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Thread: Priority Picks

  1. #1
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    Priority Picks

    I know this is a controversial subject but given the inadequacies of the fixture can we really have 2 dreadfully weak sides like West Coast and North Melbourne giving a select number of teams a substantially easier draw.

    For example, by round 22 Essendon will have played both WC and North twice and you would assume that's 4 wins whereas we will have only had one game against North with West Coast being our opponent the following week.

    I think that given we have two highly non competitive teams in the competition that is too much of a head start for the teams fortunate enough to draw them twice.

    Could allocating a priority pick or two be the way to get them back to a more competitive position be the best solution?
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Do they need to be traded for established players, or is the suggestion giving them more kids for the next year?
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    Do they need to be traded for established players, or is the suggestion giving them more kids for the next year?
    I'd suggest that it should be similar to what was given to North last year. Tradeable picks might result in a quicker fix than going through the draft and develop process.
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    Do they need to be traded for established players, or is the suggestion giving them more kids for the next year?
    Trading doesn't work when you are bottom of the ladder.

    The only players who will come to you are ones chasing long term deals and cash. Not really the right type a bottom club needs.
    More of an In Bruges guy?

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    Re: Priority Picks

    A few years back there was a suggested fixture change where every team played each other once for the first 17 rounds and then there was a 5-round series of games with the league sorted into 3 6-team brackets. The problem apparently was that the bottom six teams had nothing to play for, which would make for some dreary games. This feels like a better fix than priority picks, although anything that disrupts Brisbane continuing its run of father-sons is fine by me. Love watching them play, still angry we lost Dunkley int he same year they picked up Fletcher and Ashcroft.

    Imagine if they played 17 rounds, then did the draft, then did the 5 bracketed games. Top six could play for top four, middle six for the remaining two finals spots, and bottom six could 'blood the kids' immediately and deprive the media of six months of wild speculation.

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    Re: Priority Picks

    North already got the assistance. At a certain point they need to figure it out themselves. I'd wait on West Coast but would be hesitant to give them anything when they should have plenty of ways to attract talent back to WA. Including our own Timmy boy... wait...

    Would giving them an extra pick mean more draft capital for us... I'm suddenly feeling the need to ensure an more competitive competition for some reason.

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  9. #7
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    I'd suggest that it should be similar to what was given to North last year. Tradeable picks might result in a quicker fix than going through the draft and develop process.
    Essentially pick 20 & 40 don’t compromise the draft too much. But is North better this year for the players?

    It’s a tough one. But I agree something needs to happen.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Boots View Post
    A few years back there was a suggested fixture change where every team played each other once for the first 17 rounds and then there was a 5-round series of games with the league sorted into 3 6-team brackets. The problem apparently was that the bottom six teams had nothing to play for, which would make for some dreary games. This feels like a better fix than priority picks, although anything that disrupts Brisbane continuing its run of father-sons is fine by me. Love watching them play, still angry we lost Dunkley int he same year they picked up Fletcher and Ashcroft.

    Imagine if they played 17 rounds, then did the draft, then did the 5 bracketed games. Top six could play for top four, middle six for the remaining two finals spots, and bottom six could 'blood the kids' immediately and deprive the media of six months of wild speculation.
    With the cutoff being last round Gold Coast would have been consigned to the bottom six despite being just one win out of the eight, I don't think I like that.
    I should leave it alone but you're not right

  11. #9
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by Boots View Post
    A few years back there was a suggested fixture change where every team played each other once for the first 17 rounds and then there was a 5-round series of games with the league sorted into 3 6-team brackets. The problem apparently was that the bottom six teams had nothing to play for, which would make for some dreary games. This feels like a better fix than priority picks, although anything that disrupts Brisbane continuing its run of father-sons is fine by me. Love watching them play, still angry we lost Dunkley int he same year they picked up Fletcher and Ashcroft.

    Imagine if they played 17 rounds, then did the draft, then did the 5 bracketed games. Top six could play for top four, middle six for the remaining two finals spots, and bottom six could 'blood the kids' immediately and deprive the media of six months of wild speculation.
    The bottom 6 would play for number of balls in a lottery or something.

    Problem with that is - the Eagles would be the worst team ever nearly and get less chances of #1.

  12. #10
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by soupman View Post
    With the cutoff being last round Gold Coast would have been consigned to the bottom six despite being just one win out of the eight, I don't think I like that.
    That problem isn't based on the length of the season. Every year someone gets cut off at the end. Remember us keeping Carlton out by percentage in the last game last year?

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by azabob View Post
    Trading doesn't work when you are bottom of the ladder.

    The only players who will come to you are ones chasing long term deals and cash. Not really the right type a bottom club needs.
    I tend to agree. Which is the dilemma.

    I don’t want to go back to PP at the very front of the draft for tanking reasons, but it can be effective.

    I guess this is the argument for trading salary cap space. North are struggling to pay minimum and WCE after retirements will struggle too. They could get some good draft capital without PPs. But will the likes of Geelong just exploit it on the flip side?

    Back in the day we just let the fold (University), move (South Melbourne) or die an irrelevant death into merger (Fitzroy). It was natures way of cutting the dead wood. That’s probably the best thing if a club can’t be saved. With NMFC, if it wasn’t for the TV rights needing 18 teams and 9 games each week, I wonder if they’d be gone already.

    Realistically, North should just go to Tassie. But to the OP, could the AFEL get creative and re-classify for a shitshow club all out of contract players as having RFA status and thereby the club could take a trade or compo - which is the better deal? I don’t know.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    I know this is a controversial subject but given the inadequacies of the fixture can we really have 2 dreadfully weak sides like West Coast and North Melbourne giving a select number of teams a substantially easier draw.

    For example, by round 22 Essendon will have played both WC and North twice and you would assume that's 4 wins whereas we will have only had one game against North with West Coast being our opponent the following week.

    I think that given we have two highly non competitive teams in the competition that is too much of a head start for the teams fortunate enough to draw them twice.

    Could allocating a priority pick or two be the way to get them back to a more competitive position be the best solution?
    Does it depend on what stage of the cycle they are in? For example West Coast could use a PP but using the North situation they may benefit more from off field support such as soft cap relief or more investment is player development.

    My concern with North Melbourne overall is they are making poor decisions off field. Appointing Clarkson was the wrong decision from the start and clearly is going to be a problem till he walks away or is sacked.

    North have been making mistake after mistake off field since Brad Scott was shown the door.

    I honestly cannot see them getting out of this hole in the next 3-5 years and by then players such as LDU and Larkey will be closer to 30 and be on the downhill slope.

    Gold Coast need to think very long and very hard about appointing Damien Hardwick. I can see him dismantling the list and putting them back in the bottom four and they will not be able to get out.
    More of an In Bruges guy?

  15. #13
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogtragic View Post
    Realistically, North should just go to Tassie.
    Genuine question - why? Why not say Hawks, or Saints who are in debt
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  16. #14
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    Genuine question - why? Why not say Hawks, or Saints who are in debt
    Same reason Fitzroy went to Brisbane. There’s a small core of good players, load them up with merger/new club concessions at the draft and they will be strong fairly quickly and hopefully galvanise the state around them. North is a genuine basket case. But it’s moot as the league won’t move any club. But in a free market, St Kilda would be in strife too.
    Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023

  17. #15
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    Re: Priority Picks

    Quote Originally Posted by azabob View Post
    Does it depend on what stage of the cycle they are in? For example West Coast could use a PP but using the North situation they may benefit more from off field support such as soft cap relief or more investment is player development.

    My concern with North Melbourne overall is they are making poor decisions off field. Appointing Clarkson was the wrong decision from the start and clearly is going to be a problem till he walks away or is sacked.

    North have been making mistake after mistake off field since Brad Scott was shown the door.

    I honestly cannot see them getting out of this hole in the next 3-5 years and by then players such as LDU and Larkey will be closer to 30 and be on the downhill slope.

    Gold Coast need to think very long and very hard about appointing Damien Hardwick. I can see him dismantling the list and putting them back in the bottom four and they will not be able to get out.
    All legit concerns but if we are happy to accept that some teams will get a distinct advantage with two non competitive teams then there is no reason to change things and just allow the competition to balance out over time.

    If we want to try and fix the bottom of the ladder given we won't fix the draw then there are just two levers we can pull and they're via priority picks or the salary cap.
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

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