Total ages for the 22 players of each side last week:

Geel: 574

Saints: 552

Dogs: 550

Hawks: 542

Pies: 540

Swans: 539

Blues: 535

Freo: 529

Crows: 529

Kangas: 523

Lions: 517

Bombers. 516

Crows: 512

Eagles: 510

DEMONS: 503

Tigers: 494

Gold Coast: 480

Other youthful sides...Gold Coast, Richmond, Crows, Lions...we are in better shape than they are. Bombers appear to be in good shape. Kangas & Freo...have an extra season of experience on average. Crows...a lost cause.

There is a big cumulative gap of playing experience between us and the top sides. 40 or so games...equivalent to a couple of seasons...and give our gun kids a couple more seasons we should be right up there... if we believe that the kids we have were the right picks. And with a good football department. Most have always said that 2013 is when we should really be pushing for top 4. Realistically, in my opinion, we will not really be able to judge until then.

We are assumin good picks and a good footy department....

Hate the word assume....

Sick of these type of threads....

It's not our young players that are under performing or letting us down, it's the majority of our senior group.

Stop looking for excuses, there ARE things wrong at the moment.

Sick of these type of threads....

It's not our young players that are under performing or letting us down, it's the majority of our senior group.

Stop looking for excuses, there ARE things wrong at the moment.

I'm sorry but that's arguable.

6 weeks ago things were going swimmingly, the footy department had developed out list perfectly, we have a team chockablock full of talent.

Suddenly, a couple of losses and some media attention and the sky is falling and the footy dept have stuffed us up.

But looking at the big picture, nothing has changed from 6 weeks ago, and we are still on track to be a force in 2013.

Sick of these type of threads....

It's not our young players that are under performing or letting us down, it's the majority of our senior group.

Stop looking for excuses, there ARE things wrong at the moment.

We don't have a senior group as such. There's two guys who could be considered 'senior'...hmmm, I guess two is a group.

Surely, as supporters, our job is to give ourselves enough hope so as we continue to walk through the gates. If coming up with reasons or excuses, gets us along to the games, in the hope of improvement, then so be it. Is it our job to hire and fire staff with no actual knowledge of what they do on a day to day basis??

If a supporter shows up to games and supports their club, I would suggest they are a good supporter.

Edited May 19, 201114 yr by WAClark

Sick of these type of threads....

It's not our young players that are under performing or letting us down, it's the majority of our senior group.

Stop looking for excuses, there ARE things wrong at the moment.

It's neither stuie, it's both. It's the pressure of a side struggling for continuity, for knowing one anothers games and reliability. Thats what happens when we make a lot of changes and reduce the No of experienced players in the team and add extra inexperienced players. You lose some connectivity.

If we kept MacDonald and Bruce and perhaps Miller we'd be in the top half in age relativity. Ripe to pluck a premiership no doubt. Another non sensical apologist theory.

If we kept MacDonald and Bruce and perhaps Miller we'd be in the top half in age relativity.

Is this true??

I think if you do the math you'll find we need about another 3-4 players on top of what you've suggested to get anywhere near the top half.

Edited May 19, 201114 yr by WAClark

I'm sorry but that's arguable.

6 weeks ago things were going swimmingly, the footy department had developed out list perfectly, we have a team chockablock full of talent.

Suddenly, a couple of losses and some media attention and the sky is falling and the footy dept have stuffed us up.

But looking at the big picture, nothing has changed from 6 weeks ago, and we are still on track to be a force in 2013.

Why were things going swimmingly? Cos the media thought we would improve? If you want to talk perspective, talk about how we've played, who we've beaten, and who we've lost to, rather than just the fact it's a "couple of losses". The media attention has come due to HOW we've played, not our win/loss record. And if I hear one more person talk about how we'll be awesome in 2013, I will hurl, do you think it will just happen no matter what?!

We don't have a senior group as such. There's two guys who could be considered 'senior'...hmmm, I guess two is a group.

Surely, as supporters, our job is to give ourselves enough hope so as we continue to walk through the gates. If coming up with reasons or excuses, gets us along to the games, in the hope of improvement, then so be it. Is it our job to hire and fire staff with no actual knowledge of what they do on a day to day basis??

If a supporter shows up to games and supports their club, I would suggest they are a good supporter.

Who said anything about hiring or firing? I just said something needs to change, and I really don't think anyone would argue that right now. I've always supported my club by buying memberships, merch, and going to most Melbourne games, and always will no matter how we've played the previous week, but this attitude kicking around of "oh don't worry, we're talented, we'll be automatically top 4 in 2013", is absolute garbage.