Another season underway. Another familiar loss. Had a crack, miles off it.
After five years at the bottom we are looking another 2-3 years off any major movement up ladder.
As always, some encouraging signs. Mainly the kids.
Sheezel a ripper, Wardlaw cracks in, McKercher classy and Duursma looks a player. But so they should be. They are absolute high end draft picks. There would be something very wrong if they weren't quality young players. Goater looked good too - terrible luck.
Then look at the rest of the list.
It's horribly unbalanced. Backline is atrocious and still no small pressure forward.
After infamously culling all the fringe players, we have drafted so many mids and not much else. And many of them are small. Where is the system in what we've done?
What have we been doing for past five years?
We've tried recruiting guys from other clubs. But most have been just spot fillers. CCJ trade was always horrible and is looking even worse now. Corr is very average. Tucker adds little. Fisher and Stephens get time but looked average on debut. Daniel Howe
. Should we have gone after a Ginnivan who at least filled a glaring need?
Greenwood and Stephenson been ok. Shiels solid last year. But none move the needle for us.
Logue was at least a tick until his injury.
Our key defender cupboard is virtually bare. We're relying on Comben who has never been a back and is made of paper. Nyoun, Pink??? Unlikely.
So many mistakes with drafting and trading it's amazing.
The CCJ trade.
Trading out of the first round of the draft when we were rebuilding, missing Pickett and/or Serong.
Jacobs Edward. Phoenix Spicer. Jack Mahoney. Hosie. Ham.
Phillips looking very shaky (ahead of McDonald).
Delisting and Relisting Turner? Why? What was Josh Walker all about? And then we flicked him when we were light on for key backs?
We should also have pushed harder with Horne-Francis. Port were desperate and like the CCJ trade we folded meekly. Even with Brown we took way unders for a bloke with his record.
I know some will disagree but I see a string of glaring mistakes leading to a historically bad team.
Some are with benefit of hindsight, undoubtedly, but lots of them like CCJ, Mahoney, Howe, even Corr, were obvious at the time.
And most have one bloke's hands all over them.
After five years at the bottom we are looking another 2-3 years off any major movement up ladder.
As always, some encouraging signs. Mainly the kids.
Sheezel a ripper, Wardlaw cracks in, McKercher classy and Duursma looks a player. But so they should be. They are absolute high end draft picks. There would be something very wrong if they weren't quality young players. Goater looked good too - terrible luck.
Then look at the rest of the list.
It's horribly unbalanced. Backline is atrocious and still no small pressure forward.
After infamously culling all the fringe players, we have drafted so many mids and not much else. And many of them are small. Where is the system in what we've done?
What have we been doing for past five years?
We've tried recruiting guys from other clubs. But most have been just spot fillers. CCJ trade was always horrible and is looking even worse now. Corr is very average. Tucker adds little. Fisher and Stephens get time but looked average on debut. Daniel Howe
PLAYERCARDSTART
15
Daniel Howe
- Age
- 28
- Ht
- 193cm
- Wt
- 88kg
- Pos.
- Mid
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 16.2
- 4star
- K
- 8.9
- 3star
- HB
- 7.3
- 5star
- M
- 4.3
- 4star
- T
- 4.5
- 5star
- CL
- 2.2
- 4star
No current season stats available
- D
- 12.2
- 3star
- K
- 6.6
- 3star
- HB
- 5.6
- 4star
- M
- 4.4
- 4star
- T
- 3.2
- 5star
- CL
- 1.0
- 3star
PLAYERCARDEND
Greenwood and Stephenson been ok. Shiels solid last year. But none move the needle for us.
Logue was at least a tick until his injury.
Our key defender cupboard is virtually bare. We're relying on Comben who has never been a back and is made of paper. Nyoun, Pink??? Unlikely.
So many mistakes with drafting and trading it's amazing.
The CCJ trade.
Trading out of the first round of the draft when we were rebuilding, missing Pickett and/or Serong.
Jacobs Edward. Phoenix Spicer. Jack Mahoney. Hosie. Ham.
Phillips looking very shaky (ahead of McDonald).
Delisting and Relisting Turner? Why? What was Josh Walker all about? And then we flicked him when we were light on for key backs?
We should also have pushed harder with Horne-Francis. Port were desperate and like the CCJ trade we folded meekly. Even with Brown we took way unders for a bloke with his record.
I know some will disagree but I see a string of glaring mistakes leading to a historically bad team.
Some are with benefit of hindsight, undoubtedly, but lots of them like CCJ, Mahoney, Howe, even Corr, were obvious at the time.
And most have one bloke's hands all over them.
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