agree with you 100%.
The game plan does allow little flexibility and reaction time for our forwards when they are caught on the rebound, and yes the skill errors really kill us in this aspect.

It just hurts when I see Matthew Scarlett and Grover etc running down and taking shots at goal unopposed. Not to mention Lance exposed badly when his player runs off him.

you forgot thornton, absolutely the worst, always second to the contest and falls over a lot (a sign of weakness in the view of a former tough premiership player)

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one you knock back is one you never have

forget about recruiting kids of two years unless they are kreuzer of course...we need to get firrito, rooke, hahn, griffen into this side.

We have to find our own Firrito, Griffen etc......they wont be giving them away for nothing...to get those type of players you need to give up plenty.
Firrito was a freebie to anyone who wanted to take a chance, just like Sam Mitchell was, just like Priddis was,just like Westhoff was...we need to identify these type before other clubs do.....

All the above players are footballers not athletes....we need to balance up the list with some real hard nosed young footballers who can support the athletic types we have in the training stable like Hampson, Benjamin etc.

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Not really correct there,he come to the club in 2002,his first year was 2003 but he had no idea how bad the list and the club was in and never knew he was banned from 2002 and 2003 draft,2 years of putting a team back at least 5 years with the squad he already had,so he has had 2004,2005 and 2006 draft that he has had proper control.

Pagan Success

2002 draft that was crap for us

Kade simpson
Brad fisher

2003 draft that was crap for us

Andrew Walker
Adam Bentick
Senanta Ohailipin
Andrew Carrazzo

2004 draft his first draft that he had control,these players need to step up next year as it's their 4th season all still young and that year draft wasn't the best.

yet to see if any make it.

Eddie Betts
Luke Blackwell
Jordan Russell
Adam Hartlett
Anthony Raso

2005 draft second draft that he had control

Marc Murphy
Josh Kennedy

yet to see

Paul Bower
Jake Edwards
Ryan Jackson
Craig Flint
Asaike Ohailipin

2006 draft 3rd draft that he had control

Bryce Gibbs
Joe Anderson

yet to see
Mark Austin

Clinton Benjamin
Shaun Grigg
Shaun Hampson
Michael Jamieson
Sam Jacobs
Ross Young

The problem is Den Den's dad came about 60-odd years ago.


Umm, maybe that's a tad harsh

2002 was crap?
I'd suggest the acquisition of Simmo, Fish and Barnaby French during this period was better for the club long term than the 2000 draft where we had 3 picks in the first round!

The quality of player isnt always determined by pick number Rambo.



Dont forget Nick Stevens and Heath Scotland.
We obtained more talent in 03 than some other clubs who didnt have draft penalties Rambo.
Thankfully our recruiting staff didnt sit in the corner sooking about our plight.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Sorry i didn't include Stevens,Scotland and a few others who had maybe 1 good year like Deluca and Teague,i was more thinking about players never played a AFL game before recruiting.

I think the biggest problems are that Dennis didn't sell a re-building youth policy or developing a spine and we don't spend enough time developing our kids. Game plans change as different teams develop ascendancy and win a premiership and the other teams then try and copy them but due to cost cutting we let development slip and Dennis is not really a salesman.

Dennis is a good coach and two premierships attest to that but maybe it was his pride or the need to put on a brave face but our expectations for the last 2 years have been a rise up the ladder. Even the President came out and said he wanted 10 wins this year. If each team improves each season then where was our major improvment going to come from? Recruiting a 17 year old future star, recruiting an average but durable ruckman from another club, and grabbing a lot more kids. Kids take time and they need specialised coaching so anything we get out of them in the first couple of years is a bonus.

IIRC there has been no talk from the coach about gradually developing the kids and letting them play, about playing Setanta in defence no matter what the outcome so he learns, leaving Setanta, Thornton, Scotland, Walker and Anderson together as a group down back. It's all been about winning and shifting the side about to win when maybe it should have been about how we are working towards a long term plan. I do understand that the coach has to promote belief and sponsorship of the club but Clarkson Wallace Sheedy etc have been able to do it. So we have high hopes and then the reality is a lot worse and supporters are mad at the club and coach and demand action.

Perhaps a change of coach is best and then the new man can set the path, lower the expectations and sell the message we are building a team. It is a long road and IMO we have about 14 players towards our next serious finals asault and need to recruit and develop another 16 on our list as fast as possible. Some of our kids may really step up next year especially if we can start to give them specialised training based on their individual needs.