The "It wouldn't be tanking, just getting games into the kids" thread

[robaba]

f we are rebuilding, which I think most of presume, then let us rebuild.
Playing the old, slow farts is not going to gain us anything except a mid ladder position.
I can accept us losing most games this season, if we are getting game time into a new team.
The same old Scott picking favourites is a waste of time. And can someone please employ a skills coach? Maybe from a the auskick if we are short of cash.

 

[ferball]

f we are rebuilding, which I think most of presume, then let us rebuild.
Playing the old, slow farts is not going to gain us anything except a mid ladder position.

Why do most of us presume we are rebuilding?

Is that based on replacing a bunch of older players? Cos all that really is is natural attrition.

Think this thread is a touch premature (I get the gist though).

It's realistically one game, round 1 and not only does it throw up mixed results but we weren't that uncompetitive. We have no idea how any team will be travelling by mid year. We could be looking back and saying we competed well against the ladder leaders and shot ourselves in the foot with accuracy issues... or we could be saying we can't believe we were bad enough to lose to the team in 12th position...

I think 6 changes just from last year to round 1 is a big change and a number of our key players aren't in great nick (Goldstein, Tarrant, Brown, Gibson, Wood, Daw & Wright in particular) Cunnington obviously missed but also we have injuries to players in that age group to be pushing positions 12-24 on the list (Garner, Jed come to mind). I'm sure I've forgotten a few.

I'm happy to push through some younger players who are showing ability and form but I don't think we're at the point yet that it is a free for all. I would like to see us be a bit creative with rotations though. If Daw comes in and performs well let's consider having him and Preuss as the double and give Goldy a rest. Let's look at resting Swallow as we get a few of those 22-26 year olds back (if we don't or won't consider dropping him). Let's see how the mix works. I get frustrated at times watching some of JZ's hacks as well but I tend to think you could drop him in the better teams, he'd play CHF / Midfield and be an out and out champion. We're wanting a lot from some of our guys.

Long story short while I think we need to spend some time sifting the list this year and transitioning a few players our list healthy should and can be very competitive. A team with a fit Tarrant, Goldstein, Higgins, JZ, Cunnington, Wood, Brown, Dumont is not a bottom 4 team IMHO unless we make it one.

I agree with alot of that. And don't disagree with any of it.

Wrt the bolded bit - that could be the core of a top 4 team. A bit light on the backline but that is about it. But you can chuck in Turner, Garner, Anderson, Wright, Macmillan, Clarke, Wagner .. and the backline still looks a bit light but the rest looks good. Then there is Thomas, Daw, Gibson, Marley Williams, Hrovat, Ben Jacobs.

And I haven't mentioned Thompson, Swallow, Hansen, LMac, Mullet, Atley and Waite as they seem on the outer.

Only way that is a bottom four team is if they don't care about winning. Those players are not bottom 8 material.