Prediction Who stays... who goes on NOW WITH ADDED POLL

[Willo_]

Damien Barrett spoke about the players that are undecided and he included Bartel in that group.
He spoke about how his form hasn't been great of late.

The assumption has been that Bartel is getting another contract but do we know that for sure? I wonder if his recent 'slump' could even be a result of not getting a guarantee? Who knows.

Barrett also pointed out Lonergan, even though he is contracted. And as everyone is saying Stokes and Kelly won't go on.

Purple has been reading BigFooty it seems


HI purple!! *waves*

 

[catempire]

Still baffled by the Cowan love in the poll.

 

[Willo_]

Still baffled by the Cowan love in the poll.

We still need more time to see if his body is up to it... duh

 

[Daniel McL]

Still baffled by the Cowan love in the poll.

Think most of the people in this forum are jealous of his hair & want to see it for years to come

 

[zb14]

Enright should retire IMO. This is the chance to go out gracefully. The signs of decline first really appeared last year and have only become more obvious this year. I'd describe his season this way, his best games are still 9/10 and there have been a couple. But the beauty of Boris was that his worst games used to be 6.5/7 out of 10 at worst. This is no longer the case. I want to remember him for the champion he is. I cringe at guys like Fletcher and Robert Harvey who were finished for years before they pulled the pin because the club gave them free reign to make their own call. I hope Boris doesn't make the same mistake.

Only Lonergan, Bartel, Mackie and SJ should go on. And I'm borderline on SJ not because of form, but because of attitude, which shouldn't be underestimated around a developing group.

 

[geelong_boy]

It's interesting reading bigfooty as opposed to the panic on Facebook. Can't delist them all and fill 15 spots in a draft. This has to be done over two years, and I mostly agree with Dazs list, although due to the shallow draft I reckon Simpson will go around or get traded. Simply because of age profile.

Simpson's future depends on his back or other injuries - if his body is in good shape then I'd give him another year. I think with a solid pre-season he could have a year more like 2013 rather than the last two.

 

[Lester Burnham]

What I struggle to understand is how players can suddenly drop off so quickly as soon as they hit their thirites. I know that they obviously lose their pace, agility and other physical abilities, but on Friday nearly all of our veterans made horrendous decisions and their skills were shocking. It seems like these guys have simply forgotten how to kick/handball a football, and they have starting making stupid decisions. In football terms, 30 is considered old, but in overall human life terms, this is still considered to be very young. You generally start to lose your mental sharpness when you hit the age of 50, etc. whatI'm saying is that I can't comprehend how players, after playing football for 20-25 years (including juniors), can simply lose their simple ball skills like kicking, marking and handballing. Also, age should not be an excuse for making shitty decisions and having barin fades. Come on, these guys haven't got dementia, they are still relatively young, and their mental function should still be at least decent.

I was thinking along the same lines. But the whole team has been down. So many fumbles, handballs to static players, kicks to the opposition. Selwood has been awful the last two games. Hawkins has done nothing. Lonergan has been poor. Walker's kicking has gone to the shithouse.

Enright, Bartel and Kelly are generally some of the best decision makers at the club but their recent poor form will get extra attention because of their age.

 

[Willo_]

Holy s**t Cowan has 51 votes to be kept on!!!

He would be lucky to have that many games (at any level) in his 6 years at the club

 

[Sttew]

Rivers - retired
McIntosh - retired
Hartman - retired
Kelly - should retire
Stokes - should retire
Simpson - should be delisted
Cowan - should be delisted
SJ - prepared to give him a one year conditional contract
Jimmy - despite poor showing last two weeks, I'd be prepared to give him a one year contract
Boris - I reckon he will retire. What's he got left to prove?
Mackie - 1 year contract
Lonergan - will depend if we get Henderson, but expect one more year

 

[Pivo]

Holy s**t Cowan has 51 votes to be kept on!!!

He would be lucky to have that many games (at any level) in his 6 years at the club

I'm willing to bet a few people voted for Cowan staying on as a rookie.

 

[Willo_]

I'm willing to bet a few people voted for Cowan staying on as a rookie.

I would say so as well, I did feel the same way initially but then as catempire pointed out we likely only are having 1 rookie pick

I'd prefer to use it on someone else who may actually stay on the park

 

[Pivo]

I would say so as well, I did feel the same way initially but then as catempire pointed out we likely only are having 1 rookie pick

I'd prefer to use it on someone else who may actually stay on the park

Look, I've said a few times that I believe sections of the board over-rate Cowan's ability.

He isn't terrible but he also isn't on par, talent wise, with guys like Menzel and Vardy...and Vardy is still very much hit and miss.

Most recruiters would have trouble finding players like Menzel and Vardy year in, year out in the draft but I'm willing to wager they'd have a much easier task finding a player who replicates what Cowan does.

You carry guys like Menzel and Vardy because of their talent. You carry them for as long as you can and then probably carry them for another 12 months just to be really, really sure you've turned over every stone.

I don't think that generosity extends to guys like Cowan as harsh as that sounds.

A shallow draft might see him moved onto the rookie list and if that happens then I hope he can actually play out a full year and show us all what he can do over a season rather than the odd flash here and there.

 

[Lana]

Look, I've said a few times that I believe sections of the board over-rate Cowan's ability.

He isn't terrible but he also isn't on par, talent wise, with guys like Menzel and Vardy...and Vardy is still very much hit and miss.

Most recruiters would have trouble finding players like Menzel and Vardy year in, year out in the draft but I'm willing to wager they'd have a much easier task finding a player who replicates what Cowan does.

You carry guys like Menzel and Vardy because of their talent. You carry them for as long as you can and then probably carry them for another 12 months just to be really, really sure you've turned over every stone.

I don't think that generosity extends to guys like Cowan as harsh as that sounds.

A shallow draft might see him moved onto the rookie list and if that happens then I hope he can actually play out a full year and show us all what he can do over a season rather than the odd flash here and there.

It's the shallow draft that will save him and could stop him being moved to the Rookie list. Moving him to our rookie list increases our exposure to this years shallow draft. As it would give us another late pick in the national draft.

 

[The rabbi]

Look, I've said a few times that I believe sections of the board over-rate Cowan's ability.

I strongly agree

You carry guys like Menzel and Vardy because of their talent. You carry them for as long as you can and then probably carry them for another 12 months just to be really, really sure you've turned over every stone.

I don't think that generosity extends to guys like Cowan as harsh as that sounds.

But Pivo, that generosity has already been extended to Josh Cowan.
He was taken in the 2009 draft and has been at the club for 5 years for a grand total of about 5 games.
I don't think that it is that harsh and I would have cut him last year.

 

[CharacterFirst]

Look, I've said a few times that I believe sections of the board over-rate Cowan's ability.

He isn't terrible but he also isn't on par, talent wise, with guys like Menzel and Vardy...and Vardy is still very much hit and miss.

Most recruiters would have trouble finding players like Menzel and Vardy year in, year out in the draft but I'm willing to wager they'd have a much easier task finding a player who replicates what Cowan does.

You carry guys like Menzel and Vardy because of their talent. You carry them for as long as you can and then probably carry them for another 12 months just to be really, really sure you've turned over every stone.

I don't think that generosity extends to guys like Cowan as harsh as that sounds.

A shallow draft might see him moved onto the rookie list and if that happens then I hope he can actually play out a full year and show us all what he can do over a season rather than the odd flash here and there.

Nah. I am convined the Club think he has talent in spades.

You prove it yourself when you say you "you carry guys like Vardy and Menzel b/c of their talent - and for as long as you can." Which is exactly what they have done with Cowan.

I would keep him on the list another year. But it will depend on who goes and stays this year, and who would need to be moved on next year.
We will could be facing 8-10 delistings next year as well - Bartel/SJ/Simpson/Cowan/Mackie/Longergan/Enright/ or a Lincoln, Vardy, Clark, etc due to injury - esp' if we don't manage this year well.

 

[Partridge]

But Pivo, that generosity has already been extended to Josh Cowan.
He was taken in the 2009 draft and has been at the club for 5 years for a grand total of about 5 games.
I don't think that it is that harsh and I would have cut him last year.

Almost. 6 years, 4 games.

 

[Pivo]

But Pivo, that generosity has already been extended to Josh Cowan.
He was taken in the 2009 draft and has been at the club for 5 years for a grand total of about 5 games.
I don't think that it is that harsh and I would have cut him last year.

I'm in agreement with you. However, as 10lana rightly points out, the general feeling this year is the draft is shallow and that might be what saves Cowan's bacon even if I feel the guy has well and truly used up his 9 lives.

The way Gregson, Gore and Cunico have played this year has basically reinforced my belief that last year was the year Cowan should have been paid out, delisted and then put onto the rookie list.

A later pick last year, while still something of a lucky dip, probably was going to give you a better chance of finding someone as good as, perhaps better than, Cowan.

I don't think you'd have the same sort of luck this year trying that tactic.

And if we trade out of the first round then this year could be a barren one for us...the lack of perceived talent outside the first round might very well be the reason we are looking so heavily at trading/free agents.

 

[The rabbi]

Almost. 6 years, 4 games.

You will have to excuse me. You see I have this inbuilt desire to pump our players up a bit.

 

[Partridge]

Nah. I am convined the Club think he has talent in spades.

You prove it yourself when you say you "you carry guys like Vardy and Menzel b/c of their talent - and for as long as you can." Which is exactly what they have done with Cowan.

It was interesting in Scott's press conference after the game, he specifically mention Menzel and Vardy, how valuable they are, why they've kept them and so on. Didn't mention Cowan, taken in the same draft.

 

[CharacterFirst]

It was interesting in Scott's press conference after the game, he specifically mention Menzel and Vardy, how valuable they are, why they've kept them and so on. Didn't mention Cowan, taken in the same draft.

Yeah. But I think that was just because they were playing ones that week, and there had been a big build up around Menzel, and Vardy by association.

I wouldn't read too much into that Partridge, would you?

 

[Lana]

It would be interesting to see where they go with Cowan, if he plays on next year he'd have spent more time on our list then Brown.

Cowan is no Menzel, but I personally rate him no less than GHS(This is a complement). He just can't stay fit. Every time I see him play at VFL he's a ball magnet, decent leg speed *cough* suspect kicking *cough*. Looks like he should be close for selection to the AFL team and then two weeks late he breaks down. I'd love to see him play a full game in AFL this week, it would be a great indicator of what we should do.

It wouldn't surprise me if he gets the chop, but I'll be sad if he does and can't get the fairy tale return that Vardy and Menzel got.

 

[Liger]

Still baffled by the Cowan love in the poll.

Can't have Jon Snow killed off in Game of Thrones and Cowan killed off at the Cats in the same year.
One must go on and Snow was definitely dead first.

Cowan will be useful if he comes good, only reason he missed after his comeback was muscle strain which is a lack of conditioning & the 'ultra-conservative' mindset of player management. If he gets through the pre-season he should be right.

Seems a waste to get rid of him now after carrying him so long, won't cost much to keep him another year.

 

[Lana]

Can't have Jon Snow killed off in Game of Thrones and Cowan killed off at the Cats in the same year.
One must go on and Snow was definitely dead first.

Cowan will be useful if he comes good, only reason he missed after his comeback was muscle strain which is a lack of conditioning & the 'ultra-conservative' mindset of player management. If he gets through the pre-season he should be right.

Seems a waste to get rid of him now after carrying him so long, won't cost much to keep him another year.

add a spoiler tag

 

[Willo_]

Almost. 6 years, 4 games.

4 mediocre games at best as well

 

[Liger]

add a spoiler tag

Spoiler: catch up to last season and/or don't google Jon Snow