Crows Delist Four Players

[Mego Red]

We should hire Craig so we can fire him again.

 

[cmndstab]

I have been as critical as anyone over Craig's flogging of our 1st (and to a lesser extent 2nd) year recruits, which frequently resulted in 80% of them spending most of their first pre-season in the medical unit.

At the end of the day though, Craig set a series of benchmarks - minimum standards which had to be met before players would be considered for AFL selection. These benchmarks applied to all Adelaide players - from the rookie to the veteran. Those who met these benchmarks were rewarded with opportunities. Those who did not spent more time in the SANFL than they would have liked.

Note that these benchmarks weren't necessarily related to fitness. Walker was more than fit enough to survive at an AFL level (by the end of his first pre-season). Heck, he dominated the SANFL in his first year on our list. However, Walker failed to meet other minimum standards - and he continues to struggle with them even today.

And it's good that he set benchmarks. They're a necessary part of an elite sports team.

What precisely those benchmarks are (or were, in Craig's case) is the issue. I have no doubt Sanderson will set his own benchmarks. Hopefully they will be benchmarks that reflect our need to put good performances on the park, rather than the training track.

 

[brucetiki]

I think it's easier to decipher the conundrums on Letters and Numbers than deciphering whatever it was Craig was doing post-2009

 

[relapse]

Are you serious? Lee played the entire season in the magoos and there was much bronx cheering when he finally had a game with a double digit disposal count late in the season (R20+). He showed absolutely nothing during his time on our list. The club did not make a mistake at all in sacking him - and I doubt that it was done to keep the four veterans on our list, it was done for one simple reason - the kid wasn't good enough.

Of course I am

Have you forgotten that Tom Lee was still contracted for 2010 when we sacked him ? It's certainly anything but standard practice to sack a new draftee after one year.

If you go back and look at our list at the end of 2009 they had no-one else on the list they could cut so they made the call early on Lee, for me it's disingenuous to suggest anything else. In any other circumstance Lee (like every other player in the AFL) would be given the second year (which he was already contracted for) to be given an opportunity to develop before the club made a call on him.

 

[NTRabbit]

Of course I am

Have you forgotten that Tom Lee was still contracted for 2010 when we sacked him ? It's certainly anything but standard practice to sack a new draftee after one year.

If you go back and look at our list at the end of 2009 they had no-one else on the list they could cut so they made the call early on Lee, for me it's disingenuous to suggest anything else. In any other circumstance Lee (like every other player in the AFL) would be given the second year (which he was already contracted for) to be given an opportunity to develop before the club made a call on him.

Total rubbish. We should not cut a first year player for being not good enough because he still has a year on his draftee contract? Without even taking into account he was a highly speculative pick 60, that's terrible logic.

As for there being nobody else to cut, got rid of to save the veterans, etc, you might recall in that period we also delisted Robert Shirley, Nick Gill, Greg Gallman and Aaron Kite - if anything, it was Shirley who was sacrificed to keep the others. Nick Gill and Greg Gallman were never fit, Aaron Kite quit, Tom Lee was not good enough. We then had 4 picks plus a rookie upgrade in the subsequent draft - delisting Lee was never a necessity to enter the draft, we could have kept him, kept the 4 evil veterans, and simply foregone picking James Craig.

 

[The Big Sauce]

Note that these benchmarks weren't necessarily related to fitness. Walker was more than fit enough to survive at an AFL level (by the end of his first pre-season). Heck, he dominated the SANFL in his first year on our list. However, Walker failed to meet other minimum standards - and he continues to struggle with them even today.

Hell that's like not letting the smartest maths wizz at school join the mathletes because he didn't do his English homework

 

[cmndstab]

Hell that's like not letting the smartest maths wizz at school join the mathletes because he didn't do his English homework

Not really - joining the mathletes is something that only requires mathematics ability. Football requires more than fitness. It's more like preventing the smartest maths wizz into University because he can't speak English properly.

 

[KUNG FU]

You're forgetting we recruited Lynch & Johnston. They will be handy depth at the very least.

Young showed more in 3 years despite long-term injury than Sellar showed in 5. We'd be better off drafting Sam Rowe or Cockshell than keeping Sellar, if you were so worried about depth. And that's saying something!

Funny post in retrospect! Desperate times!

Rowe @ #44 and Sellar @ #54.