Courageous win!

[Stripes]

WP - you make a lot of sense without being insulting 

Let's face it, whether I want the club to focus on drafting at this stage more than development is irrelevant. The club has put it's faith in the coaches and the players which is beginning to bare fruit. It is something we have not seen at our club for...well I can't even say. I'm genuinely excited about where the team is going and the obvious change in the culture at the club but I fear over achieving. I fear missing out on another group of players such as the ones we have this year. Imagine another player such as Martin in the middle  but I will just have to hope the recruiters find hidden diamonds because this team shows no sign of losing anytime soon.

If the club wants to ensure we finish lower down the ladder when winning means the differenc between 16th and 13th...well there are some very practical methods without cutting the players spirit and endevour down. When should the players ever know that their club is focusing on the draft more than wins - my answer: Never. I have given plenty of suggests how this could and should be done (as has Bents too ) but in the end I can understand why this will never happen.

I am more than happy for the team to win as long as we continue to use this year for what Hardwick said we would - tranformation, experimentation and development. As you said WP, players are being played in multiple positions, almost every player has been given a try on the list and the team continues to focus on the game plan. This is a huge tick for me.

I guess I would like to have my cake and eat it too - drafting and development. I just hope our development and onfield success doesn't hurt our draft chances this year. When TW came in and over achieved in his first year at the helm it hindered our rebuild as it did two years latter when we won some meaningless game later in the year against tanking teams. I'm hoping to avoid this if it means sea-swaing up and down the ladder like in the past. If this lift continues an upwards trend for years to come, then I won't care about drafting at all.

I'm just looking for a little added insurance I guess.

Great points though WP 

Stripes

[Smokey]

When TW came in and over achieved in his first year at the helm it hindered our rebuild as it did two years latter when we won some meaningless game later in the year against tanking teams.

Our rebuilds were hindered because of our coaching, our development, our selection of draft picks, our attitude, our ability.  Indeed, every single little thing not related to the order of the draft picks we had.  Stripes, I enjoy your posts and I respect your opinion but if you think that our previous rebuilds were hindered or failed because of the order/number of the draft picks we had then I am truly gobsmacked.  You think Frawley or Wallace would have been successful if we had of finished last in those years?

[Stripes]

Our rebuilds were hindered because of our coaching, our development, our selection of draft picks, our attitude, our ability.  Indeed, every single little thing not related to the order of the draft picks we had.  Stripes, I enjoy your posts and I respect your opinion but if you think that our previous rebuilds were hindered or failed because of the order/number of the draft picks we had then I am truly gobsmacked.  You think Frawley or Wallace would have been successful if we had of finished last in those years?

I think finishing up the ladder hindered our chance of selecting talent but I don't think TW or Frawley would of had the game plan or ability to develop the early picks, to push us into the finals and beyond. The big difference this year compared to the last 10 years is the player development and, linked to that, the simple yet effective game plan.

It could be argued that niether Wallace or Frawley had the support or financial aid to invest properly in player development but from what I have heard TW rarely would actual train the players himself. This is criminal for mine, with a young list. Hardwick and the club has made this priority number one and the proof is in the pudding this year.

Last years draft selectiones was excellent but I think if we had the same focus on development as we do now, some of those failed or underachieving players from the past may of come on. I wonder how someone such as Hughes, Schulz, Rodan or even Putt would have turned out if they had had the same individual education and simple game plan from the start as our current crop has had. What would Tambling and Polo been like? We'll never know but what can not be disputed is that early picks allow clubs much better chance to find the type of players they need to succeed in the future.

Stripes

[Judge Roughneck]

Polak came from 01 draft and is a fair bit younger than Simmo. Ido not think he willmake it as a kpp by might have been handy as a back up ruckman.

As for the current side there is not too much to whinge about. Only king and cousins could be removed and replaced by kids. However both are showing enough at the moment.

My comment in regards to tanking had more to do with what we should have done in early years under Wallace. No due to the fewer talented players in the draft and lack of early picks I am not sure the difference between 15th and 11th will make much difference this time around.

We have to be content with most of current list and hope we draft couple more decent kids. I

did that answer my question you quoted?

How do you control the players playing to win, yet ensure they lose?

1. you play a poor footballer on a good footballer, ie. Andrew Raines on Nick Riewoldt
Honestly, if you were playing for a coach that did that, what would you think of them?

2. you play kids who might be good instead of old players who are average, ie. Simmonds did not play in 2010 and instead we gave Gourdis or Polak or Graham or Vickery or Westhoff more game time so in 2012/2013 they have more games at AFL under the belt
Specific examples, from last weeks team and who you would replace them with?

3. you send in players for early ops.
Any one in mind? Which players from last weeks 22 should go in for surgery?

Whoh back! Isnt Polak an older average player? He's definately not a kid who might be good

[aetherunknown]

Even by obtaining a lower draft pick can not guarantee you are going to get the kid/player you want most.

Francis Jackson is talented, I have full faith in him and his abilities.

We have some damn good players here and many more to come.