With Brett Deledio's average performance in the first round of finals, I heard two names floated as potential ins: Steve Johnson and Ryan Griffen.
Steve Johnson is a noted finals performer, but was dropped because his form was unspeakably poor. The other two have serious question marks about their performances in finals and are probably more washed up than Johnson.
Mumford also stunk it up quite badly and may not get up for the semi final, being replaced by Dawson Simpson.
I wondered to myself: are these really the choices they have?
Having a look at their list, there are an awful lot of players who are essentially offcuts from other teams. In addition to the named three, I count Reid, De Boer, Mzungu as blokes who've gotten games this year and were dumped by other clubs.
Of their good players from other clubs, Mumford and Shaw were also offloaded by their original clubs due being surplus to requirements.
With the amount of talent GWS have at their disposal, why is the discussion about which long past their best player should come in for another play long past his best? This seems like the kind of thing that clubs on their way down have to confront.
It always has been a retirement destination.
Brogan, Power, Cornes - hell, we got Junior (Fossil) MacDonald from the Ammos when we started.
Followed by the likes of Thornton (I know!) Gilliam, Hunt, OhAilpin Patfull etc. Dylan Addison came home, played a couple and is now welfare manager.
Lids has a couple more left in him, Stevie J had one good one and then was cooked.
They've mostly been useful for what they were, and we knew they were transitioning into whatever happens post football.
Shaw and Mummy are different - they weren't close to retirement and have already given several years - Shaw was AA twice
after Collingwood.
But there's nothing wrong with being a retirement destination if the reasons are right, and everyone know where they stand.
My thoughts as well. I think they can't become a truly great team until their original players take ownership of the club. Shiel, Patton and Cameron are all 24 - they should be the leaders, not the older blokes who steered the club through the early years (though I still rate Ward quite highly).
They're not talented youth with potential anymore, they have a core group that's at the age where they should be regarded as the best group in the league.
Ward and Davis are both still only 27. Young by captain's standards - it's the six years as, at that age, that make them standouts. Now (I think) the longest serving captains in the league. But at only 27, there's no need to step aside, just yet.
Of the "younger" brigade, Steve Cognilio is our Vice-Captain taking over from Heath Shaw who's stepped back to the leadership group which also contains Josh Kelly, Dylan Shiel and Dev Smith.
And from what I've seen it's a really cohesive and vocal leadership group within the club.
I'm more than happy with where our leadership group is placed at the moment.