Our veteran quandary

[Gerry Cooper]

I would be comfortable with a Will Hoskin-Elliott being delisted then re-rookied to keep him on the list in the event of a major injury..

I wouldn't be. Its terrible service for one of our regular players who gives his all every match he plays and who has done everything the club has asked of him. That sort of game is a great morale killer in a tight knit playing group often.

[The Black and White Lion]

How soon before we’re linked to the Clayton Oliver trade bait?

[LaurieHolden]

How soon before we’re linked to the Clayton Oliver trade bait?

Not relevant to the thread.

[warburton lad]

I would be comfortable with a Will Hoskin-Elliott being delisted then re-rookied to keep him on the list in the event of a major injury..

I wouldn't be. Its terrible service for one of our regular players who gives his all every match he plays and who has done everything the club has asked of him. That sort of game is a great morale killer in a tight knit playing group often.

Apologies, sir.

I meant, in a few years, that may happen... not after he has played so well in the finals in 2023...

[inxs88]

We have the opportunity in 2024 to be extremely innovative with our veterans given our depth and their durability. Like the idea of:

* Pendles: playing 4 matches then having a game off and not doing the Perth travel.
* Steele: same as Pendles
* Adams: monitoring loads in his troublesome legs and taking minimal risks
* Howe: rotate back and forward with suitable games off thus allowing Dean to get some game time
* Mitchell: 5 on one off

The Grand Final highlighted the value of contested possession with our plus 30's dominating. Do it again!!

[LaurieHolden]

^

Elliott?

[Piesnchess]

YES, and this is WHY winning this years Premiership was so vital, as I cannot see these older players, doing it all again next year, had we lost the GF, not at their ages. Thats why it was now, or never. I feel maybe Howe might retire now, he has his medal, been a wonderful servant, and he knows his arm broke in six places, must still be a concern for him. I would not blame Sidey if he retired, hes done it all now, 2 premiership medals, he has nothing more to prove, even Cox might call it a day now. Yeh we need to now concentrate on more talented kids now, via pre season trades, and draft. Time to go more on kids now, for the future. Thank God we never got Goldstein, far too old now, stupid Dons are as dumb as dogshit, glad we missed on him. Go for kids now, Naicos and Ginni both 20 now, go for kids bout their age group now.

[inxs88]

We have the opportunity in 2024 to be extremely innovative with our veterans given our depth and their durability. Like the idea of:

* Pendles: playing 4 matches then having a game off and not doing the Perth travel.
* Steele: same as Pendles
* Adams: monitoring loads in his troublesome legs and taking minimal risks
* Howe: rotate back and forward with suitable games off thus allowing Dean to get some game time
* Mitchell: 5 on one off

The Grand Final highlighted the value of contested possession with our plus 30's dominating. Do it again!!

Elliott?

Ah yes:

Similar to Mitchell. His form tapered late although his GF was better than I realised when watching the replay.

[stui magpie]

The best way to manage some of the older players, and also encourage the youth in the VFL is to rest some players in blocks and give a player considered a successor a 2-3 week run in the AFL.

If the kid dominates, the old bloke may get pushed out but remains insurance, if the kid doesn't dominate, they get the feedback on what they need to improve and go back to the VFL.

We can't afford to have kids play VFL all season as if we get injuries late in the season, they aren't ready. Reward good VFL form with a shot, give the older players a chance to rest the body.

[jonmac1954]

The elephant in the room is double figure over 30 players on the list.

This will be a project for the next few years I'm thinking.

[Kingsofclutch]

The elephant in the room is double figure over 30 players on the list.

There's a significant gap between those 10 players (9 now Adams is gone) and the rest of the group starting with McStay and Cameron who have just turned 28 in the last few months, with the real cream in Moore, De Goey 28 and Maynard 27 years old. We also have some great kids pushing up including the best kid in the land that you can build a dynasty around. So as dire as 9 players (some marquee, a couple generational) over 30 sounds there's a real chance to bring that 28 and under group through without a rebuild, it'll take some smart trading each year as the vets fall away but Schulz for Adams is a great start.

Playing age next season:

https://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=92724

[jonmac1954]

^
Yeah not a rebuild but we will need to spend a fair amount of points over the next few years bolstering the mid list.

[Geek]

Regardless of what you think of them, Geelong and Sydney have done a pretty good job of not bottoming out.

I think your concerns are overblown. We’ve got flags so win in the next 2-3 years and that needs to be a priority IMO.

Hrm.... The Cats and the Swans have been able to stay up for a long time. They have certain advantages that we don't have access to. The Cats have their lifestyle and land deals. The Swans get first dibs on a couple of Mills, Heeney and Gulden types every year. For all of these advantages keeping them up, they have a flag each from the 12 years since Geelong's golden era started winding down. We don't have any levers like that.

Wright has tried to keep a list up. Even with the dynasty they had going from 2013-5, they were unable to keep it going and by 2020 the list was shot through with guys that wouldn't salute again and that had no trade value for refreshing quick. I read recently that he was a voice for rebuilding the list earlier as even he knew that they couldn't keep going without refreshing the elite young talent.

I agree that we are in the spot right now and should be looking at saluting again. That's great We have a premiership list playing a premiership gameplan (or two) and therefore don't need too much tinkering for the short term. Some tall depth. A guy that will throw himself on grenades to give Titch a rest.

In 3 years though, we will probably be short those current 9 x 30+ players we rely on each week and Maynard/DeGoey/Moore will all be over 30. Daicos will be 23 and the query will be around us building a list around the guy that makes the most out of his peak years and has us up top again before he gets too old. That process, if you have tanked your list staying up too long, can take 7 years plus (see Hawthorn, Richmond and Geelong).

Even if we've won a couple of the next 3 flags and are feeling content with our place in the world, we could be wasting the best years of the best player to have ever pulled on our jumper. And that's assuming we got those cups in the first place. How do we get the most we can out of the Nick Daicos era?

Gotta be planning for the next 10 years or so. Won't be able to work it out once we get there.

[Kingsofclutch]

Players seem to have greater longevity these days, no doubt sports science diet training methods etc is contributing to that so I'm not so worried about the Moore's and De Goey's hitting 30, the hole in the middle of the list is a more immediate concern, Josh is the only 25 year old next season and that's dab smack in the sweet spot for a seasoned mature age player, we need to find some quality around there.

[piffdog]

We have the opportunity in 2024 to be extremely innovative with our veterans given our depth and their durability. Like the idea of:

* Pendles: playing 4 matches then having a game off and not doing the Perth travel.
* Steele: same as Pendles
* Adams: monitoring loads in his troublesome legs and taking minimal risks
* Howe: rotate back and forward with suitable games off thus allowing Dean to get some game time
* Mitchell: 5 on one off

The Grand Final highlighted the value of contested possession with our plus 30's dominating. Do it again!!

EDIT: Apologies - made a smart ass comment only to realise I got my dates wrong…