Universal Love Holding Faith in Stephen Wells and Mackie (a.k.a. "In Wells We Trust")

[Kobe Gryant]

Add to that the best young ruck in the game.

It's making me re-think our next off-season or two.

Mid-year last year I thought we'd be looking for senior players in 2024, & '25, and agreed with that premise, but now I'm not so sure.

I wouldn't mind us just keeping all our picks for the foreseeable future and continuing to add to this quickly growing group.

If we can just hold ground with performance from some of the more senior players for a couple years, we could have another golden era brewing once that young group is getting towards their mid-20s.

That's the scary part for the rest of the league, the youngsters haven't even scratched the surface of their best footy yet.

The only genuine hole appears to be a superstar key forward, and I've got no doubt the club have got plans in place to find the partner for Henry & Neale long term.

Much like Jezza, they're planning for these things years in advance.

 

[year of the cat]

It's making me re-think our next off-season or two.

Mid-year last year I thought we'd be looking for senior players in 2024, & '25, and agreed with that premise, but now I'm not so sure.

I wouldn't mind us just keeping all our picks for the foreseeable future and continuing to add to this quickly growing group.

If we can just hold ground with performance from some of the more senior players for a couple years, we could have another golden era brewing once that young group is getting towards their mid-20s.

That's the scary part for the rest of the league, the youngsters haven't even scratched the surface of their best footy yet.

The only genuine hole appears to be a superstar key forward, and I've got no doubt the club have got plans in place to find the partner for Henry & Neale long term.

Much like Jezza, they're planning for these things years in advance.

We still have a number of retirements to come and will need replacement. Not all can be achieved with our current list or quickly through the draft. So I think an ongoing combination of draft/trade/free agency will be used to address these needs.

 

[catempire]

We still have a number of retirements to come and will need replacement. Not all can be achieved with our current list or quickly through the draft. So I think an ongoing combination of draft/trade/free agency will be used to address these needs.

Not hard to see the demographic we will be targeting...

 

[cats_09]

Not hard to see the demographic we will be targeting...

View attachment 1948792

30+ to replace Tuohy, Stanley, Rohan & Bews?

 

[year of the cat]

Not hard to see the demographic we will be targeting...

View attachment 1948792

Absolutely. Be interesting to see which mature aged players we target.

 

[Mattttty]

Looking at the current 2024 team, it's hard not to be impressed at what this club is doing. We only just won a Premiership in 2022 with the oldest ever side to do it. And now here we are - so much great young talent in the side, starting to perform already, and with so much improvement still to come. Unreal.

 

[thecatattack]

It's been a good start but let's be reasonable. The three teams we've beaten have won a collective total of 1 game this season. Hawks will be bottom 4 again this year while Saints and Adelaide look to have regressed from last year. Rounds 6-9 will give us a good indication of how we, and the younger players in the side, are really traveling this year and for our rebuild.

Using win-loss in round 3 is hilarious.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I saw this on footy classified. Since 2004, we've had 59 All Australian Selections, 30 more than the 2nd best team in West Coast.

Our recruiting and development team has been amazing for 20 years now starting with Wells and co.

 

[standupand]

I saw this on footy classified. Since 2004, we've had 59 All Australian Selections, 30 more than the 2nd best team in West Coast.

Our recruiting and development team has been amazing for 20 years now starting with Wells and co.


View attachment 1956630

I laughed at how the graphic highlights Essendon in 15th position, as if this was somehow noteworthy. Lol

 

[Lana]

I saw this on footy classified. Since 2004, we've had 59 All Australian Selections, 30 more than the 2nd best team in West Coast.

Our recruiting and development team has been amazing for 20 years now starting with Wells and co.


View attachment 1956630

 

[dazbroncos]

All thats all been under Wellsy....

Statue.... now.

Go Catters

 

[geelong_crazy26]

All thats all been under Wellsy....

Statue.... now.

Go Catters

Is there such a way to force or persuade someone to work until they are 100?

 

[dazbroncos]

Is there such a way to force or persuade someone to work until they are 100?

Ask him what he wants
Get list
Give it to him but double it

Go Catters

 

[rapidfire7]

Since we took Harry Taylor in 2007, this is what we’ve done with our picks teens picks.

2008 - 15 - Mitch Brown
2009 - 17 - Dan Menzel
2010 - 15 - Billie Smedts
2012 - 16 - Jackson Thurlow
2013 - 16 - Darcy Lang
2014 - 10 - Nakia Cockatoo
2018 - 15 - Jordan Clark
2019 - 16 - Cooper Stephens
2019 - 19 - Sam De Koning

Here’s the 20’s picks

2009 - 28 - Mitch Duncan
2010 - 23 - Cam Guthrie
2016 - 26 - Brandan Parfitt
2017 - 22 - Lachy Fogarty
2017 - 24 - Tim Kelly
2020 - 20 - Max Holmes
2021 - 24 - Toby Conway
2021 - 25 - Mitch Knevitt

The good news is Knevitt and Conway will be stars.

No denying we have blown a lot of first round picks in the past 15 years. SDK has obviously been a huge success, and I have little doubt thst Menzel could have been absolutely anything barring injury.

Injuries were obviously also a factor with a few others who didn't work out, but I think we have to accept that as good as Wells has been over a very long period, that he had a rather poor run at the selection table with our first round picks from 2008 - 2018.

 

[Mr Meow]

No denying we have blown a lot of first round picks in the past 15 years. SDK has obviously been a huge success, and I have little doubt thst Menzel could have been absolutely anything barring injury.

Injuries were obviously also a factor with a few others who didn't work out, but I think we have to accept that as good as Wells has been over a very long period, that he had a rather poor run at the selection table with our first round picks from 2008 - 2018.

It would be cheating if we also nailed our first round picks.

 

[allrighty]

All thats all been under Wellsy....

Statue.... now.

Go Catters

How many AA's did GAJ get at the Suns I wonder

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

How many AA's did GAJ get at the Suns I wonder

4.

 

[allrighty]

4.

4 out of 7!

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

4 out of 7!

The first 4, yep. Injury stopped him getting a blazer the next two years, then he won the club B&F in the 7th, playing only 14 games.

That guy was pretty good at footy.

 

[D BRIDGE]

It would be cheating if we also nailed our first round picks.

Knowing how iffy picks in the teen are it makes me all the more happy trading non top 10 picks for the right players.

 

[Pollywaffle]

It would be cheating if we also nailed our first round picks.

Nor as much fun seeing the salty tears of rivals who passed over our later nuggets.

 

[iameviljez]

Add to that the best young ruck in the game.

Sorry, when are we adding Luke Jackson to our team?

 

[year of the cat]

Sorry, when are we adding Luke Jackson to our team?

Give it 2 years and Conway will be better.

 

[iameviljez]

Give it 2 years and Conway will be better.

I think that's... .... look, it's plausible, but unlikely. Jackson is shaping up as a generational talent. His start to this year has been exceptional.

 

[year of the cat]

I think that's... .... look, it's plausible, but unlikely. Jackson is shaping up as a generational talent. His start to this year has been exceptional.

Can see the opposing view of course. Very different types of ruck too. But I’m seeing some terrific early signs with Conway. I think with a few more pre seasons and strength, he’ll be more influential at stoppages than Jackson. May not be quite as good around the ground.