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I find this quite persuasive. But what I find even more persuasive is that a match committee with better qualifications and judgment than us and, more especially, with access to much more detailed information and with even more time to think about these issues, thinks otherwise.
This is not to say that the match committee can't be wrong (despite their generally good track record) or we can't disagree. Unfortunately it's difficult to dispute (as opposed to comment on) their decisions when we don't know their reasons for making them.
I think we would mostly agree that the match committee doesn't always look to pick our best 22 every week. Sometimes they want to get development into young players. Sometimes they want to give senior players more time to rehab an injury even if they might offer more than the player who takes their place. Sometimes they want to give a player an opportunity to rediscover their form and show faith in them or to encourage a younger player. Possibly they sometimes even give players like Robbo a game to help decide whether they think he will ever cut it at the level or whether we should de-list him. I think Brandon Jack may have been given a game for this reason last year. Possibly they sometimes give a player a game when they have had really good form in the Reserves just to let them know they are not forgotten, not for sentimental reasons but rather to keep up the player's morale and help retain them at the club - or maybe not. Then of course there are the match ups and the game plan and the role that will be asked of a player (which often may be difficult to measure with stats - as in Rohan's case). It all makes it very difficult to predict or even to evaluate team selection (or even an individual player's game without close review).
Earlier this year some here were criticising the selection of Hayward (who seemed out of form) and Florent (who possibly hadn't yet quite reached the level) ahead of others like Newman or Fox or Aliir or Dawson (despite his injury which was not well publicised) or whoever. Yet I suspect everyone would now say we made the right move playing them as the continuity of selection has allowed them to build some great form and we are reaping the rewards and will continue to do so.
Robbo isn't best 22. May never be. Real chance he will be delisted this year and wind up playing for the Students. But he is also a versatile, hard working, selfless, courageous and dedicated depth player and I will trust him to play his role if the match committee trusts him enough to select him. Same goes for Marsh who, in my opinion, has definitely shown himself to be capable at AFL level. That said, I would now like us to select someone else for next match.
This is not to say that the match committee can't be wrong (despite their generally good track record) or we can't disagree. Unfortunately it's difficult to dispute (as opposed to comment on) their decisions when we don't know their reasons for making them.
I think we would mostly agree that the match committee doesn't always look to pick our best 22 every week. Sometimes they want to get development into young players. Sometimes they want to give senior players more time to rehab an injury even if they might offer more than the player who takes their place. Sometimes they want to give a player an opportunity to rediscover their form and show faith in them or to encourage a younger player. Possibly they sometimes even give players like Robbo a game to help decide whether they think he will ever cut it at the level or whether we should de-list him. I think Brandon Jack may have been given a game for this reason last year. Possibly they sometimes give a player a game when they have had really good form in the Reserves just to let them know they are not forgotten, not for sentimental reasons but rather to keep up the player's morale and help retain them at the club - or maybe not. Then of course there are the match ups and the game plan and the role that will be asked of a player (which often may be difficult to measure with stats - as in Rohan's case). It all makes it very difficult to predict or even to evaluate team selection (or even an individual player's game without close review).
Earlier this year some here were criticising the selection of Hayward (who seemed out of form) and Florent (who possibly hadn't yet quite reached the level) ahead of others like Newman or Fox or Aliir or Dawson (despite his injury which was not well publicised) or whoever. Yet I suspect everyone would now say we made the right move playing them as the continuity of selection has allowed them to build some great form and we are reaping the rewards and will continue to do so.
Robbo isn't best 22. May never be. Real chance he will be delisted this year and wind up playing for the Students. But he is also a versatile, hard working, selfless, courageous and dedicated depth player and I will trust him to play his role if the match committee trusts him enough to select him. Same goes for Marsh who, in my opinion, has definitely shown himself to be capable at AFL level. That said, I would now like us to select someone else for next match.
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