Rebuild with brains

[Robbo]

We need a massive clean out. The Dockers cut the driftwood from their list last year and added 14 new players. We have to do something like that this year IMO.

[Agent 86]

We need a massive clean out. The Dockers cut the driftwood from their list last year and added 14 new players. We have to do something like that this year IMO.

So, now we're taking cues from the Dockers?

[DST]

As someone else pointed out last week, pace is far less important than kicking skills / decision making. We didn't lose last night because Didak outran his opponent a few times. We lost because for all the hard ball we won, we couldn't deliver it with any purpose into our forward 50. How many uncontested marks did the Pies take directly from Swans' kicks going forward?

We were not overly quick in 2005/2006, but our decision making and skills were fantastic and provided reward for effort.

It's frustrating at this point in time as the effort is there from the group but our skills/decision making has dropped away.

DST

[shaun..]

Probably not the best example of IQ and Didak, but yes footy smarts/brain we painfully lack that

Not just the defence though , it's contagious and spreads across the field. The amount of dumb decision making leading to turnovers and then leading to goals was 1:1 at the start.

[Bas]

We need a massive clean out. The Dockers cut the driftwood from their list last year and added 14 new players. We have to do something like that this year IMO.

They're 2nd last on the ladder. Did I miss the point you were making?

[Robbo]

They have a great crop of youngsters though. I was very envious while watching their kids take it up to Geelong today. It was certainly a lot better than what our seasoned champions could manage.

And for a club who are as bad as you think they certainly did a job on us when we went over there.

The outlook for them atm is a hell of a lot more brighter than ours.

[DST]

They have a great crop of youngsters though. I was very envious while watching their kids take it up to Geelong today. It was certainly a lot better than what our seasoned champions could manage.

They have drafted really well in the last two years, Palmer, Ibbotson and Hill are going to make an awesone midfield brigade in the next 10 or so years.

Good on them for sticking to their guns on Hill and not going the easy option with Rich or Natanui.

DST

[Robbo]

Some of the blokes they took in the rookie draft are the one's who really impress me. Broughton and De Boer both look the goods.

[Triple B]

Good on them for sticking to their guns on Hill and not going the easy option with Rich or Natanui.

You think they would have taken Hill instead of Natanui?

Even given some of Freo's outrageous trading and drafting decisions in the past, I doubt they could have got that one wrong.

[Robbo]

I would of taken Hill over Naitanui.

[Triple B]

I would of taken Hill over Naitanui.

OK, fair enough, but I reckon you'd be in the minority.

[Robbo]

Naitanui was a massive risk. His first game was promising but so was Kepler Bradley's.

[BSA5]

I would of taken Hill over Naitanui.

What do we need more? Another small midfielder (granted a very quick one that oozes class and AS FAR AS MIDFIELDERS GO has exactly what we need), or a terrifically agile big man that has the agility and height to play any position on the ground? Given our huge lack of young key position players, I would have taken Nait in a heartbeat. Whether he wound up in a key position or not is irrelevant, if he went into the ruck, any two of Currie, Jolly and Pyke could have moved forward.

Midfielders, while obviously very important, are dime a dozen. You'd be a decent chance of drafting a Hill-imitation late in the draft or through the rookie draft. A talent (albeit unproven, but neither is Hill's) like Naitanui's is a rare, rare thing.

[Bas]

Some of the blokes they took in the rookie draft are the one's who really impress me. Broughton and De Boer both look the goods.

I didn't see today's game but as you know their list better than I do, you probably are right.

I can't see Roos doing that whilst he's in charge though.

[Robbo]

What do we need more? Another small midfielder (granted a very quick one that oozes class and AS FAR AS MIDFIELDERS GO has exactly what we need), or a terrifically agile big man that has the agility and height to play any position on the ground? Given our huge lack of young key position players, I would have taken Nait in a heartbeat. Whether he wound up in a key position or not is irrelevant, if he went into the ruck, any two of Currie, Jolly and Pyke could have moved forward.

Midfielders, while obviously very important, are dime a dozen. You'd be a decent chance of drafting a Hill-imitation late in the draft or through the rookie draft. A talent (albeit unproven, but neither is Hill's) like Naitanui's is a rare, rare thing.

He was a massive risk. That's all I'm saying. Some recruiters would of been prepared to take him and some wouldn't of been. Melbourne drafted Watts because they wanted to play it safe.

The last game he played in before getting drafted was the WAFL GF last year. That was an intense game and there were a few times Naitanui had the ball in a congested area and he just looked like he has no idea what to do with it and hesitated. Got caught holding the ball at a couple of vital times.

He also started the game at full forward and struggled. His best footy will come when he is in the ruck. That is his natural position. Simply does not take enough marks to hold down a key position.