Next year.

[GerryTheKitten]

After the terrible season we've had this year, what should the focuses be on next season? What did we do right and wrong this year, and what do we need to change to place in the top 8 next year. Coaches? Captain? Fitness? What does everyone think?

 

[swanfan]

I think we should just get past today.

 

[Tarasque36]

How about we start with a year that has no further sanctions, controversies or leaving players (unless mutual decision of course). Maybe we can keep draft picks and have our coaches able to work! But maybe we'd need a competent board for that...

 

[Brenton Davy]

A quiet pre-season on this board would be nice. It wasn't great this year with the Tippett (oops poo, I mentioned his name) issue. What I would like to see is a stronger pre-season on the track so we aren't so far behind the 8-ball when we play our first game at AO

 

[Mr_Moogle]

The players need an absolute thrashing on the track over the pre-season. We have so many experienced players out of form. Also we need to play our best side in the NAB cup. We don't want to come out of the 2014 pre-season as flat as we we're this year.

Need to cut the fat too. Get rid of our worst players and put others on notice (Mackay, Petrenko, Jaensch etc).

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

The players need an absolute thrashing on the track over the pre-season. We have so many experienced players out of form. Also we need to play our best side in the NAB cup. We don't want to come out of the 2014 pre-season as flat as we we're this year.

Need to cut the fat too. Get rid of our worst players and put others on notice (Mackay, Petrenko, Jaensch etc).

Getting Betts would put Pets on notice

To me we should no longer rely on the likes of Porpy, D-Mac, Vince and Radar to be match winners but they do need to be when selected consistent and reliable with their performances

Our match winners are now Tex, Danger, Crouch, Sloane, Jacobs, Thommo and Douglas, if this 7 fire collectively we will win most contests

 

[RePete]

Start the pre-season training much earlier, give each player (especially those with fitness or strength deficiencies) an off-season training plan. Get the fitness base there quickly and make sure our skillwork is silky smooth come round 1. We were awful in basic skills for the first half of the year. Start the NAB cup with our round 1 team minus maybe two or three players. You could probably you know leave a Rutten or someone out for the first part of the NAB cup but it will really be important that we get our guys into form before round 1. Really think we should be aiming to make the NAB cup grand final and take momentum into the season. Hopefully by a couple of rounds into the year we will have most our injured players back and will have a good idea about who is going to make up our forward line.

 

[Tex Support]

I'm holding my expectations until after the upcoming free agency/trade/draft period. Time for the AFC to get relevant again. This year has been frustrating in so many ways.

As a supporter I'm at a real cross road with the club in terms of what I expect. I'd love to get excited about 2014, but I just dont know if we're going to make moves that allow that to happen.

Stoked with our gun players - Danger, Sloane, Tex, Talia, Crouch, Douglas
Love this group - Grigg, Brown, LJ, Jenkins, Lynch, Laird, Kerridge, Lyons
Hopeful for a bounce back from - Thommo, Sauce, VB (once de-captained)

Give me an Eddie Betts, a servicable ruck/forward, maybe cut some dead weight and move up the draft board a bit, and I'll be happy that actual 'change for the better' is happening at the AFC.

 

[Niximus]

1) Skills, skills, skills. Disposal by hand and by foot, goalkicking, tackling, leading, how to put the ball to our advantage.
2) Fitness and strength - we need to find the training balance
3) Personnel - Go hard for the people we need and land 2-3 of them (Betts, Thomas, Polec, geeze even ask Buddy the question). Trim the fat. Make the really hard decisions (not just finally making the easy ones) e.g. will having another 22 games available for an upcoming mid be more long-term benefit to us than another year for Thommo?...

 

[simmo97]

possible delisting’s/gone

Tambling- not good enough GONE

Martin- had his opportunity and to many players gone past him

Riley – promising player but I think too many players he is fighting for a spot with have gone pass him might struggle to get a game possible trade bait

Callinan-31 next year only played 4-6 games this year, if we get Betts GONE

Thompson- lack of KPD will save him but will only last 1-2 more years at the club

Porplyzia- 28, has the game gone past him? What if we get Betts? If stays should only get a 1 year contract

 

[simmo97]

Trade bait

Vince- 27,128 games we could cover his loss

Mackay- line breaker proves run and carry which we need more of but is inconsistent for a 25yr old and 100 game player

Janesch- good offensive game, kicking a weapon but inconsistent and will struggle to get a game ahead of Reilly, Brown, Laird and possibly Grigg next year

Mckernan- not HARD enough at the contest, to inconsistent should consider trading but due to lack of KPF/R we will probably retain on the list.

Rookie upgrades

Laird- performances this year shows he deserves to be upgraded

Hartigan- seen has the future replacement for Ben Rutten

Free agency targets

Betts- should be a priority, one of the best small forwards a Major need of ours and kick us 40-50 goals a year

Thomas- only about 5%chance of getting him Most likely to be at Collingwood or Carlton but no harm in putting a contract to his management he would prove us with much needed extra run and carry.

 

[Footypie32]

Getting Betts would put Pets on notice

To me we should no longer rely on the likes of Porpy, D-Mac, Vince and Radar to be match winners but they do need to be when selected consistent and reliable with their performances

Our match winners are now Tex, Danger, Crouch, Sloane, Jacobs, Thommo and Douglas, if this 7 fire collectively we will win most contests

See, I think Pets tries hard. I just don't think he has it in him. He needs to work on his disposal this off-season. Both feet. If not, he'll end up as just another good SANFL player.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

See, I think Pets tries hard. I just don't think he has it in him. He needs to work on his disposal this off-season. Both feet. If not, he'll end up as just another good SANFL player.

Yeah pretty much. I've never questioned his effort. I'm just not sure he has the ability. He can be very skillful sometimes but he can't seem to do it consistently. Also his ability to position himself in dangerous places is shocking. The guy seems totally incapable of winning an uncontested possession.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

possible delisting’s/gone

Tambling- not good enough GONE

Martin- had his opportunity and to many players gone past him

Riley – promising player but I think too many players he is fighting for a spot with have gone pass him might struggle to get a game possible trade bait

Callinan-31 next year only played 4-6 games this year, if we get Betts GONE

Thompson- lack of KPD will save him but will only last 1-2 more years at the club

Porplyzia- 28, has the game gone past him? What if we get Betts? If stays should only get a 1 year contract

With Hartigan now ready & Siggins developing on our list, I don't see the need to keep L Thompson.

Talia, Rutten, Hartigan, Otten, Shaw, Lynch, Jenkins are all capable of playing a key defensive role.

 

[macca23]

Trade bait

Vince- 27,128 games we could cover his loss

Mackay- line breaker proves run and carry which we need more of but is inconsistent for a 25yr old and 100 game player

Janesch- good offensive game, kicking a weapon but inconsistent and will struggle to get a game ahead of Reilly, Brown, Laird and possibly Grigg next year

Mckernan- not HARD enough at the contest, to inconsistent should consider trading but due to lack of KPF/R we will probably retain on the list.

Here-in lies the problem for us with trading. We don't have low draft picks this year (fk, fk, fk, fk,fk) and we really don't have a lot to offer in trades:

Vince - he has good currency, but the best he would bring is a low 2nd rounder IMO, and I think he is worth more than that to us. While some of the other experienced players around him have stagnated or gone backwards, he along with Douglas has had an excellent year. The only way I would consider it is if we could trade him for a ruckman/forward superior in ability and attitude to McKernan.

Mackay - great skills and run but doesn't do enough. At the right price which is a low to mid 2nd rounder IMO, then, yes, trade him.

Jaensch - yes, by all means trade him, but what would we get for him?? A half eaten pasty??

McKernan - definitely tradeable and would have reasonable currency. His lack of both intensity and brain power shits me to tears and I would love to trade him for something that improved the team as a whole - as long as we can bring in a better quality ruck forward. Otherwise we're stuck with bird-brain for another year.

You have to give to get, so IMO we won't get a lot out of trades. Maybe one player at best if the stars align.

Our big hope this year is free agency (Eddie Betts) and talking a SA player to come home via the PSD (Gorringe or Polec).

 

[BACCS]

Next season? I'm still planning on seeing the Crows in the GF.

 

[Danoz]

Can I just say that this photo is absolutely gold, getting so many of our brilliant young players in. Feeling pretty chuffed about our future in this. Danger, Sloane, Crouch, Hartigan, Kerridge, Grigg, Laird. Throw in Tex in the background. Best part? Sloane is the oldest of the lot, turning 24 next March. then you think of Johnston, Lynch, Talia, Brown, who are all younger, and best 22.

 

[Darth Sidious]

next year will be goooooooood

 

[Schulzycrow]

Fair chance there will be no NAB cup anymore. 3 practice games will be all then straight into it. Need to get well then fit. Then skills. Young group need skills.

1) Skills, skills, skills. Disposal by hand and by foot, goalkicking, tackling, leading, how to put the ball to our advantage. Amen brother!
2) Fitness and strength - we need to find the training balance
3) Personnel - Go hard for the people we need and land 2-3 of them (Betts, Thomas, Polec, geeze even ask Buddy the question). Trim the fat. Make the really hard decisions (not just finally making the easy ones) e.g. will having another 22 games available for an upcoming mid be more long-term benefit to us than another year for Thommo?...

Agree

What has lost us games? Goal kicking, Tackling and Decision making. Could say on field leadership and match day coaching as well.

Goal kicking....Mods, Duck, Jars anyone who we can get in to help our young forwards get better...someone who actually was a forward to be the forward's coach would be a start as well. Then its practice in all conditions, wind, rain whatever, then plenty from all areas of the ground. After practice don't give a heck what the fitness noobs say, its all about putting it through the big sticks when all the floods and game plans and BS are done with.

Tackling...We are a joke and have been for a while. Find or poach someone...I know Jude Bolton. Has laid 175 more tackles than anyone in the history of the game. Lets knock on his door and make him an offer he can't refuse. We won't get far in finals if we can't tackle when the heat is on.

Decision making...We are slow thinkers, we panic under pressure, we have given up leads and not held our nerve...now that is a bit to do with experience, but get our legends of the club, Roo and Bunji in and mentoring the young players.

Get it done AFC!

I was excited a few years ago when we had Tex, Danger, Sloane, Talia coming through. As other posters have said...

Stoked with our gun players - Danger, Sloane, Tex, Talia, Crouch, Douglas
Love this group - Grigg, Brown, LJ, Jenkins, Lynch, Laird, Kerridge, Lyons
Hopeful for a bounce back from - Thommo, Sauce, VB (once de-captained)

Give me an Eddie Betts, a servicable ruck/forward, maybe cut some dead weight and move up the draft board a bit, and I'll be happy that actual 'change for the better' is happening at the AFC.

Pets, Vince, Mackay, McKernan, Jaensch, Martin, L Thompson even Wright are all players I would be putting out to see if anyone bites in the GWS, Melbourne, Gold Coast or Saint Kilda direction. All need some players with experience and hardened AFL bodies. The Saints and the Dees especially, GWS and GS maybe some young players on the fringe who have a couple years in the system, but can't break in due to the high numbers of first and second rounders on their lists.

Have to make some hard decisions, move some players on, trade, but also we are in a shite position and I can't see how we can get back into the first two rounds without giving up more than we would like for a player who may turn out shite anyway.

Excited about 2014. The move to the Oval is fantastic, ressie team adds some interest and hopefully some mistakes learnt from this season sees us back up the top.

 

[Darth Sidious]

I can smell a similar draw to 2012

 

[Schulzycrow]

I can smell a similar draw to 2012

Maybe.

 

[rayven]

We played finals once in our first 6 years of footy and rebounded with 2 flags. That one finals campaign saw us robbed of a GF spot.

We've played one final series in the last 4, that one series saw us robbed of a GF spot.

New ground,new captain, the competitiveness at pre season will be immense..

 

[_DBF_]

Hey guys, what is Vince's contract status?

That I'm aware he is now out of contract. Having served 8 seasons I would think that would mean he is a free agent (either unres or res) however he is not on the AFL Free Agent list - we are apparently 'certanties'.

So If someone could clarify his contract status for me, that would be very much asppreciated.

P.S. How does pick #28 + Helbig sound?

 

[Vader]

Honestly not sure what his contract status is. We have a thread for tracking them, but his name isn't listed. Presumably he's out of contract, or the club wouldn't be shopping him around, because I doubt he'd be leaving of his own volition.

 

[Cap]

I wonder what is pay packet is like.

That being said, I'm more than happy to keep him, unless he wants to go. Its one of those ones where it a bit meh what ever happens.

would like to see Helbig in Crows colours.