Macca

We have never had a list good enough to be a true contender ... but we've periodically been quite good or very good. Unless one is lucky enough to have seen the Smith years. And greatness is directly linked to talent. Real talent. Jordie McKenzie and hundreds of others probably all had great attitude but could they "Play"? The answer is no. Not to A grade or B+ levels anyway. And Jordie did his absolute best then some. Kudos to the bloke I say. Where as GWS have got an abundance of talent ... add in great Admin & great coaching and they should be able to win big We on the other hand are miles off.

I'm not clinging on to much out of the 2018 season (apart from the 2 enjoyable finals wins) We've got to start afresh. We need a much better game plan with better coaching and we're way short on the talent required to be a true contender. And we need to fast-track that improvement. Free agency needs to be embraced and we need to trade for ready-to-go talent. We can still go to the draft of course but it doesn't have to necessarily be the first port of call.

Hell of a game at Lambeau!

See my post above for my explanation By the way, a starting 22 player can be C+ only. In fact, we were playing up to 8 C grade quality players (or worse) for the greater part of this season. In more simplistic terms you replace 6 very average players with 6 others that are better players. Ranging from A grade down to B- (or C+) Adding an A grader is probably the big ask but we live in hope. If you're thinking I'm meaning adding 6 A grade players you are jumping to the wrong conclusion. If we recruit as we've so often done in the past then I wouldn't be expecting a great return. But Goodwin is now coaching for his own survival so I expect him to swing the changes (with the help of the recruiting team) We'll find out soon enough.

Well not really with regards to free agency now being a huge factor. It's possible to add 3 - 4 free agents if you've got salary cap space. And we look like we're pursuing at least 3 free agents. We should have embraced free agency from 2012 onwards by the way but the antiquated thinking held us back. And there was a 2 or 3 year warning that free agency was coming too so no excuses. So it's not a mammoth task at all unless you're thinking like a dinosaur (not you obviously) Pardon the pun. And then there's the draft and trading for talent. At least 2-4 good players can be added along with the free agents from our trading position. Adding 6 starting 22 players is quite feasible especially when you consider that we've only got 8 - 10 good players. Half our list is either not good enough or not ready. Anyway, we'll find out soon enough but I'm reckoning that we will be very aggressive in the off-season. And I expect the club to be quite creative with the pick 3 that we have at our disposal.

Fair enough We're not far away from each other anyway re the predicted finish. But we'll probably get some injuries again to some of our better players and our depth of good players (right now) isn't strong enough to cover for those injuries My mind could be changed though if we can add 6 starting 22 players including 2 or 3 of those 6 to be added to the best 12. It's a decent ask but we're in quite a reasonable trading position. As always, the off-season recruiting is all important. X amount of good players = X amount of wins.

I'll take 9-11 wins as we're now back to a point where we've got quite a bit to do in order for the club being able to build a top list (as least in the foreseeable future) Not sure the list is being coached well either. But of course the Coaching dept. can improve much like the list can improve. My ambition for the club far outstrips the club's ambition. It's one thing wanting to be great but it's another thing having a great plan to become great. We've got too many issues to address all at once. I suppose we're a knockout hope but the substance isn't substantial. 9 -11 wins at least brings back a bit of respectability and we can then (hopefully) build from there. 5 & 17 is close enough to basket-case so we've got it all ahead of us RL. We're playing catch-up.

Patriots Chargers Chiefs

I don't reckon it matters Wadda ... the racing at Rosehill on Saturday is fabulous. Always has been We can jusr roll it over a couple of days. Even the Valley on Friday evening if you like.

Best Bet Saturday Rosehill Race 7 No.2 Bivouac (Win) $3.00

And a few more highlights packages ...

Week 4 games ... Just the 1 point on offer this week but every odd numbered week from here on in is worth 2 points. With 3 points on offer for week 17. Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 4 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 3 - JV7, Dappa Dan, Macca 2 - DeeSpencer 1 - Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth

Here are a few highlights packages from week 3 ... you might have to go to youtube to view

No good! Pay dirt! Nice 3 figure collect with the Celestial Falls & Adelaide Ace double. Having 2 horses running for you in a double is handy though Looks a likely type does Adelaide Ace.

Thanks for that DZ I follow a couple of tipsters as you know but Paul Joice isn't too bad getting the odd roughie up His special today as well as his value tip at Canterbury is very good odds. Race 3 No. 12 Weston $18 (Win) $4 (Place)

Racing at Flemington tomorrow ... the Oaks Trial & Derby Trial being the feature events (races 6 & 7) Celestial Falls has strong support in the Oaks Trial whilst Serious Liaison is favoured in the Derby Trial ahead of Adelaide Ace.

Weird happenings with our tips fellas When you 2 get your tips right I miss on mine and when I get mine right you 2 miss. So I'm due to miss next weekend! I might just take your 2 tips in a double next weekend (as well as the treble) ... might need some value though!

Good post Wunders What went against us was that we went through a lengthy investigation for tanking during that time. And of course tanking is directly related to priority picks. The sweetener is that we got pick 2 for Frawley in 2014 which sorta/kinda glossed things over. Given the climate we were never going to be given a priority pick. Of course, a stack of other clubs tanked on numerous occasions (a total of 30+ times?) but it was better to scapegoat us rather than go after any other club. Please the masses. We had no friends at the top either. Probably best to move on really and what we need to do is find a way to build a great list despite all the restrictions. Just find a way. I've put my thoughts forward in the last few days along with many others but we need the club to be expansive with their ideas & actions ... re recruiting. In simple terms we need to build a great list ... by hook or by crook. We need to develop a ruthless edge in the process. And it looks like we've finally cottened on to Free Agency. That's taken a while.

Leaderboard in the Tipping Comp 4 - Dee Zephyr, Go the Biff 3 - JV7, Dappa Dan, Macca 2 - DeeSpencer 1 - Layzie, Clintosaurus, Gorgoroth

We certainly need to add some ready-to-go talent to the 22. Any number of very average players were getting game time this season and it reminded me of the Neeld years. Oddly enough, I thought we were building a terrific list before that ill-fated prelim final loss against West Coast. We got exposed and we haven't recovered. We went from having 12 - 15 good to very good players to less than 10 in an instant. As previously stated, we are now just a good team on paper AF. Reality bites. In terms of adding talent our best year in recent times was 2014 when we added Brayshaw, Petracca & Harmes. An ok player in Frost as well but he looks like he is on the move. Time for that do-over. And let's see if we can add 5 or 6 best 22 players (from the get-go)

Trade 'em all ! Not being serious I'd start off by trading out those with currency who are surplus to needs or those who might be expendable. And sometimes you have to make some very tough decisions in order to get what you want (or need) But I might want to draft a player in the region of picks 11 - 16* If our recruiting staff know their oats we might be able to unearth a gem in that draft area. No pressure on the kid either. Expectations tempered. No messiah mentality But trade the other picks (bundled up if necessary) for quality players ... and we should have any number of players lined up. In the player managers ears with no let up. Persevere. And even with that 11 - 16 pick I'm still primarily trading for talent. We can round it off with a couple of speculation 3rd round picks. Plus a couple of RFA's (Tomlinson & Elliot?) Maybe even 3 RFA's? *With the accumulative trades, we can find ourselves with a pick in that area (11 - 16)

We've traditionally rebuilt through the draft. Speculation picks where we have to wait 3 - 5 years (whilst holding our breath) My description of a footy do-over is you bring in ready-to-go talent. They play immediately and the team therefore has an instant new look. You got another name instead AF, ... I'm not rusted on to 'do-over' Make-over? ?

Well that's a plus FD GWS have regularly off-loaded non stars with haste. They understand drafting but I reckon they found a way by default. And they regularly keep going back to the well with more 1st round picks attained with their off-cuts. So Tomlinson lasted for 8 years but they can't fit him into their salary cap? Time to swoop if he's any good.

I will give you an example then ... just remember that all things are possible whilst draft picks are valued as they are (too high in my opinion but it is what it is) Lets just say that our club wanted to bring in 1 A grade player every year as well as 1 B+grade player. All on the young side too ... 21 to 24 years old. As well as drafting at least 3 players because they are the rules. The bits and pieces players swapped around by all the clubs are add-ons and you might unearth the odd gem. And that can be 3-6 players at most or all of the clubs. The list cloggers but again, it is what it is. Elite players are really tough to get but have we ever drafted one? Maybe Gawn? All time great status though. League standard not club standard. So lets get to work ... There's free agency where you play the long game whilst always making sure you've got salary cap space if you land a big fish. But there's always a few on offer and we might even land Tomlinson & Elliot this off-season. Then there are the players we have listed who are surplus to needs or others who have some currency. So you clear the decks whilst hopefully picking up a couple of 2nd round picks and a couple of 3rd round picks. In effect, you can end up with at least 1 first round pick, 3 x 2nd round picks & 3 x 3rd round picks. It might even be better than that. But you can't be afraid of making tough decisions - to get better. So you've then got the currency in draft picks to attain that A grade player and the B+ player. Plus, you might unearth a gem with your remaining draft picks. Any number of great players have been drafted past the 2nd round. Bundle the picks up whichever way you can to get the players that you want. And then do that every year. Before you know it, you've built another base to replace the base that constantly needs to be built upon. Built with traded-for talent.

If Frost goes Oscar may well stay on. You've got to have back-up for May, Lever et al I'd keep Oscar but not play him unless he's needed as back-up. He has no real currency so he is more value to us in that regard. Petty might come on though and Tomlinson and 1 or 2 other new talls could come on board so a lot of fringe players will come under the microscope RN. I reckon we're set for a do-over rather than a mini rebuild. Pace, kicking & marking skills & poise being the prequisites.