Should we employ a rotation policy

The Passenger

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Thread starter #1
I think this is something that is definetaly worth looking at. Given the depth of our squad (atlhough accoring to the *experts* out east we have none) there are plenty of players who are well and truly good enough to be playing pretty regularly but not getting a run.

I'll base this on last weeks team:

Drew_Banfield
Michael_Braun
Trent_Carroll
Daniel_Chick
Ben_Cousins
Dean_Cox
Andrew_Embley
Chad_Fletcher
Michael S._Gardiner
Darren_Glass
Kasey_Green
David_Haynes
Jeremy_Humm
Adam_Hunter
Glen_Jakovich
Rowan_Jones
Chris_Judd
Daniel_Kerr
Ashley_McIntosh
Kane_Munro
Ashley_Sampi
David_Wirrpunda

Then add these 12 players:
Damien Adkins
Callum Chambers
Michael Collica
Travis Gaspar
Paul Johnson
Quinten Lynch
Phil Matera
Andrew McDougall
Chad Morrison
Phil Read
Troy Wilson
Josh Wooden

And that would give you a general playing squad of 34 players. Whilst these guys wouldn't get much of a run:

Zac Beeck
Aaron Edwards
Ashley Hansen
Peter Matera :(
Mark Nicoski
Clancy Rudeforth
Mark Seaby
Adam Selwood
David Sierakowski
Brent Staker

Although you'd be looking to give guys like Hansen, Seaby and Staker their first senior runs, while Edwards, Nicoski, Rudeforth and Beeck are on the rookie list and still in developing stages, Selwood would also be in his developing stages especially given the size of him. Which leaves the great man who is now gone :( and Sierakowski who will most likely by delisted or retire at the years end.

But just say between those bottom rung of players, you probably wouldn't give them any more than 6 games (2 each to Hansen, Seaby and Staker at some point).

Just abit of maths here, we have 12 rounds to go. 12 x 22 spots for each week means there are 264 spots available for the rest of the year, minus the 6 to the young guys, leaves 258 spots.

258 spots between the 34 playing squad members means that on average each member would play in 7 to 8 games for the remainder of the home and away season. Obviousbly guys like Cousins, Gardiner and the top players would play in as many as possible, while Lynch, Johnson, Adkins and co. would only play 4 or 5 matches.

But I reckon this is a good way to get as many people into the team as possible and give everyone a good run in the sneior side.

Anyone else agree or would the best thing to do is to just play our strongest 22 each week??

There is both pro's and co's to each tactic, but I reckon a rotation could work well as it keeps players fresh and enthusiastic and doesn't leave the team stale and stuck in the same game plan week in week out.

On the other hand the strongest 22 means players know they have to work hard to get there and stay there, and of course the most obvious - we're going in each week.

I dont know which way is the way to go, but I like the idea of just trying for half a season how it goes rotating the team around.
 

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Jabber

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#4
How about something like the Australian specialist test & one day cricket teams?

Team1 - Big game & interstate team
Team2 - When we play easybeats @ Subi

:D

Seriously though, we should have at least partial rotation for young guys to substitute people like Milli, Jako & maybe Banners.

Probably going to happen eventually through natural form attrition anyway.
 

MDB

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#5
I dont think it's a good idea at all.

1. The players wouldn't be playing together enough to gel and form a "team".

2. Players wouldn't be given the opportunity to play consistant footy week in week out. Going from AFL to WAFL every 3rd or 4th week would be too unstable.

3. Those players who were left out would feel dejected and lose confidence.

There are many other reasons.....I just don't think it would work. No point having fresh players if you can't even make it to the finals.
 

ozzult

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#6
Nope.

Put your best, most skillful, most talented 22 blokes out there.

We should be putting out the 22 blokes who we think will kick us a winning score, and prevent the opposition from exceeding that score.
 

Mead

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#7
The best teams going about also tend to be the most settled teams. If you look at the most intimidating aspects of the eagles of the early 90s, it was that there midfield, back (and to a lesser extend then forward) lines were pretty much dead set certainties. The longer a group plays together, the more clued in they become to each other- The legendary HB line of
McKenna/Jakovich/Worsfold wasn't just world beating because they were three outstanding players (frankly, both McKenna and Worsfold were more solid than superstars), they were just three guys who grew up playing together, had the perfect balance of strength, size, speed, and were so comfortable with each other they always knew where their teammates would be, so they could always cover for each other.
Ditto the centre line- Matera/Kemp/Mainwaring were not only outstanding players all three, they were a balanced group which complemented each other perfectly.
Its no coincidence that the power teams of the last decade almost always have prodigious games played stats- brisbane are a killer side because Voss, Black, Lappin and Ackermanis are at their peaks as players and have been together long enough to always know what their teammates are doing.

One of the neat things about our midfield atm is we're seeing the emergence of a really well balanced young, lethal group, which is growing up together.
Embley/Cousins/Fletcher
Gardiner/Kerr/Judd
isn't just frighteningly good because of the calibre of the players out there- it has the perfect blend of pack grunt (Kerr, Judd), outside running (Fletcher, Cousins) and marking ability- Embley, Gardiner. Furthermore all six are extremely fit, have more pace than most people in their chosen position, and best of all all are still in their early 20s and have their best footy in front of them. I honestly believe that if we retain Judd, we have a midfield which has the potential to be better than the 92/94 Eagles and (by virtue of having a dominant ruckman) better than Brisbane.
Fremantles' young backline is probably in a similar category- if they can cover for the loss of Parker, people will be talking up the likes of Haddrill, Woods and Grover for many years to come.

The point I'm making is that our best 22 will come together quickest if we take our most talented 22, figure out the best looking combinations for them, and then leave them where they're supposed to play for extended periods. The way I see it the current policy of rewarding form works because it digs up the best available talent and allows them to earn a spot and hang onto it. But by the end of this year, I'd hope that our starting 18 would be pretty settled. You've got talent like McDougall and Gassy floating around, but no sure position for them. by next year, I'd like to see both those guys as regulars.
 

Goldenblue

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#8
Originally posted by ozzult
Nope.

Put your best, most skillful, most talented 22 blokes out there.

We should be putting out the 22 blokes who we think will kick us a winning score, and prevent the opposition from exceeding that score.
Agree with the above.

Blokes should be picked on form, not number of games played.
 

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#12
Originally posted by Mead

McKenna/Jakovich/Worsfold wasn't just world beating because they were three outstanding players (frankly, both McKenna and Worsfold were more solid than superstars)
Sorry to pick one quote out of an interesting post, but this is VERY harsh on McKenna, IMO. He had outstanding defensive ability - he was virtually never conceded the ball to his opponent in a one-on-one contest. His attacking skills were also first rate - the cool delivery into the midfield always seemed to find a target (his last 18 months notwithstanding). It's also worth remembering that he was also nominated for the Team of the Century (unless my memory is REALLY failing me....)

I'm getting a bit sick of those semi-annual "Who is/was the greatest Eagle ?" polls, but for mine it's Guy McKenna. It's just a pity that the majority of the football world doesn't recognise defensive prowess as easily as it does offensive prowess - Jakovich's Brownlow votes in his club champion years are further evidence of this (something like 6, 9 and 12).
 

GoEagles

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#13
Rotation Policy doesn't sit too well with me.

I'm a believer that the best 22 should play. The rest of the squad have to convince us that they have earnt the right to be ready to play AFL when the opportunity arises.

It's like saying would you rotate David Haynes with David Sierakowski after a few games?
 
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ScouseCat

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#14
Originally posted by Jabber
How about something like the Australian specialist test & one day cricket teams?
The Australian test side doesn't have a rotation policy as far as I know, however the one-day team does and can get away with it because we have so many top players who would walk into any other side.

I don't think this sort of thing can work in football though.
 

jod23

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#15
Originally posted by ozzult
Nope.

Put your best, most skillful, most talented 22 blokes out there.

We should be putting out the 22 blokes who we think will kick us a winning score, and prevent the opposition from exceeding that score.
Agreed.
 
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