Preview Moving on - the future begins now

Aug 4, 2004
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Well, I think that as a club we can finally say goodbye to the shambles the last 2 years have been.

Since the end of our season we have moved on the Coach, Head of Football, Senior Assistant coach, had a Captain step down, and now the trading of Jenkins, Betts, Jacobs, Keath, Greenwood and CEY along with some retirements and delistings.

It is fair to say that we have, possibly for our first time ever, gone in to full rebuild mode. This is no minor change, this is full 'burn it down and start again'.

Personally, I'm very happy this has happened (although a year too late which everyone outside the club could see). The experienced group had their chance and the infighting was out of control.

No we get (cue the latest business cliche from Chapman) "Clear air" to start again (although it would be a lot clearer if Chappy had any integrity at all).

So with a clear line drawn in the sand, what is next? For me, it is more exciting than heading in to the 2019 season that is for sure. Yes I expect us to be in the bottom 8 and probably finish around 11th or 12th, but at least we have a plan to move forward with.

The other great news is that if you were a young player at the club, you KNOW that your opportunity is coming. If you were Gallucci, or Sholl, or Hamill, or Davis, or Stengle, or McAdam, or Jones or even McPherson, you have to be excited about the opportunities that you are going to get. You would be jumping out of your skin to be ready for the season.
In fact I'm pretty sure McHenry was so excited he went for a short jog the other day and ended up in Broome...

It has been a very tough fall from 2017 to now, but I'm more excited now than I have been for some time.
 
I'm surprised that so many are tipping us to be contending for the bottom 4. Sure there will be a few inconsistent performances with a younger crew but there were inconsistent performances with the older crew as well. Our core group still remains. We'll still be competitive against every side.
Talia
Brown
Laird
Kelly
Doedee
Smith
Seedsman
Sloane
M Crouch
B Crouch
Lynch
Walker
Hartigan
Milera
Gibbs

All established players.


O'Brien
Fogarty
Murphy

all played this year.

Jones, Gallucci, Stengle, Davis, Himmelberg all had a taste.

Those last 2 groups will be exciting, like the untried players and new draftees.
 

Tex200

Cancelled
10k Posts Podcaster
Dec 24, 2008
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We’re in a much better position now to move forward than we were 12 months ago.

The re-signing of Mackay and Chapman hanging around because “he’s the best person to do the job” leaves a bit of a stink though.

To have a real fresh start with “clean air” Chapman had to go too.
If at the end of R23 you’d offered me 4 leadership bodies...I’d have taken it
 
Aug 4, 2004
13,234
27,684
on planet Crow
AFL Club
Adelaide
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36ers
Talia
Brown
Laird
Kelly
Doedee
Smith
Seedsman
Sloane
M Crouch
B Crouch
Lynch
Walker
Hartigan
Milera
Gibbs

All established players.


O'Brien
Fogarty
Murphy

all played this year.

Jones, Gallucci, Stengle, Davis, Himmelberg all had a taste.

Those last 2 groups will be exciting, like the untried players and new draftees.

This, PLUS the influx of talent coming in through this years draft, and what I have heard we have available next year through FS and NGA, and the promise that we will actually play them! That's excitement right there!!
 

Betts are off

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 28, 2016
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Correct. The AFL media and many in these forums want you to believe that 'Addition by Addition' is the only way for an AFL club to move forward. But I firmly believe that we have had a astronomically large 'Addition by Subtraction' this offseason.

There was so much deadwood in this coaching panel, selection committee, football department and playing group that it was completely strangling this teams chances at growth.

I don't expect us to be competing for a premiership in 2020, but I do expect MAJOR growth in a lot of the players we've been desperate to see.

I'm actually over the moon about 85% of whats happened so far, take away some of Justin Reid's light trade returns and I'd say its almost been perfect so far!!
 
May 24, 2006
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We've certainly got rid of some negative influences

'Youthened' up our squad

Partially got some bloated contracts off the books

Onward and upward

A few things to tick off:
1) Need a classy mid at Pick 4. No exceptions, no down trading, no can't believe this defender was available. Classy mid. The end.

2) Game plan. The boring, slow, sideways chipping crap has to go. We suck at it, the opposition rejoice at the sight of it. Every time we retreat in a game and default back to this cautious style it's a guaranteed, 100% loss. Players who revert to this under pressure must be instantly jettisoned. Switching with speed is fine. The snail switch isn't.

3) Selection. The list spruce up is a promising start but the attitude must flow through into selection. The old duds at all costs safety blanket has to go. Hopefully it dies with Campo. Have faith in the players we've drafted and developed. There's no need to cling onto a past that's sucked balls.

4) Quality Football Manager and Senior Assistant Coach appointments. Der.
 

Betts are off

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 28, 2016
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3) Selection. The list spruce up is a promising start but the attitude must flow through into selection. The old duds at all costs safety blanket has to go. Hopefully it dies with Campo. Have faith in the players we've drafted and developed. There's no need to cling onto a past that's sucked balls.
In my mind this was the final nail in the coffin for Campo during the review! I have absolutely no doubt that he would have been way too influential in this clubs mind numbingly conservative selection committee!

I'd put money on this being one of the most common lines of aggravation coming through during the player interviews! I'd throw the damn house on it!
 

betterthanu

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Nov 29, 2006
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The club has always tried to avoid bottoming out for commercial reasons not understanding that playing youth is actually exciting for the fans. Next year could get ugly on the win/loss but people will still rock up to see David MacKay streaming through the centre of Adelaide oval, wind in his hair as he kicks it over the head of the Fog on the lead leading to a turnover inside 50.
 
Aug 4, 2004
13,234
27,684
on planet Crow
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
36ers
We've certainly got rid of some negative influences

'Youthened' up our squad

Partially got some bloated contracts off the books

Onward and upward

A few things to tick off:
1) Need a classy mid at Pick 4. No exceptions, no down trading, no can't believe this defender was available. Classy mid. The end.

2) Game plan. The boring, slow, sideways chipping crap has to go. We suck at it, the opposition rejoice at the sight of it. Every time we retreat in a game and default back to this cautious style it's a guaranteed, 100% loss. Players who revert to this under pressure must be instantly jettisoned. Switching with speed is fine. The snail switch isn't.

3) Selection. The list spruce up is a promising start but the attitude must flow through into selection. The old duds at all costs safety blanket has to go. Hopefully it dies with Campo. Have faith in the players we've drafted and developed. There's no need to cling onto a past that's sucked balls.

4) Quality Football Manager and Senior Assistant Coach appointments. Der.

Definitely agree with point 1. Preferably a mid who has some pace as well.

Interesting to hear that Reid said one of our priorities was to bring in a young ruck. I wonder if we go down the path of the pick swap with GWS, thinking we can grab Dylan Stephens and maybe Luke Jackson from WA (200+cm mobile and super athletic ruckman).
Wouldn't be the worst result.
 
we've moved on a heap of old players and we should enter 2020 with a very young list as a result with a damn good core

vic media already have us finishing bottom next year. prove them wrong
 
Ive mentioned this before but the state of the Club at the start of R23 v Bulldogs compared to today 17th October is like chalk and cheese.

That was only within the space of a couple of months.

Im happy to give the Club the time it needs to make further changes to make us a genuine bona fide contender in the next 3-5 years.

Take a deep breath everyone, this is just the beginning. Exciting yet also some tough times looms.
 

Johnny Rutten

Anarchy for the AFC, it's coming sometime...
Apr 25, 2008
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My summary of the playing list changes that have so far occurred...

In the space of a few weeks, we’ve gone from (what I would classify) the 2nd most ‘under-developing’ list to the 6th most ‘developing’ list.

Towards ‘Development’

Adel +15%
Melb +7%
Frem +6%
StK +5%
Ess & GWS +4%
Carl & Syd +3%
Coll, Rich & WC +2%
Bris, Nth & Port - no change
Haw -1%
WB -2%
Geel -3%
GC -4%

FROM... (as at July 27)
I posted this table on BigFooty back on July 27.

july27.jpg


TO... (As at Today)

oct27.jpg
 

Betts are off

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 28, 2016
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The club has always tried to avoid bottoming out for commercial reasons not understanding that playing youth is actually exciting for the fans. Next year could get ugly on the win/loss but people will still rock up to see David MacKay streaming through the centre of Adelaide oval, wind in his hair as he kicks it over the head of the Fog on the lead leading to a turnover inside 50.
Will it though? I'm not that sure it will be as bad as what people might think. Despite what the AFL media want us to believe our spine and midfield are still intact, and look at the existing coverage of the players we've lost.

SAUCE: ROB, Strachan, Berg, Frampton = Win
DOUGLAS: Gooch, Milera, Jones, Ned = Win
BETTS: Gooch, Stengle, McAdam, Murphy = 50/50
KEATH: Doedee, Kelly, Hamill, McPherson = If Doedee comes back without drama, Win
GREENWOOD: Gibbs, Poholke, Wilson, Jones, Sloane (I genuinely believe it time for him to start a Greenwood like rotation in 2020) = WIN (although his pack marking will be missed)
JJ: FOG, Berg, Frampton = MASSIVE WIN
CEY: Gibbs, Poholke, Wilson, Crouches x 2 = I like CEY, but he's absolutely coverable with the guys we have, WIN
OTTEN: Butts (admittedly the role of depth KPD is a little light now). = LOSS (for now)

Sure we lose experience, but the guys we are replacing these "experienced guys" with are all in their 2nd to 5th year in an AFL system are are either already showing, or have the pedigree to show much more then the past players going forward!

I think they and the team in general is way more ready to go then people are giving them credit for!
 
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