I’m not sure they understand players like Pendles Sidebottom Howe Crisp Elliot aren’t easily replaced.
The only one on that list that we haven't played without is Jack Crisp. For goodness sake, Billy has missed entire seasons, as has Howe. They have all been great players and we love them, but we've been forced to play plenty of times without them all already and have planned on their apparent decline in advance.
Will their replacements be all time club legends? Maybe not, but we've done this all before. We replaced a best and fairest ruckman with a much cheaper version who developed into a best and fairest winner himself. We've replaced a premiership full back lost to concussion with a bloke playing in the SA seconds, when JDG went down McCreery and Long took over, when we had no key forwards we played a VFA fullback as our CHF and a lanky, loud American import as our FF. Our team runs on system, big name personel might look better on paper but we've got plenty of well drilled replacements waiting for their chance as well.
"Look well into thy self"





