What should we do?

[calaisking]

We are definitely tanking.

I've heard from an inside source that Ross told Fyfe to break his leg, Natanui to destroy Sandilands ribs & demanded Johnson to tear his hamstring leaving holes in our squad. This has forced Ross to play youth, giving him the opportunity to mark our loses down to not having enough experience on the park.

2017 see's us with a top 3 draft pick, Cam McCarthy, a healthy Fyfe and Johnson a long with Bennell and plenty of games under our kids belts. Joined with what should be a relatively easy draw, we are destined to be top 4 and a chance at the flag.

Such a genius this Ross fella

 

[Nothing]

As long as WC finish top 6, we also wont have to play any other top 6 teams twice in 2017. It wont eliminate the trips to QLD, TAS and NT though.

 

[Purple Suit]

Win the next 19 games.

If only we were playing baseball instead.

 

[Silversurfer]

"If you aint first, your last"...Ricky Bobby.

 

[wehavethepassion]

Lyon is preparing us for 2017 and beyond. They won't deliberately tank and will try and win every game but getting games in to our youngsters plus experimenting with the new game plan is a higher priority than the win/loss record.

I doubt we'll finish bottom but I don't have a problem even if we do. If Alex Pearce, Weller, Hughes, Blakely, Langdon, Tucker and Grey all head in to next season with a heap more AFL experience, and guys like Bennell, Apeness, Yarran settle in, rookies like Smith, Ueber and Nyhuis all push for an upgrade, and the whole team continues to improve executing the new game plan I'll be too excited for next season to worry too much about our 2016 performance.

Right on the money here. We need to see if some of these youngsters can cut it. Hope Apness gets into form at peel so RTB plays him for last 4-5 games in seniors. Has anyone on coaching panel given Zac Clarke a good rollicking? He is running out of games to justify his place on our list. Moreover, when realistically will we be on the position to challenge for a flag? 2018? 2019? When Weller, tucker, Langdon, tabs, Apness, Grey, Collins, blakely have played 40-50 games. Makes no sense in playing Dawson, Suban, de boer, gu, Barlow etc

 

[purplerunsdeep]

Right on the money here. We need to see if some of these youngsters can cut it. Hope Apness gets into form at peel so RTB plays him for last 4-5 games in seniors. Has anyone on coaching panel given Zac Clarke a good rollicking? He is running out of games to justify his place on our list. Moreover, when realistically will we be on the position to challenge for a flag? 2018? 2019? When Weller, tucker, Langdon, tabs, Apness, Grey, Collins, blakely have played 40-50 games. Makes no sense in playing Dawson, Suban, de boer, gu, Barlow etc

Probably reflects Zac and Barlow being dropped. As good as Dawson is at the one percenters, is skill set is limited to today's game.

We will be lucky to get a 3rd for Barlow, and Zac will likely stay on the list until his contract is done for back up

 

[DannyTheDoorman]

T

Sack the coach and hire one that will tear up Danyle Pearce's new contract.

They should bar you from BF so you can't be given any publicity and no one will hear you bleating about Danyle Pearce and his new contract wich is as fresh as newly mown grass..ha ha

 

[Reginald Perrin]

They should bar you from BF so you can't be given any publicity and no one will hear you bleating about Danyle Pearce and his new contract wich is as fresh as newly mown grass..ha ha

You should keep your pie hole shut lest somebody inserts a very large caber in you.

 

[DannyTheDoorman]

You should keep your pie hole shut lest somebody inserts a very large caber in you.

Oh really .I don't suppose you are threatening me ? You silly old man don't go in here and make threats when you have been drinking.@salim malik. sherrif Sandi7

 

[_007_]

I think I speak for everyone when I say .

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Oh really .I don't suppose you are threatening me ? You silly old man don't go in here and make threats when you have been drinking.@salim malik. sherrif Sandi7

I was just warning you of an occurrence which, for you, might be an occupational hazard.

#learntotag
#onetoomanymorons

 

[wayToGo_]

...

 

[eastfreo75]

What to do?
1. Don't play Fyfe, Johnson and Sandiland again for the year.
2. Play youth instead of C Pearce, De Boer, Suban, Mzunga
3. Anybody that needs an operation, do it early
4. Don't play Pavlich in anyway games (Manage him and have a slim chance of him playing next year) and play Smith and U-Boat for a few games
5. Play Sheridan and Sutcliffe as midfielders in some games and bring in the likes of Hughes and Nyhuis.

 

[sherrif]

Im probably in the minority here, but I don't agree with the theory of simply playing youth is the answer. I think you only need to look at Gold Coast to see their are significant risks of playing nearly all kids in terms of injuries and young players losing confidence. Swallow, Omeara, Presti, Lynch, Tape, Dixon, Bennell and Day all probably had their progressed stalled by having to play from a very young age. GWS has significant injuries to gun young players in the formative years, but less since after bringing in big bodies like Shaw, Griffin, Patful and Mumford in recent years. Some here have said Alex Pearce should have played and McPharlin retire in 2015 but Im of the view that he would have struggled massively with the physical load and his progress was actually accelerated by developing his game at a lower level before he came into the team.

My view is that we should play more kids and bring young players into and out of the team like we are. That way the likes of Hughes, Tucker, Apeness, Blakely and Langdon learn the requirements and experience of playing at the top level, but they can also go back to the lower level with greater knowledge of what they need to improve. If a player looks to be adjusting well like Weller and A.Pearce are then they stay in the team.

I actually like the balance of what we are doing now. There have plenty of teams who have simply brought in youth and have been left rebuilding for ages because they haven't got the right balance of exposure at senior level and giving players time to physically develop to the point they can play regularly at senior level.

In the future I hope we trade a second round pick (in 2016 trading period) for McCarthy which we would gain if both Clarke and Mayne left as free agents (I don't think we would get two picks on current form). I would then begin a process of a rebuild by opening salary cap space by not renewing contracts of Pav, Johno, Ballaz, Ibbo, Barlow, Gu,C.Pearce De Boer, Suban. Depending on how they are travellingI would also look at Mundy and Sandy over the next two seasons. This should allow us to open up significant cap space and then we front load all contracts and pre-load our salary cap (By paying 95%) so we plan to make a play for Hogan when he is a free agent. All players we bring into the team should have great kicking skills as a priority and we should go back to keeping all draft picks.

 

[WilloTree]

Even if we can get on a bit of a roll and win some games (which I hope we do), the reality is that at 0-8 we're probably still going to finish bottom 4. That will get you a better draw and very good pick. The difference between pick 1 and 4 this year isn't going to be anything massive. Pretty even draft at the top end this year (outside the academy kids, who could dominate the 1st round). It will still be a pick that could turn heads at Melbourne if that's still an option. Tanking for pick 1 would have little upside, and destroy the confidence of the Hughes/Grey/Langdon/Blakely/Weller etc not to mention the risk you run of players seeing no success in the future and becoming less attractive to trade in, and maybe even lose a few younguns along the way.

 

[electricfeel]

Even if we can get on a bit of a roll and win some games (which I hope we do), the reality is that at 0-8 we're probably still going to finish bottom 4. That will get you a better draw and very good pick. The difference between pick 1 and 4 this year isn't going to be anything massive. Pretty even draft at the top end this year (outside the academy kids, who could dominate the 1st round). It will still be a pick that could turn heads at Melbourne if that's still an option. Tanking for pick 1 would have little upside, and destroy the confidence of the Hughes/Grey/Langdon/Blakely/Weller etc not to mention the risk you run of players seeing no success in the future and becoming less attractive to trade in, and maybe even lose a few younguns along the way.

I also think there's a lot more pressure on us choosing the player if we had pick 1 as well as on the player themselves. Jack Watts anyone?? He's alright now but he endured so much pressure and criticism up until now which was very unfair. Wouldn't mind any top 5 pick. We should be able to nab a very promising talent with it.

 

[dockerfemme]

Im probably in the minority here, but I don't agree with the theory of simply playing youth is the answer. I think you only need to look at Gold Coast to see their are significant risks of playing nearly all kids in terms of injuries and young players losing confidence. Swallow, Omeara, Presti, Lynch, Tape, Dixon, Bennell and Day all probably had their progressed stalled by having to play from a very young age. GWS has significant injuries to gun young players in the formative years, but less since after bringing in big bodies like Shaw, Griffin, Patful and Mumford in recent years. Some here have said Alex Pearce should have played and McPharlin retire in 2015 but Im of the view that he would have struggled massively with the physical load and his progress was actually accelerated by developing his game at a lower level before he came into the team.

My view is that we should play more kids and bring young players into and out of the team like we are. That way the likes of Hughes, Tucker, Apeness, Blakely and Langdon learn the requirements and experience of playing at the top level, but they can also go back to the lower level with greater knowledge of what they need to improve. If a player looks to be adjusting well like Weller and A.Pearce are then they stay in the team.

I actually like the balance of what we are doing now. There have plenty of teams who have simply brought in youth and have been left rebuilding for ages because they haven't got the right balance of exposure at senior level and giving players time to physically develop to the point they can play regularly at senior level.

In the future I hope we trade a second round pick (in 2016 trading period) for McCarthy which we would gain if both Clarke and Mayne left as free agents (I don't think we would get two picks on current form). I would then begin a process of a rebuild by opening salary cap space by not renewing contracts of Pav, Johno, Ballaz, Ibbo, Barlow, Gu,C.Pearce De Boer, Suban. Depending on how they are travellingI would also look at Mundy and Sandy over the next two seasons. This should allow us to open up significant cap space and then we front load all contracts and pre-load our salary cap (By paying 95%) so we plan to make a play for Hogan when he is a free agent. All players we bring into the team should have great kicking skills as a priority and we should go back to keeping all draft picks.

I agree with all that you say except the last para. I feel there is probably room for 1 or 2 of Barlow, Clancee, de Boer or Suban going forward to provide hard bodies around the packs.

What concerns me at the moment is that we seem to be completely random in what we are trying. One week Barlow as inside mid, then inside and hff, then out of the team. Mundy on hb for 1 week then back to mid, Weller forward, back etc etc. It is good to experiment but I question whether any of our experiments last long enough to prove anything. I think the proof of anything will actually only come when we are close to winning games and the oppo are really trying to close down the things that are working for us. I also think some form of stability would benefit the youngies, so they know they are getting a few weeks in one role surrounded by much the same teammates.

 

[se17enteen]

We'll start winning games when Essendon and Brisbane start winning a few more games.

 

[Silversurfer]

Sit back and relax.
Dont get angry.
Accept the losses and don't carry them with you.
Enjoy watching the young brigade.
Look forward to the draft next year.
Smile. It releases endorphins.

 

[jakefooty23]

What to do?
1. Don't play Fyfe, Johnson and Sandiland again for the year.
2. Play youth instead of C Pearce, De Boer, Suban, Mzunga
3. Anybody that needs an operation, do it early
4. Don't play Pavlich in anyway games (Manage him and have a slim chance of him playing next year) and play Smith and U-Boat for a few games
5. Play Sheridan and Sutcliffe as midfielders in some games and bring in the likes of Hughes and Nyhuis.

If sandilands and johnson are fit and uninjured they will play. Cant afford to not play our veterans if theyre up for it. Could see johnsom retiring at the end of this year or next year. We need to throw a seriously big contract at hurley. It would fill a massive void in our defence.

 

[dominguez]

From where we're at I'm hoping for a top 4 pick. Once Sandilands comes back we'll start winning games, and Essendon and Brisbane certainly look like bottom 4 teams and will probably finish below us. We really want Richmond, Collingwood and Gold Coast to find some form to enhance our draft position.

 

[dominguez]

If sandilands and johnson are fit and uninjured they will play. Cant afford to not play our veterans if theyre up for it. Could see johnson retiring at the end of this year or next year. We need to throw a seriously big contract at hurley. It would fill a massive void in our defence.

Sandilands definitely, once his ribs and lung are fully recovered then he'll come back in. Johnson has a much greater risk of re-injury though so they'll be conservative.

If Hurley leaves the Bombers he'll go to another Victorian team. If we can't lure a WA boy in Hooker what makes you think we'll be able to convince a Melbourne raised player to move to WA?

 

[meima]

Relax and enjoy mini freo game at Fremantle oval.

 

[electricfeel]

From where we're at I'm hoping for a top 4 pick. Once Sandilands comes back we'll start winning games, and Essendon and Brisbane certainly look like bottom 4 teams and will probably finish below us. We really want Richmond, Collingwood and Gold Coast to find some form to enhance our draft position.

I have a feeling Richmond will want to start tanking too. Or they can do what they do best and make a second half season run to ninth.

 

[meima]

I have a feeling Richmond will want to start tanking too. Or they can do what they do best and make a second half season run to ninth.

I think they will tank with harwick gone.