GWS gets...

[stellation]

Phil Davis. Very, very smart pickup- will be just 21 going into next year. Well done to them.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/crow-blow-as-davis-leaves-for-gws-20110802-1i8xw.html

[R-1]

Hopefully this clears the way for us to go after Walker. GWS will have to trade like everyone else if they want him now.

[Triple B]

Phil Davis. Very, very smart pickup- will be just 21 going into next year. Well done to them.
http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/c...802-1i8xw.html

I'd imagine Adelaide would be much unhappier about losing Davis than they would have losing Walker. He was sort of fast tracked a tad with great results when Bock got poached, now he's gone too.

He has a worrying shoulder problem, but so did Chris Judd....

[liz]

Will be interesting to see what compensation they get. With Adrian Anderson suggesting recently that Scully would qualify for Ablett-level compensation, it is hard to see Davis being assessed as in a different bucket. He doesn't have quite the same level of hype as Scully but as a very promising key defender with similar experience, he surely must be on a similar level.

[stellation]

I like the way that GWS look to be going about building their roster, and find it quite fascinating as an academic exercise. They have had the opportunity to watch Gold Coast this year with great interest and it will obviously have helped them with developing their recruitment plan (or at the least it has helped confirm for them their existing recruiting plan).

Watching Gold Coast's games I've been left with the view that the value derived from the older, seasoned recruits at Gold Coast has been
a: maintaining composure during games
b: comprehending and following game plans/instructions
c: being physically ready to compete at AFL level
d: providing leadership (during games and around the club)
e: being significant stars on the field and helping them be competitive in games

I think it's reasonable to suggest that on a senior AFL list (going from best player at #1) you can get probably get a-d from players in the 10-28 range? Trying to get some players into your club in the 10-28 range means you probably can look at the Paul Bevans of the footballing world and can get them for a more modest investment.

You then can assess how you want to obtain e- assuming it comes from your top 1-10 do you want to go for it from day 1, ala Gold Coast, and lock in guys >22 that you are comfortable will provide it, or do you want to go for guys <22 that may provide some of it from day 1 but are more likely to provide it consistently for you over the next 5-10 years as the rest of the squad develops? If you go for a 2:1 ratio of guys <22 and >22 to make up your top signings, then throw your money at getting young guys that look to be stars in the making, like Davis (or Scully, or Ward), and pepper it with guys >22 (Daisy?) then I think you're starting to look like a sustainable club on the field- it helps, of course, if you know you'll be bankrolled for a decade off the field.

There was a lot of speculation of how GAJ would go at Gold Coast with being surrounded by young bodies at stoppages, what's to say that you can't target that young body as your top talent and put some middling (cheaper) hard nuts around it?

[Big Al]

Great post Stell.

Really looking forward to seeing how GWS will line up next year.

I'll be attending a GWS function tomorrow night which will probably clarify more of how the club is going about developing it's list. Maybe I can ask what number is Scully wearing next year see if they slip up

[liz]

There was a lot of speculation of how GAJ would go at Gold Coast with being surrounded by young bodies at stoppages, what's to say that you can't target that young body as your top talent and put some middling (cheaper) hard nuts around it?

Gold Coast have done a bit of both. Ablett was their jewel in the crown, but they've surrounded him with Rischitelli (who is both youngish but hardened, and quality, if not quite in Ablett's class), and some cheapish discards like Iles, Stanley and Harris.

[nomae]

Hopefully this clears the way for us to go after Walker. GWS will have to trade like everyone else if they want him now.

I'd prefer LJ to Walker.

That being said if we had both of them plus Sammy Reid, perhaps a multi-pronged forward line could be effective rather than one dominated by a big bustling full forward.