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To be honest I think we're well on the way to producing a team (both on-field and off) that will be very similar to the cats model of 2007. Like the cats in 1999, we were a basket-case off-field. Draft penalties, poor performances, board disputes, the bad news just didn't seem to end.
Then Pratt came on board, and like Costa/Cook before him has set the wheels in motion for our climb back up. We're already seeing the benefits now, first with Swann and Icke coming to the club, and now with the club looking a very attractive location for highly regarded assistants (Riley and Sumich). Like the cats before, we are chipping away at our debts with gusto, and developing our club for the 21st century. Soon we will have state of the art facilities, a professional administration that will ensure success is the only option for years to come, and a playing group with the highest quality of assistance to help them be the best they can be.
On-field, our midfield is growing together, like Geelong's. Murph, Gibbs, Carrots, K-Dog, Tex are like Ablett, Corey, Bartel, Ling and Enright a few years ago. Our forwards are kicking goals, which is actually something the cats struggled with before this season.
But what we lack is a defense, and like our midfield I would want to see a solid defensive 6 grow together and be a team in their own right. Watching the way the cats defenders work together and for one another is humbling. They're all of one mind, they know what their teammates are thinking and can anticipate what they will do next. The cats defence has grown together like their midfield, with Scarlett, Milburn (:evil:), Wojinscki and Harley all growing side by side and now setting the example for younger blokes like Hunt, Mackie and Egan to follow.
This is what we need desperately and are sadly lacking. I think we have the ingredients for a solid back-6, but leadership is desperately needed and I think (and hope) Setanta could be the key. If you asked me before this season I would've nominated Thornton as the ideal leader for this defence, but my confidence in him has been shaken this year. In Setanta I see a guy you can rally many guys around, a guy that you know will not only give 100% on his direct opponent, but will always back you up and lead you into battle. A guy you'd want in the trenches with you. This is what I see when I see Scarlett and Harley, and my hope is that Setanta can reach this level. If Setanta can be a leader, I think guys like Jamison, Austin, Anderson will develop much quicker. I also feel that we have too many 'quarterbacks' that aren't really defenders and thus don't actually put pressure on their direct opponents. We need our back 6 to be made up of 4-5 genuine defenders and 1-2 guys to launch our attacks from there. The beauty of Scarlett is that he does both these jobs better than anyone.
This also leads into on-field leadership, and why I now think Judd is crucial to our development. Look at our leaders/senior players these past couple of years. Whitnall, Fev, Stevens (before he cleaned up his act), Houlihan, Lappin, Thornton. Not exactly a great standard of consistency and behaviour. We need better examples to be set, and sadly I think the onus is now on Murph, Carrots, Waite and these types. Stevens I think is now capable of leading this team now that he has his problems in check, but Judd would be the icing on the cake here. I feel that we should also follow the Geelong model of developing the leadership group by giving them specific guidance in this area (by hiring someone from the private sector to help build these skills). The faster we build the leadership skills of this group, the better they'll be. The appointment of a couple of development coaches is the right choice as well.
I think our team is developing nicely, and I do see similarities between where we are and where the cats were. But there are still massive holes that need filling before we can think about reaching that level. But we CAN get there.
Last edited by Donstuie on Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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