sacked at the end of 2013.
that should please some.
If he misses the eight next year its curtains. Cant see them sacking him if he makes the eight.
not being a smart behind here but have to ask not just you but everyone.
with our depth do you think finals a certainty next yr.
in the scheme of things we dont currently have a lot of injuries and look how we drop away. imo we have had a decent run with injuries what happens if we get a bad run.
it takes time to get enough games into kids 4 yrs give or take. it takes time for enough players to enter key age brackets 23 plus.
most want to go down the youth path almost exclusively again but that will mean 3 or 4 yrs before we get a consistent player out of any of them that is if we get our picks right.
me i think finals are more likely in 2014 but possible in 2013 if as was needed this yr all things go well for us.
if finals are a must we sure are going to need to get in a fair few mature types who can play come seasons end.
the bottom line is you need enough cattle to play finals with enough older experienced players and enough quality.we dont have enough by a big margin. for me the simple truth is we have done extremely well this yr to be challenging at all or even still be in the hunt. lthe list itself says we will be doing well to be in a similar position again next yr.
for me i break it down to 3 groups
18 - 22 development group and yep a lot of early draft picks are playing good foorty by 22.but most are developing and working hard on consistency attuning their bodies to afl etc.
23 - 27 mature players. players taking on leadership done the preseasons got their bodies where they need them and closed the gap between their worst and best.
28 + veteran players old heads and true leaders. been there done that with most about to go into slow decline.
our 18 - 22 group will grow next yr with lots of nd rookie picks.
our 23 - 27 group will likely go back wards because the majority who get cut will come from here imo.
our 28 plus group will likely stay the same or may decline by one if miller a rookie is cut.
then theres games played experience.
atm we have 8 100 plus gamers deledio, edwards, foley, jackson, miller, newman, riewoldt, and tuck. this group should be full of veterans and mature players.
its gone up by two as this yr has progressed.
because of age tuck and newman are very much short term. Because of ability miller and jackson should go. Edwards is borderline imo, but wont go there as i dont want it to become about individual players.the quality of this group has to be questioned though as well as the long term.
We then have 12 50 - 99 gamers, cotchin, king, grigg, houli, i maric, martin,mcguane, moore, nahas, rance, vickery, white. this group in the main should be mostly made up of mature players with some development players.
as this yr has gone its gone up by 4 but we could lose two in white and mcguane. also imo nahas king and likely moore are short termers.take cotchin and martin out and you are scratching for real quality.
then theres the 0 - 49 gamers. very much development players or inexperienced mature recruits.webberley, post, ohanlon, arnot, astbury, batchelor, browne, conca, connors. morris, macdonald, helbig,grimes,griffiths,graham, elton ellis derickx. dea, plus rookies that makes 25.
4 or 5 in trouble in this bracket but they are in the main mature players aged 23 plus. good thing is 6 or 7 are in our best 22 already well is it a good thing or just shows how much we lack in other areas.
lots of kids there but how much quality and how many will make it.
the numbers dont add up for me. finals next yr are not a certainty by any stretch of the imagination. next yr for me hardwick will again be judged on impovement and how many players he can develop not the win/loss column.
imo with the cattle hes got hes doing okay.