Macca19
Moderator
- Moderator
- #3,126
We have strengthened our position in the supposedly strong 2018 draft with a possibility of four picks in the top 40. While that is a good move we are very short on experienced reserves.
I disagree. This is the team I want to see play R1 next year:
B: Houston / Clurey / Jonas
HB: Pittard / Howard / DBJ
C: Motlop / Wines / Polec
HF: Wingard / Watts / Boak
F: R Gray / Dixon / S Gray
R: Ryder / Rockliff / Ebert
I: Hartlett / Amon / SPP / Marshall
Players outside that 22 who have played 30+ games of AFL: Westhoff, Broadbent, Hombsch, Neade, White, Toumpas. Then you've got Bonner, Atley, Johnson, Palmer, Snelling who have had a taste. Frampton 21 and ready. Lienert mature aged and full of potential.
So thats 6 players who've played over 30 games of AFL as experienced reserves. The Crows, adding in Gibbs & McGovern to their GF side, taking out Otten, will have 4 players in their reserves with 30+ games of AFL experience. Richmond, who just won the flag, will have 6 players with 30+ games of AFL experience next year (and thats not assuming they delist someone like Taylor Hunt or Jake Batchelor for example, which they still might).
So for me, our back up experience is comparable to other clubs.
All we have done is move on players that we know are not good enough. Lobbe, Young, AhChee, Impey have had plenty of chances. Throw in Austin. These guys couldnt win us a SANFL flag so i've got no issues at all in saying goodbye to these peeps and putting faith in the new batch coming through.
If we suffer a big injury list, we may be in trouble, but guess what. If we kept Young & Austin, we'd still be in the same trouble.