AFL expansion not a grand one for Tigers and co. (West Australian)

[one-eyed]

Expansion not a grand one for Tigers and Co
By Dennis Cometti
July 12th, 2011

Maybe it's me and I've seen too much footy but I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion the AFL talent pool has almost spread to its limit.

Each week I'm now seeing more teams than ever before - probably because we have more teams than ever before! - drifting aimlessly like the SS Minnow.

And each of these "three-hour tours" convinces me the cost of expansion is going to be paid by clubs like Port Adelaide, Richmond, North Melbourne and Brisbane. Even the Bulldogs, Adelaide and Essendon may not be immune.

All have picked a bad time to be ordinary.

To prove the point Richmond might be the best example to use!

Deledio, Riewoldt, Cotchin, Martin, Vickery, Rance and Conca all have a future together but I doubt very much that that future will include a grand final.

As the Tigers claw their way up the table I get a sense of déjà vu.

They seem destined for a run of mid-table finishes, a situation that harmed them so much in the past.

Expansion has denied Richmond access to the young players needed to underpin their current youngsters in maturity.

They and the other clubs I mentioned look set to be swamped by the very riches (now with the Suns and the Giants) they were denied.

Even the remarkable story of John Worsfold and the West Coast Eagles comes without any grand final guarantees. Can a club in the midst of a veteran-lead recovery succeed? Perhaps, but it will need to be quick!

Right now the weak are being asked to get by with what has made them unsuccessful.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/denniscometti/post/1390/comment/1/

[Hellenic Tiger]

That's why you need to be smart with your later picks. Just look at the Hawks the Cats and the Pies.
I wouldn't think its their early picks that guaranteed their success. Yes they are very good, great players call them what you will but its the second tier players who have qualities such as leadership and able to be consistent and get the most out of themselves which is generally of a high standard that makes those teams great also.
Later picks and in Geelong's case father and sons have helped separate them from being good to being great sides especially in the Cats case and Collingwood are just freaks with the Hawks in third place.

[gerkin greg]

St. Kilda had all the picks in the world and are still no closer to the chocolates, with a sacked coach sitting in the stands.

I don't subscribe to the theory that it will be a cakewalk for GC and GWS to rack up the flags because of their access to young talent.

Can they develop the talent? Can they keep it together? What are their gameplans like? Can the players implement it? So many question marks.

I'd put money on McKenna, Sheedy, Williams not being coach of either side when they win their first flag.

[10 FLAGS]

last years draft was a good one we need a repeat at the end of this year.

[wayne]

Crap article.

I've heard all this before.

When Brisbane, Port, West Coast and Sydney won their flags, everyone was saying that Victorian sides would never win a flag again.

St. Kilda is the team most at risk, they're starting their descent down the ladder and have hardly any quality kids on their list. Essendon have a horrible core of players and not many good kids as well.

I don't subscribe to the theory that it will be a cakewalk for GC and GWS to rack up the flags because of their access to young talent.

 

Look at Collingwood, their flag winning team was made up of players from the 1999 draft right through to the 2009 draft. They didn't nail all 22 premiership players in one draft.

[TigerLand]

last years draft was a good one we need a repeat at the end of this year.

Agreed

[Bernie]

That's why you need to be smart with your later picks. Just look at the Hawks the Cats and the Pies.
I wouldn't think its their early picks that guaranteed their success. Yes they are very good, great players call them what you will but its the second tier players who have qualities such as leadership and able to be consistent and get the most out of themselves which is generally of a high standard that makes those teams great also.
Later picks and in Geelong's case father and sons have helped separate them from being good to being great sides especially in the Cats case and Collingwood are just freaks with the Hawks in third place.

Agree with this but talent identification must be coupled with development.  And two of the three clubs you mention have a VFL side.

[The Big Richo]

I think there is very little between most draftees outside the top 10.

It is about what you do with them once you get them in.

If Steele Sidebottom had been drafted by Port Adelaide he would be just a curious name.