Depth Issue

[GreyCrow]

I missed that part... It's hard to watch a game in full with an 18 month old running around destroying the house!
Butcher certainly made the most of our undersize backline.

That was what made me sit up. Butcher looked like he was jumping against back pocket players??

 

[ggDropbear]

Wait for the inevitable injuries, and consider a fortnightly rotation for the fresh blood, two weeks of Knight/Cameron/Menzel/ROB two weeks of Milera/McGovern/Atkins/Thommo.

It's a problem we should be happy to have, wait and see who manages to take the extra mile.

 

[adelaidecrows]

For the first time in my living memory as a crows fan (which includes their entire history I'm that old ), we currently have depth that extends beyond the 22. There has always been low hanging fruit in our starting 22 that you would readily cull if there were a quality replacement available.

Now I'm not suggesting we are a top 4 side, but we have a good spread of talent that we haven't had before. We still lack a couple of elite mids before we are a contender.

I expect this post to offend the Lyon, CEY etc fans out there but they are good break glass in case of emergency depth in my view.

Today in the SANFL we'll have CC, Knight, Menze, and Henderson (I know he has his critics) all capable of slotting straight into the 22 yesterday and performing just as well. Assuming all 4 get through and play well, what do we do?

Rather than leaving these guys in the SANFL until poor form or injury forces changes, is there an opportunity to have a bit of a rotation system where we make a couple of unforced changes each week so that guys who are a little sore can freshen up? Or does this idea have the hallmarks of the Australian cricket team rotation system that saw the Aussies lose all form?

This is an interesting dilemma.

To reach our absolute best I feel Knight, Menzel, Cameron, Hampton and Henderson are in our best 22. I would like to see some harsh decision making at the selection table to really keep players on edge but at the same time those players listed above have to be demanding selection. Besides Knight who is first in given the opportunity, the rest just aren't knocking the door down yet and Hampton is injured.

I do think CEY, Grigg, Shaw, Otten and Lyon just aren't up to scratch and really the pace we want to play, they are slow and I just can't see them having a career at the AFC in Pyke's explosive game plan. I can see Gore and Wigg over taking them in the pecking order. Its a tough call but really some players are on our list longer due to the sanctions. I hope we can trade a couple out but not hopeful.

 

[1achie]

That was what made me sit up. Butcher looked like he was jumping against back pocket players??

I think Doedee was on him for a bit.

 

[Stiffy_18]

We are weakest in key forwards and, to a lesser extent, key defenders. We're alright in most other areas.

Ruck is our biggesr concern. While ROB is very promising and will be a player, if god forbid, Jacobs goes down with long temr injury, there goes our season.

Again, ROB is developing very nicely but we literally have no depth in the ruck. Lowden is a spud of Angus Graham proportions and Hunter is years away.