It's all about the future

[JSFish]

You keep talking about all these players who haven't proven themselves, and how they are what our future is based on. Every rebuilding team has players they aren't sure about, that's why they are rebuilding..their players are young. You seem to be assuming that every young player on our list will turn out to be a hack. Bit of positivity mate.

 

[_RT_]

And for those pointing out how tall Jack Riewoldt is and that he is therefore a guaranteed KPP, I will remind you Glen Archer was 182cm and Wayne Campbell 190 - just 2cm shorter than Jack. Now I've only been watching football for 30 years, only played 15 at CHF/FF/CHB, and I like the boy, but nothing about the way Jack plays screams anything other than 'FLANKER!'
I re-read Weaver's mock 07 draft last night where he had Gourdis at no.5, rating him the best KPP in it. I hope the old dog was right. I like the look of Putt too, but he could be all or nothing or just handy.
The point of my OP was to remind those talking up our bright future that our current results are largely thanks to the efforts of our senior men. Yes, the young blokes have contributed, but it's been at the periphery. Some joker wanted to give JR votes the other night - he had 12 touches! 12!! Tambling gets 18-19 and we bar up, overlooking or even bagging Johnson's 30. We call King a youngster when in fact he's a 24-year-old who probably every other club would ignore if delisted. Moore is 24 and a pinch-hitter as a KPP. Definitely suited to 3rd or 4th tall but 9 times out of 10 Buddy's kicking at least 5 from the chances he had against Moore (who still did a sterling job, kudos).
My point was that in 3 years time we are likely to find ourselves without nearly 900 games experience and a senior ruckman (Patto will only be 25), superstar forward, superstar goalsneak, and 30-year-old midfield body, and questioned where the replacements would come from. So far I hear that Patto and Putt will cover Simmonds, Riewoldt will replace Richo, Cotchin Brown and any number of blokes Johnson. We'll see. I was just warning of the distinct possibility that we'll be hit by several key retirements at once, right in the middle of the Great AFL Expansion Draft Pick Giveaway Bonanza*, and will have to rebuild with a series of pick 12-20s.

*Offer limited to new 'franchises' in cities where no one gives a stuff about footy, but hey, we're going to make it as easy as possible for you to jump on the bandwagon. The rich Australian footballing heritage of Parramatta and Surfers Paradise deserve to be gifted premierships inside a decade, while those living in the past back in Melbourne (what a ridiculous place to play football - it's too cold!) can wait another 30 years or switch to a team with a chance.
It's about the future dammit!

I get what you are saying but it is not like we're going to be the only team in the next few years to lose experienced players. Every other team is going to be losing players in the next few years, so perhaps you would like to swap positions with the following teams?
Swans: Everitt, Kirk, Hall, Barry, O'Loughlin, Crouch & Matthews
Saints: Harvey, Gehrig, Hudgton, King, Gardiner
Essendon: Lucas Fletcher Lloyd Michael Johnson
Roos: Simpson Harvey Grant Thompson Sinclair
Bulldogs: West Johnson Akermanis Eagleton Welsh Hudson
Fremantle: McManus Bell Farmer Johnson Carr Black Solomon Grover
Tell me the players on their lists that will fill the holes left by these players moving on.

While we will lose these 4 players over the next few years I hardly think we are going to be as affected as the other teams above will be.

BTW apologies for the Richo goals stat the site I was using lists games from last game first instead of first game first.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Another thing to consider is that while we lose 3-4 quality older players over the next 2-3 years after that we should be able to go 4-5 years with very little loss of talent due to retirement. So looking at the big picture over the next 6-8 years and not just the next 2-3 i think we are fairly well placed providing we recruit well. Although as you say the concessions to the new teams is a concern...

 

[Tivers]

I get what you are saying but it is not like we're going to be the only team in the next few years to lose experienced players. Every other team is going to be losing players in the next few years, so perhaps you would like to swap positions with the following teams?
Swans: Everitt, Kirk, Hall, Barry, O'Loughlin, Crouch & Matthews
Saints: Harvey, Gehrig, Hudgton, King, Gardiner
Essendon: Lucas Fletcher Lloyd Michael Johnson
Roos: Simpson Harvey Grant Thompson Sinclair
Bulldogs: West Johnson Akermanis Eagleton Welsh Hudson
Fremantle: McManus Bell Farmer Johnson Carr Black Solomon Grover - PAVLICH
Tell me the players on their lists that will fill the holes left by these players moving on.

While we will lose these 4 players over the next few years I hardly think we are going to be as affected as the other teams above will be.

He will be out of there in a flash first opportunity !

 

[Mr Majestic]

Richo is irreplaceable, but we haven't had a decent CHF since Ottens' one year in 2001, so two decent forwards (one at CHF, one at FF) can give us what Richo has between them, arguably more. I've got a fair bit of faith that we have the players already on the list to do that. Geelong don't have a genuine champion forward, they have a good mix of good forwards who work hard for each other as a unit, and a bloody exceptional midfield feeding them and making them look like champions.

Brown is a freak, but he is also flawed as the game is currently played (and will be increasingly in the future). Someone not quite as freakish who chases better and is more consistent can replace him. Cotchin may be that player, and for all we know he may be better than Brown. If Meyer gets his body right he is another who has that touch of class. Quality forward pockets/HFF's are one type that it is fairly easy to pick up in the draft and play early.

Simmonds isn't generally a great ruckman and not that influential around the ground despite usually getting a fair bit of it. Last night's game was an exception in his career; a magnificent effort both in the ruck and away from it - but it's not like he was dominating much in terms of opposition either. Over the span of his games with us, he averages out to being fairly average, far from irreplaceable.

We already have mids who will be better than Johnson at his best. Some of them aren't quite there yet, but they will be by the time he retires if they haven't already clearly overtaken him.

To the above I would add that we'll have more quality and depth all over the ground which will more than offset the loss of our older players, and also that the retirement of these seniors will free us up a lot of cash to pursue a high quality trade or two if we think we need it.

Well razor if you think that was an exceptional game then you must have a short memory as simmo just missed out on being all australian ruckman in 2006, And i would say that when he goes off the ground and patto takes over we are very vulnerable in the middle as he is still learning the craft with a fair way to go

 

[blxx]

but I would imagine our first rounder this year would be a ruckman (seems the obvious hole) and then we'd have Gus, Patto and another kid.

there is no way we will use a first rounder on a ruckman unless it was Natanui.

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

Players with good disposal and awareness are what we need....and a bit of mongrel and desire as an added bonus would be nice too...