Is GWS Still Viable?

[bulldogtragic]

In one sense, it’s exciting to be them. Picks 3, 12, 15, 18 (Bruhn), 19 and Hopper to come this year. That’s a lot of talent to come into a team.

But they’re just bleeding talent:

Taranto, Hopper, Hill, Bruhn, Finlayson, Corr, Zac Williams, Langdon, Caldwell & Jeremy Cameron - all done in three years, and there’s still a week to go with reports Haynes, Whitfield & Greene might be gettable.

It’s easy to look at the basket case that is GCS. But after overly generous concessions to begin with, and not getting the flag they created to win, if talent walks in and out like this how viable are they long term? If they have 6 picks inside 19 this year but most leave, then they’re simply an incubator of young talent for the competition, no different than GCS. Both destined to float in the bottom 10 from season to season.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's forever a cycle; lose good players, gain early draft picks. The longer the trend continues, the more misses in the draft they'll start to have.

You could argue they will be worse off then Gold Coast - at least they can sell a lifestyle. WTF can GWS sell?

When you look at them and then you look at Geelong who are the opposite, the more you realise that our competition is quickly heading towards overseas models whereby you have 'feeder/development' clubs and then you have the 'contending' clubs.

Geelong, Richmond, Collingwood will struggle to ever truly 'fall' whereas it's going to be next to impossible for GWS to succeed.

[josie]

And here’s hoping this cycle continues for a good deal longer, at least until the echoes of Sheedy and Thug Greene are long gone. AFL produced a confection and almost got their quick sugar hit until our proud club beat them in the best game I’ve ever seen.

I hope Toby Thug Greene never wins a premiership with the plastics or anyone else.

I have a bit more respect for GC, even though their club song makes me laugh more than the appalling GWS one.

Pity AFL did not invest more in Tassie eg make every club play at least one game there in H&A season, build a high quality stadium and then plan for a possible Tassie side if feasible. Better than propping up team(s) that hardly anyone follows.

[jazzadogs]

Their strategy is a bit all over the shop too...

Offer long term contracts to Greene, Whitfield, Haynes, Kelly etc. to encourage loyalty and inspire the younger crop to stay with the club.

But now those same 'loyal' guys are being shopped around because their contracts are too big. So how do you inspire the next crop to sign the big contract and stick around?

[Bulldog Revolution]

Their strategy is a bit all over the shop too...

Offer long term contracts to Greene, Whitfield, Haynes, Kelly etc. to encourage loyalty and inspire the younger crop to stay with the club.

But now those same 'loyal' guys are being shopped around because their contracts are too big. So how do you inspire the next crop to sign the big contract and stick around?

Interesting post jazzadogs - they’ve tied up a lot of money in some supposedly elite talent only to find that a few of the players they’d bet on don’t actually have the impact their salary would suggest they should

[Scraggers]

It's forever a cycle; lose good players, gain early draft picks. The longer the trend continues, the more misses in the draft they'll start to have.

You could argue they will be worse off then Gold Coast - at least they can sell a lifestyle. WTF can GWS sell?

When you look at them and then you look at Geelong who are the opposite, the more you realise that our competition is quickly heading towards overseas models whereby you have 'feeder/development' clubs and then you have the 'contending' clubs.

Geelong, Richmond, Collingwood will struggle to ever truly 'fall' whereas it's going to be next to impossible for GWS to succeed.

The falafels out that way are to die for.

[jazzadogs]

Interesting post jazzadogs - they’ve tied up a lot of money in some supposedly elite talent only to find that a few of the players they’d bet on don’t actually have the impact their salary would suggest they should

I mean GC are doing the same thing with Bowes, who they signed on big money when May and Lynch left.

Contracts just seem to be worth nothing to either player or club at the moment, if one of them decides the time at that club is up.

[Twodogs]

I've always said that both GWS and GCS exist to warehouse and shopfront players and provide a place for elite young players to play at and an environment to learn to be professional footballers instead of them diverting to a different sport. The better performing and more talented players then transfer to proper footy clubs after 3-4 years.

After all would you rather be playing footy on a 2-300k a year contract or toiling away playing District cricket for peanuts or A-League soccer for 60-70k per season?

If the AFL were serious about growing the game 15 years ago then they would have established a club in Tasmania back then instead of GWS.

[azabob]

If you are an early pick and drafted to GWS you are guaranteed $750K plus over 7 years.

You either get the money by staying at the Giants or you get the money by an opposition club giving you a god father offer.

[Flamethrower]

GWS are fast becoming the Kansas City Athletics of the AFL.

For those who don't know, before they moved to Oakland the A's played in Kansas City. They were infamous for developing MLB players to the point that they were just about to break out as superstars and get a significant pay rise, and then trading them to teams like the New York Yankees.

GWS seem to be going down the path of drafting top end talent and developing the players into ready-made AFL stars, and then selling the players to the highest bidder.

[bulldogtragic]

GWS are fast becoming the Kansas City Athletics of the AFL.

For those who don't know, before they moved to Oakland the A's played in Kansas City. They were infamous for developing MLB players to the point that they were just about to break out as superstars and get a significant pay rise, and then trading them to teams like the New York Yankees.

GWS seem to be going down the path of drafting top end talent and developing the players into ready-made AFL stars, and then selling the players to the highest bidder.

No way Jose...

But yes.

[SonofScray]

No, they are not.

Gold Coast will work. They will not.

Should just move to Canberra.

[soupman]

No, they are not.

Gold Coast will work. They will not.

Should just move to Canberra.

They'll work, just have to figure out how to turn what they have into an advantage.

A bit like MJP was saying with us needing a point of difference, GWS being based in Sydney (which just quietly is an awesome city, and they aren't even proper West) means they can use that in association with whatever other competitive advantage they can drum up. I think their policy of being arseholes on field in the first 5 years hasn't helped them win respect as an on field destination, but if they can start to build a culture around some leader types they have the tools to be an attractive club to play for.

As for off field yes they have small crowds and don't seem to have made huge progress, but I think it's easy to underestimate the impact Covid had on all the newer clubs across the country that are still trying to convert mild interest into rusted on fans. Half of Sydney is a huge catchment and they will keep growing, it's probably not going quite as well as hoped but I expect the next 10 years was where they anticipated the club really kicking on anyway, whether or not it's poised to do that I'm unsure but its worth sticking it out.

[Scraggers]

GWS are fast becoming the Kansas City Athletics of the AFL.

For those who don't know, before they moved to Oakland the A's played in Kansas City. They were infamous for developing MLB players to the point that they were just about to break out as superstars and get a significant pay rise, and then trading them to teams like the New York Yankees.

GWS seem to be going down the path of drafting top end talent and developing the players into ready-made AFL stars, and then selling the players to the highest bidder.

Is that the pre-cursor to the Moneyball movie?