Has our depth Improved?

[GOHORCS]

Just watching the reviews on hawthorn website over last couple of weeks just makes you realise how much talent is in our side. obviously they are highlights packages and I am sure if we made a blooper video of each player I would be feeling a bit different but we just won two in a row and I feel we will be in a better position than last year. Being better than a premiership year does not mean another premiership automatically but it should mean another final series at least.

 

[Ordovician]

But what about the 2014 list?

Over the 2014 list we are a good quality key defender up and we have see the emergence of Langers from an unknown to a genuine A grader (not elite, but well on the way) which covered the loss of Sewell and even provided an upgrade in terms of pure pace, endurance and goal kicking for a slight loss of experience and power in the clinches.

On the down side we have lost a quality mid and true club champion whose body gave out as age caught up with him (it is a genuine pity that he could not retire as a triple premiership player given his sterling contributions to the team over the years) and a number 4 ruck who they (and they know who they are!) would rather eat their own vomit than give some serious game time too.

The thing that really concerns me is that we won with only one marking target in 2014. Perhaps I have been too comfortable and complacent having the twin talls forward structure since 2007, that without it I think the team is vulnerable should Roughy go down to serious injury. He is now the only key player in the team that we can not replace. In contrast when we had both Roughy and the other bloke who seems not to be around anymore, we could easily get by with just the one of them up forward as we did in 2011 when Roughy did the Achilles.

 

[Davo-27]

i'd say our depth has strengthened:

real AFL Talent, not players given games or players not up to par yet

Ins: Frawley, Anderson(inj 1 yr), Whitecross(inj 2 yrs), Pick 31/49/50/rookies(potentially 1-2)

Outs: Sewell, Cheney, Lowden

the rest of the outs were predictable and neccessary to improve the list, i think the inclusion of Frawley was a massive bonus for us, i think Anderson and Whitecross are gonna be serious depth for us going forward as well and i'm confident the club can pick up another 2 or so champs in the draft, if Sicily and Woodward or even O'Rourke put their hands up for more responsibility this year, then we're in a great position.....

as for the guys that have left Sewell had little to give from 2015 onwards, Cheney was always gonna be a fringe backman at our club, Lowden could be anything, Hallahan was obviously on the chopping block from my pov, Grimley was in a similar position as Lowden in that they never got given the opportunities that others got, when they were clearly better than those that got opportunities, Kelly was just a vanilla hbf, Garlett had mental issues........

 

[TallyHawk]

I reckon we will see Kaiden Brand emerge if/when Lake gets injured. Sicily will stake a claim and our champion of adversity Brenden Whitecross will have a change of luck.

 

[Blaze Storm]

The thing that really concerns me is that we won with only one marking target in 2014. Perhaps I have been too comfortable and complacent having the twin talls forward structure since 2007, that without it I think the team is vulnerable should Roughy go down to serious injury. He is now the only key player in the team that we can not replace. In contrast when we had both Roughy and the other bloke who seems not to be around anymore, we could easily get by with just the one of them up forward as we did in 2011 when Roughy did the Achilles.

I get that Gunstall is a mid-sized player, but when we talk about marking targets, Gunners and Breust with 59 & 39 marks inside 50 for 2014, only a little shy of Roughie's 64 (acknowledging not taking best defender and all that).

There's also resting ruckman with Hale, Cegs and BB all able to take marks in the forward line, add into that mix pinch-hit marking targets such as Hodge, Burger, Shoe, chip.

Plus little guys can take some screamers as shown by Poppy on a few occasions.

And then the relative unknowns of TOB, et al.

Most of our goals (even from the big guys) are snaps or running shots rather than set shots anyway, so I don't see how we'd fall into pieces just based on Roughie going down. DRASTICALLY WORSE, certainly, but not a basket case.

 

[Big A]

To those saying Roughy going down will cripple us, i have full faith Clarko would have another successful game plan ot two up his sleeve to counter that. We have many very versatile players on our list that can adapt.
Dunno, just feel we can counter anything and everything thats thrown at us atm and come out on top. Feels a lot like the 80s to me and am loving it

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Over the 2014 list we are a good quality key defender up and we have see the emergence of Langers from an unknown to a genuine A grader (not elite, but well on the way) which covered the loss of Sewell and even provided an upgrade in terms of pure pace, endurance and goal kicking for a slight loss of experience and power in the clinches.

On the down side we have lost a quality mid and true club champion whose body gave out as age caught up with him (it is a genuine pity that he could not retire as a triple premiership player given his sterling contributions to the team over the years) and a number 4 ruck who they (and they know who they are!) would rather eat their own vomit than give some serious game time too.

The thing that really concerns me is that we won with only one marking target in 2014. Perhaps I have been too comfortable and complacent having the twin talls forward structure since 2007, that without it I think the team is vulnerable should Roughy go down to serious injury. He is now the only key player in the team that we can not replace. In contrast when we had both Roughy and the other bloke who seems not to be around anymore, we could easily get by with just the one of them up forward as we did in 2011 when Roughy did the Achilles.

I hear what you are saying re: class KP FWD depth and being in trouble if Rough goes down. I think we are better positioned in 2015 to deal with this situation with Frawley coming in as we can push Lake or Frawley forward if needed. In theory Schoey can also play that role particularly against the weaker sides when he will get it lace out but against a quality key defender he is likely to struggle.

I actually think we have a KP fwd on our list who hasn't quite emerged yet but if we increase his leg strength and speed off the mark - which we no doubt will this preseason and next given the club he came from - then he will be a monster and that is Ben McEvoy. Everything I have seen from the way he plays suggests to me he could be a huge threat from the goalsquare.

 

[B&GBlood]

Our depth this year will be far classier than last year. I think we had about 28 guys that were genuinely able to win us a premiership this season. in 2015 I think we have about 32 that could genuinely play in a winning premiership side and hold their spot. Depth is 2 fold and that is where the key is in my book. Yes we have depth for injury cover and we saw how important that was this season just gone. Just as importantly though is the flexibility our list now has. That guys that come in are more versatile than the guys we lost -
In:
Frawley - KPD and able to swing forward
O' Rourke - Midfielder and HBF
Anderson - Genuine utility, inside mid, outside mid, HFF
Whitecross - Has played multiple AFL games at BP, HBF, Center, HFF and tagger

Out:
Cheney - Undersized KPD or BP
Hallahan - Inside Mid
Sewell - Inside Mid or maybe a forward tag at a stretch
Lowden - Ruck

All four of the main inclusions this year can cover multiple spots, which is not the case with the 4 main guys we lost.

Short changed Lowden their. Forward / Ruck - certainly