Lol as if 3 players in Duncan, Stanley and Caddy will make up a 50 point difference especially considering we didn't even play Frost, Toovey, Cloke, Broomhead and Goldsack who are all best 22 members. Collingwood are a long way ahead of Geelong in terms of closer to a flag.
So our no.1 ruck, second and third best mids out. There goes our entire mid. Add our CHF in Clark. Remember, we absolutely SMASHED you earlier in the year at closer to full strength. Proof is in the pudding mate.
And lol broomhead, toovey, Goldsack. If these guys are in your 22 then you're in trouble.
Did I specifically mention Stokes, Macintosh and Rivers as core players? No. You can use all the 'cameo' excuses you want but Enright (who you interestingly neglected to mention), Johnson, Kelly, Mackie, Lonergan and Taylor (close enough to 30) have all played over 15 games this years and are members of your best 22.
You mentioned 30 year olds so I mentioned them. Forgot about SJ (still playing well but does not play mid anymore. Hence a LESSER role in the fwd. when he goes, there's a no.10 that goes alright for us who can take over) and Enright whilst been reliable, plays a role we have covered. Guthrie and thurlow both slot in there. There will be no great loss with these players gone.
The others I have already mentioned. Just to repeat - they ARE NOT CORE PLAYERS ANYMORE.
Stop living in your nuff nuff land.
It will take a while for these positions to be sufficiently filled; the young players who take these spots won't be superstars overnight. I agree, in the medium to long term you will be a good side but if you think adding Danger, Henderson and Selwood will propel you into top 4 (as is being suggested by another poster) then you are sadly mistaken.
Stokes - already been replaced. By lang/gregson
Hmac- replaced by Stanley
SJ - should go 1 more it will be replaced by menzel
Enright - replaced by thurlow or Guthrie
Rivers - kolo replaced him already prior to retirement. Kolo looks like a 200 gamer.
Kelly - not in our 22 anymore. Similar to stokes. Bews is better in the bp and our young mids are better now.
Lonergan - won't make our 22 next year if we get hendo
So it appears we are doing quite well replacing these players who since the end of 2014 were no longer in our players.
Young - Middle aged players like motlop, selwood, Duncan, Taylor, Guthrie, Hawkins, caddy, Clark, Menzel, vardy, Stanley, blicavs and Murdoch (add Henderson Scott selwood and dangerfield)
Combined with promising young talent in, Lang, thurlow, gregson (rising star nominees), cockatoo, kolo
Is a damn good outlook.
Unfortunately for people like you (who grasp at straws clinging to the false belief that our 30+ guys carry the team) and who also think we will slide, I've got news for you:
2015 IS our slide. This is as low as it gets. And I look forward to seeing all the upset fans when we return to finals next year and ride back up the ladder for the medium - long term.