Games into the kids by season's end

[battye]

My gut feeling is that while we're a pass mark under Scott this this season - a few wins in tight games and we'd be knocking on the top four - we're still at least another year or two away from going right back up the ladder.

I'm worried that it might be a bit longer than that. In a couple of years time the only star player left will be Goddard, and it's hard to build a premiership tilt around one player. In 2009 and 2010 Riewoldt was supported by the likes of Hayes, Fisher, Goddard, etc.

[Scollop]

Everything's fine. Really, it's OK. They'll just start using the Orthokine therapy on a few more players...Lenny, Blake, Kosi. The injections for Rooy will be for his hips, calves, thighs, and shoulders, in addition to the knees....and they'll even try it on Milney's brain.

[bergholt]

We've been fighting for our football life this season and while plenty of <23-year olds have had game time, we could have brought forward a few more.

Perhaps we can do that in our final four games. I certainly hope so - we need to build immediately for the future.

yeah, i think it would be silly not to play a couple of kids, especially with games against melbourne and gws. hopefully the tribunal helps us out this week - there could feasibly be three or four suspensions out of that game: simpkin, milne, kosi, someone else i've forgotten?

i think it'd be good to see some of:

- ledger, if he's done the work the coaches wanted in the reserves.
- archer. i have a feeling his papers may be already stamped, but we don't have enough talls so he has to be worth a try.
- ross, though he was out of the sandy side this week due to soreness so he might be a long way away.
- markworth - has been emergency a couple of times, and i reckon playing the last two rounds would give him invaluable experience.
- siposs, newnes, cripps, milera; if any of them are showing anything for the twos.
- winmar, maybe, just to see if his years on the list have amounted to anything?

milne will get suspended, assuming schneider is still not back then milera, siposs or markworth in his spot? none of them really like for like.

if kosi's out then i suppose wilkes comes in, but i'd actually quite like to see archer instead, just in case he's got something we're missing. no other options there.

if simpkin went for the bump on wellingham then raph or newnes should fill the spot, ideally newnes, though in fact that would mean dempster in simpkin's role and newnes in dempster's.

and polo will probably be out, not that he was bad but i just don't see what he offers. bring in cripps as he sounds like he did well in the twos.

IN: Cripps, Milera, Newnes, Wilkes
OUT: Koschitzke (susp), Milne (susp), Polo, Simpkin (susp)

[plugger66]

We've been fighting for our football life this season and while plenty of <23-year olds have had game time, we could have brought forward a few more.

Perhaps we can do that in our final four games. I certainly hope so - we need to build immediately for the future.

yeah, i think it would be silly not to play a couple of kids, especially with games against melbourne and gws. hopefully the tribunal helps us out this week - there could feasibly be three or four suspensions out of that game: simpkin, milne, kosi, someone else i've forgotten?

i think it'd be good to see some of:

- ledger, if he's done the work the coaches wanted in the reserves.
- archer. i have a feeling his papers may be already stamped, but we don't have enough talls so he has to be worth a try.
- ross, though he was out of the sandy side this week due to soreness so he might be a long way away.
- markworth - has been emergency a couple of times, and i reckon playing the last two rounds would give him invaluable experience.
- siposs, newnes, cripps, milera; if any of them are showing anything for the twos.
- winmar, maybe, just to see if his years on the list have amounted to anything?

milne will get suspended, assuming schneider is still not back then milera, siposs or markworth in his spot? none of them really like for like.

if kosi's out then i suppose wilkes comes in, but i'd actually quite like to see archer instead, just in case he's got something we're missing. no other options there.

if simpkin went for the bump on wellingham then raph or newnes should fill the spot, ideally newnes, though in fact that would mean dempster in simpkin's role and newnes in dempster's.

and polo will probably be out, not that he was bad but i just don't see what he offers. bring in cripps as he sounds like he did well in the twos.

IN: Cripps, Milera, Newnes, Wilkes
OUT: Koschitzke (susp), Milne (susp), Polo, Simpkin (susp)

Archer isnt allowed to play.

[bergholt]

Archer isnt allowed to play.

pretty sure with four games to go we could find a long-term injury - not sure what blake could add at this point in the season so sticking him on the lti list before he returns would probably be kinder than playing him in the twos.

[plugger66]

Archer isnt allowed to play.

pretty sure with four games to go we could find a long-term injury - not sure what blake could add at this point in the season so sticking him on the lti list before he returns would probably be kinder than playing him in the twos.

As much as Blake is a team player I doubt he would like that at all. He would want to try and get fit and have a senior game at the end of the year especially if he happens to retire or get delisted.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Honestly I would play Winmar if fit .. Give him the run and see if he can step up if not we really have to question where he fits in the future of the club .. If he is not going to make it then let's get the ball rolling now let's not keep him on the list for no reason at all

[jonesy]

I think our only hope of challenging in the next two years is some genius type trading/recruiting at years end. Not impossible,but highly unlikely.

After the two years is up Lenny and Roo are gone,with many others coming nearer to the end. I'd say we are at least 5 years away from challenging again. We have no star young talent coming through,the best we have may be decent players,but there are no stars there.

To challenge next year we'd need BJ,NDS,joey all back to the top of there game. Lenny would need to punch out another good year. Roo would need to hold his form,if not find a bit more. All those are possible,but then we would need big improvement out of Steven/Armitage...one would need to become elite,not sure they have it in them.Need Sipposs to come on in leaps and bounds. Then we would need to find another smart ball user in the draft/trade period. A full back so we can free up Fisher. All of that is not impossible,but won't be easy. However we are more likely to challenge next year,than say in 3 years time

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Let's be honest we have no "star" kids because we have been playing in g/fs in the last few drafts so our picks have been later also with the compromised drafts there has been little on offer .. But let's be honest here we have been beaten by a goal by Collingwood .. We more than likely will miss finals this year after a pretty hard draw with interstate games 6 day breakes and injury to areas we could least afford to suffer injurys .. We have a first year coach and we have had an overhaul of the game plan ... It's not all doom and gloom

[bergholt]

But let's be honest here we have been beaten by a goal by Collingwood .. We more than likely will miss finals this year after a pretty hard draw with interstate games 6 day breakes and injury to areas we could least afford to suffer injurys .. We have a first year coach and we have had an overhaul of the game plan ... It's not all doom and gloom

nah, it wasn't a pretty hard draw, it was pretty straightforward compared to many others. but i agree the ruck injuries and the injury to sammy fisher definitely hurt - or at least highlighted our lack of depth.

and i agree it's not all doom and gloom. the gameplan has changed massively, works ok and if we're lucky will be much better next year. none of the old guys look completely gone, kosi maybe excepted, and there are some kids coming through. still a long way to a flag but at least this year it's possible to see a little way past the current era.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Look on reflection we lost the Port game the Freo game the Richmond game the crows game and this game when we were right in the mix to win them .. Win those we are top four ... Honestly this was going to be a transition year , we can look at how we have fallen over or we can look at Roo kicking 40+ again after two below par years we can look at Milney kicking 40+ again we can look at the guys who have pushed into the 22 and look at the kids still to come ... We might notbe in the hunt for the flag inthe next 5 years but I reckon we will be playing finals in 2013

[desertsaint]

We're still alive. Albeit clawing our way out of the grave, whilst others are throwing dirt on us.
After last night I don't want us to roll over and die.

[evertonfc]

We're still alive. Albeit clawing our way out of the grave, whilst others are throwing dirt on us.
After last night I don't want us to roll over and die.

Not about rolling over. It's about providing opportunity to those players who might not otherwise have got it.

I think we've had a good year from a development/building perspective...but there's a chance we can use the final month to turn it into a great year.

I'd almost be inclined to rest blokes like Riewoldt, Kosi and Hayes - we need them again in full fitness next year and an extra few weeks of rest in their bodies could really freshen them up for next year.

[saintsRrising]

I have heard Watters speak a number of times on our youth and on developing our players including this morning.

From what he has stated it is clear that he sees that it is critical to get the OFF-FIELD development right. This is what he and the 3 (up from 1) development coaches are working on.

With Dunell for example he remarked that Dunell's body is not yet up to playing full games at AFL level, and that he will need another preseason to do so on a regular basis. So while he will be developing playersa lot more than Lyon, he clearly is like Lyon not going to rush young players who are not read just for the sake of getting games into them.

He has over the course of the year given younger players games, typically in bursts.

Milera was older...but has now been held back as well IMO

As for 2012, Watters has not yet put the cue in the rack as we are still a chance of making it.

[plugger66]

We're still alive. Albeit clawing our way out of the grave, whilst others are throwing dirt on us.
After last night I don't want us to roll over and die.

Not about rolling over. It's about providing opportunity to those players who might not otherwise have got it.

I think we've had a good year from a development/building perspective...but there's a chance we can use the final month to turn it into a great year.

I'd almost be inclined to rest blokes like Riewoldt, Kosi and Hayes - we need them again in full fitness next year and an extra few weeks of rest in their bodies could really freshen them up for next year.

Dont get the resting bit at all and can assure no player would want to be rested for 4 weeks. Lets keep trying to win and also play young guys that deserve a game. Winmar obviously doesnt so lets not play him. Polo will not play again this year and should be replaced by Siposs, Wilkes or Cripps.

[SainterK]

I'd like to see Siposs back in.

Seems quickly dropped after a poor game.

Let him play against some kids his own age this week.

[Bernard Shakey]

Honestly I would play Winmar if fit .. Give him the run and see if he can step up if not we really have to question where he fits in the future of the club .. If he is not going to make it then let's get the ball rolling now let's not keep him on the list for no reason at all

He's struggling to stay in the Sandy seniors and did sfa today. He's fit, but not up to it.