Make or Break 2017

[SunshineBoy]

Whatever will we do now???

Don't stress, we still have Blair

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Apologies in advance, if this has already been discussed.

This season, is the first season in a while where there are so many players must save their careers. Ben Lennon got me thinking, then I realised the HUGE number of players also in this bracket.

Could the improvement of a huge number of fringe-average players push us back into finals? Would the pressure from the depth would ensure the regular guys work harder to maintain their spots in the 22?

I have put forward a number of players who I believe are in this category and am keen to hear the thoughts of other Tiger fans.

Ben Lennon
Jake Batchelor
Jacob Townsend
Kane Lambert
Taylor Hunt
Nathan Broad
Steven Morris
Daniel Butler
Todd Elton

All the above guys are out of contract.

Ivan Maric you'd think would finish out this season.
I have left the rookies out as I consider them project players EG Soldo, Moore, Chol etc

Chris Yarran is still on the list but has obviously agreed to part ways.

Last season, Sam Lloyd would have been on this list. Took his game to another level and extended his career.

I have bolded three guys on our list who the club would benefit most from a turn around or heavily improved season.

Lennon has the talent and is bringing a work ethic to his pre-season. I don't like the guy much with his attitude and pondering a trade 2 seasons in a row. However of the above list, he has the most talent. If he can utilise his skills, along with his newly found 'work ethic' we may have a player who will earn a spot in the 22. He might start enjoying his footy with an extra confidence booster.

Broad has been a average so far. He's a new recruit, but is mature aged and should kick off quicker. However lets not forget how many fans wrote off Rance in his early days. Rance was always lost and constantly turning the footy over under pressure. We all know how well he turned out. We need Broad to break out. If any of Rance, Astbury or Grimes goes down our next in line is Batchelor. I'd rather Broad become next in line but not at his current standard, he is so far off its not funny. Hence the importance of a huge turn around.

Eltons importance to the team is critical. If any one of our Big forwards or key defence injure we are in strife. Sure we have other options, but they are minimal. A big step up from a KPP, even as a back up, is much more beneficial to the club. Players such as Lambert, Hunt, Townsend, Butler we have plenty of however minimal KPP's highlights Elton's importance. Don't be surprised if even after another 'ok' season he scores another contract.

Thoughts?

Too many players that have very little upside or room for improvement on that list. We really should be shedding the likes of Batchelor Hunt Morris etc who have limited ability and are never going to improve. Also we have been far to charitable with contract lengths, signing up players to 2 years or more, players on the periphery should only ever get 1 year contracts.

 

[Hoos]

If Lennon can pull his finger out and Butler has a good run of not getting injured, I can see those two topping that list as, IMO, they have the most talent. And despite Batchelor being undersized and Elton being not good enough, both could retain a spot due to our horrendous lack of depth in the key position department.

As for the rest of them, hopefully they will have been overtaken by younger, more talented teammates by halfway through next season. Hunt and Morris, in particular, have the work ethic, but none of them have the ability to be anything more than depth players.

 

[Gosha]

Butler won't make it

 

[KiwiTiger]

Butler won't make it

Haere Ra

 

[HumanMeatball]

Butler won't make it

I wouldn't write him off just yet, came 3rd in time trials and has Enough tricks will see

 

[HumanMeatball]

I also still don't understand the grigg and houli hate

 

[Noseybonk]

I also still don't understand the grigg and houli hate

We should have a team full of Rances and Martins.

 

[Rubber Hips]

So much dead wood!
we need to cull...get ruthless tigers

 

[TheProwler]

Trade em all to Freo for Fyfe.

 

[Sir_Loin]

So much dead wood!
we need to cull...get ruthless tigers

We've been culling for 7 years. I think we've turned the list over more than any club in that time.

 

[Hoos]

We've been culling for 7 years. I think we've turned the list over more than any club in that time.

And all we've done is replace one group of plodders with another.

 

[tunksy]

Apart from Lennon and Hunt the rest could go and no one would notice.

Todd Elton is the luckiest list clogger of all time, been on the list since 2011 (AFL Draft 1st round selection (Richmond) No. 26 overall http://www.richmondfc.com.au/player-profile/todd-elton).

He is like Conca in that if he was not drafted so high; he would not be on the list at all.

Total contribution to the RFC bugger all.

"Drafted so high" at 26.. "in the first round" what does that tell you aboutthe draft he was taken in? He was far from a "first round" pick...

 

[tunksy]

And all we've done is replace one group of plodders with another.

And yet the last two years our drafting and development looks to actually improved (coincidentally when we have been able to throw money into that area)

 

[TigerImposter]

And all we've done is replace one group of plodders with another.

Thanks to Dan and Blair

 

[TigerImposter]

And yet the last two years our drafting and development looks to actually improved (coincidentally when we have been able to throw money into that area)

What evidence do you have of this improvement?

 

[THE THIN MAN]

"Drafted so high" at 26.. "in the first round" what does that tell you aboutthe draft he was taken in? He was far from a "first round" pick...

While I agree the 2011 draft was not the greatest for players after pick 26 there were players that could have been selected.

 

[TigerImposter]

While I agree the 2011 draft was not the greatest for players after pick 26 there were players that could have been selected.
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Good to see we didn't miss out on much except for Neale and Talia. A lot of misses there.

 

[JR82]

Apologies in advance, if this has already been discussed.

This season, is the first season in a while where there are so many players must save their careers. Ben Lennon got me thinking, then I realised the HUGE number of players also in this bracket.

Could the improvement of a huge number of fringe-average players push us back into finals? Would the pressure from the depth would ensure the regular guys work harder to maintain their spots in the 22?

I have put forward a number of players who I believe are in this category and am keen to hear the thoughts of other Tiger fans.

Ben Lennon
Jake Batchelor
Jacob Townsend
Kane Lambert
Taylor Hunt
Nathan Broad
Steven Morris
Daniel Butler
Todd Elton

All the above guys are out of contract.

Ivan Maric you'd think would finish out this season.
I have left the rookies out as I consider them project players EG Soldo, Moore, Chol etc

Chris Yarran is still on the list but has obviously agreed to part ways.

Last season, Sam Lloyd would have been on this list. Took his game to another level and extended his career.

I have bolded three guys on our list who the club would benefit most from a turn around or heavily improved season.

Lennon has the talent and is bringing a work ethic to his pre-season. I don't like the guy much with his attitude and pondering a trade 2 seasons in a row. However of the above list, he has the most talent. If he can utilise his skills, along with his newly found 'work ethic' we may have a player who will earn a spot in the 22. He might start enjoying his footy with an extra confidence booster.

Broad has been a average so far. He's a new recruit, but is mature aged and should kick off quicker. However lets not forget how many fans wrote off Rance in his early days. Rance was always lost and constantly turning the footy over under pressure. We all know how well he turned out. We need Broad to break out. If any of Rance, Astbury or Grimes goes down our next in line is Batchelor. I'd rather Broad become next in line but not at his current standard, he is so far off its not funny. Hence the importance of a huge turn around.

Eltons importance to the team is critical. If any one of our Big forwards or key defence injure we are in strife. Sure we have other options, but they are minimal. A big step up from a KPP, even as a back up, is much more beneficial to the club. Players such as Lambert, Hunt, Townsend, Butler we have plenty of however minimal KPP's highlights Elton's importance. Don't be surprised if even after another 'ok' season he scores another contract.

Thoughts?

it's not all that hard to see all of these guys being cut at season's end unless they step up this season. Lennon would easily be the most likely to stay, Lids spot is his for the taking but it's now or never for him.

 

[tunksy]

What evidence do you have of this improvement?

What evidence do you have it hasnt?

Check the vibe around the draftees the last two years read all the positive stuff about markov macca menadue short and even graham and Rioli...

 

[tunksy]

Good to see we didn't miss out on much except for Neale and Talia. A lot of misses there.

Talia has done stuff all. Neale is the only miss there and like fyfe a buch of clubs passed him over... sometimes you draft for needs.

Hindsight drafts are so easy.

 

[Rubber Hips]

We've been culling for 7 years. I think we've turned the list over more than any club in that time.

Yeah, we keep churning but have replaced with more of the same...can't put my finger on it but it might have something to do with our recruitment & player development

 

[TigerImposter]

What evidence do you have it hasnt?

Check the vibe around the draftees the last two years read all the positive stuff about markov macca menadue short and even graham and Rioli...

If you are prepared to make ad hoc statements then back them up . I think based on seven years of data and our development I'm not holding my breath as I recall reading simple bs like this seven years ago and we finished 13th after all of this.

 

[Goldust]

While I agree the 2011 draft was not the greatest for players after pick 26 there were players that could have been selected.
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Even Kerridge, who I knew as a junior, is a significant upgrade over Elton.

 

[Goldust]

All we've done in seven years of development is turn the likes of Lennon and Gordon into the next Arnott and McDonough, who became the next McBean and Elton, who became the next Helbig, McDonald and Nason, who became the next Post, Hughes and Oakley-Nicholls and on and on it goes.