Pre-season Stipulations

[Stripes]

I read in yesterdays Herald-Sun that the AFL have ruled that during the first game of the Preseason Cup each team must field a high percentage (can't remember the exact number now) of players who are under 23 of age and at least one rookie.

I was hoping someone could help me out with a list of who is younger than 23 on our list and on the Hawks lists.

Stripes

[tigersalive]

I read in yesterdays Herald-Sun that the AFL have ruled that during the first game of the Preseason Cup each team must field a high percentage (can't remember the exact number now) of players who are under 23 of age and at least one rookie.

I was hoping someone could help me out with a list of who is younger than 23 on our list and on the Hawks lists.

Stripes

Not sure by which date you mean stripes but I'll give you all that will be under 23 at Jan 1 of next year.

Tigers:
Adam Pattison
Andrew Raines
Will Thursfield
Dean Polo
Daniel Jackson
Richard Tambling
Mitch Morton
Cleve Hughes
Luke McGuane
Matthew White
Angus Graham
Brett Deledio
Jarrad Oakley-Nichols
Daniel Connors
Shane Edwards
Jack Riewoldt
Andrew Collins
Clayton Collard
Dean Putt
David Gourdis
Alex Rance
Trent Cotchin
Adam Thomson


Hawks:
Max Bailey
Grant Birchall
Thomas Murphy
Jordan Lewis
Jarryd Roughead
Lance Franklin
Beau Muston
Beau Dowler
Travis Tuck
Xavier Ellis
Brent Renouf
Josh Kennedy
Jarryd Morton
Mitch Thorp
Cam Stokes
Cyril Rioli

[Chuck17]

Thanks Tigersalive, just shows you where we are in development terms compared to the Dawks with an extra 7 in that list.

[Smokey]

Thanks Tigersalive, just shows you where we are in development terms compared to the Dawks with an extra 7 in that list.

No Chuck, you have it wrong.  We are at the same place as the Dawks in terms of development - remember how both clubs started at the same point 4 years ago?

Now, how do I indicate the absolute sarcasm regarding my last comment?    or  ???  or  or  .  No, this one will do - 

(And I know you didn't think or say it - there are some others on here who continue to listen to the media tripe and trot this one out when it suits)

[Chuck17]

Yeah why is that I never really understood that other to put it down to shallow headline material.  Is it because of our close ladder positioning and that we both got priority draft picks?

If you dig a bit deeper into the lists at that time and compare them (especially the midfield strength) I cant see how anyone can argue that we were at the same stage of development.  The Dawks could select KPP players in that draft because their midfield was young and emerging, our list was in tatters and needed midfield quality and quantity.

[Smokey]

Yeah why is that I never really understood that other to put it down to shallow headline material.  Is it because of our close ladder positioning and that we both got priority draft picks?

If you dig a bit deeper into the lists at that time and compare them (especially the midfield strength) I cant see how anyone can argue that we were at the same stage of development.  The Dawks could select KPP players in that draft because their midfield was young and emerging, our list was in tatters and needed midfield quality and quantity.

Yep.  We were 4 years behind and still are 3-4 behind.  The good thing is that we have a plan (similar to that which both Geelong and Hawthorn have recently validated) and we are sticking to it, not getting sidetracked by knee-jerk populist reactions to (largely) media-driven perceptions of mediocrity or failure.  We should be judged on the merits and success or otherwise of the plan circa 2011/2012.

[mightytiges]

That rule would suit us given we've probably got more U23s than anyone else (there's 23 on that list) and we've also put more games into them. The only area where we look thin is in the ruck.

[Stripes]

That rule would suit us given we've probably got more U23s than anyone else (there's 23 on that list) and we've also put more games into them. The only area where we look thin is in the ruck.

Interesting as this is also our biggest concern for the future also. It is great to see almost all our best players are under 23 also. Bodes well for the future.

Stripes

[mightytiges]

Interesting as this is also our biggest concern for the future also. It is great to see almost all our best players are under 23 also. Bodes well for the future.

And this shows putting your faith in the draft and developing your own eventually works. We've still got two more uncompromised drafts to add to this group as well. While we still rely on Simmo and Richo and Browny to a lesser degree, in 3-4 years time most of our current U23 group will all be in or approaching their mid 20s and by then they'll have the maturity and experience as individuals and most importantly as a single unit that comes with it to hopefully give us sustained success.