White-Johnston-Jack-Reid-Grundy

[Bas]

And in 5 years time we will still have the nay sayers complaing\ing the list is too old - we must play the kids

Why wait a whole 5 years, let's start now.................

Get rid of LRT he's too old. McVeigh the old hack. Why aren't we playing the Roos boys we drafted under the new coaches/son rule?

[sprite]

Next year we'll still have Goodes, Bolton x2 (hopefully), ROK and the rest. Ideally, they'll just be taking more of a back-seat role. The great thing about our current situation is that our older guys are still performing, but rarely are they putting in match-winning performances, so we're not relying on them.

Anyway, in about 5 years time, I can picture our best 22 looking something like:

B: Smith (27), White (27), LRT (32, pushing it)
HB: Malceski (31), Grundy (29), Heath (24)
C: Jetta (25), Bird (26), Sumner (24)
HF: McGlynn (30), Reid (23), Kennedy (27)
F: TDL (27), Johnston (24), Rohan (24)
R: Mumford (28), Jack (28), Hanners (24)
I/C from: Mitchell (22?), McVeigh (30), Vespa (25), Seaby (31), Pyke (31), Currie (26), Meredith (26), McNeil (24), Moore (20), McKaigue (26), Gordon (26), etc

Of course, I'm heading towards speculation a bit, especially with the bench, some of these players will disappoint, some will leave for more opportunities, and not all of McVeigh, Seaby, Pyke, LRT, McGlynn, Malceski will make it to those ages, but you get the idea. Throw in any future draftees and recruits, which aside from Mitchell obviously can't be predicted, and we're looking pretty rosy I reckon.

And in 5 years time we will still have the nay sayers complaing\ing the list is too old - we must play the kids

[BSA5]

Good post BSA5 - won't add anything to it. Except (there is always an "Except") that its an odd feeling that we are going to go into next year fully loaded, but with new or only slightly used bullets.

Next year we'll still have Goodes, Bolton x2 (hopefully), ROK and the rest. Ideally, they'll just be taking more of a back-seat role. The great thing about our current situation is that our older guys are still performing, but rarely are they putting in match-winning performances, so we're not relying on them.

Anyway, in about 5 years time, I can picture our best 22 looking something like:

B: Smith (27), White (27), LRT (32, pushing it)
HB: Malceski (31), Grundy (29), Heath (24)
C: Jetta (25), Bird (26), Sumner (24)
HF: McGlynn (30), Reid (23), Kennedy (27)
F: TDL (27), Johnston (24), Rohan (24)
R: Mumford (28), Jack (28), Hanners (24)
I/C from: Mitchell (22?), McVeigh (30), Vespa (25), Seaby (31), Pyke (31), Currie (26), Meredith (26), McNeil (24), Moore (20), McKaigue (26), Gordon (26), etc

Of course, I'm heading towards speculation a bit, especially with the bench, some of these players will disappoint, some will leave for more opportunities, and not all of McVeigh, Seaby, Pyke, LRT, McGlynn, Malceski will make it to those ages, but you get the idea. Throw in any future draftees and recruits, which aside from Mitchell obviously can't be predicted, and we're looking pretty rosy I reckon.

[Primmy]

Who is the chief recruiter and who are the others. I always try to give Stuey a hug, but I am going to line them up at this CC dinner. They would get a standing O from me.

Good post BSA5 - won't add anything to it. Except (there is always an "Except") that its an odd feeling that we are going to go into next year fully loaded, but with new or only slightly used bullets.

[BSA5]

Try this on for size:

White
Grundy
Jack
Reid
Johnston

Reid is tailor-made for CHF, he has the sort of hands that legends are made of, and the sort of frame that can combine power and athleticism in ways that defy description. Johnston is tailor-made for the modern day FF (that is, traditional FF but with the motor to move up to the wing and act as a second CHF when needed). Once Johnston is allowed to put on weight again, he'll be a gun. Has the frame to be just as powerfully built as White. I know that I've pushed the case pretty hard in another thread (as I'm sure one of the goswannies, I can't remember which, will tell anybody who'll listen), but I reckon White has all the tools to be a fantastic defensive spoil-merchant in the Merrett/Presti/Glass mould.

Then throw in the likes of Hanners as a rover, Mitchell, Bird and Kennedy as the chief clearance merchants (the latter two I'm convinced will make it big time, while the hype on Mitchell from people who've seen him in WA is promising to say the least), Goodes spending his twilight years in a forward pocket, and being rotated through the midfield when needed (what a luxury!), and the likes of Jetta, Sumner (who has been incredibly impressive from what I've managed to observe), Heath (who now that he has bulked up is looking more and more like a Craig Bolton clone), Smith (who is already solid and well entrenched in our best 22, but could turn into one of the best small defenders in the league, or a fantastic offensive/defensive midfielder), possibly Dylan McNeil (who has talent to burn but might not have the frame to compete long-term at AFL level, but here's hoping he does, because he's a ripper of a player), Gary Rohan, who could literally be anything (did OK in defence tonight, but also looks very comfortable indeed up forward, and is borderline KP height, with the pace and agility of a midfielder), Trent Dennis-Lane, who is looking more and more comfortable at AFL level and looks like being a gun medium-small forward, Meredith, who was a bit off when he first came into the team this year but has looked good the last couple of games, and the list keeps going.

Of course, it would be a folly to assume all of these players will make it, but collectively they've shown enough to expect that a good chunk will. Add to that any players we'll draft in the future, and we have the makings of a fantastic team in the next few years.

[SisyphusV]

Criteria:
1. Not yet 27 (under 32 in 5 years)
2. have already debuted at AFL level, (therefore no Lewis Johnston)

B: Nick Smith, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Campbell Heath
HB: Nick Malceski, Heath Grundy, Gary Rohan
C: Craig Bird, Jarrad McVeigh, Lewis Jetta
HF: Ben McGlynn, Sam Reid, Josh Kennedy
F: Trent Dennis-Lane, Jesse White, Jarred Moore
Foll: Shane Mumford, Daniel Hannebery, Kieren Jack
I/C: Mark Seaby, Paul Bevan, Brett Meredith, Patrick Veszpremi

Emg: Mike Pyke, Kristin Thornton, Matthew O'Dwyer

Even minus our most experienced players, that team would probably make the eight next year, and stay there for half a decade.

If we have fewer injuries next year , many of those names will struggle to get a game.
Therefore, I think our biggest worry is keeping players away from GC and GWS.

[dimelb]

A spine to drool over.

[Donners]

Far from convinced on White, and let's wait until Johnston actually makes the team before getting too positive about the future!

Jack has turned into an absolute gun, Grundy has been very good, and Reid showed good signs, so the back half is looking nice.

[JudesaGun]

How's that for a spine?

Throw in:
Mumford
Hannebery
Smith
Rohan
Jetta
TDL
Mitchell

And, as a bonus, some of these guys may step up:
Vezpremi
Sumner
Heath

And the future is suddenly looking very bright. Funny, because just a few years back I was honestly starting to worry about about our youngsters.