Sorry missed your reply. Very impassioned speech there WP!
I wish it was as easy as you say but unfortunately I feel it's not.
The "selection decision" has been easy for weeks if not the entire season but Hardwick has refused to drop those that are clearly favourites. How many examples do you need?
I think you are correct that he values some players for the role they play in the team and game plan more than we as supporters do. Players like Ellis, Grigg and Houli are frequently easy targets because they are outside players who don't win their own ball and act as link players. When we are not winning the contested ball these players are our worst performers. When we are winning the inside ball and feeding out to these players, then they can seem our best. Ellis is a prime examples of this comparing him from last year to this year. Now he has lost his confidence and is starting to not do the courageous acts that made him such a fan favourite in 2013. I agree he needs a rest to find his mojo again.
Helbig has been playing well before this week in the backline but would you swap him with Morris, Vlaustin or Houli. I'm not convinced he is a better option than any of them. If Morris has the injury you speak of then I would give Helbig a go but Morris intensity and fight are hard to replicate.
Darrou has been our big bodied VFL fullback so should be swap him for Rance or Chaplin? Darrou may be better one on one than Chaplin but does he read the play as well, have his leadership skills, poise/time when deposing of the ball etc? I'm not convinced.
O'Hanlon is the easiest to bring in for Ellis but he has not been a VFL standout especially going on today's performance. Ellis needs to find his confidence and remember what made him such a rising talent last year.
Seriously what message does it send to the kids busting a gut, doing everything asked of them in the VFL
I ask you what more do you the kids need to do?
More than they did today that's for sure. They are not doing themselves any favours when they perform the way they did. Even the 'in the best' performances have not been up to AFL standard like Miles was able to achieve and Lennon, and McBean in glimpses, did today.
The "selection decision" is as unplugged said actually easy; very easy sadly or more to the point our coach can't see it or refuses to act on it
Sadly it's not easy
. After listening today
none of the players you mentioned, count 'em
none , performed at all. They were down right ordinary. If they want a spot they need to play to a high standard consistently. Today is proof that they are not there yet. This is what is causing the difficultly with the 'selection decision'. For all the under performing players we have at AFL standard we have even more at VFL level at present. I have no idea what has happened with our development this year
While the players you mentioned would be dropped if we had ready made replacements we don't have many this is what makes the issue not so cut and dry as you may suggest.