Lets adopt the 80:20 rule for 2020 changes

[inxs88]

As much as the heartache still burns from Saturday, I am sure our club won't do an Adelaide and throw the baby out with the bathwater. That being said, everybody on Nick's would be more than aware that despite being top 4 (albeit lucky... thanks Hawthorn), there are wholes, gaps and obvious changes needed to really contend.

My personal opinion is that these are the top 10 focus points:

1. Key Forwards: as somebody said in another thread, when you put your focus in an Texan basketballer, a rookie listed, mature age defender from Port Melbourne, two Irish experiments and a Medicare V.I.P in Ben Reid, you leave yourself vulnerable.

2. Fitness Staff/Programs: I am not buying the spin regarding impact injuries this year clouding the soft tissue ones. When it counted we lost significant games with DeGoey, Moore, WHE, Sier, Elliott when it mattered.

3. Reserves Coach: I bumped into Jared Rivers on Saturday at the Corner Hotel and as many know, he is off to North Melbourne. Time to recruit an ex-Captain of the 1980's whose coaching Werribee currently back to the Pies. HELLO CHOCCO!

4. Get Damian Monkhorst home: Think the post game narrative around Grundy's game not being effective was pretty harsh. That aside, all players can find 5-10% improvement if they have the right attitude. Show Brodie how much you value him and get Monky home vs A Rocca who played 45 minutes in the Ruck over 10 years.

5. Make tough or necessary list management calls on:

* Greenwood: no point being loyal to an aging 32 year old come Feb 2021. Offer him an Assistant Coaching gig and be honest that game-time come 2021 would have been limited.

* Ben Reid: simply necessary he is asked to retire. Been given 2 years longer than should of

* Ben Crocker: no comments needed

* Goldsack, Wells and S Murray: already announced

* Max Lynch: delist. Insufficent improvement after 3 years on the list

* Tim Broomhead: always and still do rate him, but 7 years and zero matches this year suggest Bux has lost faith in him

* Trav Varcoe: finals omission suggests he is on the outer

(all up 9 changes notwithstanding any player trades/free agency moves such as Elliott, Scharenberg or Sier that have been rumoured)


6. Conduct a CSIRO investigation: into the ground at the Holden Centre. Too many injuries at training. I want that report on my desk by November 1st!!!

7. Sign Grundy before pre-season: C'mon Ned. Don't flirt with this one. Brodie is a once in a 40 year Ruckman at our club and as such, let's not create any doubt or time for other clubs to swoop. They say ruckmen don't mature until they're 28-29 and we have an All Australian X 2 at 25 years old. Simplistically, he wants 7 years at a million/year and we are offering 3 years. Give him 5 years at $1.1 million and shake hands.

8. Nathan another long holiday: no person has ever been under as much stress both as a player and coach as Nathan. Italy worked a treat last year, I hear Spain is nice also. Bon Voyage till January Bux.

9. 2021 Free Agency groundwork: if anything has proven correct, it's that the relationship building and preparation starts 18 months out as evidenced by Tom Lynch to tigers, Tom Mitchell to Hawks and Buddy to Sydney. Let's target Lachie Whitfield NOW

10. Keep freshening up the Assistant Coaches and support teams: the introduction of Matthew Boyd, Garry Hocking and Justin Longmuir have all been endorsed by the players insofar as their expertise and fresh voices are concerned. Might be time for A Rocca, R Harvey and T Lockyer to make room and provide some internal aspiration. Jared Rivers is leaving because as he said the other day, there "was no opportunity to advance". Sad given he did more with the Reserves team than Tarkyn was ever able to do.

Again, just some personal opinions and mutterings expressed. Am sure we have the maturity and acumen to not destroy the 80% when attempting to fix the 20%. Welcome your thoughts as to where we can improve in 2020.

[ANNODAM]

Whilst you're at it why not head down to Deer Park, they have won 7 GFs in a row.
Entice someone from over there to come across.

[jatsad]

[inxs88]

[Haff]

Agree re Cameron. My only issue is where will the salary cap come from for a star like Cameron? Wells / Reid on not much and we need to find cash for Grundy / JDG.

[inxs88]

Reckon we can free up for allocation and new players $2,500,000-3,000,000 with the likely departures of:

* Wells $550,000 (original contract)
* Reid $400,000 approx.
* Goldsack $325,000 "
* Murray $250,000 "
* Crocker $275,000 "
* Broomhead $250,000 "
* Dunn $275,000 "
* Varcoe $350,000
* Lynch $120,000
* Madgen $150,000 (possible delisting)

Total: $2,945,000

Notwithstanding any other trades or player losses such as Sier, Elliott or Scharenberg plus the potentiality of easing greenwood into retirement. Obviously lots of this above cash shall already be pre-allocated to 2020 contracts forecasted and signed. However, it shouldn't impact Grundy, DeGoey, Pendelbury or Moore in 2020 as they are already signed up.

So hopefully it leaves some cash reserves to fill gaps on our list especially up forward. As said previously we desperately need:

* Two big key forwards with abilities (Darcy Cameron is a good get and maybe Jenkins for a late pick)
* A classy indigenous crumbing forward
* Another break the lines half back flanker with skills
* A back up Ruck

Over to you Ned Guy and Derek Hine

[Doug44]

Agree with all these points.

Biggest one for me is fitness. Can't do anything about Cox getting poked in the eye but the amount of soft tissue injuries is not luck.

If it's not the turf, need to find out what it is.

By the way I don't care what those readings say the ground it too hard. The soil itself may not be showing as hard but the grass is, I've walked on it.

[think positive]

Brilliant post send it to the club.

Especially about Grundy, give him his ever ms y years for however much, lock him up now

[inxs88]

[Pies2016]

Well thought out.
In reality if we achieve half of those outcomes in the off season, we will have done very well.
Nothing wrong with shooting for the stars though

[inxs88]

shoot for the stars at least you hit the clouds