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- Jun 19, 2006
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It seems like everybody's a bit surprised by some of the selection decisions this year. But thinking about it I think there's a clear tactic to get as many players as possible to about 20 games this year. It seems like if you've played less than about 20 games you get given games basically for free. As soon as you get to that 20 game mark the expectations get massively ramped up.
The way I see it players with over 20 games aren't competing to get in the best 22 but more like the best 18 because there's something like 4 spots a week going to really inexperienced players. Just look through the players who have been preferred and those who have been left out.
Gregson and Lang haven't been dropped all year despite their performances dropping off a bit. Cockatoo has shown flashes of brilliance but nothing like the consistency at VFL level of GHS or Smedts recently. Kolodjashnij has been good but they're preferring him to Rivers who was excellent for much of the year. Luxford got games with only patchy VFL form and both Thurlow and Cowan were brought back in at AFL level quickly after not dominating at VFL.
In contrast guys like GHS, Smedts and Blease need to dominate VFL for a number of weeks before getting a run at AFL level. Even Walker was dropped harshly earlier in the year.
But the 2 that really fascinate me are Bews and Kersten. Bews' form dropped off only a bit and he's out of the side once he gets to the magic 20 game mark. Now Kersten, who has been given a pretty cushy run at selection, gets publicly asked for more the week he reaches 20 games.
So what do people think? Is it a tactic so we've got a bunch of players with experience when our oldies shift out over the next couple of years? Anyway it was just a thought...and a good distraction from the bloody cricket.
The way I see it players with over 20 games aren't competing to get in the best 22 but more like the best 18 because there's something like 4 spots a week going to really inexperienced players. Just look through the players who have been preferred and those who have been left out.
Gregson and Lang haven't been dropped all year despite their performances dropping off a bit. Cockatoo has shown flashes of brilliance but nothing like the consistency at VFL level of GHS or Smedts recently. Kolodjashnij has been good but they're preferring him to Rivers who was excellent for much of the year. Luxford got games with only patchy VFL form and both Thurlow and Cowan were brought back in at AFL level quickly after not dominating at VFL.
In contrast guys like GHS, Smedts and Blease need to dominate VFL for a number of weeks before getting a run at AFL level. Even Walker was dropped harshly earlier in the year.
But the 2 that really fascinate me are Bews and Kersten. Bews' form dropped off only a bit and he's out of the side once he gets to the magic 20 game mark. Now Kersten, who has been given a pretty cushy run at selection, gets publicly asked for more the week he reaches 20 games.
So what do people think? Is it a tactic so we've got a bunch of players with experience when our oldies shift out over the next couple of years? Anyway it was just a thought...and a good distraction from the bloody cricket.
