Competition for Spots - its good and its bad!

[E]

Pendles made this observation recently in an article posted on the AFL website:

There will be a genuine contest for spots in the Magpies' senior side come the season opener, the skipper said. "It's pretty hard," Pendlebury said.

"I know personally, just sitting down and trying to work out our best 22, it's really competitive, and there's not many guys in spots that are locks.

I happen to agree with him 100% and have no doubt that this isnt 100% a genuine statement.

On the one hand, its a great thing that we have so much up and coming talent that will make selection difficult and its going to be a real challenge to select a 22 with a lot of people who miss out likely to consider themselves unlucky.

On the other hand, it isnt such a great thing because it means that there simply not enough established AFL calibre football players on the list. Whereas Hawthorn likely has about 18 players who simply pick themselves every week, Collingwood maybe has about 6-8! Pendles, Cloke, Sidebottom, Swan, Reid and Elliot i would say are definitiely in that class.

One could argue that Langdon, Adams, Broomhead, Grundy, Brown (maybe) and possibly one or two others might also be in that list (although i dont think it would be unanimous). Too early to tell if Greenwood and Varcoe are also on the list? I hope they are.

Anyway, you can see that it is a little bit of a double edged sword to say that the 22 is hard to pick. Hopefully the list of those that pick themselves increases pretty quickly as there are certainly a lot of blokes with significant upside not referenced above - Scharenberg, Freeman, Kennedy, De goey, Frost, Witts and Moore for starters.... oh and Mason Cox!!

[Darkstranger]

So this is where injury plays a big part in a season and can ultimately decide whether a team plays finals or not - depth.

Pies proved that our depth is better than Hawks outside their core stars, Hawks, Cats, Port & Swans need to have their core stars fit week in week out to be successful otherwise than just become a good team that can be beaten.

[MJ23]

this is also where players can step up from C and B graders in A graders.
Its not enough to JUST keep your spot from one week to the next when blokes in the VFL are killing it. You need to excel at the position to hold it from one week to the next establishing consistency and attaining a new level.

This is a good thing and a big reason why Hawkes have done so well.

[RudeBoy]

I think you've overrated the Hawks.

We have just as many 'automatic selections' as them imo.

[Hiss]

[E]

Agree hiss. But I would have said "earns their turn" rather than "waits their turn"

To address the other posts. Depth only helps if you are replacing like for like.

Oh and as for the hawks and their list of no-brainer selections, try it at home and see if you think they are overrated.

Roughhead rioli breust gunston and popuolo. and that's just the forwards.....'

[Pies4shaw]

http://proofreadmydocument.com.au/services/academic-proofreading?gclid=CNaQsIGrpsQCFRYAvAodFTYAlg

[AN_Inkling]

Not double-edged at all. Just an indication of where we are at in our development. Our current developmental stage is for me the most interesting, we have a large number of seemingly similarly rated players all looking to make their mark. In the next few years we will find out which are the best of those and solidify a more certain top 22. That's when we'll be a genuine chance to compete again.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

A far cry from, Competition for Hospital Beds.

It can only be good,

surely?

[AN_Inkling]

[E]