Our B&F shows where we are at.

[plugger66]

Our top 5 in the B&F had 4 guys 28 and over and one at 27 who has now left the club. Every other side had at least one if not two or 3 players under 25. Ours also doesnt include Dal who must have been close to the top 5.

I would love to be positive on our immediate future but when you look at that compared to all the other teams we are aging quickly with not much coming through. A quick rebuild isnt possible IMO and we should not get many if any players in the trading or drafting who will not at least have the possibility of being around in 6 years time. i suppose that means no one over 25 if not even younger. A quick fix isnt the answer because of the age of our stars.

[Jacks Back]

This is the same problem we had when Banger was the best player every week even in the twilight of his career.

[Gershwin]

We must hold our nerve and use picks 12 and 13 for quality youngsters. Probably target a key position back who may take a year or two.
We need to pick up a back-up Ruck with a later pick.
I we have stuffed up with Lever and Staley we could be in big trouble.
Stanley is super important - if he doesn't kick on we are going to struggle.

We have made mistakes in recruiting and may pay for it but we can't sell the farm (picks 12 and 13).

[remboy]

Watters and Pelchen have both said our list doesn't have enough players between 22 and 27. Getting an extra draft pick and picking up guys like Caddy and Hickey might help us in the long term but won't address the imbalance in the list in the short term.

[borderbarry]

Things are not that grim Remboy. Armo was 6th.

[Con Gorozidis]

Watters and Pelchen have both said our list doesn't have enough players between 22 and 27. Getting an extra draft pick and picking up guys like Caddy and Hickey might help us in the long term but won't address the imbalance in the list in the short term.

Yep agree - we dont have enough players 22-27 but going from there there isnt much point getting someone who will only be in that group for a season or 2.
So really we should not even look at anyone over 24/25 at all. Total waste of time for us.
Anyone 20-25 would need to be a gun player or also a waste of time.
We should definitely hold our nerve and keep 2 of our first 3 picks to use on kids.

Looking at the big picture - the club had no choice but to let BJ go. Really pointless paying any of our older guys big bucks now when we arent contending. Best to get some youth and keep some SC room for our next real tilt in 5 years.

[Con Gorozidis]

Things are not that grim Remboy. Armo was 6th.

so in the core age group of 22-28 we only have armo and geary. thats pretty friggin ugly when u look at every other clubs 22-28 (besides the bottom 5).

[Siposstar#2]

We also have farren ray 26 years old. But apparently we don't want him.

[mr six o'clock]

Perhaps it was the encouraging play of our younger players that inspired the older ones to lift their game !

[gringo]

good lists like sydney's and Hawthorn's have a variety of players from the draftees to trades. Saying we should only get players a certain age is silly. Ross went too far one way and didn't get youth but melbourne have recognised they went too far the other way.

i hope we don't get ordinary players from anywhere but a few guys like Milera and Saad didn't hurt us either and under the idea that only kids be drafted they wouldn't be there. I think the recruiting team have been deliberately trying to get some guys around that age to get us competitive short term but are still getting quality kids in at the same time.

[Con Gorozidis]

Perhaps it was the encouraging play of our younger players that inspired the older ones to lift their game !

you might be right - but i dont think that is the point. the point is no matter how you look at it. we lose some serious quality in the next 3 years and replacing it will be extremenly challenging to say the least.

[Con Gorozidis]

good lists like sydney's and Hawthorn's have a variety of players from the draftees to trades. Saying we should only get players a certain age is silly. Ross went too far one way and didn't get youth but melbourne have recognised they went too far the other way.

i hope we don't get ordinary players from anywhere but a few guys like Milera and Saad didn't hurt us either and under the idea that only kids be drafted they wouldn't be there. I think the recruiting team have been deliberately trying to get some guys around that age to get us competitive short term but are still getting quality kids in at the same time.

I think thats what is being said .
Get kids and if decent players exist in their early 20s then we need to also go for them. It is this kind of thinking that has seen us get Milara and Saad and also this kind of thinking why we signed the younger players earlier this year and then signed the older guys later in the year and why we decided we werent going to pay huge money for BJ.
Look what Swans did with Rhys Shaw, Teddy Richards, Mummy and Josh Kennedy to show getting some guys in their early 20s can really be a good idea.
Having said that - the Swans will always have the natural advantage of pulling players who just want a totally fresh start away from all the footy pressure and being known in Melbourne. I think Rhys Shaw and Josh Kennedy are examples of that.

[Sobraz]

And if Armo, Steven and McEvoy get top 5 next year (which is not a long shot), and we have a similar win/loss next year, does that mean we're suddenly on the right track?!

A lot can change in 12 long months.. Just ask the Crows.. Or Swans for that matter..

I expect the 3 guys mentioned above plus 2 (minimum) of Siposs, Simpkin, Saad or Stanley to be top 10 for us next year.. That's a fair % of youth and experience..

[The Redeemer]

And if Armo, Steven and McEvoy get top 5 next year (which is not a long shot), and we have a similar win/loss next year, does that mean we're suddenly on the right track?!

A lot can change in 12 long months.. Just ask the Crows.. Or Swans for that matter..

I expect the 3 guys mentioned above plus 2 (minimum) of Siposs, Simpkin, Saad or Stanley to be top 10 for us next year.. That's a fair % of youth and experience..

How does Milne go in B&F's? He does not do so well so by that logic Saad would struggle to do well such is his role.

Armo and Steven potentially could become best 10 players and McEvoy needs to start beating opponents in the hit-outs...

Siposs will be a star and Simpkin is a key-back so can he?

Stanley needs to get on the park consistently to actually poll votes so maybe the first port-of-call is getting him on the park and contributing?

[kosifantutti]

B and F voting is pretty random. I would have thought any team that has Ryan Crowley as their best player is in big trouble.

And any team who's 12th best player has just been awarded an All Australian for the 2nd year in a row (AA Milne) is travelling pretty well.

[CURLY]

Nick Maxwell finished 5th.

[dragit]

Not just the fact that the top 5 B&F has very little 20-26 year olds, the bigger problem is the tiny number of players under 27 we have with more than 25 games experience... Only a handful... Compared to say Fremantle who would have well over 10.

[CURLY]

Freo Ryan Crowly won there finished also.

[The Redeemer]

Not just the fact that the top 5 B&F has very little 20-26 year olds, the bigger problem is the tiny number of players under 27 we have with more than 25 games experience... Only a handful... Compared to say Fremantle who would have well over 10.

Who cares about Freo?

Sure we can compare until the cow come home and do their business however I would much prefer 5 30 year old dominating in their positions than 5 20 year olds looking either out of their depth of just pain crap ala Melbourne.

[Teflon]

Im not sure what the B&F really tells you about your list at all - what an odd thread.

Milne has one of his best seasons ever and doesnt make top 10, Dal was better than BJ for mine.......yet BJ finishes 4th?

I think B&F is a point in time view of 1 season (and even thats hit and miss) - hardly "list decision" stuff.

[tweedaletomanning]

Im not sure what the B&F really tells you about your list at all - what an odd thread.

Milne has one of his best seasons ever and doesnt make top 10, Dal was better than BJ for mine.......yet BJ finishes 4th?

I think B&F is a point in time view of 1 season (and even thats hit and miss) - hardly "list decision" stuff.

Good point.. Montagna second? Really? Our second best player all year?

Seems pretty much that they decided that Lenny was our best easily.

I think they decided to have raffle for the rest

[Yaysaints]

If the b and f doesn't show the paucity of consistent young players then certainly
the few rising star nominations confirms it.
We lost a few years by recruiting poorly , mostly around raphaels draft and several following.
It's great that we are again back on track but I'm not so sure that Stanley is that
likely a lad.

[cwrcyn]

22 TO 28 AGE GROUP


Gilbert
Armitage
Ray
Gwilt
Geary
McEvoy
Steven
Clarke
Saad
Milera
Simpkin
Wilkes



Only one key position player













.

[plugger66]

Im not sure what the B&F really tells you about your list at all - what an odd thread.

Milne has one of his best seasons ever and doesnt make top 10, Dal was better than BJ for mine.......yet BJ finishes 4th?

I think B&F is a point in time view of 1 season (and even thats hit and miss) - hardly "list decision" stuff.

It proves we have no young players coming through and even more proven that the 2 you mentioned are also 28 or over. Every other club had one or more under 25 in the top 5. Anyone who cant see it is an issue either stuggles to understand you need players coming through every year or just wants to disagree with the person who started the thread for some childish reason.

[CURLY]

Im not sure what the B&F really tells you about your list at all - what an odd thread.

Milne has one of his best seasons ever and doesnt make top 10, Dal was better than BJ for mine.......yet BJ finishes 4th?

I think B&F is a point in time view of 1 season (and even thats hit and miss) - hardly "list decision" stuff.

It proves we have no young players coming through and even more proven that the 2 you mentioned are also 28 or over. Every other club had one or more under 25 in the top 5. Anyone who cant see it is an issue either stuggles to understand you need players coming through every year or just wants to disagree with the person who started the thread for some childish reason.

Fancy just disagreeing with a person on this forum for the sake of it. Unheard of what sort of clown would do that.