I hate to say it but if you look at the recent history of bad GF losses, teams that get smashed don't make it the following year, and are at least 3 years away from scaling the heights again. Not that there can't be exceptions to the rule, and we may have had some excuses in the end.
I'm not one for throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but this kind of loss calls for an immediate injection of change, and radical change at that.
I'm going to be up front and say that I have been a proponent of Naughton forward for the last two years, but I think that has changed after last night. Apart from two intercept marks, one from Keath and one from Cordy, our tall defenders were spectators. Wood simply is not up to the task being too slow and battered by injuries. The game has gone past him.
Naughton plays a bit like a tall flanker, has speed and can obviously get separation and take a grab. He also has plenty of aggression. Maybe he does go back.
Down forward, hopefully JUH has had a taste and can have a big pre-season. I'd stick with Schache. He was a bee's dick away from kicking 3 in a prelim and he has some height. English just needs to get bigger, and train as a forward. He's just not a full-time ruck. Maybe he'll get there but it may not be until he's 27-28.
Sweet MUST be developed and play a larger role next year. He's big and agressive and showed some real ability in the games he played in the ruck this season. Who knows what reason Bevo and the match committee had for not playing him. Lets face it we'll probably never know.
Wowee, the midfield. Much, hyped, but essentially blown off the park. The explosiveness of the Demon's midfield could not be matched. Only Treloar and Bailey Smith
and Bont get close. Macrae, Dunks, and Libba, as good as they are would need a wet Melbourne track to e competitive against the Dees of last night. Does Rylee West have that spark or is he another plodder?
So, I have absolutely no doubt that we need a major shake-up. Not a re-build but a refresh and a rethink. We need speed and height and a few tough decisions beed to be made this off-season. Here is a 22 for 2022 which has a bit more of this:
FB: Keath Naughton Williams
HB: Richards Gardner Dale
C: Johannisen Treloar B.Smith
HF: Garcia Schache* Vandermeer
FF: English JUH Weightman
RUC: Sweet Bont Macrae
Int: Daniel, Hunter, R.Smith, Libba
EMG: Khamis, Bedendo, McNeill, Scott
*assumes Bruce out for year
Possible trades - Dunkley, Wallis, Young
Phase out - Wood , Dureya, Martin, Croz, Hannan
Bring in / Recruit: athletic utility types and/or mids/wingers with burst speed + Darcy (ruc/fwd)
Its not too early to start. Put your ideas and teams forward here.
I'm not one for throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but this kind of loss calls for an immediate injection of change, and radical change at that.
I'm going to be up front and say that I have been a proponent of Naughton forward for the last two years, but I think that has changed after last night. Apart from two intercept marks, one from Keath and one from Cordy, our tall defenders were spectators. Wood simply is not up to the task being too slow and battered by injuries. The game has gone past him.
Naughton plays a bit like a tall flanker, has speed and can obviously get separation and take a grab. He also has plenty of aggression. Maybe he does go back.
Down forward, hopefully JUH has had a taste and can have a big pre-season. I'd stick with Schache. He was a bee's dick away from kicking 3 in a prelim and he has some height. English just needs to get bigger, and train as a forward. He's just not a full-time ruck. Maybe he'll get there but it may not be until he's 27-28.
Sweet MUST be developed and play a larger role next year. He's big and agressive and showed some real ability in the games he played in the ruck this season. Who knows what reason Bevo and the match committee had for not playing him. Lets face it we'll probably never know.
Wowee, the midfield. Much, hyped, but essentially blown off the park. The explosiveness of the Demon's midfield could not be matched. Only Treloar and Bailey Smith
PLAYERCARDSTART
6
Bailey Smith
- Age
- 23
- Ht
- 185cm
- Wt
- 86kg
- Pos.
- M/F
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 18.3
- 5star
- K
- 8.5
- 3star
- HB
- 9.8
- 5star
- M
- 2.3
- 2star
- T
- 3.8
- 5star
- CL
- 2.7
- 4star
- D
- 19.8
- 5star
- K
- 9.6
- 4star
- HB
- 10.2
- 5star
- M
- 1.8
- 2star
- T
- 3.2
- 4star
- CL
- 3.2
- 4star
- D
- 14.8
- 4star
- K
- 7.6
- 3star
- HB
- 7.2
- 5star
- M
- 2.0
- 3star
- T
- 3.4
- 5star
- CL
- 1.6
- 4star
PLAYERCARDEND
So, I have absolutely no doubt that we need a major shake-up. Not a re-build but a refresh and a rethink. We need speed and height and a few tough decisions beed to be made this off-season. Here is a 22 for 2022 which has a bit more of this:
FB: Keath Naughton Williams
HB: Richards Gardner Dale
C: Johannisen Treloar B.Smith
HF: Garcia Schache* Vandermeer
FF: English JUH Weightman
RUC: Sweet Bont Macrae
Int: Daniel, Hunter, R.Smith, Libba
EMG: Khamis, Bedendo, McNeill, Scott
*assumes Bruce out for year
Possible trades - Dunkley, Wallis, Young
Phase out - Wood , Dureya, Martin, Croz, Hannan
Bring in / Recruit: athletic utility types and/or mids/wingers with burst speed + Darcy (ruc/fwd)
Its not too early to start. Put your ideas and teams forward here.
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