News Wellingham traded to Eagles for pick 17

[dajesmac]

What, no LeCras or Kennedy for the majority of the year and finish a game out of top 4, bring in a 92 game player and we're not at least as good off as this season for next?

I think we lack the required depth to be able to stay afloat for the entire season. That and the fact that I think we're a long ways off the likes of Sydney, Hawthorn and Adelaide at this current point in time, not to mention the emergence of teams from below (in particular Fremantle). I see us improving but not significantly enough to cause any real damage.

That being said as soon as the pre-season starts I will forget all of this.

 

[Spartan]

Top 4 in 2011
Missed top 4 by a game in 2012

How are we a long, long way off challenging?

LTIs to LeCras, Nicoski, Kennedy, Embley.

 

[Quinz]

I think our backline, forwardline and rucks stack up very well with the best in the competition. Midfield is more of a weakness, but it has a lot of upside with Masten, Gaff, Shuey, Scooter, Naitanui, Sheppard, and now Wellingham.

We're in a pretty good spot.

 

[Bestbird]

Probably played slight overs but the club did say we needed to bolster our midfield after our finals campaign and Wellingham ticks a couple of boxes in that regard with his pace and a touch of class which were both lacking at times this year.

This was compounded by the fact that we have lost depth midfielders in Ebert, Swift and Stevens that we invested a few years in the system with meaning that there was a definate need to fill. Unfortunately there was little else available in the trade department in the range of our first pick and a 18yo midfielder selection late in the first round wasn't going to be the answer.

 

[September_Glory]

I understand the thinking.

We are virtually a top 4 team. We have LeCras and a fit Kennedy to add to our best 22. We have highly talented young guys who should continue developing. We should be a good shot right.

Three important arguments against
1) We played to the top of our potential again in 2012 and couldn't go any deeper in September. Our margin of error is small - even a slight dropoff will see us out of the hunt.
2) There is still a heavy reliance on Kerr, Cox and Glass to play key roles. How much longer can they sustain performing at a high level?

I think our backline, forwardline and rucks stack up very well with the best in the competition. Midfield is more of a weakness, but it has a lot of upside with Masten, Gaff, Shuey, Scooter, Naitanui, Sheppard, and now Wellingham.

3) The problem is midfield is the most important area. It provides the offensive drive and the effect it has on aiding the defensive 6 is still underrated. And when it counts, we run Kerr and Priddis as options 1a and 1b. This needs to change. Both are defensive liabilities and one is a big-game liability.

 

[Ian Dargie]

I think we lack the required depth to be able to stay afloat for the entire season. That and the fact that I think we're a long ways off the likes of Sydney, Hawthorn and Adelaide at this current point in time.

Really? Adelaide?

There's not much in it. Our best is good enough.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Three important arguments against
1) We played to the top of our potential again in 2012 and couldn't go any deeper in September. Our margin of error is small - even a slight dropoff will see us out of the hunt.

Did we?

I don't think so. We got gutted by injuries. How were we at the top of our potential?

2) There is still a heavy reliance on Kerr, Cox and Glass to play key roles. How much longer can they sustain performing at a high level?

Most sides rely on their best players.

These guys have another season in them and we are slowly bringing guys through to reduce that dependence.

3) The problem is midfield is the most important area. It provides the offensive drive and the effect it has on aiding the defensive 6 is still underrated. And when it counts, we run Kerr and Priddis as options 1a and 1b. This needs to change. Both are defensive liabilities and one is a big-game liability.

Yes. We need to improve our midfield. We all get it. You don't need to keep telling us. You're not telling anyone something they don't know.

 

[swannies]

I think we lack the required depth to be able to stay afloat for the entire season. That and the fact that I think we're a long ways off the likes of Sydney, Hawthorn and Adelaide at this current point in time, not to mention the emergence of teams from below (in particular Fremantle). I see us improving but not significantly enough to cause any real damage.

That being said as soon as the pre-season starts I will forget all of this.

Oh no, I'm just pleased it is someone else being pessimistic instead of me.

 

[dajesmac]

Really? Adelaide?

There's not much in it. Our best is good enough.

Adelaide had a fantastic season regardless of their draw and have a sound gameplan that stacks up well in finals football. They were one straight kick from a Grand Final. They also butchered us when we played them (albeit undermanned).

Just my opinion, but I think they had us covered in 2012.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Just my opinion, but I think they had us covered in 2012.

We're hardly a long way off them. Jesus.

 

[swannies]

Adelaide had a fantastic season regardless of their draw and have a sound gameplan that stacks up well in finals football. They were one straight kick from a Grand Final. They also butchered us when we played them (albeit undermanned).

Just my opinion, but I think they had us covered in 2012.

Losing Tippett, what do you think though? Bring them back to the pack some more?
Personally I think they're the team that played above themselves, yet they were good against the Hawks so don't know why I think that? Take Tippett out though and they were butchered by the Hawks.

 

[dajesmac]

We're hardly a long way off them. Jesus.

We were in 2012.

 

[Ian Dargie]

We were in 2012.

I don't think we were. The Crows are a good side but we were weakened through injury and won 1-2 fewer games. Not a gulf.

 

[dajesmac]

Losing Tippett, what do you think though? Bring them back to the pack some more?
Personally I think they're the team that played above themselves, yet they were good against the Hawks so don't know why I think that? Take Tippett out though and they were butchered by the Hawks.

I'd actually momentarily forgotten the Tippett exit. Good point, that will certainly hurt them. However I've always felt that Tippett is slightly overrated somewhat. It will be a blow no doubt but across the ground it's hard to deny the Crows are a very strong team regardless.

I tend to actually think Adelaide merely underperformed under Craig in the latter stages of his reign there. Was it 2009 they made it to a preliminary final? Or a semi? I don't think they've had massive turnover since then and kept most of their more senior guns (Thompson, Walker, Tippett til this point, Rutten, Van Berlo, Porplyzia etc) whilst unearthing some new ones (Dangerfield, Jacobs, Sloane etc). In other words I don't see it as a false dawn during a rebuild, more that they're getting back to the sort of level the quality on their list suggests they should.

FWIW Adelaide in 2012 could be viewed very similarly to West Coast in 2012. Many said we were enjoying a 'false dawn' last year and would never manage to maintain it, however for the most part we backed it up this season with a very respectable top 5 finish.

 

[swannies]

We were in 2012.

I don't think we were. The Crows are a good side but we were weakened through injury and won 1-2 fewer games. Not a gulf.

And we didn't play GC & GWS twice.

 

[dajesmac]

I don't think we were. The Crows are a good side but we were weakened through injury and won 1-2 fewer games. Not a gulf.

IMO they performed better in their intensity-charged finals against hardened sides than we did/would have in their position. Their performance against a red-hot Fremantle and the fact that they nearly snatched a GF birth from the Hawks on the 'G suggests to me that they're significantly closer than we are.

However I do concede that with a more palatable injury list this year we should be able to bridge that gap a fair amount.

 

[dajesmac]

And we didn't play GC & GWS twice.

I take more out of their performances against top sides in finals (and against us) as opposed to their actual finish on the H&A ladder.

In reality we were done in by a Collingwood side that was way off the pace themselves.

 

[QS]

This is similar to josh p's situation with it only being distinguished by wellers having more game time prior. Look how that worked out with a change of scenery...

 

[Prem87]

What's interesting is that we tried to get Pick 39 from Collingwood with Wellingham for Pick 17...didn't work out..

Wellingham will be a very handy player for us - but we need him to become a little more than that if he's going to solve at least some of our midfield woes.

Though he's only 10 months older than Masten - so at 24 he's just hitting his prime as a midfielder.

 

[Jarlcorbz]

We all know what can happen when players move home to play Football.

 

[September_Glory]

Did we?

I don't think so. We got gutted by injuries. How were we at the top of our potential?

We played to our potential given the circumstances.

I've acknowledged the injuries to LeCras, Kennedy etc.

These guys have another season in them

Are you so sure?

Cox and Kerr have declined in the past couple of years and will continue to. Glass can't be superman defender forever.

That's three key positions that we need 30 year olds to perform at an A grade level.

I stand by my point here. We have an over reliance on these three.

Yes. We need to improve our midfield. We all get it. You don't need to keep telling us.

First time I've mentioned it in this thread...?

Still got a bad taste in your mouth from the Megathread I see. Let it go.

 

[Belgarion]

Wellcome home, Sharrod.

 

[pantskyle]

Wellcome home, Sharrod.

Good username.

 

[ausbacker]

What's interesting is that we tried to get Pick 39 from Collingwood with Wellingham for Pick 17...didn't work out..

Wellingham will be a very handy player for us - but we need him to become a little more than that if he's going to solve at least some of our midfield woes.

Though he's only 10 months older than Masten - so at 24 he's just hitting his prime as a midfielder.

I'm more intrigued by the fact that Danyle Pearce was available as a Free Agent, who in my opinion is a better player than Sharrod Wellinhgam. We could have picked him up for minus the cost of the first round pick that was used to acquire Wellingham.

It should be interesting to see the performance of both as we'll have a direct comparison moving forward.

 

[ziad]

LTIs to LeCras, Nicoski, Kennedy, Embley.

lets not pretend having out entire established forward line out for the season had any impact at all.