Gas retires / Retirment of big name tiger SEN @ 1:45

[Tigertailz]

No need to replace the president Ramps...just need to give him the right  tools to work with!

We've already had too many of those running the show.  No more, thanks.

yes tools they are indeed!

[Tiger Spirit]

The young blokes are coming on faster than expected before the start of the year. The surprise bonus is a number are KPPs. Gas and Kingsley were on the list to give our young KPPs extra time at Coburg to develop and work their way towards earning a AFL game. The fact is they don't need that extra time at VFL level. They are good and talented enough to develop and learn at AFL level. If you thought Polak, McGuane and Hughes would be doing anywhere near as well as they are prior to the start of the season then you must be psychic.

If a club has faith in its ability to develop players, build their confidence and get the best out of them then they don’t need to be psychic to know players and teams can develop and improve quickly.

Have we just been hedging our bets to now?  We think we’ve recruited well but we’re not sure.  We think we can get something good out of our players, but we’re not sure about that either.
 
Just in case, we’ll hang on to some for longer than necessary and go recruit players from somewhere else to prevent the players of tomorrow from gaining valuable experience, and get them to follow their lead, even though we’ve recruited players with initiative.  If all else fails we’ll just play the kids.

Where’s the Club’s faith if it’s not in recruiting, not in coaching, and not in the players, because all we’ve done to now is stifle player development through short term, stop gap measures.  As long as there’s a good club/player culture in place, and a second tier competition where players out of form can go back to then players don’t need to get games when they don’t deserve them, then what’s the problem?

Anyway, moving on. I hope.

[mightytiges]

There's a problem when below par senior players believe they are too good for VFL level. The Club has had enough.

As for our young blokes, there's a balance between getting AFL games and experience into them and Zac Dawson-ing them. The latter does untold damage to their development and confidence.

[Fishfinger]

I don't see a problem with having a contingency plan / insurance for if the young players might have taken a fair chunk of the year to be ready. I fail to see how that equates to not having faith in the ability to develop players.

There's a problem when below par senior players believe they are too good for VFL level.

Too right. Any senior player who believes he's too good for VFL level should prove it if dropped to there and show it's beneath him rather than take his bat and ball and go home.

[Tiger Spirit]

There's a problem when below par senior players believe they are too good for VFL level. The Club has had enough.

As for our young blokes, there's a balance between getting AFL games and experience into them and Zac Dawson-ing them. The latter does untold damage to their development and confidence.

If you have coaches, who know how to bring them through, show faith in them and grow their confidence, rather than destroy them, then there doesn’t need to be an issue.  I question whether we know how to do that.

The issue isn’t with the coaching staff, it’s with RFC.  When Clubs recruit coaches they need to know what their strengths and weaknesses are and cover all the necessary areas, in whatever way will make it possible to get the best out of players. 

Clubs that chase their tails, from one season to the next, wondering why they never get anywhere are the ones who fail to recognise this basic need.  RFC’s been at the top of that list.

[Tiger Spirit]

I don't see a problem with having a contingency plan / insurance for if the young players might have taken a fair chunk of the year to be ready. I fail to see how that equates to not having faith in the ability to develop players.

You reap what you sow.  If you have faith in your ability to develop players, why do you need a contingency plan?  Contingency plan for what?  For when you fail to develop players?  Doesn’t show any sort of faith to me, or even a basic understanding of what coaching is about.

[Life goes on]

I don't see a problem with having a contingency plan / insurance for if the young players might have taken a fair chunk of the year to be ready. I fail to see how that equates to not having faith in the ability to develop players.

You reap what you sow.  If you have faith in your ability to develop players, why do you need a contingency plan?  Contingency plan for what?  For when you fail to develop players?  Doesn’t show any sort of faith to me, or even a basic understanding of what coaching is about.

Best post for ages!

Everyone bags the Hawks and Clarkson, well hello!
They have developed and are continuing developing there list!
Penny has only dropped with Wallace after 2 years and five rounds,.
Do people actually know what they are doing at Footy Clubs

[Fishfinger]

Do people actually know what they are doing at Footy Clubs

You're absolutely right, Jack. Of course someone on a footy forum would have more of a basic understanding of what coaching is about than a senior AFL coach.

[WilliamPowell]

IMHO Gaspar certainly struggled last week and had been OK in his other games.

What I am most disappointed about is how its all been handled.

Mark Robinson writes a piece about how the RFC needs to "tank" by playing the kids. 3 days later Tiv is dropped (again only my opinion but clearly the scape goat for the poor form of a number of senior players) and Gas retires after a discussion with the coach. It again looks like we've buckled under the pressure

We look like a bunch monkeys looking for peanuts but aren't quite sure what the peanuts look like

[Moi]

It was Gas's decision to retire - nobody made him.
He was told what the club were trying to do/achieve - it wasn't nice, but they were honest with him.
If he'd thought about it, he might have considered himself lucky to be there in the first place knowing we had a youth policy and needed to make changes quickly that unfortunately, in reality, take years considering the shape of our club when Wallace took over.
I hope he can sit back in a few years and say the sacrificing of himself was worth it 

[Bulluss]

Well why wouldnt he retire, he has been told he wont play again.

What's the point, he has nothing left to prove by playing in the VFL.

Having played at the top level for over ten years football to Gas is about playing in the seniors.

If he isnt going to be considered for the seniors then why waste his time.

He can now concetrate on developing the younger players skill level 

[Moi]

What's the point, he has nothing left to prove by playing in the VFL.

He also had nothing really to add to the club - he probably should have gone last year!

[Fishfinger]

He also had nothing really to add to the club - he probably should have gone last year!

He did when he was re-signed. McGuane hadn't kicked on yet and Polak hadn't been recruited.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.  Young players becoming ready to play seniors quicker than anticipated is better again. 

[Moi]

He did when he was re-signed. McGuane hadn't kicked on yet and Polak hadn't been recruited.

That's adding something by default that we had no-one else lol

[Fishfinger]

That's adding something by default that we had no-one else lol

Not by default on my part. That's what I actually thought back then.   
I hoped a few players would overtake him. Not totally convinced it has happened yet but feeling much better and trusting the judgement of the people in the best position to make that call.