Collingwood caught between 2 strategies.

[thompsoc]

Interesting article from the Age today just saying we are caught between 2 strategies with regard to our recruiting.

Collingwood are a club torn between two list management strategies and have set themselves up for potential long-term on-field pain, according to former list management guru Chris Pelchen.

Pelchen, who played a key role in Port Adelaide's first AFL premiership and Hawthorn's recent golden era, has expressed grave concerns over the Magpies' off-season recruiting that brought in veterans Daniel Wells, Chris Mayne and Lynden Dunn from other clubs. The trio were picked up by under-fire coach Nathan Buckley to help fast-track a return to finals after three consecutive barren seasons.

But after seven rounds, the three players have played just seven games between them this year and, with a 2-5 win-loss record, Collingwood are staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive season without finals action.

"It will really challenge the leadership of the club," Pelchen told Fairfax Media.

"You'll potentially have different factions start to splinter the club because some people will think, 'We have gone too hard at getting mature-age recruits over the past couple of years at the expense of attacking the draft or ensuring we retain our younger players'.
Personally I haven't got a clue what the clubs overall strategy is.

[Damien]

That's bollocks. Dunne cost bugger all (Someone remind me) and the other two were free agents. Yes Mayne might hurt our salary cap but none of them cost us anything in draft picks.

[qldmagpie67]

Article doesn't factor in the things like Swan retired and us having to use up the cap space we had set aside for him.
We had a huge experience void that needed filling.
Wells cost nothing other than cap space and was brought in to add some real class to our midfield, Dunn cost nothing and was brought in as cover or to play on the monsters, Mayne was brought in for nothing to hopefully add some real pressure to our forward line.
Thus far Wells and Dunn have done the jobs they were brought if for but Mayne hasn't but it's early days.
Personally I think went to hard at building midfield without looking out for the other areas we needed filling.
We just haven't been in a draft position to land any KPP so we've taken what we believed was the best available player at that pick

[E]

Dunn was brought in because we lost Brown. No more expensive to have Mayne as it was to have Cloke. Wells is no different to having Swan.

If Collingwood had kept those 3 players, this article would be redundant and our list would be in EXACTLY the same spot as it was.

The youth push is obvious. These moves were made to replace mature age bodies from a list that lost 3 or ore mature age bodies.....

[MagpieBat]

[mooretreloar]

No wonder Pelchen doesn't have a job at a club anymore if this is his actual view. Ronny Lerner, the journalist, must be one of the only Fairfax journalists not striking, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, he should hand back his AFL media accreditation on the basis of incompetence.

28 players under 25 years of age. Only one player over 30, Wells.

Swan, Toovey, and Macaffer retired, Brown and Cloke moved on, so we lost a lot of experience. Thus, we went and recruited some experience in Dunn, Wells and Mayne. I am unsure why this is so difficult for some to work out and comprehend, it really isn't hard.

Dunn was traded for pick 47 and we received Dunn and pick 51 in return. Wells and Mayne were free agents, thus no impact on draft picks, only on the salary cap.

[mooretreloar]

Before someone posts re Mayne and the 4 year deal, etc, as they usually do.

Remember at the time of his recruitment that Jamie Elliott, in his own words, was not sure if his back was going to allow him to get back and play footy again. Hence, I believe the recruitment of Mayne was part insurance in case Jamie did not get back, part to get some more experienced players on the list and part we thought he would help us be a better team. At this stage, thankfully he was not needed for part 1), and he has not helped us yet with part 3), hopefully this comes sometime in 2017 and future seasons, but the jury is very much out at this stage.

[CarringbushCigar]

[mooretreloar]

In your opinion. However, if Elliott did not get back and Mayne was playing in the 1's and doing OK, your view would be different. Actually, with you that is debatable.

[CarringbushCigar]

[mooretreloar]

Read the Jamie Elliott article that was posted here a few weeks back. It might enlighten you on the situation.

Stupid me? No, you possibly.

If you cannot see why we recruited Mayne, Wells and Dunn, I can't really help you. The answer is in black and white a few posts up.

I also really can't help you if you can't see the age demographics of our list (28 players 25 years or under, that is 2/3rds of the list) and the need to recruit some experienced players. Whether we recruited the right players is another discussion, as is whether there was anyone else available in the last trade period that filled our needs, as is whether we paid them too much or too little.

[Piesnchess]

Plainly its Open season on the Pies, if we were Nth Melb or the Lions, nobody would give a rats fat clacker, like these stirring shit journos.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

Pelchen raises some very important points. I can understand a few of us not liking what he says, but I think it's a bit about shoot the messenger.

However, after having said that there are some mitigating circumstances to explain our current predicament.

What are the chances that in one draft year, your first draft pick suffers two ACL injuries. Your second draft pick suffers from chronic hamstrings injuries. Your third draft pick suffers an ACL injury. Life is all about luck and taking your chances. We haven't had much luck under Buckley.

He's right about the 2014 draft. We nailed that one. He should have mentioned Maynard. He will continue to get better and better.

Now to the most recent draft. What are you expected to do when three of your main defenders are so bad? Frost, Brown and Williams had to go. Dunn and Schade didn't cost us anything and both are performing at least as well as our departed defenders.

Mayne is too early to call. Let's see at the end of the season whether we made the right call or not. Don't see how anyone could complain about the recruitment of Wells. He replaces Swan who retired.

[What'sinaname]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]