TOPIC:

DG wrote: ...but if we play with the same hunger as we had in 2011 then who knows...

We're caught between a rock and a hard place a bit.

Most of the most talented players in the squad at the moment haven't yet played 15-20 games.

Trouble is, the longer we hold back on getting game time into them, the longer we will struggle.

Unfortunately, we really only have about 8-9 really good senior players. Then a whole bunch of middle of the road not particularly good, nor talented ones.

Yet here we are with more out of zone players than any other club apart from Peel and East Perth.

I'd take 4 quality out of zone players over 14 hit and miss ones anyday. But that's the way the club has gone.

two words sum up the difference between this year and our drive towards the GF in 2011...Horsley and Rix. We had the dominant ruckman in the comp until he was injured late in the season and a first class ball carrying mid who got hold of the thing on average 30 times a game and generally did something constructive with it. Horse was complemented by the likes of Cockie and Hilda which also certainly helped but in my humble opinion Horsley and Rix were the basis of our second half improvement in 2011.

La Hincha wrote:

DG wrote: ...but if we play with the same hunger as we had in 2011 then who knows...

We're caught between a rock and a hard place a bit.

Most of the most talented players in the squad at the moment haven't yet played 15-20 games.

Trouble is, the longer we hold back on getting game time into them, the longer we will struggle.

Unfortunately, we really only have about 8-9 really good senior players. Then a whole bunch of middle of the road not particularly good, nor talented ones.

Yet here we are with more out of zone players than any other club apart from Peel and East Perth.

I'd take 4 quality out of zone players over 14 hit and miss ones anyday. But that's the way the club has gone.

Yeah we had Rix & Horsley in 2011 & they were dominant wafl players. We dont have that type of player now. We could have though if we selectively recruited 4 quality players rather than 14 question marks as you said.

Also, I reckon a big key is whether or not the selection policy will change from last year where players were played unfit and injured. Not to mention, it seemed some players could not be dropped no matter how badly they played.

For me, last year was of the worst I can remember, not just because we finished so low but also because none of the selection decisions or policies made any sense. It felt hopeless seeing the same blokes picked week in week out knowing they weren't up to it and were past the age of showing any sudden improvement or development.

Thank goodness for Parker, Sinclair, Hampson, Rumble, Bristow, Forrest when not injured and to a lesser extent Daye - a small number of contributors that kept us from bottom spot - plus the kids like Garcia, Sheed, DeLuca and Buddy and a few others who came in towards the end who gave a bit of hope for the future.

Absolutely.

makes you wonder just how hard we went after Seaby... At 29 or whatever he is he will be a big in for Claremont and would have been just the ticket for Subi...but alas, it wasn't to be.

BC wrote: two words sum up the difference between this year and our drive towards the GF in 2011...Horsley and Rix. We had the dominant ruckman in the comp until he was injured late in the season and a first class ball carrying mid who got hold of the thing on average 30 times a game and generally did something constructive with it. Horse was complemented by the likes of Cockie and Hilda which also certainly helped but in my humble opinion Horsley and Rix were the basis of our second half improvement in 2011.

Yep 4 dominant players can make all the difference, even 1 can...

BC wrote: makes you wonder just how hard we went after Seaby... At 29 or whatever he is he will be a big in for Claremont and would have been just the ticket for Subi...but alas, it wasn't to be.

Looks like we went harder for McDougall instead pffft.

La Hincha wrote: Also, I reckon a big key is whether or not the selection policy will change from last year where players were played unfit and injured. Not to mention, it seemed some players could not be dropped no matter how badly they played.

For me, last year was of the worst I can remember, not just because we finished so low but also because none of the selection decisions or policies made any sense. It felt hopeless seeing the same blokes picked week in week out knowing they weren't up to it and were past the age of showing any sudden improvement or development.

Thank goodness for Parker, Sinclair, Hampson, Rumble, Bristow, Forrest when not injured and to a lesser extent Daye - a small number of contributors that kept us from bottom spot - plus the kids like Garcia, Sheed, DeLuca and Buddy and a few others who came in towards the end who gave a bit of hope for the future.

I dont think Schoey will go that way as some here have already suggested, so that plus our increased fitness should see a big improvement on last season anyway...

DG wrote:

BC wrote: makes you wonder just how hard we went after Seaby... At 29 or whatever he is he will be a big in for Claremont and would have been just the ticket for Subi...but alas, it wasn't to be.

Looks like we went harder for McDougall instead pffft.

I think our ruck division is fine. The Eagles will want Sinclair rucking a fair bit by all accounts. Wheeler is a good player. Madut is a absolute star of the future - hopefully very soon into the future rather than 12 months in the future. Also, I didn't think I'd be saying this 12 months ago but big Seva actually started to show something in the second half of the year in 2012. If he could show that level of improvement again, he might turn out quite good. Maybe McDougall will get his body right...who knows...unlikely. Big Baldave Singh is impressing everybody on the track. We might have jagged one there. Just rocked up out of the blue I was told.

But we absolutely had to recruit a strong, super-tough, prolific ball magnet. Somebody who could bust a pack open.

Nothing against Gum, K-T but they aren't that type of player.