Barry Hall

[TigerFurious]

My biggest concern with Hall is his age. How many 33yo play a full season? I think he is more likley to go down injured than be rubbed out for any significant time through suspension.

In fact the dogs have quite a few key players on the wrong side of 30 who could struggle to play out the year. Look no further than Richmond last year when we went in to the season with 6 key players 30 years or older and how many of them played a full season?

 

[Hayfever]

Odds would be too short

It's only a matter of time before the new Junkyard Dog goes the thump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta-cpI2juhI&feature=related

 

[Total Tiger]

Just a quick note to all who pooh poohed suggestions made to secure his services. People can, and do, change. Also, I predict that Footscray will go through undefeated and win the flag. Hall will win the Coleman medal.

Hall was never a fit for Richmond. We are several years away from success and he only has a few years left in him. It would have been ridiculous for us to have recruited him. As for changing, he has faced 4 full backs so far in the NAB cup, a competition that not that many clubs take seriously. He's unlikely to have had that much pressure or niggling from them. Wait until the real footy starts and the league's defenders start accusing his mother of wearing army boots. We'll see how much he's changed then.

By the way, if we can't win it, and we can't, I hope the doggies do.

 

[GoodOne]

They will have many more than 3 midfielders. Just that they have the next batch to lead them already up & going.

Time will tell. Already jumped from 2 years max to now maybe 3 leysy see's. ;D

Yes I believe 2 years depending on how long these older players remain. 3 maximum if they hold on to some of these players for dear life, however that would just cause even further issues down the track. 4 years and very few if any of those 14 players mentioned will be at the club. No hope in 4 years time and very few quality youngsters to replace them because of the compromised drafts ahead of us.

 

[CyberKev]

Might like to actually wait til season's end before lauding someone for doing their season's work, methinks.

 

[tigertim]

Gotta be kidding. In 2 years time we have:

Johnson 35, Hall 35, Akermanis 33, Eagleton 33, Hudson 33, Hahn 30, Gilbee 30, Hargrave 30, Lake 30, Giansiracusa 30, Murphy 29, Boyd 29, , Morris 29, Cross 29

There is no way in the compromised years ahead (next 4 years) that Bulldogs finishing high on the ladder are going to be able to replace some of these quality players. Bulldogs have a 2 year winbdow maximum, after that they are gone no matter how well some of their juniors might improve. Just won't have the depth.

Fully agree there GO. Some people get blinded by their predictions that they just keep promoting them in the hope they come true.

 

[Leysy Days]

Yes I believe 2 years depending on how long these older players remain. 3 maximum if they hold on to some of these players for dear life, however that would just cause even further issues down the track. 4 years and very few if any of those 14 players mentioned will be at the club. No hope in 4 years time and very few quality youngsters to replace them because of the compromised drafts ahead of us.

A severe underrating of the quality of there younger players leysy thinks.

As leysy said, we shall see. So 2012 & 2013 will be the years to tell then.

 

[GoodOne]

A severe underrating of the quality of there younger players leysy thinks.

As leysy said, we shall see. So 2012 & 2013 will be the years to tell then.

Have noted it in my 10 year diary ;D

 

[mb64]

This the Dog's last year before their window well and truly closes then it's rebuild time.

Think there are opportunities for them next year also

 

[Barnzy]

Think there are opportunities for them next year also

Maybe. Hall will be 34, Johnson most likely retired same with Aker. Those 3 will be their leading goalkickers this year. I think this is their last year in the top 4 and their last serious shot at it for awhile yet.

We saw it last year with our 2 main goalkickers (Brown, Richo) falling away pretty quickly with form or injury, these people are only human. How long can the Dogs oldies sustain it for? Not too much longer and there's also a lot of their core players entering the twilight of their career in a year or 2.

 

[TigerPort]

Hmmm if Barry Hall was to win the Coleman and the Bulldogs win the majority of their games and he refrains from hitting anyone what would his chances in the Brownlow be?? ;D

 

[TOT70]

The Doggies need to make hay while the sun shines. So do Geelong and St Kilda. These three teams have a very large number of players over the age of 26. The Dogs and Saints actually have quite a few over the age of 30.

Very few players over the age of 26 have more than 100 senior games left in them and hardly any over 30 have 50. Most over 30s have less than 20 games to go before their bodies, or the club, tell them to hang up the boots.

At any other club, Eagleton definitely, and probably Brad Johnson and Aker would have been tapped on the shoulder at the end of 2009. Their era is drawing to a rapid end and they might have one last harrah left in them. They even added Hall to their aging group to give them the best possible chance of maximising immediate return. All these guys are on borrowed time though.

Leysy's point that they have some good kids is well made. I would add Griffin and Harbrow to Cooney, Ward and Higgins to give the basis of a fairly strong midfield group in a few years's time. Cross and Boyd will probably be around for a few years yet. Where their other youngsters are concerned, time will tell whether they have been warehousing guns or water-pistols like the Tigers do.

What will Eade do at the end of his next contract? The Bullies believed in him in 2004 when he was looking like coaching might pass him by and gave him a dream opportunity. I'd suggest he owes them a few years after his main men retire.

 

[momentai]

Just a quick note to all who pooh poohed suggestions made to secure his services. People can, and do, change. Also, I predict that Footscray will go through undefeated and win the flag. Hall will win the Coleman medal.

I think I was in favour? Would have been a great fit for us.

 

[Elmer]

No hope in 4 years time and very few quality youngsters to replace them because of the compromised drafts ahead of us.

How can anyone crystal ball four years down the track in AFL? In four years time Lids might be in the Dogs midfield.

Would prefer to have the Dogs window than ours in the short to medium term.

 

[Phar Ace]

How can anyone crystal ball four years down the track in AFL? In four years time Lids might be in the Dogs midfield.

Would prefer to have the Dogs window than ours in the short to medium term.

Amen to that *smile* Elmer. The Dogs have the list traditionally ready for a flag with more than 3000 games up on their list. Few win it with less.

Cooney 24, Griffin 23, Grant 20, Harbrow 21, Higgins 22, Hill, 21, Picken 23, Reid 20 (he'll be good), Ward 19. Brodie Moles will come up at some stage too this year as a rookie aged 24. With size they have Williams 23, Panos 19, Roughhead 19, Minson 24, Cordy 19, Boumann 20 and Everitt 21.

Some will make it big time, some won't - like at all clubs. I'd also expect the Doggies to use some of it's younger aging fleet as possible trade bait for draft picks...........

Be nice to be enjoying some of the Doggies problems right now.

 

[Barnzy]

Amen to that *smile* Elmer. The Dogs have the list traditionally ready for a flag with more than 3000 games up on their list. Few win it with less.

Cooney 24, Griffin 23, Grant 20, Harbrow 21, Higgins 22, Hill, 21, Picken 23, Reid 20 (he'll be good), Ward 19. Brodie Moles will come up at some stage too this year as a rookie aged 24. With size they have Williams 23, Panos 19, Roughhead 19, Minson 24, Cordy 19, Boumann 20 and Everitt 21.

Some will make it big time, some won't - like at all clubs. I'd also expect the Doggies to use some of it's younger aging fleet as possible trade bait for draft picks...........

Be nice to be enjoying some of the Doggies problems right now.

So all up they have 8 proven youngsters on their entire list? As I said before, with Johnson, Aker and most likely Hall retiring at the end of the year they have no goal kicking power and will fall out of the top 4. Then a year or 2 later their core players who are around 27/28 now who win games will be retired or declining and the Doggies will be in our position now. Forced to play kids with little to no AFL experience to fill the gaps and mainly uncompettive for awhile.

 

[Tigers of Old]

So all up they have 8 proven youngsters on their entire list?

How many do we have?
I agree with Elmer. 4 years is a long time away.

 

[Barnzy]

How many do we have?

Depends what you define as proven. I included Picken and Minson so boderline players who are capable of average AFL football until something better comes along would fit.

I would say -

Deledio
Cotchin
Foley
Riewoldt
Morton
Post
Vickery
Nahas
Moore
Thursfield
McGuane
Polo
Edwards
Tambling
Jackson
Collins

All of them are proven AFL players although the quality varies a lot. If the Dogs were making a team just full of their youngsters without the players I mentioned who won't be there in the next 2-3 years (their older core players) then most of the players I list would get a spot in the team.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Depends what you define as proven.

I would define proven as consistent footballers likely capable of playing in a premiership side in say 4 years time.
On that criteria basis I reckon it comes down to about these below at this point.

Deledio
Cotchin
Foley
Riewoldt
Morton
Tambling

The rest I don't think are proven.

 

[Barnzy]

In that case I don't think you can inlude Hill, Minson or Picken for the dogs so they have 5.

Not everyone has to be a superstar in a premiership team though. I notice some best 22's get overrated a bit as they can make ordinary players look better than what they're. For exampe - Brynes, Varcoe, Blake, Wojo, Rooke, etc.