focus on development

[stripes]

I think it has gotten to the time in the season where we need to cut our losses and just start preparing for the future. yes we are a mathematical chance of still playing finals but the team is too inconsistent. I think its time we just keep the young blokes in and get as much experience under their belt as possible. O'brien and Foster may have not been all the good today but you need to leave them in and show what they are capable of.....what can we lose? Bring in Hinkley and Mayne when fit, fill in the positions that have been made available by Haselby and Webster, some of the rookies should get a chance just to see how they cut it at AFL level once again what can we lose. Dunn has been playing ok for east fremantle, smith has been doing a good job as a run with player in the wafl. See what these guys have to offer so we can make a decision on them at the end of the year as opposed to playing the guys who may not be here. just my thoughts

 

[Belnakor]

We're not inconsistant.. we just consistantly shit.

 

[Clay Davis]

The decision from now on should be that if its a decision between a senior player and a younger player, and all other things are equal (form, fitness, etc), then the young player gets picked.

Pick on form first, then if its marginal, go for youth.

We should still try to win every game, but the focus should be on development nevertheless.

 

[freo_1985]

the truth is the season is over, so wats the real use of winning a couple more games and finishing 10th, and end up getting crap draft picks! and even if we do make the finals, wats the use of coming 8th or 7th, when was the last time a team ever won from those positions???

 

[Avid_Avenger]

the truth is the season is over, so wats the real use of winning a couple more games and finishing 10th, and end up getting crap draft picks! and even if we do make the finals, wats the use of coming 8th or 7th, when was the last time a team ever won from those positions???

Making finals from here and playing in a final would be great for the young players development and building a winning culture so if we ended up 7th or 8th it isn't necessarily a wasted year coz we'd have blooded a heap of kids and won games becoz of it, building confidence and belief.

As for that its pretty unlikely we'll make the 8 but becoz Geelong, Hawks and Bulldogs are all undefeated the ladder is still fairly open and crazily we're still only 2 wins from 8th spot.

It's not as if we haven't been playing kids already, Harvs has played 35 out of 38 players or something, so he's been blooding kids all season. I think you keep this phased rebuild up and try to turn things around and give yourself a chance to make the 8 until at least rounds 10-12 and then if its not going to happen perhaps then you can adopt a complete youth policy and aim for decent draft picks at season's end.

Either way you need to give the guys on your list a chance to show what they've got coz there's going to be a clean out at season's end.

 

[Cameron_K]

We're not inconsistant.. we just consistantly shit.

Post of the year.

 

[Belnakor]

haha