So, McMahon IN 2007.
Same draft FJ took Morton, Collard, Sylvester, Cartledge and Howat again.
Followed in 2008 with Hislop, Thomson and Nahas. Cousins was Cameron's pick based on fan and Sheedy pressure.
Followed in 2009 with Webberley, Nason, Farmer and Roberts.
THEN we got Hartley.
So Hartley was doing a brain telepathy thing forcing FJ to take those recycled players before he came to Richmond.
Did I say that. No don't think I did
Funny I thought we traded for Morton, ditto Farmer so I don't FJ can be blamed for trades, it isn't his area
Anyways - 2007 every one of those players you mention outside of Morton were rookie selections (will stand corrected)
2008 & 2009 were all late selections and were not all re-cycled players.
Also thought we were focusing on the recruitment of players since Hardwick's been coach which is 2009 onwards
Hartley has been in list analyst now for what? just on 4 years, he is the one that targeted Maric (a tick), Grigg, Houli, Chaplin, Thomas. At the time Grigg & Houli were upgrades and were what was needed but ... to give Grigg a contract extension rather than looking to upgrade on him is an indictment on the Club and popor list management IMV. That the Club gave Chaplin a 4 year deal is looking like simply a foolish decision. These 'decisions' were not the doing of FJ, they were driven by Hartley
All I am saying and has ever said is that whack FJ for his drafting mistakes but not things he has zero control over. People should direct some of the same angst at Blair Hartley because he has a lot to answer for. He has got off so lightly it isn't funny
gotta agree with nearly all that and well said. i think the point that should be made is both have a lot to answer for.
i would also like to reiterate what you said about grigg and houli. at the time of recruitment they were decent pick ups. where we have failed is not looking to upgrade on them.
for all others here who all of a sudden think taking mature recruits is folly what would you say if we had taken michael barlow and podsiadlly, would you be bitching about mature recruits if we had taken goddard, i can name numerous other mature recruits who have been fantastic pick ups for their clubs sheesh we even have one in maric.
it annoys the crap out of me that want to forgo mature recruits simply because we have failed to pick the right players. this does not mean that there are no good players out there to be had, ffs there are plenty.
you know what people lets forgo all nd picks after the first round because we fail to pick the right players. that is the logic with people when it comes to mature players.
ffs lets address what is actually wrong and that is not the process of taking kids in the nd or taking mature players weather it be f/a late nd or rookie picks. the problem is not the process of participating in these things. the problem is we just get too many selections wrong right across the board.
right at this minute i can think of half a dozen mature players id love our club to chase at the end of the yr. if we got 3 or 4 of them id be happy. thing is i also want us to use 5 or 6 nd and rookie picks on kids even trade for one as well. its about balance.
as a supporter group we literally lurch from one extreme to the other always throwing the baby out with the bath water.
