SOS

[JustaBattler]

Well it seems SOS and Bolton are rebuilding and resetting so far we have added a bunch of young players with various amounts of hints about what they could become...
so far very good - up to coaching and the playes themselves now - but good to see the Club recalibrating towards youth.

 

[footyfan1978]

Very happy. Nice to FINALLY see club on right track. Been a long time

Yes, this is happiest I been as a Carlton supporter for three decades.
I not really liked what we were doing in terms of list management since 1996.
I saw zero strategy for what had changed in the league recruiting systems of zone systems to develop local youth and pay transfer fees to interstate clubs for mature recruits. That had changed over a decade and in 1996 we were still working with a list that was now very old and in essence built from the old systems. I waited patiently to see a sign of some strong strategy over the years. At times been totally lacking confidence and other times simply hope but no confidence.
We went totally off the rails because we had no strategy for the draft and salary cap era that was now fully in place and the road ahead.
It has taken us a lot of pain, most self-inflicted to wake up as a club and get beyond the Elliott type thinking that dominated club strategy despite he leadership inheriting the brilliant state the club was in when he come onboard about 1983.

Is SOS good or even the best? Don't know, but it can't be anything but good, to finally have a dedicated List Managers position, at the club.

SOS has been good though and clearly working hard for the club.
Holding his nerve ensuring we didn't let go of Petrevski-Seton (#5) is testament to that.

A list manger with no strategy may have given up Gibbs for pick 13 and GWS demand that for Marchbank and Pickett. Previous list manager based on giving up pick 7 for Jaksch may have given up pick 5 for Marchbank and Pickett. SOS on other hand has made sure Gibbs was kept if we were not getting something that was befitting what we needed, extracted Marchbank and Pickett for bargain basement cost and still kept our 1st round pick that super important to grab an elite young talented mid we so desperately need more of. We are so much better off because we have someone that now values the resources we have already and is only looking at ways to improve our list with attention to detail of what comes in, what goes out and how to contract what we are doing for the future.

Time will tell, but you can't help but be bloody excited.

You know these kids are going to get the best opportunity to succeed under Bolton, it's in their hands now.

That is the important thing. SOS can only do his part. Then over to the coaching staff and players to then do the on field stuff.

SOS is a huge improvement on Hughes and Rogers. The starting point is strategy. He has one.

He held his nerve on Gibbs and knew what to do and say when the clubs met on the first day of the Trade period.

He still has another good 12 months to clean up more of the mess from previous list management.
The ad hoc stuff of Thomas and Jones contracts I think should be over by then. He should be able to move them on about this time next year or sign them up on cheaper short term contracts if they show things we need from them in next season ahead.

Nothing but praise so far for this bloke. between Bolton and SOS, its like falling in love with the club all over again!!

Yep, falling in love with my club again.
Happy what we doing on so many levels now.

I feel like I will always have a biased opinion about SOS due to my love of him as a player - hard to let that go!
But thus far I'm very happy with what I'm seeing at both the draft and trade. He appears to be strong in both respects.

Yeah, I feel biased too because always had so much respect for SOS. Ultimately though everything he says and does fits with the belief he knows what he is doing and this had turned out the most ideal role for him in football after his own career was over.

It has taken a while but I'm excited & confident that our club is in good hands

Whilst SOS is obviously an improvement on his predecessors, you have to remember that his role wasn't there before.

It was a mish-mash of Recruiter, Football Manager, CEO and needless to say any 'sound' advice that may have come from the President or board members.....oh......and in some cases the coach may have had some input.....and in the case of Malthouse, maybe a little too much.

Yeah, others that decided even before SOS arrived that we needed a General Manager of List Management and Strategy told me a lot of how our thinking from within club had finally changed. Credit due to those that knew we had to step this up. SOS will add more staff to his team and I believe the guy he worked with at GWS he intends to bring in once that guys suspension is up for having a multi-bet on a football round a couple of years back.
SOS is smart enough to know this is a team effort. List management and recruiting can not be done by just one or two people if you want to be the best at it.

Very cool and calm individual, smart too.
Time will tell if he's done a good job or not.

Yes, we still have to wait for a good 2 or 3 years just to even see the on field impact of an improved list.
Most of the new talent will take 2 or 3 pre-seasons to be ready to be regular strong contributors on field.
However I am super excited to see them grow together on field. I get the feeling most do not realise just how talented Marchbank and Pickett maybe. Hopefully later in the season Pickett will be ready to unleash himself on AFL football.

We have some seriously exciting talent in the door in last 12 months.

Charlie Curnow, Jacob Weitering, Jack Silvagni, Harry McKay, David Cuningham, Caleb Marchbank, Jarrod Pickett, Sam Petreveski-Seton and Zac Fisher is some exciting talent to get given you only start with one first round pick in each of these two national drafts. Clever use of trades and pick upgrades and knowledge of talent GWS could not afford to sign up on upgraded contracts with salary cap squeeze has extracted as much as could possibly hope for given circumstances of Hendersen, Yarran and Bell last year and moving on Menzel to Crows that none of us could see coming.

He has also given chances to Plowman, Phillips, Sumner and Smedts to make something of their careers with a new start and all of them got skills that could prove real bonus in the next decade.

Last chances to types like Lamb and Gorringe too is worth a try for no real cost.
Not all of this will work out but I feel confident it is a vast improvement in strategy going forward.
It is exciting next few years to watch the development happen and new culture instilled into the place.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Yes, this is happiest I been as a Carlton supporter for three decades.
I not really liked what we were doing in terms of list management since 1996.
I saw zero strategy for what had changed in the league recruiting systems of zone systems to develop local youth and pay transfer fees to interstate clubs for mature recruits. That had changed over a decade and in 1996 we were still working with a list that was now very old and in essence built from the old systems. I waited patiently to see a sign of some strong strategy over the years. At times been totally lacking confidence and other times simply hope but no confidence.
We went totally off the rails because we had no strategy for the draft and salary cap era that was now fully in place and the road ahead.
It has taken us a lot of pain, most self-inflicted to wake up as a club and get beyond the Elliott type thinking that dominated club strategy despite he leadership inheriting the brilliant state the club was in when he come onboard about 1983.



A list manger with no strategy may have given up Gibbs for pick 13 and GWS demand that for Marchbank and Pickett. Previous list manager based on giving up pick 7 for Jaksch may have given up pick 5 for Marchbank and Pickett. SOS on other hand has made sure Gibbs was kept if we were not getting something that was befitting what we needed, extracted Marchbank and Pickett for bargain basement cost and still kept our 1st round pick that super important to grab an elite young talented mid we so desperately need more of. We are so much better off because we have someone that now values the resources we have already and is only looking at ways to improve our list with attention to detail of what comes in, what goes out and how to contract what we are doing for the future.



That is the important thing. SOS can only do his part. Then over to the coaching staff and players to then do the on field stuff.


He still has another good 12 months to clean up more of the mess from previous list management.
The ad hoc stuff of Thomas and Jones contracts I think should be over by then. He should be able to move them on about this time next year or sign them up on cheaper short term contracts if they show things we need from them in next season ahead.



Yep, falling in love with my club again.
Happy what we doing on so many levels now.

Yeah, I feel biased too because always had so much respect for SOS. Ultimately though everything he says and does fits with the belief he knows what he is doing and this had turned out the most ideal role for him in football after his own career was over.





Yeah, others that decided even before SOS arrived that we needed a General Manager of List Management and Strategy told me a lot of how our thinking from within club had finally changed. Credit due to those that knew we had to step this up. SOS will add more staff to his team and I believe the guy he worked with at GWS he intends to bring in once that guys suspension is up for having a multi-bet on a football round a couple of years back.
SOS is smart enough to know this is a team effort. List management and recruiting can not be done by just one or two people if you want to be the best at it.



Yes, we still have to wait for a good 2 or 3 years just to even see the on field impact of an improved list.
Most of the new talent will take 2 or 3 pre-seasons to be ready to be regular strong contributors on field.
However I am super excited to see them grow together on field. I get the feeling most do not realise just how talented Marchbank and Pickett maybe. Hopefully later in the season Pickett will be ready to unleash himself on AFL football.

We have some seriously exciting talent in the door in last 12 months.

Charlie Curnow, Jacob Weitering, Jack Silvagni, Harry McKay, David Cuningham, Caleb Marchbank, Jarrod Pickett, Sam Petreveski-Seton and Zac Fisher is some exciting talent to get given you only start with one first round pick in each of these two national drafts. Clever use of trades and pick upgrades and knowledge of talent GWS could not afford to sign up on upgraded contracts with salary cap squeeze has extracted as much as could possibly hope for given circumstances of Hendersen, Yarran and Bell last year and moving on Menzel to Crows that none of us could see coming.

He has also given chances to Plowman, Phillips, Sumner and Smedts to make something of their careers with a new start and all of them got skills that could prove real bonus in the next decade.

Last chances to types like Lamb and Gorringe too is worth a try for no real cost.
Not all of this will work out but I feel confident it is a vast improvement in strategy going forward.
It is exciting next few years to watch the development happen and new culture instilled into the place.

Is there an abridged version available? Or perhaps an audiobook I can listen to on the drive to work?

 

[footyfan1978]

Is there an abridged version available? Or perhaps an audiobook I can listen to on the drive to work?

There is, but it will cost you $2.99 to get the download access.

 

[Nori]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

 

[footyfan1978]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

But does Rita say he is Son of the Century ?

 

[Garth Vader]

But does Rita say he is Son of the Century ?

She'll tell you after she's finished swearing after seeing Jack pass the ball off when just 5 metres out from goal.

 

[Jimmae]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

Even has a connection to Sale of the Century!

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Oddly enough, his most impressive move this year may well have been his stance on Gibbs and his trade request to Adelaide.

In previous years, the old regime probably would have let him.go and got a poor return, but SOS stood firm, and we made a stance that we will no longer be fleeced. A contract is a contract and certainly BG is happy to stay, offending The Crows delicate feelings in the process is an extra bonus.

 

[Blue By Blood]

Very early to judge but at the very least he started to dramatically turn over the list which we absolutely needed badly.

He has had two years in charge so far and we can break down what he has done.
- Has gone a ways to fill the void of our horrible 2014 draft by bringing in two top 10 picks from that year in Marchbank and Pickett.
- Has taken key talls early in the 2015 draft knowing the following year was a midfielders draft.
- Has drafted a lot of highly skilled and pacy midfielders that should fit in seamlessly with the modern game.
- Has used his GWS connection to bring in some additional talent and his supposed 'salary dumps' in Lamb and Palmer both offer something to our team early in a rebuild.
- Has started to phase out players who are conditional and don't bring the mentality of wanting to constantly improve.

Key position players/third tall types he has brought in:
Weitering (Pick 1)
McKay (Pick 10)
Curnow (Pick 12)
Silvagni (Highly rated father son who is a talent)
Macreadie (Highly rated slider who didn't adapt to moving to Sydney)
Kerr (Jury is out. May surprise)
Plowman (Pick 3)
Marchbank (Pick 6)
Glass-McCasker (Project developing key defender)
Phillips (Competitive)
Gorringe (No genuine position but was a DFA so nothing ventured, nothing gained)


Midfielders/smaller types he has brought in:
Cuningham (Pick 19)
Petrevski-Seton (Pick 6)
Fisher (Pick 25)
Polson (Smokey. Slid due to missing most of the year with a bung shoulder)
Williamson (Youngest kid in the draft. Looks promising and a long-term potential Simpson replacement)
Pickett (Pick 4)
Sumner (Pick 10~)
Lamb (Fills a role, keeps that position competitive)
Kerridge (Bigger bodied mid, good engine)
Smedts (Could be lively up forward)
Palmer (Bigger bodied mid/small fwd.)
Wright (One of our better players in 2016)

That's a fair influx of young talent and has at least given us some hope about where we are headed. Some of these kids may not make it even though they are rated highly, that is just the nature of the beast. SOS has done his job in providing Bolton with highly skilled and polished mids, quality key talls, some bigger bodies to keep us competitive and to protect the kids. Over to the development team now!

 

[F_therest]

I highly doubt pick 5 was ever on the table, SOS would have known that's were the real high end talent was in this years draft.
SPS said he toured the club, after the grand final weekend, then meet with Bolton at the combine.
Think after that meeting SPS would have become one of our highest priorities.

I think it was barass70 or ericpascoe who posted the rumour about our pick 5 for 5 GWS players being discussed...how serious those discussions were and how far it went who knows.

 

[GordonBlue]

It is very difficult to judge this early. However what I do love about what SOS brings is the ability to gain high picks or good players without giving away much. The Malthouse disaster era was criminal how many quality players we lost for nothing. however with SOS, we somehow gained so much giving less away than that period.

 

[HARKER]

I think it was barass70 or ericpascoe who posted the rumour about our pick 5 for 5 GWS players being discussed...how serious those discussions were and how far it went who knows.

You won't see what we did last year too often, if at all, again.
So much has to happen to get all your ducks in a row and it only could have worked with GWS previously but not so much going forward, as their list and TPP is now somewhat more settled now, than for the luxuries afforded to them early on.

 

[thylacine60]

Yes, this is happiest I been as a Carlton supporter for three decades.
I not really liked what we were doing in terms of list management since 1996.
I saw zero strategy for what had changed in the league recruiting systems of zone systems to develop local youth and pay transfer fees to interstate clubs for mature recruits. That had changed over a decade and in 1996 we were still working with a list that was now very old and in essence built from the old systems. I waited patiently to see a sign of some strong strategy over the years. At times been totally lacking confidence and other times simply hope but no confidence.
We went totally off the rails because we had no strategy for the draft and salary cap era that was now fully in place and the road ahead.
It has taken us a lot of pain, most self-inflicted to wake up as a club and get beyond the Elliott type thinking that dominated club strategy despite he leadership inheriting the brilliant state the club was in when he come onboard about 1983.



A list manger with no strategy may have given up Gibbs for pick 13 and GWS demand that for Marchbank and Pickett. Previous list manager based on giving up pick 7 for Jaksch may have given up pick 5 for Marchbank and Pickett. SOS on other hand has made sure Gibbs was kept if we were not getting something that was befitting what we needed, extracted Marchbank and Pickett for bargain basement cost and still kept our 1st round pick that super important to grab an elite young talented mid we so desperately need more of. We are so much better off because we have someone that now values the resources we have already and is only looking at ways to improve our list with attention to detail of what comes in, what goes out and how to contract what we are doing for the future.



That is the important thing. SOS can only do his part. Then over to the coaching staff and players to then do the on field stuff.


He still has another good 12 months to clean up more of the mess from previous list management.
The ad hoc stuff of Thomas and Jones contracts I think should be over by then. He should be able to move them on about this time next year or sign them up on cheaper short term contracts if they show things we need from them in next season ahead.



Yep, falling in love with my club again.
Happy what we doing on so many levels now.

Yeah, I feel biased too because always had so much respect for SOS. Ultimately though everything he says and does fits with the belief he knows what he is doing and this had turned out the most ideal role for him in football after his own career was over.





Yeah, others that decided even before SOS arrived that we needed a General Manager of List Management and Strategy told me a lot of how our thinking from within club had finally changed. Credit due to those that knew we had to step this up. SOS will add more staff to his team and I believe the guy he worked with at GWS he intends to bring in once that guys suspension is up for having a multi-bet on a football round a couple of years back.
SOS is smart enough to know this is a team effort. List management and recruiting can not be done by just one or two people if you want to be the best at it.



Yes, we still have to wait for a good 2 or 3 years just to even see the on field impact of an improved list.
Most of the new talent will take 2 or 3 pre-seasons to be ready to be regular strong contributors on field.
However I am super excited to see them grow together on field. I get the feeling most do not realise just how talented Marchbank and Pickett maybe. Hopefully later in the season Pickett will be ready to unleash himself on AFL football.

We have some seriously exciting talent in the door in last 12 months.

Charlie Curnow, Jacob Weitering, Jack Silvagni, Harry McKay, David Cuningham, Caleb Marchbank, Jarrod Pickett, Sam Petreveski-Seton and Zac Fisher is some exciting talent to get given you only start with one first round pick in each of these two national drafts. Clever use of trades and pick upgrades and knowledge of talent GWS could not afford to sign up on upgraded contracts with salary cap squeeze has extracted as much as could possibly hope for given circumstances of Hendersen, Yarran and Bell last year and moving on Menzel to Crows that none of us could see coming.

He has also given chances to Plowman, Phillips, Sumner and Smedts to make something of their careers with a new start and all of them got skills that could prove real bonus in the next decade.

Last chances to types like Lamb and Gorringe too is worth a try for no real cost.
Not all of this will work out but I feel confident it is a vast improvement in strategy going forward.
It is exciting next few years to watch the development happen and new culture instilled into the place.

Some sort of post, 78.

 

[mikeythemoocow]

Since Hughes and Rogers have left we seem to have really dropped the ball on picking athletic flankers with little to no footballing talent.

 

[Pafloyul]

Since Hughes and Rogers have left we seem to have really dropped the ball on picking athletic flankers with little to no footballing talent.

Yet we picked exactly that with our fifth pick (the part about talent was/is subjective as no recruiter picks untalented players deliberately) only he's much more athletic. The problem with the Hughes and Rogers model is that even the athleticism falls away with the picks we had. A lot of those tall flankers we picked were only relatively athletic compared to other players at the same stage of the draft, they weren't standouts.

 

[thylacine60]

Since Hughes and Rogers have left we seem to have really dropped the ball on picking athletic flankers with little to no footballing talent.

Hopefully we will get them both back when we once more become a destination club.

 

[RudyBlue]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

In all seriousness though, if he leads us to #17 (perhaps more), a statue at PP should be in order.

 

[katmanblue]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

Doesn't need a CV, already has a job thanks.

 

[KohPhi]

Full Back of last century. List Manager of this century.

Would be a handy CV.

Can't wait for him to add father of three Carlton Premiership players to that CV

 

[HBF]

SOS has done an amazing job in the two years at the club.
Has 100% nailed the last two trade periods and drafts.

 

[GapInIkonPark]

Yet we picked exactly that with our fifth pick (the part about talent was/is subjective as no recruiter picks untalented players deliberately) only he's much more athletic. The problem with the Hughes and Rogers model is that even the athleticism falls away with the picks we had. A lot of those tall flankers we picked were only relatively athletic compared to other players at the same stage of the draft, they weren't standouts.

I think Williamson has plenty of footy talent.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

Oddly enough, his most impressive move this year may well have been his stance on Gibbs and his trade request to Adelaide.

In previous years, the old regime probably would have let him.go and got a poor return, but SOS stood firm, and we made a stance that we will no longer be fleeced. A contract is a contract and certainly BG is happy to stay, offending The Crows delicate feelings in the process is an extra bonus.

Agree, 100%.... I was like a broken record during trade week but I felt the crows thought we'd buckle after we did last year with Yarran. It's become apparent since that SOS was just trying to get the best deal when you look at Yarrans circumstances now.
No club will be able to read SOS with any confidence and that's a very important card to have when doing deals

 

[LordLucifer]

SOS has done an amazing job in the two years at the club.
Has 100% nailed the last two trade periods and drafts.

May be a tad premature to say he has "100% nailed" the last two trade & draft periods as a number of the players he has brought in have either played very little senior football or none at all, a lot of them are still unproven.

The sad fact is that it is near impossible for a club to get a perfect 100% return on all of their drafting & trade moves. You have to factor in at absolute best, there will be at least a third of all players who come into the club won't make it. The reasons for them not developing into a genuine senior player are many & varied, it just happens.

Even so, right now we stand a much higher chance of success than what we had with Hughes & Rogers, their strategy was non-existent and their research appeared limited and sketchy at best.

We have plenty to feel excited about as there is now a solid strategy in place plus a plethora of research is done out in the field from which they ended up making their decisions. This has led to our chances of success being infinitely improved with Silvagni's methodical & shrewd approach.

We will be there at the top end at some point in the not too distant future, you can 100% guarantee that will happen.

 

[Bronze]

There is a lot of premature adjudication happening here.