Worry about depth

[707]

Whilst jubilant about our season so far in the wake of Jude's injury and a hobblng Pyke I'm very worried about our depth. That applies for this year if we cop more injuries and the next 2-3 years with retirements looming.

I reckon we've got 18-19 really good players on our list but only a handful more of senior level.

If all were fully fit which is almost never the case, from last weeks team you would only add Reid & Rohan so who are the next rung?

Ruck there's only Seaby

Key backs ?

Key forwards ? Spangher always injured, Walsh not ready, White (sigh)

Midfielders, Tom Mitchell will be a gun if he ever gets fit, Gordon has he improved this year?

Running backs, Armstrong Heath

Small forwards, Morton, Lamb always injured

Utilities - Everitt

So not much there compared to most other contenders. We need some of the recent draftees to start standing up and can't afford draft misses later this year.

[R-1]

Key back would be Lockyer and Lynch from the rookie list wouldn't it? Brown's a defender too, not sure what sort.

What do we call Bulldog?

I wouldn't stress too much about this, every year we get new players in and the club has shown plenty of foresight in picking up people to fill the gaps.

[BillyRayCypress]

Collingwood has plenty of it. To be coming second with two of their top midfielders out all season. Now they have the luxury of getting one back as soon as this week.

Have lost Swan and Pendlebury for some weeks to injury this year as well.

On the other hand Swans have been very lucky injury wise until the last few weeks. I hope that Longmire watched the Saints game last week very closely.

[liz]

I am not sure there is much point worrying about it in the short term. Luck - in terms of injuries suffered - will always play a huge part in who wins the premiership in any year. We've been relatively fortunate thus far but have still had to cover two of our most important players for significant periods. If our luck holds out - compared to the likes of the Eagles and Bombers - we are well positioned to compete for the flag. If it doesn't, we may not. Even if it does, there might still be a better team out there than us when it counts. We'll find out in September. I am very optimistic about our flag chances this year, but even if it doesn't happen, we'll have enjoyed a fine season and the sun will still come up the next day.

Long term, it is incredibly hard for teams to sustain top quality depth. If players on the fringes of a very good team aren't getting a game, not because they're not good enough to play at the top level but because they are at a club with limited opportunities, they will leave to find opportunities elsewhere. We have benefitted significantly over the last decade with the likes of Craig Bolton, JPK and Mumford.

[barry]

While injuries do lower our output, we have good coverage:
Key defender. LRT can go back.
Small defender: Armstrong
Midfielder: McGlynn can play midfield. Same smith, Goodes, etc
Ruckman: J. White is playing ruck in the 2's. Seaby, and of course Mr versitle LRT.
Key forward: Where we are stretched at the moment, Goodes, LRT and Pike are doing ok. Another injury here would hurt a bit (J White, if we are desperate). But Reid will be back soon.
Small/ Mid forward: Morton, Spranger, TDL. We actually have heaps. Maybe a bit vunerable for a small Milne type player which McGlynn plays, but one of the midfielders could fill that role.

So i think we have coverage, although the coverage isnt super thick, and the way we are going down at the moment, could be stretched later.

[stellation]

If Pyke's injured and Collingwood and Hawthorn are going with Dawes and Roughead respectively as their backup ruckmen I don't overly see an issue with White coming in to cover him. If Reid comes back they can go with LRT, or bring Spangher in for a run as a forward and use LRT.

I won't belittle the significance of Jude, but it looked to me (on tele) that we'd really just squeezed Parker in and he was playing off the hff and wasn't really playing as a midfielder for a chunk of the game (I realise that is sort of describing Jude's game this year!), I think he can move into Jude's spot (I appreciate he's a bit under done). Moving Parker into the middle to replace Jude isn't to worrying a prospect, and then just based on the last game moving someone to the hff to replace Parker isn't that worrying a prospect either.

I think we have the depth.

[Primmy]

I was doing the jigsaw puzzle and my problem was this. Too many pieces. I am not fussed. Any one of the boys in waiting would bust a poofle valve for the opportunity.

Massage in tony armstrong. nipper gordon. matt spangher. jesse....or not. MM. its a feast and we are not quite sure what to do with such largess.

Aren't we lucky we have Luke!

[ScottH]

We've had Goodes, Mumford, LRT, McGlynn out for a number of games and continued to win.
Where is the problem?

[R-1]

I do agree that we need to be planning to replace our defenders now, because we'll lose them ove the next 5 years.

[Jewels]

If Pyke's injured and Collingwood and Hawthorn are going with Dawes and Roughead respectively as their backup ruckmen I don't overly see an issue with White coming in to cover him. If Reid comes back they can go with LRT, or bring Spangher in for a run as a forward and use LRT.

I won't belittle the significance of Jude, but it looked to me (on tele) that we'd really just squeezed Parker in and he was playing off the hff and wasn't really playing as a midfielder for a chunk of the game (I realise that is sort of describing Jude's game this year!), I think he can move into Jude's spot (I appreciate he's a bit under done). Moving Parker into the middle to replace Jude isn't to worrying a prospect, and then just based on the last game moving someone to the hff to replace Parker isn't that worrying a prospect either.

I think we have the depth.

I agree with this. Whist losing Jude is heartbreaking for us as fans and I certainly don't mean to undervalue his significance and contribution to the team, Parks can slot straight into his role and we really don't lose anything.
If Pyke isn't 100% we have (and it pains me to say this) White for coverage there.

I think we have better depth this year then any in recent memory and could cover for most positions (Teddy excluded) quite comfortably.

[lwoggardner]

Whist losing Jude is heartbreaking for us as fans and I certainly don't mean to undervalue his significance and contribution to the team, Parks can slot straight into his role and we really don't lose anything.

In the in and under midfield sense, yes, but the loss in an already depleted forward line - Jude at 1.2 goals per game vs Parker at 0.3 - will be harder to cover.

[gossipcom]

In the in and under midfield sense, yes, but the loss in an already depleted forward line - Jude at 1.2 goals per game vs Parker at 0.3 - will be harder to cover.

Even though Bulldog won't get a game he would definitely make up the goals aspect.

[Jewels]

Even though Bulldog won't get a game he would definitely make up the goals aspect.

Yep would be great to see him in.