Opinion Should we ever be gifting kids games of footy?

[76woodenspooners]

There are some discussions around about whether we should give up on this season already with a view to giving kids experience.

Notwithstanding that, it leads to another interesting question, should ever be gifting kids games of footy at all? No matter what the team's current season's prospects are?

Or should they always be made to earn selection, fight for it, and only get it based on merit?

 

[Magpie Girl]

I think it's a little bit of both.

If a season is truely lost there is merit in giving the young guys experience, rotating a few through the seniors and giving them a taste.

There's such a difference in the two levels of footy, and late in the season a lot of them have earned the right

But, while there's a glimmer of hope, you play the best team available

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Games should never be gifted. However we've got guys like Broomy and Martin whose selection can easily be justified by their performances in the VFL. Giving a player like a Ramsay a game would be gifting at this point in time.

 

[ClaytonM]

Undoubtedly yes otherwise you run the risk of losing senior players without semi-experienced replacements. I am not advocating wholesale use of this approach but as players like Ball, Swan etc approach retirement you need to start blooding new kids. Particularly with a draft/trade/salary cap system that makes it difficult to replace loses in key players immediately.

Having said that, they need to show reasonable form in the 2s.

 

[DAWESOME!!]

Not gifted, but especially if we're not realistically pressing for a flag, giving the kids some exposure (in a measured way) should be a factor we consider.

 

[Kirby]

Games should never be gifted. However we've got guys like Broomy and Martin whose selection can easily be justified by their performances in the VFL. Giving a player like a Ramsay a game would be gifting at this point in time.

The correct answer.

 

[ottoman]

At the moment we are still in with a chance of finishing in the finals so pick the best 22.
If the season gets to a point where we realistically can't make the finals I would give some of the younger guys opportunities so that they can gain some experience. Obviously it would need to be the guys that are showing the potential to be AFL players.

 

[shizzle]

I don't think anyone is calling for us to bring in our entire VFL side, it's a ridiculous argument to say bringing in guys like Broomhead, Martin and Karnezis who would be desperate for the opportunity, and have shown real talent, is giving up on the season. I would have thought giving up on the season would be to continue to play blokes who either aren't having a crack, are injured or do not have the required skill level.

You introduce youth(who have earned it) and it creates a lot more enthusiasm and energy about the group, two things we have been desperately lacking.

 

[doodles98]

At the moment I think the problem is more that we are gifting games to underperforming senior guys. If senior players are not pulling their weight and showing consistent poor form or attitude... then I think it is in the best long term interests of the team that they take a spell in the VFL and we bring in someone new to give them a chance to show they can do better... even if they haven't been setting the world on fire in the 2's it's useful to get games into them... Without doing this you are sending a message that poor performances will be tolerated and players will get games on seniority or reputation.

 

[jmac70]

At the moment I think the problem is more that we are gifting games to underperforming senior guys. If senior players are not pulling their weight and showing consistent poor form or attitude... then I think it is in the best long term interests of the team that they take a spell in the VFL and we bring in someone new to give them a chance to show they can do better... even if they haven't been setting the world on fire in the 2's it's useful to get games into them... Without doing this you are sending a message that poor performances will be tolerated and players will get games on seniority or reputation.

I think you have made a good point here. We have reached a point where Buckley has to decide whether to maintain faith in senior players such as Blair and Young or opt for younger players such as Martin and Broomhead. The result on Sunday will go a long way towards determining which way he goes.

 

[PepperFace]

Martin, Broomhead, Kennedy, Grundy, Keeffe would more than justify their position in the team from last week. Yes Kennedy was there but as sub.

 

[TradeDraft]

Not yet as the Season is Still alive and we can still make the Finals.

Soon as we can’t then you can really think about it. Getting players fixed up for 2015 and give some kids a go

 

[MarkT2]

More than playing the kids I think we should stop playing the players who aren't good enough often enough. Then pick kids to take their spots if they have some form and effort.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

To be perfectly honest the answer is yes, there are lots of situations where this might be the right option. People who think you pick your best 22 EVERY week are being too simplistic. There are some situations where you do NOT pick your best 22 but instead make a judgement call for the future. I think Witts and Grundy are the perfect examples of this. We took the list decision at the start of the year to run with these two inexperienced players, with Hudson only for emergencies only. Without "gifting" them some games they will never get the chance to develop.

Recently we have dropped the ball by playing Swan injured, sticking with Blair, and overlooking the likes of Kennedy Broomhead and Martin. But generally I think our youth development has been pretty positive and good for the future.

On the other hand you cant play kids if they are not ready and injury has prevented us from selecting 4 or 5 young players this year.

 

[peter9789]

I dont think players are ever gifted games as such, but there can be circumstances when a player gets a game, that in normal circumstances may not be warranted.
My preference however is to make them earn there spot so when they do come into senior footy they are ready for the rigours of AFL footy. The more successful clubs in recent years seem to have ready made players come up from the reserves and start playing good footy from the outset. I think this is really the optimal situation

 

[TradeDraft]

I dont think players are ever gifted games as such, but there can be circumstances when a player gets a game, that in normal circumstances may not be warranted.
My preference however is to make them earn there spot so when they do come into senior footy they are ready for the rigours of AFL footy. The more successful clubs in recent years seem to have ready made players come up from the reserves and start playing good footy from the outset. I think this is really the optimal situation

Well the Good Sides have more Senior Players coming up because they had good players in the AFL already in that spot so the Kids did not have to play

 

[mattys123]

I voted yes but only if we lose this weekend.

If we lose to Adelaide it's over, forget about "mathematically possible" or even "probable" that we can play finals, if we lose to Adelaide it's time to look forward to 2015 and play as many kids as we can.

If we win though we keep playing the best possible side.

 

[TradeDraft]

I voted yes but only if we lose this weekend.

If we lose to Adelaide it's over, forget about "mathematically possible" or even "probable" that we can play finals, if we lose to Adelaide it's time to look forward to 2015 and play as many kids as we can.

If we win though we keep playing the best possible side.

So this sunday’s game is our GF?

 

[mattys123]

So this sunday’s game is our GF?

Nah, there's only one grand final each year, and we aren't playing in it, in fact 16 sides aren't playing it.

This is our elimination final, and this game decides how we approach the last 5 games of the year afterwards.

 

[Swooop]

If a kid is good enough to be on the list and doing everything asked of him training and in VFL, I don't see it as gifting them a game, if he gets a game over an older better player, as soon as the current season is cooked.


You are getting games into the kid in preparation for bigger things and more experience for next year in general.

If we lose vs Adelaide, let's get games into several kids, at the expense of guys like Blair, Lumumba, Young to see what they've got plus get the first few games under their belt.

Crazy not to IMHO

 

[TradeDraft]

If a kid is good enough to be on the list and doing everything asked of him training and in VFL, I don't see it as gifting them a game, if he gets a game over an older better player, as soon as the current season is cooked.


You are getting games into the kid in preparation for bigger things and more experience for next year in general.

If we lose vs Adelaide, let's get games into several kids, at the expense of guys like Blair, Lumumba, Young to see what they've got plus get the first few games under their belt.

Crazy not to IMHO

Agree. Playing Blair, Lumumba and Maybe Young instead of Kids IF we lost to Adelaide.

Get the Kids ready for 2015.

Kids like Broomhead,Karnezis and Marsh

 

[mike123]

With the way some of our senior players play we should have already gifted younger players games.

 

[Bring_Back_Brad]

Whatever we do we have to take a risk cos right now on the form of our last couple of months we are pretty much a bottom 4 side. We've managed to beat st Kilda and Melbourne and just scraped by against west coast.
That risk should be a fairly radical one and it should be primarily to remove underperforming, slow, and poorly skilled players. The likes of Blair, Luke ball, young, swan, goldsack, toovey, should be rotated out of the side to give guys like Martin, karnezis, broomhead, and Kennedy, and hopefully freeman and sharanberg a run. I'd even give marsh a go. They have more potential in them at the moment, but need to do it now and let them get a couple of months of experience in to them pre-finals. If they seize their opportunity and show something then guys like ball and Blair, goldsack just have to stay out, they aren't bringing enough to keep them in.
If you look at 2010 , Blair came in from the rookie list, kids like beams, sidebottom, held out guys like obree, Lockyer and medhurst and jack Anthony. Got to drop these players who are only giving us average results and give someone with some fire in them a go cos we aren't winning s**t sticking to the current plan and team.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I voted 'no'.

If a kid works hard and performs and becomes best 22 (as some would argue Broomhead, Martin, etc have) then it's not gifting them a game at all. They are earning their place on the list on merit.

I believe it is important to make the kids work hard for it because they're developing and improving and it's important that they get the most out of themselves.

It also avoids any feelings of expectation or entitlement.

Successful teams are full of players who know it's hard to get into the team, and to stay in the team. And if a young player has worked hard and pushed a senior player out of the team then that's great.

 

[ClaytonM]

It all depends on your definition of 'gift'. Let's take the Ball/Adams situation. Ball is arguably ahead of Adams at the moment but Adams is an obvious replacement.

I don't see playing Adams instead of Ball a 'gift'. It is part of list management and list management is arguably the biggest determiner of success. More important than the Coach and the facilities etc. Good lists win premierships.