Do we need a change in strategy for our new recruits?

[lacrow]

So I was thinking about all the guys leaving... specifically all the high draft picks that have ended up going pear-shaped for us, and maybe the AFC has to start thinking about other ways to handle our new elite recruits.

It seems as if many of the other teams in the comp (and this may just be anecdotal) give their High-Draft-Pick recruits much more game time and much earlier than we do.

I know that the club likes to break new recruits in gently but maybe this is hurting us due to the fact that, because the other teams in the comp play their young stars much earlier, there has developed an expectation by young high draft picks that they will play football. Then when they don't, they are easily dismayed and want out of the situation.

For example, I remember a bunch of people talking about Reilly and wondering if he wasn't looking over the border at Dal Santo and wishing he had the opportunities to play more games earlier, as NDS has.

So maybe there's a change in the psychology of the younger player that the AFC needs to take into account. Perhaps we need to start "rushing" our potential guns along the path to AFL football?

Thoughts???

 

[- PC -]

So I was thinking about all the guys leaving... specifically all the high draft picks that have ended up going pear-shaped for us, and maybe the AFC has to start thinking about other ways to handle our new elite recruits.

If they are elite they will play. I recall thinking, and mentioning, that Van Berlo was too skinny to make an immediate impact...

It seems as if many of the other teams in the comp (and this may just be anecdotal) give their High-Draft-Pick recruits much more game time and much earlier than we do.

Dont think its anecdotal...but what I do think is that clubs, and specifically club members, like to see high draft picks play early. The AFC havent had many 'high'' draft picks, and the last one we had under 10 was a ruckman who always take a little bit longer...

I know that the club likes to break new recruits in gently but maybe this is hurting us due to the fact that, because the other teams in the comp play their young stars much earlier, there has developed an expectation by young high draft picks that they will play football. Then when they don't, they are easily dismayed and want out of the situation.

Chopper has a saying for these softco's

For example, I remember a bunch of people talking about Reilly and wondering if he wasn't looking over the border at Dal Santo and wishing he had the opportunities to play more games earlier, as NDS has.

Yet it has been said many times on this board and in a few media stories that BR was glad he was brought along the way he was

So maybe there's a change in the psychology of the younger player that the AFC needs to take into account. Perhaps we need to start "rushing" our potential guns along the path to AFL football?

Its not the AFC that needs to change its direction...apart from doing ''testing'' but these softco's need to harden the ...well Chopper says it best

 

[Freddy Bassett]

So I was thinking about all the guys leaving... specifically all the high draft picks that have ended up going pear-shaped for us, and maybe the AFC has to start thinking about other ways to handle our new elite recruits.

It seems as if many of the other teams in the comp (and this may just be anecdotal) give their High-Draft-Pick recruits much more game time and much earlier than we do.

I know that the club likes to break new recruits in gently but maybe this is hurting us due to the fact that, because the other teams in the comp play their young stars much earlier, there has developed an expectation by young high draft picks that they will play football. Then when they don't, they are easily dismayed and want out of the situation.

For example, I remember a bunch of people talking about Reilly and wondering if he wasn't looking over the border at Dal Santo and wishing he had the opportunities to play more games earlier, as NDS has.

So maybe there's a change in the psychology of the younger player that the AFC needs to take into account. Perhaps we need to start "rushing" our potential guns along the path to AFL football?

Thoughts???

Yeah I agree mate. We have always had too many mid age blokes, who arent going to improve on our list. Time too move em on. Bode, Doughty, Perrie are just keping people of the list who could become big time.

 

[Mismatched]

The thing with the crows is in the last 2-3 years, since the departure of Stenglein and Watts, the Crows have changed their approach, before this they were dismal, Meeson I believe is probably just still part of the hangover of before the crows changed their ways.

The problem we have is that the KPPs which we seem to lose take longer to make it into the side as their body's need to develop and thus they often spend a fair bit of time in the SANFL league and reserves sides, rarely do KPPs below the age of 21 play much AFL footy. Unfortunately the are drafted at 18 and this means they must wait a few years and some of the victorian draftees come over as high draftees expecting to be treated as royalty and to play straight away. Fergus Watts infact played 5 games in his first year, kicked 2 goals as a key forward and did nothing. The next year he averaged 2 goals a game in the SANFL, luckily he kicked 12 in a final to bump up his trade value.

Whilst there has been a few go homes, Anwin and Watts were a good thing to lose and Meeson has a good chance of entering the same boat, Stenglein and Johnson had nothing to do with opportunity, they were both in our best 18 and both were involved in the trades that allowed us to pick up Carey, Torney and Thomson + pick 28.

Plenty of recruits do get games as well if they work hard enough, in the 2004 draft, van Berlo, Knights and Maric to a lesser degree, all interstate recruits all have had extended game time since, van Berlo playing 11 matches in his first year, knights 2 and will probably be in our best 22 beginning of next year. 2005 draft, Douglas played in a final despite missing 8 games due to injury, Vince played in round 1 and a few times again throughout the year, Porplyzia also played games and now 1 year on is in our best 22. From last years draft, both Gill and Cambell played games, Gill cementing his spot in our best 22, Cambell unlucky that he was injured early in the season when opportunities would have come. Mackay if he hadn't injured himself would have played considering his form in his first 2 games.

Whilst I do agree that sometimes it would be nice to see NC give some of our younger blokes a bit more of a go, if they work hard enough and prove themselves that opportunity should come. I think the change has been made and in the next few years we will see the fruits of this, when blokes like Reilly(who many have predicted to leave), van Berlo, Knights, Douglas, Maric, Griffen, Mackay, Tippet, all interstate draftees carry us into the future.

All the above points were duly noted a couple of years back and are being recktified, Meesen is just an idiot with no heart aparently, Hudson a disloyal team rule breaking so and so who has been lured by a contract that the crows would not in their right minds give him, as for McGregor, he is seeking the opportunities he won't recieve at the crows, whether he deserved those or not is another topic.

 

[mymansyd]

The thing with the crows is in the last 2-3 years, since the departure of Stenglein and Watts...

Top Post.

 

[GlaCial]

Watts and Meesen say they wanted more opportunity. But it must be more than that. Look at Stenglein, Judd, Welsh and even Thompson to name a few. They were all getting games, but it didn't stop them wanting to go home. It must be bad enough if you have to leave home against your will, but if you are not playing at the highest level it must get tough.

Let's face it, there's always a risk when recruiting from interstate.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Watts and Meesen say they wanted more opportunity. But it must be more than that. Look at Stenglein, Judd, Welsh and even Thompson to name a few. They were all getting games, but it didn't stop them wanting to go home. It must be bad enough if you have to leave home against your will, but if you are not playing at the highest level it must get tough.

Let's face it, there's always a risk when recruiting from interstate.

take Welsh out of that scenario, there was a personal issue similar to Begley's situation in why he came back to Adelaide.

 

[GlaCial]

take Welsh out of that scenario, there was a personal issue similar to Begley's situation in why he came back to Adelaide.

The point I'm trying to make is that players go home for all sorts of different reasons, and lack or opportunity may be one of them, or even part of the players reason.

 

[Mismatched]

but these players accept that they may have to move interstate, otherwise they wouldn't join up, so its not exactly against their will, unfortunately a select few find they cannot handle living away from home and seek to be traded back for various reasons.

 

[GlaCial]

but these players accept that they may have to move interstate, otherwise they wouldn't join up, so its not exactly against their will, unfortunately a select few find they cannot handle living away from home and seek to be traded back for various reasons.

That's why they ALL do cart-wheels when they hear their names being called out by the Adelaide recruiting guy. Simple fact is if they grew up watching the Footy Show they would think going to AFC and living in Adelaide was a death sentence.

 

[Dogga79]

Somebody on another thread wrote that AFC do better with recruits from country areas. After some thought I agree with this statement. If we are gonna look interstate maybe our eyes should turn to vic country and not metro. I don't know the statistics but I am willing to say there is a lower go home factor and we have better success with them. Even in SA look how well we have done with riverland, Yorke Peninsula players.

 

[GlaCial]

Somebody on another thread wrote that AFC do better with recruits from country areas. After some thought I agree with this statement. If we are gonna look interstate maybe our eyes should turn to vic country and not metro. I don't know the statistics but I am willing to say there is a lower go home factor and we have better success with them. Even in SA look how well we have done with riverland, Yorke Peninsula players.

Country SA yes. Country Vic, I'm not so sure. Look at Meesen, he was from country Vic.

 

[Dogga79]

Country SA yes. Country Vic, I'm not so sure. Look at Meesen, he was from country Vic.

I'm sure Maric was ruckman for vic country and Meesen was from Metro in the same year.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I'm sure Maric was ruckman for vic country and Meesen was from Metro in the same year.

Nope!

The other way around! Maric is from Calder Cannons (Vic Metro) and Meesen is from Geelong Falcons (Vic Country)

 

[Drummond]

Watts infact played 5 games in his first year, kicked 2 goals as a key forward and did nothing. The next year he averaged 2 goals a game in the SANFL, luckily he kicked 12 in a final to bump up his trade value.

Why does the number seem to be increasing every post? Watts kicked 10 goals.

Whilst I do agree that sometimes it would be nice to see NC give some of our younger blokes a bit more of a go, if they work hard enough and prove themselves that opportunity should come.

Who says they’re not working hard enough? Every other club in the league manages to have young players “working hard enough”, ours would be too but Craig doesn’t like taking risks and in a few years we’ll see the negatives of this approach.

All the above points were duly noted a couple of years back and are being recktified, Meesen is just an idiot with no heart aparently

Yeah, because a guy with no heart would’ve signed another contract last year when he had offers from other clubs. He’s 21 and wants to make a career for himself in his home state where more opportunities will come. Apparently, you’re wrong.

Hudson a disloyal team rule breaking so and so who has been lured by a contract that the crows would not in their right minds give him, as for McGregor, he is seeking the opportunities he won't recieve at the crows, whether he deserved those or not is another topic.

Oh yes asking for a 3 year contract when you’re more than entitled to it is so wrong!

 

[Mismatched]

Why does the number seem to be increasing every post? Watts kicked 10 goals. quote]

Apologies, 2 goals off for something that happened 2 years ago, sorry for over-valueing Watts, you'd think I'd told you that the crows did not infact win the 98 premiership.

Hudson is disloyal, perhaps i'm a little naive but I would have thought a player 1 year off of a knee recon who breaks player introduced team rules would feel a little indebted to this club, aparently not. He knew before he sent the crows his ultimatum that it wouldn't be accepted, especially for a bloke whose only just played 50 games, he didn't want to be at the crows next year, the bulldogs offered him a really good deal that he's probably not worth, very few clubs would offer Hudson 3 years.

As for Meesen, I wanted him to stay and part of me still wishes he would because he has great potential, but aparently he is not willing to fight it out with Maric, Griffen and Biglands, or doesn't think he can, so maybe he is doing us a favour, but he certainly doesn't have the fight in him that you need at AFL level, so thanks for the memories.

When I talk about young players having to work for their games, I mean that the AFC does not just give a game to a young bloke, because he is young, if he is the best available option, he will be picked. If you hadn't noticed, the AFC lately has spent much more time in the top half of the ladder challenging for premierships than many other clubs, since 97 5/11 in the top 4, 8/11 in the top 8, now compare that to port adelaide and tell me which teams policy is better, keep in mind that port just lost a GF by 20 goals, thats what happens when youth is selected, the likes of van Berlo, Douglas, Knights and Porplyzia all did the hard yards and got their spot in the team, our youth policies are getting better and expect to see a lot more next year. Of the 8 times we have made the finals in the past 11 years, we have probably been a serious challenger in 7, now tell me whether you would prefer to be in the positions we have been in the past 11 years or in the position of port where they spend time at the bottom of the ladder get knocked out of finals by large margins.

 

[GlaCial]

Maybe sometimes you just have to have faith in a young player.

Look at Ben Hart. He'd played less than 20 games of senior SANFL before he was running around for the Crows.

 

[Mismatched]

Maybe sometimes you just have to have faith in a young player.

Look at Ben Hart. He'd played less than 20 games of senior SANFL before he was running around for the Crows.

van Berlo, Johncock, knights, douglas would all be in the same boat.

 

[GlaCial]

Would Douglas have had a bigger impact on the EF than Riccuito?

 

[Mismatched]

In hindsight he may have, but ricciuto was feeling better in the lead up than the week before and in that week he kicked 2 goals that probably won us the game and if Ricciuto says he is ready, you play him, his body just decided it had had enough. We got crucified for not keeping benny hart on our list for this year, then get crucified for listening to Ricciuto and allowing him to play. It was a gamble and it didn't pay off, but if it had we would have possibly wiped them off the park. All this is forgetting the effects Ricciuto's leadership has on the team, although seeing him sit on the bench wouldn't have done wonders.

 

[GlaCial]

Delisting Hart was the right thing to do, even in hindsight.

 

[Mismatched]

agree.

 

[johnnypanther]

Yeah I agree mate. We have always had too many mid age blokes, who arent going to improve on our list. Time too move em on.

Furthermore these blokes have no trade value either