Opinion Crisis Creates Opportunity

Which 2 Get An Opportunity?

  • Noah Balta 19 years old 194cm 100kg Utility

    Votes: 71 84.5%
  • Mabior Chol 22 years old 199cm 93kg KPF/Ruck

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Callum Coleman-Jones 19 years old 200cm 97kg Ruck/KPF

    Votes: 4 4.8%
  • Ryan Garthwaite 20 years old 192cm 91kg KPD

    Votes: 63 75.0%
  • Ben Miller 19 years old 195cm 94kg KPD

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Callum Moore 22 years old 192cm 93kg KPF

    Votes: 20 23.8%
  • Ivan Soldo 23 years old 204cm 106kg Ruck

    Votes: 6 7.1%

  • Total voters
    84
  • Poll closed .
Apr 12, 2015
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What if stack actually allows vlas to play midfield or more of a rebounding role? The intercept marking is there. Stack looked good.
We tried and vlas is just not good enough. Where he is now is his best spot.
 

Marcel Proust

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We tried and vlas is just not good enough. Where he is now is his best spot.

Vlastuin is good enough for the middle.

The backline always falls apart without him. I dont think he is not good enough for the middle, but Richmond are not good enough to cover him in the back6

Vlastuin is very good as a forward; hard as nails, good skills, marks etc.

What if stack actually allows vlas to play midfield or more of a rebounding role? The intercept marking is there. Stack looked good.

Richmond have been conceding a lot of goals. With Rance out I reckon you want Stack, Vlastuin, Grimes etc. all in there
 

Marcel Proust

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14 days ago we were favourites for the flag and everyone was wondering how we were going to be stopped. 7 days ago it was confirmed that Rance would miss the 2019 season and the discussion became whether we would be able to cope with the loss and still win the premiership. Less than 24 hours ago Jack attempted to take mark of the year and ended up breaking his wrist and now many are wondering if we'll even feature in September. At the moment I'm not one of them as there are still 20 games of footy to go and we should be good enough to make it to September if our list was as good as we all believed it was heading into the season.

In saying that the loss of Rance for the season and Jack for at least a month, combined with the ongoing injury to Caddy and Dusty obviously below his best creates a bit of a crisis with a massive 4 weeks of footy coming up with GWS(away) Port(away) Swans(home/Marvel) Demons(home) to come. We're going to need to bring in 2 talls at minimum, which means that 2 of Balta Garthwaite Moore CCJ Soldo or Chol now have an opportunity to put their hands up and show both the club and us the fans that they have what it takes to be a long term player for us.

The question is who will the club turn to for these 2 spots.

Balta - the hype started after a second quarter purple patch in the first JLT game, since then he hasn't exactly followed up but that happens with young KPPs still learning to play the game at this level. He could come in as the second tall who pinch hits in the ruck like he did in round 1 or he could be slotted in at CHB and be given the opportunity to settle and develop as Rances heir apparent.

Chol - effectively the last player added to the list after being delisted at the end of last season. Has some amazing attributes that could be a real point of difference in our side, but also has some that will infuriate those who don't regularly watch him play at VFL level. Like Balta he could play as a 2nd tall and pinch hit in the ruck if he was to be given a crack.

CCJ - 2nd year developing ruckman who has put on some size since being drafted. Playing a bit more in the ruck this year in the VFL games I've seen and looks quite good. A 4 week block as second ruck/second tall forward before Jack comes back might just help his development as he gets a taste of what is required at the next level up.

Garthwaite - IMO he is the long term Astbury replacement rather than the Rance replacement. Like Astbury Garthwaite is a defend first backman who doesn't really look to get involved in much rebounding. With Rance missing we could look to utilise Garthwaites defensive ability to shore up our back 6 and allow Broad to take up the slack as a rebounding defender.

Miller - unlikely to get the call up but an option none the less. Has played KPD when Garthwaite has missed and held his own, but not really ready for the call up to the senior side.

Moore - was the go to option last year when we looked at playing a second tall forward. Slightly shorter than Balta CCJ Chol and Soldo he would be less likely to have much of an impact in the ruck, but given Hardwicks comments last night of we don't play 2 ruckman he might comes into calculations as he could play at CHF and allow Lynch to play the deeper option. Was in good form the second VFL practice match getting his hands on the ball in marking contests and kicking goals.

Soldo - an interesting option for mine. In the JLT we played Nankervis forward in Lynchs role and started Soldo in the ruck. Could we turn to this over the next 4 weeks given we're coming up against some good rucks in the next month. Soldo has shown at VFL level that he can be a threat up forward when resting and covers the ground quite well. Similar to cousin Ivan he also seems to enjoy throwing his weight around either protecting his midfielders or getting his knees dirty and getting down and fighting for the ball himself.

So as the title says, 'Crisis Creates Opportunity' so which 2 would you turn to to fill the void of a 3 time Coleman Medal winning forward and a 5 time AA defender. None of the options put forward are going to be able to fill their shoes to the same level, but we're going to have to pick 2 of them for the next month at least.

Rance doing his knee is a killer - but the emergence of Stack is pretty exciting and Balta has massive ceiling.

The best 22 by the 2nd half of the season looks pretty solid - if Richmond make the finals even from 8th they are capable of doing some damage
 
To me the question is really about our timeline for introducing players.

I want CCJ to play. But if he hasn't a proper spot and we are playing him just because then don't do it. But if he can cover that KPF role then play him.

At least 3 are going to get a gig next week. If Grimes and Houli come back that's 2. We need another contested mid - so Ross.

But I reckon that in form VFL players are right in the picture. Especially for out of form AFL players. So maybe Shai is in the gun for an AFL game. On Saturday Balme mentioned Shai as a quality that just needed an engine and defensive pressure to play AFL. And that he has done the work.

It'd be a good time to have youngsters in form playing for us. they will have freedom and hopefully we can generate appositive attitude and go all out, no pressure.
 

mopsy

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personally if Houli is fit this is the back line id like to see against P/A.It doesnt include Vlastuin we need a big medium sized player to go thru the middle and there arent many choices.

Astbury kp. Balta kp in Rances spot. Garthwaite third tall with Grimes doing his normal role on oppo smalls and mediums. Stack and Houli to provide run and rebound and in stacks case some defensive pressure as well.

FB: Grimes - Astbury - Garthwaite
HB: Stack - Balta - Houli.

Midfield and onball would go like this im looking for size run and grunt.When you look at it there are so few medium sized mids to choose from.

C: McIntosh - Vlastuin - Ross
R: Nankervis - Caddy - Prestia.

Fwd line well enough pissing around with blokes like Butler and Castagna. Play rioli Higgins and Edwards all three can help the midfield out as well as play fwd.Lambert can also go thru there so theres plenty of small fwd types in the team.Would bring in Moore and this week id be tempted to bring in RC-D primarily as a fwd who could give us a limited chop out thru the middle.Failing RC-D maybe it is time we looked at playing a second ruck maybe get a game into CC-J or we could play the bigger bodied medium in Townsend.

HF: Rioli - Lynch - Edwards
FF: Higgins - Moore - RC-D/CC-J/Townsend.

Int: Graham - Bolton - Lambert - Broad
 
personally if Houli is fit this is the back line id like to see against P/A.It doesnt include Vlastuin we need a big medium sized player to go thru the middle and there arent many choices.

Astbury kp. Balta kp in Rances spot. Garthwaite third tall with Grimes doing his normal role on oppo smalls and mediums. Stack and Houli to provide run and rebound and in stacks case some defensive pressure as well.

FB: Grimes - Astbury - Garthwaite
HB: Stack - Balta - Houli.

Midfield and onball would go like this im looking for size run and grunt.When you look at it there are so few medium sized mids to choose from.

C: McIntosh - Vlastuin - Ross
R: Nankervis - Caddy - Prestia.

Fwd line well enough pissing around with blokes like Butler and Castagna. Play rioli Higgins and Edwards all three can help the midfield out as well as play fwd.Lambert can also go thru there so theres plenty of small fwd types in the team.Would bring in Moore and this week id be tempted to bring in RC-D primarily as a fwd who could give us a limited chop out thru the middle.Failing RC-D maybe it is time we looked at playing a second ruck maybe get a game into CC-J or we could play the bigger bodied medium in Townsend.

HF: Rioli - Lynch - Edwards
FF: Higgins - Moore - RC-D/CC-J/Townsend.

Int: Graham - Bolton - Lambert - Broad
Might run out’ve petrol tickets in the middle but there’s not many choices and if we can’t tackle xause theyre marking we have win more contested marks and Astbury’s probably the hardest to shift.
Townsend knows how to stay out’ve the way in the fifty, he’d be my choice
 

Rifles

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personally if Houli is fit this is the back line id like to see against P/A.It doesnt include Vlastuin we need a big medium sized player to go thru the middle and there arent many choices.

Astbury kp. Balta kp in Rances spot. Garthwaite third tall with Grimes doing his normal role on oppo smalls and mediums. Stack and Houli to provide run and rebound and in stacks case some defensive pressure as well.

FB: Grimes - Astbury - Garthwaite
HB: Stack - Balta - Houli.

Midfield and onball would go like this im looking for size run and grunt.When you look at it there are so few medium sized mids to choose from.

C: McIntosh - Vlastuin - Ross
R: Nankervis - Caddy - Prestia.

Fwd line well enough pissing around with blokes like Butler and Castagna. Play rioli Higgins and Edwards all three can help the midfield out as well as play fwd.Lambert can also go thru there so theres plenty of small fwd types in the team.Would bring in Moore and this week id be tempted to bring in RC-D primarily as a fwd who could give us a limited chop out thru the middle.Failing RC-D maybe it is time we looked at playing a second ruck maybe get a game into CC-J or we could play the bigger bodied medium in Townsend.

HF: Rioli - Lynch - Edwards
FF: Higgins - Moore - RC-D/CC-J/Townsend.

Int: Graham - Bolton - Lambert - Broad

Interesting line up. A lot to like. Looks a bit top heavy for a running side like PA. Would there be value in:
- Towner to the midfield (big body you are craving, with caddy, bolton and stack rotating through
- Vlaus back and Broad to start
- Balta to miss and Moore to take relief ruck. CCJ to build consistent form in VFL before getting a crack
- B Ellis to keep his spot - hear me out - playing as traditional winger or shut down role on one of port's runners... if dimma somehow thought taggers served a purpose
 
Well with opportunity having been created a number of younger players have put their hands up and staked a claim for a spot in the 22.

Balta - seems to be the preferred option as back up to Nank and if needed the extra tall down back to support Astbury Grimes and co. Use the opportunity we have to develop this kid for a season and who knows what we can happen.

Stack - the injuries to Short and Houli allowed Stack to get his chance and he has taken it with both hands. With Short missing until well after mid season there is a big opportunity for Stack to make a claim as the long term Houli replacement.

Ross - came in yesterday and looked like he'd played 100 games already. Was calm and composed with the ball in hand, won plenty of his own footy and provides another strong body around the contest. With Martin Cotchin and Caddy to come back in suddenly our midfield doesn't look so small and undersized.

Menadue - looked more comfortable at the level yesterday than he has at any time in his career. Showed some real run and carry and disposal was quite good. Probably one of the unfortunate ones who makes way next week when Dusty and Houli return.

Baker - another whose performance belied his lack of senior experience. Should hold his spot for next week and maybe until Cotchin returns. Brings a bit of a spark to the the midfield with some extra leg speed.

Bolton - after a few frustrating years he finally displayed his true talent. Very much like a young Titch Edwards the way he was able to dance through traffic and some of his work in close with his hands help set guys free. Should play the next couple of weeks as Butler didn't exactly demand to be brought back in the VFL.

So now it becomes how many of these kids do we persist with as the likes of Houli Dusty Cotchin & Jack in particular become available again over the next few weeks. For mine I'd like to see Balta Bolton Ross and Stack get an extended run in the side as we don't want to get caught out not having ready made replacements in the pipeline in case there is another run of injury and/or suspension to hit.
 
Love it.

The Selection Committee would never have picked the team that beat Port unless they had to. Now that group - the youngest team fielded by any club yet in 2019 - have belief and one more game under their belts. We won't have the glorious win every week, but we really need to get games into our next crop of players.

And we need to see what they've got. I reckon every team needs to find 3 or 4 new AFL-level players, every year. I've seen enough from Balta, Stacky and Ross to say we have found 3 already. Maybe RCD, CCJ and Naish in line for debuts at some point, too.

Now we'll see genuine competition for spots. Hard to see how the Selection Committee could put Weller and Butters in next week. With a four day turnaround to ANZAC Eve, I’d be tempted to leave Houli out until he was absolutely, certifiably 100%.
 
After being towelled up by Pies and Giants many were saying that our depth was shot and we were going to be exposed because the kids weren't ready.Well 3 games later and our depth looks better than ever.

Ross has slotted into the midfield like a veteran and just goes about his work with a minimum of fuss. Hard pressed to see him making way any time soon.
Baker has replaced Butler in the side and adds the ability to go through the midfield and is so clean with the ball. Another I don't see being out of the side for a while.
Stack another who has slotted in like a veteran. Brings x factor and hardness to the back half that compliments the rest of the group. As I've mentioned previously Short will have a battle to get back into the side.
Balta kid is as raw as a 2 year old colt but brings real energy to the line up. Yeah he won't win 20 hitouts a game in the ruck and might only get it 6-10 times but his role shouldn't be underestimated. He provides Nank invaluable rest periods which mean Nank is better able to run out games. Nothing is going to help his development more than by continuing to play AFL games and learning from the experience.
Bolton showed glimpses that he has taken a step forward in his development and should get another chance with Jack going back out of the line up.
Markov had an opportunity early on and didn't quite lock down a spot, but did look more comfortable after a shaky start. Unfortunately injury has hampered him again.
Menadue came in for the one game and looked much better than he had previously. Replaced by Houli which was always on the cards. Still handy to have in the background.
Graham after a strong start to his career has been forced out of the side because of the performances of Ross. Won't hurt his a bit though as he can now go back to the VFL and rediscover the attacking side of his game.
Garthwaite played the one game so far this year and might get another crack if Astbury doesn't get up. Again quality depth to have waiting in the wings.

Then there are the likes of Naish Turner English RCD CCJ Moore Eggmolesse-Smith & Chol running around in the VFL who are itching for a crack at it.

Fair to say that the opportunities presented by the injury crisis have been taken by plenty of the kids and that can only be a positive for us long term.
 
The hits just keep on coming.
Another week another 2 join the list.


Ross TBC
Nankervis out 6-8 weeks

Simply means that we go to the shelves and get another couple of replacements to fill the void.

Problem is that the shelves are starting to empty although back order stock are starting to roll in with Vlastuin & Rioli due to arrive this week. Jack Graham about 2 weeks away and Cotchin about 3-4 weeks off returning. If we can get through the next few weeks without copping anymore injuries we should be in good shape post the bye.
 
I want to play Kamdyn as a tall mid and Naish on his wing. Naish deserves a call up and I would prefer Kamdyn in the middle than Graham.
Kamdyn McIntosh has been sensational and yes could be a beast in the midfield. Certainly worth consideration.
 

richcogs

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I want to play Kamdyn as a tall mid and Naish on his wing. Naish deserves a call up and I would prefer Kamdyn in the middle than Graham.
I like this move, but we would miss his corralling and defensive efforts if Naish were to replace him. I can't imagine him being at that level just yet. The wings are very important positions now with the 6-6-6 starts.
 
As the injury crisis shows signs of coming to an end with a number of players due back in the next month or so I've started thinking about how the side could look when they all return. In the next 4-6 weeks we will see the return of Astbury Ellis Lambert Nankervis Riewoldt Short & Ross which will then create the headache of trying to fit all of them into the side as they are all thereabouts for being best 22.

This weeks side against Geelong was:

B: Vlastuin Garthwaite Grimes
HB: Edwards Balta Houli
C: McIntosh Prestia Baker
HF: Rioli Castagna Butler
F: Martin Lynch Townsend
R: Soldo Cotchin Caddy
INT: Stack Higgins Graham Naish

When you add in those coming back from injury the side could look something like this:

B: Garthwaite Astbury Grimes
HB: Short Vlastuin Houli
C: Ellis Cotchin McIntosh
HF: Lambert Lynch Baker
F: Martin Riewoldt Caddy
R: Nankervis Prestia Edwards
INT: Ross Stack Balta Higgins

Which is a fairly strong looking side on paper and would win it's fair share of games.

However in the interest of long term development and future success I'd like to see us line up like this for the rest of the year

B: Houli Garthwaite Grimes
HB: Short Astbury Stack
C: Ellis Ross McIntosh
HF: Cotchin Lynch Martin
F: Bolton Riewoldt Rioli
R: Nankervis Vlastuin Prestia
INT from: Caddy Lambert Balta Edwards Baker Graham Naish Butler Castanga Broad CCJ Soldo Turner RCD Menadue Markov

Playing the above side might mean that we miss finals, but I believe it would give us the best chance to fast track the development of the next wave of Tigers coming through and put us in a good position to be a contender for the flag from 2020 on.

Back Line:
Houli recently turned 31 and while he just had his annual purple patch during Ramadan he has also had his fair share of soft tissue injuries oer the last couple of years and as we've seen with Grigg once the injuries start to mount up the end can some pretty quickly. So lets ease the reliance on him being our number 1 rebounder and use the younger Short and Stack up at HB where their run & carry and speed can help break the game open. Garthwaite stays at FB and continues his development in that role with Grimes there as support, while Astbury moves up to CHB where he can use his marking ability to greater effect. Edwards like Houli will be 31 when next season starts and can remain as part of the defensive rotation for the rest of the season. However in 2020 he should become part of our depth as we don't want to risk hanging on to guys for too long and then being stuck with no long term replacements ready to replace them.

Midfield:
As long as we believe Ellis is remaining with us he gets the wing spot opposite McIntosh, however if we believe that he is moving on then Baker/Naish/Turner should be given the chance to make the wing their own. I don't think we'd lose anything with them replacing Brandon if he moves on, but we need to know they are ready so should be taking the chance to rotate them through there. I've put Ross in the middle as the kid showed that he can handle mixing it at this level so lets fast track his development by having him play there for the rest of the season. Along side him I've moved Vlastuin into the middle, at 25 and coming into the prime years of his career it's time for him to make the move from D50 and become the midfielder we all hoped he was going to become a couple of years ago. Many also see him as a potential future captain so why not put him where the action is. Showed a couple of times this year when playing through the middle that he can do it and being defensively minded he will add some accountability to our set up. Prestia Lambert Caddy Cotchin and Martin complete the midfield set up with Nankervis and Balta as the 2 rucks

Forward:
First thing people will notice is Cotchin and Martin lining up at HF. Cotchin(29) and Martin (28 end of June) have carried the load for a long time so why not take the opportunity to move them to the F50 and take a bit of the weight off their shoulders. With the 6-6-6 set up in place they would start in 1-1 contests with their direct opponents and I doubt there would be many mid sized defenders who would be liking the idea of being isolated 1-1 with them inside 50. By making this move now we could well help extend their careers a little longer, I mean imagine having both roaming the F50 for the next 4-5 years with cameos in the middle when needed. Jack is another who turns 31 this year and after having been belted from pillar to post competing against 2-3 opponents for most of his career. With Lynch being better as a lead and mark forward I'd move Lynch to CHF and allow Jack to play deep. Either side of Jack I've gone with the pairing of Rioli and Bolton. For mine I love the idea of having these 2 at Jacks feet swooping on anything that hits the ground. With space created inside F50 by Lynch Cotchin and Martin pushing up the ground in play opposition small defenders would be nervous having these 2 to deal with given their bag of tricks and speed.

Depth:
Caddy Lambert Edwards & Balta are the last 4 I've got in 22 with Baker Graham Naish Butler Castanga Broad CCJ Soldo Turner RCD Menadue & Markov as the depth to cover for injury/poor form.

Now I know there is some calls here that will cause some people to go WTF is this clown thinking, but the game moves on quickly and to avoid us dropping off the cliff and wasting what we've built I think we need to make some hard calls to ensure that we get back to being a genuine contender.
 
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As the injury crisis shows signs of coming to an end with a number of players due back in the next month or so I've started thinking about how the side could look when they all return. In the next 4-6 weeks we will see the return of Astbury Ellis Lambert Nankervis Riewoldt Short & Ross which will then create the headache of trying to fit all of them into the side as they are all thereabouts for being best 22.

This weeks side against Geelong was:

B: Vlastuin Garthwaite Grimes
HB: Edwards Balta Houli
C: McIntosh Prestia Baker
HF: Rioli Castagna Butler
F: Martin Lynch Townsend
R: Soldo Cotchin Caddy
INT: Stack Higgins Graham Naish

When you add in those coming back from injury the side could look something like this:

B: Garthwaite Astbury Grimes
HB: Short Vlastuin Houli
C: Ellis Cotchin McIntosh
HF: Lambert Lynch Baker
F: Martin Riewoldt Caddy
R: Nankervis Prestia Edwards
INT: Ross Stack Balta Higgins

Which is a fairly strong looking side on paper and would win it's fair share of games.

However in the interest of long term development and future success I'd like to see us line up like this for the rest of the year

B: Houli Garthwaite Grimes
HB: Short Astbury Stack
C: Ellis Ross McIntosh
HF: Cotchin Lynch Martin
F: Bolton Riewoldt Rioli
R: Nankervis Vlastuin Prestia
INT from: Caddy Lambert Balta Edwards Baker Graham Naish Butler Castanga Broad CCJ Soldo Turner RCD Menadue Markov

Playing the above side might mean that we miss finals, but I believe it would give us the best chance to fast track the development of the next wave of Tigers coming through and put us in a good position to be a contender for the flag from 2020 on.

Back Line:
Houli recently turned 31 and while he just had his annual purple patch during Ramadan he has also had his fair share of soft tissue injuries oer the last couple of years and as we've seen with Grigg once the injuries start to mount up the end can some pretty quickly. So lets ease the reliance on him being our number 1 rebounder and use the younger Short and Stack up at HB where their run & carry and speed can help break the game open. Garthwaite stays at FB and continues his development in that role with Grimes there as support, while Astbury moves up to CHB where he can use his marking ability to greater effect. Edwards like Houli will be 31 when next season starts and can remain as part of the defensive rotation for the rest of the season. However in 2020 he should become part of our depth as we don't want to risk hanging on to guys for too long and then being stuck with no long term replacements ready to replace them.

Midfield:
As long as we believe Ellis is remaining with us he gets the wing spot opposite McIntosh, however if we believe that he is moving on then Baker/Naish/Turner should be given the chance to make the wing their own. I don't think we'd lose anything with them replacing Brandon if he moves on, but we need to know they are ready so should be taking the chance to rotate them through there. I've put Ross in the middle as the kid showed that he can handle mixing it at this level so lets fast track his development by having him play there for the rest of the season. Along side him I've moved Vlastuin into the middle, at 25 and coming into the prime years of his career it's time for him to make the move from D50 and become the midfielder we all hoped he was going to become a couple of years ago. Many also see him as a potential future captain so why not put him where the action is. Showed a couple of times this year when playing through the middle that he can do it and being defensively minded he will add some accountability to our set up. Prestia Lambert Caddy Cotchin and Martin complete the midfield set up with Nankervis and Balta as the 2 rucks

Forward:
First thing people will notice is Cotchin and Martin lining up at HF. Cotchin(29) and Martin (28 end of June) have carried the load for a long time so why not take the opportunity to move them to the F50 and take a bit of the weight off their shoulders. With the 6-6-6 set up in place they would start in 1-1 contests with their direct opponents and I doubt there would be many mid sized defenders who would be liking the idea of being isolated 1-1 with them inside 50. By making this move now we could well help extend their careers a little longer, I mean imagine having both roaming the F50 for the next 4-5 years with cameos in the middle when needed. Jack is another who turns 31 this year and after having been belted from pillar to post competing against 2-3 opponents for most of his career. With Lynch being better as a lead and mark forward I'd move Lynch to CHF and allow Jack to play deep. Either side of Jack I've gone with the pairing of Rioli and Bolton. For mine I love the idea of having these 2 at Jacks feet swooping on anything that hits the ground. With space created inside F50 by Lynch Cotchin and Martin pushing up the ground in play opposition small defenders would be nervous having these 2 to deal with given their bag of tricks and speed.

Depth:
Caddy Lambert Edwards & Balta are the last 4 I've got in 22 with Baker Graham Naish Butler Castanga Broad CCJ Soldo Turner RCD Menadue & Markov as the depth to cover for injury/poor form.

Now I know there is some calls here that will cause some people to go WTF is this clown thinking, but the game moves on quickly and to avoid us dropping off the cliff and wasting what we've built I think we need to make some hard calls to ensure that we get back to being a genuine contender.


I applaud your post, it is a well argued case. Naturally I disagree with some key parts of your plan, but no two individuals will ever have the exact same plan. Here are the main areas where my view differs from yours:

- As stated in previous posts, depending on a critical mass of injured players getting back to near their best, we would have a modest but realistic chance to win four finals, I don't think you give up that chance willingly. We were pre season favourites, and ok Rance is likely gone for the season, but we have added factors all over the paddock that could improve our side above pre season expectations.

- Houli is flying and you wouldn't know that he could still be going strong at say 36yo(plenty of precedents for this,) and you can be certain some of the players you have listed in your suggested team will fall by the wayside by then. Put the horse first, then the cart, let somebody outcompete Houligan for his spot or keep him where he is.

- After the bad foot injury I would have grave doubts Ross would get back to AFL level this season though I note Peter Burge and his team seem to have a great record of getting players back from injury in really good shape.

- Most of your post relates to sacrificing 2019 for the future. A lot of the moves you are making I might agree with at least in part if that was the correct thing to do, but as stated I don't agree with your starting premise.

- It is an excellent principle to follow to select your best team until your season is dead, then you look to the future.

I think blooding players should be dealt with on a case by case basis, but by season end we will have plenty of matches into our young players even on the current trajectory. Where we may agree is that events often show that there are more young/new players in any club's best team than seems obvious to the selectors at most points, and sometimes the youngsters just need the right opportunity and a bit of faith.
 
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