WHY is our VFL Team crap this season, compared to last year?

[Piesnchess]

Well, why are they, any ideas.

[K]

The most reliable contributors to our VFL team last year were VFL-listed. e.g. Marty Hore, Gus Borthwick, ... They're not there this year. In the bad finals loss, the senior guys didn't do much and left it to guys like Cal Brown & Jok (also not there this year).

[stui magpie]

we have no KPP depth.

[K]

Keane & Tohill are totally unfamiliar with the game at the moment, so their footy education is costing a bit.

[barrackers]

Basically we've lost a lot of experienced bodies and are playing inexperienced players (Tohill, Keane, Bosenavulagi, Kelly, Ralph (VFL)) who aren't 4 quarter players at this very early stage of the careers. Plus Broomhead is coming from a long way back from injury.


These are some of the differences between 2018 and 2019 with their 2018 stats shown.

Injured:
Hellier - 11 games, 5 games

Yet to play in 2019:
Gallucci - 8 games, 17 goals

Playing AFL:
Mihocek - played the first 5 games

At another AFL club:
Fasolo - 9 games, 16 goals
J. Smith - 6 games, 8 goals
Hore - 11 games
Jok - 6 games, 1 goal

At another VFL club:
Jarryd Blair - 8 games, 10 goals
Sing - 6 games
McLarty - 12 games, 10 goals
Tahana - 3 games

Not playing VFL:
Borthwick - 10 games, 5 goals
Jack Blair - 6 games, 4 goals
Starcevich - 4 games, 3 goals

[npalm]

I think the VFL form is a bit of a concern for the seniors. It's rare that the eventual AFL premiers don't also have a strong VFL team.

A weak VFL team suggests a lack of depth. But there is also the concern that our depth players will develop a losing mentality and will bring that with them when they are called up into the seniors.
Like winning, losing is a habit. Just look at Carlton.

It's also a concern for our young players and the Irish blokes. You want the young blokes developing their skills etc in a strong team not in a weak one that's always on the back foot.

Apart for all that doom and gloom, I actually suspect our VFL team will improve steadily as the year progresses as we get players back and the new players start to gell. Hopefully, they can sneak into the eight by the end of the year.

[RudeBoy]

Josh Daicos' form has been disappointing.

[David]

^ A shame to hear – particularly given this is such a make-or-break year for him.

[Pies4shaw]

23 disposals and a goal in each of the first 2 weeks, 17 and a goal in the third week. 9 disposals and no goals against Essendon. He was down in the last game, for sure, but OK the three before that.

[WarrenerraW]

I haven't seen any vfl games so I can't add anything, but I guess the team itself has undergone a long of change over the last 12 months with players leaving etc. Not having that continuity can't be good.

[Rick]

Unlike other AFL sides with a VFL team attached, we don’t retain delisted players as well as others either, besides Oxley.

It also seems that we sign a lot of young, undersized players straight out of TAC Cup to top up with. It’d be great if we could sign an established VFL star or 2 to add a bit.