Review Dees v Cavill Avenue Cavaliers: the Good, the Bad & the Fugly

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May 2, 2008
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The AFL care about profits, first and foremost. The expansion clubs are all about market share. The AFLPA aren't getting in the way of that.

Anyway..

Good:
Even team performance.
Elite form of Hogan, Gawn and now TMac.
Couple of good games from Brayshaw in his natural position.
Spargo continues to show he belongs at the level.
Backline is looking a lot better, albeit against weaker opposition when we've controlled the midfield. Didn't get caught on the counter attack as badly as we did earlier in the year.
Finally, put a side to the sword and played it all the way out when in front. Fun to watch.

Bad:
Still some low quality delivery inside 50 and some low percentage shots on goal. We are getting it done through weight of inside 50s more than good forward chemistry, which seems to be by design. It makes it all or nothing on controlling the midfield though which is difficult against top sides.

Ugly:
6k crowd at an AFL match.
 
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Where do they live then?

If you honestly think Gil and co sit down and discuss a tassie team only for some bright spark to pipe up and say “nah won’t happen no one will live there.” That is laughable
When GWS started up they all lived in Breakfast Point, which is only about 10ks out of the CBD. Now a lot of the players have moved out to Bondi, etc. Player retention will be a huge issue for any Tassie team. It’ll never happen
 

Cannon82

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When GWS started up they all lived in Breakfast Point, which is only about 10ks out of the CBD. Now a lot of the players have moved out to Bondi, etc. Player retention will be a huge issue for any Tassie team. It’ll never happen

I haven't lived in Tassie but I've looked at a few jobs there - what is it about the place that you think players are going to object en masse to? The expansion clubs were based in areas to try to wrest some market share from other codes - there's not much danger of a Super rugby, A League or thugby team popping up in Tasmania any time soon.
 

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I haven't lived in Tassie but I've looked at a few jobs there - what is it about the place that you think players are going to object en masse to? The expansion clubs were based in areas to try to wrest some market share from other codes - there's not much danger of a Super rugby, A League or thugby team popping up in Tasmania any time soon.
I just don’t realistically see a Tasmanian team being able to entice gun players from Melbourne or Perth or Adelaide to stay when teams from their homes are offering them big dollars, but that’s just my perspective as a 23yo who’d probably want to live in a city bigger than 1M people at least. Which puts them at a huge disadvantage. Brisbane and Sydney at least have appeal, but there are also quite a few good players from Queensland and NSW. Even the academies have flourished. Yet GC, Brisbane, and GWS still struggle to keep players. There’s barely enough good players from Tasmania to full an all time best 22, let alone one from the 2000s. They’re at a huge recruitment and retention disadvantage. It’ll never work. Happy for them to try and to be proven right though. Best solution is a Victorian team which plays ~8 home games in Tassie, ~8 games in Melbourne, and ~6 interstate IMO
 

Cannon82

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I just don’t realistically see a Tasmanian team being able to entice gun players from Melbourne or Perth or Adelaide to stay when teams from their homes are offering them big dollars, but that’s just my perspective as a 23yo who’d probably want to live in a city bigger than 1M people at least. Which puts them at a huge disadvantage. Brisbane and Sydney at least have appeal, but there are also quite a few good players from Queensland and NSW. Even the academies have flourished. Yet GC, Brisbane, and GWS still struggle to keep players. There’s barely enough good players from Tasmania to full an all time best 22, let alone one from the 2000s. They’re at a huge recruitment and retention disadvantage. It’ll never work. Happy for them to try and to be proven right though. Best solution is a Victorian team which plays ~8 home games in Tassie, ~8 games in Melbourne, and ~6 interstate IMO

Brisbane didn't have too many issues retaining players when they were a decent team with a good coach at the helm. I think players prefer to not to play for hopeless teams in front of tiny crowds. Brisbane, GC and GWS have that issue at the moment (although GWS' team is okay) - at least Sydney regularly get a decent home crowd.

I'm sure you could find a handful of players around the place who'd be willing to live in Tasmania if it meant they get to play footy for a living. Give them a Tasmanian academy and I think you'd find they'd pop up with a few gems here and there to supplement their list. NSW is improving but its only recently they'd have been able to churn out more decent AFL players than Tazzie, and a lot of those would be from down Albury / Wagga way, so not exactly Sydney locals coming into the team.

Having a team with no identity that splits their time between two "homes" seems like the worst idea to me.

And again... Geelong have a side. They manage to retain / attract players despite being a dump of a town.
 
Brisbane didn't have too many issues retaining players when they were a decent team with a good coach at the helm. I think players prefer to not to play for hopeless teams in front of tiny crowds. Brisbane, GC and GWS have that issue at the moment (although GWS' team is okay) - at least Sydney regularly get a decent home crowd.

I'm sure you could find a handful of players around the place who'd be willing to live in Tasmania if it meant they get to play footy for a living. Give them a Tasmanian academy and I think you'd find they'd pop up with a few gems here and there to supplement their list. NSW is improving but its only recently they'd have been able to churn out more decent AFL players than Tazzie, and a lot of those would be from down Albury / Wagga way, so not exactly Sydney locals coming into the team.

Having a team with no identity that splits their time between two "homes" seems like the worst idea to me.

And again... Geelong have a side. They manage to retain / attract players despite being a dump of a town.
Geelong is a 1 hour drive from Melbourne. I also don’t think Tasmania has the population size for the academies to work as successfully, and I believe also has the oldest population in Australianas well as the fastest increases or (slowest decreases) in median age (ie other states are getting younger at a faster rate/getting older at a slower rate I don’t really know which). Which means fewer players who realistically might start playing footy and have kids who’d eventually get into the academies, etc.

Anyway, agree to disagree. Recruitment/retention is one of the major reasons I don’t think it’ll work but I could be wrong
 

Cannon82

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Geelong is a 1 hour drive from Melbourne. I also don’t think Tasmania has the population size for the academies to work as successfully, and I believe also has the oldest population in Australianas well as the fastest increases or (slowest decreases) in median age (ie other states are getting younger at a faster rate/getting older at a slower rate I don’t really know which). Which means fewer players who realistically might start playing footy and have kids who’d eventually get into the academies, etc.

Anyway, agree to disagree. Recruitment/retention is one of the major reasons I don’t think it’ll work but I could be wrong

That stat doesn't mean much in isolation; could be a bunch of people moving to Tasmania to retire, which makes no difference, or it could be that young people are taking jobs elsewhere and moving to other states, which would impact on grassroots footy. I don't think Tasmania is in any danger of becoming a sequel to Children of Men, though.

Also more to it than population size. The Gold Coast might have more population but they're scrapping it out with league, union and football for players. Tasmania would have a much clearer run at the talent pool. I think you'd get a consistent and loyal following for a team in Tazzie. Won't be 40,000 at games every week but they'd turn up.
 
That stat doesn't mean much in isolation; could be a bunch of people moving to Tasmania to retire, which makes no difference, or it could be that young people are taking jobs elsewhere and moving to other states, which would impact on grassroots footy. I don't think Tasmania is in any danger of becoming a sequel to Children of Men, though.

Also more to it than population size. The Gold Coast might have more population but they're scrapping it out with league, union and football for players. Tasmania would have a much clearer run at the talent pool. I think you'd get a consistent and loyal following for a team in Tazzie. Won't be 40,000 at games every week but they'd turn up.
It’s median age, so a good indication of crowding in older age brackets. They have the lowest proportion of people under 30 etc. And the academies are all about taking athletic kids who would have otherwise played other sports. In Tassie it’s already AFL or bust. It’s not like there’s a stack of bored fit teenagers there. I don’t doubt they’d get the following, just doubt they’ll ever put together a finals-quality list
 

Tempy Tiger

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Just watched the replay of the game. I thought Lewis and Jetta were fantastic, Lever, Hibberd and OMAC all very solid too. That was a very strong performance. Brayshaw and Salem were both very good too. I didn’t rate Harmes game that highly, he had a lot of it but the majority of them were scrubby little handballs that did nothing for us.
Weid was a lot more involved in the game this week too, he’s trending in the right direction. And Lever is back to his best I think. Thank *.
Pretty good signs I reckon. We are on the charge.
 

saj_21

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Geelong is a 1 hour drive from Melbourne. I also don’t think Tasmania has the population size for the academies to work as successfully, and I believe also has the oldest population in Australianas well as the fastest increases or (slowest decreases) in median age (ie other states are getting younger at a faster rate/getting older at a slower rate I don’t really know which). Which means fewer players who realistically might start playing footy and have kids who’d eventually get into the academies, etc.

Anyway, agree to disagree. Recruitment/retention is one of the major reasons I don’t think it’ll work but I could be wrong

It’s a minor factor, the major is the fact there is no competition to AFL in Tasmania. So there is no need to shoe horn a side into the league. Simple as that.
 
Feb 15, 2015
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I haven't lived in Tassie but I've looked at a few jobs there - what is it about the place that you think players are going to object en masse to? The expansion clubs were based in areas to try to wrest some market share from other codes - there's not much danger of a Super rugby, A League or thugby team popping up in Tasmania any time soon.
Keep looking for jobs. It’s a fantastic place to live. I would up stumps and move if I could find work there.
 
Tassie is really nice, I don't think they'd have any trouble attracting players in the second half of their careers with young kids to play over there. But they'd need a heavily subsidised salary cap to entice anyone past draft age to up sticks and move there, and thus begins the COLA argument again.
 

Cannon82

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Keep looking for jobs. It’s a fantastic place to live. I would up stumps and move if I could find work there.

Meh. Other than being stuck in Queensland, I'm on a pretty good wicket where I am. Plus I'd have to pay my relocation fees back, I think its poor form to jump around between jobs and other than being buried alive in projects, where I'm at now is pretty good compared to the *fest I was at 8 months ago.
 

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mrmonkey

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I haven't lived in Tassie but I've looked at a few jobs there - what is it about the place that you think players are going to object en masse to? The expansion clubs were based in areas to try to wrest some market share from other codes - there's not much danger of a Super rugby, A League or thugby team popping up in Tasmania any time soon.

Actually I think there's a big push for an A League team in Tassie, because it's a bit of a headache for the AFL, A league wants to pounce. The AFL really want norh down there I think they're really pushing for north to go from 4 tassie home games to 7, then from there 7 becomes 11 quite quickly. Also having north down there means they don't need to empty the talent pool anymore. Won't happen though.
 

Cannon82

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Actually I think there's a big push for an A League team in Tassie, because it's a bit of a headache for the AFL, A league wants to pounce. The AFL really want norh down there I think they're really pushing for north to go from 4 tassie home games to 7, then from there 7 becomes 11 quite quickly. Also having north down there means they don't need to empty the talent pool anymore. Won't happen though.

Huh, fair enough. Didn't realize they're looking to expand the A League again. Googling, they're looking for two more teams for the 19/20 season.
 
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I didn't want this thread to be derailed about footy in tassie but seeing as everyone is still talking about it I'll add a few more thoughts.

I don't think we would have any problems attracting players - who doesn't want to play AFL and earn the big bucks? It's a nice place to live too. Yes, initially a lot of players wouldn't be home grown but that's like most new clubs.
Cost of living is an issue -things are more expensive here, even property is starting to climb.
For those of you who think it's AFL or nothing here you are wrong. Soccer is growing in popularity, particularly for young kids and families. I would not be surprised if we were to get an A League team just to try and upset the apple cart.
People here are sick being fed table scraps of AFL games. We want our own team not a rebadged North Melbourne.
 

Topkent

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Not alot of humble pie being eaten about Harmes. Was the dominant midfielder on the ground and very good inside with Gus.
 

Tempy Tiger

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Not alot of humble pie being eaten about Harmes. Was the dominant midfielder on the ground and very good inside with Gus.
He got a lot of it but look at the possessions. 80% if them were handballs to no-one while being tackled by three blokes. I like Harmes but that wasn’t a standout game in my eyes.
 

Topkent

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He got a lot of it but look at the possessions. 80% if them were handballs to no-one while being tackled by three blokes. I like Harmes but that wasn’t a standout game in my eyes.

I can't agree with that, being tackled by 3 blokes means if he gets a handball out then we have numbers outside.
 

HANDSOLO

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Firstly - I’m going to eat the opposite of humble pie (is that cocaine?) cause I called Ol’ chompers to have a huge one against north so I think that counts

Secondly - Geelong, the city of dreams is a great place - or at least a great place to be from :) and it is very close to melbs

Thirdly - I think lots of relevant points on the Tassie debate. It’s basically a matrix of potential and ease of implementation - AFL probably thought SYDNEY and Gold Coast team would have greater potential (for reasons mentioned) and underestimated how difficult the implementation was - tassie they probably thought was equally difficult or a little easier perhaps but less potential (either from a share gain or defensive persepctive)

P.S. not sure why the random capitalization
 

HANDSOLO

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Also - haven’t watched the replay - is Tyson still holding the ball and kicking it to nobody. / the opposition?

He made me hit the laptop a lot last year - I thought a few games back I just got it wrong and was being harsh but last week I thought, you know what HANDS, maybe you were right all along

At this time of day this thread is basically the equivalent of three dudes in a pub because it’s only really those of us on pacific time
 
Also - haven’t watched the replay - is Tyson still holding the ball and kicking it to nobody. / the opposition?

He made me hit the laptop a lot last year - I thought a few games back I just got it wrong and was being harsh but last week I thought, you know what HANDS, maybe you were right all along

At this time of day this thread is basically the equivalent of three dudes in a pub because it’s only really those of us on pacific time
#WestCoastEchoChamber
 

ExTasDeeMan

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Jesus this Tassie debate rolls on. I'd love to live there again, but my career trajectory couldn't be there and I had to follow the career.

Such a great midfield to watch, Brayshaw is quietly becoming an absolute star in the middle for us now. Weid doing some great assists and hopefully he starts kicking goals. Spargo is a little campaigner.
 

HANDSOLO

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Jesus this Tassie debate rolls on. I'd love to live there again, but my career trajectory couldn't be there and I had to follow the career.

Such a great midfield to watch, Brayshaw is quietly becoming an absolute star in the middle for us now. Weid doing some great assists and hopefully he starts kicking goals. Spargo is a little campaigner.

Exactly what Australia is like for me - would love to live there again
 

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