On 11/01/2023 at 02:33, rjay said:

I don't think we were in the position to rest our key players 'dazz'... Geelong could do it because of the easy draw they had in the last part of the season, ours wasn't so kind plus midseason results meant we had to work for our top 4 spot.

The opportunity just didn't present itself.

In the end it was all for nothing.

Then again maybe not if lessons were learnt.

I do take that into consideration @rjay, but we had opportunities in the back half of the year to pull the pin on guys who were completely cooked. Ben Brown was barely on 1 leg and we had a fit JVR/Sam Weideman fresh and ready to go.

For me, the warning signs go right back to round 1 last year when for some whatever reason we selected a proppy Christian Salem with a heavily bandaged knee who then lasted not even 5 minutes from a simple tackle.

Why did he play round 1 when he was clearly not fit? Looking back this completely ruined his year. I know it's hindsight, but that was a perfect opportunity to just ease him back into it and have him fresh and ready to play come round 4-5. Just giving him those few extra weeks would have been beneficial. 

 

  On 11/01/2023 at 02:37, Lord Nev said:

But he hasn't changed opinions... that's the point.

Not sure he was specifically referring to Binman there 

  On 11/01/2023 at 04:29, sue said:

Any chance the loading issue could be off-loaded into another thread?

It's like a cold sore. Hard to get rid off

On this thread topic, as i noted in the Jackosn is leaving thread, after being anguished about Gerard Healy's defection to the Swans i vowed not to get too caught up in players leaving. If they leave they leave.

I couldn't be any more ambivalent now about the young ruck who went to Freo last season. 

I have been pretty successful in not getting upset about players leaving over the subsequent years, but a couple of players have got under my guard.

The one that immediately comes to mind is the Wiz.

Totally understood why went home and didn't begrudge him one little bit for doing so, but I just loved watching him play so, so much that it was a real wrench when he left. In my top 10 favorite dees players of all time.

I fear i'd feel much the same if Kozzie chose to leave. I just love watching him play footy and hope i get to do so week i week out for the rest of his career.

  On 11/01/2023 at 04:41, dazzledavey36 said:

I do take that into consideration @rjay, but we had opportunities in the back half of the year to pull the pin on guys who were completely cooked. Ben Brown was barely on 1 leg and we had a fit JVR/Sam Weideman fresh and ready to go.

For me, the warning signs go right back to round 1 last year when for some whatever reason we selected a proppy Christian Salem with a heavily bandaged knee who then lasted not even 5 minutes from a simple tackle.

Why did he play round 1 when he was clearly not fit? Looking back this completely ruined his year. I know it's hindsight, but that was a perfect opportunity to just ease him back into it and have him fresh and ready to play come round 4-5. Just giving him those few extra weeks would have been beneficial. 

 

Agree, the whole year just didn't look right and we finished 2nd after the H & W.

Still we didn't really look like it.

I thought the same re Salem...very strange. Same with Rivers.

 

  On 11/01/2023 at 02:45, Lord Nev said:

Geelong started the process mid-season, there is absolutely no reason we couldn't have started to manage payers when we were 10-1.

 

Agree. Round 9 WCE and 10 Nth Melbourne were early and missed opportunities to rest key veterans/bad niggles.

Kosi is very special, so good already but still so much upside. I hope he is happy settled this year at/in Melbourne and decides to sign with us for as long as he wants. If he moves on I’ll be shattered but at least he won’t be lost to the AFL. I still enjoyed watching the Wiz at Freo, even against us. None of us saw enough Liam Jurrah or Allen Jacovich (very different circumstances) though.

  On 11/01/2023 at 01:06, binman said:

A DL specific new year's resolution i have is avoiding scenarios where I fall into the trap of back-and-forth arguments that end up in me just repeating previously articulated opinions.

At the risk of breaking that resolution only 11 days into the year, i agree that some of the regular posters in the loading thread ended up looking silly

At risk of yet again deviating from the please Kossie stay topic, I actually find it somewhat refreshing that we are debating on DL, why we didn't win back to back, instead of flagellating ourselves and each other over what a pathetic team of players we have.

The fact we are fretting over potentiality loosing one of the best young forwards in the comp is a sign of the times it's self.  DL of old would be berating over how we have no elite talent, can't draft them or attract them from anyone else, when now we're in the box seat of having Kossie and an almost embarrassing  pleanty of others at the club that others envy and want to poach from us.

Edited January 11, 20232 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

  On 11/01/2023 at 02:33, rjay said:

I don't think we were in the position to rest our key players 'dazz'... Geelong could do it because of the easy draw they had in the last part of the season, ours wasn't so kind plus midseason results meant we had to work for our top 4 spot.

The opportunity just didn't present itself.

In the end it was all for nothing.

Then again maybe not if lessons were learnt.

north and west coast??

  On 07/01/2023 at 07:13, John Crow Batty said:

Burgo’s system burnt the players out and no wonder he left after a couple of seasons. His method has a short use by date and he knows it. He’s another Ross Lyon who flogged the players to the limit for short term success. It was reported that Griffiths closely followed the Burgess system. The players were broken by mid season and it was inexcusable no one saw it coming. Barely any players rested for niggles and minor injuries all season. Only one debutant and bench players knocking on the door rarely used. Blame should be shared by the coaches as well for inflexibility and hubristic selections. They just thought “bang, bang bang” would happen on the flick of the switch till the very last.

I think the problem is when you finish deep into the season, it takes longer to get injuries sorted. We just had a bad run in 2022 and a good run in 2021. That is where we fell off.

  On 11/01/2023 at 20:57, Ugottobekidding said:

I think the problem is when you finish deep into the season, it takes longer to get injuries sorted. We just had a bad run in 2022 and a good run in 2021. That is where we fell off.

Agree, as Binman mentioned many other factors come into play.

As reigning premier and top of the ladder as we were for 12 or so rounds, teams prep and go harder for you. West Coast and North exemplified this last year, both putrid the week before playing the Demons, then both had a red hot go against the Demons, bashing and crashing into us as Langdon ribs unfortunately found out.

We had a worse run with injuries and pushed a few players when obviously not ready Salem and Max immediately come to mind.

2023 seems like:

- a bigger break after 2022, and we are in better shape,

- a few new players who add to our strength in Grundy & Hunter, 

- better looking draw,

- with a slightly modified game plan going forward,

- TMac and BbB fitter, JVR stepping up a notch,

- hopefully better goalkicking after Choco’s pre season work,

- add a slice of luck,

- to top it off for this KOZZY thread, he looks in great shape!

Demons looking good for a top 4 finish and a crack at the 2023 flag

 

Edited January 12, 20232 yr by D4Life
Add point

  On 11/01/2023 at 05:30, binman said:

It's like a cold sore. Hard to get rid off

On this thread topic, as i noted in the Jackosn is leaving thread, after being anguished about Gerard Healy's defection to the Swans i vowed not to get too caught up in players leaving. If they leave they leave.

I couldn't be any more ambivalent now about the young ruck who went to Freo last season. 

I have been pretty successful in not getting upset about players leaving over the subsequent years, but a couple of players have got under my guard.

The one that immediately comes to mind is the Wiz.

Totally understood why went home and didn't begrudge him one little bit for doing so, but I just loved watching him play so, so much that it was a real wrench when he left. In my top 10 favorite dees players of all time.

I fear i'd feel much the same if Kozzie chose to leave. I just love watching him play footy and hope i get to do so week i week out for the rest of his career.

I'm with you @binman. He gets your heart pumping even as he approaches the contest.

I've been wanting to cancel my Foxtel sub and roll to kayo for a while now. The fact he looks like doing more midfield time this year in there with Clarry will have me reaching for the rewind button even more. The way those two navigate through traffic is a thing of beauty.

My wife is likely to cop even more of "Hey babe did you see what Kozzie did just then? here watch this"

He's the kind of player that brings new kids and supporters to our club.

On the derailing part of this thread, I remember reading post season that we had about 11 players in the finals playing with injuries.

Yeah nuh.

  On 12/01/2023 at 04:11, Brownie said:

On the derailing part of this thread, I remember reading post season that we had about 11 players in the finals playing with injuries.

Yeah nuh.

And like us in 2021, Geelong had a dream run with injury.

A lot has changed in footy, but one constant is that injury is the biggest determinant of success. 

If nothing is heard by Round 3 it's going to be one of those...will he/wont he seasons.

How's Port's salary cap looking? Will they offer the magical million.

His "normal" worth is probably circa $600k but Freo showed us that clubs are willing to offer big money if they think a player is "gettable".

  On 12/01/2023 at 05:02, Diamond_Jim said:

If nothing is heard by Round 3 it's going to be one of those...will he/wont he seasons.

How's Port's salary cap looking? Will they offer the magical million.

His "normal" worth is probably circa $600k but Freo showed us that clubs are willing to offer big money if they think a player is "gettable".

They have no high draft picks to trade due to their Rioli and Hornet France trades. 

  On 12/01/2023 at 18:56, 58er said:

They have no high draft picks to trade due to their Rioli and Hornet France trades. 

nor did Freo

We dont need any port players do we? So how does a deal get done? If Kossie is keen he may have to step away although for the life of me I cannot begin to understand why Kossie would want to leave.

  On 12/01/2023 at 22:45, Kent said:

We dont need any port players do we? So how does a deal get done? If Kossie is keen he may have to step away although for the life of me I cannot begin to understand why Kossie would want to leave.

only players i'd accept in an exchange for kozi from the pear would be butters or rozzee

  On 12/01/2023 at 22:41, Diamond_Jim said:

nor did Freo

I don't think Port have any Top future picks available for 2023 draft due to Rioli and Hornet Francis trades. At least Freo had  couple of Future 1 and 2 on the table for us. Different "no picks"

  On 12/01/2023 at 23:28, whatwhat say what said:

only players i'd accept in an exchange for kozi from the pear would be butters or rozzee

I'd much rather keep Kozzie due to the point of difference he provides as an AFL player and the joy he brings to the fans.

However, Rozee and Butters are some seriously talented players who would be brilliant pick ups.

Rozee polled 14 brownlow votes in the last 10 games of the season and won an All Australian and B&F honours.

Butters didn't have as great a year but is thought to have even more upside than Rozee.

If there was any truth to the Kane Cornes rumour, I'm assuming we asked for Butters or Rozee in return and Port said "no way" and all bets were off.

Unfortunately we won't have that luxury at the end of the year as Kozzie will be uncontracted (if he doesn't re-sign with us)

Not too concerned about Koz going anywhere. I believe his girlfriend is a Torres Straight Islander who has been in Naarm for a number of years and has a job she loves with the Koorie Youth Council of Victoria. This together with what he has tattooed on his forearm has me feeling very positive about him staying.

  On 13/01/2023 at 08:58, dworship said:

Not too concerned about Koz going anywhere. I believe his girlfriend is a Torres Straight Islander who has been in Naarm for a number of years and has a job she loves with the Koorie Youth Council of Victoria. This together with what he has tattooed on his forearm has me feeling very positive about him staying.

What's tattooed on his forearm?

  On 13/01/2023 at 09:10, dazzledavey36 said:

What's tattooed on his forearm?

The word Loyalty 

But in much smaller font underneath it, it says "to Port Powa" 

  On 13/01/2023 at 08:58, dworship said:

Not too concerned about Koz going anywhere. I believe his girlfriend is a Torres Straight Islander who has been in Naarm for a number of years and has a job she loves with the Koorie Youth Council of Victoria. This together with what he has tattooed on his forearm has me feeling very positive about him staying.

Hope you're on the money here dworship. 

I'm starting to feel all this "if he hasn't signed by Rd 2 then ..." talk is a bit of emotional scaring from Dogga 2022.

Let's just settle down and see what transpires.  Wouldn't surprise me if Kossie holds out for half a season and then signs on for another couple of years and backs himself to pitch for the mega dollars, long term contract when he's right in his prime like Trac, Clarry etc.  He'd be worth good money now, but he could be worth more in a few years.  That in itself wouldn't nessacerilly me a part of him does or doesn't want to get to Port/SA, just that he management are playing a long game.

If he's thay desperate to go home, I don't think he would have played out the season and a deal would have been done.  I'm not convinced we're anywhere near desperation point on anyone's side.

  On 13/01/2023 at 09:13, adonski said:

The word Loyalty 

But in much smaller font underneath it, it says "to Port Powa" 

You no doubt think your amusing but it wouldn't be the first time you turned out to be a fool. If you've been here long enough you'll know I will own my mistaken beliefs. In your case I will say I don't suffer fools gladly and if I'm the one I'll own it.