Which team is in most trouble age wise - 2017 edition

[RUNVS]

Why 29?? That is hardly old!

Talk players over 32 with maybe 1 or 2 years at most left of footy at AFL level and you will get a better gauge IMO.

29 just seems odd and a very selective age for whatever age for whatever reasons.

29 does seem a little young, but I had to pick an age and I thought that 29 is when some players start losing their on-field performance due to age, especially since the season won't be starting for another 4 months. It is also an age where teams really need to start considering who is going to be replacing them.

 

[Chism]

29 right now means 30 this year - 30 is when the twilight truly begins. Admittedly it's problematic because players seem to be playing longer, but generally once you hit 30 you'll be lucky to still be playing in 4 years.

Just to generic and you can have 3 players on your list just over 30 playing the last year out of a contract in the 2nds but according to the online world your team is screwed for a decade cause you have 1 more bloke on your roster over 30 than what the other team who just played finals has!!

Only on the Internet is it more important to be young than actually have talent.

#noteverykidmakesit

 

[LeverPuller]

Just to generic and you can have 3 players on your list just over 30 playing the last year put of a contract in the 2nds but according to the online world your team is screwed for a decade cause you have 1 more bloke on your roster over 30 than what the other team who just played finals has!!

I think contract situation is important in it too. That's why it's not the be-all and end-all, but it is an important question.

 

[Chism]

I think contract situation is important in it too. That's why it's not the be-all and end-all, but it is an important question.

Also depends how much you rely on the blokes that are nearing the end of their careers as well and you do not want 2-3 blokes all on the wrong end of 30 that often have a massive say as to whether you win or lose games hence the Saints with Roo and Montagna.

 

[RUNVS]

I think contract situation is important in it too. That's why it's not the be-all and end-all, but it is an important question.

Also interesting because last years two oldest teams in terms of over 29 were Fremantle and North Melbourne

North Melbourne (8)
(Harvey, Petrie, Waite, Firrito, Dan Santo, Wells, Thompson, Gibson)

Fremantle (8)
(Pavlich, Sandilands, Johnson, Mundy, Griffin, Dawson, Mzungu, Pearce)

and look what happened to both those teams in 2016.

 

[Bokonon_]

Mmmm
I think we're a little different in that our older players were specifically recruited for balance. Obviously none are club stalwarts in the traditional sense. Leon clearly values them and I've always thought that the younger guys would replace them in time.
That's not what seems to be happening though as the younger guys who cant find a spot move on.
We keep recruiting mainly academy players, and from last year Hopper, Matt Kennedy, Himmelburg and Matthew Flynn, all have an AFL future. This years crop are unkown at this stage.
Mummy will go but Lobb and Flynn could be pushing him out by 2018 anyway.
Heater has at least a couple of years left and in my view Wilson, Bunts and others will have matured and hopefully still be with us. If Phil Davis stays fit the leadership role is naturally his as co captain.
Griffen us clearly liked by Leon but I can see him struggling for a spot next year all going well
Stevie J is playing a year more than planned, has done his job and wull free a spot for someone when he goes. Not sure who it will be, but the guys around him should need less guidance by then.
In short I dont see any problem barring a disaster taking them all out at once.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I guess the question for mine Abasi is what now? I know every Hawthorn supporter and their dog has been talking about a 'big free agent' this year (read: Fyfe or Martin) but the catch is that both of them are restricted...and with what the Hawks gave up for O'Meara they now don't have the trade assets to land them if Freo or Richmond choose to match the offer.

For mine, it feels like Gibson, Hodge and Burgoyne are still crucial to the side structurally. It's going to take 2 of them, particularly Hodge, being replaced to convince me. Well, that and O'Meara getting through a season.

Disagree with the first part about trade assets.

We heard all the same things about JOM and Tom, of how Hawthorn wouldn't be able to get them without losing Bruest, Smith or Shiels, and that they'd need to concentrate on getting just one of them. That didn't happen.

Restricted agents don't garner market value either, worth remembering.

Trengove, Rocklliff, Pittard, Fyfe, Martin etc...there's quite a list of FA's this year and the strong whispers even prior to 2016 trade period was that 2017 will be a major target for FA.

Hypothetically, Hawthorn could very well add 2 free agents(Rockliff, Trengove) at the end of 2017 without need for a trade due to compo their clubs would recieve.

There's so many ways Hawthorn can continue to regenerate.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Hawthorn - Their best players are still their elder statesmen.

 

[TallyHawk]

Freo are the obvious ones with Sandy, Mundy and maybe Dawson worth keeping. Given they have lost Yarran and Bennals calf stops him from playing they look like having a major rebuild.

Hawks will secure a top liner via free agency to address the pain of Burgoyne retiring. Stratton can play the Gibson role and Hodge, Rough and Poppy will play on in 2018. Rough and Poppy are 29 and 30 still relatively young.

Geelong will struggle to cover Harry Taylor and Tom Lonergan, not sure Henderson and Jake Kolo can do that job.

 

[Pessimistic]

One player on the list has FIVE years left on his contract so WTF including 28 yo when the last three premiers have had a few well into their thirties taking key roles

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Freo then Syds.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Funnily enough I think it's still North. Waite the #1 KPF and BB yet to prove himself. Thommo a major backline cog and Gibson critical to their midfield structure. The most replaceable is Spitta but he's also captain.

Freo are at a generational shift point but the only one out of that group that is utterly irreplaceable is Sandi.

Hawthorn and St Kilda still questionable.

Also RUNVS Patfull and Malceski are retired.

Finally, for Melbourne, all of Vince, Lewis and Pedo are certainly replaceable. Lewis is the definition of a luxury. Vince was borderline 22 come end of 2016, and Pedersen is about to be replaced by Weideman anyway.

41 goals in a season is not proven for a kpf that hasn't even had a full pre-season? Wowser.

Brown is our number 1 forward, followed by Waite, Wood and Daw. Brown took the top forward mantle and a lot of the pressure in the second half of the season as teams figured out that Petrie was cooked and that we were kicking to brown more. We have Ben McKay (wait and see obviously) developing in the VFL to replace Waite (one year at the most) long term.

Thompson is going to be hard to replace, but his form has been ordinary for nearly two seasons, so his loss isn't massive as he can only really play on third talls most weeks. He could easily be pushed out midway next year as he's lost his lateral pace. Really only one year left, can be replaced by Neilson or Durdin long term.

Gibson is a gut runner that lacks class, replaceable, by who is debatable. Still got 2 years.

Yes we can cover Spitta long term.

Our squad is now one of the youngest and we aren't as majorly reliant on veterans as you have outlined and in the past.

 

[Pessimistic]

41 goals in a season is not proven for a kpf that hasn't even had a full pre-season? Wowser.

Brown is our number 1 forward, followed by Waite, Wood and Daw. Brown took the top forward mantle and a lot of the pressure in the second half of the season as teams figured out that Petrie was cooked and that we were kicking to brown more. We have Ben McKay (wait and see obviously) developing in the VFL to replace Waite (one year at the most) long term.

Thompson is going to be hard to replace, but his form has been ordinary for nearly two seasons, so his loss isn't massive as he can only really play on third talls most weeks. He could easily be pushed out midway next year as he's lost his lateral pace. Really only one year left, can be replaced by Neilson or Durdin long term.

Gibson is a gut runner that lacks class, replaceable, by who is debatable. Still got 2 years.

Yes we can cover Spitta long term.

Our squad is now one of the youngest and we aren't as majorly reliant on veterans as you have outlined and in the past.

Teams in Norths position get talked down a lot but the next season is often better, a lot better.

 

[perplexed]

What a silly tread. By the time most decent 29 year olds have retired half their teams list will have been turned over

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Teams in Norths position get talked down a lot but the next season is often better, a lot better.

There is a lot of questions marks over north, which is more than fair enough, because our youth, due to injuries, senior form and coach stubborness, is very raw and untested. Adding to this, our older (50-150 gamers) replacements haven't shown enough to show that they can replace our losses.

It's going to be a challenging, but interesting season. Brad Scott should have been moved on already in my opinion.

 

[Pessimistic]

What a silly tread. By the time most decent 29 year olds have retired half their teams list will have been turned over

Yeah. Some role players tail off before thirty, but firrito for example kept playing. Poppy could find some youngsters eating into his game time

 

[Crusty Undies]

There is a lot of questions marks over north, which is more than fair enough, because our youth, due to injuries, senior form and coach stubborness, is very raw and untested. Adding to this, our older (50-150 gamers) replacements haven't shown enough to show that they can replace our losses.

It's going to be a challenging, but interesting season. Brad Scott should have been moved on already in my opinion.

Respect to you for acknowledging the situation at North this year unlike a couple of other North supporters. FWIW I rate a couple of the younger guys such as Garner and Clarke and I was a bit annoyed when you guys took em before us. Also agree that Scott should've been gone by now.

 

[Shinboner roo]

You are joking, right?

I was gonna LOL but I'm too hungover

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Respect to you for acknowledging the situation at North this year unlike a couple of other North supporters. FWIW I rate a couple of the younger guys such as Garner and Clarke and I was a bit annoyed when you guys took em before us. Also agree that Scott should've been gone by now.

Don't get me wrong, I rate north's youth, but they are untested, so I'm comfortable about non-north people questioning our youth's quality. As for the 50-150 gamers, only Ziebell, Macmillan and a few others had good consistent 2016's, but there were plenty of other experienced guys, like Atley and Cunnington, who had poor years. Out of all the 50-150 gamers, consistency and whether they'll ever develop into a-graders are chief concerns at north. Ziebell had turned into a consistent high b grade inside mid/forward type and Cunnington has dropped the bulk that hindered him, but he has shown that at worst, he's a b-grade bull.

I have concerns, but I'm happy to see some young blood and I hope that some come through to push guys like Swallow, Waite and Thompson out sooner rather than later.

 

[Furn2]

GWS future looks bleak being in equal 3rd place.

 

[RUNVS]

GWS future looks bleak being in equal 3rd place.

I suspect GWS are a unique case.

 

[Established1870]

Don't get me wrong, I rate north's youth, but they are untested, so I'm comfortable about non-north people questioning our youth's quality.

This is actually why I rate your youth over Richmond's. We've seen Richmond's younger players, and most of them are s**t. Most of us haven't seen enough of your younger players to comment on how good they are. Who knows, the ones who haven't had a run yet will carry North to a flag in the next 2-3 years or carry North to the next 3 spoons. It's the unknown. Meanwhile, there's Richmond. In short:

North's youth = Schrodinger's Cat.
Richmond's youth = dog s**t.

 

[Bokonon_]

GWS future looks bleak being in equal 3rd place.

Yep
We're really stressed about where the young talent is gonna come from.

I'm genuinely conflicted about the Hawks, there are a lot of great players coming to the end of their careers. They're probably also the club with the ability to manage it better than anyone else. That's respect for the cubs coaches and administration not sarcasm. I dont know.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

Freo are the obvious ones with Sandy, Mundy and maybe Dawson worth keeping. Given they have lost Yarran and Bennals calf stops him from playing they look like having a major rebuild.

Hawks will secure a top liner via free agency to address the pain of Burgoyne retiring. Stratton can play the Gibson role and Hodge, Rough and Poppy will play on in 2018. Rough and Poppy are 29 and 30 still relatively young.

Geelong will struggle to cover Harry Taylor and Tom Lonergan, not sure Henderson and Jake Kolo can do that job.

Stratton can not play the Gibson role and hodge is cooked

 

[Longjohnmire]

Disagree with the first part about trade assets.

We heard all the same things about JOM and Tom, of how Hawthorn wouldn't be able to get them without losing Bruest, Smith or Shiels, and that they'd need to concentrate on getting just one of them. That didn't happen.

Restricted agents don't garner market value either, worth remembering.

Trengove, Rocklliff, Pittard, Fyfe, Martin etc...there's quite a list of FA's this year and the strong whispers even prior to 2016 trade period was that 2017 will be a major target for FA.

Hypothetically, Hawthorn could very well add 2 free agents(Rockliff, Trengove) at the end of 2017 without need for a trade due to compo their clubs would recieve.

There's so many ways Hawthorn can continue to regenerate.

Abasi, please tell me how many free agents will be desperate to jump on a sinking ship? Your current teams time is done pal, about time you took the brown and gold glasses off and realise that nothing so good can last forever. The more you keep trying to bring in UFA's and DFA's, clubs will match to stop you guys, personally I think clubs are getting jack of your mob trying to pick blokes off.. You have 0 trade assets this year and if I were a rival club I'd match any reasonable bid hawthorn put on a player. And if the Hawks want to be unreasonable about it your salary cap will be in strife. That's when your own are gonna get picked off. At some stage you have to hit the draft and cop your rebuild. GW and Clarko are extremely good operators but they can't work miracles.
You really can't see the reality that's about to smack you between the eyes..
If we are also talking hypotheticals, hypothetically, Roughead will never be the same post his treatment coming back as a 30 y.o, Hodge may fall off a cliff with Gibson and Burgoyne and omeara is every chance to do his knee again. Where does that leave you when trying to attract talent the calibre of Trengove and Rockliff?