Lil_red_fire_engine

2019 is factually shown why we were poor. The number of days missed of preseason as well as games missed by best 22 players in season due to injury does not lie. How we ended up with so many needing surgery, nursed through or playing underdone and whether we had a game style and team selection that considered this is up for question. 2020 there was no excuse. Everyone was under trying conditions. Every team had to pivot to some extent. We had games we did not show up for. We had games where we were on. Through the swings and round abouts of it all we were not good enough to qualify for finals. 2021 I am sure will throw up challenges of varying sorts. However we have lost no one from our best 18. All other than Jones, Hibberd, Melksham and Jetta should not be in career decline. We have some 2nd -3rd year kids in Pickett, Jackson, Rivers, Petty, Spargo, Jordon, Sparrow who should bring more quality to our 19-25 range than those we have shed. Them you possibly have a breakout of one of the three (four) newbies in Bowey, Laurie, Rosman and possibly Farmer to inject some first year energy or speed that we have historically lacked. This is before you include the value of Yze and Choco who both may be bigger recruits than Brown when he get on the field. 2021 holds no excuses.

If Petty’s development and form is as hot as I think it sounds I would not be surprised to see Petty and Tomlinson take the main defensive posts with Lever as the third up and May to take the most dangerous small forwards inside 50 ie: Cameron, Walters, Tip, Ryan. He has the speed, smarts and agility for it as well as ability dominate in the air and/or offer further support against the big forwards. It also frees him to play a more attacking role in forward transition.

I must agree we set ourselves a team and style to grind over teams with a battering ram, high endurance style in 2020. That was taken away from us with shortened quarters and even still only our own mental fragility in Cairns has us miss the finals by a slender margin. Assuming a good run with injuries and the natural development of the list and the connection between them with game style it is not an unreasonable call.

The decision making and pressure execution on a wing is very different to back and forward. Other than starting there and drifting forward a few times in 2019, Toms ability on a wing is as known as Rosmans’ at AFL level.

Hunt has looked good at times forward and has looked good at times back. Definitely more opportunity for him down back I would suggest if we are going taller/smaller rather than medium size forward. I still dont think though you can have him and Hibberd in the same back 7 being they are both distance rather than accuracy players.

Could you not argue the same for your position? When has Hunt or Salem proven they are capable of playing the wing at any time? We have one person who has shown he can play above average - elite wing in Langdon and one in Tomlinson who has shown at GWS he can play it to an AFL average level. Everyone else has no proven consistent level demonstrated.

I have a suspicion Langdon is in the leadership group. Watching the Captain’s Run podcast, Brayshaw and Gawn were talking about how Langdon has taken Rosman under his tutelage and is getting more involved with other players. To which Gus said not surprising since he’s moved ...... i probably cant say that can I. To which Gawn said no.

I think there is wanting to play another role and being capable to play it. I would suspect Harmes was all for it at the start of 2019 but was not capable and lost all confidence. I sense from that interview he maybe also struggled in the hub (amplified by poor form I suspect). Of course then its natural that he be excited to get back to where he has played his best footy.

No rush to fill the spot. Other than maybe Hibbo I dont feel any of this is disrupting our likely start back 7.

There is no way that I can see that Brayshaw will have the kilometres in the legs compared to other players. I will be very surprised if he is there in the first month let alone round 1. Hibberd likely but I either way I feel Hunt will skip in front of him for a half back flank.

If we have low injuries surely we only take someone short term if Deakyn or Kobe actually show significant development. Otherwise are we not best to sit and wait and see how players who missed drafting perform in feeders comps and load on two mid year rather than wait until next years draft.

Maybe best I include a midfield :) Lever May Lockhart Rivers ATom Salem Langdon Oliver TMac Petracca Weid Spargo Pickett Brown Fritsch Gawn Melksham Viney Hunt Jackson ANB Jordon Laurie Smith Sparrow

Adjusting based on recent training reports and what I think we’ll see. Lever May Lockhart Rivers ATom Salem Langdon Oliver TMac Petracca Weid Spargo Pickett Brown Fritsch Hunt Jackson ANB Jordon Melksham Smith Sparrow My assumption that Brayshaw, Hibberd and Petty will not be 100% ready to roll round 1.

We need to consider that the return to standard quarters will see more likelihood of players rotating into the midfield than we saw in 2020. I would also be very surprised if we saw Brayshaw early in the season. Add to this Yze’s influence and our need to correct the stoppages bleeding we saw at times last year there will be new names. There is in my view 2 spots up for grabs rotating through the midfield as well as an open wing spot for round 1. I suspect the 2 mid spots will be between Harmes, Melksham, JJ, Sparrow with ANB a curveball addition. I suggest the most likely second winger at this stage is a TMac and Jackson combo.

It will be interesting to see where this lands, general points. Captaincy has additional requirements and attributes on top of what is needed to be in the leadership group. Anyone that leads people of 18-35 bracket in any environment these days will understand that now more than ever leadership requires different ways to get the best out of different folk. The leadership group is best serviced by a varied dynamic to “show the way” on field and track but to debate and connect with all types off ground and ensure diverse thought and action. It is preferable to have designated leaders across the ground but should not be manufactured. Example Brown can lead and direct the forward line on match day without being in the leadership group. Being a good player and years of service or maturity does not make some one eligible to be part of it. Nor is suited or wanted by all., I dont feel Gawn failed as a captain last year I feel he learnt what is required in his first year on the job which could not have been more difficult. Structure for me should be Captain Gawn, VC May, DVC Trac. Thought struggle to see them not include Viney.

I see Picketts role to create opportunities through pressure acts and ground balls. He is not going to be a high volume possession getter nor are many in this type of role. It is also not unusual to look back at players in this role being a touch off in their first year seizing opportunities, which he was. The key for me is how many times he was at the right spot as well as how many times he was at the right spot in multiple points of a possession chain. It is worth looking at for his first year his average pressure acts and ground ball gets against others in similar roles. Note I have excluded Cameron and Papley who I would suggest play more as leading forwards not pressure forwards. He is no guaranteed elite but for a first year he was above average in both and certainly has good numbers to become an elite in that role at minimum as he builds his endurance and strength.. Pickett; Pressure Acts 14.9, Ground Ball Gets 4.1, shots at goal total 26 D Rioli; 14.5, 2.9 , 23 Tippa; 14.3, 3.4, 32 Butters; 13.1, 5.1, 18 Butler; 16.3, 2.6, 45

If you consider the fact of Olivers age and Trac only recently joining the midfield mix its not like they have had years of maturity together to gel. This is why we are coming into our window now as this is when players who may be good individually start to mature and gel into team first footy. As far as free agency Kelly, Merrett and Laird in that order should be our targets.

They will either get on board or you will see some very different midfield combinations to limit the time all three are in there together.

This bolded is the key.

There is spin and there is fact. The facts seem to be Petty, Hibberd and Gus are the only players to have missed a main session ignoring Vanders stuck in NSW. Let’s compare these facts to facts on Carlton from the AFL website this week.. Docherty trained away from the main group. Curnow, Betts, Marchbank and Silvagni did not train. Newman, Mackay, Gibbons, Martin, DeKoning, Williamson and Kemp are on modified programs. Who knows if they are running PBs, hitting targets or improved their game plan knowledge but I know which one is the preferred position particularly with a shortened preseason preparation.

Thanks. Most sides have a turnover of 3-5 of their best 22 in a given year. Rather than play it safe I have tried to crystal ball what we might try and address from a game style but also with our influx of improved speed and kicking and a return to longer quarters and season. Historically I feel we have been a side with too many flankers and inside mid and not the right balance of mids, mediums, smalls and talls with balanced games. I feel we are starting to get that right list wise and also maintain some flexibility without having to make weekly changes.

Lever May Smith Rivers Petty Salem Langdon Petracca Harmes Laurie Weid Melksham Fritsch Brown Pickett Gawn Oliver Viney Bowey Jackson Brayshaw Hunt Tmac Jordon Hibberd

The 5 players we need to have the biggest impact in 2021. 1. May 2. Trac 3. Oliver 4. Brown 5. Langdon The 5 players we want to have the most improved impact in 2021. 1. Lever 2. Brown 3. Brayshaw 4. Pickett 5. TMac/Weid

I wont be surprised on the basis that the second wing role is clearly the most open role for contention in our starting 18 with no clear front runner.

In my view mostly mediocre teams win games with match day decisions. It’s usually the excuse for why an upset occurs. The good to great teams just play their way better for longer, week in week out and have players crystal clear in their role. I would argue Hardwick is not a much better match day coach, he hardly makes any moves unless out of necessity. The team just play their style of footy better for longer. Aside from Cairns we started to have a clearer view of what we wanted to do and started to settle on who did it where. For too long last year we heard we were unsure of our best set up, this lack of confidence to back a set up really hurt us. The year before, injuries and interrupted preseasons robbed us of having fit players to execute our best set up. As others have mentioned we need to be clear how we want to play, put players in the role they are best suited, train them in it and back it in. The quicker its engrained the more chance we have as the list has the quality and maturity to deploy it better for longer more often than not.