Jaded No More

Our list is not in the right place right now to accommodate Ben Cousins. Not only because of his age and where we are at with our development, but also because he is a cultural cancer and I don't want him anywhere near our young and impressionable players.

These 3 might have their flaws, but RR, they are all above the VFL competition in terms of their skills. I have no doubt that the Frankston defense is very worried this week. Newton can and has kicked a bag at this level before, Yze has years of experience in the AFL (and despite his current position, was an elite player once upon a time) and Bate, even though he hasn't played for 5 weeks, can still have a very strong game. These guys are better than their VFL counterparts on paper. If they don't beat their direct opponent this week, it's going to get messy.

Robbo and Sylvia are lucky, but huge changes won't start happening until Round 7. Bailey and Connolly both said that they are giving all players 6 rounds before they start putting a line through their name. Just goes to show that Yze is finished. Wasn't given the same treatment as the rest of the senior group. Lucky for him he had a contract for 2008, because he would be well into retirement otherwise.

That's a strong VFL team right there. An AFL-listed player one every line and that half-forward line is quality! Hopefully Bate gets through the match and is back in the senior for Round 5.

Most of the rotations are player-driven I believe. When a player feels they need a break, they'll come off. This mostly occurs with midfielders. There are also set rotations, where say one player can't be on the ground for more than 20 minutes in a row, so after 20 minutes they'll take themselves off. This has to do with optimal performance and injury management. Someone like Moloney will probably only spend 15 minutes in he midfield at a time, before coming off for a short break. And of course some rotations (mainly positional rotations I'd say) are dictated by the coach according to what is happening on match day.

I'm distressed by this: Ricky Petterd (groin) - 3-4 weeks Terrible!

I had to do some market research down there earlier this year, and it was certainly one of the least desirable places I've ever visited (and I spent 12 years in the Middle East). Mind you, Cranbourne > Deer Park *shudder* (With my sincerest apologies to anyone who resides in either of these suburbs).

But that's just the thing, we don't know if he's been a wasted draft pick, and after 5 years at the club, you'd think we would. I know exactly what McLean and Sylvia can and can't do, how come the same assessment can't be made for CJ? What is his best position? Can he play as a small forward? Does he have sufficient pace to compete at AFL level given Bailey's game plan? Maybe it's my fault for not knowing these things. I have zero time to get down and watch him at Sandringham, and I find it hard to judge a player on 22 games scattered over 4 years (22 games with an average of less than 50% ground time I bet). If he was a wasted draft pick, so be it. He won't be the last and he is certainly not the first. I just would like to know either way, and given that he is still on our list having played just 22 games, you'd think Bailey would like to get the same answer. And Rhino, as far as I'm concerned, there are two kinds of people in this world; those who concede defeat, and those that never lose

He was drafted in 2003, he had three and a half years. Still, the point is that if he wasn't so awful, why wasn't he getting a game ahead of some truly ordinary players who kept getting picked in the side week after week after week? Funny how Bailey could make an assessment on many other players who he chose to trade or delist, but not CJ. I don't buy that. Bailey would have gone through numerous tapes of each player before deciding what to do with them. A fourth round pick could get you a player who is NQR, it could get you another Bartram. Bailey chose CJ over a pick that could potentially help us acquire a very good player. Why did he do that? I bet that CJ will get at least two or three more games before a decision is made either way, but I guess we'll see what happens on Thursday night.

Rhino, all I said was that he deserves more than 1 game under Dean Bailey to show if he has what it takes to stay on our list beyond this year. Who knows, he could become handy depth. Not everyone on your list are going to fall into the best 22 basket, that's just impossible. If I remember correctly we were offered a very low pick for him, around the 50's or so, and we didn't take it. That to me indicates that Bailey sees something in CJ and so I too would like to see it. One game however is not long enough to measure any player, especially someone who has played so little. And no, I don't blame Daniher for his development, but if he turns out to be a wasted draft pick, I'll blame Daniher for not giving him more opportunities so that we could have found that out sooner and got rid of him earlier (maybe even got a better pick in return).

Should I have put a . in front of the 1%?

Terrible news for PJ. Such rotten luck he's had with injuries, even before he came to our club. Hopefully he makes a super quick recovery because god knows our ruck division is pretty weak as it is. The thought of Jamar and White taking over the ruck makes me very nervous, but this could probably Jamar's last chance to shine and who knows... he just might...

There aren't many gorillas left in the game who are also as slow as Ben Holland. Better to play a shorter defender who can keep up on the lead, than a giant who can't keep up. As much as Holland can fill a role, he is also a liability. If his match-up doesn't work, he is left to warm the bench. Since Neita is not going to be dropped in favour of Holland, nor will Robbo or PJ or White, it is a huge risk playing Holland when we are already so one-paced. Can you imagine a less functional forwardline than one containing all the speed and agility of Neita and Holland and all the defensive nous of Robbo? Christ!

How is not playing Holland the equivalent of tanking? Holland is hardly going to win us matches. Yes he is a reasonable player who has a very specific role, but at the end of the day we have to develop a long-term solution. We are not going to win the flag this year. The focus is to continue to develop our list, and playing Holland is hardly going to aid our future development. By the way, Holland is injured as far as I know.

This might sound a bit far-fetched, but bare with me... In fashion, when you purchase your seasons' stock, there is generally a break-down of core, volume and highlight styles. Your core styles generally make up the largest percentage of stock. They are your real value stock, the stuff you sell season to season, year to year, and the items which generate the highest dollar intake despite having a fairly low margin. Your volume styles are the key, must-have items of the season which you buy in bulk because everyone wants a piece. The margin is higher, but the style is likely to go on sale at the end of the season because nobody wants it anymore. The highlight styles are your really fashion-forward, key pieces that draw people into store. They are low margin pieces, but they make your business unique. When you think about it, playing lists are quite similar. 65% of your players are your core players. They are not the best, but you need them structurally and they perform year after year (e.g.- McDonald) 30% of your players are volume players. They are good players who suit a certain playing style, but they go out of style quickly as the game changes and evolves. They are also not as reliable. They can have a great game one week, but they'll have a shocker the week later (e.g.- Davey). 5% of your players are highlight players. They pull the crowds in and they are just exceptionally unique players. They give you an edge over your competitors. I would say that Morton has the potential to be a highlight player. He might not be the next James Hird, but he definitely has what it takes to draw the crowds to the game and give us a competitive edge. Sorry if this is drawing a long-bow, but I find the comparison pretty accurate. In the end it all comes down to having the right balance on your list. You can have 90% highlight players, but that will most likely send your business (club) broke. You can have 90% core players, but that will make you a pretty mediocre and predicable team. At the moment I would say that we are at 70% core, 29% volume and 1% highlight.

Ben Holland is a 19-rounds solution. I rather we look a bit further ahead with our inclusions.

Couldn't have said it better myself. This has been CJ's story for 5 seasons. Gets a game, doesn't pick up 400 disposals and kicks 10 goals, gets dropped never to be seen again. He deserves as much time as any other underperforming player is getting at the moment. As with Bartram last week, he hasn't played in a while so he does need a week or two just to get back up to the pace of AFL. We were apperantly offered a trade for him (a very low draft pick I believe), and we chose to keep him. I'm glad we did, because after getting rid of so many NQR depth players, we needed to keep some players who could fill gaps when injuries strike. Better CJ than some 12 year old kid who will get demolished. Give him a run this year (a decent run, not 4 disjointed games), if he shows nothing, goodbye and so long. Who knows, maybe some confidence from the coach will help him find his feet at last? Would it be worth trying CJ up forward in a crumber/defensive role?

Sadly, the way the system works, it is best to come last if you can't come first. I rather finish last (not that this is any sort of guarantee that we'll get the first pick) than come 9th, but it is far too early to be thinking about this sort of thing. If we are good enough to win 9-10 games this year than there are probably more deserving teams out there who could use a number one pick (except Carlton, they can rot in hell :angry: ). However if it cames to the last few rounds and we were battling for bottom spot, I would prefer for us to 'manage our list' wisely and not try too hard to win. In round 3 however, the focus is firmly on finals, even if we are 0-3 at the moment.

Making the finals, while it would be nice, is not the main objective of 2008 I wouldn't have thought. As long as Dean Bailey is able to drill the players with how he wants them to play, behave and lead their teammates, it will be a very productive year. I think our performance yesterday showed that we are not as bad as many people thought we were last week. A lot of supporters thought that it will take three or four years before we are contenders again, but that is not the case. Bailey has said all along that the nucleus is there, our under 23 group is good enough to continue to build around which we will do in the coming years. It is impossible for a new coach to change years of training and thinking in one pre-season, especially when all but two (Neita and Yze, anymore?) of our listed players have never played under any other coach. And even moreso, when the playing style is so far removed from what the players have been previously used to. Besides, if we can improve our decision making and disposal by just 5% each match we'll go a long way to beating the opposition. The thing that cost us most yesterday was the fact that we handed the ball to Geelong on a platter so many times, and when you are playing such a quality team you absolutely can't afford to do that.

Bit worried about Petterd. Hopefully he is not sitting on the sidelines because of more lung problems.

He hasn't had a great start to the season, but our backline has been under a lot of pressure in the first 3 rounds. Given how often we turn the damn ball over, and how easily the opposition delivers the ball to their forwards, everyone has been under a lot of pressure. When Whelan comes back, it should free Bell to play as a back flanker, allowing him more creative control to rebound the ball out of defence and create the play. It will also allow Bartram to play in the midfield, which is better for our match-ups and structure. Bailey singled-out Bell a number of times over the pre-season, so obviously he sees special things in him just as you and I did last year. Don't you go abandoning our love child now! P.S.- Am still waiting for the day when Mr.Bell makes his entrance into the midfield... yes, I am still flogging that horse!

Bate hasn't played in over a month. He needs a run with Sandy before coming back into the side. With that in mind: Out: Garland In: Whelan Robbo and Sylvia = thin ice. They have 2 more rounds to change their attitude or they can go and win Sandy another flag.

He is a pretty introverted guy as far as I know, so maybe the captaincy is out of the question, but certainly a role in the leadership group is the way to go. I've always liked having a designated leader in each section of the ground. Rivers is, without a doubt, the backline general. And yes, if he goes home I can see quite a few Melbourne supporters checking themselves into a psych ward soon after. We have to make sure this NEVER happens. Just by the way, Rivers is not from Adelaide, from SA, but not from the city of Adelaide.

Not anymore I don't

I was throwing pillows at the TV at that point, so I missed it as well, but... JARED FOR CAPTAIN! :D He had every right to give him a spray. I would have probably punched him, which explains why I don't, and should never, play team sports