Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

[Jasper]

Has this group gone as far it can? Unfortunately it has.

The Coach has built a spine around the below players, for varying reasons such as the increased speed of the game, perhaps motivation of some players, players aging, the club has decisions to make.

The first decision is on the coach. Has Rocket fallen in love with players, and has this cost the club? Is Rocket too conservative? Is his gameplan capable of winning finals and flags? Most importantly, can Rocket get the best out of his senior group and develop the new players? Has he failed with players like Hill and Everitt?

Personally, I think Rocket has had ample opportunity to build a list to win a flag. This list is now one of the oldest in the league, and the names below are over 27 or over.

Rather than wait until Round 10 next year, I believe Eade should be removed after our last game while there is at least one opportunity for him (at Essendon), and a young, new coach be given an opportunity (I don’t believe we have the funds to target Roos or Malthouse). Thoughts on players below:

Cross, Daniel, 27

Hard as a cats head, but Leigh Brown can outrun him

Boyd, Matthew, 28
Hard at it, wins the ball, but turns it over regularly and isn’t quick

Realistically only one of Boyd and Cross should stay on our list next year, Ward and Reid are all this type of player and we can’t keep so many slowish, not great footy users in our team, (Our speed won’t improve with Libba and Wallis either). We should trade one of the above for a quicker more skilled player.

Giansiracusa, Daniel, 28
Good user, not strong enough to beat his man, not fast enough to outrun him
He stays but if our list was in good shape, he would be a fringe player, is not a core player we should be relying on heavily, but we do.

Lake, Brian, 28
Elite - General of Defence, even when half fit.

Morris, Dale, 28
Great – doesn’t offer much attack but doesn’t get beaten
With Lake, backbone of defence.

Murphy, Robert, 28
Still great (when fit). His fragile body really means he must stay back

Gilbee, Lindsay, 29
Since hurting his ankle a couple of years ago seems to have lost speed and more importantly his appetite for the contest. We need a new Lindsay, can this old Lindsay reinvigorate himself? Don’t know and an elite kicker is required at our club, so he has to stay.

Hahn, Mitchell , 29
Used to give a contest, now struggles to get to one
Thank you and goodbye

Hargrave, Ryan, 29
Uses the ball extremely poorly under pressure. Struggle to see why he appears to be an automatic inclusion
Should be a depth player at best - no trade value

Hudson, Ben, 31
Tries hard, not a great tap ruckman, but always provides a contest.
A good player, and his future is dependent on the future direction of the club, his market value, and the club’s view on Minson.

Eagleton, Nathan, 32
Running hard and ball use were his strengths, both have faded, his weaknesses are still apparent
Thank you and goodbye

Akermanis, Jason, 33
Gone and good riddance

Hall, Barry, 33
A revelation this year, but needs more support around him, and maybe even has two years left. Required, and good to see a succession plan in place

Johnson, Brad, 34
One of the best dogs players I have seen, but not now, injury has cruelled him, his ball use is not strong, his contested marking is almost gone, his defensive pressure minimal. Very sadly, thank you and goodbye

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

Good review...Win a flag...unlikely

[GVGjr]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

Has this group gone as far it can? Unfortunately it has.

The Coach has built a spine around the below players, for varying reasons such as the increased speed of the game, perhaps motivation of some players, players aging, the club has decisions to make.

The first decision is on the coach. Has Rocket fallen in love with players, and has this cost the club? Is Rocket too conservative? Is his gameplan capable of winning finals and flags? Most importantly, can Rocket get the best out of his senior group and develop the new players? Has he failed with players like Hill and Everitt?

Personally, I think Rocket has had ample opportunity to build a list to win a flag. This list is now one of the oldest in the league, and the names below are over 27 or over.

Rather than wait until Round 10 next year, I believe Eade should be moved after our last game while there is at least one opportunity for him (at Essendon), and a young, new coach be given an opportunity (I don’t believe we have the funds to target Roos or Malthouse).

The million dollar questions. Whilst I'm a strong supporter of Eade I think he might have too much faith in a select few and that hasn't served him well this year. I think he should have seen the writing on the wall at the end of last year but he obviously thought we had a genuine chance to win the flag with the list we had and decided to top up rather than make some hard calls.
I think he has genuinely done a good job in developing young players providing they have the intensity that he feels is needed and this is part of the reason why the likes of Everitt and Hill have struggled to hold their spots.

As for moving Eade on, I don't think that is a viable option at all. Perhaps he needs a ruthless 2IC rather than Cameron.

[MrMahatma]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

I'd shop Boyd and move Gia into the midfield. I don't think Gia is particularly brilliant, but he plays his best footy there and is cleaner than Boyd. Gia is an average HFF but could be a 'good' mid.

I'm over Boyd.

[Jasper]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

As for moving Eade on, I don't think that is a viable option at all.

Mate I rate your considered opinions, can you elaborate further on your reasons for above?

[Jasper]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

I'd shop Boyd and move Gia into the midfield. I don't think Gia is particularly brilliant, but he plays his best footy there and is cleaner than Boyd. Gia is an average HFF but could be a 'good' mid.

I'm over Boyd.

Does Gia have the tank, speed and body strength to play midfield full time??

[GVGjr]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

Mate I rate your considered opinions, can you elaborate further on your reasons for above?

There is a number of reasons:

He has a contract until the end of 2011 and I'm a firm believer that contracts should be honored
There isn't that many ready made coaches
The side has had a wretched run with injuries at a critical time (I'm loathe to use this reason but it is a consideration)
And I think he can bounce back from this year.

I think we need to shake up the football department.
A different focus on list management, recruiting and the way the match committee performs should be the focus that would give us a lot more than just changing the coach.

[GVGjr]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

Does Gia have the tank, speed and body strength to play midfield full time??

No he doesn't but a couple of seasons back he was used more on and off the bench and this helped him in the midfield.

[anfo27]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

There is a number of reasons:

He has a contract until the end of 2011 and I'm a firm believer that contracts should be honored
There isn't that many ready made coaches
The side has had a wretched run with injuries at a critical time (I'm loathe to use this reason but it is a consideration)
And I think he can bounce back from this year.

I think we need to shake up the football department.
A different focus on list management, recruiting and the way the match committee performs should be the focus that would give us a lot more than just changing the coach.

What about his so called coaching & tactical nous? he continually gets out coached and everything he tried tonight did not even look like working.

[Scorlibo]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

I'm not sure the current group can win a flag, but the one thing the club could do to put that beyond doubt would be to 'shop' players. For years we have bagged Terry Wallace, Nathan Brown, Jordan McMahon, these guys for being disloyal. It would tear my heart out, tear the heart out of the club, to sell a player. It would make all that the club are striving for that much less important.

Collingwood are the perfect example of what creates success. It's not about having the perfect personnel, it's about those personnel working as a perfect team, knowing each other's strengths and tendencies. An experienced team wins premierships, not a team of experienced players, and it astounds me how often people in the media fail to distinguish between the two.

[Jasper]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

There is a number of reasons:

He has a contract until the end of 2011 and I'm a firm believer that contracts should be honored
There isn't that many ready made coaches
The side has had a wretched run with injuries at a critical time (I'm loathe to use this reason but it is a consideration)
And I think he can bounce back from this year.

I think we need to shake up the football department.
A different focus on list management, recruiting and the way the match committee performs should be the focus that would give us a lot more than just changing the coach.

So you don't go to the Essendon and Carlton school of management

Tend to agree in principle. How would a conversation go with Eade to the effect that "Rodney we intend to honour your contract for 2011, however there is a strong chance your contract won't be renewed post 2011, you have our blessing if you wish to pursue the two coaching positions that are open at the moment. In the interim we must say we are concerned about the lack of progress in some of the younger players and the lack of consistent opportunity they have been given. The continual playing of patently ill players such as Brad Johnson and Shaun Higgins, is a concern. We are therefore looking to introduce new systems and processes to maximise the performance of our list. This may mean a diminishment of your responsibilities."

[comrade]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

I'm not sure the current group can win a flag, but the one thing the club could do to put that beyond doubt would be to 'shop' players. For years we have bagged Terry Wallace, Nathan Brown, Jordan McMahon, these guys for being disloyal. It would tear my heart out, tear the heart out of the club, to sell a player. It would make all that the club are striving for that much less important.

Collingwood are the perfect example of what creates success. It's not about having the perfect personnel, it's about those personnel working as a perfect team, knowing each other's strengths and tendencies. An experienced team wins premierships, not a team of experienced players, and it astounds me how often people in the media fail to distinguish between the two.

It's a good point, but there is something 'broken' within our team that is stopping us from taking the next step.

Is it because the players aren't good enough? Is it cultural?

Whatever it is, it needs to be fixed if we ever want to taste ultimate success, but I agree that trading blokes out isn't the answer.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

Cross, Daniel, 27

Hard as a cats head, but Leigh Brown can outrun him

Boyd, Matthew, 28
Hard at it, wins the ball, but turns it over regularly and isn’t quick

Realistically only one of Boyd and Cross should stay on our list next year, Ward and Reid are all this type of player and we can’t keep so many slowish, not great footy users in our team, (Our speed won’t improve with Libba and Wallis either). We should trade one of the above for a quicker more skilled player.

I love both these guys but I want to know at what point the defensive side of their game went missing? Both used to be able to get a lot of the ball and hold their opponent at bay fairly well now they still get a lot of the pill but their opponents get it just as much and are just so much more damaging!

[MrMahatma]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

I love both these guys but I want to know at what point the defensive side of their game went missing? Both used to be able to get a lot of the ball and hold their opponent at bay fairly well now they still get a lot of the pill but their opponents get it just as much and are just so much more damaging!

Exactly. Compounded by the fact that their disposal is as bad as ever.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Can the Current Players and Staff win a Flag?

It's a good point, but there is something 'broken' within our team that is stopping us from taking the next step.

Is it because the players aren't good enough? Is it cultural?

Whatever it is, it needs to be fixed if we ever want to taste ultimate success, but I agree that trading blokes out isn't the answer.

Its luck, I believe. Far worse teams than this have won flags. Dogs 2010 beats Crows 1997 and 1998.