Nearest the pin for Dad's Army players in 2020

[inxs88]

Predictably Trav Varcoe has broken down at training and requires a shoulder reconstruction. With 2019 yielding nominal amount of matches from Daniel Wells, Ben Reid and Tyson Goldsack, it shall be interesting to see how small the amount of matches that list cloggers such as:

* Varcoe: 32 years old this year
* Reid: turning 31
* Greenwood: turning 31 and a dud knee
* Dunn (when seemingly upgraded): two dud knees and turning 33

play in 2020. Would be staggered if it exceeds 15+ between the four of them and can't help but feel Ned Guy has erred in extending their careers. Surely investing in some youth would have been a better play. They have all been good servants of the club but it was time.

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Agreed Varcoe Reid Dunn retirement and even maybe greenwood too would have been best to invest in young talent Varcoe Reid are so 2012

[BazBoy]

With the four mentioned still on the list there will be times where due to the upcoming game or perceived team balance they will be chosen in the 22

If it is better for our chance for a vital / critical win it’s the choice selection group must make

But the young who can fill either of the four elder players don’t get a chance
and in fact neither does The coaching staff to veiw how kids handle games under extreme pressure

[neil]

its called depth

[BazBoy]

Understand depth —-a thing a club has but doesn’t necessarily want to expedite

Also understand advancement and opportunity

[Pies2016]

I wouldn’t think any of those senior senior players are any under false illusions about where they “ should “ fit in the scheme of things.
I think they are there more for healthy competition for spots than anything else. If Kelly steps up, that lessens Reid’s chance of a recall even further.
If Kelly doesn’t take his chance, then we have a senior player ready to go ( if Reid isn’t injured )
Quaynor, T Brown, Murphy and maybe Bianco and Rantall are all in the same boat. You want healthy competition internally to push players to be their best.
It’s all part of the delicate balance that is list management. It’s not like Reid, Dunn, Varcoe etc can’t play, it’s more that we would be in better shape if they weren’t required.

[BazBoy]

I would also suggest just using Reid as an example can as an All Australian CHB be use as a tutorial tool for say Kelly

Simalar to other experienced senior

[GlovemanGayfer]

I'm wondering if the top up veteran is a ploy more clubs will explore. Keep or recruit players at the end of their career as depth players (not to be confused with the Luke Hodge type deal). This would allow for players like Brodie to receive their higher contracts but ensure that clubs don't get caught short. Very similar to what happens in other sports with short term contracts and free agency. While these types of contracts are yet to appear I'm sure that things like the mid season draft are preparing the way for greater contractual freedom.

[stui magpie]

Personally I think from a list management perspective with not many picks available, we decided we'd get better value for 2020 by keeping some veterans as depth than picking speculative kids with late picks.

None of Varcoe, Reid, Greenwood or Dunn will be first choice selections, but if needed they're far more capable of filling a hole for a few weeks than an 18 year old kid who may never achieve more than eating his own weight in bread rolls over the term of his contract.

I dare say if we thought there were kids left in the draft who had genuine potential, we would have drafted one instead of leaving a place open for Dunn

[BazBoy]

A good point Stui

[Clemo]

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

They’re only depth if they’re fit to play

They’re only creating competition for spots if they’re available for selection

Otherwise they’re excess baggage

Maybe there weren’t any better options but I think what supporters are concerned about is changing the injury profile we’ve had for the last X years, and being a bit more ruthless about it

Would Hawthorn have kept them on?

[PyreneesPie]

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

Could have kept Goldsack if we wanted leadership

Howe and Roughead have almost as many games as Dunn and more than Greenwood or Reid

Steele and Mayne have over 200 games experience, Pendlebury 300

I don't think it's lack of experience that has seen us fall short the last 2 years - injuries on the other hand...

[BazBoy]

A good analysis of t
he experience apart from the four under discussion

We do have a good core of experience to utilise in the group and a few premiership players in that as welll

Agree we have a “bank of knowledge “ to draw on and under the revamped
Buckley and coaching staff player input is recognised as value to game planning

Reduced loss of players to injury etc. and growth of the Browns / Quaynor
is IMO the path best traveled