Strategy Rebuild Part II

[1970crow]

We could always move Laird back to where he won AA.

We moved him into the midfield because he was paddling back there. Pointless sending him back there now, let's test the value of this so called elite mid that would start in 17 other team's midfield. See if we can buy a better pick by paying his salary. Little to no loss in the short term but may pay dividends in future years. We're at point where Keays would improve our stoppage work. He can at least run forward of the pressure. Sure, he'll probably shin a ball along the ground, but a chaos ball would be a sharp improvement on what our key mids are delivering with their entries.

 

[FR0GGY]

I know his numbers look good and he’s probably been our most consistent midfielder since he’s been reinstated, but does anyone really believe that the midfield as a collective is improving or becoming a bigger issue with Crouch back in there?

A midfield of Crouch, Laird and Dawson with the occasional cameo of Soligo and Rankine (and Pedlar/Rachele last year) isn’t going to get it done against anyone of note.

What’s our record since we brought Crouch back overall?

I think crouch is a better player than laird currently.

 

[FullyBigKPro]

We've lost to 3 teams who didn't even make finals last year. Let that sink in for a minute.

If Rachele can't play midfield after 3 Burgess pre-seasons then we simply need to stop with the experiment and leave him as a forward.

Laird is getting to that awkward age where he would only potentially attract interest from competing teams, but then again competing teams would have far better midfields so he would at best be bench depth or a HBF for them.

 

[1970crow]

We've lost to 3 teams who didn't even make finals last year. Let that sink in for a minute.

If Rachele can't play midfield after 3 Burgess pre-seasons then we simply need to stop with the experiment and leave him as a forward.

Laird is getting to that awkward age where he would only potentially attract interest from competing teams, but then again competing teams would have far better midfields so he would at best be bench depth or a HBF for them.

I don't think any of the teams we've lost to were expected to be right down the bottom of the middle group. And we've played 2 of them away. We're not playing finals, but I doubt we finish at the bottom of the group above the clear bottom 3.

 

[Billy_01]

We’re 5 years into a rebuild and our best performing midfielder is Matt Crouch

5

Matt Crouch

Age

29

Ht

183cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.4

5star

K

12.0

4star

HB

16.4

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

4.8

5star

D

24.9

5star

K

9.7

4star

HB

15.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

CL

4.4

5star

D

21.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

10.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.4

5star

CL

2.0

4star

, our best key forward is Chris Burgess

21

Chris Burgess

Age

28

Ht

194cm

Wt

97kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.2

2star

K

3.9

2star

HB

4.3

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

6.6

2star

K

3.8

2star

HB

2.8

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.4

3star

and best key back is Mark Keane.

 

[AFC979810]

I know his numbers look good and he’s probably been our most consistent midfielder since he’s been reinstated, but does anyone really believe that the midfield as a collective is improving or becoming a bigger issue with Crouch back in there?

A midfield of Crouch, Laird and Dawson with the occasional cameo of Soligo and Rankine (and Pedlar/Rachele last year) isn’t going to get it done against anyone of note.

What’s our record since we brought Crouch back overall?

To be fair we looked pretty decent the last 6 rounds of 2023 with Crouch, Laird, Dawson as the primary movers.

We went 3 and 3 those last 6 rounds and our losses were to Melbourne (4 points), Lions (6 points), Swans (1 point).

As Scorpus pointed out. In the 30 games Crouch has played under Nicks we are 10 wins / 20 losses 33% win percentage which mirrors Nicks career winning percentage.

 

[AFC979810]

The issue is 2023 was built on Tex. He is going to be massive shoes to fill and I don’t believe anyone on our list will reach his standard in 2025, but with a decent coach in 2025 and 1-2 quality recruits we could have a spike.

Was Tex that good? He only received 98 votes in our B&F and Lachlan Murphy got 91.

That was obviously a joke, and Tex's inevitable decline (is it this year) will hurt a great deal.

Still think there is plenty for the new coach (hopefully) to work with in 2025. FOG and TT will have another season under them and surrounded by Rankine, Rachele, Pedlar and maybe a forward who can lay a tackle inside defensive 50 and there is plenty to work with.

 

[Samcro24]

Reckon this thread will have more sequels than The Fast and the Furious.

 

[Jarman3]

Himmelberg may or may not stay but I'm happy having him as depth

Himmelberg will go. He wanted out last year and the only reason we didn't do the trade was our failure to bring in Chol as a replacement. He'll walk to GWS as a FA.

We might as well have done the trade last year. If he's not breaking into this rolling sh*tshow of a side right now then what's the point of keeping him.

 

[1970crow]

Was Tex that good? He only received 98 votes in our B&F and Lachlan Murphy got 91.

That was obviously a joke, and Tex's inevitable decline (is it this year) will hurt a great deal.

Still think there is plenty for the new coach (hopefully) to work with in 2025. FOG and TT will have another season under them and surrounded by Rankine, Rachele, Pedlar and maybe a forward who can lay a tackle inside defensive 50 and there is plenty to work with.

Our decision makers will just select another coach who's philosophies align with presently existing. Until the decision makers are gone, we'll just keep employing the exact same types.

 

[1970crow]

Himmelberg will go. He wanted out last year and the only reason we didn't do the trade was our failure to bring in Chol as a replacement. He'll walk to GWS as a FA.

We might as well have done the trade last year. If he's not breaking into this rolling sh*tshow of a side right now then what's the point of keeping him.

Contending sides need depth, it's a long season.

 

[kirky]

We've lost to 3 teams who didn't even make finals last year. Let that sink in for a minute.

If Rachele can't play midfield after 3 Burgess pre-seasons then we simply need to stop with the experiment and leave him as a forward.

Laird is getting to that awkward age where he would only potentially attract interest from competing teams, but then again competing teams would have far better midfields so he would at best be bench depth or a HBF for them.

Laird isn’t moving from Adelaide - he is contracted to the end of 2026. He is going nowhere and he is on a nice fat contract.

If you haven’t worked out it is all about him then I don’t know what to say.

 

[AFC979810]

Our decision makers will just select another coach who's philosophies align with presently existing. U til the decision makers are gone, we'll just keep employing the exact same types.

Have some hope old mate. Maybe its get bad enough that we do a bit of a review and get in a renegade like Phil Walsh.

 

[maxlilly]

Laird isn’t moving from Adelaide - he is contracted to the end of 2026. He is going nowhere and he is on a nice fat contract.

If you haven’t worked out it is all about him then I don’t know what to say.

Another ludicrous 5 year deal that is terrible value for a player past his best.
Where have I seen that before ?
Why do we keep doing it ?

 

[kirky]

Another ludicrous 5 year deal that is terrible value for a player past his best.
Where have I seen that before ?
Why do we keep doing it ?

He got it after winning his second B&F - he was our “gun” midfielder.

Our standards have fallen a long way.

Petracca gets 25 possessions, kicks goal and actually does damage with them. Laird gets 30+ possessions, kicks next to zero goals and does loopy kicks forward.

 

[FullyBigKPro]

Laird isn’t moving from Adelaide - he is contracted to the end of 2026. He is going nowhere and he is on a nice fat contract.

If you haven’t worked out it is all about him then I don’t know what to say.

Another Reid master stroke giving him a fat contract....

 

[maxlilly]

Another Reid master stroke giving him a fat contract....

Reid has done some good stuff but gee, he's handed out plenty of bad contracts as well

 

[Haymo_of_thor]

The one thing that has confused me this season is for the first time in a few years we don't actually have any small forwards:

Ben Keays

2

Ben Keays

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.1

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.9

5star

G

0.4

3star

D

13.7

3star

K

8.7

3star

HB

5.0

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.7

4star

G

0.3

3star

D

13.0

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

8.2

5star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.4

5star

G

0.4

3star

: puts on pressure, has high work rates, is good defensively, but is probably a midfielder (116 Games, 61 Goals)
Sam Berry: not a forward no matter how many times they try
Lachie Murphy: puts on pressure, has high work rates, sure he gets involvements and assists but he doesn't kick goals (101 Games, 68)
Josh Rachele: our most prolific small forward bar Rankine, is only playing forward when he isn't on the ball
Rory Sloane

9

Rory Sloane

Age

34

Ht

183cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.7

5star

K

11.7

4star

HB

11.9

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

6.6

5star

CL

5.7

5star

D

15.3

4star

K

7.3

3star

HB

8.0

4star

M

1.3

1star

T

3.3

4star

CL

4.2

5star

D

22.2

5star

K

8.6

4star

HB

13.6

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

6.0

5star

CL

4.6

5star

: I don't know where they are going to play him if he plays at all, if he plays forward he will likely be similar to Keays, Murphy, and McHenry.
Luke Pedlar: Good positioning, but not a forward. Should be playing midfield instead of Rory Laird

29

Rory Laird

Age

30

Ht

177cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.4

5star

K

12.9

5star

HB

12.5

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.3

4star

CL

1.0

3star

D

19.6

5star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.7

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.4

3star

CL

1.1

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

0.4

3star

not pinch-hitting, misses a lot of shots (29 Games, 26 Goals, 18 Behinds)
Jake Soligo: Not a forward and shouldn't be anywhere near the forward line for the rest of his career
Izak Rankine

23

Izak Rankine

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

2.0

5star

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

2.0

5star

D

13.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

5star

G

2.0

5star

: Our best forward, will probably spend lots of time in the midfield but is one of the only smalls with a goal average over 1 (71 games, 97 Goals)
Ned McHenry

25

Ned Mchenry

Age

23

Ht

179cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.7

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.3

4star

G

0.0

1star

D

9.7

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

5.7

3star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.3

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

10.0

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

6.4

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.0

1star

: puts on pressure, has high work rates, is good defensively, but is probably a midfielder because he also doesn't kick goals (62 Games, 29 Goals)

Maybe Cook, Dowling, and Schoenberg might play forward but that's it.

We have also delisted since 2020:
Riley Knight

3

Riley Knight

Age

29

Ht

181cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.4

4star

K

6.7

3star

HB

7.8

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

(55 Games, 37 Goals)
Jimmy Rowe (36 Games, 27 Goals), SANFL (44 Games, 81 Goals)
Tariek Newchurch (0 Games, 0 Goals), SANFL (36 Games, 48 Goals)

And Traded:
Shane McAdam

23

Shane Mcadam

Age

28

Ht

186cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.5

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

1.8

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.3

5star

G

0.8

4star

D

6.5

1star

K

4.8

2star

HB

1.8

1star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

6.5

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

1.8

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.3

5star

G

0.8

4star

: Our 3rd highest scoring player since 2020 (50 Games, 72 Goals)

Let me know if im being to harsh here, but we have had only one player kick 40 goals since 2020 (Tex in 21',22', and 23'), two players have kicked 30 goals (Fog in 22', and 23') & (Rankine in 23'). I can see us not even having a 40+ goal scorer this year, we only have two Small forwards at the club who average 1 goal per game, and both are being groomed for Midfield time. I know our forward line gets praise, and was the highest scoring in 2023, just like the last 12 year with the exception of the 2014-2018 years, our forward line is average at best and crumbles whenever Tex doesn't kick a bag.

 

[NSolis]

Rankine is definitely a small forward. Obviously he's someone who would be good in lots of roles and they are trying to turn him into a Papley/Bolton style player who plays some midfield but I don't think he will ever be a 70% CBA type player, and could certainly kick 40+ if he spent the whole year in the forward line.

Overall between Fogarty, Thilthorpe, Rankine, Rachele and Pedlar there's plenty of forward line talent and it's the area on the field which we should be least worried about. Not that everything is perfect, there's still some concerns post-Walker, but it's well ahead of our midfield and defence at the moment.

 

[Jarman3]

Contending sides need depth, it's a long season.

They sure do, so we might as well have traded him to a side that's contending. Would have benefited all parties.

 

[LoBu]

Firstly, I think we can forget Gulden and McCluggage, even if we give them all the money in the world

Think the best we can do is grab a top line midfield prospect this year in the top 6 picks, as well as maybe a couple of upgrades around the edges to improve our 11-22 quality, your Hayward/Cumming types or any other decent OOC players. Let Tex retire and send Sloane/Smith off, too, as well as any deadwood like Parnell/McHenry etc

Then go get Petty and NWM in 2025

It was reported that we have $1.2 million in front of Gulden (Cal Twomey's podcast) - but obviously don't hold your breath as it's super unlikely.

 

[Apsaalooke]

Wouldn't write off Tex for this year just yet. He's playing sore from a back strain/disc problem or similar which is why he can't run or bend over. He should just be rested until it's better. Play a small forward line for a change, 3 talls is too many for our game plan as it just encourages long bombs.

Next year is looking like retirement though.

 

[thebirdman 24]

I am looking forward to us developing some midfielders in rebuild 2.

Step 1 - Draft midfielders and play them as midfielders.

Step 2 - Have a semi competent spine to benefit from your elite midfield.

Step 3 - There is no step 3

We failed during rebuild 1 by sending all our experience into the middle and all our young midfield prospects to half back/half forward. Also, poor drafting and wasting great picks on donkey KPD's.

On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GreyCrow]

Wouldn't write off Tex for this year just yet. He's playing sore from a back strain/disc problem or similar which is why he can't run or bend over. He should just be rested until it's better. Play a small forward line for a change, 3 talls is too many for our game plan as it just encourages long bombs.

This year is looking like retirement though.

FTFY

 

[Apsaalooke]

FTFY

Tex for forward line coach