This quote from Robbo on the GC changes thread got me going, on this topic so i thought i'd put it in a new thread.
This is also what i mean about sydney since roos, we've got all these players who dont get a rest, even the players who could be replaced by someone in the reserves to reward good/standout form. when someone was forced out. but recyled mature-rer age players like y players like richards, and shaw can learn to play with us but because when they go are in bad form they we're backed in, and not dropped, and eventually learnt the swans style of play. where as spriggs from geelong wasnt really given that opportunity, did he even get one game in his 2nd year? and his 1st was the year after a knee reco. and so many laid to the wayside. just because most of our youngsters who didn't get a game, the willoughbys, matt o'dwyer (although didn't he end up at geelong vfl or somewhere?) the earl shaws) didnt go get picked up right back into the afl (when half the AFL sides are ultra youth and low pick focused) that doesnt mean they might not have gone on to have really a decent career with us, if given a chance. the afl is littered with players who at age 20, 21 we're considered rubbish and ended up in a teams tops.
also we never developed any flexibility. other than o'keefe moving to the midfield (at his request) which player under roos reinvenvted themselves from say decent midfielder to great back flanker or pocket? none.
thus in this era we have lots of close games; we generally say on these boards, because we lose games we should win. we wouldn't even take a chance in those days of resting someone for a week, even against a bottom 4 team unless it was completely unavoidable.
even think of essendon in the early 2000s, they had "the best team ever" and still discovered damian peverill from the rookie list when ramanaskus (i think) got a lti and his form was just so good you couldn't drop him. LIKE ALEX JOHNSON RIGHT NOW. Roos didn't find any!
other teams rely on their good players, cause thats what they are, say the top 12-15 and the rest are players they cover, because its a youngster playing a role they dont have a more senior player in, and then the rest jostling for places in the team with younger players, and ones who have been out of form wanting to get back into the team. maybe also a reason why someone such as luke ablett who was an automatic selection in our team, just drops off the afl radar like that.
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