TOPIC:

In the immediate aftermath of today's loss, this may be a bit negative. I'm feeling pretty flat. We came into 2021 with high hopes, but now find ourselves with an ageing team, our colts winless with a % of 40, and, seemingly, not much coming through in the lower age groups. 

In terms of our list, player retention is always important, but we don't have a young list. Going into 2022: Fisher - 31, Masten - 33, Smith - 28, Yeo - 31, Sinclair - 28, Richardson - 29, Colledge - 28, Rogers - 31, Eyres - 31, Busher - 30, Edmonds - 28, McInnes - 29. In terms of good young players, McPatland should get better, Gray might be ok, and Avery looks good. Hunter is still a player of the future but fair to say he hasn't;t adapted to senior footy as quickly as we'd hoped. Likewise Meloncelli. If we lose a number of players, we are likely to have to pick off other team's fringe players. We have no choice given how bereft of talent our colts and juniors are. And, yes, it's the zone... 

Recruiting: Even if Masten wants to go around again, I think, at age 33, we have to let him go. He's had a bad run with injury, and he's been pretty good overall when he has played. But we need more than "pretty good" for a 12 point player. In particular, he hasn't given the sort of run and carry I expected him to. We also need to look very carefully at the fitness of Smith and Loersch. I'd like to keep them if we are confident they can hold up, but those two plus Masten take up 32 points, so, depending on who is available, younger, more durable 7-10 players might be better value.

Otherwise, we seriously need pace. We beat SF and WP on wet, heavy days. On dry days, we have been cut to shreds by the run of SD, PT, C, S and EF. As always, a marking ruckman is important. However, if Loersch gets up, a forward line with him, McInnes, Cary and Stubbs looks ok, and the backline seems solid enough. So if we keep most of our list together and fit, a couple of fast players who use the ball well might be all we need to be competitive next year. But with an ageing list and not much talent coming through, we need to manage the next few years carefully. 

Pretty sure Masto signed for 3 years so he'll go around again but he will need to get himself healthy and fit.

Agree Ted lack of pace not just in the midfield but right across the ground is a problem.
My issue with our midfield is they are all pretty much like for like and most don’t hit the scoreboard anywhere near enough times.
Our forward line is still a huge problem area. 
Fraser is best suited st CHF imo he provides a very good target but he’s not a natural goal kicker.
Leorsch is very much an unknown he didn’t set the world on fire at the Sharks and who knows what he’s going to do in 2022.
 Carey and Stubbs can score and would benefit from a tall KP forward that could hit the scoreboard. Rogers for mine looks a tad overweight and unfit.
We don’t have natural small forwards and turn over quite a few in there trying to turn them into one,which hasn’t worked.
we definitely need a mature age ruckman that is good around the ground and can take telling marks.
We need another tall KP backman that can assist Giblett,
Still very short on quality in positions where it counts most on a footy field.
The recruiters need to be looking hard now at recruits for 2022 and looking hard at our current list.

With the season now indisputably over, I thought I'd come back to this topic. I won't repeat what I've said about potential player losses. Obviously the end of any season brings a turnover of players. I have a list a players who I think we absolutely must retain if we are to be competitive, then a list who it would be highly desirable to retain. 

Must keep: Byrne, Smith, Sinclair, Clarke, Grey, Taylor, McPartland, Cary, Busher (assuming he gets over this hip issue), Nicholas, Giblett, McInnes, Avery.

Desirable: Langlands, Fisher, DBW, Stubbs, Davis, Hill, Coniglio, Gray, Steel, Hunter, Loersch, 

With the players not on the list, I'd be more than happy for them to stick around - we need as much depth as we can -  but I don't see them as essential. That is not a knock on the players, but I think guys like Colledge, Rogers, Richardson and Eyres are pretty much cooked, while guys like say Edmonds and Browne are replaceable.

To be more than just competitive - to push for finals - we would need at least 2-3 quality recruits

 

Well hopefully Loersch can be put on a supplementary list because he is a 10 point player and his injury was listed as 12 months so we won't know if his comeback from injury and surgery is successful until probably the start of the season.

I'd be treating him as though he is a bonus if he makes it back. Therefore recruit as if he doesn't exist, if the rules allow it.

Well, the club has announced a revamped modern version of the club song. Maybe we'll even get to sing it one day. 

Ted Nugent wrote:

Well, the club has announced a revamped modern version of the club song. Maybe we'll even get to sing it one day. 

I love your optimism. Doubt it will be this season.

That’s our club all over,messing with stuff that ain’t broken.
Yep don’t worry that our club can’t be competitive at colts level and you may as well ignore the very poor record of the league team yep let’s tweak the club song and as Dazzler alluded to you probably won’t hear it in 2021!

Well where the fuck is it so we can hear it? No link in the latest email revealing it and no link on the club website. Using the players to sing the chorus? FMD, well it badly needed a crisp clear update but using the players to sing the song, unless there’s a few tenors in the group I wait with baited breath.

Ted Nugent wrote:

Well, the club has announced a revamped modern version of the club song. Maybe we'll even get to sing it one day. 

It’s on the website under The Club > Club Song

See if this works. click ‘listen in browser’. Sounds fine to me.