2021 pre-season general footy chat

[KTigers]

Half their best 22 are imports

I think the path St Kilda are following will be adopted by more clubs going forward. "Organic" growth and development thru the draft will
be seen by some clubs as too slow as a way of moving towards success. A large platoon of players staying at the one club for a long time
together will likely become a thing of the past.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I think it will be adopted my most clubs, should such a patchwork / rag-bag team ever actually win a flag.

Until then I think at least most people will continue to view it as a sign of a dysfunctional club.

Our '05 and '12 teams both had 6 players from other clubs, and I think that's pretty high. I can't think of any premiership with less than 2?3 of the team recruited through the draft.

[Markwebbos]

I think it will be adopted my most clubs, should such a patchwork / rag-bag team ever actually win a flag.

Until then I think at least most people will continue to view it as a sign of a dysfunctional club.

Our '05 and '12 teams both had 6 players from other clubs, and I think that's pretty high. I can't think of any premiership with less than 2?3 of the team recruited through the draft.

Hawthorn 2014/5 had 7 but that’s still less than 1/3

[liz]

Hawthorn 2014/5 had 7 but that’s still less than 1/3

If you look at Hawthorn's current squad, they have (on my count) 16 players who started their careers at other clubs. Not all of those are first 22 players, and a couple had been delisted by their previous clubs before being drafted by the Hawks (rather than traded for or nabbed via FA). But that's still a fair chunk of their list.

By comparison, we have eight players currently on our list who started out at other clubs (presuming my fingers are working correctly).

[KSAS]

The "Do Better" report appears to be having a personal impact on Eddie & Buckley. Eddie is reported to be so crushed how his presidency ended that he is unlikely to attend any of his media duties when the season commences in 2 weeks. Wonder if his hurt will give him even a tiny insight on how broken Goodes felt leaving the game the way he did, even though both circumstances are incomparable.

Not surprisingly, Buckley is prepared to step down as season's end if club sees fit to move in new direction. He probably sees the writing on the wall as he & Eddie were seen as hand in hand from the beginning. Only a successful season (top 4 finish?) will save him. If Buckley does finish up, will he get a senior coaching role elsewhere or is he so typecast as a Collingwood person with his reputation now possibly being seen as stained by some?

With the draft period, it certainly has been a revealing off season for the Pies.

AFL 2021: Eddie McGuire Collingwood departure, star in a bad way

AFL News 2021: Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley prepared to step down, end contract

[KTigers]

Nothing new here KSAS, it's still all about him...

[707]

Only caught a few minutes of the Saints and Blues game last night, the statue on the mark was annoying but the game was fast and free flowing, will this be footy in 2021?

[bloodspirit]

I am feeling incensed reading this article: One took it personally, one professionally: Buckley on THAT Trade Period (afl.com.au).

While they have slightly twisted Nathan Buckley's words in the headline, I think it is a nasty and unjustified sentiment. Buckley is actually quoted as saying:

"Obviously been a lot of focus with 'Ads' and the way that transpired but the very same conversations were being had with Tom Phillips, and he handled it a whole lot differently and saw that it wasn't a personal decision, it was a professional decision," he said.

My thoughts are:

1. For most of us, our profession is an important part of our identity, and our professional lives are a significant part of our personal lives. It is understandable and legitimate to take something impacting on our professional lives personally.

2. There is nothing unprofessional about seeking to hold another party to a contract. It was Collingwood FC that pressured Adam Treloar to break the contract against his wishes due to their own mishandling of their salary cap. In my view, that can be seen as unprofessional, not Treloar being upset about it.

3. From reports of the things that Collingwood and Buckley said and did (some of which come from Treloar himself), the club made it personal for Adam by suggesting to him that other senior players didn't want him at the club, or at least supported his exit.

4. It is unfair and unkind to compare and contrast his reaction to Tom Phillips. Perhaps this is where the twist in the headline does Buckley a disservice because Buckley specifically acknowledges this by saying neither way (taking it 'personally' or 'professionally') is right or wrong, just different. However the connotations of taking something "personally" are much different to the connotations of taking something "professionally" and Buckley knows that. Who knows what the differences in the cases are? Maybe Treloar was much more invested in Collingwood (something he should be admired and valued for), maybe he is a more emotional guy. He certainly had a much longer contract. Phillips possibly had a more secure spot to go to at Hawthorn than he did at CFC, whereas Treloar's spot is arguably less secure with so many other talented midfielders at the Bulldogs. Maybe Treloar was more connected to the playing group at Collingwood than Phillips was and he doesn't want to leave his mates. Maybe Treloar has more mental health issues that he deals with. Maybe Treloar was feeling more vulnerable as he is a young parent. Whatever the differences are, it is unkind and unfair to contrast Treloar's and Phillips' responses to being moved off Collingwood's list with the implicit suggestion that their situations were the same and so their different responses reveal their different characters.

I'm losing more and more respect for Buckley, although he remains an impressive performer in the media and presents pretty well.

[Captain]

Only caught a few minutes of the Saints and Blues game last night, the statue on the mark was annoying but the game was fast and free flowing, will this be footy in 2021?

Let's hope so!

[Aprilbr]

Only caught a few minutes of the Saints and Blues game last night, the statue on the mark was annoying but the game was fast and free flowing, will this be footy in 2021?

Given the "statue on the mark" is next to useless for the defending team, will some teams decide its better not to have a player on the mark at all? Just drop another defender further back instead? In saying this, I'm not sure if the rules say there must always be a player (statue) on the mark? If there is not a player on the mark, the kicking team can opt to play on and run over the mark before kicking but this may not be as advantageous if the defending team has an extra defender back already. Just some tactical thoughts to ponder on a Friday.

[chalbilto]

It is my understanding that St Kilda has tried to have a player stand at least 5 meters behind the mark thus enabling him to move (but not forward) and not remain stationary. I'll be watching the practice matches to see if this tactic is going to be used.

[KTigers]

Perhaps some thought should be given to placing an actual statue on the mark rather than having a player stand motionless,
and so risk cramping or even becoming bored, on the mark. I understand there are lots of statues (many US Confederate generals,
Captain Cook, Christopher Columbus for instance) around the world that have recently become unemployed and may welcome
a new purpose in life.

[Ludwig]

Maybe teams should consider a new position in the game - a stander - someone whose role is to follow the ball around the ground and stand the mark whenever the opposition take a mark. Being a statuesque specialist, the stander would become expert in knowing when to stand and when to move and thus unlikely to incur a 50 metre penalty.

[Markwebbos]

I actually think the new "statue on the mark" rule is going to be a huge positive for the game, until some coach figures out how to neutralise it.

[Markwebbos]

Maybe teams should consider a new position in the game - a stander - someone whose role is to follow the ball around the ground and stand the mark whenever the opposition take a mark. Being a statuesque specialist, the stander would become expert in knowing when to stand and when to move and thus unlikely to incur a 50 metre penalty.

Wasn't his name Mason Cox, except how you can swap the player on the mark to a taller, less mobile option