Ron...I simply dont think thats the greatest quality thats missing in some of these blokes.. not so much fitness as you would have it... more ticker I suggest.

Dunno about that. Most of these guys have more ticker than I expect you/we think. Lack of fitness produces fatigued decision-making and affects skills badly.

My point is in relation to players such as Cook and Bennell. For instance, I don't think the current regime would've picked Cook over Darling had they had the choice, but I suspect Cook is actually a far better chance of becoming a very good AFL player now that Misson has the reigns on the sports science department rather than the previous regime (ironically).

Likewise Bennell - I think he has class in spades, but he goes missing all too often. Strikes me as having a decent character about him, so I expect there are other factors at play.

Hence, it leads me to suspect that this may have something to do with his conditioning and development under the previous regime. It takes time for this to change, and I'm hoping he will. IMO he has the DNA of a very, very good AFL player.

I know there's nothing we can change from past years , but how on earth did the club not know how far behind other clubs we were in terms of fitness ? I don't recall hearing anything about these levels until Misson , Neeld and Craig came on board .

Was our footy dept that far behind ? Did our club , or people within the footy dept not notice how other clubs were going about their pre-seasons ? It's fairly transparent I would have thought .

You'd reckon that all people within a footy dept should at least know 'The lay of the land' . It's just astonishing if they didn't .

I could see it from level 2 of the Southern Stand so not sure how it could be missed by full-time paid professionals.

... [reasons to retain just about everybody] ...

Yes some nice logic and reasoning, but as BB points out at least 6 have to go.

I think half-way through a season of such big change is too early to make a definitive call but there's a long list of candidates, particularly those who can't crack a regular game.

Yes some nice logic and reasoning, but as BB points out at least 6 have to go.

I think half-way through a season of such big change is too early to make a definitive call but there's a long list of candidates, particularly those who can't crack a regular game.

This is really the crux . If you canter crack it for a game at present ... Oi Vey !!!