Premiership window

[1eyedog]

I've never liked the idea of premiership windows, Hawthorn have completely dispelled that notion for me but how long can we continue to play top 4 football? How many more cracks do we have at the big dance in the next 3 years? Are Grant, Everitt et al. and Barry Hall (potentially) going to tip the balance to allow us to go one more step next September? What are your thoughts on breaking a 55 year Premiership drought in terms of player turnover?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Premiership window

Welsh and Eagle out, Barry and young gun in. Window open.

[GVGjr]

Re: Premiership window

I think the notion of a premiership window is somewhat flawed. Good teams maintain a high standard. We will lose a few players and recruit a few players and we will be in a strong position to challenge again.

[1eyedog]

Re: Premiership window

I think the notion of a premiership window is somewhat flawed. Good teams maintain a high standard. We will lose a few players and recruit a few players and we will be in a strong position to challenge again.

Over the next 3 years I agree. We appear to have a good youngish list that have committed to the cause.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Premiership window

Akermanis, Welsh, Eagleton & Johnson will all decline/retire. From that group, only really Johnson has earned his stripes IMO. Aker has given us SFA in the last two games when we've needed it. He was absolutely dreadful tonight. I'd rather invest our time into developing the next batch of young players (Reid, Wood, Lynch, Roughead, Grant, Boumann etc.) It could be argued Hudson, Hahn and possiby Gia may decline too - but it's all a hypothetical.

I personally think we'll fall a little bit next season. Unless we unearth some new talent, that is.

[Before I Die]

Re: Premiership window

Akermanis, Welsh, Eagleton & Johnson will all decline/retire. From that group, only really Johnson has earned his stripes IMO. Aker has given us SFA in the last two games when we've needed it. He was absolutely dreadful tonight. I'd rather invest our time into developing the next batch of young players (Reid, Wood, Lynch, Roughead, Grant, Boumann etc.) It could be argued Hudson, Hahn and possiby Gia may decline too - but it's all a hypothetical.

I personally think we'll fall a little bit next season. Unless we unearth some new talent, that is.

I thought his pressure and attack on the player was sensational. He didn't kick any goals but his tackling and the example he set for others was fantastic.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Premiership window

I thought his pressure and attack on the player was sensational. He didn't kick any goals but his tackling and the example he set for others was fantastic.

He turned the ball over/kicked to nobody almost every time. It killed us. We got Aker to the club for his ability to make the right decisions in big finals. That includes kicking goals; he did neither. The last two weeks have been the worst two games I've seen him play.

[GVGjr]

Re: Premiership window

Akermanis, Welsh, Eagleton & Johnson will all decline/retire. From that group, only really Johnson has earned his stripes IMO. Aker has given us SFA in the last two games when we've needed it. He was absolutely dreadful tonight. I'd rather invest our time into developing the next batch of young players (Reid, Wood, Lynch, Roughead, Grant, Boumann etc.) It could be argued Hudson, Hahn and possiby Gia may decline too - but it's all a hypothetical.

I personally think we'll fall a little bit next season. Unless we unearth some new talent, that is.

I have been saying for a couple of months now that we need to make some hard decisions on delistings etc but based on what I have seen this season there is no reason why Johnson can't go on again and it's really up to Akermanis to see if he wants to continue. Tough decisions need to be made on Welsh, Eagleton and a few others.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Premiership window

There really is no such window in my opinion. Each year is it's own unique set of circumstances.

Having said that you would think that we still have a strong list, even with any impending retirements, and it then comes down to how much the group improves next year, relative to the other intangible of how other teams improve.

Hopefully some shrewd drafting & trading can help add to our depth and improve areas of deficiencies.

[azabob]

Re: Premiership window

I have been saying for a couple of months now that we need to make some hard decisions on delistings etc but based on what I have seen this season there is no reason why Johnson can't go on again and it's really up to Akermanis to see if he wants to continue. Tough decisions need to be made on Welsh, Eagleton and a few others.

Are you willing to name the few others? Are they from the "1999 draft"?
Personally I think Welsh, Eagleton should retire, re sign Johnson and Akermanis on one year deals.
The big question is if we get a Barry Hall do Murphy, Gia, Hahn all improve due to a bigger body being around them?

[The Underdog]

Re: Premiership window

I don't know about premiership windows or clocks or whatever, I just think it's so hard to make it to that final 4 and get the chance to play in the GF, that to miss out 2 years in a row and have to go back to the start is such a huge opportunity missed.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Premiership window

I have been saying for a couple of months now that we need to make some hard decisions on delistings etc but based on what I have seen this season there is no reason why Johnson can't go on again and it's really up to Akermanis to see if he wants to continue. Tough decisions need to be made on Welsh, Eagleton and a few others.

Yep - proud of Johnson and no doubt he will/should play on in 2010.

I struggle to make a case for the rest. If we chase Hall (and we should) then I don't know if we can/should keep Aker. He's been very good for us, but has failed badly in the last two games when we've needed him. I think we need to be mindful of the group's age and really start to develop 2-3 young players next season.

Cross/Gia are two names I'd throw up at the trade table.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Premiership window

Hawks showed anything can happen...and just last year the Saints barely scraped into the top four and then bombed out... so you can't rule anything out... I just don't see a premiership coming from the current list... two of our better players this year are the two oldest...

[GVGjr]

Re: Premiership window

Are you willing to name the few others? Are they from the "1999 draft"?
Personally I think Welsh, Eagleton should retire, re sign Johnson and Akermanis on one year deals.
The big question is if we get a Barry Hall do Murphy, Gia, Hahn all improve due to a bigger body being around them?

I have been naming them. I believe that we need to move on 7 players this season.

[azabob]

Re: Premiership window

I have been naming them. I believe that we need to move on 7 players this season.

Ok then, I thought you were talking about players from tonights game.
My mistake.