Crows - The Rebuild

[jackster83]

This is true. I love that Hinkley was smirking like the Cheshire cat and talking smack after one win against a side that couldnt really have played much worse. The reality check will be brutal for them shortly.

I'm looking forward to their season turning to shit after China again.

 

[Klug]

That’s 3 years ago now and largely off the back of Danger leaving - needed something to show.

If we taking the 2015 semi as a start point, since that debacle we have actively moved on just 3 players. Hendo, Cheney and Lyons.

Thommo and VB retired. Danger, Cameron, Lever and McGovern walked out.

As I mentioned previously in this thread, we’ve really done nothing at all beyond backing in the core of this group to have success. Now that’s fine if you do actually have it.

This group is in its 5th year with no flag. Because we’ve showed such faith, we are now caught with key players the wrong side of 25.

That’s not to say you act after one bad finals loss (2015). But after the flogging they got in 2016 by Sydney the alarm bells must have been ringing, particularly given we’d done another disappearing act just a few weeks before v WCE in R23 when a top 4 spot was on the line.

I think we’ve probably lost the chance to prune and replenish now with a number of the core seemingly on the downside.

When Pyke talks of backing the group to respond, it’s not a game by game mantra - it’s a season by season one, and one we are locked into.

Exactly right. No point in looking at our response against weaker teams, when we fail when the heat is on in those big games you mention.

That West coast game at home in the last round of 2016 often gets forgotten. We would have finished top 4 if we'd won That, with a possible home final up for grabs.

We yet again didn't turn up mentally, and got smashed, which is a consistent theme.

 

[Murray2503]

I'm looking forward to their season turning to shit after China again.

I hate port as much as anyone but you have to give them credit for what thay did last year during trade and draft period. They ate our lunch and we allowed them. I watched Melb v Port closely out of all the games last week. Butters, Duursma and to a lesser degree Rozee were outstanding. Would we have played them all by the way? You know the answer. They also have players to come into that team. They will finish higher than us this year and most likely win a flag before us. We sat back arrogantly and let a prime opportunity to improve our team instantly evaporate. That will cost our club for some time. The fact that we didnt trade our 4 picks along with players to get 3 higher picks was downright inept. We then trade 2 first round picks to Carlton (after we handed them 2 the year before) for picks we have no ****ing idea what we will be giving up and receiving. I want this club to be successful but that wont happen under the current administration. I just call it how I see it.

 

[MRB37]

Wow 3 in over a year. Port just played 4 in their first game.

Cause they just had 3 of their best 22 walk out.

Geelong played 4 as well.

Port rolled Melbourne.

Geelong rolled Collingwood.

They trusted their youth and came out hungry and fearless. We always come out with the fear of fcuking up since 17

This is the first time Geelong actually didn't trade all their picks for veteran help in years. Don't act like they're some shining example.

 

[GrommoT]

I hate port as much as anyone but you have to give them credit for what thay did last year during trade and draft period. They ate our lunch and we allowed them. I watched Melb v Port closely out of all the games last week. Butters, Duursma and to a lesser degree Rozee were outstanding. Would we have played them all by the way? You know the answer. They also have players to come into that team. They will finish higher than us this year and most likely win a flag before us. We sat back arrogantly and let a prime opportunity to improve our team instantly evaporate. That will cost our club for some time. The fact that we didnt trade our 4 picks along with players to get 3 higher picks was downright inept. We then trade 2 first round picks to Carlton (after we handed them 2 the year before) for picks we have no ******* idea what we will be giving up and receiving. I want this club to be successful but that wont happen under the current administration. I just call it how I see it.

Comparing the draft picks, the only one we couldn't have got is Rozee (and they did well to hustle their way up to pick 5) but we could have picked Butters (instead of Jones) and Duursma (instead of Ned) and if we did and they took Jones & Ned, we might be seeing Jones & Ned tearing it up for them instead.

I was a bit flat we couldn't get any further up the draft in a year with high SA talent, our lower than usual finish and Melb's pick from Leaver.

We were unlucky last year coincided with Lynch deciding to pull the plug on GC handing them pick #3 as FA compo - and then there's May to Melb for pick #6 as well - wonder how things might have turned out if GC didn't have these picks last year.

 

[Murray2503]

Comparing the draft picks, the only one we couldn't have got is Rozee (and they did well to hustle their way up to pick 5) but we could have picked Butters (instead of Jones) and Duursma (instead of Ned) and if we did and they took Jones & Ned, we might be seeing Jones & Ned tearing it up for them instead.

I was a bit flat we couldn't get any further up the draft in a year with high SA talent, our lower than usual finish and Melb's pick from Leaver.

We were unlucky last year coincided with Lynch deciding to pull the plug on GC handing them pick #3 as FA compo - and then there's May to Melb for pick #6 as well - wonder how things might have turned out if GC didn't have these picks last year.

I think it comes down to the clubs evaluation of its list. The club believed we were in a premiership window. We were not in a premiership window at all and the club should have structured our list accordingly. Last year should have been clear evidence of this fact. Tbh it should not have taken last year as this fact was clearly evident at the end of 2017. 2017 GF has actually hurt the club and set it back as the club mistakenly believed we were close and has used this as justification for its ill fated strategy of seniority over youth at all costs. This has slowed the necessary progression that needed to take place for success. Add in to this that we lost 3 future stars due to overpaying aging players and having no inclination to move out aging players with some value. What we did was a carbon copy of what St Kilda and North Melb did. Actually all mediocre clubs do it as the cannot make honest decisions about were they are really at.

 

[GrommoT]

I think it comes down to the clubs evaluation of its list. The club believed we were in a premiership window. We were not in a premiership window at all and the club should have structured our list accordingly. Last year should have been clear evidence of this fact. Tbh it should not have taken last year as this fact was clearly evident at the end of 2017. 2017 GF has actually hurt the club and set it back as the club mistakenly believed we were close and has used this as justification for its ill fated strategy of seniority over youth at all costs. This has slowed the necessary progression that needed to take place for success. Add in to this that we lost 3 future stars due to overpaying aging players and having no inclination to move out aging players with some value. What we did was a carbon copy of what St Kilda and North Melb did. Actually all mediocre clubs do it as the cannot make honest decisions about were they are really at.

Well, our list was obviously in contention in 2017 and we should have still been last year as things don't change suddenly without anything really drastic happening. If a club has a reasonable shot at the premiership, you would expect them to do what they can to achieve it. This year we'll see how far off we are, will just have to wait and see.

There really does seem to be something odd and mystifying going on with the core of the Club.

 

[Murray2503]

Well, our list was obviously in contention in 2017 and we should have still been last year as things don't change suddenly without anything really drastic happening. If a club has a reasonable shot at the premiership, you would expect them to do what they can to achieve it. This year we'll see how far off we are, will just have to wait and see.

There really does seem to be something odd and mystifying going on with the core of the Club.

What if 2017 was an anomaly? I believe it was. I feel it was a soft year as evidenced by who won the flag combined with very little injuries and a very generous draw. First 2 finals we played at home against 2 teams that did not turn up. We got found out in the GF.

 

[MRB37]

What if 2017 was an anomaly? I believe it was. I feel it was a soft year as evidenced by who won the flag combined with very little injuries and a very generous draw. First 2 finals we played at home against 2 teams that did not turn up. We got found out in the GF.

You do know you lose credibility if you have to downplay our achievements to have an argument. "Oh, we did well, but it doesn't count because...". Oh the GWS and Cats didn't turn up, nothing to do with us, we just lucked into those wins.

We got found out in the GF, why the heck to do you think we're struggling now? Because Pyke has introduced elements into gameplan to counter that and the players are struggling with confidence and doubting themselves. Pyke talks about wanting the players to play on instinct, none of them are really doing that now, they're second guessing decisions and taking safe options instead of brave ones.

 

[Murray2503]

You do know you lose credibility if you have to downplay our achievements to have an argument. "Oh, we did well, but it doesn't count because...". Oh the GWS and Cats didn't turn up, nothing to do with us, we just lucked into those wins.

We got found out in the GF, why the heck to do you think we're struggling now? Because Pyke has introduced elements into gameplan to counter that and the players are struggling with confidence and doubting themselves. Pyke talks about wanting the players to play on instinct, none of them are really doing that now, they're second guessing decisions and taking safe options instead of brave ones.

The point I was making was in 2017 we had many factors go our way including a continuity of the same group all on the same page with very little injuries. The important point is that we could not win matches away against the top teams. This has been a key theme with this group as they are mentally weak. This is the difference between wce of last year and us in 2017. WCE won pretty much all of their keys games away (gws,hawthorn,collingwood). The match against Hawthorn at Etihad where they dismantled them indicated to me that they could genuinely win the flag and I forecasted them to be the team to beat around round 18. Even though we finished top in the home and away 2017 I had no confidence they would deliver away from home which they duly didn't. When we start winning games on the mcg/etihad against the likes of Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne and Hawthorn consistently I will say we are a genuine flag threat. That has not happened since '98.