Sinking to the bottom

[pinkus maximus]

Nah, Harvey definitely won't get the sack this year. I'd say the only way that would happen is if we didn't win another game. As bad as things are going, I'm sure we will scrape another 3 or 4 wins out from somewhere.

Yeah, you're probably right. The jury is still out on whether he is the right man for the job but for now he is doing a fair job

Pav leaving doesn't seem very realistic either - he's not out of contract this year and they wouldn't trade him.

I don't know. I have a feeling it's just a matter of when, not if, Pav asks to be traded. He's been pretty open about his love of Adeliade and his desire to return one day. He might feel after this year that we are further away from a flag than he originally anticipated. Contracted or not if Pav asked to leave I think the club would respect his wishes

 

[freocynic]

Pav is never leaving. He would have left before now.

 

[Sman-21]

You can see pav does still have a soft spot for adelaide just by looking at his tipping.
Just about every single week he picks the 2 adelaide teams even when they are big underdogs to win.
Dont tink he will be going anywhere though as last time he stayed coz it looked like we were on the way up an he wanted to be there for it.
An this year theres been great signs from the youngsters and when the middle tier players all play well we show some good signs.
Next year we absolutely must be either just sneaking into top 8 or just missing out otherwise Pav may go as things havent improved as they should and also Harvey will be in trouble.

No matter how crap we go this year Harvs is safe but there must be improvement in results next year.

 

[Ysaye]

lets talk draft picks.
who should we pick up with the second pick in the draft

Butcher 1st or Scully 2nd. But dont be suprised if we don't have the second pick, as aren't likely to win more than five games for this season. If we have picks 3 or 4 we should go Morabito and then Lucas.

If you are talking about our second pick, then Lewis Jetta, hands down.

 

[Chops_a_must]

And with 30 years of hopes and fears breathing down my neck,
Such a sad sad thing i set you free,
'Cuz I can't get you back.
You are fire, you are water.
When you dance, it is torture.
Maybe some day on the bottom of the ocean we can meet.
Though we know if we do, we can never leave,
'Cuz the moment that we turn away
The gods will say
The love we made
Was a lie.

 

[DizzyHB]

dont know what to think after tonite; have been a solid supporter but not member because of travel distance, but after 14 odd years have been moved to my first post...first, i know all about the rebuilding, for the forth time!!!but to lose to richmond...who are rebuilding more than us ,coach who has said he wont be be coaching ,what do i think while im here absolutly gutted.dont know what the solution is but i know i have to face a workshop of 50 guys tommorow who will hammer me because of that performance.what do i say in our defence?

Richmond were heavily tipped to make the finals this year.

 

[Selggad]

I guess this is a bit weird, but I feel more optimistic than I have for a long time. I was gutted by yesterdays loss, screaming at the TV in the third quarter and completely pissed by the way they just stopped running and went into that stupid, proven-unsuccessful chip and wait shite, but the upside is there. We have blooded 5 youngsters who already look like they have good futures. We have a few more to come, we will get more draft picks next year (albeit stuffed a bit by the gold coast) and we now know we will use them to get more good youngsters. The team are playing the games out, with brain fades for sure, but still playing with more determination and guts than ever before, Sandi and the mids are getting some understanding and winning more clearances, we have several decent players to return (Palmer, Mayne, Crowley, Headland (again, and a bit of a maybe I guess), we should be clearing about a fair bit of dead wood dumb-arses at the end of the year and we have a clear path forward. Although yesterday was shocking in many ways (but lets not forget we only had 20 players after half time, 19 after 3/4 time and probably only 17 fit) I'm in a bit of a glass half full mood. It is going to be a long and painful season for sure, but i think it is the first time we have ever had a strategy I can see and agree with for the future.

 

[ImperialPurple]

We do need a couple of good KPPs.

Grover is 29 and is pretty much shyte these days;
Murph has a pea-heart and is well below average;
Kiwi is just not good enough;
Taz is 28 and can't be expected to hold the opposition's #1 forward then go forward himself cos the forwards aren't coping;
Drum - well who knows WTF it is with Drum;
McPharlin has gone from one of the top 2 or 3 key defenders (and a perfectly adequate forward to swing there when he's needed) in the comp to an out-of-sorts forward and only part-time defender;
Pav is now a midfielder (who is still a bloody good forward but he can't win the ball in the middle, clear it from the centre and then kick it to himself in the forward 50...);
Johnson / Mundy / Dodd / Thornton might have the height, but are not KPPs backsides;
Sibosado and Shepheard are rookies - rough outside punts that may or may not come on...

That list is a scary sight IMO...

 

[Selggad]

No doubt about that IP. KPPs are the big hole we need to fill. And given they may take longer to develop, not drafting any this year was weird. It could bite us in the bum in a couple of year when our tyros start really hitting their straps.

 

[hedgehog]

We do need a couple of good KPPs.

Grover is 29 and is pretty much shyte these days;
Murph has a pea-heart and is well below average;
Kiwi is just not good enough;
Taz is 28 and can't be expected to hold the opposition's #1 forward then go forward himself cos the forwards aren't coping;
Drum - well who knows WTF it is with Drum;
McPharlin has gone from one of the top 2 or 3 key defenders (and a perfectly adequate forward to swing there when he's needed) in the comp to an out-of-sorts forward and only part-time defender;
Pav is now a midfielder (who is still a bloody good forward but he can't win the ball in the middle, clear it from the centre and then kick it to himself in the forward 50...);
Johnson / Mundy / Dodd / Thornton might have the height, but are not KPPs backsides;
Sibosado and Shepheard are rookies - rough outside punts that may or may not come on...

That list is a scary sight IMO...

This is my team of the last 18 players we have drafted, 14 this year and 4 the year before (including Bradley).

FB: Pratt Pearce Broughton
HB: Hall Shepheard Ruffles
C: Hill DeBoer Bucovaz
HF: Mayne Sibosado Hinkley
FF: Ballantyne Bradley Walters

F: Clarke Palmer Van Berlo

Only 4 talls, two on the rookie list, and one mature age and a ruckmen.

We have a massive defiency of young KPP.

Clarke and one of (hopefully both) Sibosado and Shepheard must develop into at worst regular best 22 players.

We can't afford to draft any more small defenders or wingers, we need tall defenders and tall midfielders. I would think that approximately 6 players of that team would be over 185cm (Bradley, Sibo, Shepheard, Clarke, Hinkley and DeBoer)

 

[Chops_a_must]

Balla over Blight = one of the worst drafting decisions this club will ever come to make...

 

[estibador]

It could bite us in the bum in a couple of year when our tyros start really hitting their straps.

The eagles managed to win a premiership by getting a star midfield to kick it to a shaved monkey so anything's possible I guess.

 

[PapaJ]

We do need a couple of good KPPs.

Grover is 29 and is pretty much shyte these days;
Murph has a pea-heart and is well below average;
Kiwi is just not good enough;
Taz is 28 and can't be expected to hold the opposition's #1 forward then go forward himself cos the forwards aren't coping;
Drum - well who knows WTF it is with Drum;
McPharlin has gone from one of the top 2 or 3 key defenders (and a perfectly adequate forward to swing there when he's needed) in the comp to an out-of-sorts forward and only part-time defender;
Pav is now a midfielder (who is still a bloody good forward but he can't win the ball in the middle, clear it from the centre and then kick it to himself in the forward 50...);
Johnson / Mundy / Dodd / Thornton might have the height, but are not KPPs backsides;
Sibosado and Shepheard are rookies - rough outside punts that may or may not come on...

That list is a scary sight IMO...

Hate to say it, but there is something very West Coast about us at the moment in that we've struggling to develop anything resembling a potent fwd zone - with Pav out of there of course. Balla might develop into a LeCras type, but we still need that potent KPP.

I'll disagree with you on Grover though, he's still a solid defender. Even Scarlet gets it wrong and have you watched Glass lately (still regarded as a league benchmark), Grover is not that far behind them really despite being of smaller stature. He's got a few things wrong lately, but he's got more things right and nobody can argue with his heart. Thoug you're right about the age of course, he's only got another couple and then what ... bring on the 2009 draft I suppose.

And not to dig up old wounds, but bloody hell Drum is a disappointment. He should be just coming into his own now and even if he was playing close to his promise, would be a handy utility fwd/back especially with all our injuries.

 

[PapaJ]

The eagles managed to win a premiership by getting a star midfield to kick it to a shaved monkey so anything's possible I guess.

Yea you're right there Esti, but they still had a well functioning back half build around an AA FB. I reckon that is more vital than top notch Fwd 50 set-up.

Certainly if you look at it the other way, a few years back you could say we're a good example of the inverse. A good spine of KPP but average midfield and, frankly, we were only just in the hunt. So yea, I'll take a top quality midfield over most other alternatives.

 

[Chops_a_must]

The eagles managed to win a premiership by getting a star midfield to kick it to a shaved monkey so anything's possible I guess.

BUt they had a good backline as well.

 

[Lach72]

Balla over Blight = one of the worst drafting decisions this club will ever come to make...

Geez, get back ON the speed will ya

 

[Rob]

Worst loss ever? Bah. That goes to the Melbourne game last year.

Yep, nothing can compare to the feeling after that particular debacle.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Geez, get back ON the speed will ya

There once was a mod called Lach,
Who never developed an opinion to mock.
His 4 word responses,
Is all he cognises,
And if it's any more it's a shock.

 

[dockshark]

Balla over Blight = one of the worst drafting decisions this club will ever come to make...

This post = one of the worst posting decisions that Chops will ever come to make

 

[Chops_a_must]

This post = one of the worst posting decisions that Chops will ever come to make

I have no problems with the young fella,
Just the number of drafting Balla.
We definitely need talls,
Not all non midfield smalls,
I just thought in that spot we could go taller.

 

[Lach72]

There once was a mod called Lach,
Who never developed an opinion to mock.
His 4 word responses,
Is all he cognises,
And if it's any more it's a shock.

Here's an opinion for ya...you're talkin' out of your arse.

Neither have done anything yet

 

[Jetau]

I have no problems with the young fella,
Just the number of drafting Balla.
We definitely need talls,
Not all non midfield smalls,
I just thought in that spot we could go taller.

I'm starting to come around to this. It shows how feeble our KPP stakes are when Murphy is still good for 10+ games a year despite the fact that he's done SFA since the Semi Final in '06.

Dare I say it, Kepler could be a handy inclusion next week (if fit). It was pretty clear that the actual forward setup was dysfunctional last night. I think Tarrant was about our most promising forward and he spent 90% of the game in defense.

 

[freocynic]

Yep, nothing can compare to the feeling after that particular debacle.

I concur. The Melbourne game last year is the worst ever in our history

 

[theGav56]

and we have had horrid luck also... i mean really with a fit Crowley, Palmer, Hayden, Headland, McPharlin and even Hill we would not have lost Tonight, nor last week against North or even the week before against the hawks.

North, Hawthorn and Richmond are equally decimated by injuries. Lame excuse if the club goes in that direction.

 

[dominguez]

North, Hawthorn and Richmond are equally decimated by injuries. Lame excuse if the club goes in that direction.

There's very little to pick from this week though Gav.

Our injury list looks something like-

Mayne
Crowley
McPharlin
Hill
Schammer
Headland
Hayden
Johnson
Palmer
Bradley
Ballantyne
O'Brien
Browne

Then Murphy, Gilmore, and Drum are in shocking form and Ruffles, Walters, Hall and Bucovez aren't ready to play.

Throw in the fact that 3 of the 4 WAFL games are today giving anyone who plays a 5 day break and I'd say it's going to be one of the most diffficult selection meetings the club has ever had.