And then there was Crouch....(retiring at end of season)

[Bob Neil]

Hope Crouchy has a couple of ripper games then retires on a high note and gets the respect he deserves from many RWOer's. Aker's achilles' heel.

[Lohengrin]

No it wasn't. You must know the footage by heart by now too. Luke and a Cat in a tussle while the ball bounces towards the boundary. Luke gives it a mighty swat forward where Baz and Scarlett (?) are battling but baz still manages to get boot to ball. It stays in so ROK almost gets free of the mob but it stays in until the bounce. That whole movement starts with some desperation from Luke and Baz.

I know the sequence very well, as does everyone here. And because of that we all know that your conclusion is generous to say the least.

[2005]

Thanks for the stats.
Please go and watch the game and tell me he hasn't added anything.
Please give me the list of young players with potential, fit and ready go, against the opposition we have had in our last chance race for the finals that would have come in and done the job?
Brab - riiiiggggghttttt
DOK - riiiiiggggggttttt
Vesz - injured
I can't think of anyone else in the ressies that we could have bought in.
I'm sticking up for him because there aren't other options and the Abletts of this world are useful to have on the list. I have every faith that Roos et all would have played someone else if we had them.
His last 4 games have been very handy.
A head to head comparison on stats for Kirk and Bolts doesn't make sense as they have played completely different roles. I used the comparison in terms of their hardness and willingness for the contest.
And thanks to Go Swannies above. We wouldn't have won that semi without Ablett doing his Wayne Harmes on the boundary.

Agree with your thought with who do you bring in.


Though saying Luke Ablett has been handy is far to generous indeeed.

Didnt get the pre season a AFL footballer requires, though still think he has a year left as long as he gets well and fit again. He was seriously ill at the start of the year and that has ruined his input this year immensly.

[goswannie14]

I know the sequence very well, as does everyone here. And because of that we all know that your conclusion is absolutely correct.

Edited for accuracy.

[10Totti10]

Ablett had 3 effective possessions and zero clearances and 2 tackles against Geelong.

Compare J Bolton - 16 effective possessions and 4 clearances and 11 tackles.

Kirk - 14 effective possessions and 3 clearances and 7 tackles.


Ablett against Richmond, 8 effective possessions and 2 clearances and 2 tackles.

Against StKilda, 8 effective possessions and 2 clearances and 3 tackles.

Against Melbourne, 6 effective possessions and 1 clearance and 2 tackles.

Doesn't seem that we couldn't replace that quite easily with a young player with potential, and there seem to be plenty knockin on the door.

I agree. His games have not been outstanding, and certainly has returned to his poor form in the last couple of weeks. He should stay though, as he adds another mature body. We can't just drop every oldie we have.

[goswannie14]

I agree. His games have not been outstanding, and certainly has returned to his poor form in the last couple of weeks. He should stay though, as he adds another mature body. We can't just drop every oldie we have.

According to some here, everyone over 25, or who has played over 150 games should be delisted!

[Lohengrin]

Edited for accuracy.

You also think Ablett won the SF for us? Staggering...

[Lohengrin]

Thanks for the stats.
Please go and watch the game and tell me he hasn't added anything.
Please give me the list of young players with potential, fit and ready go, against the opposition we have had in our last chance race for the finals that would have come in and done the job?
Brab - riiiiggggghttttt
DOK - riiiiiggggggttttt
Vesz - injured
I can't think of anyone else in the ressies that we could have bought in.
I'm sticking up for him because there aren't other options and the Abletts of this world are useful to have on the list. I have every faith that Roos et all would have played someone else if we had them.
His last 4 games have been very handy.
A head to head comparison on stats for Kirk and Bolts doesn't make sense as they have played completely different roles. I used the comparison in terms of their hardness and willingness for the contest.
And thanks to Go Swannies above. We wouldn't have won that semi without Ablett doing his Wayne Harmes on the boundary.

Wayne Harmes!?!? We also woudn't have won it without ROK standing up in the pack and forcing a ball up or without Crouch's intense first half, or without someone who randomly kicked the ball forward 15 minutes earlier to set up the sequence of play that evolved, or perhaps without Davis...

Still, it didn't save Davis so it's not likely to save Ablett!

In any case, I see Ablett adding little to the side for next year and we have plenty of new players coming through pushing for spots. A mature body is not particularly meaningful in my view if it can't really affect the game, especially not more so than newer players.

[ernie koala]

Would Davo have offered us more as a half forward if kept on? I think he might have.

Or Schniederman

[Bleed Red Blood]

I wouldn't. Ablett (just) and Bucky are at an important age 26-28 to become the veterans and help the younger guys develop.

We need to keep a good balance of youth and experience.

Jolly, Mattner, Shaw, Richards et al are in that 26-28 bracket, we really don't need to keep a guy around for experience, we're swimming in it.

I'd keep Buchanen 'cause if he can get back to his 05/06 fitness levels he offers us something different - he can break the lines and is a good kick to a leading player. Just..don't play in the forward line.

Ablett though?

He doesn't offer the team anything we can't get from a younger, better skilled player.

[UglyDuckling]

Agree with your thought with who do you bring in.


Though saying Luke Ablett has been handy is far to generous indeeed.

Didnt get the pre season a AFL footballer requires, though still think he has a year left as long as he gets well and fit again. He was seriously ill at the start of the year and that has ruined his input this year immensly.

Who do we bring in? Vez (though he got injured in the ressies this week), Laidlaw, Thornton they could do at least as well as Ablett but also have the potential to improve.

[craigusvegas]

until there are noises that the swans are going to change their game plan - and that has not happened - "our game plan is holding up" over the last few weeks - then the hard bodies will be a valued commodity of which ablett is one. now whether he is is the starting 22 for the duration of '10 is another thing. but to have him on call as the season grinds on and brought in when required would be handy. there will not be wholesale change for the sake of it - just to play the kids for experience a la the dons over the last few years and see what happens. crouch should go - his body has suffered greatly and looks like it is barely holding together. geeing himself up for another tilt at acka or milne when the time comes around is not a week in week out proposition. that is jack's job now.
also playfair should go quietly and that makes a fair bit of replenishment all up and pray that vez, murphy et al hit the ground running in 2010.

[Lucky Knickers]

I feel like Connolly.

Re Laidlaw/Thornton as option, Laidlaw has had injury issues over the last few weeks with hamstring. Against STK and Geelong in a defensive forward role when we were still a chance at the finals? I think Ablett is the right selection over Thornton given who we were playing and the point in the season.

[Lohengrin]

Sorry, there may have been some confusion here. I'm talking about Ablett in 2010 not his current selection. And I wouldn't just cut him if there were spare places on the list (which I guess is unlikely though) - only if he is keeping out a younger player with potential.

As for Crouch, I'm really unsure on that one, but I think we get marginally more value from him than Ablett.

[BSA5]

With Crouch, I reckon he should stay on. We're losing a lot of players this year already, meaning that if we do replace Crouch, it will in all likelihood be with a very late pick, in a shallow draft. I'd rather keep him around another year, and have him be one of the few players we lose out of necessity next year, and replace him with a higher pick. The same could be said of guys like Ablett, Buchanan, even Playfair.

In other words, rather than have 7 picks in 7 rounds in 09 and 3 picks in 3 rounds in '10, we could have 5 picks in 5 rounds in '09, and another 5 picks in 5 rounds in '10. Even with GC concessions, a 4th and 5th round pick in 2010 will be worth more than a 6th and 7th round pick in 2009.