What is our biggest problem right now? (poll)

[Carter]

Pretty much everything.

Get rid of the dead wood and start again.

 

[dimmauchump]

Reckon Gale is gone to be honest. Will head up the Tassie team which means we could be in some serious trouble if we dont get the right people at the top. It is what kept us in the doldrums for so long. That could be of bigger concern than the playing list. Dont get that right and doesnt matter who is playing for you.

 

[UKTiger]

I, too, believed Richmond were going to be contenders this year.
I thought we were well back from the cliff edge, but the ground has collapsed from underneath us.
Going to be a long season now. Will just try and get some joy out of any highlights the younger players could provide.

It will be interesting as the season progresses how many more of our kids we will blood and see what their inexperience and enthusiasm will bring to a jaded and dispirited team

 

[Bullarto Tiger]

It will be interesting as the season progresses how many more of our kids we will blood and see what their inexperience and enthusiasm will bring to a jaded and dispirited team

 

[Bullarto Tiger]

I'm no longer fussed by results, UK
Just want to see what the inexperienced players can bring to the team, see them having a crack.
And above all, finding a way to enjoy playing footy.
Come season's end,some will stand up and some will fall off the list.

 

[jb03]

All of the above.

Champions and good players in decline.
Youngsters not much good or over rated.
Questionable drafting.

 

[leon]

Our biggest problem is everywhere. I've harped on a LOT about this on BigFooty but we have WAY too many back flankers.

What was the point of drafting so many when we were already well set in that area? We have overlooked midfield and key position depth far too much. Look at 2021, 5 picks inside 30, we picked Gibcus - probably fair enough although I wanted Hobbs to boost our midfield, but then the next 4 picks we took 3 back flankers (argue Banks is now a wing) and Sonsie who is a lighter, outside midfielder, so sort of a flanker.

We passed on Van Rooyen, Michito Owens, Windhager, heaps of players doing decently well at AFL level already.

Now we have reached a point where it looks like a rebuild is needed, and we have no depth in the main two components on a footy field - midfield (ball winners, not outside mids), and key position.

Flankers are necessary yes, you can't build a team with only key position and ball winning midfielders, but when you have SO MANY it becomes ridiculous.

When you're doing well, which we were for 5-6 years, obviously recruiting is harder because you have less top draft picks, however, you still have to nail what you can and we just haven't.

If you draft more solid midfielders and key position than you need, at least other teams come for them with juicy trade offers. Teams rarely come knocking for fringe utilities that aren't getting games at AFL level.

We are basically starting from close to scratch because we have no quality key position or midfielders in the VFL, but we have 8-10 flankers (mostly backline), half of which are currently injured, and none of which will get a game in the AFL anyway ahead of Baker, Rioli, Vlasutin, and Short.

Dumb, dumb recruiting.

I posted much the same earlier and even long ago. The obsession with spending decent draft picks on HBFs or other small, light players; the more I wonder why, the more I think it might come down to a lack of courage on the part of our recruiters. Arguably it's the easiest position on the field to come in and get a kick - so you may appear a successful pick. Whereas there is a higher chance for failure with inside mids and KPPs, especially forwards.

However, it's these latter 2 key areas that initiate attacking F50 entries, then scores/conversions. Even the best HBFs are just turning defence into attack i.e. rebounding. I also hate how small we always seem to look - our squad is full of midgets, but not many are likely to be of the calibre of Baker or Caleb Daniel. Clarke, Smith, Campbell and Green all under 183cm (the old 6ft mark). Brown is not 193cm either, more likely 188 at most and very light. Why so many in previous couple of years? We seem to think KPPs are like after-thoughts; only taking the likes of Ryan, Biggie, Bauer or Bradke from other clubs as near rejects, or rookies or MSD.

There's been no willingness to invest a higher draft pick in a high calibre young ruck like a Tim English, Draper, the De Koning boys or even a Ned Moyle, whom you might build a new midfield around. (Ok, hopefully Ryan can become that but that might prove fortunate)

I'm not saying none of these guys won't succeed: I'm positive about Ryan and like the look of Campbell, perhaps Bauer. But it just puzzles me why we wouldn't take the risk on the IM and KPPs we have badly needed to acquire and develop. And for any of his knockers, IMO, JVR is tracking very well for a 2nd year player - he has shown the 2 key attributes you look for. He can take a strong, contested mark and kick long, straight goals. He looks to be coming on faster than any of the young talls on our list, including Ryan who I think is 3rd year, and more likely a ruck/forward than reverse.

 

[fastin bulbous]

Definitely the game plan is buggerd we are just not executing anything like an effective game plan, we are a rabble

but it could be that we don’t have the required fitness as we are just not covering the ground we should but that could also indicate that

We just don’t have the discipline to take direction from the coaches. All those 50’s and undisciplined acts this year have been the difference

But this could definitely indicate that the coach has lost the players. No one could expect dimma to be effective after 10 or so years, things just haven’t bee right since 2020

Though the stand rule hasn’t helped bloody afl and their new rules designed to destroy us that is definitely why we have lost it

We were fine until Peggy left, she used to go in hard for us I think the new prez is pissweak, approving all those draft picks going for

2 midfielders who aren’t performing and we are getting hammered probably because

Our recruiting department are a bunch of monkeys who have wasted picks on flankers and missing key talls to replace our aging forwards which has *smile* us

Do we even practice goal kicking? get Leppacella back on board cos our assistant coaches suck ass. How that bloody MacWalter remains the midfield coach is beyond me. Couldn’t coach the under 12’s. The key reason we are *smile*.

And don’t get me started on the umpires…

 

[Brodders17]

There's been no willingness to invest a higher draft pick in a high calibre young ruck like a Tim English, Draper, the De Koning boys or even a Ned Moyle, whom you might build a new midfield around. (Ok, hopefully Ryan can become that but that might prove fortunate)

Just to clarify, Ryan at pick 40 is a late pick and we are fortunate if he proves a success, but Draper- PSD- Moyle- MSD- and the Blue De Koning- pick 30- are high draft picks on high calibre rucks?

 

[Brodders17]

I think the new prez is pissweak, approving all those draft picks going for

2 midfielders who aren’t performing

You think our president should be getting involved in recruiting decisions? Yeah, that should go well.

 

[fastin bulbous]

You think our president should be getting involved in recruiting decisions? Yeah, that should go well.

Sorry- I should’ve used the old

 

[Brodders17]

Sorry- I should’ve used the old

I did check what time you posted to see if were probably drunk as the post did seem a bit over the top, but I figured/hoped that at 9:40 you wouldnt be, and a lot of posters are going a bit overboard at the moment i reckon.

 

[DavidSSS]

Agree with some of the above and disagree with some of it.

But I do have to say, it is very perplexing that we keep recruiting so many flankers. You need them, but not too many, and they don't win you flags on their own. I know the game is speeding up and every team needs running players, but them tall players, they stay tall all game, they occupy opposition players and they are a necessary part of any team.

DS

 

[Leysy Days]

Agree with some of the above and disagree with some of it.

But I do have to say, it is very perplexing that we keep recruiting so many flankers. You need them, but not too many, and they don't win you flags on their own. I know the game is speeding up and every team needs running players, but them tall players, they stay tall all game, they occupy opposition players and they are a necessary part of any team.

DS

The tall players need to be good and impact the game though.

We clearly went in too tall last week. It was a major reason we looked so slow ILO.

Miller should never have played when we already had Soldo, Samson in the ruck and Young, Balta in key defensive posts.

Another runner/flanker would have been a far better balance.

 

[Smoking Aces]

The tall players need to be good and impact the game though.

We clearly went in too tall last week. It was a major reason we looked so slow ILO.

Miller should never have played when we already had Soldo, Samson in the ruck and Young, Balta in key defensive posts.

Another runner/flanker would have been a far better balance.

We were too Witts conscious. But in the end he was still the difference. Another runner might have negated his influence once the Suns got first use.

 

[spook]

List demographics - i.e. the age spread of your players. With the exception of the odd precocious youngster and evergreen veteran, the bulk of a successful team fall in the 23-29 range. For example, in 2017 we had the following (I'm using the ages they turned that calendar year):
29 - probably the best 29y/o in the game at that point, Jack, plus two more of the best in Sheds and Houli, and a fourth very good one in Grigg. (Hampson in the 2s)
28 - just one, but he was the best of them, and probably the second best player in the game at the time, Rance.
27 - just one, but again the best of them, Cotch. (Lloyd in the 2s)
26 - not just the best 26y/o but also the best player, Dusty, as well as Grimes, DTLD and Lambo. (Griffens in the 2s)
25 - Prestia and Caddy. (Conca and Batchelor in the 2s.)

No one over 30 apart from 31yo Maric (2s).

That is a brilliant senior core. 12 of our premiership 22 - at least seven of them champions, all in their prime. There wouldn't be a 25-29 group close to that in the game right now. And some pretty solid depth in the 2s. Then we had:
24 - Brando, Broad, Towner
23 - Nank, Vlastuin, KMac

with
21- George, Butler
20 - Rioli
19 - Graham
making up the remainder of the premiership side, and

21 - Short
19 - Bolton

on the fringe.

Now look at today:
33 - Jack, Houli, Sheds
31 - Cotch
30 - Dusty, Grimes, DTLD, Lambo

29 - Lynch, Prestia, Caddy, Pickett
28 - Broad
27 - Nank, Vlas, KMac, Aarts
26 - NO ONE
25 - George, Short, Soldo, Parker

24 - Rioli, Chol
23 - Bolton, Graham, Baker, Egg, Garth
22 - Balta, CJ, Naish, Miller, Mate
21 - RCD, Ross, Stack, Ryan
20 - Dow, Martyn, Cumberland, Ralphy, Biggie
19 - MoJu

The equalisation measures at least half work - they drag top teams down. If not for the salary cap we'd have Brando alongside Broad, and Markov and Butler in the 25yo group. Nonetheless, we'd still be a bit thin thanks to our poor 2013-15 haul at the draft.

I posted this in the Matt Clarke thread two years ago. It's list demographics. Our age balance is out of whack.

Age turning in 2023:
35 - Jack
34 - Tarrant
33 - Cotch
32 - Dusty, Grimes
31 - Lynch, Prestia, Pickett
30 - Broad
29 - Nank, Vlas, KMac
28 - NO ONE
27 - Short, Soldo
26 - Rioli, Hopper
25 - Bolton, Graham, Baker, Taranto, Young
24 - Balta, Miller
23 - Ross, Ryan, Mansell
22 - Dow, Cumberland, Ralphy, Biggie, Bradtke
21 - MoJu, Bauer
20 - Gibcus, Brown, Sonsie, Clarke, Banks
19 - Smith, Green, Campbell

Pretty thin in the crucial 23-29 group, especially with Nank and Vlas looking 29 going on 40. Would have been even more threadbare without Taranto and Hopper. This is the group that we needed to have at least some players left from RCD and Stack (23), Lennon (28), CEllis, Butler, Markov and Menadue (27), Higgo, Naish and CJ (24). Not one 28-year-old on the list - that would be pretty close to the mean age of a player's peak.

Top-heavy with 30+ers for a team not contending. But if you take out our geriatrics we actually skew quite young. The plan from here should be to build around the 25-26-year-olds, bolstering that group and those above and below - eg. free agents Hummelberg or McKay would join Short and Soldo as a 2024 28-year-old. I'd be going hard at Mitch Georgiades - he can be pretty sure he'll get a game with us. Seems Jack Graham is likely to go back home, so there's your swap, probably with this year's second-rounder thrown in (I'd ask for Dylan WIlliams as steak knives. Oakleigh Chargers boy who did it all on talent alone up to now according to a little bird in my ear recently.) Both would bolster our 2024 23-year-olds.