Hot Topic The Rebuild, est. 2023 and/or 2025

[Nifft]

He’s one of many injury prone players and we can’t carry that level of risk, no matter how good the new medical and HP guy is.

That's a good point. Rightly or wrongly the optics around player injuries and health next year is going to important, because everyone will be looking for any reason to jump all over us and say the club is still broken and is a shambles.

So on top of appointing the new guys to oversee fitness and injury management, it'd help to mitigate the risk by taking the opportunity to move on any of the perenially injured players if they want to go.

 

[doug85]

with 4 years on his contract, id be trying to get him right over the nest 24 months. If unable to, sell him with 2 years on his contract and we'd still likely get a decent return for him.

We wouldn’t get a decent return if he’s still injured in two years.

We’ve been here before - Fantasia

 

[Call Me Cake]

I don't care about a return for Ridley.

Amazing player when fit and likely on very low money on a pretty long contract (4 years left), we wouldn't have given said contract if it wasn't a worthy risk for reward situation, and the reigning premiers wouldn't be meeting with him if it wasn't true.

We don't have many backs his size that can intercept like he does and spring a kick out with mobility like he does. With forwards in the modern game moving more towards medium wiry types that can crumb, the type of player he is will be even more vital.

27 in 2026 and has the potential to be a 29/30/31 in 2028/2029/2030 and that's nothing in terms of the modern game. The possible reward and valuable experience if we can get him right with the new admin (and learning from what hasn't worked) is worth way more than any possible return we could get (which let's be honest wouldn't be much anyway). Hold.

 

[chungi]

I don't care about a return for Ridley.

Amazing player when fit and likely on very low money on a pretty long contract (4 years left), we wouldn't have given said contract if it wasn't a worthy risk for reward situation, and the reigning premiers wouldn't be meeting with him if it wasn't true.

We don't have many backs his size that can intercept like he does and spring a kick out with mobility like he does. With forwards in the modern game moving more towards medium wiry types that can crumb, the type of player he is will be even more vital.

27 in 2026 and has the potential to be a 29/30/31 in 2028/2029/2030 and that's nothing in terms of the modern game. The possible reward and valuable experience if we can get him right with the new admin (and learning from what hasn't worked) is worth way more than any possible return we could get (which let's be honest wouldn't be much anyway). Hold.

The possible reward could be far greater then Ridley. The pick could be a star... or a player that actually plays.

He doesn't play so we aren't actually losing much in trading him but we could gain something special if we nail the pick.

And I think an important point is he's an injury prone player in our most injury prone position which is key backs. We can't keep carrying McKay, Rids, Reid (Hayes - different type of injury) year after year, it's killing us.

Look, we aren't getting him right. He doesn't have the body for AFL. He's shown us again and again year after year. We can't keep burying our heads in the sand. We need to get ruthless. He doesn't want to be here. Cash him and move on because he's currently giving us nothing.

 

[ant555]

A few from work asked how I felt about everyone wanting out and to be honest I am okay with it as it is not really players wanting out because they hate the club as such.

The Merrett stuff is disappointing and not ideal. However it is about him looking for finals and not wanting to wait around in a rebuild.

Ridley. Injury related and wanting a fresh start.

Draper. Money.

Laverde. Not a huge loss.

If anything it keeps us on the rebuild course.

 

[brutus76]

Bring back the red shorts and I reckon we'll break the "win a final" drought

 

[MattyB3150]

A few from work asked how I felt about everyone wanting out and to be honest I am okay with it as it is not really players wanting out because they hate the club as such.

The Merrett stuff is disappointing and not ideal. However it is about him looking for finals and not wanting to wait around in a rebuild.

Ridley. Injury related and wanting a fresh start.

Draper. Money.

Laverde. Not a huge loss.

If anything it keeps us on the rebuild course.

I think Draper would also be partial injury related aswell. Laverde wasn’t offered a contract.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I think Draper would also be partial injury related aswell. Laverde wasn’t offered a contract.

Yeah prior to the achilles you would think that we would've fought harder for drapes (and he'd be less likely looking for a fresh start). Almost saved us from ourselves, I love draper but was very nervous about early season talk of a 6 year deal.
Still cant believe mr "student of the game" is using draper leaving as an excuse for why he wants out. Wonder if zach has done any research on the % of players who get back to similar output when the recover from a ruptured achilles?

 

[Call Me Cake]

Well it was ambitious while it lasted.

 

[Blind Turn]

“Promise must be fulfilled. Promise can never be an end in itself.”

 

[Yoda_]

A few from work asked how I felt about everyone wanting out and to be honest I am okay with it as it is not really players wanting out because they hate the club as such.

The Merrett stuff is disappointing and not ideal. However it is about him looking for finals and not wanting to wait around in a rebuild.

Ridley. Injury related and wanting a fresh start.

Draper. Money.

Laverde. Not a huge loss.

If anything it keeps us on the rebuild course.

have posted before that the decisions effecting the clubs list appear to be saving us from ourselves. The Merret one is the most disappointing how it's gone down but appears thats the only way to go if Zac does want to get out.

 

[Donflicted]

Believe one more spot needs to be opened up now with the Smart delisting

 

[JayJ20]

Interesting. Our 4 oldest players will be gone next year:

Goldstein 37y/o
Shiel 32
Merrett 29 (basically 30)
Laverde 29

Wright will be our oldest player at 29 and doesn't turn 30 until 8 Sept next year.

With all the players we're expecting to draft, surely we'd go in with the youngest overall list?

 

[faible]

Interesting. Our 4 oldest players will be gone next year:

Goldstein 37y/o
Shiel 32
Merrett 29 (basically 30)
Laverde 29

Wright will be our oldest player at 29 and doesn't turn 30 until 8 Sept next year.

With all the players we're expecting to draft, surely we'd go in with the youngest overall list?

AFL Club Lists for 2025 - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

Even with Goldstein & Shiel we were 3rd youngest and 4th least experienced, so yeah I'd think we'll drop below North / WCE / Rich on both age and experience.

 

[Lore]

Role	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
President	Brasher	Barham	Barham	Barham	Welsh
CEO	Campbell	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo
GM-Football/GM-AFL Mens	Mahoney	Mahoney	McPherson	McPherson	McPherson
Senior Coach (and team)	Rutten (& team defence) Caracella (mid & team offence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (def) Roberts (development) Tudor (development) Stanton (VFL, part-time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Caracella (def & team defence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid & team offence) Jacobs (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Stanton (development) Tudor (VFL, full time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Caracella (VFL)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Dyson (mid dev) Tapping (VFL, died Feb 2025) Joyce (VFL, Feb-present)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (development) Cloke (development) Dyson (mid dev) Joyce (VFL)
GM-List (and team)	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Rosa (Talent) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa (GM-List) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa Forster-Knight O'Brien
Head of High Performance	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Inness (& Medical) Regan (S&C)
Head of Psychology & Wellbeing			Robbins	Robbins	Robbins

I think this is about right but eth-dog will probably correct something somewhere

 

[faible]

Role	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
President	Brasher	Barham	Barham	Barham	Welsh
CEO	Campbell	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo
GM-Football/GM-AFL Mens	Mahoney	Mahoney	McPherson	McPherson	McPherson
Senior Coach (and team)	Rutten (& team defence) Caracella (mid & team offence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (def) Roberts (development) Tudor (development) Stanton (VFL, part-time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Caracella (def & team defence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid & team offence) Jacobs (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Stanton (development) Tudor (VFL, full time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Caracella (VFL)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Dyson (mid dev) Tapping (VFL, died Feb 2025) Joyce (VFL, Feb-present)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (development) Cloke (development) Dyson (mid dev) Joyce (VFL)
GM-List (and team)	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Rosa (Talent) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa (GM-List) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa Forster-Knight O'Brien
Head of High Performance	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Inness (& Medical) Regan (S&C)
Head of Psychology & Wellbeing			Robbins	Robbins	Robbins

I think this is about right but eth-dog will probably correct something somewhere

What time of year is it when the assistant coaches get turned over?

 

[Lore]

What time of year is it when the assistant coaches get turned over?

If they don't have a contract for the following year they're supposed to know by the end of August. Doesn't mean we can't rearrange the deck chairs though

 

[faible]

If they don't have a contract for the following year they're supposed to know by the end of August. Doesn't mean we can't rearrange the deck chairs though

I'd like to think we'll change up the coaching line-up somewhat.

 

[Runk]

I'd like to think we'll change up the coaching line-up somewhat.

Agreed.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Listening to Welsh on Footy Classified it seems as though he's forgone the rebuild and the protect-the-draft-hand mantra we've had for the last couple years for the belief that we can trade them to bring in players to try to be successful quicker, (or "push up the ladder quickly" as quote from the EFC video), thinking it's "time to start taking risks" and regarding the drafting so far and stability we've created as being enough to add to, all of which stinks to me as pandering to impatient people behind the scenes.

This strategy may have been more realistic at the end of 2027 when Welsh was originally meant to take the reigns and when we were meant to be more advanced in our development to warrant it so now it just feels like impatience/rushing it which could throw us back into our old ways. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[Lore]

Listening to Welsh on Footy Classified it seems as though he's forgoing the rebuild and the protect the draft hand mantra we've for the last couple years for the belief that we can trade them to bring in stars to try to be successful quicker, which stinks to me as pandering to some behind the scenes.

This strategy may have been more realistic in/at the end of 2027 when Welsh was originally meant to take the reigns so now it just feels like impatience/rushing it which could throw us back into our old ways. I hope I'm wrong though.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating

 

[Atavistic]

Listening to Welsh on Footy Classified it sounds like he's forgone the rebuild and the protect-the-draft-hand mantra we've for the last couple years for the belief that we can trade them to bring in players to try to be successful quicker, (or "push up the ladder quickly" as quote from the EFC video), thinking it's "time to start taking risks" and regarding the work we've done so far as pertaining only to stability and that being enough to add to, all of which stinks to me as pandering to impatient people behind the scenes.

This strategy may have been more realistic at the end of 2027 when Welsh was originally meant to take the reigns and when we were meant to be more advanced in our development to warrant it so now it just feels like impatience/rushing it which could throw us back into our old ways. I hope I'm wrong though.

It does sound on the face of it to be the recipe for failure that we were served for 20 years. Hope it's not. We better not do dumb shit like trade our first rounders for players, or let Dodoro have a say in drafting.

 

[bomberlegend2007]

What is said internally is different from what is said externally.

Rebuild can’t be mentioned publicly as recruiting will take a hit.

Also the days of relying on just the draft are over also.

 

[Call Me Cake]

What is said internally is different from what is said externally.

Alright, we'll play it your way and see what happens. Hope you're right.

 

[bomberlegend2007]

Alright, we'll play it your way and see what happens. Hope you're right.

I’m always right.