Geelong will hit the wall with the current old guys some time soon. And we will look to bring in quality mature talent. But I'm confident we won't overpay either in salary or draft picks to bring in experienced players or be so unbalanced in list development.
But most importantly we've invested heavily in the draft recently. We have 7 top 25 draft picks from the last 4 drafts on our list. Our injury issues have given them a chance to get experience with 35 games played by under 21 year olds so far this year.
You might've missed it but due to injuries Geelong had the 5 youngest players starting on the field against Richmond and the younger sub. We didn't take our chances but it wasn't a particularly one sided game. We're developing kids while still being 4th favourite for the flag so if we get over our injury issues the footy public think we're still a real chance at the flag this year.
Contrast that to Richmond who have far fewer early draftees over that time and only had 16 games played by under 21s so far this year. Yet the season off already a write off. And this is despite giving up this year's 1st rounder and benefiting from Taranto and Hopper already being in your team.
You are trying to make this a Geelong v Richmond issue for some reason but its not all that different.
You've used arbitrary cutoffs to make your point, but on your games played if you extend that to 22 instead of 21. Richmond would be at 46 to the Cats 41 games as we have had 30 games from 22 year olds to your 6.
Likewise you have used top 25 to suit your point, but again over the last 4 drafts the draft picks aren't the different.
Geelong have the following picks.
De Koning -19, Bruhn - 12, Henry - 17, Holmes - 20, Conway - 24, Knevitt - 25, Clark - 8
Richmond have the following out to 30 (as you chose 25 to suit your argument, I'll select 30 to show there isn't as big a quantum difference as you make out)
Dow - 21, Gibcus - 9, Brown - 17, Sonsie - 28, Banks - 29, Clarke 30,
So 7 compared to 6. Its not that different. You've got more top 20 but its not hugely different.
Our list builds are very similar, we have 28 players 26 and under, you guys have 27.
I'm not sure why you are making out like this is some kind of dick measuring contest. We are both in very similar positions, due to being at the top for a significant period of time, marginal differences between the lists but they are both almost identical list builds but go ahead and make it more than it is.