What is with this club's recruiters that for the past few years they seem to think that they can lose experienced players and not try and replace them with players of similar quality but yet still have an equal or better season following. Do they seriously have so little clue? In 2013 we lost:
Jeremy Laidler (a potential but unfulfilled defender) 26 games - below average player, started out decent at the swans just like he did with us and then dropped off - just like he did with us - no great loss
Shaun Hampson (an ok Ruckman but pathetic forward) 63 games - no loss at all - we actually won with the pick we traded him for
Aaron Joseph (an ok but inconsistent defender) 73 games - so what ? not up to it
Marcus Davies (an inexperienced midfielder) 17 games. so what? not up to it
This makes a total of 179 games of experience lost (some necessary) and that is not counting the rookies and other lesser players who the club got rid of and yet who did our brilliant recuiters replace these players with that was of note:
Sam Docherty (a young promising defender) 29 games - excellent pick up !
Cameron Wood (an injury prone and inconsistent player that has been delisted from two clubs) 70 games - rookie selection and a good one at that , useful back up and ruck depth and we gave up nothing !!
and of course our great coup Dale Thomas (an injury prone midfielder; as is this is where we are lacking) 177 games. free agent, maybe overpaying $ wise but not much - good pickup IMO
Did we do anything to address the deficiencies in our forward line, amongst other areas, of course not! what did you want?

Now this season we have lost:
Jarrad Waite (an inconsistent and injury and suspension prone forward but with shades of brilliance) 184 games no loss - always injured or suspended and old
Heath Scotland (a great midfielder but getting long in the tooth and so natural attrition) 268 games so what? old , broken had to retire
Mitch Robinson (a gritty and tough but undisciplined player who possibly had too many chances) 100 games dont need his ill discipline
Jeffrey Garlett (a promising but inconsistent forward) 107 games not mentally up to it
Josh Bootsma (an initially promising but unfulfilled defender with bad off field behaviour) 14 games no loss
Most likely Kane Lucas (a potentially good defender with good pace) 42 games. maybe the only one we should develop
That makes a whopping 715 games of experience lost, which I know many of which were unavoidable. Yet once again our great recruiters are asleep at the switch. And who are they trying to recruit but as yet have recruited no one:
Liam Jones (a potential but unproven tall forward from the Bulldogs) 66 games
Kristian Jaksch (a very inexperienced forward from GWS) 7 games
Sorry I foolishly thought that there would be more talent that the recruiters would be chasing but obviously they don't feel our list needs it. God help us all!

I know that Malthouse likes to develop players from within but we can't afford to keep losing players left, right and center and not at least try and replace them or there is no way in hell that we will be able to make the finals and do some damage there. I am not even entertaining the prospect of a premiership in the near future and given the pathetic way the Blues recruiters act it could be another 19 years before our next flag!

It's a fair point though, this footy club has never really recovered from losing Hampson Joseph Davies....

Essendon* cheated, simple as that

What is with this club's recruiters that for the past few years they seem to think that they can lose experienced players and not try and replace them with players of similar quality but yet still have an equal or better season following. Do they seriously have so little clue? In 2013 we lost:
Jeremy Laidler (a potential but unfulfilled defender) 26 games
Shaun Hampson (an ok Ruckman but pathetic forward) 63 games
Aaron Joseph (an ok but inconsistent defender) 73 games
Marcus Davies (an inexperienced midfielder) 17 games.
This makes a total of 179 games of experience lost (some necessary) and that is not counting the rookies and other lesser players who the club got rid of and yet who did our brilliant recuiters replace these players with that was of note:
Sam Docherty (a young promising defender) 29 games
Cameron Wood (an injury prone and inconsistent player that has been delisted from two clubs) 70 games
and of course our great coup Dale Thomas (an injury prone midfielder; as is this is where we are lacking) 177 games.
Did we do anything to address the deficiencies in our forward line, amongst other areas, of course not!

Now this season we have lost:
Jarrad Waite (an inconsistent and injury and suspension prone forward but with shades of brilliance) 184 games
Heath Scotland (a great midfielder but getting long in the tooth and so natural attrition) 268 games
Mitch Robinson (a gritty and tough but undisciplined player who possibly had too many chances) 100 games
Jeffrey Garlett (a promising but inconsistent forward) 107 games
Josh Bootsma (an initially promising but unfulfilled defender with bad off field behaviour) 14 games
Most likely Kane Lucas (a potentially good defender with good pace) 42 games.
That makes a whopping 715 games of experience lost, which I know many of which were unavoidable. Yet once again our great recruiters are asleep at the switch. And who are they trying to recruit but as yet have recruited no one:
Liam Jones (a potential but unproven tall forward from the Bulldogs) 66 games
Kristian Jaksch (a very inexperienced forward from GWS) 7 games
Sorry I foolishly thought that there would be more talent that the recruiters would be chasing but obviously they don't feel our list needs it. God help us all!

I know that Malthouse likes to develop players from within but we can't afford to keep losing players left, right and center and not at least try and replace them or there is no way in hell that we will be able to make the finals and do some damage there. I am not even entertaining the prospect of a premiership in the near future and given the pathetic way the Blues recruiters act it could be another 19 years before our next flag!

What is with this club's recruiters that for the past few years they seem to think that they can lose experienced players and not try and replace them with players of similar quality but yet still have an equal or better season following. Do they seriously have so little clue? In 2013 we lost:
Jeremy Laidler (a potential but unfulfilled defender) 26 games
Shaun Hampson (an ok Ruckman but pathetic forward) 63 games
Aaron Joseph (an ok but inconsistent defender) 73 games
Marcus Davies (an inexperienced midfielder) 17 games.
This makes a total of 179 games of experience lost (some necessary) and that is not counting the rookies and other lesser players who the club got rid of and yet who did our brilliant recuiters replace these players with that was of note:
Sam Docherty (a young promising defender) 29 games
Cameron Wood (an injury prone and inconsistent player that has been delisted from two clubs) 70 games
and of course our great coup Dale Thomas (an injury prone midfielder; as is this is where we are lacking) 177 games.
Did we do anything to address the deficiencies in our forward line, amongst other areas, of course not!

Now this season we have lost:
Jarrad Waite (an inconsistent and injury and suspension prone forward but with shades of brilliance) 184 games
Heath Scotland (a great midfielder but getting long in the tooth and so natural attrition) 268 games
Mitch Robinson (a gritty and tough but undisciplined player who possibly had too many chances) 100 games
Jeffrey Garlett (a promising but inconsistent forward) 107 games
Josh Bootsma (an initially promising but unfulfilled defender with bad off field behaviour) 14 games
Most likely Kane Lucas (a potentially good defender with good pace) 42 games.
That makes a whopping 715 games of experience lost, which I know many of which were unavoidable. Yet once again our great recruiters are asleep at the switch. And who are they trying to recruit but as yet have recruited no one:
Liam Jones (a potential but unproven tall forward from the Bulldogs) 66 games
Kristian Jaksch (a very inexperienced forward from GWS) 7 games
Sorry I foolishly thought that there would be more talent that the recruiters would be chasing but obviously they don't feel our list needs it. God help us all!

I know that Malthouse likes to develop players from within but we can't afford to keep losing players left, right and center and not at least try and replace them or there is no way in hell that we will be able to make the finals and do some damage there. I am not even entertaining the prospect of a premiership in the near future and given the pathetic way the Blues recruiters act it could be another 19 years before our next flag!