The years of a full rebuild are over IMO, looking at our team circa 14/15 we had a similar amount of core players in that 23-28 range compared to now.
Grigg, Houli, Riewoldt, Edwards, Rance, Cotchin, Astbury, Martin, Grimes, Lambert
v
Short, Baker, Hopper, Taranto, Bolton, Rioli, Graham, Balta, Young (Nank - 29). With some other role players/guys yet to prove themselves in Miller, Cumberland, Ryan, Koschitzke and so on.
Compare that core to when Dimma took over. Players in the 23-28 range were:
Newman, Deledio, Tuck, Moore, Graham, Polak, Polo, McGuane, Adam Thomson, Tambling, Morton, Matt White, Jake King, Thursfield, Relton Roberts, Jackson, McMahon, Foley.
Lids and Newman guns. Tuck, Moore, Foley, Jackson solid. The rest were pretty much duds, with some being awful. It's no surprise we required a full clean out.
We ended up winning a flag in a couple of years and immediately after an awful year in 2016. Grigg and Rance were only apart of 1 flag. With free agency, future pick trading, mid-season drafting and potentially even mid season trading, you can accelerate your rise up the ladder a lot faster than when we started a rebuild back in 2010. If players want to leave then just cross that bridge when we come to it and get the best deal we can (eg Deledio, Vickery, C.Ellis, Miles - remember these guys were touted as being part of our next flag).
Additionally, we've seen what a change of environment and coach can do to teams. No better example than us from 2016 to 2017. Collingwood with McRae. Lyon with the Saints. Essentially the same playing list but vastly different looking teams to their predecessors. Yze has a good opportunity to have a similar impact. Get the most out of our core and keeping bringing some youngsters through and suddenly in a year or two we'll have a solid team. Then you can add via free agency, perhaps some aggressive trading depending on where we are at.
Grigg, Houli, Riewoldt, Edwards, Rance, Cotchin, Astbury, Martin, Grimes, Lambert
v
Short, Baker, Hopper, Taranto, Bolton, Rioli, Graham, Balta, Young (Nank - 29). With some other role players/guys yet to prove themselves in Miller, Cumberland, Ryan, Koschitzke and so on.
Compare that core to when Dimma took over. Players in the 23-28 range were:
Newman, Deledio, Tuck, Moore, Graham, Polak, Polo, McGuane, Adam Thomson, Tambling, Morton, Matt White, Jake King, Thursfield, Relton Roberts, Jackson, McMahon, Foley.
Lids and Newman guns. Tuck, Moore, Foley, Jackson solid. The rest were pretty much duds, with some being awful. It's no surprise we required a full clean out.
We ended up winning a flag in a couple of years and immediately after an awful year in 2016. Grigg and Rance were only apart of 1 flag. With free agency, future pick trading, mid-season drafting and potentially even mid season trading, you can accelerate your rise up the ladder a lot faster than when we started a rebuild back in 2010. If players want to leave then just cross that bridge when we come to it and get the best deal we can (eg Deledio, Vickery, C.Ellis, Miles - remember these guys were touted as being part of our next flag).
Additionally, we've seen what a change of environment and coach can do to teams. No better example than us from 2016 to 2017. Collingwood with McRae. Lyon with the Saints. Essentially the same playing list but vastly different looking teams to their predecessors. Yze has a good opportunity to have a similar impact. Get the most out of our core and keeping bringing some youngsters through and suddenly in a year or two we'll have a solid team. Then you can add via free agency, perhaps some aggressive trading depending on where we are at.
