When should we aim to challenge?

Football Discussion Trade week Duursma head in
21

It appears that way right now.
It looks we are in a very strong position player payment wise.

Dont rule out how many good players 2-2.5 mil per season can bring.

If we are shrewd and chase the right ones to compliment what we have, we can climb post 2023.

I think of what Rich picked up 2016 off season, or even Carlton last year who were deadset flying at Rd.10.

I hope we use the money wisely !

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22

We still have the list. Missing a key forward and back, plus a good small forward. My target is still 2024.

23

I don’t rate Cox or Jones. Haven’t seen enough of Reid.

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24

Yep, and I never would’ve thought those Collingwood scum would be top 4 this season. WTF? They have some a graders though. We have Merrett and sometimes Stringer.

25

…Relying on turnovers/intercepts in their D50.
…Incredible ball movement from courageous players.
…Confidence.
…an ounce of luck.

26

In theory it looks ok? A couple of holes and overall we don’t have any superstars.

That being said, I’ve been guilty of perennially overrating our list. It would be interesting to get an objective perspective.

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27

Yeah we’ve all just got to remember there’s a big difference between competing in the home and away fixtures and finals.

You only find out which players stand up under the heat of finals pressure if you’re playing them regularly.

28

It’s a good question, one I think the review should cover.

We probably do t have the list to do a ‘Collingwood’.

Whatever the answer, as supporters as a whole we got what we wanted. Feels right that we should now trust in it.

29

I tend to agree with this. I think 2-3 of Reid, Cox, Jones, Baldwin, Voss, Eyre, Brand, McBride need to come on AND get 50 games under their belt. Which means 2025.

Obviously other things have to right too.

It does mean when looking at the list, trading and drafting a key thought is what will the player be contributing in 2025-2028?

If we do follow the finishes you laid out, it does imply their maybe value bringing our picks forward, if we think we’ll finish higher next year.

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30

Collingwood would have around 15 players who reached a Grand Final and a preliminary final in the last 4 years. Who have now played finals 4 of the last 5 years, including 3 in a row. That’s lots of time learning to play together at the top end.

I don’t think we’re anywhere near that position.

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31

Agreed, although 2020 start means we’re two years in. But Covid impacting development and beginning with talls probably slows things down.

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32

Correct. We’re into year two.
Damn time flies.

I think we’re a year behind my timeline.
I don’t see finals next year, but we could get into the top 8 in 2024.

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33

2023

  • Another development year & likely top 10 pick
  • Trade future 1st for another young gun
  • Go all in for Papley & the McKays as FAs

2024

  • Win a final
  • Chase more FAs at the end of the year

2025

  • Caldwell, Perkins, Durham, Cox, Martin, Hobbs, Draper, Jones, BZT, Reid, etc all around the 50-80 games mark (ie about where Redman/Guelfi/Snelling are at now)
  • Daveys + top 5 pick from 2022 all in their 3rd years, contributing more regularly
  • McGrath, Parish, Redman, Ridley, Wright, Draper, etc all around 26-28yrs in their prime
  • Merrett 29 at the start of the season (Shiel gone, Stringer 31), hopefully still with 3-4 good years left
  • Top 4 finish

I genuinely think we can (and should) be a top 4 team by 2025 if we draft/trade well and get our football department in order.

Not saying we’d actually win one then, but 2025 is when I reckon we should be really entering that sweet spot in terms of our list demo.

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34

I think 2025 was a realistic timeline but changing coach will probably delay that by a year. Really depends on the new coach and how well he can get them to gel together and learn his gameplan. I’m a big subscriber to the game plan being developed to suit our list, which may take time.

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35

The team is still up to a finals win if, we get the right coach and fix up a few deficiencies on the cheap such as a proper sized FB (free up Ridley and Laverde) and find a medium goal kicking forward (foil for 2mp) and still hit the draft hard over the next few years

36

Preliminary point. We shouldn’t be aiming to challenge. We should be aiming to win. Making the grand final and losing by a point is failure.

The answer? Now.

37

Oh so back in reality, probably 50 years from now.

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38

If you made all club decisions with that much of a short sighted approach, you’d be turning over more players every year, drafting experience over youth, playing experience over youth, sacking coaches every year for failing, etc.
It’s not the 1990s when you can grab players from underneath other teams noses. The draft has equalised every teams opportunity to succeed. The major variance now is to do with father son and academy choices.

We’ve struggled to find where the point of difference within coaching, drafting, training and administration.

39

That is why we need to trade Shiel this year and Stringer next year. We need to look at trading for T Brun for our 2nd and few late picks for Davey. Go for best key defender over 197 cm with first. We desperately need to build Reid and another Tall key. If not go for KPF.

40

When we get a CHF.
A CHB.
A midfield that doesn’t botch the ball.
A backline that doesn’t give away easy goals.
A team that doesn’t pretend to tackle.
A team that plays for each other.

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