Toast Team Management

[BEEG]

With the injuries aside I love how the team is being managed this year

We have always seems to rush players back or not put players in the VFL to regain form

Didak is a perfect example could have come in 3 weeks ago but was played to get form and touch

This is how Geelong got us last year glad see Pies doing the same

 

[Bay Pie]

Definitely not rushing players this year. As a supporter of MM, this was thing he did. Maybe it was because he thought players of that skill level shouldn't be brought back through the VFL. The thing that may have been missed was that it helps them get up to speed as they get a chance to get back into the groove.

Considering our horrendous injury run this year, we are managing our players very well.

 

[ipswichpies]

With the injuries aside I love how the team is being managed this year

We have always seems to rush players back or not put players in the VFL to regain form

Didak is a perfect example could have come in 3 weeks ago but was played to get form and touch

This is how Geelong got us last year glad see Pies doing the same

Mate that is an excellent point you make about our man management this season it is 1st class Buckley looks like he really know,s his stuff his handling of Didak and Brown has been great I also think he is doing a bloody good job with Jolly.

I remarked in an earlier post about the contrast between MM and Buckley,s
handling of injuries and man management and I don,t think it is the only area where Buckley is looking better than MM he does actually make some moves and some them have been pretty good.

 

[HFF]

Management of players certainly wasn't Mick's greatest strength.

I remember him going on record saying that he left players out of the side in the VFL for far too long- particularly about Medhurst and when he was required to be called upon, he was too far back to make a meaningful contribution.

Then we saw last season in 2011 that he did not rest any of our big players or manage them accordingly- see Reid and Jolly going into the finals series.

I'm glad we have learned from past experiences but I also feel that due to our injury rate this season, it has also been somewhat forced upon us to act in this way.

Either way, it is a positive experience and one we are growing stronger from. Our depth (or lack of it as many experts had us believing at the start of the season) doesn't seem to be lacking any more.

 

[76woodenspooners]

This may not necessarily be attributed to Buckley alone (doesn't matter though)

There would have been a post mortem after last year and Walsh and Buttifant would have also had opinions on how we could right the wrongs of last year.

And what we see now is the result.

 

[jonesy86]

If it was good enough for Bucks to come back through the VFL when he was a player then it's good enough for everyone.

 

[ipswichpies]

This may not necessarily be attributed to Buckley alone (doesn't matter though)

There would have been a post mortem after last year and Walsh and Buttifant would have also had opinions on how we could right the wrongs of last year.

And what we see now is the result.

Then I am pleased that Buckley Listen,s to other peoples opinions because he and they are doing it far better this year than the team collective did last season.

 

[jonbe54]

Whatever the reason for the change in direction its a wise course, especially with veterans and youngsters returning. Didak's management in particular has been good to see, too often in the past playmakers of his ilk have be rushed back into the side.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Here's a thought ...

Assuming we make it to the finals series, how many players do we need prepared and ready to go?

Historically it's been around 30/31. That's 22 plus about 8 or 9 depth.

Now, excluding last night's 22 - do we have that those 8 or 9 depth?

Ignore these players injured for the season (yes, one or two may come back, but that can't be planned for, best assume that they won't be available and if they are then that's a bonus).

Ball
Krak
Caff
Johnson

Pen in these 5:

Tarrant
Dawes
Daisy
Jolly
Fasolo

Pencil in these 4 who have played senior footy but have not cemented their spot:

Rounds
Young
Paine
Ugle

Yes, that adds up to 9, but that's realistically a bit short.

Add to the pencilled in ones above Yagmor, Seedsman and Sinclair because irrespective of how well they played last night, they haven't strung enough quality games together to necessarily be finals campaigners (yet). And we can't assume that all 7 will become cherry ripe over the next 15 rounds. Let's be optimistic and say 4 of those 7 make it to be finals campaigners. That becomes a depth of 6.

And we may get more injuries over the next 15 rounds we need to cover for. Geez, I hope not - but team management includes having contingencies.

And add to that positional requirements (ie: it can't just be any 9 players of depth, they have to cover all 3 divisions)

So, in conclusion, it looks like we have barely enough. I think we'll probably have to blood more players this season. And we'll naturally need to get more games into junior players on the fringe of selection: Paine, Yags, Seedsman, Ugle; as well as those who have been missing in action so far this year: Young and Rounds.

Edit: corrected maths above.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

Here's a thought ...

Assuming we make it to the finals series, how many players do we need prepared and ready to go?

Historically it's been around 30/31. That's 22 plus about 8 or 9 depth.

Now, excluding last night's 22 - do we have that those 8 or 9 depth?

Ignore these players injured for the season (yes, one or two may come back, but that can't be planned for, best assume that they won't be available and if they are then that's a bonus).

Ball
Krak
Caff
Johnson

Pen in these 5:

Tarrant
Dawes
Daisy
Jolly
Fasolo

Pencil in these 4 who have played senior footy but have not cemented their spot:

Rounds
Young
Paine
Ugle

Yes, that adds up to 9, but that's realistically a bit short.

Add to the pencilled in ones above Yagmor, Seedsman and Sinclair because irrespective of how well they played last night, they haven't strung enough quality games together to necessarily be finals campaigners (yet). And we can't assume that all 7 will become cherry ripe over the next 15 rounds. Let's be optimistic and say 4 of those 7 make it to be finals campaigners - that's 4 to add to the 5 that were penned in. That's a depth of 9.

And we may get more injuries over the next 15 rounds we need to cover for. Geez, I hope not - but team management includes having contingencies.

And add to that positional requirements (ie: it can't just be any 9 players of depth, they have to cover all 3 divisions)

So, in conclusion, it looks like we have barely enough. I think we'll probably have to blood one or two more players this season. And we'll naturally need to get more games into junior players on the fringe of selection: Paine, Yags, Seedsman, Ugle; as well as those who have been missing in action so far this year: Young and Rounds.

Good point.

Listening to Ratten earlier today he thinks a club will need as many as 35 players capable of playing in the seniors, up from 30 in previous years.

Assuming he is correct, it makes list management even more important with very few spots being available for 'project' type players.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Good point.

Listening to Ratten earlier today he thinks a club will need as many as 35 players capable of playing in the seniors, up from 30 in previous years.

Assuming he is correct, it makes list management even more important with very few spots being available for 'project' type players.

Sorry Baltimore, there was a mistake in my maths there.

After correction it becomes even more of a problem.

 

[Bonuspoints]

I think Sinclair is a lock for starting 21. His defensive pressure, work rate and speed ensures he'll get a game as long as he doesn't really stink it up. First few rounds he was making some howlers and his disposal was shocking, but he's steadily improved with each game. Same with Keefe too.

I don't think too many other clubs could have outs of the equivalent ability and still be competitive like we have.