Stick with a policy

[Hartijon]

The loss to Richmond was not entirely a surprise. I have read many posts about our lack of a forward line and slow midfield,young players,selection puzzles etc. Sometime all this had to combine to hurt us.Throw in the inconsistent form of Goodes,the injury to Bradshaw and the puzzling form of White and you have a club that is in a mess and just hanging on.

Now is the time for sane heads to prevail! Work out what you want to achieve this year and stick to a policy that gives you this.My thoughts have always been that its a rebuilding year and a chance therefore to give any youngster hitting form in the reserves a chance to try their luck in the Seniors. The selectors seem to think it is a "hold the fort""stick fingers in the dyke" years patching up gaps with tried and proven players even though these players are out of position and have never fired in these positions(Playfair,Goodes,Bird).Surely now ,with finals in jeopardy we need a firm policy more than ever, aclear idea of what the Footy Club wants and then stick to it. The young payers with Roos and Kirk leaving must be unsure and hence tentative at times as to what is expected of them. Make it crystal clear to everybody,have fair selection policies and stick to the aims and goals. Long term,this policy will serve us well.

[CJK]

The 'policy' should be, and always is, try to win as many games as possible.

[Blood Fever]

The 'policy' should be, and always is, try to win as many games as possible.

We should have iced the game with the team we had- we relaxed and never regained momentum. It is a very fine line and if we had won our 2 very close ones we would be knocking on top 4. Injuries to Bradshaw and Bolton have been huge. Having said that, we lack the depth of the real top sides so can see how people are frustrated when a some of our young listed players do not play much

[sWAns63]

The 'policy' should be, and always is, try to win as many games as possible.

I also think there should be more onus put on winning a flag...........to me that is the ultimate goal and we won't do it with all those tiring older players the Shaws, Mattners, Kennellys, & Kirks they wont be around for our next tilt at the flag it's time to get the Vessies, Johnstons, Merediths into the team

[Go Swannies]

I also think there should be more onus put on winning a flag...........to me that is the ultimate goal and we won't do it with all those tiring older players the Shaws, Mattners, Kennellys, & Kirks they wont be around for our next tilt at the flag it's time to get the Vessies, Johnstons, Merediths into the team

You certainly can't have too many Johnstons in the team!

[Melbourne_Blood]

I also think there should be more onus put on winning a flag...........to me that is the ultimate goal and we won't do it with all those tiring older players the Shaws, Mattners, Kennellys, & Kirks they wont be around for our next tilt at the flag it's time to get the Vessies, Johnstons, Merediths into the team

Exactly!! Premiership points count for nothing, its the cups we want, and we should be willing to sacrifice a few of the former in pursuit of the latter!

[Mike_B]

I also think there should be more onus put on winning a flag...........to me that is the ultimate goal and we won't do it with all those tiring older players the Shaws, Mattners, Kennellys, & Kirks they wont be around for our next tilt at the flag it's time to get the Vessies, Johnstons, Merediths into the team

Exactly!! Premiership points count for nothing, its the cups we want, and we should be willing to sacrifice a few of the former in pursuit of the latter!

You can add me to that line of thinking.

[CJK]

We should have iced the game with the team we had- we relaxed and never regained momentum. It is a very fine line and if we had won our 2 very close ones we would be knocking on top 4. Injuries to Bradshaw and Bolton have been huge. Having said that, we lack the depth of the real top sides so can see how people are frustrated when a some of our young listed players do not play much

I also think there should be more onus put on winning a flag...........to me that is the ultimate goal and we won't do it with all those tiring older players the Shaws, Mattners, Kennellys, & Kirks they wont be around for our next tilt at the flag it's time to get the Vessies, Johnstons, Merediths into the team

Exactly!! Premiership points count for nothing, its the cups we want, and we should be willing to sacrifice a few of the former in pursuit of the latter!

You can add me to that line of thinking.

It doesn't work like that.

[Go Swannies]

You can add me to that line of thinking.

I can hardly wait to come on here after we play all the kids and get done by 100 points to see how many are saying "we lost badly but didn't the youngsters do well?".

On turning points, after weeks of the posts here being full of the need to drop Jesse, I see today that's turned into "why did we drop Jesse?" Maybe because he was playing badly and the coaching staff thought they had to do something to turn that around.

[Mike_B]

I can hardly wait to come on here after we play all the kids and get done by 100 points to see how many are saying "we lost badly but didn't the youngsters do well?".

I've recognised things are a fine balance between too little experience on the field for the young players and just the right amount - you only have to see my comments in other threads on this.

However, my thinking is that when there is an opportunity for a couple of games to bring in a kid, we often don't do this which frustrates me no end. I want to see us building towards another flag, but for whatever reason, be it the "Sydney market needing a successful team" or whatever, we don't necessarily do this.

At the end of the day though, this is all part of the fun of being the armchair critic - my opinion doesn't matter - but it won't stop me putting it forward.

[31 hard at it]

I heard Longmire interviewed before the game and he explained the thinking of Rohan and Jetta going back to the 2's.
Rohan was being groomed / trained / experience in a midfield future role and Jetta was for his confidence and skills.
I believe the coaches are looking at the mid term as well as who will play this week.

Our depth has been tested (and found not yet good enough) over the last 8 weeks. It happens. We have a few really positive "kids" coming through. You can't destroy them without giving them the coaching and skills to hopefully be the next 200 game player.

[Jewels]

It doesn't work like that.

Oh, on here it does!

I can hardly wait to come on here after we play all the kids and get done by 100 points to see how many are saying "we lost badly but didn't the youngsters do well?".

On turning points, after weeks of the posts here being full of the need to drop Jesse, I see today that's turned into "why did we drop Jesse?" Maybe because he was playing badly and the coaching staff thought they had to do something to turn that around.

Hahaha, I was thinking the same thing!