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Some players get fast tracked, because they have greater potential than most. Dangerfield is one, Tippett, Crouch & Smith are others.Missed the exception to the rule
I don't really have a problem with them dropping younger players. A lot of these guys don't yet have the strength or fitness base to play at the top level for extended amounts of time.
What really annoys me is how they bring back underperforming senior players after one game. What kind of message does this send? You can play like shit for half a season and the worst you'll cop is one or two weeks in the SANFL. This is such a weak policy. Sando is still way too soft when revoking gold passes.
Yes, that is a concern. It is a fine line between backing senior players and resting/sending to SANFL (which they will dominate in, but still could be in poor AFL form). Players who have plenty of ability and have established themselves in the side get extended periods to try and find form. I think playing extended periods in the SANFL for otherwise senior players doesn't prove very much. (Another argument for a reserves side so they can go back and work on specific features of their game rather than just rack up 35+ possies and dominate)
In our case the poor form is not confined to isolated players, and compounding that we have lost about 100 goals per year that we are trying to replace with Walker and Tippett. We have also been playing 8 or so less than 50 gamers (Excluding Callinan) since round 1. I can see selectors being nervous to drop out a 100+ game player for a debutant.
Remeber Wright, Otten and Henderson started the season with less than 50 games, which all of them have surpassed now..... and now in round 17 there were still 8 less than 50 gamers. In fact we had 7 less than 30 gamers last round.
I don't really have a problem with them dropping younger players. A lot of these guys don't yet have the strength or fitness base to play at the top level for extended amounts of time.
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It was definitely a good taster.. but that's all it was ever intended to be.. a taster. He earned his taster with good results in the SANFL and good performances on the training track, but he was never expected or planned to be a semi-regular as the likes of Kerridge & Lyons have become (Laird & Brown now being regulars, along with Crouch).
Unlucky.. maybe. The reality is that he was only ever going to get a handful of games this year, say 1-3 (probably 2), as a taster, so he knows the level he needs to achieve next year. It's the standard player development model they've gone through will all of our non-fast-track players. I don't know why people are surprised or disappointed.. I guess it's another symptom of shinytoyitis. Kid comes in, does OK (nothing particularly good or bad), therefore he must play again the following week. Doesn't work that way and never has.
Yep, that was the reason.None of whom left because of a lack of opportunities, or because they thought they weren't being developed properly as a player. Gunston's comments about not liking what Adelaide did to him as a person (which begs the question what sort of person he is & wants to be) had nothing whatsoever to do with football or the AFC in general.
There is no agenda. The players left. I'm not making it up.But keep pushing your agenda.. it's rubbish as always.. but it's your agenda to push.
Yep, that was the reason.
It wasn't just Gunston fobbing us off at all with some non-committal bullshit response to spare our feelings.
There is no agenda. The players left. I'm not making it up.
Yet players have stayed at contending clubs given the same circumstances. I'm not making that up either.
There is no arguing.
Even Sanderson has stated specifically that we have to make the AFC a club that players don't want to leave.
Those aren't my words. I am not making it up to fuel any agenda. They are from the coach of the club who has seen us both from outside and within. They aren't disputed, except by a few people who choose to ignore them to keep their own AFC Fanboy Fantasy alive and well.
What are you trying to show here? How many significantly more games these players received than our youngsters? How many games do you think Grigg is going to get? I'll start the bidding at one. Well, one and a half quarters anyway.Bartel played 11 games in year 2002 (9 in a row, then 2 indvidual games) as a Pick #8
Chapman played 4 games in 2000 (2 in a row, then 2 more including a final) as a Pick #31
Kelly played 15 games in 2002 (1 game, then 14 in row) as a Pick #17
Enright played 15 in 2000. (#47)
Johnson played 12 games in 2001 (2 in a row, then 10) as a Pick #24.
Corey played 5 games in 2000 (R17-21) as a Pick #8
So that's 50% of these guys got a small taster early, and Corey got a run late in the year.
These were 4-6 years before their Premiership run.
(Ablett had 12 games in 2002 (first 10 then 2 late, high disposal count of 13))
Hodge played 14 games in his debut year (In a run of 2-1-11)
Mitchell played 9 games in debut year (1-4-4)
Lewis played 19 games (in a row)
Sewell played 6 (3-3)
This is the bottom line.How many flags has that approach got us? Stop pushing your shinytoyitis agenda.![]()
Three years is more than one year.Because Since 2010 until now includes 2012, or do you want that year excised from the records to suit your statement.
Never heard of him. I'm not disappointed at our treatment of John Hinge either.Couch is a highly rated youngster, was anyway at Melbourne, played 3 games.
I agree, but I don't think we manage our young players at all. And I don't think we ever have.You are right Smith played heaps but was rested round 4,5,6 then 9 & 10 (Bye 11) and round 17. It was widely reported that he was being managed.
All teams manage the workloads of young/inexperienced players. Top 8/Bottom 8. And when they don't manage them well, we get Jack Watts.
And rest them when their body demands it, aka ThommoI think it's a cop out and we've created a culture where there are excuses.
I don't care how old someone is - play them when their forms demands it, drop them when it doesn't.
I agree, but I don't think we manage our young players at all. And I don't think we ever have.
I think they sneak into the team only when injuries open up a spot in the 22 and then they are gone as soon as the injured player(s) return.
Can't let this one slide. Complete mischaracterisation.Couch is a highly rated youngster, was anyway at Melbourne, played 3 games.
Yes that's why we haven't won any flags.How many flags has that approach got us? Stop pushing your shinytoyitis agenda.![]()
He hadn't even played many VFL games.Can't let this one slide. Complete mischaracterisation.
Tom Couch is a 25 year old mature age recruit. He could have been picked up at age 18 by Geelong as father-son but wasn't. He toiled away at VFL level until finally being given a rookie chance at Melbourne.
The reason he doesn't get a game is because he can't hit a barn door by foot. When your disposal is atrocious by Melbourne standards, you're not exactly a 'highly rated youngster'.