What phase is your club in?

[Neville Bartos]

We hear administrations, coaches and players talk about what phase their club is currently in in regards to their next tilt at a premiership. Gone are the days when you would be in it to win it at all costs, as we have clubs going for youth, replenishing their list or for only a couple of teams, sticking with a winning formula.

Personally, I would classify all 16 clubs in the following phases:

Adelaide: List replenishment (some youth, but trying new players from all ages)
Brisbane: List replenishment (new coach which means, some new players and the current list has 1-2 years to prove themselves)
Carlton: Youth / Finals Window (approaching the end of the rebuild, will continue to play some youngsters)
Collingwood: List stabilisation / premiership window (MM will put trust in 19-23 year old players, but aiming for top 4 with)
Essendon: Youth (complete rebuild. Not willing to top up like in the past 5 years)
Fremantle: Complete rebuild (massive list overhaul and will start a youth phase in the next 3 years)
Geelong: Premiership Window (at their peak or near to it, won't take any unnecessary risks with youth)
Hawthorn: Premiership Window / List stabilisation (still looking for youth, but will most likely become more stable like Geelong in 2009)
Kangaroos: Youth / List stabilisation (still has a capable list, but willing to try more youngsters)
Melbourne: Youth (textbook example. Will play as many youngsters as humanly possible in 2009. Not expecting to make the finals)
Port: Youth / List stabilisation (similar to Kangaroos. Has a capable list, but needs to have faith in young players)
Richmond: Youth / Finals window (similar to Carlton, has put some games into youth, ready to contest finals)
St Kilda: Premiership Window / List Stabilisation (has quality in the team, just needs a bit extra to get to the GF)
Sydney: List stabilisation (financially unable to take a youth policy, will play more youngsters in 09 but won't force older players into retirement)
West Coast: Youth (same as Melbourne, will play as many youngsters as possible in 2009. May force retirement of several older players)
Western Bulldogs: Premiership Window (needs a bit more luck in 2009, but certainly capable of taking the flag)

What phase do you think your club is in?

 

[SASQUATCH09]

Rebiulding is the worst word in football and we are doing it. In 3 years we will have our dynasty. MELBOURNE DYNASTY = 1 LOSING GRAND FINAL!

 

[Ryan The Man]

Everything you've posted seems about right.

Might only disagree that Bulldogs are in premiership window, but other than that, top stuff

 

[rip it up]

Realistically I don't think the doggies quiet have a premiership side, I think we're just stuck in limbo with our list. Collingwood aren't either similar to us there just there but not good enough. I think Hawks and Cats are just a class above the rest.

 

[jmirra]

think you have hit the nail on the head looks pretty good

 

[Zvim]

Kangaroos: Youth / List stabilisation (still has a capable list, but willing to try more youngsters)

What phase do you think your club is in?

I think for a long time our best players were in the 27-30+ group, we haven't historically pushed kids since the late 80s. I think we have been caught in a cycle the last 5 or so years of plugging holes rather than building a side.

I think we changed a year or so ago, the Thompson/Hay trades were probably catalyst for a lot of change but realistically it goes a long way back to just picking up a lot of duds with no prospect that took up list space.

I think the club has really looked hard at the key position players. With Petrie, Hale, McIntosh, Hansen and hopefully Tarrant we have some high quality players. We have also some interesting prospects that may or may not work out, but we really need a year or two of establishing them.

We also need to work on the midfield which will probably be a year or two off at least.

So where we are now, I would imagine, is getting as much experience into the younger players that will be the core of our side over the next 5+ years. We still have a bit of dead wood that has been cut away this year, probably just one or two that are a bit lucky to be on the list.

Where you will be in the future is largely determined by how many of the young blood come good or not and of course that is a comparison to where everyone else is at. If you don't improve at the same speed as everyone else then you can find yourself going backwards.

 

[adelaide_40]

That list sounds about right

Although atm teams who are in a premiership window bar geelong & hawthorn will be very lucky to win one imo.

 

[bodazoka]

The way to recruit for your team...
1. Always take best available in your first round
2. Look too need for other picks
3. Turnover of at least 3 or 4 players a year (4 a year over an average of 5 years)
4. Trade/Draft established players only when there is one of better than average ability eg Judd who absolutely fills a required need.
5. Do not draft an established dud and expect him to become a star

I would consider this to be the minimum standard, and before everyone asks it is only on very rare occasion that someone who was a dud became a star.. very rare, better to play the averages than become a statistic.

 

[bodazoka]

On topic.

West Coast: Youth (same as Melbourne, will play as many youngsters as possible in 2009. May force retirement of several older players)

I doubt we will be forcing older players into retirement, their lack of ability eg Fletcher might mean they are retired but not due to a youth policy. We like to look after our players rather than forsibly retire them over youth.

 

[Masten2McKinley]

Youth is definatly our one, and we have blodded many youngsters in the last couple years (M.Brown, J.Mcnamara, C.Masten, B.Ebert, B.Mkinley, T.Houlihan, S.Selwood, R.Davis, E.Mkenzie, T.Notte) so to add a few more next year will be great and see us up there again very soon

 

[Reptilia]

I agree except i believe the bulldogs are also in the 'list stabilization stage with our list as we are still taking youngsters. The core of our team is very much becoming the younger players with the likes of cooney, griffen, williams, and hopefully also Grant.

 

[jimmy35]

I think the Power are in 3 phase .

 

[Lach72]

I think the Power are in 3 phase .

Champagne here people

 

[kira]

think you're on the money except for brisbane

voss has expressed interest in nick davis, and the club has been linked to cousins a little

i'll expect him to try and stabilise the list and make subsequent decisions based on the performance of next season

 

[lion4life]

Early rebuilding for the Lions Black, Power, Johnstone, Notting, Bradshaw all aging

 

[RUNVS]

Early rebuilding for the Lions Black, Power, Johnstone, Notting, Bradshaw all aging

Whereas Swans players are actually getting younger

 

[Cleishy]

Richmond - On the brink of Greatness.

 

[RUNVS]

Richmond - On the brink of Greatness.

until someone pushes Richmond off that cliff and then you will be back at base camp again.

 

[Moo]

Are you rating Freo and Essendon at the same phase?

 

[Jatz]

yea done well mate
thats actually pretty accurate

 

[Cyclops]

...
Collingwood: List stabilisation / premiership window (MM will put trust in 19-23 year old players, but aiming for top 4 with)...

Fair call, I'd say the club would agree with that. We've climbed back up the ladder since 2005 and are levelling out for our tilt. We find ourselves with a solid defense and a fine forward line but the midfield/rucks not quite rebuilt...d'oh!

 

[Bomber32]

I think the OP got it right. Can't add much more to it.

 

[T-Pain]

Adelaide: Limbo Craig needs to keep his job and winning a final with a few 'young' players may satisfy in 09
Brisbane: Negate GC17 year one Topping up and holding onto the existing list will keep brisbane around the hunt for the 8, essentially what it needs is to be a top 10 standard team in GC17's first year so as not to be swept away
Carlton: Richmond 2005 While carlton can aim for finals this year and may be on pace at stages of 09, the mental weaknesses within the team will be exploited by the first major setback (ala brown going down in 05)
Collingwood: Premiership window Malthouse needs a grand final to keep his job and with a bit of good luck and some lessons learnt to avoid the fade-out in 08 the pies might get there
Essendon: Rebuild phase A, or Richmond 2006 Bombers will head up the ladder again this season and may even make the 8, only to drop again in 2010
Fremantle: Non competitive Another year of Harvey and its safe to say Freo won't be winning 12 games in a season, never mind a premiership, before 2013
Geelong: Premiership Window simple
Hawthorn: Premiership Window again simple
Kangaroos: Survival Due to the club needing to remain a top 8 team to sell memberships and maintian sponsorships, a 5th-8th finish will again suffice. laidley may go if they get humiliated in the finals, but a semi-final for the kangas should see him safe.
Melbourne: Hawthorn 2005 This will be melbourne's 2nd consecutive "hawthorn 2005" year. thanks to the draft corruption they may continue developing at a slower rate.
Port: Yo yo club Enough quality in youth and senior ranks to make a top 4 push. However being a mentally weak team may see it pan out like last year again if things get tough.
Richmond: Treading water if the tiges explode into the top 4 this season good on them, however there is every likelihood they may find themselves in the 6-10 bracket again.
St Kilda: Delusion Not in geelong or hawthorn's league by a long shot and guys like cuz won't get them there. players 17-22 remain the achilles heel.
Sydney: Damage control will keep topping up to remain in the hunt for the top 8
West Coast: No excuses with the fall-out from cousins/judd a season into the past, this year we'll find out exactly where west coast are at - hardest team in the league to pick
Western Bulldogs: Survival last year's finals campaign showed the dogs are simply happy to be there. continue to make the 8, sell some memberships and find a sponsor and they'll be appeased.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

Adelaide: Limbo Craig needs to keep his job and winning a final with a few 'young' players may satisfy in 09
Brisbane: Negate GC17 year one Topping up and holding onto the existing list will keep brisbane around the hunt for the 8, essentially what it needs is to be a top 10 standard team in GC17's first year so as not to be swept away
Carlton: Richmond 2005 While carlton can aim for finals this year and may be on pace at stages of 09, the mental weaknesses within the team will be exploited by the first major setback (ala brown going down in 05)
Collingwood: Premiership window Malthouse needs a grand final to keep his job and with a bit of good luck and some lessons learnt to avoid the fade-out in 08 the pies might get there
Essendon: Rebuild phase A, or Richmond 2006 Bombers will head up the ladder again this season and may even make the 8, only to drop again in 2010
Fremantle: Non competitive Another year of Harvey and its safe to say Freo won't be winning 12 games in a season, never mind a premiership, before 2013
Geelong: Premiership Window simple
Hawthorn: Premiership Window again simple
Kangaroos: Survival Due to the club needing to remain a top 8 team to sell memberships and maintian sponsorships, a 5th-8th finish will again suffice. laidley may go if they get humiliated in the finals, but a semi-final for the kangas should see him safe.
Melbourne: Hawthorn 2005 This will be melbourne's 2nd consecutive "hawthorn 2005" year. thanks to the draft corruption they may continue developing at a slower rate.
Port: Yo yo club Enough quality in youth and senior ranks to make a top 4 push. However being a mentally weak team may see it pan out like last year again if things get tough.
Richmond: Treading water if the tiges explode into the top 4 this season good on them, however there is every likelihood they may find themselves in the 6-10 bracket again.
St Kilda: Delusion Not in geelong or hawthorn's league by a long shot and guys like cuz won't get them there. players 17-22 remain the achilles heel.
Sydney: Damage control will keep topping up to remain in the hunt for the top 8
West Coast: No excuses with the fall-out from cousins/judd a season into the past, this year we'll find out exactly where west coast are at - hardest team in the league to pick
Western Bulldogs: Survival last year's finals campaign showed the dogs are simply happy to be there. continue to make the 8, sell some memberships and find a sponsor and they'll be appeased.

Hawthorn: Delusions of Grandeur well some of the fans at least.

 

[Moo]

T-Pain ...where do you see Freo finishing? 15th?