuing to play the kids as we have been.
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Personally I’m ok with this. I can accept guys who have played less than 50 games running around like baby giraffes taking their first steps.
What I’m not ok with, is senior players who aren’t held to any sort of standard putting in half arsed efforts and running around like headless chooks.
I really want another animal analogy but I can’t think of one. Deer in the headlights? Stunned mullets?
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This is the part that I’m not sure we’re willing to accept. I think it’s fairy realistic, but it is a bitter pill.
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Exactly. Let’s drop Shiel and Smith and stick with Parish and Merrett in the midfield like we had last season. We can also continue with trialling Hobbs in there. And we need to play 2 rucks so we can persist with Wright up forward.
Keep Stewart out of the team and persist with Zerk. Drop Heppell and move McGrath to the HBF or on small forwards. Give a couple of farewell games to Hurley then bye bye.
That will all be a good start.
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Got to ease up on the cardio
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Absolutely have to get the game plan right. Nothing else matters if we can’t do this. Our whole team defence is a shambles. How much of this is lack of workrate vs structural set up I don’t know, but whatever the problem is, it needs to be fixed.
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I’m thinking our priority is getting our defensive structures right.
I don’t care if we don’t score (or don’t try to score), as long as we stop the opposition. It’s gonna be hard to watch. It’s gonna be ugly, but we need to change this ‘attack first’ culture, and turn us into a highly disciplined team who’s primary objective is stopping the opposition from scoring.
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Bring back Whoosha.
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no decent key position players either end. we have gambled the house on jones and reid being saviours. our backs our undersized and wright tries hard but isn’t the “gun” key forward we need
our midfield is shockingly unbalanced.
zero quality small forwards. tippa wont be in our next flag side
no young mids coming through bar hobbs. there’s literally no exciting young mids in the VFL
no young small defenders/half backs coming through. maybe lord, thats one. heppell, hind, cutler are all cooked
our list is sh*t and miles off it. minimum 5 years as long as we punt dodoro
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The no.1 priority is training/embedding a cohesive defensive game plan into a very young team. If we can get this right we have something to build upon without it nothing much matters.
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I think our list is looking a lot ■■■■■■■ than it should due to the injury disruptions that we’ve had
Agree 100% that our forward line is a shambles at the moment and that the lack of a genuine gun key forward is a problem
Hopefully the war chest will get us one this year or next
But:
McGrath Reid Laverde
Redman Ridley Kelly
Cox/Durham Merrett Martin
Stringer Jones Perkins
Snelling ??? Wright
Draper Caldwell Parish
Hobbs Guelfi
You’d like to think that the majority of those blokes will still be playing in five years and many will be coming into their best footy
What I can’t understand is why we produce so many players that have a season like Ridley did in 2021 and then drop off completely. What is it about our development program that ruins players consistently???
Heppell
Hurley
Hooker
Fantasia
Daniher
Tippa
McGrath
Ridley
Hind
Saad
Smith
All of those guys had standout seasons early in their careers with us but were unable to maintain the same level of performance. At other clubs if you get an AA squad level of player they tend to stay there for the rest of their careers. We tend to get a season or two and then they fade into obscurity.
Is it injury management? Is it preparation? Is it just a ■■■■ culture? Merrett seems like the only bloke who is immune to it
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