GWS poor recruiting?

[longsuffreosupp]

It really depends on what sort of players and age group they want to target. If they just want to get anyone with AFL experience that's willing to go over, they will get them. I reckon GC could've got more experienced players if they wanted to (Jack Anthony instead of Nablett is one that springs to mind). They really went all out on youth.

 

[Demonheart]

It depends on what their overall strategy is. If they can get some decent experienced players via either the 4 x 17 y/o trades or by trading picks in the National draft then it will be good recruiting.

However, if these guys are their 'experienced players' then they're going to be for some massive losses for the next couple of seasons. They may come good but the risk of the damage to the team in the mean time is high, plus they'll also struggle to keep their good players.

Short answer is wait and see their overall strategy.

 

[King Elvis]

So far, you'd have to be worried.

Davis - part of the reason I don't blame him for leaving is due to the state of his shoulders.

Palmer - So/So.

Ward - Good.

Scully - Great... Knee?


No Gaz Jnr, no Bock, no Brown.


Unless they pull a few rabbits out, they're going to get absolutely smashed next year.

But, they might then snag Goddard/Pendlebury or similar next year, which would be a boon.


At the moment, serious concerns, but as DHeart says, wait and see.

 

[PooMonkey]

Problem is all of the "stars" have knocked them back.
They dont want to go live and play in Western Sydney...

Swan, Pendlebury, Thomas, Murphy, Kreuzer, T. Walker, Bartell the list goes on!

 

[still chasing amy]

Surely adding guys like Brogan, C Cornes and Luke Power will give them the experience they need for 2 years. Then guys like Davis, Ward, Scully etc will be 23-24 and ready to lead. i think Gold Coast will have a massive gap in ages from their youth to their 8 signed players that may cause difficulties later.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Expect they will top up on retired/delisted players a la Power or guys from the VFL, SANFL and WAFL.

 

[calyam]

Surely adding guys like Brogan, C Cornes and Luke Power will give them the experience they need for 2 years. Then guys like Davis, Ward, Scully etc will be 23-24 and ready to lead. i think Gold Coast will have a massive gap in ages from their youth to their 8 signed players that may cause difficulties later.

Brogan and Cornes have absolutely nothing left to give. Power has a bit more but has probably struggled over the second half of the season - of the three though he's the only one you'd even consider touching.

 

[Jade]

Aside from the unfortunate luck they've had with a poorer draft than GC, I reckon GWS are going about it the right way.

And wait for it, the mini-draft is going to throw up some interesting trades....

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Brogan and Cornes have absolutely nothing left to give. Power has a bit more but has probably struggled over the second half of the season - of the three though he's the only one you'd even consider touching.

There's plenty of blokes who are 28-30 who may no longer fit the profile of clubs going forward but have 2 or 3 seasons to offer.

From West Coast - Brett jones would be an outstanding option.

Playing great footy for Claremont and right on the fringe of WC selection.

Has been to the end of september and tasted success. With our depth in the backline, he no longer forms part of our team - but would be a quality pick up for GWS IMO.

There's another ex-eagle in Beau Wilkes who is playing very well in the WAFL as well - who I believe is already on their radar

 

[MrPresident]

Looking forward to the free 8 points and 2 massive % boosts we'll get from them. Hopefully we get them round 1 so we can start the season in 1st place.

Gold Coast's recruiting was ok, although a couple more 25 year olds would have been nice. But GWS's has been woeful, along with the relatively weak draft they'll have, they're going to lose more often and more heavily than the Suns have. I think the people in charge of the GWS haven't planned things well and have overestimated the tolerance that fence sitting fans from western sydney will have for losing.

 

[headache1]

They've likely been following GC's season very closely and came to the realisation that no matter who you recruit in terms of mature aged players, when completely surrounded by kids, they just aren't going to compete against teams of full grown men, especially in the first year.

Remember, they can also recruit senior uncontracted players next year. By doing this, they get two pre-seasons and a season of playing into their kids, can then reevaluate what their biggest needs are and fill said needs with older, bigger bodied players.

 

[lamaros]

2 year window to recruit means they can write off year one and front load big contracts for young players, then smash out the difference the next year on getting truly big name stars.

Makes sense to get the young guys in year one and the older guys in year two.

Give Davis and Ward and Scully 40% of their contract in 2012, pay the rookies peanuts, then when Davis, Ward, Scully etc are back to normal numbers neat year that money gets freed up to throw at a Goddard or Selwood or whatever.

End result is that they have a good balance of players by 2013 and forward, without paying big money for lots of players at the same time.

 

[Boxhead_31]

GWS are getting there young recruits this year (Scully, Ward, Davis)

Next year is when they will bring in the experienced guys (Goddard, Pendles etc)

Setting themselves up nicely wouldn't be surprised to see them contesting finals sooner than the GC just due to the fact that they will have a better spread of ages than the GC managed to recruit

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

It will be hard for their forwards to develop if their 19 year old midfield can only manage 30 inside 50's a game. Won't do much good for the development of their backline either.

Having Ablett and Rischitelli in the middle has helped the GC enormously.

 

[Jesus Baulks]

Brogan and Cornes have absolutely nothing left to give. Power has a bit more but has probably struggled over the second half of the season - of the three though he's the only one you'd even consider touching.

Chad's done and dusted, but Kane would be a decent, cheap acquisition. Brogan couldn't be any worse than Fraser.

Leigh Brown is only just turning 30, although it looks like he is keen to get into coaching.

 

[Danair]

It looks like they have loaded up on hard running midfielders this year, next year you'd expect them to go after KPP, unfortunately Sam Reid his brother Ben and Michael Hurley will be targeted along with Goddard who they probably want as the captain.

 

[The Gtrain]

Doesn't GC have the same 2 year window for recruiting, so won't they be looking at out of contract players this year as well?

 

[loki04]

Doesn't GC have the same 2 year window for recruiting, so won't they be looking at out of contract players this year as well?

Nah I don't think they do, they got shafted compared to GWS.

 

[The Gtrain]

Nah I don't think they do, they got shafted compared to GWS.

seems odd, perhaps more drafting concession or salary cap?

 

[coryne]

2 year window to recruit means they can write off year one and front load big contracts for young players, then smash out the difference the next year on getting truly big name stars.

Makes sense to get the young guys in year one and the older guys in year two.

Give Davis and Ward and Scully 40% of their contract in 2012, pay the rookies peanuts, then when Davis, Ward, Scully etc are back to normal numbers neat year that money gets freed up to throw at a Goddard or Selwood or whatever.

End result is that they have a good balance of players by 2013 and forward, without paying big money for lots of players at the same time.

Pretty much sums it up.


The AFL would be HOPING LIKE HELL that the GWS are competative from the first year but, even looking at last year when they barely took any Rookie players letting guys like Curnow, Pedersen and Lower through in the Rookie draft, the GWS won't be too concerned about the results of next year. Instead they will get the best young players that they can, give them a year to develop and then try and attract some big names next year with a SLIGHTLY more developped list and 1 less year of pain. I am sure that it would be mroe attractive for a Goddard/Pendlebury to sit out the 1st yr of development for the kids and come into a more settled line up in 2013.

It looks like the GWS will stockpile some 20-21 yr olds this year who will be able to lead the team when their kids start to peak and will prob try and top up on some older journeymen type players who can help support the kids until they get their crap together in a couple of years.

The problem with this type of model is that Carlton in 2006-2007, and Melbourne now, shows that you can have a group of great young kids but you will be THUMPED without experienced players to guide them. Getting Judd in 2007 helped fast-track a heap of our players, and showed the value of strong leadership around the club.

As it stand, the GWS appears to be going into the 2012 season with a National Championships squad supplemented with some more "senior" players in the 20-21 yr group, and they will get THUMPED accordingly. If they can survive the initial pain then they will prob prosper more than the GCS will in years to come as the core of their group will all be peaking together (apposed to Ablett/Bock/Brennan/Riska being in their twilight of their careers when the GCS peak) but can the GWS survive until then?

 

[westie88]

I'm waiting for the press conference tomorrow before making any comment on this.

 

[coryne]

seems odd, perhaps more drafting concession or salary cap?

Nope the GWS basically got an improved concession package over the GCS including

1) A two year window to recruit players instead of 1
2) Extended salary cap concessions until 2019 iirc (although I think the total of the concessions if the same, they can just stretch them over a longer period of time)
3) The 17 yr old mini-draft picks to trade

However

1) The GWS would be a harder place to sell than the GC, so it would be harder to attract players.
2) This years draft also appears to be weaker than last year (but that could be partly due to the GWS nabbing some pretty damn good kids as 17 yr olds last year) and
3) The VFL/WAFL/SAFL players available to the GWS would be weaker than last year (ala no Krakouer/Mzungu/Richardson to on-trade for picks)

 

[BlueTouchPaper]

Davis - part of the reason I don't blame him for leaving is due to the state of his shoulders.

What does this mean?

 

[headache1]

What does this mean?

It means that he's 20 and has already had two shoulder reconstructions, the second of which appeared to come from a nothing bump. He also missed half of the footy season prior to coming into the AFL with problems on the same shoulder. While he's certainly got the talent and footy nous to have a lengthy AFL career, the odds of his body allowing him to do so are definitely stacked against him. With concerns such as this, it would be pretty damned hard to turn down $750-800k guaranteed for 5 years.

 

[Tas]

Being able to poach players over two years is a major boon, they will be able to put some massive front loaded contracts on players poached this year which will be absorbed in 2012 and then have the ability to put some massive back ended contracts on one or two players stolen next year.

For example, Ward for 800k over say 5 years will probably have 2mil paid in 2012 and 1mil in 2013 which will leave him effectively costing 333k over years 3, 4 and 5 which will be the period where the back ended contracts for any marquee player taken in 2012 will be loaded towards. That extra year has given them time to wipe off a significant chunk of that contract.

I think they just need to focus the youth in terms of good quality youth and then look to get more solid senior players who wont cost an arm and a leg. While a guy like Palmer doesn't have high value for a team like Freo, he is of a lot more value to a team that doesn't have the depth of mature midfielders.