Roos revolution

[j s]

Originally posted by nicko18
very sly. i wonder if the training ran smoothly or was it a hotch-potch affair?

The implication was that it ran smoothly.

[anniswan]

Originally posted by j s
The implication was that it ran smoothly.

This would be a good question to pose at the aftermatch tomorrow???

AS

[Reggi]

Neither Roos or Lockett wanted to go to Sydney.

Roos tried to go to Adelaide but Fitzroy knocked back Adelaide's offer sending him into the pre-season draft where he had no choice but to go to Sydney.

Lockett tried to cross to Richmond (who refused to offer decent players to St Kilda) then Collingwood - who's board voted against him.

These guys aren't really comparable with Akermanis - they weren't very good players they were 2 of the best 4 -5 players of the previous decade who had experinced no success at their previous clubs.

Even then they came to Sydney to late - in the end their presence resulted in One top season.

Akermanis is not good enough to have the impact those two players did

[Charlie]

Reggi - I'm not interested in Aker either... just pointing out that when an older player really comes and gives it their all - like Roos and Plugger did once they got here - they tend to succeed.

By the way, I'd say that both Plugger and Roosy had more than one good season.

[Reggi]

Charlie - just talking about Sydney - we ended up with one top season

[desredandwhite]

Charlie, I think reggi was implying that even with the top players in, the CLUB only had one great season (96 - 98 was the next closest but I felt we were still not that convincing). We could have brownlow medallists every year, doesn't mean the team will be any good.

[Reggi]

Yep spot on Des - IMO we should focus on developing a group of players that have played years of footy with one another to have an era of top footy in which you win a premiership (or 2 or 6 we can be greedy).

Not go for this "be a bit better next year" stuff.

Recruit some really good youngsters now - we could be a tops side over the later 90s

get Akermanis - we are likely to have last year every year.

[liz]

(warning - bit long and rambling!)

IMO the club - any club, for that matter, should take the trading / drafting process on a year by year basis. I don't see the point in categorically saying "we are going to draft youngsters" and ignoring trading opportunities. If the right player is available, a trade should always be considered.

Look at the clubs who have supposedly been "rebuilding" in recent years through drafting kids (or the ones that the media tells us have been).

St Kilda - obviously their process has been helped by having so many top 5 picks in recent years. But even then they still have to prove its going to come together. And while the likes of Ball, Riewoldt and Goddard have been strong contributors to their recent form, players like Hamill, Powell and Gehrig have also been critical. They were all well-rated, mid-aged players that the club recruited to supplement its kids. Admittedly they were aided by being able to use their early pre-season draft picks to secure them (either directly or via a threat of using their first pick).

Collingwood - they too have supplemented their drafting of kids with recruitment of players like Molloy, Woewodin, Williams, Wakelin, Clement, Holland, O'Bree, Rocca etc etc. In fact, the only truly "home grown star" they currently seem to have on their list is Tarrant.

Geelong - they have some very handy young kids in Kelly, Bartel, Ablett, Gardiner etc. But they also have a huge gulf in quality mid-aged and older players to provide guidance to these players. One of the reasons, maybe, why they're struggling at the moment.

I'm not trying to argue we should be recruiting Akermanis. On the contrary I'm lukewarm about the idea. But nor do I think the club should have a hard and fast policy that isn't flexible. Sure, we need to find the core of our team from Schneider, Sunny, Kennelly, Goodes, Saddo, Powell, McVeigh et al, but these players benefit from playing alongside the likes of Maxfield, Williams, Ball, Hall, learning how to win and learning how a seasoned professional footballer goes about his business.

To some extent, the need of the Swans to recruit players like these was caused by the "go-home factor". Had we still had Grant, Rocca, Gaspar on the list maybe the club wouldn't have needed to recruit some of these other players. This no longer seems to be a problem so maybe the future will be different.

Williams, Maxfield and Ball may not be around at the club long enough to be part of the next assault on a flag (though I hope they are!). But if we do see the current crop of kids put it all together some point soon, these players will have played their part.

For example. Kennelly and Williams seem to have a great understanding on the ground (possibly more evident last season than this one, so far) and I'm positive Kennelly's confidence has soared from the way he and Williams play off each other. Goodes wouldn't be performing the way he is if his partner in the ruck was a Mott rather than a Ball. Schneider wouldn't be exciting us the way he is if he were feeding off an inexperienced Stevens, say, rather than a Hall.

I know none of these examples is perfect - its impossible to say what our team would look like without Hall, Ball, Williams, Maxfield and who else we might have in their place. But I think the current squad looks like a very promising arena to nurture the younger players along in, and it wouldn't be if we hadn't recruited some of those older players.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by desredandwhite
We could have brownlow medallists every year, doesn't mean the team will be any good.

On the whole, when you look at the number of brownlow's won by each club, generally it runs inverse to the number of premierships won. Why? Because outstanding individuals are not enough to win a premiership, you need a team that doesn't rely week in week out on 1 or 2 players to get them over the line. Hence brownlow votes get taken off each other (yes Brisbane over the last 2 years is an obvious exception to this brownlow-premiership coefficient).

[Reggi]

Lizz - most of those clubs have been only half hearted in rebuilding.

St Kilda - other clubs players - Gehrig Hammill Lawrence Powell etc.

Collingwood love to talk about its youth - truth is success has mostly come from having grabbed mid range senior players Clement Wakelin WoeWoden etc etc - will bet this will drive them back down the ladder in a year or so

Look at the Premiership winning teams of the past decade

West Coast - Core of players from Jakovich to Pike, Mainwaring Matera - bought up as a group together as young players from teal cup.

Bombers 1993 2000 - always keeps bringing through another group of youngsters (Hird Mercuri Misiti) then Lucas Lloyd Johnson Johnson - do the hard yards - always keep comong back

Norff -Carey Archer Stevens Schwass Longmire Martin Allison etc- bough up a group on youngster sover the early 90s went on to success.

Adelaide - over the 90s bought on Bickley Hart Riccuitto Rehn Mcleod Edwards Goodwin - core of a team that won two premierships.

Brisbane Another club that spent years developing its team from youth Voss, Lappin Scott twins Akermanis Leppitsch etc etc. Built a team - look at them now.

The only exception was Carlton in 95 who pinched and traded - but were one trick ponies and look at them now destined for probably half a decade of misery.

Success comes comes from a long time of building a team of players that have spent years playing together.

[liz]

Fair enough Reggi, though I suspect the circumstances under which Brisbane built their current squad and WC built their premiership squads are unlikely to be repeated.

Still think there is some room for bringing in the right mature age player if the price is right. Rebuilding completely from scratch is a long process and one with no guarantees of success.

Looking at the examples you gave, it has struck me that finding an out-and-out champion is important. Would the rest of the North Melbourne team have been as good without Carey? Essendon without Hird? Even Brisbane without Voss?

[Reggi]

I understand the point you've made Lizz

Just that if Sydney drafts some young midfielders this year and next we have a chance of being a reallyo good team from 2005 onwards built around Goodes Saddington Kennelly Bolton Fosdike Fixter maybe Schneider McVeigh Doyle.

If Sydney chooses the easy option I think we will certainly through that chance out the window

To your above point absolutely - that is what Roosy said over the summer we need to find potential stars

Goodes and Kennelly realistically are the only players with that potential.

If you give away top picks you remove any chance of getting stars for the future.

That is the essence of my point

[liz]

Originally posted by Reggi


Goodes and Kennelly realistically are the only players with that potential.

If you give away top picks you remove any chance of getting stars for the future.

Maybe - except that neither Kennelly nor Goodes was a top pick in the draft!

[Reggi]

Originally posted by lizz
Maybe - except that neither Kennelly nor Goodes was a top pick in the draft!

Yes but maybe we would have more like em if we hadn't kept trading our picks away!

[b0ek]

Re: Re: Roos revolution

Originally posted by Bron

Originally posted by SWANSBEST
Former Kangaroo Peter Jonas came on board and, according to Roos, has been one reason for the remarkable progression of Adam Goodes, who struggled under Eade last year and wanted to leave the club by mid-season.

aaarrrrrgggghhhhh

That has to be the best reason for Eade to be ousted last year.

Umm instead of listening to the editorializing of Caroline Wilson, how about listening to what Goodes says. In a recent afl.com.au interview he attributed his form turnabout last year to EADE, saying that last year (when most of the supporters on this board were calling for his head), it was Eade giving him the job on Schwartz that got Goodes' confidence back. He has also stated that the rumours of him wanting to leave sydney are BS, and were made up by Kevin Sheahan...

So Eade shows confidence in Goodes when the supporters won't, gets ousted, and the supporters then turn around and call it justification.

Maybe if Warfe returns to form and fitness we should sack Roos.