2015 Depth charter

[inxs88]

B: Marley W. (Sinclair) N Brown (Frost) T. Goldsack (Langdon)
HB; A. Toovey (Young) B. Reid (Keefe) P. Seedsman (Ramsay)
C: S Sidebottom (Dwyer) L Greenwood (J Thomas) N. Freeman (Marsh)
HF: T. Varcoe (Fasolo) J White (Gault) D. Swan (Karnezis)
F: J. Elliot (Kennedy) T. Cloke (Moore) T. Broomhead (Blair)
F: B. Grundy (Witts) S.Pendlebury (Crisp) T.Adams (Mcaffer)

Extras: Scharenberg, Armstrong, Oxley, pick 5, 30, 48 also

As you can see we have plenty of back up players if "god forbid" we suffer our 4th year in a row of injuries. I guess it's all about getting 70 games into our young core.

[Mugwump]

Mmm, the depth looks like you can see the bottom, to me.... It's mostly a middish VFL side, in the brackets.

[Breadcrawl]

The backline isn't.

In fact the backline in brackets is a closer approximation to the side we had out on the field for most of the year than the starting side listed there.

Ditto JT, Fasolo, Kennedy, Blair, Witts, Macaffer - they aren't VFL players. They just aren't.

Beyond a certain point, maintaining depth becomes impossible because they are going to be VFL players by definition if that is where they play, aren't they?

We do enjoy great depth, partly because we have been so affected by injury and had no choice but to spread AFL experience around.

It's the silver lining

[inxs88]

Thanks Breadcrawl for understanding my post and for what it intended to say.

[neil]

Just shows we have a really good best 34
What you need to get a team to the GF

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

What it shows is that the difference with our team between 2010 and 2015, is that in 2010 our depth only went down to about 25, but in terms of quality and experience, our first 18 or 19 were almost unbeatable. In 2015 our depth will run much deeper through the list till at least 34 or 35. But finding the ideal best 18 - 22 from our 2015 list, capable of beating any opposition, will prove very difficult and may take all of the 2015 year, before we find the right combination.

[Boot]

There is no doubt that the club has depth due to the Buckley era led policy of trading into the draft by making hard calls and circumtance. e.g. Dawes, Wellingham, Daisy Thomas, Heath Shaw, Harry Lumumba, Beams. That is two class players moved on each year to get the club access to low draft picks.
Unfortunately there is no guarantee's that these low draft picks will be good enough to replace the proven worth of the players traded and as we all know young players take time to reach their best in the AFL.

Depth is good and necessary for finals success since the game is played at such a high intensity there are bound to be injuries during the year, however I would trade depth for A-grade class anytime, since it is the number of A-graders in the team ( I think at least 6 A-graders needed to win the premiership) that determine how well the team does in finals.

Based on 2014 form and natural development / aging I expect Collingwood will only have the following 3 A-graders in 2015 available to pick from;
Pendlebury, Cloke, Ried

Next in class factor would be our B graders with the potential to be A-graders;
Sidebottom ( Very Close to being A-grade), Elliot, Broomhead, Adams, Grundy and Witts (Perhaps I am being overly generous with these two ruckmen but to have shown so much potential and played as much as they have at such a young age I am very optimistic)

B-Graders unlikely to ever be A-Graders
Brown, Toovey, Sinclair, Langdon, Goldsack, Greenwood, Blair, Mcaffer, Keefe, Young and Marley Williams

C-Graders - Frost, Seedsman, Kennedy, Fasolo, Karnezis, Josh Thomas, White, Ramsay, Varcoe, Crisp, Dwyer

D-Grade - Armstrong, Gault (Typical slow delvelopment for a big bloke so bear with him)

Young Players with Potential yet to be realised but hopefully at least a few A-graders in future years but unlikely to be A-grader in 2015 :- Freeman, Moore, Oxley (I am a big wrap for this kid if he can get and stay fit), Sharenberg, Marsh, Mason Cox and Pick 5 from upcoming draft ( Laverde is the one I am hoping for)

The other wild card is once favorite Dane Swan. Swannie's last couple of years are so far below his stellar 2010 & 2011 years as to be almost unrecogniseable. However, there were glimses ( all too few) of that magic on the MCG where he reminded us of what used to be e.g. Anzac Day 2015. Apparently Swannie had injuries that reduced his input so I feel if Collingwood is to feature in September then Swannie needs to have a final good season. Unfortunately I am not so optimistic that he is capable of it any longer.

We lack class in the mid field so hence the need to recrut another couple of big bodied classy players in this years draft of which one will hopefully be Laverde.

Hence I suggest that 2015 will be a tough year, but if the team can engender the same spirt as 2002, then who knows what could be and of course we all want to defend our record as the only team to have won the Grade Final that is played in October in AFL ( Not VFL) history!!

[Bob Sugar]

the main difference between 2010 and now is the quality of our midfield, in 2010 we had a white hot Dids-Swan and Daisy, Beams was also good, Swan has lost form and we haven't come close to replacing the other 3, that IMO is the difference from then to now.

Wellers was also pretty good in 2010, better than who ever replaced him anyway.

And that is why we simply have to take the best available mid in this years draft.

[jackcass]

[Breadcrawl]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

You can't say first or second year players like Kennedy, Frost, Seedsman and Crisp are C-grade players after just a handful of games. Some players develop faster than others. Wait till they have played 50 games or more before you make a judgement.

[roar]

[Bob Sugar]

[RudeBoy]

We've got plenty of depth now. What we need is for many of our best 22 to become better players. We need around six A grade players imo. Currently we have only 2 in Pendles and Sidey. We need Cloke, Reid, Swanny (who are all hopefully over their injuries) and someone like Elliott to jump up from B to A grade next season. If that happens then I reckon we are a genuine top 4 chance.

[jackcass]