Gaspard
Team Captain
- Apr 27, 2021
- 392
- 1,276
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
In commenting on our players, there is a clear failure to understand our situation. The following points might (but probably won't) help.
1. The team as the year started was quite strong, but there was no backup of solid players. They were good enough to be competitive at that time.
2. Inevitably, some of the front line have been injured. As we look at them, they seem to be key personnel, Elliott, Grundy, Roughead, Kreuger etc., But the composition of our team meant that there were only essential players in the first 18. There were no readymade replacements for any of them.
3. The players that have come in were not ready, and/or not up to the standard. They are doing the best they can.
4. The decisions that have put us here were made the year before last, when there was a clear out of the "almost but not quite" players following the salary cap debacle.
5. The selectors are putting out the team that they think is most likely to win each week. We may or may not agree with their choices, but our criticisms of selection need to be couched in these terms. There is definitely no gain to be had in selection of a team to tank. That would cripple the club.
6. I watch each week and agonize over the losses, but I understand that we are a weak team at present, and I try to look for the ways in which the administration is working to improve us, and for the signs that our players might be answering the various needs that we have. I see, for instance that our defence has a set of instructions that they are following. They make individuals look bad at times, but they are all doing as they have been instructed. The defensive tactics may not be the best ones, but they are designed to go with the offensive methods. I don't know enough to really judge them. I will have to wait and see how effective they prove to be.
1. The team as the year started was quite strong, but there was no backup of solid players. They were good enough to be competitive at that time.
2. Inevitably, some of the front line have been injured. As we look at them, they seem to be key personnel, Elliott, Grundy, Roughead, Kreuger etc., But the composition of our team meant that there were only essential players in the first 18. There were no readymade replacements for any of them.
3. The players that have come in were not ready, and/or not up to the standard. They are doing the best they can.
4. The decisions that have put us here were made the year before last, when there was a clear out of the "almost but not quite" players following the salary cap debacle.
5. The selectors are putting out the team that they think is most likely to win each week. We may or may not agree with their choices, but our criticisms of selection need to be couched in these terms. There is definitely no gain to be had in selection of a team to tank. That would cripple the club.
6. I watch each week and agonize over the losses, but I understand that we are a weak team at present, and I try to look for the ways in which the administration is working to improve us, and for the signs that our players might be answering the various needs that we have. I see, for instance that our defence has a set of instructions that they are following. They make individuals look bad at times, but they are all doing as they have been instructed. The defensive tactics may not be the best ones, but they are designed to go with the offensive methods. I don't know enough to really judge them. I will have to wait and see how effective they prove to be.
